The Key to Metroid Prime's Atmosphere
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ต.ค. 2019
- Metroid Prime Remastered has just dropped, so I expect this video may pull in fresh viewers, so enjoy!
Continuing my ongoing side series about how Metroid games go about creating their rich atmospheres, here's the latest instalment with Metroid Prime.
I really think Prime struck a chord with its atmosphere, and in this video I detail as to how it did this.
Thanks for watching!
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#MetroidDread #MetroidPrimeRemastered - เกม
One of the great grandfathers of horror games, Project Firestart, also had a section where the lights were killed. Very tense.
Holy _moly_ how have I never heard of this game before?! It's incredible for 1989! Thank you!
@@VideoGameAnimationStudy You're welcome! It's curious that this old hidden gem isn't more well known. Then again, video game history isn't something most people seem interested in.
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@@DrownedInExile I often think that games made back in the C64 era are often missed or forgotten. So it is always a pleasant surprise when someone references that stuff. Good ol’ Project Firestart.
@@DrownedInExile it seems like a fun game to try i also like the fact that you can see somethings in the game that you can propably guess where they got the inspiration
Like the Tos style warp naselles
And the one and only alien.
I love how people are still talking about metroid even after all these years
Too right! Art doesn't really date.
That's what the developers accomplished by delivering a masterpiece of interactive media. This game would so deserve a visual upgrade and being re-released. Even though it does still look good and did look fabulous at it's release.
Cause people are still hyped about that Metroid prime game.
Speaking of, has MP4 come out yet? I live kinda out in the sticks, so I don't get to game stores very often.
Honestly I haven't seen something near close to metroid prime for years. It is pretty crazy that this game is old, yet it feels current
Y'know I always liked how the space pirates referred to samus as "The Hunter." Remember how terrified you were, when the SA-X walked past you, or began chasing you? It seems like an unstoppable killing machine, yet at the same time, a silent creature, slowly stalking and exploring the space station. That's probably how the space pirates feel when they encounter you, which gives me a good chuckle and makes me feel like an even bigger badass while wandering Talon IV as Samus Aran.
@The_Observer Yet it is always to no avail.
@sluttyMapleSyrup Yeah, I bet Fusion was the one time where Samus actually feared for her life, or at the very least "got her blood pumping" (but kept moving forward, obviously.)
@sluttyMapleSyrup Yeah. The scene makes sense lore-wise. I mean, at that point in the timeline, Samus had killed her arch-nemesis three times (with Super being the final time since Zebes explodes.) Samus has good reason to think Ridley is finally dead, what with his ashes being obliterated along with Zebes itself.
The Prime Trilogy's use of logs and lore is an often under-mentioned aspect of its greatness. The pirates in Prime 3 are especially interesting, and not generic villains like in Other M.....
@@nillynush4899 Yeah, the logs are a big part of what makes the Prime series great.
"Tell me about your favorite metroid prime moment" dont ask impossible questions
Heh heh
@@VideoGameAnimationStudy I'm glad you agree
My favourite Metroid Prime moment was the part from the beginning sequence of Prime 1 to the Mission Complete screen of Prime 3.
@@trashaimgamer7822 my favorite was all of that, except for the part where Prime 2 starts and ends.
You didn't think Prime 2 was tense or dreadfilled?
One detail I've always loved is just how much scarier Metroids are in first person. Not only do they cloak your entire vision with their fleshy underside, but they also overcharge your HUD and cause it to be unreadable.
Yes! Much more menacing in first person!
Imagine if they were full sized like those in the 2D games.
Imagine a conversion mod of fusion for prime. A first person perspective SA-X encounter. Especially with today's headset technology.
I started of scared and ended raging at them foe blocking me towards the final boss... the copied themselves when I thought it was done so I had to just run...
@@VideoGameAnimationStudy And, as mentioned on TV Tropes, the game makes sure to emphasize your first encounter with a Metroid in-game. For long-time series fans, it was noted to be a somewhat panic-inducing moment. You’re locked in a room, with a Metroid, and no Ice Beam. (And yes, you don’t actually need the Ice Beam to kill them in Prime, but the context for some players may have been rather jarring.)
As a general rule, Metroid's atmosphere strives for two goals. The first is to make you feel threatened. Everything on this planet wants to hurt you, even seemingly harmless monsters like Zoomers and Geemers. The second is to make you feel very, very alone.
It's been years (approximately 9 at the most) since I first played Prime (which was my first Metroid game and my first Prime series game), and the Prime games *still* makes me feel tense, lol.
Just like when I'm at home with my family
Don't forget about Boomers ;)
Zoomers and Gamers
That said, my favorite moment in Prime 1 is the Crashed Frigate. When you first enter, it sounds all spooky and haunted. Then, you get into the giant shaft room, and the music changes to this beautiful, somber piece. I think I just stood on the platform for 5 minutes, taking it all in. Water areas in Metroid have always been top-notch in music and atmosphere, and Prime definitely brought it to a whole new level.
Well if it isn't the crashed frigate then what is it?
@@jimmyjohnjoejr.9020 Oh, oops, I think i was gonna write "isn't scary, but something breathtaking and relaxing", but changed my mind. Thanks.
Spookiest area is Phazon Mines level 3. Complete darkness, fucking Metroids, somewhat challenging platforming, scary music, and of course the big daddy of it all, the Omega Pirate.
@@Metroid4ever Yah these two moments are quite memorable ! When I first played, it was horrifying going through these caves but it's really what makes them so delightfull. I felt much better in the chozo rui... wait a sec there were ghosts everywhere !! Aaaaarg. Now, when I play again, I feel these moments are too short...
Trippie Red sample
I played this game when I was much younger when it realesed (18 years already, eh?) and I wasn't much into reading all the text (English is not my first language) and understanding the situation. It was much later when I replayed the game much older (AKA yesterday) that I noticed the Frigate is under distress because the phason-infused queen parasite was wrecking the place, the pirates dead by their own ambitions! That alone motivated me to replay the whole game, which I intended on doing as soon as I get my hands in a saving card for the GameCube
One of my favourite things in Metroid Prime is how it introduces Tallon IV to you. You arrive, severely weakened, with Samus on high alert as she exits her ship. But when you walk around a bit, you just see weirdly pretty nature. The music underlines the sense of wonder that comes with this unknown environment, being very positive and uplifting, as if to celebrate your arrival. Some of the creatures attack you, but nothing seems to have it out for Samus specifically.
But as you explore a bit, the pretty facade begins to fade, with signs of Space Pirates having invaded the planet showing up here and there, and by the time you enter the Chozo Ruins, it becomes clear that you have a LONG way ahead of you...
This introductory aspect is one reason I still see Metroid Prime as the best entry to the entire series. It manages to tell the story of Tallon IV both visually and mechanically, and the story is fascinating, yet sad. How the Chozo desperately struggled against the Phazon corruption of Tallon IV, ultimately sacrificing themselves to become undying guardians of the most dangerous creature of all. How they recorded their history in murals and texts that speak of their hopes, but also their suffering. How they accepted their end, knowing that a light in the infinite darkness of space will return peace to this old sanctuary one day.
And all of that is visible as you just look at your environments. Yes, you can gather that much from the many scans, but they simply detail the things that would be impossible to portray. The lore surrounding Tallon IV is simply everywhere, and the more you pay attention to it, the more you feel like you're actually there.
And that's not speaking of the brief instances of humor, the imposing boss fights, and the wide variety in setpieces that keep the game fresh, even as you backtrack through Magmoor Caverns for the umpteenth time. God, I love this game!
One of my favorite immersive moments from the Prime trilogy is the Rezbits' computer virus attack in Prime 2's Sanctuary Fortress. Something about seeing Samus having to reboot her suit's operating system, temporarily disabling your HUD in the process, was just such a fascinating and well-executed idea.
That part was definitely jarring for me the first time, because prior to the first Rezbit encounter, we haven't faced anything like it in Prime 1 or Prime 2. Even more ironic is the fact that the visually menacing Warrior Ing did not really phase me, but the Rezbit made me fear it despite its small, unassuming and pixelated visage. And what makes the virus attack worse, is the fact that the Rezbit becomes invulnerable right before launching the virus, leaving you no choice but to run far away from it or find some nearby cover.
@@metawolf987 its scary as all heck, until you realize that the dark beam can still freeze it if u land the charge shot in close proxy to the rezbit
@@Frostburnphoenix Yeah, I almost never used the Dark Beam for two reasons. First, the beam ammo system, and second, the Dark Beam was the only beam in MP2 which had no kind of homing capability. I probably only used it for freezing metroids, which iirc, was very rare in MP2. And sadly, all the beam-missile combo weapons were disappointing. Super Missiles and Light Beam were the main workhorse weapons, and the Lightblast was very satisfying to use on Ing. That is, until we get the Annihilator Beam, and are able to supercharge beacons/crystals and watch Warrior Ing and Hunter Ing get hilariously pulled into the destructive light dome.
@@metawolf987 yes the dark beams charge function doesnt automatically home when fired, BUT when it hits an object or surface and splatters its dark orbs in close proxy to an enemy, those orbs will RUSH towards and start covering the target. Now you do need to have this land close because the orbs dont last long, BUT, more often than not, you only need 1 charge beam to freeze anything(metroids included). I highly suggest you try it out sometime if you ever pick up MP2 again. (this method works WONDERS on the torvus bog sheegoth-y raptor thingys[names forgotten])
@@metawolf987 If you ever replay the game, seriously use the dark beam and its charge function. They are way more useful than most people assume. Especially use the charge function on the Dark Pirate Commandos, because it basically acts as the Ice Beam with most darklings, allowing you to just kill them in one shot.
When I was a kid, I'd refuse to go through this area so much. I'd dread every moment of it. Then slowly, but surely, I'd gain the confidence enough to go through it, just to die. Then I'd wait some more time, do it again, and die again. lol It took me years to finally be good enough and brave enough to go through it. I was terrified of this game.
Now, even as an adult, I hate going through this area. You're rather under powered still. Likely only 4 E-Tanks, limited missiles, and an electrical beam that only fires so fast. It really is the second trip back through the fortress that makes you hate this section of the game not because it's bad, but because it's so good. You love to hate it. It's what a Metroid game should feel like at times. I'm hoping Metroid Prime 4 returns to the more Super Metroid formula where it gives you necessary tools, but you're free to explore many places and environments without much hindrance. No more abilitease! Just full on exploration, adventure awesomeness.
I actually think it was more scary on the GameCube because the controls were a bit more cumbersome, and you felt less in control. Whereas this Wii version feels much nicer to play, and a little less threatening. The atmosphere is still great though!
@@VideoGameAnimationStudy That's where I first played it! lol Control on where you aim makes it so much easier. I've never owned the Trilogy on Wii actually.
"you love to hate it" That's some gold there. I remember thinking as a kid that I wasn't allowed to chicken out of this game, because 3 of my older brothers had all played through it. Same goes for Fusion in that regard.
This was literally my experience as well
I used to roam around the world on the completed save file of my dad, i remember one time i went in the lab, and saw fog. Just fog and that tense note. I pulled the thermal visor to see the pirates hanging on the ceiling like nightmare spiders waiting for me to get in. I noped the hell out so hard
I love how MP2 teaches you to be afraid of dark Aether, to run and keep yourself safe inside the light beacons' barrier, and to constantly monitor them to make sure they don't turn off. This is specially stressing in the middle of battle.
One of my favorite moments is in MP2, when you pass below the Grapple Guardian chamber and the whole room shakes because it's stomping aroung above you, is the game telling you "yep, you're gonna have to fight THAT", doesn't help that the room you fight that guardian is called 'Sacrificial Chamber'
Aaaaaaah, the Chozo Ghosts... I dreaded every single encounter. When the area turns dark and that horrible shriek resounds around the room, whenever I could I'd dash towards the nearest exit, never looking back.
And then I got the X-Ray Visor. "Now I can see those bastards! I feel safe!!". Except I didn't. The visor did make me braver against them, but the dread was still the same and I didn't know what to think of it.
And then I got the Phazon Suit. More defense, to the point that their beams do little damage, so nothing to worry, they're not a threat!
But the dread never went away. Some of the most memorable enemies in any game, ever.
Mostly they annoyed me for being such bullet sponges. And how that super-amped-up music would play every five seconds towards the end of the game when you were just passing through collecting stuff.
GeekOfAllness yup, the first two or three encounters legitimately made me a bit scared but after them the encounters just became an absolute nuisance. Going for 100% and suddenly the room turns dark I’m just like “okay not this shit again”
the scariest part about all the Chozo ghosts is that they were once Chozo the race that took samus in, now corrupted and twisted by phazon. In their hearts they are just begging for Samus they call "The Hatchling" to just end their misery and suffering.
I learned a lot about conquering fear thanks to the chozo ghosts. this game took me 2 years to beat cause of them. I think I was 10 or something.
My favorite moment in the Prime series is similar to the Thermal Visor section discussed in this video. It's the part in Prime 3 where you are walking through the Pirate lab on Elysia with all the Metroids caged behind forcefields. Then you get to the end and realize that, to get the item you need, you have to turn off the power and then backtrack the way you came. So you, yourself, release all the deadly alien parasites and cut the lights. The sense of dread when you do this is overwhelming.
I made the mistake of taunting those Metroids while navigating through that lab to reach the power cell, mocking them for being unable to phase through their containment. Then the power went out, and I realized how screwed I was.
Don't taunt the Metroids, ever.
This is one of my favorite moments in MP3 as well. So well executed.
I remember that and that was INTENSE.
Favorite moment in Metroid Prime.... hmmm for Prime 2 it’s without a doubt the subtle moment of relaxation Samus enjoys when getting healed by a save station only to get back into the action. There is just so much in this littlest detail. Also her “goodbye/farewell” when she leaves the Luminoth after saving their race and the planet. “Jobs done, nothing major, call me if you have issues again, bye.”
In Metroid Prime 1 my favorite moment on the other hand is when you go deep into the sunken frigate without the Gravity Suit. I know every power up opens the map a little bit further and that stands true for the Gravity Suit as well but there I was, deep in the sunken frigate with the best track in the entire series and I hit a roadblock, the hint system finally went like “ayo dipshit, you cannot progress here” and I left with the typical nagging feeling in my guts. I wanted to know what’s behind that roadblock. So I turned around and ... my heart sank. I would have to ascend from this submerged reactor of the ship with the water physics fighting my every move and maybe some enemies I ignored previously. Shiny. That left a mark. And I was even more determined to find the Gravity suit and uncover the secrets of the sunken frigate.
Edit: forgot Metroid Prime 3: after Samus get hit by the first phazon growth, the moment where the aphasia to take off her helmet and starts puking. It was devastating seeing our heroine so... damaged? And most of all: vulnerable.
Samus' Phazon corruption was really unsettling, but even on the brink of death while exploring Phaaze, she was determined to reach the deepest parts of this planet to confront Dark Samus.
Samus *never* gives up.
And to take it a step further, when she actually defeated her dark doppelgänger.
She immediately just... collapses and passes out, Despite planet Phazon about to go up in smoke from Dark Samus’ defeat.
That scene in Corruption was so... I don't know how to explain it. It was a little disturbing, but I have empathy for her, knowing what she's going through.
Metroid Prime 2 was the only game I played where I actually felt lost. Traversing the Ing realm to get passed an area in the luminoth realm was extremely confusing at times. Ingenious design but frustrating when I had to depend on my ships computer to tell me where the next objective is located.
One of my favorite moments comes midway through the Phazon Mines. There's a lot of lore to be had on the Pirate computers describing their activities in various sectors of Tallon IV, but then you come to a set of monitors sounding a red alert because 'the Hunter' has arrived. Others order strict security measures to be taken against your intrusion, while one screen just says 'Death to the accursed Hunter! Death to all who oppose us!'. Great way of building environment, involvement and the sense that you shouldn't be afraid of these evil bastards, because they're more afraid of you.
But if you want to talk about a game where the environment really is against you, then that should be the focus of your Metroid Prime 2: Echoes article. That. or how ramping up the difficulty made it even more tense and immersive.
My favorite was the Chozo Lore tablet which was aware of your CURRENT presence in the ruins. It's like, did the ghosts make that tablet while they are watching you navigate the ruins? 💀
Yeah I could've gone into the Logs and Lore, I just didn't have the time to cover it all, but they're also great at building tension that way! Great touches.
@@metawolf987 More likely they foresaw you to coming to save the planet in the future. The Chozo do that sometimes.
"Another hunter, wearing the traditional colors of Samus Aran, made planetfall today. Horrific as it may sound, there are two of them now. We are bracing for a new assault." - Pirate Logs, Metroid Prime 2
@@metawolf987 the chozo predicted the future many years earlier, your arrival, before you were even born.
People: So when is Metroid Prime 4 gonna be release!?!?
Nintendo: You can't rush art.
They had to restart it, and they asked Retro studios to make MP4, which they should had been the first choice; imo
I think it was Miyamoto who said "a delayed game is eventually good. A bad game is bad forever." I hope they take as much time as they need to make Prime 4 a masterpiece.
Probably pick up some thread we didn't even think of, maybe more to do with that hunter at the end of 3, Sylux?
if only they could make MP4 for the gamecube...
@@VideoGameAnimationStudy Yes, I hope so too!
The scariest part for me was the trip between the first and second save station in Phazon Mines. It was brutal and I made it with just a sliver of health.
Damn, yes. That whole section was just tense the entire time.
It's simply amazing the elements that made Metroid Prime so wonderful and unique back then in 2002. The rain drops, fog and mist on Samu's visor, the flashes of her face as a burst of light shines close and so many other details make the world alive and the player feels part of world, like if it were a living environment, therefore immersing in it. But what truly makes the atmosphere special is the soundtrack and the sound design which elevates the foreboding, the tension and dread of those few places that make you sit at the edge of your seat.
What a wonderful game is Metroid Prime... Hopefully Prime 4 can grasp all of those details and more. Fully enjoyed your video man, great work!
Thanks for the thoughts!
Yeah, I've strong hopes for Prime 4!
@@VideoGameAnimationStudy Personally, I'm eager to see how the environments look and what new environmental elements is Retro going to come up with this time around. But remaining hopeful that the world is more beautiful and bigger than ever, which boosts the atmosphere.
@@VideoGameAnimationStudy Do you think you'll make a video on Echoes and Corruption? I actually found the atmosphere of the sequels to be even better than Prime.
I will eventually, yeah.
I mean, look at the gap between Fusion and Prime.....
@@VideoGameAnimationStudy I only mention it because Echoes is my favourite game in the franchise, but hardly anyone talks about it, and half of those who do seem to hate it because they can't figure out the ammo system.
Nice thing about having a visor in Metroid Prime games is that is lends credence to having a HUD. While most HUD are an eyesore, Samus' visor with all its graphical doodats that take up 30% of the screen looks cool and makes you feel cool. It also makes the "camera effects" like glare, water droplets, and condensation/steaming that FPS love to do make immersive sense.
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I can say in full confidence that no other game is capable of making a constantly visible HUD as natural feeling and welcoming as Metroid Prime. I'd compare it to Halo, because they're visually similar, but Halo's Doomlike gameplay and external arsenal doesn't allow the player to really consider the visor and its HUD in a tangle sense.
Definitely agree!
Meta ridley flying overhead when you’re in phendrana
ATMOSPHERE
This
yeah that was a woah moment.
My favourite moment in the Prime games was just hopping out of Samus's ship and looking around the landing site after the prologue in the frigate. Between the rain, the wildlife and everything else, it really showed off everything the game had to offer, hit home that I was alone on an alien planet, and contrasted with the browns and greys of the Chozo ruins when I started exploring proper.
My favourite moments (I have a few as Metroid Prime is literally my all time favourite game):
1: When you touchdown on Tallon IV for the first time and the music kicks in after the incredibly tense intro aboard the Pirate Frigate Orpheon. It's raining, the music is upbeat and how the game's tone shifts completely from the grimdark station to an upbeat Adventure. Bonus point: I looked up at the sky and the rain connecting with Samus' visor blew my 9 year old mind back in '02.
2: When you first discover the Chozo Artifact Temple. The music overall has been pretty moody to convey that Tallon IV is actually suffering and incredibly dangerous. When you walk into the Temple it really does feel monastic and pure, like the last bastion of hope for the doomed Planet. It's handled so perfectly and it's such a memorable moment to me, the Chozo prophesies and the feeling of reverence upon your arrival to these Sanctuaries hit me right in the feels.
3: Literally reading every log. I actually loved how Metroid Prime left you, the player to investigate what actually happened, and by reading the Logs you get a nice bit of foreshadowing as to what enemies and bosses you'll face. The standout was when you got to the Phazon Mines and you discover just how deep the Pirates had been taking their Phazon genetic augmentations projects. I swear I remember the Pirates talking about Metroid Prime being this Alpha of the bunch... But the Wiki is telling me that wasn't in the PAL Version so maybe it's a fever dream I had.
I could list so many more reasons because this game is just so wonderful and it really helped me during what I could consider a really dark, isolated time in my life but I won't. Thanks for the video!
Yes, yes yes. I always refer to the thermal visor section as being one of the finest examples of atmosphere construction in a video game. It isn't explicitly a horror game, but being in a dark, hostile environment with that droning mechanical hum in the background does everything to unsettle you. When you finally make your way out, it feels like you've just come up for air. Same with areas of dark torvus in Prime 2. They managed to create some truly oppressive ambience. Nearlly 20 years later, MP1 is still my favorite game of all time.
It's such a small part, but I absolutely adore how the pistons in the projection room beat to the music.
Yeahhh that was cool!
The sound of the phazon theme still gives me chills. Also the moment where you finally walk into the Metroid Prime's hibernation chamber, the music starts, and it's legs uncurl is a top for me.
The reveal of the Phazon Suit is probably my favorite in Metroid Prime. You've seen how Phazon has strengthened the Space Pirates, now it's your turn.
I remember when I was a kid I had the collection edition of wind waker on gamecube with the ocarina of time disk with some trailers for other gamecube games. I was extremely scared to watch the metroid prime trailer. I did eventually and samus' scream at the end was extremely frightening.
fast foreward a couple years later and I wandered through our local mall. it had a gamestop inside, and since summer vacation just started I figured why not buy anew game. I went inside and saw metroid prime. I remembered the trailer in thst moment and just bought it. I didn't even know what metroid was, but I was extremely hyped to play it.
I booted the game up and was instantly hooked right at the title screen. that is where a new metroid fan was born. this game was my entire summer holiday. I was just so immersed in it, sometimes i didn't even feel like playing a game anymore. that is my favorite metroid moment, nothing specific, just the feeling it gave me.
now metroid is my favorite nintendo franchise, and i am extremely hyped for metroid prime 4 ♥️
Metroid was a so great masterpiece that people still talk about it 30 years after its creation. Incredible. It was my childhood too
I love the Chozo Ruins. I can almost here the "echoes" of long lost civilization within every single corridor and room. With the light shafts penetrating the cracks in the ceiling, partly functional technology scattered about and just the sense of wonder of what it all might have once been or been used for.
For me, a big part of the first Metroid Prime especially is the lore and information that you get through scanning Chozo carvings and Space Pirate computers. From the Chozo, you learn how their beautiful civilization, their paradise was corrupted and ruined, how they slowly succumbed to madness and died trying to hold out against the poison. You realize you are exploring a graveyard. It almost makes you feel sorry that you got there too late. From the Space Pirate computers, you slowly learn about their sinister plans and that they know you're lurking in their labs. You can tell from their descriptions, how much they fear and hate you.
It's all text information, acquired in some of the quietest moments of the game. Yet it's all so impactful.
When you said "Let me know what your favorite moments are in Metroid Prime down below." I immediately thought of this one scene in Phendrana Drifts right as you're heading back to a half-pipe after obtaining the boost ball and you see this familiar shadow and you're like "that can't be him because he's dead, right?"
Ahhh yes, I do love the Ridley shadow!
Spoiler alert: he has to be not dead because Metroid 3 (Super Metroid) takes place after all the Prime games. So he's in five games now by my count.
Standard Ridley from the first game / Zero Mission (counting them as one since Zero mission is just a remake, not a new entry). Meta Ridley from Prime, Omega Ridley from Corruption, Proteus Ridley from the Samus Returns remake (though he wasn't in the original), and regular Ridley in Super. Then there's a clone in Other M (haven't played that one yet) and an X-clone in Fusion.
So Return of Samus and Echoes are the only Metroid games to not feature some kind of Ridley, even though Other M and Fusion don't have the real Ridley.
Metroid Prime Trilogy Switch please! Nintendo...
That would be marvelous
They are fine on Gamecube and Wii. Let them do their best with Prime 4. Later we can think about porting other stuff.
@@matt4193 You talk like a Metroid Prime Trilogy HD would hinder Prime 4 development. Nintendo would just contract another company to do it, like they did with the HD version of Twilight Princess.
Indeed, I imagine someone else would handle the ports. Also, it'd be a good marketing strategy for Nintendo, releasing the Trilogy ahead of time before Prime 4 to gain momentum and interest.
I would kill for that since I only got to play Prime 3.
Those chozo ghosts are my childhood trauma. Just hearing the start of that music sends me into fight-or-flight mode.
Also for atmosphere, the sheer beauty in some of the areas really draws you in. I remember looking around Talon Overworld and Phendrana Drifts in wonder.
You hit the nail on the head this one, going through Glacier One is one of my favorite sequences in any game and you went into fine detail on exactly why that is. Another sequence of note from Prime 1 is the tutorial segment on the Frigate Orpheon. When I got this game as a kid the atmosphere was so thick that I was too scared to go more than a few rooms without someone else with me!
If you end up doing a Prime 2 specific video, I hope you talk about the Sanctuary Fortress, probably the most unique locations in the series.
Sanctuary Fortress really is so unique! I hope they do some more unique places in Prime 4!
It really brings out the Metroid essence to its very best. How the whole fortress felt very much alive despite the lack of maintenance, or the far backgrounds making you feel you are exploring but a fraction of the whole complex. I find it hard to believe they can top that area, but I am still very excited for MP4.
This was really good as usual! The Phendrana sequence was definitely tense, though I think my personal favorite area was the Quarantine Caverns on the third layer of the Mines; pitch-black aside from the glow of Phazon, the undersides of the giant mushrooms you need to leap across, and the Metroids floating serenely ahead; the music there sounding like a geiger counter has come to life and is trying to communicate with you. Chilling stuff.
Prime 2/Echoes is my favorite of the series, so I can't wait to see your take on that one too ^_^
Yep, Phazon 3 was definitely creepy with all the Metroid's!
I'm also looking forward to Prime 2!
My favorite moment is when you enter the Tallon IV overworld after a while and the music changes. I love how when you first land, you're vulnerable, cautious, and hesitant, trying to soak up as much info with your scan visor as you can to prepare yourself for this new adventure in an unknown environment. Then after playing for a while, getting your feet wet in a few different locations, stocking up on some energy and missile tanks, and recovering your lost abilities, you feel more confident. And the change in Tallon IV's overworld reflects that. It goes from a slow, almost awe-like melody to a more percussion-based march with an eerie, whistle-like part woven in. I always really loved that moment when the new music takes over, it sticks out the most to me (it probably also helps that you go back and forth through the overworld so often to notice it as much as I did)
Yes, I agree with that!
The entire game is built around that. Going through familiar locations after aquiring not only power and items, but knowledge and experience, is the perfect confidence boost that allows you to go on the next section, and it's a really good feeling to experience.
Just got this recommended to me and boy is it spot on, i played metroid prime like 3 months ago for the first time and i was just surprised of how much attention to detail there was, all for the sake of inmersion.
And it helps to keep that feeling of , you may be armored to the teeth with missiles, an armor and a lot of other weaponry but youre still afraid of what youre getting yourself into at every turn, every new area is a new experience, i remember phazon mines actually having me at the edge of my seat because of how much damage the pirates could chug out and right before i reached a save, what you could consider safety, i get assaulted by a drone i cant target.
This game did an amazing job at jumping the franchise to 3D, which sadly, not all games had the pleasure of having the same fate
Really looking forward to your take on Echoes.
Me too!
@@VideoGameAnimationStudy I tend to remember more narrative details, so what stuck out in my memory most were the logs of dead Luminoth heroes. That's a bit outside your wheelhouse, so it'll be cool to see what else was affecting my perceptions without me realizing it. :p
I look forward to what he thinks of Corruption. I know the third Prime game is often looked down on for being the anti-thesis of a Metroid game (voice acting, interaction constantly throughout the journey, Wii motion controls--which I thought worked perfectly with the game tbh). But I think Corruption slowly becomes more of a Metroid game as the story progresses. You do end up alone pretty much by the end. And you're all that's left to save the day.
Also, wall-phasing Metroids and the Valhalla will make sure to give you nightmares.
@@Metroid4ever I like Metroid Prime 3 more the longer it ages. Honestly I think the worst aspects were having multiple planets instead of one (it shallowed out the lore by spreading it across settings), and not having a beam selection. It has some of the best environments in the trilogy, especially Valhalla and Elysia.
@@cloudcleaver23 in a way I kidna feel like as a play through 3 for the first time the planets were a strength actualy
I still remember the sound of glass braking once those lights went out, with the threatening sounds of metroids accompanying it. Still one of the most frightening experiences you could ever play.
I've gotta mention the hardest sequence in not just Metroid Prime, but the entire trilogy: going all the way from the Main Quarry to the Central Dynamo without a single save point in between. You have to fight through hordes of Space Pirates, Stealth Pirates and Mega Turrets, and are even introduced to three brand-new enemy types: the various Pirate Troopers, of which there are yet more hordes to be fought. You even fight your first Elite Pirate, and to top it all off there's an invisible Sentry Drone that you have no way of targeting. Good luck if you haven't found the Wavebuster. Even when you think you're safe you still must battle your way back through most of that, just like in the Phendrana Labs. Sure, there's fewer ambushes, no invisible sentry, and a shortcut near the grapple beam, but you've still gotta deal with Metroids if you didn't know to wait until later to open the quarantine area, and fight another Elite regardless. Even with eight or so energy tanks, this area destroys new players.
Something about tallon IV's Overgrown overworld nestled into my brain, like a wallpaper to all my thoughts.
There are many "jungle themed" environments in games/movies/books, but few I've encountered make my brain light up like this does
I'm creeped and astounded by how accurately you described my experiences when I first played this
Can’t believe it’s been almost 22 years since I first played MP. This video is dead on. I LOVED the atmosphere of fear and loneliness the game set you in. The ambiance of sound, echoes and lighting really drove the message home. A work of art in every way. Excellent video and great description. 👏🏼
cant be afraid of space pirates when there is a data log that talks about how they gave food poisoning to a metroid by feed it junk food
There's also a space pirate log that mentions failed experiments with morph ball technology. I laughed so hard at that one.
Landing on Tallon IV is something I still remember fondly; following the first boss/ Ridley encounter & the spiral of chaos on the Frigate, Samus has to (literally?) find her bearings on a new planet, except we're greeted by a wide open crater full of grass, massive vines, rocks, waterfalls, rain & grey sky, and that peacefully curious music track feels like both being welcomed into a not-dangerous-yet environment, but also Samus readily starting from scratch, or accepting the challenge of exploring. Also worth mentioning is the song switchup once you've played for a while, can be imagined as the area or environment acknowledging the player is getting their bearings and becoming familiar with the Overworld.
The reason I even know about diagetic elements is the prime series. I fell in love with diagetic systems since then. The only other thing on the market that could even try this at the time was Halo and even it couldn't make me believe I was wearing a protective suit or helmet.
Jumping into water in metroid prime was a decision made aware that the only thing between me and that water was the suit. Sometimes this awareness made it scary as all hell because the water was shown to be harmful to the suit and by extention me a little while ago - now I have a suit upgrade that makes me immune to the goop. But it made it much more tense to fight within it because the suit could deactivate (what I assumed happened at 0 health) and leave me not only exposed to the enemy but to the environment that was killing me not too long ago.
And the lighting sold that there are two separate lighting environments, that within the suit and that outside of the suit. It made me keenly aware that in pitch darkness I was visible just because of my internal light bleeding out through my visor (how I assumed the pirates saw me in that dark room)
And as most of my parenthesis comments, this diagetic system made me assume a ton of things that helped immerse me even more. Wish more games did stuff like that.
I think one of my favourite moments from the Prime Trilogy, upon replaying them all recently, is one I don't hear often talked about, but one that i think is worth mentioning.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption -
You have successfully infiltrated the Pirate Homeworld, and are gradually making progress into figuring out what's going on there with the Leviathan Seed allegedly on the planet. However, unlike both Bryyo and Elysia, there is no sign of the Hunter: Gandraya stationed there. All throughout the first portion of Bryyo and even moreso in Elysia, the presence of both Rundas and Ghor are felt throughout. Their journeys are made quite evident with left over ice and hacked computers everywhere in both planets, but Gandraya? There's seemingly no trace of her.
Enter the transmission from the federation trooper.
A federation trooper calls you on a remote channel for help, as they are in trouble. They sound like the other troopers you've come across, but it's a bit bizarre that they're alone. Anyway, you make your way to save them.
You enter the room just in the nick of time, to save them from pirates, and they thank you. But something feels... Off. The inflections in their voice, the way they talk, it sounds more joyful... Playful than any of the troopers we have heard on Norion or the flagship.
Suddenly, a thought rushed through my head - I remember this distinctly as a kid. Gandraya is a shape shifter... she was sent alone... no sign of Gandraya. This trooper's demeanour and story dont make sense. By this point, i was heading up the lift in the cutscene, and then it happened. that cutscene was perfect, because not only did it display Gandraya's personality, but also exactly how perceptive Samus is. My impression is that Samus was clued in from the get-go, given her reaction when her back is turned - Samus was prepared.
It also helps that the two had a history together according to the interaction at the beginning of the game and even Gandraya's log entry.
I absolutely LOVE this entire scene and I don't think I've ever seen anyone address it! would love to hear someone else's interpretation of the same scene!
If there is ONE thing that Corruption does the best in the Trilogy, it is characterise Samus. I don't think the other two did a bad job, but Corruption really takes leaps and bounds in her characterisation. I absolutely LOVE the scene with Meta Ridley on Norion. A sentiment I would see again with Samus' behaviour in Dread. Corruption Samus is in my opinion, the closest to her depiction in Dread, after playing all of the 2D and 3D Metroids recently, and I LOVE her portrayal in both Dread and Prime 3!
Metroid Prime still the greatest game ever made.
Favourite moments/environments in the MP series:
MP - Stepping out onto Phendrana Drifts for the first time.
MP2 - Sanctuary Fortress, and the forboding 'shell' of Quadraxis before returning and find it it waiting for you.
MP3 - Definitely Elysia. That area was breathtaking, although the Skyrails were a pain in the ass.
What "foreboding shell of Quadraxis" are you referring to?
Dude the step out into Phendrana was the first moment in my 25+ years of playing games where I just... stood there and took it all in. The wonder of, up to that point, the most advanced depiction of a wintery tundra was the moment that struck me just how far games had come.
There’s a reason Prime 1 is still my favorite game of all time, and likely will be for my whole life.
@@ultraspinalki11 I think, she or he tried to refer to the left-overs in the Sanctuary fortress Temple.
@@mysterium368 Gotcha. The "shell" is what confused me, because I distinctly remember the leg leftovers.
a great moment of tension is the thardus fight, when having to fight with the thermal visor, or sometimes having to escape him with the morph ball. there are those times when you have to come out of the thermal visor, and you hear and feel the rumbling, and then all of a sudden, giant rock ball comes rolling your way, making you require a cleaning to your pants and your chair. and then the terror of not knowing when that will happen again.
I played Prime for the first time via the remastered version for the switch. Research Lab Hydra was a standout sequence for me as well. It was already super tense, and that "oh crap" feeling when the lights go out and you get attacked just compounded that feeling further. I didn't know this initially since it was my first and only experience with Prime, but the thermal visor is quite a bit blurrier in the Remastered version which makes everything even harder. I remember the first room with the security drones after the darkness fell being particularly tense, because I couldn't even see what it was that was attacking me and I almost died to them. Being on low health made the already tense escape into a heart pounding fight for survival and is something I won't forget for a LOOOONG time
This video would be good for people getting into the remaster
I started playing Metroid Prime for the first time this year.
It's aged insanely well, The graphics, the soundtrack, the atmosphere, all incredible even in 2020.
Boy i have great news
No metroidvania is metroid.
I’ve been attempting to design my own Metroid game on PS4’s “Dreams” engine.. it’s obviously very ambitious and nearly impossible to pull off.
Metroid games are just so unbelievably detailed, the atmosphere always so immersive!! I love them all.
I've heard loads of this Dreams thing. Is it hard to use?
I love that you bring up the section with the space pirates and thermal visor. The first time I reached the section where the thermal visor was required, it absolutely terrified me. I was a younger kid at the time, and was already unsettled just playing through the other parts of the game, but being forced to use a visor that didn’t fully let you see every little detail on screen really got to me. To this day, whenever I think about replaying through Metroid Prime, I always think about that section of it.
Metroid Prime is a phenomenal game. Hard to believe it's been almost 20 years since launch. I was in my 20s at the time and what few people realize is how when the game was in development almost no one outside of Nintendo had any confidence that it wasn't going to suck. A lot of 2D franchises had problems going to 3D and people were convinced it was going to be a reskinned version of Quake and hated it before they even played it.
It was the dark Phendrana section of Metroid Prime that made me first fall in love with the series. Thank you for this great analysis of such a wonderful moment in video games. Here's to hoping Retro can pull something even better in Metroid Prime 4.
Thanks, and yes me too!
I would say Hollow Knight has a very "Metroid-esque" area and part, specifically when you deal with the No Eyes Boss, and once you get to Deepnest, alongside the Ancient Basin. All three areas have one thing in common, "dread" and "desolation"
I think that another moment that made me feel tension (not fear) was when I was stripped of the power suit and all of the weapons available in the beginning. I felt vulnerable because I lost the weaponry I enjoyed playing with. That feeling of powerlessness was disheartening, enough for me to feel despair. You could say that the First-person perspective also helps because I felt myself in Samus's shoes: I just lost my own weapons, my last line of defense, on a hostile planet I didn't know.
The phazon mines after you free the metroids from the quarantine. Not during the action, but after. There is the phazon theme playing, the allarm, metroids in the distance, the geiger counter going off the charts and the hazard meter almost full. That is one of the best emotional moments.
Prime was my first metroid game and really set the mood of being isolated and powerless when you lose all the power ups and suit abilities you had for the tutorial. You get to the planet with virtually nothing and have to find everything again, and once you do that you have to find even more powerful items because your recovered items are not enough to finish any objective. You are always thinking "I need something to get around this obstacle" or "I don't have an item strong enough to take care of that thing!"
0:33 You were so right. DREAD.
Isolation: Other M
Fear: Fusion
Dread: DREAD
That Phendrana Drifts space pirate lab was definitely a highlight, I put off going all the way in for a while on my first play through. (And even after finishing that place, I had to go back again for the artifact. XD) Haha, I also have quite a few memories of panicking at the sight of Chozo ghosts, and very cautiously moving about in rooms with Phazon Elites that may suddenly break free.
Very few games have given me a similar sense of fear and isolation.
On a side note; I low-key (high-key?) want space pirates to have flaming eyes again in some form.
Ahh yes, Chozo Ghosts used to terrify me.
Then they got annoying when you had to defeat them every sodding time you re-entered the room!
@@VideoGameAnimationStudy Haha, true that. I think I lost count of how many times I had to fight them in the giant tree room, furnace room, and hall of elders. (Which was just so happens to be one hallway away from the furnace room. XD)
I remember frantically running in panic, when the lights shut off. And what a great feeling it was to finally get back outside
Man, this takes me back. I went to the crashed frigate as a kid and could never find the gravity suit, so the water always murked up my vision. Somehow, even with this impairment, I made it as far as you can go without the necessary upgrades (some door blocked my way at some point) and then it hit me. 10-or-so-year-old me would have to trek *all* the way back up the ship. In water. With poor vision.
No other game has given me such a sense of dread in my life.
God yeah, that was a hike and a half!
I’ll never forget when I first saw my reflection in that game. I was scared shitless. All in all, this video sums up all my love for this game. Great video as always.
This is why metroid prime is one of my all time favorites, played it so much as a kid and teen, so much wonder and nostalgia, but also the fear, it felt so dangerous and exciting, and like I was really there.
My favorite moment in Prime is definitely the opening sequence on Space Pirate Frigate. One of the best tutorial levels I've played, and you get a faint idea on what exactly these fiends are up to. after going through the airlock, you see a bunch of parasites crawling below a destroyed hallway. Perhaps there was an outbreak of some kind? Your suspicions are proven correct in the next room, yet there's now a bigger question in your head; what TRULY happened here? Why is there a giant dead parasite? There's a lot to scan in the room: biohazard containers, abnormalities in the giant parasite, dead Space Pirates with different causes of death, launched escape pods that seem to have been launched earlier before you arrived. Whatever the Space Pirates were doing, their progress backfired into an event of having to completely abandon ship, and the music that plays definitely paints the picture.
Now you have to use new footage using Metroid Prime Remastered !! Great video.
Gotta say, this channel was the reason why my interest in 2D and even the other 3D metroid games peaked.
I only really played Metroid Prime Hunters in its prime and maybe original Metroid once a long time ago but I didn't really play over 10 minutes of it.
Just appreciating all the attention to detail and the reason for being, really made me rethink about the Metroid series as a whole. Now when I get the console space, I am going to play Metroid Prime 1 to 3 and play Metroid Fusion for the first time. Thanks VGAS! :D
I'm glad you've rediscovered the Metroid series! 😃
I just played the part with he Metroid in the test tube, it was fucking scary.
You nailed the description very well.
It's even more impactful given that I did a lot of back tracking for a few days trying to get all the stuff I missed back in the previous areas. So coming into a completely new area after all that work and having such a terrifying onslaught of new enemies, really striking gameplay for sure.
One aspect I loved about all MP games was the lore, which only added to the atmosphere. It was something, reading the logs of these long lost civilizations. It really pulled me into the world, quite literally behind Samus' visor. And the fact that she was a silent protagonist, I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking and feeling. And that somehow drew me really close to her as a character.
One thing someone pointed out once was that you can tell the Prime Trilogy is so great because all three games are someone's fave. If it was just the first one, then that would be the unanimous answer when asked which is their fave. But everyone gives a different answer. Often 2's, there's a lot of 1's, and sometimes 3's. There is never a unanimous answer, which shows you how good all three games are.
Yeah aside from Fusion, Prime and Echoes are my main favorites, especially since Echoes replaces unlimited ammo for your alt weapons with a limited number of shots that you need to use more sparingly.
Echoes made the power beam really useful because of the ammo. In P1 you almost forget the power beam is there till the final fight.
Absolute masterpiece. I’ve played it many times but still feel the dread of certain sections, like the thermal visor or especially the freaking chozo ghosts. Absolutely terrifying. Rather cuddle a tarantula than hear that music.
What makes prime so scary is the fact you are there by yourself. The feeling of being alone as you walkthroughs tons of doors and the ambience/atmosphere makes this one of the best atmospheric games ever.
Only in the Dark Zone in the The Division could you kind of get a similar feeling. There's no other game I can think of besides maybe Skyrim that can create very good ambience and atmosphere.
Just amazing video. I do think you forgot already when Samus die while in morphball. I remember the first time and her screams are just filled of terror and pain. And I still can remember too what you said about the first time I seen a metroid. Was literally shocking with a amount of fear to have your energy drained by the creature. Anyway a amazing vídeo about a great and amazing game.
Video Essay: Metroid Prime makes use of the diegetic first-person perspective in order to make certain areas feel tense, maintaining the series' traditional sense of isolation
Me, a Destiny player: I'd love to be able to see my face in each of the helmets in Destiny. Also, I'd love it if Shadowkeep was actually more tense like in Metroid, instead of 'Moon's Haunted'
I started with N64 games and yet Metroid Prime 2 was not only my first Metroid game but also the first first-person game I could remember playing. The sense of dread was amplified due to my limited view of my surroundings compared to 2D and third-person games.
I remember being stuck in Prime for weeks after getting the thermal visor as I was scared to death by the black rooms, gloowing enemies and that frantic pirate-theme playing. 😂
now I can point out why exactly it took me over a year to finish Metroid Prime 2. I'm not good at feeling unsafe
This really holds up even with the remaster.
I think one of my favorite atmosphere moments has to be the journey to get to your first powerbombs.
You've just arrived at the Phazon mines, and not only are the enemies much more numerous, but the pirates finally upgraded their turrets with more armor and firepower. As you progress deeper into the mines, something seems, wrong. The pirates are throwing more cloaked pirates into the normal roster, and mixing them with regular pirates. You progress a small amount, and then you see something new: a Space Pirate with a colored armor set. You try missiles, the one thing that seems to hurt pretty much everything, and it's deflected. You start spamming every beam you can think of, and whether by luck or by choice you pick the right beam and dispatch it. This, is concerning.
Then you encounter your first, albeit frozen, Elite space pirate. You've known through log book entries that Phazon can do some insane things, but it brings to mind another question: "I'm going to have to fight you later aren't I?" More colored troopers, a few puzzles, and you descend to Level 2 of the mines. Then you fight your first Elite Space Pirate. And it's almost a boss in and of itself, and you wonder just how many of these the Pirates have, and just how many you'll need to fight.
Eventually, you reach the Central Dynamo. All seems calm, then you start taking damage rather quickly. You look around, and see either nothing, or a blur with two red and one gold dot. A sentry drone. But you don't SEE the drone. Your visor still acts up, but the drones body is cloaked. Something you haven't seen yet. And it's been a VERY long time since your last checkpoint. Through some mixture of luck, skill, and dedication (and maybe a few tries), you eventually kill the drone, solve one final puzzle, and obtain your power bombs.
On the gamecube this was a damn nightmare for me, since no lock on and trying to use the free aim system meant standing still. On the emulated Prime Trilogy version however, this was still a very annoying and arguably one of the most difficult non-boss boss fights in the game.
When I was a kid the Space Pirate's lab when the lights shut off was the scariest thing I ever played. Almost quit the game right there.
The Chozo ghosts are legitimately the scariest thing I've ever faced in a video game.
This is a bit off topic, but my favorite Metroid moment in general will be when Samus gets a canon (he he) moveset in smash and Dark Samus gets a moveset based on the assist trophy version from smash 4.
Though my favorite Metroid Prime Moment (MPM) will be from the opening cut-scene of Metroid Prime (1) all the way to the mission complete screen of Metroid Prime 4, when it comes out. Though, that is excluding exploring torvus bog without the gravity boost, and almost soft-locking myself in the underwater frigate ruins because I didn't have the gravity suit. If I had done that in real-life, I would have died from old age, assuming the Power/Varia Suit supplies food and water infinitely.
One aspect of Prime I loved is the scan visor. Its this fantastic way to include lore for those who love it without shoving it down your throat.
That and it all serving as a window into understanding the enemy both from a biological standpoint and for combat efficiency. Like a less in your face version of Navi. Its gameplay hints on YOUR terms and its in fiction hints that aid to the emersion rather than breaking it.
The entire intro to Prime is fantastic with setting the mood of the scene and scanning everything just ADDS to that. I was away unnerved to see that the pirates have died from internal bleeding or various other grizzly attacks.
The visor in general is a fantastic addition to the series.
End of Prime 2 when Dark Samus confronts you for the (then) last time takes the cake, I have to say.
I feel like Metroid Prime is the game that really benefits from headphones. It brings the atmosphere to another level.
someone made you use your wiiu to pc with a VR headset. imagine play with wiimote and headset to alter the POV prospective of 3D environment
My favorite game of all time! Although I loved Prime 2 just as much.
Not a gameplay moment, but when you see the giant shadow of Ridley fly over you when you first go through Phendrana is fantastic.
In addition, the first time you discover the Artifact Temple, where the music changes, you see the rain on your visor & read a piece of Chozo lore which prophecieses a hunter clad in armor coming to save them. You KNOW this place is important & feel the weight of it. It’s wonderful.
Yeahhhh always loved that Ridley shadow. You're like _"Gah, he's RIGHT there!"_
One of my favorite games ever. Really liked the change in tone once you discover the space pirates base and their metroids in phendrana drifts. When you return to talon overworld
he music changes signifying the importance of the mission
College reading?
*Nah son,* New Metroid analysis video first.
Nice I come home from school to this video
Your voice is so pleasant to listen to, it's like video game docuseries ASMR
The Space Pirate lab is such a cool part of the game. Even having played through it multiple times before, and being able to finish it without putting myself in too much danger, it's still incredibly disconcerting how impaired I feel being unable to see in the dark.
#MetroidAgainYayy
Imagine if prime 4 has a VR option.
That'd be pretty sweet
That’d be cool as a concept, but it would fall flat on the Switch itself mostly just because the Switch is poor as a VR device. As a prime example of this, just compare the built in “VR” mode on the Switch’s “Breath of the Wild” with the BOTW VR experience in the Cemu Wii U emulator. It’s night and day difference, unfortunately.
Yeah it is a bit daft it has to be attached to your face without any straps. How was that a good idea?
Just an idea, would never work
Just like to imagine how immersive it would be
One of my favorite moments from MP2 was at the start where i died from the Alpha bug (Name's escaping me right now) at the start... my first real death in the MP series (died 4 times in MP1 to see if there were different game over screens, i was saddened there weren't, only from morph ball and non-morph ball deaths)
I love the final boss fight with Metroid Prime, where you descend deeper and deeper into the center of the planet with every phase.