Metroid: Zero Mission

[Game Boy]

I was expecting this to be a marked improvement over Fusion, but it's let down by pushover bosses, being incredibly linear and taking even less time to complete then Fusion.

Granted, it's another enjoyable title and does well to expand on the original NES, but it's not the improvement that Nintendo was promising. Oh well, back to the review...

But on the other hand, I view those very detriments as reason why this really works. It's tight, it all fits together, the story works, it helps consolidate the Metroid/Samus mythos. And its very compelling. The fact it's easy or short is in many respects irrelevant.

[Strider]

Hardly, if I've just spent 35 quid on a game, I want it to last a little longer than 4 hours. ft:

[Game Boy]

Hardly, if I've just spent 35 quid on a game, I want it to last a little longer than 4 hours. ft:

When have Game Boy games been ?35 quid?

TBH, I'd rather pay ?22.39 (which is what I paid for my imported copy) for a 4 hour orgasm than pay the same amount for the flabby mess that some other third person action games represent.

MZM is a fantastic experience. You shouldn't be looking for length or power in a video game - that's no way to measure artistry or design talent, is it?

[Strider]

The majority of our readers will more than likely buy Metroid: Zero Mission from Game, where it's going to be 30-35 quid.

The game may be extremely well put together, but we still need to let our readers know that whilst enjoyable, it's an extremely short experience. Max Payne 2 is the perfect example of what I'm referring too; the reviewer loved it, but couldn't give it a massive score (it got a respectable 7) mainly because it's so short.

Zero Mission is still getting a good score, but things like length have to be taken into consideration.

[Game Boy]

At what point did I mention you writing a review about it? But if you want to talk review techniche, then fine; marking a game down purely because of its length is immensely redundant. Explain Ico to me. Or Rez. Or PDO. Or a round of Tiger Woods. Or Tetris. Shouldn't you be marking on satisfaction over the amount of hours it takes to play - and should you really be writing a critique (supposedly your review) that is in fact tailored to what people will want to hear in case they happen to feel ripped off?

But my point still stands - just replace that ?22-odd number with ?30-35 (or ?32 with that GAME voucher, eh?). It's experience what counts. Look at the converse argument; that an adventure with so much scope and such a variety of content is packed into four hours* WITHOUT needless narrative queues every level is an achievement, isn't it? That's what I feel about MZM.


* It's not four hours long really, either, unless you didn't die once - the timer doesn't record total play time, after all, it just remembers the time between each save. In truth it lasts about as long as Fusion did, but it has less handholding - with the compensation for that being a slightly easier scale of difficulty.

[Strider]

At what point did I mention you writing a review about it? But if you want to talk review techniche, then fine; marking a game down purely because of its length is immensely redundant. Explain Ico to me. Or Rez. Or PDO. Or a round of Tiger Woods. Or Tetris. Shouldn't you be marking on satisfaction over the amount of hours it takes to play - and should you really be writing a critique (supposedly your review) that is in fact tailored to what people will want to hear in case they happen to feel ripped off?

But my point still stands - just replace that ?22-odd number with ?30-35 (or ?32 with that GAME voucher, eh?). It's experience what counts. Look at the converse argument; that an adventure with so much scope and such a variety of content is packed into four hours* WITHOUT needless narrative queues every level is an achievement, isn't it? That's what I feel about MZM.


* It's not four hours long really, either, unless you didn't die once - the timer doesn't record total play time, after all, it just remembers the time between each save. In truth it lasts about as long as Fusion did, but it has less handholding - with the compensation for that being a slightly easier scale of difficulty.

Many of the games you have mentioned have plenty of replay value, Rez being a particular example. Ico on the other hand is such a beautiful experience that you don't mind replaying it. Zero Mission on the other hand has hardly been touched since I completed it.

Yes you're right, I didn't die once. How can you when the enemy boss attack patterns are about as complex as a Spot goes to school book?

Also all the games you have mentioned are designed by default to be continually played (except Ico of course) so your counter argument in that respect is completely useless.

Look it's obvious you really like Zero Mission, and I also like it. In my opinion though, it could have been a lot better.

[Game Boy]

Well I think MZM has plenty of replay value - and clearly it's designed that way. Hence the addition of the difficulty levels (you may not bother to look at them, but it does matter to some), different endings depending on how quickly you finish - a core reason why it's so short! - plus having original Metroid in there too, etc.

[Strider]

Granted, having the original metroid and being able to link up to fusion is a nice touch, but I don't consider extra difficulty levels to be something that will enhance the longevity of a title (unless you're given significant bonusus for completeing them).

Just out of interest then, what would you rate Zero Mission out of 10?

[Jaxon]

Update: 7 hours in and still have about 9 items to locate(hard) and pick up(sometimes even harder). I'm strangely compelled to keep playing until I discover everything. And then I'll probably do it again to reduce my horrid time down to a more respectable figure. The game's length, or "How long am I going to be able to play this before I get bored" can't be accurately gauged from the time it takes to initially reach the last boss.

I also never understood why you Brits pay nearly twice as much per game as we do. What you guys pay ?30-35 for we get for $25-30 I don't think I could afford videogames if I lived over there.

As for scoring, I like how the numbers are just shorthand for general descriptive inicators. The technical and design aspects of the game are top quality as we have come to expect from first-party titles. It can't be "Genre Defining" because it's not unique. Super Metroid already did everything Zero Mission does now a decade ago. There's a lot of substance to it if you take the time to experience everything it has to offer, but the intial play through is over so quickly that some people might feel shortchanged. So maybe it doesn't deserve "Stunning" either. "Excellent" accurately describe this game. A good solid 8.

[Strider]

The strangest thing I found when I recently visited the States, was that Xbox Titles and PS2 and GameCube were not that much cheaper than theri uk Counterparts. GBA games on the other hand were ridiculously cheap. Hence I bought about 13 of them

[Cacophanus]

Hardly, if I've just spent 35 quid on a game, I want it to last a little longer than 4 hours. ft:

Stop talking (taking?) smack Darren, I blitzed Prime in under three hours (100% completion mind) and that is still an amazing game. Moreover, Super Metroid could also be completed, again at 100%, in under ninety minutes (as many have already pointed out). Game length is important, but ICO is hardly crap because it is "focused" and neither is FFX-2 sublime because it never ****ing ends (Squeenix needs to pay for that ****).

[Strider]

Sorry Cacky, it's not an amazing game, it's a very good game. Not sure what your Ico gripe is about though?

Oh, and before you say anything, Zero Mission is not a mecha title

[Cacophanus]

Sorry Cacky, it's not an amazing game, it's a very good game. Not sure what your Ico gripe is about though?

Why would you denote Prime above Zero Mission, for example, essentially they possess identical game mechanics?

The ICO mention was meant as a contrast to your "I've been stiffed!" remark on game length. It was still a beautifully crafted game despite the fact it last only a few hours.

Oh, and before you say anything, Zero Mission is not a mecha title

...damn

Samus is wearing power-armour and I the e-manga does go to town on the mechanical aspects of her suit. Yet, you are still controlling Samus (the person not her suit). Whereas in Gundam, for example, you are controlling the mobile suit and not its pilot. That's the difference I suppose (in terms of genre definition).

Nice to see that you are still up and posting on da forum (looking at porn again I assume? ).

[Strider]

Yuo didn't read my post properly mate, I'm quite aware that Ico is a fantanstic game (and mentioned this in my post). Ico makes you want to play through it straight away. Zero Mission didn't grab me in the same way.

[Cacophanus]

Yuo didn't read my post properly mate, I'm quite aware that Ico is a fantanstic game (and mentioned this in my post). Ico makes you want to play through it straight away. Zero Mission didn't grab me in the same way.

Grabbing? What on earth are you talking about?

ICO is indeed fantastic, as you said, but it is also short (which was your main criticism of Zero Mission). I am merely asking for you to prove your claim as to why Zero Mission is deficient due to its length.