Bradleigh wrote:
Okay, I have been distracted by play The Witcher 3, Splatoon, Elder Scrolls Online, and Batman Arkham Knight (which I actually finished). and I think it was since my exams, but I have made it back to going through the Metroid games. It felt like time to try and finish it.
I just beat Metroid Zero Mission in a single sitting of 5 hours, 42 minutes, and 47 seconds, with a total item collection of 65%. Feels particularly quick compared to some of the others, and I am a little surprised I collected so little despite feeling like I was stuck trying to figure it all out in areas at times. Zero Mission has been interesting in that it seems to be a retelling of the first game, and I have to say that it does a good job at expressing the same feel, with graphics closer to Super Metroid, and in general less confusing. It does not feel so much like an impossible labyrinth compared to the first, and the in game map does help, as well as occasionally telling you where to go without it feeling like what Fusion did in constantly holding your hand and actually barring you to places. Although maybe one particular problem, it felt like these were some of the easiest bosses, and there really was not that many. It seemed to largely copy the original with some Super Metroid things added in but the fairly simple challenge with the tools became surprisingly easy. Ridey especially has to be mentioned as usually he is incredibly tough, but having got used to him I was prepared to use my Super missiles and I got him without the usual anxiety he usually causes. The Zero Suit section of the game was an interesting idea and you become vulnerable, and thus the last section felt more survival based like the series I supposed to be.
Next on my list of Metroid games is Metroid Prime 3. And I actually managed to track down a copy of Other M, for only $9 too. Now the only Metroid game I need to find to be able to have played everything will be Metroid Prime Hunters on the DS, which I should try and keep an eye open for. Well I hear not too good things about Other M, but I am interested to have a play of it. Anyway, counting I think it means I have beaten 7 Metroid games, and 3 left to go, plus that awful looking one they revealed at E3 which has gotten people angry on 3DS.
Perhaps after I finish Metroid games, I might try and focus on finishing the Zelda games I have not finished or played yet. I have also felt kind of tempted to also play Twilight Princess again.
It's interesting, even just within the original few games, the difficulty of the Metroid series just jumps up and down all over the place.
Though the first game always seemed the most imbalanced to me; you can die quickly when you first start out, but the moment you have the Varia suit and exactly one energy tank (the Varia being obtainable after you get only the first missile item and the boots, you dont need anything else), you're pretty much invincible for the rest of the game. Particularly once you get the Screw Attack, where suddenly you dont even need your gun anymore. But the maze itself will still stop most players that are new to it. Even the bosses just arent too tough; Ridley has just that ONE attack that he isnt particularly good at (and there's a trick to beating him from BELOW his platform, too; you can probably guess how it's done if you dont already know), and Kraid has two possible attacks, but they're more annoying than damaging (they dont do much, really, do they?) and the only thing that fight needs from you is time, as he takes the longest to defeat (even longer if you blew all of your missiles fighting "fake Kraid", provided you actually ran into him). And Mother Brain is, well.... you'd think she'd do more than JUST fire half-assed Rinkas and tiny little fireballs at Samus in self-defense. But nope. Just sorta fails at you...
Only the Metroids themselves are actual threats later on since the Varia has no effect on them.
Though, crazy imbalance like that was pretty common back then, really, even among the games that were the best of the best. Hidden passageways with NO visual hints at all that you NEEDED to go through were also common, too, really. I actually kinda miss that style of design though, in all honesty.
01 Jul 2015, 4:50 am
