Metroid was probably the second nintendo franchise I ever got really into, and part of the reason is the fact that it had such an interesting and unusual for nintendo lore
For me, it was probably the third Nintendo franchise I had ever gotten to, the first two being Super Mario Bros and Legend of Zelda... Mind you, I was exposed to a lot of different Nintendo franchises at that time, including Kid Icarus and the light gun games such as Duck Hunt and Hogans Alley
For me it never stuck. Not for most people in my country as we arent learning English at that young age. So we really liked it but were bewildered what the hell was going on and how to play it. The atmosphere was top notch and we digged the style. So for me i got really deep in Mario, Zelda, Megaman, Castlevania
29:48 the potential reasoning why the metroid left samus alive by 1 Energy is because of the powersuit's alarm sound when samus is low on health, recognized the sound from the very beginning of the game and basically recognized its "imprinted mother" as you can even hear the metroids squirms and the sad noises as it was saying "sorry i didnt recognize you" (also, the super metroid simply didnt fly off, it stayed at samus' side until you leave the screen as it was monitoring your well-being and being worried) it really makes the sacrifice at the hands of mother brain more heart breaking if you ask me.
The Metroid lore and story is the main reason why I love the series so much. And Samus is one of my favorite Nintendo protagonists. Metroid is science fiction done right.
Part of the reason the SNES has some of my fondest video game memories. This game and Chrono Trigger stand out the most. I remember getting completely engrossed in those games.
There is a small detail I do wanna point out in terms of the 2D classic games. Arm cannon placement continuity. When turning, Samus's arm cannon is also on her right arm. That kind of thing isn't something you usually see in a 2D game with weapons, most of the times characters just switch hands they're using. While the first Metroid couldn't pull that off, seeing this small detail in the future games just showed how much care and detail went into these games for the best experience.
Metroid is the reason that flipped sprites for metroidvanias and other games bugs me so much. Especially games like Blasphemous where the protagonist design is so asymmetrical.
@@GrizbyK72 The main character is ambidextrous and the reason the hand facing you is always the one holding the weapon is because they switch hands so there is more space to use the weapon since there's no space going into the screen but lots of space going out of the screen.
Fun fact: graphics exist in the original NES version for both left-and-right-facing Samus, each with a unique view to show the arm cannon being on the right hand consistently.
Thank you for reminding people about Gunpei. I believe that his passing was a factor for the Metroid series to take a pause after Super. And why other series like Kid Icarus is in the state it is. At least Fire Emblem manage to achieve success.
I never considered that. I always assumed that Metroid took a break because Yoshio Sakamoto was busy with other projects (the first Famicom Detective Club Remake).
What's really remarkable is that he was apparently not the happiest at Nintendo's change in trajectory from a simple toy company to the video game juggernaut they became. Yet, his creativity was able to transcend that gap, and was involved in Super Metroid which is absolutely one of the best games ever made, in my eyes.
Its funny the devs didnt know what a Bounty Hunter actually was when they made the first game but it still became her de facto job instead of being retconned. They just thought it sounded cool or something iirc lol. I always wondered why she didnt operate independently like a contractor or Boba Fett or something lol
As someone that has spent a lot of time buried in Metroid lore, I'm confident to say the year 20x5 is galactic year 2075. I have a wall of text I can post for this claim, but it's over 5000 characters and takes two YT comments.
@@batttalie_natttalie I don't have the equipment, knowledge, or time to make a video. I'll drop the wall of text after work. If you want to make a video on it, you have my blessing
@@nugboy420 Sorry, work got in the way; this autumn weather is something else. I tried to clean up the original comments to get it in one paste. We'll see if it worked: Samus would be around 26. She was 3 when Ridley and the space pirates attacked her home of K2-L in 2058. She spent about 10 years training under the Chozo and left to join the Federation at 14 or 15 around 2068. Fusion takes place in approximately 2081 if you ignore contradictory dates in the games (Looking at you, Other M). This means Samus is approximately 26 during Fusion. We don't know the time skip between Fusion and Dread, but I would guess at most only a couple years. So she's probably 28 at most at this point. Nintendo's official stance, though, her age is unknown. ------------ She is not in her 30s unless you go with Other M claiming she was 6 in 2058, and even then the math doesn't add up for her to be 30 by 2081. Even if you go with Other M's claim, you have the whole timeline being thrown off because dates do not line up with the old game manuals then. The "8 years later" a lot of videos and posts claim to be the time gap between the 3D and 2D games is an out of context line from the Prima strategy guide. It is talking about the time since Super Metroid (1994) released and when the official sequel Metroid Fusion (2002) released. Both an unused line in Prime and the advertising comic for Prime give actual dates, but these are conflicting; both do not line up with the official timeline, and are considered non-canon. Additionally, the Prime official art book says Prime takes place three years after Metroid (NES). This, however, contradicts information from both Metroid NES and Prime directly. Federation Force was stated by the dev lead to "take place between Metroid 2 and Super Metroid", but this is contradicted by the official timeline and doesn't fit the lore since Federation Force references the Prime series. The official timeline has the games in the following order: * Metroid NES / Metroid: Zero Mission * Metroid Prime * Metroid Prime Hunters * Metroid Prime 2: Echoes * Metroid Prime 3: Corruption * Metroid Prime: Federation Force * Metroid II: The Return of Samus / Metroid: Samus Returns * Super Metroid * Metroid: Other M * Metroid Fusion * Metroid Dread The official Metroid two-volume manga released in the early 2000s give us the following: Samus was born in 2055 (do the math when she was 3 and K2-L was attacked). K2-L was attacked in 2058. Old Bird took her to Zebes where Samus was genetically adapted with Chozo DNA. Samus leaves Zebes and joins the Federation at the age of 16, making the date 2071. She works with Adam and his task force, and eventually goes her own path as a bounty hunter. This first mission she goes on is her "zero mission". Metroid NES/Zero Mission take place in "20x5". Thanks to the manga we now know this is 2075. This makes Samus 20 years old. According to the official timeline Prime, Prime Hunters, Prime 2, Prime 3, and Federation Force all take place after Zero Mission and before Samus Returns. Prime is stated to take place in "20x6", meaning 2076. Prime 2: Echoes takes place in "20x7", meaning 2077. Prime 3: Corruption takes place "six months later" with the context being the climax of Echoes. This means Prime 3 happens approximately late 2077 or early 2078. Federation Force provides no date or time, but it takes place after Prime 3 and before Metroid 2. So approximately sometime in 2078. Metroid 2/Samus Returns takes place "four years after her Zero Mission", meaning these games take place in 2079. Samus is 24. Super Metroid happens immediately after Samus hands off the baby metroid to the Federation researchers at the end of Metroid 2. This means this also takes place in 2079, giving us a working point for the other games. Other M starts with Samus giving a report about the events of Super Metroid, then "weeks later" the main game of Other M takes place. This means Other M approximately takes place in 2079 or early 2080. There are some references characters make to other events in the series, but the suggested dates in these dialogues do not match the official timeline and are just accepted to be filler dialogue, banter, or a case of the unreliable narrator trope. Metroid Fusion canonically takes place two years after Super Metroid. This means Fusion happens in 2081. Samus is now 26. We do not know exactly when Dread takes place, but it is implied to happen soon if not immediately after Samus destroys the B.S.L. at the end of Fusion. This means Dread (to our current knowledge) happens in either 2081 or extremely early in 2082. If you feel any of this is wrong, give me your sources when correcting it. Thank you. ------------ Unrelated to the current discussion, but a couple fun bits of trivia: The human Galactic Federation is established 75 years before Zero Mission, meaning the Federation is only 55 years older than Samus. This is pretty young for such a far-reaching nation/empire/power. Might explain why there are so many unapproved black ops and underground operations like BSL and Samus getting branded as a traitor after Fusion. The Metroid Prime impacted Tallon IV 50 years before the events of Prime 3, this means the prime hit the plant around 2022. The manga claims the Metroids were made bioweapons while Samus was on Zebes. This implies that the Chozo did not create the original metroid species, but modified the species to be bioweapons against the X parasite. Nothing supports this bit of lore in any other source, however, since everything claims the Chozo made the Metroids. Personally I like to think the Metroid were originally native to Phaaze since there's phazon on Tallon IV and there's Metroid husks on Phaaze.
I just noticed the motherhood similarities between Metroid and Aliens. Samus is very much a mother to the baby Metroid and fights the Queen Mother Brain. Very similar how Ripley is very much a mother to Newt and fights the Queen Mother Xenomorph.
The creators were heavily inspired by Alien, naming Ridley after Alien director Ridley Scott. I think Aliens released the same year as Metroid (1986) so I'm pretty sure they drew inspiration from that movie as well for the sequel games.
@@DanFloresII Metroid is more inspired by just Alien. Metroid II has more of the clear inspirations from Aliens. And Metroid Fusion takes notes from Alien Resurrection.
In Alien the ship computer is called Mother. The Alien violently r*pes people with its phallic mouth, and looks like a p*nis. The face-huggers are also non-consensual in making people pregnant. Sorry for being crass on a video game channel, but the analogy is very, very strong.
Metroid remains, to date, one of my favorite franchises of all time. This is definitely one of the best Metroid content videos I've seen in a very long time, and it even had little facts I was previously unaware of. Definitely looking forward to more
Can we just sorta... acknowledge the fact that Super Metroid is the only first party Nintendo game to feature HUMAN CORPSES on the title screen? This series has always been absolutely brutal and dark for a Nintendo franchise. Even compared to the dark stuff in Pikmin, Kirby, and Splatoon, the modern day usual suspects for surprisingly dark Nintendo, or even the grimmer stuff in Zelda, the full expanse of Metroid lore still features MULTIPLE CANONICAL GENOCIDES, one of which was an ETHNIC CLEANSING, which on its own overshadows even a lot of intentionally gritty games from the wider industry.
Fantastic video man! Love all the references to the Alien franchise in Metroid and I bet Ridley was named after Ridley Scott the director of the original Alien film. Samus is also one of my most favorite Nintendo characters and I'm thrilled that this Mentoktober is dedicated to her!
13:36 I really hate that pained look Ridley has on his face cause it makes it look like he at least considered it, but was like nope, I need this material.
Always thought that was kind of a stretch, when you consider the developer’s origin for the word. But Dread made it work. When the Chozo speak the word it’s sounds different. “Metroid” is just the Anglicized version of a Chozo word.
Am I the only who thinks Metroid should branch out into some other kind of media? I think a new comic book mini series adaptation is the safest rought.
@@AzraCelestios We'll Metroid had a few Mangas in the 2000s published only in Japan, perhaps they should physically rerelease some of those in the US we're Metroid most popular like they did with most of the Zelda Mangas.
@AzraCelestios Personally I think a Comic book mini series is the easiest and safest rought for a adaptation for Metroid, any live action or animated adaptation could potentially kill the Metroid franchise history forever if done poorly due to the Metroid being a nichie selling franchise for Nintendo, however a comic book mini series can easily be forgotten if it sucks.
@@robertkenny1201 comic books were dying in the 2000s. They're nearly dead now and even a new manga would only be set to be made into an anime if they were to do it. Nintendo is pushing to either own a commanding chunk of illumination or about to make their own studio under the universal studios umbrella. They won't trust an outside source with their stories again and they aren't looking to purchase a manga or comic book company.
@AzraCelestios They did physically rerelease some of the Zelda Mangas in the US and even allowed someone to publish a Mangas series adaptation of Legend of Zelda Twilight Prince not too long ago, I don't see why they can't do the same for Metroid.
That was a really satisfying video. Thanks for covering an era of the Metroid story instead of any one game. It was enlightening to see how the manga and comic series from Nintendo Power overlaid with the various games and their remakes from NES Metroid all the way to Super. Great work! Your narration and storytelling really sold it for me. Thanks!
When playing the game for the first time at age thirteen with a friend of mine watching, Crocomire's demise hit us both so hard that we both decided to stop playing once we hit the next save station. The only thing that ever beat that moment was being teleported to Caelid in Elden Ring. Well, Undertale also had its moments. Thanks for the video, subscribed!
Metroid was my first video game (we had an Atari 2600 and a handful of games, but none really made a meaningful impression on me. I may have been a little too young for that as well.) Dad came home after work with a surprise for me. It was used with nothing but one of those black sleeves, but it was the first game that was bought specifically for me and I cherished it. Took at least a year to beat it and a few more finding everything, and i mean EVERYTHING! Systematically shooting and bombing every block of floor and dead end wall, hand drawn maps on graph paper for every zone, learning to bomb jump or that I can stand on frozen enemies to get to the out of reach doors in some hidden areas. It was amazing what secrets they packed in those 8 bits. The soundtrack still gets me nostalgic af.
Super Metroid is a perfect video game. I remember renting it back in 1994 and being totally blown away by the intro. It was such an upgrade from the first and second games.
I was pretty young when I got the first Metroid game, im have barely been a teen and now I'm 45. Loved that game, it was so diffrent than anything else out there. I can remeber beating it sweaty palmes and wobbly legs lol.
As a kid growing up in the mid80s and throughout the gaming boom, i never came across anything like the metroid series. I saw this game at a blockbuster and picked it. Now Imagine you're 9 in 1994 and you pop this game in for the first time and the beautiful intro appears. My eyes lit up. This was my first exposure to the metroid series. Since then, I've became such a huge fan of the series. It was us who asked for more metroid. Nintendo didn't listen to us for a very long time til they finally gave us some gba games. The series is going in the right direction and I can't wait to see what more is instore for the fans and future generations to come. Nice job btw! I really enjoyed your in-depth analysis of the series and will continue to watch as you walk through the rest of the games!
I have two favorites when it comes to Nintendo games. Zelda and Metroid. And now Mentok has gifted me Metroid videos...Though, it's not my birthday for another couple weeks, I'll still graciously accept this offer! But in seriousness, I'm looking forward to your other videos! There probably won't be much new for me to learn, owing to the same reason as your Zelda videos...I've been immersed in these two game series for most of my life! BUT! You have a snappy sense of humor and a great sense of communication and your videos are super fun, so even when it's knowledge I already have...I greatly enjoy hearing you wax geeky about things I am also a geeky gal for!
Man, I remember being a kid and finding the OG Metroid fascinating but never owned it or got far in it. I picked up SUPER METROID upon release, at which point I was 14, and it blew me away. I am still searching for games that can hit as hard for me as this one did.
If you don't mind lore that's certainly not considered cannon, and yet was in officially licensed products. There were comics made by Valiant. They included Zelda, Mario, Captain N, and yes, Samus Aran. I doubt anyone would include Captain N on the timeline, any more then they would include Smash Brothers, but it's those comics that truly cemented Samus as the ultimate badass for child me. I'd been introduced to the series with Metroid 2. Read the instruction manual and I can still remember how my heart was thundering after my first encounter with a Metroid. Then the comics. There was this issue where Samus was sent to prison and the guards left her in prison yard and looked away. Many of the prisoners were space pirates and aliens she had put behind bars and had scores to settle. They had her unarmed and were ready to tear her apart. ...She proceeded to kick all of their asses with her bare hands. Those were my first impressions of the character. And they left a lasting impression.
Metroid was my 2nd favorite NES game, only after Final Fantasy. NES came out 1 year before I was born but my brother who was 3 years older than me had the console and stopped playing it when SNES came out. I played the crap out of it until I was in high school and lost interest in video games. I still like watching videos that bring me back to my early days when video games were my number one interest.
Wow, I never knew there was such a vibrant etymology of the Metroid franchise! I was just all about the 'pew pew pew' part of the game (for NES only). Thanks for the lore. It was quite an encapsulating story!
I remember someone telling me once that the original Metroid wasn't successful in Japan, and its success in the U.S. took the developers by surprise. But I don't know if that's true or not.
As much love as metroid gets i always feel like it never gets its proper recognition! Being so ahead of its time ! And pioneered so much in those early days !
While I'm not a fan of the first person Metroid games.. Super Metroid, Metroid fusion, Metroid zero mission, and Metroid Dread are all god tier games with God tier story/gameplay!! Metroid Dread is still one of the only games I played multiple times after beating it the first time.. love this franchise so much! Great video!
It’s hard to overstate how dark, eerie, and isolating this game felt playing it when it was released. Game experiences are time/context dependent and it hit differently back then!!!!
I remember renting this when I was like.. eight. I remember how even though it technically played like any other game, there was something different about the way it all felt. Like maybe I shouldn't be playing it or something.
The manga's canonicity is basically hard confirmed with the events that transpire in Dread. Also something you overlooked is actually explained in the manga, showing that Gray Voice was the one who gave the DNA to Samus to become Chozo and his DNA contained a power suit of a normal soldier. Raven Beak only offered a small bit of DNA for a modification to allow Samus to have a more potent Heart and the Armcannon. Gray Voice also specifically designed the Varia modification, citing it as "Parental Protection". This is actually why Samus always "reverts" to the varia suit since it's what her father gave her.
I always considered the lag as part of the lore. Samus focused with lots of enemies around and you, the player, were able to make more precise movements due to the slow down.
Kids back then didn't know what lag was. Nor did they have the knowledge to understand that the game was a little too much for the hardware. It just seemed like an atmospheric change. Comparison is the thief of joy.
I had a doctor who comic book when I was a kid, and he confronts an enemy that always reminded me of Ridley. I liked imagining that there was a crossover there.
This is SUCH a good video. Super underrated. As a huge fan of the genre, I somehow only just recently beat Metroid 1, and wow it is different to every other NES game I got a Classic NES when I was quite young, so despite not growing up in the 80s, we always had NES games appreciation and yes, the lag was baked into us too. That made Metroid (even though J was bad at it) and Kirby such favourites with us.
I miss the days when you got a fully illustrated instructions manual with your games. These little morsels of nostalgia had great game lore, tips, item and enemy lists and sometimes even hints on how to find secrets. We needa bring this back.
Thanks for covering these! Besides Mario Metroid was the original Nintendo series I played on the NES in the early and mid 90s really appreciate you looking into the franchise
am i the wrong one for always pronouncing it as "ZeeBis"? Like come onnnn it rolls off the tongue better plus you can say it in an old cowboy voice and it sounds like gold
Thank you for reminding me how much I loved Metroid, growing up ❤. Someday I’ll have time to get into the latest installments. Also Kraid’s theme SLAPS.
A majority of the older titles are available through switch online. So if you already have it, you might as well download the retro apps and play them.
I played it when it originally released. Can't remember if I got it from toys r us or maybe toys. But after a little playing I got the Samus reveal ending. We talked about that so much in school. Everyone loved the game. And yes. The lag timing was ingrained in us. Same for mega man, castlevania etc
The Classic Metroid trilogy frustrated the hell out of me as a kid, which is why even though the games interested me, I never managed to beat any of them, and it didn't help that the fandom for Metroid was pretty small where I lived, so there was only like one person that had some of the games, and he was pretty stingy about letting people borrow the games, which is why I can say that I only truly experienced Metroid, when a cousin got Metroid Fusion and I was able to beat the game when I borrowed it, and it is thanks to Fusion's linearity that I was able to become a Metroid fan, since beating the game felt good and it inspired me to try other games, and I would eventually get my hands on Zero Mission, which is arguably the best 2D Metroid game of its time, since it not only remade the first game, but it added a bunch of new content and the game was fair for both casual players and veterans, which is how I learned to get better at Metroid games, but truth be told because of how well stuff was hidden in those games, it basically created annoying tendencies and behaviors for any platformer games I played afterward, since I would always think that there were things hidden in every room, even for games that did not do that stuff.
![ลองสุ่มไอโฟน 990 โกงมั้ย? [ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.101 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bfsWe0j492k/mqdefault.jpg)
Welcome to Mentoktober: Metroid Edition!
PS: I prefer the pronunciation - Samus Ah-ran
Just wait until he gets to Metroid Dread
Pls do return to krokodile island!!!!!
Zoomers detected! Some of us always knew how dark the og nintendo games were. Great vid!
I am appreciating the tasteful watermark on the "commercial breaks".
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Metroid was probably the second nintendo franchise I ever got really into, and part of the reason is the fact that it had such an interesting and unusual for nintendo lore
I was surprised at how early the lore was established too. The original manuals hold up really well. This video was a lot of fun to research
For me, it was probably the third Nintendo franchise I had ever gotten to, the first two being Super Mario Bros and Legend of Zelda... Mind you, I was exposed to a lot of different Nintendo franchises at that time, including Kid Icarus and the light gun games such as Duck Hunt and Hogans Alley
@@esmooth919same here, pretty much, via the Wii edition of Super Metroid
For me it never stuck. Not for most people in my country as we arent learning English at that young age. So we really liked it but were bewildered what the hell was going on and how to play it. The atmosphere was top notch and we digged the style.
So for me i got really deep in Mario, Zelda, Megaman, Castlevania
Mario and metroid on snes were my first games
29:48 the potential reasoning why the metroid left samus alive by 1 Energy is because of the powersuit's alarm sound when samus is low on health, recognized the sound from the very beginning of the game and basically recognized its "imprinted mother" as you can even hear the metroids squirms and the sad noises as it was saying "sorry i didnt recognize you" (also, the super metroid simply didnt fly off, it stayed at samus' side until you leave the screen as it was monitoring your well-being and being worried)
it really makes the sacrifice at the hands of mother brain more heart breaking if you ask me.
That's how I interpreted it as well back then. It makes it more heartbreaking after it sacrifices for Samus 😭
W Super Metroid (the metroid, not the game, though the game is also a W)
I never thought of it that way I always thought the Metroid just recognized her before the last second somehow but that's a possibility.
The Metroid lore and story is the main reason why I love the series so much. And Samus is one of my favorite Nintendo protagonists.
Metroid is science fiction done right.
I can say this is one of the few classic Nintendo franchises where there’s sensible continuity
@@TheMentok Oh yeah, that cannot be taken for granted, we must be grateful
That is something done right, when lore is your main interest in the game. That's pretty dope.
Metroid's a cool guy. He kills aliens and doesn't afraid of anything.
But why can't Metroid crawl??
Samus was a girl
@@lewieanderson6579 You clearly missed the joke or you're joking and I miss it. Some multilayered shite, mate.
@@lewieanderson6579its an old meme
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I still remember the first time I saw the Super Metroid intro. I was 11, it gave me chills, and I knew I was in for something special.
Same bro
Yup
Part of the reason the SNES has some of my fondest video game memories. This game and Chrono Trigger stand out the most. I remember getting completely engrossed in those games.
@@scottwilly86Platinum choices, my dude.
There is a small detail I do wanna point out in terms of the 2D classic games. Arm cannon placement continuity.
When turning, Samus's arm cannon is also on her right arm. That kind of thing isn't something you usually see in a 2D game with weapons, most of the times characters just switch hands they're using.
While the first Metroid couldn't pull that off, seeing this small detail in the future games just showed how much care and detail went into these games for the best experience.
Metroid is the reason that flipped sprites for metroidvanias and other games bugs me so much. Especially games like Blasphemous where the protagonist design is so asymmetrical.
@@GrizbyK72 I'd laugh if they had dual wielding characters just to explain this away.
@@DKNguyen3.1415at least it’s an explanation. I’d take literally anything 😅
@@GrizbyK72 The main character is ambidextrous and the reason the hand facing you is always the one holding the weapon is because they switch hands so there is more space to use the weapon since there's no space going into the screen but lots of space going out of the screen.
Fun fact: graphics exist in the original NES version for both left-and-right-facing Samus, each with a unique view to show the arm cannon being on the right hand consistently.
That super Metroid soundtrack goes hard
2nd best on the SNES imo.
Samus is the single coolest video game protagonist of all time.
Kratos bad ass too but in Nintendo 100% goes to Samus. Willing to throw hands with any creature alone
Gamers will never accept a female protagonist in a video game.
When Samus turns into a ball where is her vagina? Is it accessible from the outside or is it the center of the sphere?
0:11 Ridley's roar wasnt loud enough. My eardrums are intact.
Not using the original roar is one thing but using the Fusion roar AND lowering the sound? Disgraceful
Samus is a super soldier with a power suit. Like Captain America with an Iron Man suit. She’s so cool
Like captain America with an iron man suit... but hot like black widow
Like a Captain america with an Iron man suit... But Hot like black widow.
Thank you for reminding people about Gunpei.
I believe that his passing was a factor for the Metroid series to take a pause after Super.
And why other series like Kid Icarus is in the state it is.
At least Fire Emblem manage to achieve success.
I never considered that. I always assumed that Metroid took a break because Yoshio Sakamoto was busy with other projects (the first Famicom Detective Club Remake).
What's really remarkable is that he was apparently not the happiest at Nintendo's change in trajectory from a simple toy company to the video game juggernaut they became. Yet, his creativity was able to transcend that gap, and was involved in Super Metroid which is absolutely one of the best games ever made, in my eyes.
Its funny the devs didnt know what a Bounty Hunter actually was when they made the first game but it still became her de facto job instead of being retconned. They just thought it sounded cool or something iirc lol. I always wondered why she didnt operate independently like a contractor or Boba Fett or something lol
In my head canon, she does. There are certainly side stories and missions she has done on behalf of the Federation.
@@510SPINESPLITTA8 that's an option lol
bounty hunters are independent contractors tho? they hunt for bounty(money)?
As someone that has spent a lot of time buried in Metroid lore, I'm confident to say the year 20x5 is galactic year 2075. I have a wall of text I can post for this claim, but it's over 5000 characters and takes two YT comments.
You should make a video about it
Go agead
@@batttalie_natttalie I don't have the equipment, knowledge, or time to make a video. I'll drop the wall of text after work. If you want to make a video on it, you have my blessing
Or you could go outside and get some sun. Yeah. Get some sun.
@@nugboy420 Sorry, work got in the way; this autumn weather is something else. I tried to clean up the original comments to get it in one paste. We'll see if it worked:
Samus would be around 26.
She was 3 when Ridley and the space pirates attacked her home of K2-L in 2058. She spent about 10 years training under the Chozo and left to join the Federation at 14 or 15 around 2068. Fusion takes place in approximately 2081 if you ignore contradictory dates in the games (Looking at you, Other M). This means Samus is approximately 26 during Fusion. We don't know the time skip between Fusion and Dread, but I would guess at most only a couple years. So she's probably 28 at most at this point.
Nintendo's official stance, though, her age is unknown.
------------
She is not in her 30s unless you go with Other M claiming she was 6 in 2058, and even then the math doesn't add up for her to be 30 by 2081. Even if you go with Other M's claim, you have the whole timeline being thrown off because dates do not line up with the old game manuals then.
The "8 years later" a lot of videos and posts claim to be the time gap between the 3D and 2D games is an out of context line from the Prima strategy guide. It is talking about the time since Super Metroid (1994) released and when the official sequel Metroid Fusion (2002) released.
Both an unused line in Prime and the advertising comic for Prime give actual dates, but these are conflicting; both do not line up with the official timeline, and are considered non-canon. Additionally, the Prime official art book says Prime takes place three years after Metroid (NES). This, however, contradicts information from both Metroid NES and Prime directly. Federation Force was stated by the dev lead to "take place between Metroid 2 and Super Metroid", but this is contradicted by the official timeline and doesn't fit the lore since Federation Force references the Prime series.
The official timeline has the games in the following order:
* Metroid NES / Metroid: Zero Mission
* Metroid Prime
* Metroid Prime Hunters
* Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
* Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
* Metroid Prime: Federation Force
* Metroid II: The Return of Samus / Metroid: Samus Returns
* Super Metroid
* Metroid: Other M
* Metroid Fusion
* Metroid Dread
The official Metroid two-volume manga released in the early 2000s give us the following: Samus was born in 2055 (do the math when she was 3 and K2-L was attacked). K2-L was attacked in 2058. Old Bird took her to Zebes where Samus was genetically adapted with Chozo DNA. Samus leaves Zebes and joins the Federation at the age of 16, making the date 2071. She works with Adam and his task force, and eventually goes her own path as a bounty hunter. This first mission she goes on is her "zero mission".
Metroid NES/Zero Mission take place in "20x5". Thanks to the manga we now know this is 2075. This makes Samus 20 years old.
According to the official timeline Prime, Prime Hunters, Prime 2, Prime 3, and Federation Force all take place after Zero Mission and before Samus Returns.
Prime is stated to take place in "20x6", meaning 2076.
Prime 2: Echoes takes place in "20x7", meaning 2077.
Prime 3: Corruption takes place "six months later" with the context being the climax of Echoes. This means Prime 3 happens approximately late 2077 or early 2078.
Federation Force provides no date or time, but it takes place after Prime 3 and before Metroid 2. So approximately sometime in 2078.
Metroid 2/Samus Returns takes place "four years after her Zero Mission", meaning these games take place in 2079. Samus is 24.
Super Metroid happens immediately after Samus hands off the baby metroid to the Federation researchers at the end of Metroid 2. This means this also takes place in 2079, giving us a working point for the other games.
Other M starts with Samus giving a report about the events of Super Metroid, then "weeks later" the main game of Other M takes place. This means Other M approximately takes place in 2079 or early 2080. There are some references characters make to other events in the series, but the suggested dates in these dialogues do not match the official timeline and are just accepted to be filler dialogue, banter, or a case of the unreliable narrator trope.
Metroid Fusion canonically takes place two years after Super Metroid. This means Fusion happens in 2081. Samus is now 26.
We do not know exactly when Dread takes place, but it is implied to happen soon if not immediately after Samus destroys the B.S.L. at the end of Fusion. This means Dread (to our current knowledge) happens in either 2081 or extremely early in 2082.
If you feel any of this is wrong, give me your sources when correcting it. Thank you.
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Unrelated to the current discussion, but a couple fun bits of trivia:
The human Galactic Federation is established 75 years before Zero Mission, meaning the Federation is only 55 years older than Samus. This is pretty young for such a far-reaching nation/empire/power. Might explain why there are so many unapproved black ops and underground operations like BSL and Samus getting branded as a traitor after Fusion.
The Metroid Prime impacted Tallon IV 50 years before the events of Prime 3, this means the prime hit the plant around 2022. The manga claims the Metroids were made bioweapons while Samus was on Zebes. This implies that the Chozo did not create the original metroid species, but modified the species to be bioweapons against the X parasite. Nothing supports this bit of lore in any other source, however, since everything claims the Chozo made the Metroids. Personally I like to think the Metroid were originally native to Phaaze since there's phazon on Tallon IV and there's Metroid husks on Phaaze.
The original NES METROID is still my most favorite game of all time and I’m 51 years old 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Currently playing it right now. I forgot how good this game is
Its your favorito Game. Not Mine 🙄
@@Tobias-fm5vu Ummmmm who are you and why should I care 😂😂😂
I just noticed the motherhood similarities between Metroid and Aliens. Samus is very much a mother to the baby Metroid and fights the Queen Mother Brain. Very similar how Ripley is very much a mother to Newt and fights the Queen Mother Xenomorph.
Motherhood is truly the Other M
The creators were heavily inspired by Alien, naming Ridley after Alien director Ridley Scott. I think Aliens released the same year as Metroid (1986) so I'm pretty sure they drew inspiration from that movie as well for the sequel games.
@@DanFloresII Metroid is more inspired by just Alien. Metroid II has more of the clear inspirations from Aliens. And Metroid Fusion takes notes from Alien Resurrection.
In Alien the ship computer is called Mother. The Alien violently r*pes people with its phallic mouth, and looks like a p*nis. The face-huggers are also non-consensual in making people pregnant. Sorry for being crass on a video game channel, but the analogy is very, very strong.
Yep, I too would compare Newt to an ugly disgusting alien squid that drains the life of other beings.
Metroid remains, to date, one of my favorite franchises of all time. This is definitely one of the best Metroid content videos I've seen in a very long time, and it even had little facts I was previously unaware of. Definitely looking forward to more
Can we just sorta... acknowledge the fact that Super Metroid is the only first party Nintendo game to feature HUMAN CORPSES on the title screen?
This series has always been absolutely brutal and dark for a Nintendo franchise.
Even compared to the dark stuff in Pikmin, Kirby, and Splatoon, the modern day usual suspects for surprisingly dark Nintendo, or even the grimmer stuff in Zelda, the full expanse of Metroid lore still features MULTIPLE CANONICAL GENOCIDES, one of which was an ETHNIC CLEANSING, which on its own overshadows even a lot of intentionally gritty games from the wider industry.
In this house we Save the Animals
Frames be damned
I miss 20X5. That was a good year
Simpler times
I'm more of an XXXX guy. That year was the greatest man.
Not to be confused with 20Y5, that year was pretty bad.
than means somewhere in between 2005 and 2095.
Fantastic video man! Love all the references to the Alien franchise in Metroid and I bet Ridley was named after Ridley Scott the director of the original Alien film. Samus is also one of my most favorite Nintendo characters and I'm thrilled that this Mentoktober is dedicated to her!
metroid storyline is so awesome glad you’re covering it
It’s about time, right? Been wanting to tackle this for years
"I know this labyrinth like the back of my hand, Ridley. I'm getting that BABY brain back!"
13:36 I really hate that pained look Ridley has on his face cause it makes it look like he at least considered it, but was like nope, I need this material.
You stole my identity, are you trying to catfish? Channel picture of me 😢
It's definitely the most emotion I've ever seen on ridleys face
1:37 in and you just earned a like. LOL
HOLY F**K same here im dying 😂😂😂😂
NNNYOINK!!!!
“Metroid” is Chozo for “ultimate warrior.”
Always thought that was kind of a stretch, when you consider the developer’s origin for the word. But Dread made it work. When the Chozo speak the word it’s sounds different. “Metroid” is just the Anglicized version of a Chozo word.
@@GrizbyK72 Yeah
Funny, because the French manual for Metroid Fusion said it meant "ultimate predator."
@@AICWdoes that mean that Baby Metroid is… child predator?
@@HBRice17the Chozo represents AI. The mother brain is sin. The fusion of the two is what it's about.
When the Brinstar Depths bgm kicks in at 5 minutes and you totally zone out to jam lol
I love how just about EVERY threat in the games is he result of the Chozo trying to play God.
Super Metroid is the best one out of all the Metroid games, it’s a masterpiece.
Justice for Crocomire ✊
Am I the only who thinks Metroid should branch out into some other kind of media? I think a new comic book mini series adaptation is the safest rought.
They are working on a Zelda movie and possibly a Metroid movie or TV series.
@@AzraCelestios We'll Metroid had a few Mangas in the 2000s published only in Japan, perhaps they should physically rerelease some of those in the US we're Metroid most popular like they did with most of the Zelda Mangas.
@AzraCelestios Personally I think a Comic book mini series is the easiest and safest rought for a adaptation for Metroid, any live action or animated adaptation could potentially kill the Metroid franchise history forever if done poorly due to the Metroid being a nichie selling franchise for Nintendo, however a comic book mini series can easily be forgotten if it sucks.
@@robertkenny1201 comic books were dying in the 2000s. They're nearly dead now and even a new manga would only be set to be made into an anime if they were to do it. Nintendo is pushing to either own a commanding chunk of illumination or about to make their own studio under the universal studios umbrella. They won't trust an outside source with their stories again and they aren't looking to purchase a manga or comic book company.
@AzraCelestios They did physically rerelease some of the Zelda Mangas in the US and even allowed someone to publish a Mangas series adaptation of Legend of Zelda Twilight Prince not too long ago, I don't see why they can't do the same for Metroid.
I love these videos so much! Always wanted to get into metroid and now I have a good excuse to do it. Cheers for mentoktober!
This gave me an excuse to go back and play some of these and I’m not complaining!
If anything play super metroid. The vibe is awesome
That was a really satisfying video. Thanks for covering an era of the Metroid story instead of any one game. It was enlightening to see how the manga and comic series from Nintendo Power overlaid with the various games and their remakes from NES Metroid all the way to Super. Great work! Your narration and storytelling really sold it for me. Thanks!
When playing the game for the first time at age thirteen with a friend of mine watching, Crocomire's demise hit us both so hard that we both decided to stop playing once we hit the next save station. The only thing that ever beat that moment was being teleported to Caelid in Elden Ring. Well, Undertale also had its moments. Thanks for the video, subscribed!
😂 how old were you then. 9? 🥱😃
Yeeees! He’s covering Metroid! & ITS MENTOKTOBER?! I really love the vibe on this one! Great job Mentok!
💙
Mentok has a voice I'll listen to for days at a time
Metroid was my first video game (we had an Atari 2600 and a handful of games, but none really made a meaningful impression on me. I may have been a little too young for that as well.) Dad came home after work with a surprise for me. It was used with nothing but one of those black sleeves, but it was the first game that was bought specifically for me and I cherished it. Took at least a year to beat it and a few more finding everything, and i mean EVERYTHING! Systematically shooting and bombing every block of floor and dead end wall, hand drawn maps on graph paper for every zone, learning to bomb jump or that I can stand on frozen enemies to get to the out of reach doors in some hidden areas. It was amazing what secrets they packed in those 8 bits. The soundtrack still gets me nostalgic af.
Super Metroid is a perfect video game. I remember renting it back in 1994 and being totally blown away by the intro. It was such an upgrade from the first and second games.
I was pretty young when I got the first Metroid game, im have barely been a teen and now I'm 45. Loved that game, it was so diffrent than anything else out there. I can remeber beating it sweaty palmes and wobbly legs lol.
As a kid growing up in the mid80s and throughout the gaming boom, i never came across anything like the metroid series.
I saw this game at a blockbuster and picked it. Now Imagine you're 9 in 1994 and you pop this game in for the first time and the beautiful intro appears.
My eyes lit up.
This was my first exposure to the metroid series. Since then, I've became such a huge fan of the series.
It was us who asked for more metroid. Nintendo didn't listen to us for a very long time til they finally gave us some gba games.
The series is going in the right direction and I can't wait to see what more is instore for the fans and future generations to come.
Nice job btw! I really enjoyed your in-depth analysis of the series and will continue to watch as you walk through the rest of the games!
I have two favorites when it comes to Nintendo games. Zelda and Metroid.
And now Mentok has gifted me Metroid videos...Though, it's not my birthday for another couple weeks, I'll still graciously accept this offer! But in seriousness, I'm looking forward to your other videos! There probably won't be much new for me to learn, owing to the same reason as your Zelda videos...I've been immersed in these two game series for most of my life! BUT!
You have a snappy sense of humor and a great sense of communication and your videos are super fun, so even when it's knowledge I already have...I greatly enjoy hearing you wax geeky about things I am also a geeky gal for!
I played this game so much back in the 80's that some of the soundtrack is permanently etched in my brain......I love it
Man, I remember being a kid and finding the OG Metroid fascinating but never owned it or got far in it. I picked up SUPER METROID upon release, at which point I was 14, and it blew me away. I am still searching for games that can hit as hard for me as this one did.
Really well done video. You earned a new sub, my man.
I appreciate you 💙 More Metroid to come.
that "yonk" fucking killed me. Bravo.
If you don't mind lore that's certainly not considered cannon, and yet was in officially licensed products. There were comics made by Valiant. They included Zelda, Mario, Captain N, and yes, Samus Aran. I doubt anyone would include Captain N on the timeline, any more then they would include Smash Brothers, but it's those comics that truly cemented Samus as the ultimate badass for child me.
I'd been introduced to the series with Metroid 2. Read the instruction manual and I can still remember how my heart was thundering after my first encounter with a Metroid. Then the comics. There was this issue where Samus was sent to prison and the guards left her in prison yard and looked away. Many of the prisoners were space pirates and aliens she had put behind bars and had scores to settle. They had her unarmed and were ready to tear her apart. ...She proceeded to kick all of their asses with her bare hands.
Those were my first impressions of the character. And they left a lasting impression.
Metroid was my 2nd favorite NES game, only after Final Fantasy. NES came out 1 year before I was born but my brother who was 3 years older than me had the console and stopped playing it when SNES came out. I played the crap out of it until I was in high school and lost interest in video games. I still like watching videos that bring me back to my early days when video games were my number one interest.
Wow, I never knew there was such a vibrant etymology of the Metroid franchise! I was just all about the 'pew pew pew' part of the game (for NES only). Thanks for the lore. It was quite an encapsulating story!
Excellent video! Glad to have found you through the auto play. Always a treat to find some well made Metroid content.
I remember someone telling me once that the original Metroid wasn't successful in Japan, and its success in the U.S. took the developers by surprise. But I don't know if that's true or not.
The fact that Metroid NES had all black backgrounds everywhere definitely added to the atmosphere.
As much love as metroid gets i always feel like it never gets its proper recognition! Being so ahead of its time ! And pioneered so much in those early days !
I've never seen the metroid lore explained so clearly. Good job man
Metroid is easily the most mature of Nintendo’s properties. When exploring Samus’ lore, I am continually amazed. It just never gets old.
Brings back lots of memories. I remember having an issue of Player's Guide with all the maps. Love love this game. Loved Super Metroid even more.
Super metroid intro will always make me feel like a lad again
While I'm not a fan of the first person Metroid games.. Super Metroid, Metroid fusion, Metroid zero mission, and Metroid Dread are all god tier games with God tier story/gameplay!! Metroid Dread is still one of the only games I played multiple times after beating it the first time.. love this franchise so much! Great video!
Crocomire's death animation is one of my favorite moments in gaming. Goated.
Anything Metroid lore related is always worth a watch and yours was so well done! I subbed and look forward to more Metroid content
It’s hard to overstate how dark, eerie, and isolating this game felt playing it when it was released. Game experiences are time/context dependent and it hit differently back then!!!!
I remember renting this when I was like.. eight. I remember how even though it technically played like any other game, there was something different about the way it all felt. Like maybe I shouldn't be playing it or something.
Great video! (As always)
That Manga seems similar to what I read in Nintendo Power. I wish I still had those old mags :(
So glad this showed up in the feed, can't even begin to tell you!!
The manga's canonicity is basically hard confirmed with the events that transpire in Dread. Also something you overlooked is actually explained in the manga, showing that Gray Voice was the one who gave the DNA to Samus to become Chozo and his DNA contained a power suit of a normal soldier. Raven Beak only offered a small bit of DNA for a modification to allow Samus to have a more potent Heart and the Armcannon. Gray Voice also specifically designed the Varia modification, citing it as "Parental Protection". This is actually why Samus always "reverts" to the varia suit since it's what her father gave her.
METROID MENTIONED 🗣️
I always considered the lag as part of the lore. Samus focused with lots of enemies around and you, the player, were able to make more precise movements due to the slow down.
Kids back then didn't know what lag was. Nor did they have the knowledge to understand that the game was a little too much for the hardware. It just seemed like an atmospheric change. Comparison is the thief of joy.
I look forward to seeing the furthering of the story. You are a wonderful story teller!
I had a doctor who comic book when I was a kid, and he confronts an enemy that always reminded me of Ridley. I liked imagining that there was a crossover there.
This is SUCH a good video. Super underrated. As a huge fan of the genre, I somehow only just recently beat Metroid 1, and wow it is different to every other NES game
I got a Classic NES when I was quite young, so despite not growing up in the 80s, we always had NES games appreciation and yes, the lag was baked into us too. That made Metroid (even though J was bad at it) and Kirby such favourites with us.
I miss the days when you got a fully illustrated instructions manual with your games. These little morsels of nostalgia had great game lore, tips, item and enemy lists and sometimes even hints on how to find secrets. We needa bring this back.
Randomly came across this video. Good stuff, man. Long time Metroid fan. Can't wait to see your video on my favorite Metroid, Fusion.
This is probably one of the best lore videos on Metroid
Thanks for covering these! Besides Mario Metroid was the original Nintendo series I played on the NES in the early and mid 90s really appreciate you looking into the franchise
am i the wrong one for always pronouncing it as "ZeeBis"?
Like come onnnn it rolls off the tongue better plus you can say it in an old cowboy voice and it sounds like gold
It’s spelled _Zebeth_ in Japanese media so if I’m reading it right, you’re pronouncing it correctly
As a child I cried every time the metroid sacrifices its life. Seeing it again made me tear up again. NEVER FORGET
One of the best videos about early metroid lore I've seen. Thanks!
Thank you for reminding me how much I loved Metroid, growing up ❤. Someday I’ll have time to get into the latest installments. Also Kraid’s theme SLAPS.
I already loved the series because of the super nintendo game that came with my snes but with this full review I now love it even more! AWESOME VIDEO!
Metroid 2 was my first Metroid game. I remember the "oh crap" feeling of realizing the Metroids were evolving...!
Saving the creatures at the end of the game?!?!! How did I miss this countless times since 1994!?!? 🤯. Awesome video good sir.
Metroid is rhe best example of biopunk ever written.
Bio punk... Today I learned a new aesthetic
@@nurgle333 yup. Where all the technology is organic and many of the settings feel like you're inside a living thing.
Not knowing it is Mentoktober nor that Metroid was required reading, I ordered Metroid Dread yesterday. I pulled this up to prep for playing
A majority of the older titles are available through switch online. So if you already have it, you might as well download the retro apps and play them.
Am I the only one who equates Mother Brain as Skynet for Metroid?
Great video @TheMentok
MOAR! I've been waiting for this for SOOOOO long!
I played it when it originally released. Can't remember if I got it from toys r us or maybe toys. But after a little playing I got the Samus reveal ending. We talked about that so much in school. Everyone loved the game. And yes. The lag timing was ingrained in us. Same for mega man, castlevania etc
16:12 "Hi, gay boy[...]" is what I heard the announcer say.
Solenge boy😂
When we were kids we thought samus was naked when she took off her armor lol
Playing this game as a kid was the most rewarding and frustrating experience of my life
The Classic Metroid trilogy frustrated the hell out of me as a kid, which is why even though the games interested me, I never managed to beat any of them, and it didn't help that the fandom for Metroid was pretty small where I lived, so there was only like one person that had some of the games, and he was pretty stingy about letting people borrow the games, which is why I can say that I only truly experienced Metroid, when a cousin got Metroid Fusion and I was able to beat the game when I borrowed it, and it is thanks to Fusion's linearity that I was able to become a Metroid fan, since beating the game felt good and it inspired me to try other games, and I would eventually get my hands on Zero Mission, which is arguably the best 2D Metroid game of its time, since it not only remade the first game, but it added a bunch of new content and the game was fair for both casual players and veterans, which is how I learned to get better at Metroid games, but truth be told because of how well stuff was hidden in those games, it basically created annoying tendencies and behaviors for any platformer games I played afterward, since I would always think that there were things hidden in every room, even for games that did not do that stuff.
Looking forward to this one!
Man I loved these games as a kid!
The algorithm dropped this on me today. Awesome video, as a big Metroid nerd I approve, lol. Instant sub
Thanks for the sub! Glad I’ve done the series justice so far. Have more Metroid in the pipeline
So glad Metroid is getting the spotlight it deserves such a good franchise
Oh shit, never knew you could roll in the queen's mouth in Metroid 2!
Nice. Well done, young one 😎 Love to see there is still people wich are in Love with classic Titles. Keep going 👍 Best Wishes
23:41 I had a really bad day and this made me chuckle so thanks for that
I took the lag on the Mother Brain fight as one of her brain powers, she slowed time down or something, lol.
I love this. Best way to headcanon this 😂
Honestly yes, the slowdowns you get used to when you play enough snes and there's too much going on but it buys you time to avoid projectiles
zero mission is such an amazing game
I used Ridley's Theme from Super Metroid as my ringtone on my cellphone for years.