Game Debate #3: Metroid

[Reed Rothchild | 9,504]

[ZeldaFreak | 3,600]

Never played the original Metroid, but I have played a few of it's sequels and really liked them, so I'm sure I'd like the original.

[Br81zad | 628]

Love this game and the series (even the FPS games, even though I still consider them separately)

I'm playing through Fusion right now. Just opened the 1st security lock.

 

[OptOut | 8,879]

Oof! I really WANT to love this game, I'm a big fan of basically all the other Metroid games!

As far as I'm concerned, the gameplay is great, the enemies are fun to fight and the weapons fun to use. Exploration is decent too, although the passages don't have as much variety as perhaps they could.

However, for me the game is absolutely SUNK by a single fatal flaw. After you die or load from password, you start with only 30 health regardless of your energy tanks or where you are in the game.

This ABSOLUTELY kills the game for me, I can NOT be fucked to stand next to one of those enemy tubes and grind health for like half an hour every time I die or reload.

Just because of that one flaw, I just can't play the game, it's really unfortunate. It's a 6 from me I'm afraid.

The remake on GBA, Zero Mission was tops tho, fixed up basically everything wrong with the game!

[fcgamer | 4,718]

@OptOut : There is only one Metroid, do not disrespect it. 

Actually I have a ton of great memories from the GB one as well, SNES wasn't bad, but SNES sucks. The FPS stuff...I refuse to even acknowledge it as being Metroid, and don't even get me started on the Metroidvania Castlevania crap.

Played Metroid tons as a child, to refill the tanks took what, maybe five minutes? Just gotta go to the right areas. 

Great game, everyone needs to give it a go. Perhaps this could be the game to decide generations, if you like it, you're generation y, if you hate it, you're a millenial. haha

Edited June 26, 2020 by fcgamer

[OptOut | 8,879]

The original Metroid disrespects ME and my time! Maybe you had a bunch of time to play this game as a kid, but I first played it only a couple years ago. It's actually NOT a super common game in the UK.

Anyway, grinding health sucks, worst Metroid game. Even the pinball one is better!

[JamesRobot | 5,785]

Killer.  

[fcgamer | 4,718]

36 minutes ago, OptOut said:

The original Metroid disrespects ME and my time! Maybe you had a bunch of time to play this game as a kid, but I first played it only a couple years ago. It's actually NOT a super common game in the UK.

Anyway, grinding health sucks, worst Metroid game. Even the pinball one is better!

Maybe you just suck at old school games, they're all pretty easy if you grew up in that era

[DefaultGen | 5,390]

8/10.

Sooo atmospheric, and it’s a mid 80s game played on a damn toaster! Exploring is super fun and rewarding. If I have knocks against it: The difficulty curve is backwards. It’s hardest at the beginning when you’re lost and suck. Enemies are a joke by the time you get the screw attack. Only 2 minibosses. The reused screens are pretty confusing, but I guess they were pushing the hardware or trying to be confusing. Super Metroid made everything better, but Metroid is still the bomb.

Here’s my personal map because maps are cool

[Sumez | 2,928]

I love the fuck out of Super Metroid. It's a masterpiece, and I could talk about it for days.

Consequently that leaves me very little to say about the original Metroid on its own, because it would probably end up being mostly comparisons to its insanely refined sequel. But it's still good, if a bit repetitive.

7/10

Edited June 26, 2020 by Sumez

[Sumez | 2,928]

5 hours ago, OptOut said:

This ABSOLUTELY kills the game for me, I can NOT be fucked to stand next to one of those enemy tubes and grind health for like half an hour every time I die or reload.

Here's a cool hack you can perform on an original cartridge to fix this aspect of the game:

Just don't do that.  

[ifightdragons | 234]

Was just about to say, there are hacks to alleviate most frustrations of classic NES games Why more people don't use them is a mystery to me. Flashcart it up!

[Sumez | 2,928]

This was more of a lifehack though, than a romhack  

[OptOut | 8,879]

33 minutes ago, Sumez said:

Here's a cool hack you can perform on an original cartridge to fix this aspect of the game:

Just don't do that.  

How'd you get your health back then?

I figured the only alternative would be to plan your route through the game so that you hit energy tanks at regular intervals to top up your health after difficult sections... But then that would still take a lot of time and practice to figure out the route, which maybe I will try one day... But it's still a huge barrier to entry IMO.

Like I say I really WANT to love the game, I really do, but I'm a lazy, spoiled man... 

[ifightdragons | 234]

https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/504/

For your convenience

Edited June 26, 2020 by ifightdragons

[fox | 1,664]

7 hours ago, OptOut said:

Oof! I really WANT to love this game, I'm a big fan of basically all the other Metroid games!

I'm in the same boat.  Love the other Metroid games esp Super Metroid, but this one doesn't do it for me.

Levels all look samey and lack any landmarks, makes it easy to get lost and not know where to go.  No in-game map doesn't help maters. Grinding for health is a chore. 

What really kills it is the obscure hidden paths needed to progress.  Unless you bomb every wall, there is no way you are beating this without a guide.

Edited June 26, 2020 by fox

[T-Pac | 7,510]

I don't have enough patience for Metroid, but that's not to say it would be a bad game if I really sat down to give it a fair shot.

-CasualCart

[noiseredux | 232]

I want to like the original Metroid way more than I actually do. I actually tried to replay it when it came to Switch Online and I gave up after a couple of hours. I think Zero Mission really spoiled me, because that remake is so perfect.

Inversely - and maybe this belongs in the unpopular opinions thread - I sort of hated the Metroid II remake on 3DS, and actually prefer the original version between those two.

[Hammerfestus | 3,817]

I never played this game until I was an adult.  I think it’s pretty good and definitely has an awesome atmosphere.  
 

I’ve never gotten super far in it though.  I refuse to use a map (it really gives me that classic NES feel of being lost and using exploration, my wits, and repetition to find my way (a la LoZ)) and it’s pretty slow going trying to figure out where I’m going on my own.  Unfortunately, I usually only get so far before I lose my password or get distracted by something shiny.  
 

 

[zeppelin03 | 314]

I've played a bit of this version and wasn't impressed.  The remainder of my experience is watching speedruns after deciding I will never play the game.  I can agree with @fox on the zones feeling the same after a bit.  The music doesn't do anything for me either.  Also I have zero interest in drawing my own map.  Blindly going through mazes is frustrating at best.  The game just doesn't have much character to me.  I get it might be going for a desolate feel but its just dull to me.

More recently I beat Metroid Return of Samus on 3ds and enjoyed it.  What I played of the GBA Metroid remake was good too.  The refinements that came after are the experience I would rather have. 

4/10 - MEH is about right. 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

7 hours ago, DefaultGen said:

8/10.

Sooo atmospheric, and it’s a mid 80s game played on a damn toaster! Exploring is super fun and rewarding. If I have knocks against it: The difficulty curve is backwards. It’s hardest at the beginning when you’re lost and suck. Enemies are a joke by the time you get the screw attack. Only 2 minibosses. The reused screens are pretty confusing, but I guess they were pushing the hardware or trying to be confusing. Super Metroid made everything better, but Metroid is still the bomb.

Here’s my personal map because maps are cool

I went with 8/10 too. I got it for Christmas in 1988 and it was one of my favorite games. It's good to see that I wasn't the only one that drew their own maps on graph paper!

[Gloves | 11,759]

5. I don't like the Metroid games.

[Deadeye | 1,595]

10 minutes ago, Gloves said:

5. I don't like the Metroid games.

I have tried to get into Metroid and Super Metroid, but I never got hooked.  I find them lacking.  Needs something else....maybe some more action, maybe some inventory management, some RPG elements.  Ah that's right, and that is why Castlevania Symphony of the Night blows Metroid and Super Metroid out of the water.

[Gloves | 11,759]

6 minutes ago, Deadeye said:

I have tried to get into Metroid and Super Metroid, but I never got hooked.  I find them lacking.  Needs something else....maybe some more action, maybe some inventory management, some RPG elements.  Ah that's right, and that is why Castlevania Symphony of the Night blows Metroid and Super Metroid out of the water.

100%

[OptOut | 8,879]

31 minutes ago, Deadeye said:

I have tried to get into Metroid and Super Metroid, but I never got hooked.  I find them lacking.  Needs something else....maybe some more action, maybe some inventory management, some RPG elements.  Ah that's right, and that is why Castlevania Symphony of the Night blows Metroid and Super Metroid out of the water.

The great thing about Super Metroid is the way the game is paced, IMO. You flow through the game exploring new environments, collecting new power-ups and facing awesome boss enemies at an almost constant steady pace. It's always something new and interesting to see or do in that game, and I personally find it very rewarding.

Plus, it's a short experience generally, maybe 5 hours at an average kind of playthrough, so it's just a lot of awesome moments strung together in quick succession.

It's way better than OG Metroid in any case!