METROID

Despite how revered the this series is, and how many hit games today show it's DNA, I have never actually played any Metroid games. Not for a lack of interest; I simply never got around to it. I've always had an interest in this series. So, I decided to start at the very beginning of the series. I've heard from most that playing NES Metroid is not a good idea. However I prefer to start at the very beginning, even if the earlier entries may be considered 'primitive' or 'lacking'. What I've found through doing this is that these earlier entries often have unique elements that later entries do not. Often times, I find an appreciation for these older titles. But despite that... I can not say I really hold that opinion for Metroid.

Now, I haven't played the later Metroid games, so I can't say this with certainty; but I can see myself never returning to this game. This game is unfortunately, 'primitive', in my eyes. Which is something I am sad to admit, but it is the truth. I can understand why this game made waves when it released in 1986, similar reasons as Zelda and Mario. It was a departure from the Arcade-styled games of the era. Being able to completely immerse yourself into the world, assuming the role of your player character. It wasn't just for a high score, but to accomplish a goal. By this metric, Metroid passes with flying colors. You're a bounty hunter with a clear goal: infiltrate planet Zebes and destroy Mother Brain and her crew. This world is unforgiving and unrelenting, but through exploration you find hidden weapons and upgrades (possibly meant for Mother Brain and the other space pirates?). The music is memorable and atmospheric, despite the hardware it's on. Metroid's presentation was not a disappointment.

But I can't deny that I grew up in an era where good presentation was normalized. And while I still find value in how any game (new or old) goes about presentation, it is not the only piece that matters. While I think Metroid excels at it's presentation, the gameplay left a lot to be desired. For one, I did not enjoy the backtracking. Usually, I don't have a problem with backtracking. And truth be told, Metroid's isn't all that bad. It was bareable at the very least. But anytime I realized I had to turn my ass around or run all the way back to one location, it bothered me. But through these treks it made me realize something. The run back isn't the problem, it's the way Samus feels to control.

This is another by-product of it being an old game, but Samus's controls are a bit stiff and weightless. In a vacuum, this isn't horrible. They serve their purpose well enough, fighting and dodging feel fine. But it's through the backtracking when it gets dull. These two aspects blend to make something worse than the sum of it's parts. But again, the gameplay itself is only really dull when it comes to the backtracking. All of the upgrades Samus obtains kicks ass. The Ice Beam has amazing utility, It's fun to rip through shit with the Wave Beam, the Screw Attack has to be my favorite of the bunch. Lots of good treasures to find. And piece by piece, Samus feels stronger and stronger.

I didn't go for every upgrade or health up though, that would've taken my mild annoyance with the backtracking to a complete annoyance. But I did try to get what I wanted to see. I admit I had a map open to prevent myself from getting lost, which clued me in on where some of the stuff was. The game has a bit of a problem with rooms looking similar to one another, but I can excuse this. Given the hardware, this limitation is completely understandable. What's not understandable is the final boss, Mother Brain. One thing that I can't excuse from a game is blatant bullet spam. The final boss room annoyed me more than anything else in this game. I can confidently say that I hated this fight. Samus's hurtbox is pretty big in these small rooms, so dodging Mother Brain's cereal is near impossible. Morphball doesn't do much to help either because it disables your ability to jump, not to mention the fact you can't shoot missiles while your in it. This boss fight sucked and was not fun. The escape sequence was easy at least, they give you plenty of time.

Do I regret playing Metroid? No. Despite my grievences with this game, I am glad I at least played it. It lays good groundwork for where the other games could go. While it does not hold up as well nowadays, I would still say that this game is good for the era. Would I recommend this game? No. I've heard there's a remake on GBA. Now, I haven't played that one yet, but I would still say to play that one instead. Overall I didn't find this game atrocious, but I didn't find it that great either. It at least left me looking forward to seeing where the next games go.