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Revisiting Metroid

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    #16
    Really enjoying this run through of a series I'm pretty unfamiliar with.

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      #17
      Metroid Zero Mission
      It takes a while to adjust to this after Samus Returns but, generally, it plays really well. The movement feels natural and the control is good. In that respect, it works in a very similar way to Fusion. But it’s very different to that game in other ways. The graphics are really nice. Instead of reusing assets from Fusion, they have redone everything to give it a more graphic style. A bit like a comic book and the result is lovely. It has a clear sense of style, working perfectly with any visual limits the GBA may have had. Looks great!

      The music, on the other hand, is totally overdone. Instead of the understated moody atmosphere of the games since Super, Zero Mission tries to recreate the original Metroid music and goes way too big on it. The tracks are actually good but they grate really quickly as they loop. They just get in the way.

      In recreating the original Metroid, Zero Mission feels far more open than Fusion did. They have a new mechanic to guide you in the general direction of the next goal but that’s not really to the game’s detriment because it usually requires a lot of exploration just to figure out how you are supposed to get there. It’s still possible to get quite stuck in this game for some time until you realise there is a hidden path you missed.

      The overall package comes together really well and it’s fun to play. But so far (I’m about 2 hours into it and my game saves suggest the game is about 5 hours long), the level design feels like a step down from Super Metroid. But I guess that’s a high bar to live up to and, if they have stuck with the same general layout as the original, then there is going to be a shift backwards in some areas. Still so far, it’s a very enjoyable Metroid and, for me, already delivers a better Metroid experience than Fusion did.

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        #18
        Originally posted by Dogg Thang View Post
        Actually, here's a question for anyone who has actually played the GB Metroid 2. How similar are these games in structure? Did they stick with the same general layout and abilities for the 3DS remake?

        Has anyone ever actually played through the GB version...?
        Very different Metroid 2 on GB reuses a lot of the same areas and as I remember it was possible to miss items and not get back. I doubt the remake kept much of the layout. Certainly based on this map comparison images: https://www.reddit.com/r/Metroid/com...vs_am2r_vs_sr/

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          #19
          That's interesting. There are some parallels and, for some reason, they are using very incomplete maps for Samus Returns to compare but, yeah, it does seem like they veered away from the layout of the original quite significantly.

          One thing that is still quite apparent in the remake is that some sections are almost carbon copies of each other but the visual theme is different in each one so it doesn't draw attention to the repeats.

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            #20


            I've only played Super Metroid. I'll never forget how stunning the graphics looked back in 1994. Also, the animation was really impressive. Nintendo managed to deliver a captivating experience that conjured up a truly foreboding vibe. I found the actual gameplay a bit annoying at times, but I was spellbound and kept persevering. Easily one of the best Super Nintendo games.

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              #21
              Yeah, Super Metroid still looks great to this day. And also sounds amazing. It's one of those examples where the style worked hand in hand with what was technically possible at the time in a way that means it doesn't look dated now. It feels like, if it had been made now, they still would have made it look and sound like this.

              Except for the Mother Brain design.

              And actually, look at that text in the pic you posted - could be a Thor movie logo today.

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                #22
                Originally posted by Dogg Thang View Post
                It's one of those examples where the style worked hand in hand with what was technically possible at the time in a way that means it doesn't look dated now. It feels like, if it had been made now, they still would have made it look and sound like this.
                Also, people seem to really like this old school graphic style, so indie developers cater to that. But at the time Super Metroid was showing off the tech and a great example of how polished and detailed a 16-bit game could be. Nintendo got every aspect right: graphics, animation, audio and gameplay. A brilliant creation that surprised people back in the day.

                Originally posted by Dogg Thang View Post
                Except for the Mother Brain design.


                A stunning image.
                Last edited by Leon Retro; 17-10-2019, 19:09.

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                  #23
                  I finished Metroid Zero Mission today. Generally a pretty great Metroid, in my view. It looks lovely and the level design is often really good. A few repetitive sections but what it gets right is the sense of progress. It’s a rewarding game.

                  One thing that was pretty controversial at the time of release was the added Zero Suit section. At a certain point, Samus loses her suit and has to do without it, armed only with a rubbish pistol and right in the midst of a pirate ship crawling with enemies. It’s pretty easy to see why this didn’t go down all that well because it’s a section that is completely at odds with the rest of the game. Some parts are designed to get through with stealth but it feels like many parts of the section are designed for you to trigger the alarm and have to run for your life - so you feel a little sabotaged and it also puts you in a fluster. That’s unlike any other part of the game and really unlike most of the other games too except that one part of Samus Returns where you have to outrun the digger. I just found it frustrating this time around.

                  That said, one thing that happens which I think is part of the point of the sequence is that, when you get your suit back, you really appreciate it. It makes you feel incredibly powerful as you just breeze through sections you barely survived moments before. So I can see the point of that part but I didn’t enjoy it. Maybe had it been paced differently or placed much earlier in the game it would have worked better. Who knows.

                  But that section aside, I think it’s a really good Metroid.

                  And with that, unless the Prime trilogy gets a Switch release, that completes my Metroid binge. It is a great series generally with some very strong games. I think Super Metroid still stands out as the pinnacle of the series after all these years.

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                    #24
                    Originally posted by Dogg Thang View Post
                    I finished Metroid Zero Mission today. Generally a pretty great Metroid,.
                    I really should have played Zero Mission, considering all the positivity surrounding it. I had my original GBA upgraded to the latest screen tech, so I might finally give Zero Mission a go. It's easy to see that the developer put a lot of care and attention into crafting something special.

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                      #25
                      Yeah, it’s one I’d recommend. As a bonus, it comes with the original Metroid included. I know we can all play that on various machines right now but I think it was pretty cool that it was included and it would be great to see that be a normal thing. I must admit, for example, that I half expected the original Link’s Awakening to be included with the recent Switch version.

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