NES Metroid is boring

[Tanooki | 4,937]

Wow nice catch that is a bug.  Personally unless you're in love with Secret of Mana I'd just grab the original remastered there.  I like the old game, but that's just well me liking it more 2D and steamlined without the fluff.  I mean if you're on iOS for now we're stuck, no way to side load, but if you have android I'd just get a gameboy emulator and grab the original game that way.

I read weeks ago that due to some EU regulation Apple maybe forced to allow side loading in their next IOS revision otherwise facing some hellish daily fines amounting to like 20% of their global profits.  That's annoying for the EU only this year, but there is a bill working through the US congress which would force those jerks to allow it here as well which is far overdue.

I miss having this GBA emulator my 8pius had I caught wind about that lasted all of like 12-18hours on the app store.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

I won't go so far as to say it's boring, but it's not a particularly interesting game either. At a certain point you have to just bomb every wall and floor to find your way to the end which is just lazy game design. If you have the original manual, there is a very stylized map that actually does provide a general layout of the world, but otherwise you're on your own.

There is a reason you don't really hear people going on and on about how amazing this game is like you do with SMB or Zelda (which has similar design issues, in my opinion).

[RH | 4,919]

22 minutes ago, DoctorEncore said:

I won't go so far as to say it's boring, but it's not a particularly interesting game either. At a certain point you have to just bomb every wall and floor to find your way to the end which is just lazy game design. If you have the original manual, there is a very stylized map that actually does provide a general layout of the world, but otherwise you're on your own.

There is a reason you don't really hear people going on and on about how amazing this game is like you do with SMB or Zelda (which has similar design issues, in my opinion).

Lol, it's time to bring up my hot take that Legend of Zelda is nothing more than a horizontal/top-down Metroid game.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

25 minutes ago, RH said:

Lol, it's time to bring up my hot take that Legend of Zelda is nothing more than a horizontal/top-down Metroid game.

It really does have a lot in common in terms of overall structure and open-world nature. I think the dungeons kind of save it from the monotony of Metroid, but it's definitely similar.

[Gentlegamer | 174]

Metroid and The Legend of Zelda are both action-adventure games. The difference is the "platforming" in Metroid filters bad and impatient players.

[Tanooki | 4,937]

Which is why more people hate than like Zelda II.   Old Metroid and Zelda were both 128kb games, best you'd squeeze size wise out of the old FDS, and given the year, it's no surprise they're pretty similar in context of how they work.  It was breaking new ground, using more a vast amount of added space the old boards couldn't come quite close to before FDS.

[YOURTURN | 1,256]

If I can be honest, the majority of NES games should be categorized as "boring" if Metroid is boring. With reasons being that they were not made for everybody that wants to play a NES game, and/or not the ideal age made for those who want to play an NES title, and/or those who do not have the patience to understand anything about the game.

Plus, good devs write down information for those who like a game but do not have the means to complete it without help. Which I prefer simply because there were times where I was stuck in a questionably bad designed level and had no way to figure it out. All because there was no internet to just look up what is needed to get past it. 

[SilverSurfer | 11]

A lot of nes games are boring, but I’d say most of them are rather fun and interesting. The modern games have too much fluff. I really don’t play anything past the GameCube. It’s all cute graphics with useless courier quests and no real substance.
 

Funny thing about this topic is that I really like Solstice which some people might consider boring. The controls take some getting used to but there’s a game where you really have to use your brain. There are no mega bosses or flashy light shows. Just pure simple gameplay. The aimless wandering never feels pointless. You always feel like you’re making progress I still have to try Equinox the snes sequel. 

[AirVillain | 490]

4 hours ago, Gentlegamer said:

Metroid and The Legend of Zelda are both action-adventure games. The difference is the "platforming" in Metroid filters bad and impatient players.

I feel personally attacked. 
 

Haha, jokes. I'm admittedly impatient. 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,548]

4 hours ago, Gentlegamer said:

Metroid and The Legend of Zelda are both action-adventure games. The difference is the "platforming" in Metroid filters bad and impatient players.

Dude, if you're playing the original Legend of Zelda OR Metroid in 2023, you're still in like the top 0.1% percentile of video gamer patience 

[Tulpa | 3,516]

I like how the OP put up a poll, and the poll proceeds to body slam the premise of the thread.

[phart010 | 1,707]

16 hours ago, Tulpa said:

I like how the OP put up a poll, and the poll proceeds to body slam the premise of the thread.

If I was the OP, I’d change it from
NES Metroid is boring 
to
Is NES Metroid boring?

[Tulpa | 3,516]

27 minutes ago, phart010 said:

If I was the OP, I’d change it from
NES Metroid is boring 
to
Is NES Metroid boring?

Then follow up with "No, I'm the one who's boring."

[Link | 2,714]

 

[Optomon | 65]

Never really felt grinding was too annoying with Metroid, I always rationalized it as practice defeating enemies while navigating the levels. Except after maybe dying on mother brain, but I rationalize that too as a well understood punishment by that point in the game, and giving time to regroup, refocus.

That to me was the brutal gamer mentality of the times and people rolled with it knowing it sucked. Anyone who thinks Metroid is boring is not probably cultured with it, not to any fault or credit of their own.

[Tanooki | 4,937]

Same here, I never felt there was actual grinding in the Metroid.  It was just either failing to do well and repeatedly dying or just playing along and letting the E tanks naturally refill.  Sure it sucked if you had to stop, come back and play again but that's just it, take less hits and it'll refill.  There really isn't more a grind there than other linear platformers which have a life bar to keep up or refresh before a boss by one means (meat-cv) or another (e tank-mm2+.)

[srbossman79 | 25]

Metroid is not boring (to me), but it most certainly is a product of it's time.  If it only had a map, it would be 1000% easier to know where you are and would make the game much more approachable for the newbz.  At least now there are plenty of maps printed on the internet for any who would want one.  I enjoy the gameplay, music and the emptiness vibe is spot on with space exploration. 

Saves would be great, but NES games just didn't have save batteries in them until Zelda, so this is kinda moot.  Yes, the passwords are long, but there is at least a way to continue without having to start from the beginning every time.

[YOURTURN | 1,256]

22 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Dude, if you're playing the original Legend of Zelda OR Metroid in 2023, you're still in like the top 0.1% percentile of video gamer patience 

Challenge accepted. 

[SilverSurfer | 11]

23 hours ago, Tulpa said:

I like how the OP put up a poll, and the poll proceeds to body slam the premise of the thread.

What do you mean? Other people also agreed that it’s boring. So I win

[Reed Rothchild | 9,548]

3 minutes ago, SilverSurfer said:

What do you mean? Other people also agreed that it’s boring. So I win

This is basically the motto of all internet arguments debates 

[Tulpa | 3,516]

22 hours ago, SilverSurfer said:

What do you mean? Other people also agreed that it’s boring. So I win

Yeah, but they're losers. You want to be associated with losers? Do you? DO YOU?

[Andy_Bogomil | 815]

I feel like the SNES versions of most games are just better (and I love the majority of NES hits), simply due to gameplay/graphics and 'quality of life' improvements. Metroid, Contra, Castlevania, Final Fantasy... Mario and Zelda could be debated but generally still play better. Double Dragon would be my main exception, as 2 is awesome and Super is doo doo. Mega Man if you are NOT taking 7 into consideration and ignoring the X series. 

To me Super Metroid vs. Metroid is one of the most glaring where Metroid is one of my least favourite games out of the big names on the NES and Super is my favourite of the titles on the SNES where SMB3 or the LoZ would be much closer to quality compared to their SNES version (SMW/Lttp). 

Edited May 4, 2023 by Andy_Bogomil