In Defense of the Original Metroid | Retrospective & Review for FDS & NES 1986
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
- Retro Odyssey ep.012
An IN-DEPTH review and analysis of the original Metroid (メトロイド) for the Famicom Disk System (FDS) and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Also, a defense of Metroid. This game gets a lot of flack these days. So here is my take, my experience, my response, and my recommendation - all wrapped up into one!
Hope you enjoy, this one felt like it took a lifetime to edit & shoot. Had to spend an extra two hundred on a new SSD because I was legitimately running out of space on my existing 3 making this.
Welcome, to Metroid. Haters Mad Edition.
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Metroid
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Release Dates
FDS: August 6, 1986
NES: August 15, 1987
Game Information
Publisher: Nintendo
Developers: Nintendo R&D1 + Intelligent Systems
Director: Satoru Okada
Producer: Gunpei Yokoi
Artists: Hiroji Kiyotake, Hirodumi Matsuoka, Yoshio Sakamoto
Writer: Makoto Kano
Composer: Hirokazu Tanaka
Genre: Single Player, Action Adventure, Time Attack
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~ note: all gameplay footage for 𝑹𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒐 𝑶𝒅𝒚𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒚 is recorded using original hardware ~
Let me know what you think in the comments!
LINKS
Music: outmind.bandcamp.com/
Map: www.nesmaps.com/
Cute Samus art: www.deviantart.com/megubunnii
Timestamps:
0:00 - introduction
6:06 - game overview
9:40 - powerups
13:35 - enemies
16:25 - endings
17:16 - a few more things
20:26 - my metroid history
22:39 - my experience
23:31 - getting started
26:20 - brinstar
28:35 - norfair
32:04 - ridley and kraid
35:35 - tourian
40:02 - addressing common complaints
42:36 - final thoughts (context needed)
Next up: Adventure Island (高橋名人の冒険島) a.k.a. Takahashi Meijin no Bōken Jima
~ if you would like to support the show: ko-fi.com/hprshredder/ ~
#Metroid #FamicomDiskSystem #NES - เกม
2 years later, and this is still one of THE BEST video game reviews on youtube. You understand this art form better than 99% of this website, keep doing what you're doing seriously
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoy it. I've got more videos on the way!
I love this game. It is great to see a reviewer that doesn't just say "play zero mission instead". These are two completely different games imo
Zero Mission is okay but doesn't have what makes the first game so great, the high tension, the feel of being lost in a dangerous place.
The original game has much better atmosphere in my opinion.
Zero Mission is an amazing game, but it’s tone couldn’t be more different. There’s very little dread to be found in that game. The dark, oppressive atmosphere is replaced by bright colors and a world designed for you to beat it. I love it, but it isn’t the same thing.
Before this video, I'd have said play metroid, but finish zero mission.
Now, I'm not sure I'll ever pay zero mission many more times, maybe for exposition (which i think they went too far on honestly by the time you get to dread). Not a bad game at all, but my first memories of nes metroid when I was 6 or 7 years old have come full circle, and I'm in love with this game AGAIN.
Just want to say thanks again for convincing me to take on this game. I haven't felt this good about beating a game in a long time. I'm 42 now... my relationship with my Nintendo was so important to me as a kid. There was a certain closure doing this has brought me. Kid icarus is probably next for me.
@@richardoaks8333icarus done yet?
This Game was and is a piece of Game History and a Masterpiece.
The music for Kraid's Lair is a masterpiece.
It is next-level.
God bless Hip Tanaka!
Check out the Luminist Analog Synth version for something even better
@neilworms2 I am a very big fan of his Metroid work. Glad to see a fellow fan of his magnificent covers :)
and i really like the campfire cover of it lol
Honestly I'm surprised people say Metroid is skippable today. I have played it for the first time only a year ago, as it was one of the few games that weren't available on famiclones back in the day, and I had a blast with it. I have played such games where you are just thrown into it since always, 8bit home computers like Atari had Draconus and StarQuake for example, so I had no issues, I never was confused about anything. I would actually say that exploring and figuring what to do and where to go is fun. Also I have played plenty of modern metroidvanias that would often add something new and advance the genre, and yet I was not bored with Metroid at any point. My only concern was, I could tell that some people back in the 80's and even 90's would get stuck at the point where you have to break the ground in one of the shafts to progress. Modern metroidvanias, games like Hollow Knight, teach you to hit every surfrace you see, so people playing Metroid now should be able to figure it out, but back when it was something new I imagine it could be an issue. Aside that one, all the other breakable obstacle parts, including secrets were no problem (although I did not enjoy landing in a pit without a way out! :P), and I also agree that difficulty is not an issue either, the only part I had to replay was the final fight, up to the last level everything is fairly moderate, not too easy, but not too hard.
For people who like the games where they have to explore, figure out what to do, and don't actually mind getting stuck - I strongly recommend checking La-Mulana (Steam, MSX, Switch). It feels a bit more home computer than a console, and is a true feast for older gamers who miss the old adventure of the unknown.
I’m a 39 year old grown-ass man who personally played the NES version of this for the first time at the age of 5-6 at my Parent’s friends house with their kids.
I’m also a musician, and the music to this game definitely gave me insta-cool vibes as a young kid, combined with the unique (for the time) gameplay.
I used to LOVE the Maru-Mari ball because it blew my mind as as kid that instead of crouching down, you could just become a ball. 🤘
Dude, you’re the man for being that zoomer light in-the dark for retro gaming, because I TOTALLY get why Metroid II and Super Metroid used save states, and why some gamers get immediately turned off to password systems…it’s a generational thing.
Anyway, I love this analysis. And I appreciate your hard work playing this Masterpiece.
Glad you enjoyed the video, man. Thanks for the comment! 🎃
@@HPRshredder Subbed
I fucking loved this video. It is just SO unfair how everybody treats this game. Metroid was the first game I ever played in my life (of course I sucked major balls) but when I got better and stared to get more and more items It really paid off and then I fell in love with the game and the series.
Also, I fucking loved Dread, but I hope future Metroid games just stopped walking me by the hand and just let me get lost like the original.
Watching this makes me itch to play again. Really do appreciate you pointing out how great of a game this really is. When I was like 15 or so playing this there was nothing like this ever .. so different, and amazing!
I hope they do eventually make a Metroid G&W like you said you were hoping for in your video!
@@HPRshredder right? That would be the best! Along with Metroid 2 for GB
Great review, well worth the wait. It's not only a fair assessment that gets me excited of the game, you also addressed the criticism around it in a good way with that quote by McKenna. It's important to experience a game like this yourself and isolate yourself from outside influences and other peoples' impressions, just as the game should be isolated from the others - it was the first in its own franchise, before it even became a franchise! There's a certain feeling with games like this that is hard to put into words, it's just something you have to try out yourself. And it requires you to be a bit more involved than just firing it up on an emulator for 10 minutes or just hear or read about it. I didn't even know about Arlo's video but I was totally taken aback by what he said. I'd hate to think even more people would dismiss the game now just because someone on TH-cam said it's archaic or outright... bad. Instead, I really hope your video reaches a lot of people and gets them fired up for Metroid. Thanks for this! Also, seeing the Famicom, the boxart, the disk and the manual was a real treat again, so thanks for that as well lol
I'm a fan of Arlo and I've been subscribed to him for over 5 years. That particular take of his was just a little surprising. And I agree, it's not something you can really understand just by trying it out for a little bit. You have to commit to giving it a fair shot. Glad you're back & I'm glad you still appreciate the hardware & manual shots.
I can believe it. Arlo has said some legitimately dumb shizz. Most people that pan the game played for all of 2 minutes before giving up.
For God's sake, even when I was a teen with no attention span or patience, I was able to sit through and play it for a good long time, eventually beating it in my 20s.
I played this game when it first released in the US. I absolutely loved it. I was obsessed with it for years, and all these things that people complain about today didn't take away from how good the game is. This became a really important game for me that I would come back to even after Super Metroid released. Thank you for defending this game with this well made video. It's much easier to tear down something that you haven't even played than to play the game and talk about it.
The quality of the editing and the b-roll is incredible. Keep it up!
This is an absolutely BRILLIANT video my friend! You've truly inspired me to be better! Thank you for this!
You're super welcome! Thanks for commenting -- glad you enjoyed it!
Dude... Dude... So nice of you to take the time to really experience the game that was before your time and give it an honest chance instead of just dismissing it as primitive and archaic... I love this game, and you review did make me feel emotional.
Just found your channel from another channel we both fallow, I will fallow you and will dig your other nes experiences, it is beautiful to see younger players rediscovering the history of the art we enjoy. I wish more people were open as you is to different experiences.
Congratulations and thanks for this beautiful video review and almost a tribute for Metroid.
This made me really happy! I am so glad you enjoyed it! I'm going to be playing a lot more -- I'm working through Adventure Island right now and after that: Castlevania. Thank you for your kind words!
@@HPRshredder sorry for my english mistakes, follow*. Probably there are more.
It is just because how the video made me feel... ;) LUL.
@@HPRshredder Adventure island was not know on my country, I only heard about it on the internet, I think it is one of those games that at the time was trapped in only one country/region. It is one of the games I have to experience one day too. It is on my list but I still didn't play it.
Looking forward for both videos.
@@HPRshredder A side note, as a fan of metroid prime too, I loved you sharing your history with the game, I can imagine how unsettle it must felt for a kid. It is a very atmospheric experience.
I beat this game on the NES as a kid. Didn't use a map beyond what was in the manual. Just learned where everything was by exploring and it was very rewarding. It's still my favorite Metroid game.
When I was a teenager, I fell in love with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. I had wanted an FPS game, but my parents were super strict about violence. So I figured a Nintendo game would get past the censors, and I was right. After beating the game, I knew I wanted to play more games in the series. So I got the first game on my 3DS via the virtual console and proceeded to tear my hair out because of how much harder the game was than I thought it would be.
Eventually, after playing it for years, I learned to appreciate the unique challenge the game offered. It’s by far my favorite NES game and I even beat it without using a map for the most part. Honestly, in some ways I prefer it to the modern games. But you have to have a very different set of expectations when you approach a game like this. You have to understand that it wasn’t meant to go easy on you, and that you’ll probably have to put a lot of time into it before you can really appreciate it. Using a guide, as tempting as it is, tends to undermine the experience of getting better at the game and discovering new things.
I’m going to try beating the original NES Zelda soon, and I’m aware it’s probably going to kick my ass in a similar way. But I’m looking forward to figuring it out bit by bit.
Best of luck with Zelda! That game had a really big impact on me when I played it for the first time in 2021. It is a phenomenal experience and currently my favorite experience so far with the NES library.
@@HPRshredder Thanks! I’m now planning to wait until I can get my hands on my old 80s TV again. It’s at my parents’ place right now, but from what you and a lot of other people have said, it’s worth playing the game on something equivalent to original hardware.
Thank you! I have played the hell out of this game, and it's so hard to tell people this game is good when everyone else disagrees. I remember drawing my own map and discovering this game's secrets for myself, and I think it's a shame that nobody is willing to do what Metroid asks the player to do.
A lot of it does come down to player mindset. It's a very special game for anyone genuinely curious and up to the challenge.
@@HPRshredder Indeed. Not to mention that Zero Mission exists. I like Zero Mission a lot, but the NES game is a great time in its own way. There is a fanmade remake that's closer to the original called Metroid Planets, and that's been fun to tear through as well. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who appreciates the original game.
I'll have to check that out!
@@HPRshredder Please do! It has the full NES game as well as a brand new planet called Novus to explore. Also worth mentioning that once you have the Ice and Wave Beam, you can go to the equipment screen to swap to whichever you would prefer.
I played this in the early 90s when I was a kid, and I remember how this felt way different from SMB or Megaman, etc. It was darker, the music was unsettling and the game felt like it really wanted to kill you. I also recall the exploration factor and the feeling of "I might find a better upgrade through that door I haven't crossed before (or die)"... This game was definitely a milestone in my life, and it nourished my love for videogames, so much that I'm part of the VG industry now as a translator (and a collector too). Great vid man, loved it.
This is a game that took me years to "get". I'd attempted it on emulators prior, but never got far with it. It was only after getting through Super, Fusion, and Zero Mission I decided to give it another go and approach it from a fresh angle. Once you learn that you don't have to kill everything in sight, get a grip on winding around enemies, and take on Ridley first, the game becomes soooo much more enjoyable. I've beaten it several times since then in under an hour and each time I pick it up, it's more fun than the last. Had to do the same with Zelda and Kid Icarus, only Kid Icarus struggles from a small lack of polish and has the same trope as Metroid where the game is the hardest at the very beginning. I definitely wish you good luck with that one because it's definitely the toughest of those first wave FDS titles.
I'm actually really stoked for Kid Icarus. When I tested the disk out when I got it in to make sure it worked, just a few minutes and the music got stuck in my head. Thanks!
I learned a NES music program JUST so I could re-created Kraid's Lair music. So delicious. To this day I still find it randomly popping into my head. This game had a huge impact on me just from the MOOD, mostly created with the music.
As much praise Super Metroid deserves, there is no way to ignore the classic and humble beginning on the NES. Metroid is one of those gamest hat made me a gamer. An enduring, curious, and excited gamer. I sat endless hours in front of my TV screen decrypting the labyrinths of Norfair and Brinstar, trying to find all missile upgrades. My first gameplay was like 14 hours in-game time. I died countless times. But after multiple attempts I made it in under three hours. That was a great moment. And the game even rewarded my patience. Even today I still remember most of the path I have to take to get to everything in the fastest means possible without losing my mind. This game's layout is carved into my brain.
Just discovered this channel. How the hell do they only have 1.2k subs?! The video quality is fantastic. Also I just rediscovered my love for Metroid. As a kid I found it frustrating, but I just beat Motherbrain in Zero Mission and loved it.
Thanks for the comment! I appreciate it. I have't played Zero Mission myself yet but I do look forward to playing it someday.
One thing that really annoys me about Metroid is that you can get hit while going through a door. Other than that, I actually enjoy playing this game because of its simplicity.
There are definitely a lot of bullshit moments like that. I also wish it wouldn’t guide the player to Kraid’s Lair before Ridely’s by making it the much more obvious path forward. It’s way too difficult for new, underpowered players.
That being said, I love this game even as someone who was born wayyy after the 8-bit era.
@@flyingfireballmaster1816Ridley is the tougher boss and the level has more difficult enemies, so Kraid and his lair would be ideal for people to go to first.
I've never had any problem with that, you just need to roll into a ball before going through the door if you se an enemy coming your way, and they'll always pass above you.
I played this game in single digits. Might have beat Kraid. It's hard as nails.
Yet, I kept coming back.
Speedrunning Super Metroid is like redemption.
This was such a refreshing video to watch on this game. As you already covered, the usual quotes for this entry are "It's old, rough, prototype material, just play Super Metroid etc. I've heard this for both the original as well as the Gameboy sequel. I'm ashamed that I only got round to playing them both a few years back, because I would dare say I rate them just as high as Super Metroid and Prime, maybe more so the NES original but I stand by Return of Samus having it's own great features. The simplicity, yet complex features, I'm not gonna go on further because, well I think everyone here appreciates Metroid for what it is; a true embodiment of a classic (classic being a media or form of art that stays relevant, if not maturing and becoming better as time goes on). That's just me, but then I also rate Prime 2 over the original, dare say! Great content and about to go and check out your Zelda video :)
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think of the Zelda video if/when you get around to it 🙂
I strongly agree that Metroid is an outstanding title. I do plan to play Metroid II someday as well, but it's a few years off and I'm trying to keep things chronological as best I can. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Prime 2 was legitimately one of the best the games in the series, that's a fair assessment. I rate it above 1, 3, Super, Zero Mission, definitely above fusion, etc.
I need to sit with Dread a few more years before ranking it, but so far I like it better than all the 2D Metroid games.
Greetings from Lossiemouth, Scotland. My first experience of Metroid was the Prime Trilogy on Wii. I am interested in the roots of things and always knew that I would play this one day. I started it this game today for the first time. Before this I walked along the deserted coastline here, the weather changed and it became cold and rainy. I returned home and had some soup and some tea. I started playing and soon grew frustrated - but this was down to me. I started looking online and was dismayed by the negativity in the videos and comments. Then I saw your video, and it was so positive. I really appreciated your considered and honest communication of the game and your experience of it. It really cheered me and I look forward to suiting up and taking on the challenge. Thanks again for the video. I owe you a pint!
If I'm ever in Scotland I may take you up on that lol. I could use a pint.
Metroid is my #2 favorite game of all time. I have a tradition of replaying this game once a year around Christmas time as a reward to myself. To me, Metroid is a real gift to gaming that just can’t be beat. Hope some of you here give it a shot if you have not played it yet.
Good Lord, THANK YOU! Most of the complaints against this game just convince me that most gamers today are weak and spoiled. Always needing to know where to go, what to do, and how things work. They need maps, hints, and demos for everything. Metroid says 'yeah nah' to all of that. If we could figure it out as children in the 80s, grown Humans should be able to do it today. Figuring it out is the whole point!
I think most gamers today just dont know 'good gaming'
They will play and enjoy good games, but also shitty games, which would be ok ( i like aome shitty games here and there ) if they didnt ALSO bash good games for stupid effing reasons
I would argue that you're giving the "get off my lawn" answer. I grew up playing these games, too, though it was the 90s. The difference is that there are a lot more games available, today. Little things like maps and guidance cut down on frustration, and make you more likely to keep playing, or to play again. While some of my most proud gaming accomplishments are things like having fully completed Dragon Warrior, Metroid, or Super Mario World before looking answers up online was an option, I don't have that kind of time today. Kids still have the time, but there are so many more games they will want to play. Is it weaker? Yeah, probably, but most players don't play for challenge. They play for fun. Frustration isn't fun, and so many games are so easy to complete, that there isn't a sense of accomplishment to get out of beating particularly difficult games, anymore.
@@PSNPerfectNinja Nobody I know was less likely to keep playing Metroid for the NES. Adults who still had to adult, ghasp, still played this and finished them. The dispositions of human beings haven't changed that much. Every type of person still exists in predictable distributions across the population, the mix of playing for fun vs playing for a challenge. Truth be told Metroid is not THAT hard. Sometimes the get off my lawn answer is the right answer. Games haven't become more fun, they weren't less fun then. What's changed is the gaming industry essential treats you all like idiots while you nod and agree.
@@dougmasters4561 while I agree that the industry is definitely dumbing down the games, it's still the fact that more choices means you can stop and move on at the first frustration or sign of tedium. It's why adding fast travel to The Elder Scrolls meant Oblivion had way more players than Morrowind ever could have hoped for. Nobody you knew would have stopped playing because when they were playing, that was the standard, and there weren't as many games to swap to if you got frustrated
I totally agree@@PSNPerfectNinja, I'm absolutely shaking my old Man fist at a cloud. Still, I think things like frustration, anxiety, or even anger are legitimate aspects to any challenge, and they're emotions games can (or sometimes should) endeavour to create just like any film or novel. Am I an old guy complaining that kids have it too easy these days? Yes. Am I right? Also yes :p
Having watched the full review now I've got to say bravo! That was really something, so well thought out, so nuanced. You are really an excellent reviewer. I love how you subtly cover even the bare basics of the game and how it plays, not assuming the viewer has any first-hand familiarity with the game or the series whatsoever, but you do so in a way that's not at all overbearing. I love Super Metroid, it's easily among my top 20 games of all time. The original Metroid has been on my to-do list for years now. I've dabbled with it several times over the years, playing for a couple of hours before moving on to other things abain, but not at all because I wasn't enjoying myself. The sheer size of the game combined with the fact that you're expected to keep up with your own map just intimidated me a bit too much to REALLY go for it and try to complete the game.
You've made me want to give it a proper try now. Although I probably won't be aiming for any specific ending.😅 But I feel like this game is more about the journey than the destination anyway.
If you want to give it a go you totally should! I hope you have fun if you do and are patient with yourself. Once you beat it, I actually think it's more fun the next time through. I have a guide on how to get the best ending on the channel if you wanna give it a shot after beating it. I 100% believe anyone can do it.
Thanks for the comments! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Excellent review, it's great to hear someone give a defense to this old game that was such an important part of my childhood. I've often felt that the combination of music and isolated atmosphere in this game hit a tone which none of the sequels matched.
I’ve binged watched 4 of your videos. Probably my new favorite retro gaming channel. Thank you!
Thanks! Glad you're enjoying them!
Liked and Subbed. Born in 78, grew up with 8 bit gaming, you sir definitely get the vibe of this era. Thank you for what you do
I like the whole vibe of giving it a fair shot. Keep up the good work
I’ll never forget discovering this game in 1988 for my NES. It , to me, was the greatest experience with a game I knew nothing about. I had read the back of the box in Toys “R” Us, but didn’t know if I should pick it up. I finally did, that summer, and, to me, it stands toe-to-toe with The Legend of Zelda as one of the greatest NES titles ever released.
It was so different than anything I had ever experienced, much in the same way Zelda was different, yet without being another Zelda style game. There were many Super Mario Bros. style side scrollers, but Metroid was so atmospheric and lonely. It was dark, oppressive, and provoking. I simply could!’t get enough of it.
Everyone loves to tout Super Metroid as the best in the (mainline) series. I disagree. I love all of the Metroid games, but the first one was so special, and impressionable, that it stands as my favorite.
Now, Metroid Prime..? That just may be my favorite video game of all time. Still, it wouldn’t exist without the original Metroid on NES!
Another great retrospective. Thanks so much. ❤❤❤❤
Great retrospective! The first Metroid is near and dear to my heart. I had no idea what to do when I first played it 1988, but picked it up back up in the early 90s when Nintendo Power published a guide. I instantly fell in love. The atmosphere and sense of dread hooked me right in. Also the sense of isolation. Masterpiece!
This game was wave beam blast from a clear sky. To skip Metroid is to skip a foundational building block of video games, and I think plenty of imitators and indeed even sequels have left behind key elements that made this game so magical.
The original Metroid is NOT “skippable.” I absolutely love it, and it’s probably the only NES game I will still pop in and play today.
You got yourself a new subscriber.
When I play Metroid now, I do find it hard to stop. When you've got so much of the layout committed to memory it's hard to not want to just try and beat it. There's something really satisfying about breezing through a game that was really difficult at first. Thanks for the sub!
@@HPRshredder I have played and beaten Metroid on the NES AND Famicom Disk System versions! It's fun, but it's great you give both a look at! I love it! I was actually looking for a video about the battery backup being scrapped because of that I have heard it wasn't thought of as going to be as popular as the Zelda games! 😢😢 To quote AVGN… "What were they thinking!"
Axiom Verge was a huge hit. So I really don’t know what turns so many people away from Metroid. I’ve always been a fan of the game. It’s also the game I go back to and try beating again.
Quick bit of trivia: The reason the Polyps only go in an arc on the NES, but spray out on the Famicom, is because the NES did not have a random number generator whereas the Famicom did. So, the Famicom could randomly pick a direction for the projectile, whereas the NES had to stick to a single one (which was usually set when the player went through the door).
Same goes as to why Ridley is so much easier on the NES. Ridley can shoot different distances of fireballs on the Famicom, whereas on the NES it's just a single distance. So the player can stand in a spot they don't reach and not be hit.
Either way, thanks for this review. Metroid is one of my favorite games on the NES and has been since I was a kid. Sure, it can be a tad rough in spots, but it's a really fun adventure and a really great game.
Glad you enjoyed it! And I didn’t previously know that, but that makes sense. I wonder where else they* may have used the RNG in the FDS version. Maybe for the enemy drops? Maybe they used a table in the NES version? I’m sure it’s all out there. It’s fun to learn about how they programmed these games. Maybe I should talk more about that in future episodes if the source code is available for some of them.
This video was awesome. I hadn't heard that Terrance quote at the end, making note of it. Great Metroid video!
I love this game so much, my favorite of all time, the experience of the first playing and drawing my own maps....I watch every "in defense" review of it, just love the lore of it, and this video is great. Thank you for this
I'm glad you enjoyed it -- you're very welcome!
I love the use of the mushroom people in the hand holding part lol nice dark souls reference
It's nice seeing someone defend this game. It really has become a popular punching bag. That being said, I still can't stand this game one bit LOL. No map, no deal. That and the grind for energy after you die. Gimme Prime any day.
Metroid is one of my favorite games, and this is a hell of a good review. I am glad you enjoyed the game as much as I did growing up, and thank you for making this video.
Awesome to see such a wonderful take on this game that so few people are willing to give. I personally think that this game has one of the best atmospheres in the entire series, and for me it rates as a higher experience than Zero Mission. Zero Mission's gameplay, mechanics, and upgrades are just too much fun to pass up though. One of my personal favorite games in the series is the original Metroid II, and I would love to hear your opinion on it, given that Metroid II receives the same or worse opinions overall. I don't know how this video hasn't gotten more traction. Your video and audio quality is great, the structure is fantastic, and the anecdotes serve a great purpose in conveying what this game is really all about. Great work and keep it up!
I'm glad you liked it! I do plan to play Metroid II eventually, but it may take me a while to reach 1991. I'm glad you think the video is quality -- I put a lot of effort and time into it. While it doesn't have a lot of views by TH-cam standards; it's actually my best performing video since I started uploading again in the summer. Thanks for the comment.
@@HPRshredder That's great to hear! Hopefully things only go up from here!
Finally, somebody throwing respect on this game! I've never beaten an NES game until last week when I played this.
It's my third Metroid game I've played, and by far my favorite.
SCREW ARLO
You legit convinced me to play without a map. Well done. 👏👏👏
What a wonderful video giving proper respect to one of the all time historically significant and masterpiece of a game. Thank you HPRshredder
Wow I didn't expect to see a Terence McKenna reference in a video about Metroid, but I completely agree! His "Don't be afraid to go it alone" line is one of my favorites. Great video!
Appreciate it! Glad you enjoyed!
very glad to have found your channel, i really enjoy the way you talk about retro games! i've gotten so tired of the whole idea of games "holding up" or "aging well" that it's kind of ruined a lot of modern-day game discussion for me... this is a very refreshing video as you can imagine. i also love the first sonic game so this is a pain that i understand deeply
As a kid playing this I absolutely loved exploring and didn't mind the time it took to do so (I was more patient back then, lol). When I found something new it was so satisfying and I felt like I accomplished something. I loved this game and still like the series. Honestly, now that you've played this you really should play Super Metroid on the SNES (which you may have already given that this video is now 2 years old)... it is a banger!
I will get to Super Metroid, eventually. I'm curious to see if it's as good as they say!
So much amen on the topic of direct experience. I haven't given the Metroid series that much time myself, but it's certainly not because a bunch of people on the Internet told me not to. That way of thinking can be applied to so many things in life. I'm reminded of a conversation I had with a young woman semi-recently about the book The Catcher in the Rye. Because of a tweet or a video she saw, she had already written off the book as being about X, without ever having read it, and therefore was never planning to read it (because she found X to be repugnant). The contents of that single piece of social media had defined it for her. Obviously, we all only have so much time in life, but we should absolutely experience as much as we can for ourselves.
I can't remember if you were planning on visiting portable systems in this series or not, but there is definitely a period in the Game Boy's life where Nintendo, Square, Capcom, Konami, etc. were putting some of their best dev teams into games for it. In this particular instance, I have a friend who swears by Metroid II's greatness, and it might be a shame to miss it if you enjoyed this so much.
As I said, I haven't played this much, but I do agree with you on the music in Kraid's Lair. If you're not familiar with the band The Advantage, I highly encourage checking out their version of that song. It really captures its greatness.
I would love to play portable games eventually. The Master System and PC Engine are next in line, but after Famicom I may start covering more than one system at a time. I'm not totally sure. I know the Analogue Pocket is doing another preorder tomorrow though and I have been extremely tempted to try and secure one.
Your story about The Catcher in the Rye is something I have experienced when discussing games quite often. A lot of people will go as far to pretend they played a game too lol. They will at least talk like they have as Arlo did and then quietly say "i've never played it tho"
I haven't heard of them but I will check it out! It's been fun watching you comment through the different videos in the series -- I'm glad you've enjoyed most of them.
Fantastic video, and I wholeheartedly agree. Metroid is often viewed through the lens of Super Metroid and the genre that game spawned, and when you try to approach it like it's that kind of game, it doesn't work. It feels like learning to navigate is a wall between you and the game, when learning to navigate IS the game. Because it's not a Metroidvania. It wasn't built with the same priorities.
Super Metroid and its descendants value a smooth experience and a certain kind of progression, and that's great. There are many great games built like that, and it's a very compelling approach to game design. But going against that philosophy isn't inherently bad design.
Metroid was built with exploration as the top priority, whereas Super Metroid never lets exploration take priority over progression. Metroid lets you really feel like an explorer dropped into an uncharted land in a way that isn't possible if the game were to automatically draw a map for you. Super Metroid cannot provide that experience, but also it's world is perhaps too complex to reasonably expect players to learn or draw the layout. And the automap fits its design philosophy.
The original Metroid trilogy is so fantastic, and that's in part to those 3 games being incredibly different from each other. The first is a game where navigation of a new world is the primary challenge. The second is a slow very moody proto-horror game about being lost both geographically and morally with some of the best ludonarrative consonance (I guess would be the term) in gaming. And the third is a great Metroidvania that pretty much anyone can enjoy. All are great forr different reasons.
(and if you haven't read Azurelore Korrigan's pieces on Metroid II, they are highly recommended. Google "Metroid 2 colorized" and look for the domain name "aderack", and be ready to wield the Wayback Machine for some of the links to their previous articles.)
Best in depth review of the game on YT period.
Wonderful take, Tks for the great video
i think as time goes on i gain an appreciation for the original NEStroid. on my first playthrough i drew a map of the game world by hand to help with navigation, with minimal outside help (after beating the game i did look up the locations of some items i missed like the screw attack and the varia suit, just to add them to the map for completeness sake but like 90% of it was my own work) and on my second playthrough i used that map and newfound familiarity with the world to map out an optimal path to try and beat the game in under 3 hours for the good ending, which i did end up doing (said path ended up with me fighting ridley first to minimize backtracking)
i still find some aspects of the game frustrating (the 30 health thing being the main one) but it's still a decently fun time overall. i personally prefer to go back to zero mission just because its one of my favorites, but even now i find myself itching to go back to the NES original. who knows, maybe i'll beat it in under an hour this time?
I have a guide on the channel for beating it in under an hour if you're interested. Congrats on beating it in under 3 though! And thank you for the comment!
6:23 -
"In this case (the manual of) Metroid has a ton of information"
- Shows rear cover, proving that the Power Suit has a detailed butt portion that I've never seen before.
Ok... Ok, go ahead.
I played this, then Super Metroid, and i think they link wonderfully. They recap this one perfectly and together it feels like a complete story, it means more to get to the control room of Mother Brain in Super BECAUSE you remember the torture of getting there last time.
I agree with you that Kraid's laid is the best soundtrack on NES. The game is amazing, I played it as a kid and never finished it, I kept on getting lost but I finished it lots of times as an adult. You gave this game an honest review and it was refreshing to see.
Thanks for the comment, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! Metroid is an amazing game. I was surprised by what a complete package it was when I played it and I look forward to playing it again in the future.
This was always a game on my "to-do" list. Retro gamer and fan of the Alien franchise, so it always appealed to me massively. I grew up in a Sega country so NES and SNES were quite obscure, so i'm enjoying going through a lot of the classics. And late last year I decided it was time to finally give Metroid a go. I went in dark, I don't know anyone who's played it, let alone beaten it, I don't look anything up online while playing it, just the manual. And well... some of the criticism fair enough, it probably hasn't aged as well as some of the other classics. I found myself in so much pain grinding allllll the time, being knocked from platforms into lava and so much flicker you cant even see your character to get back out, whilst more bugs come flying at you knocking you back in, and being LOST with no idea what to do next, you've tried everything. But I persevered. There was a section I got stuck at for a long time, I didnt even know I'd found the way cos it all looked the same, it was all of a sudden I was seeing something different at the end of one of these many identical rooms. (Turns out i'd missed a part in Norfair where you can bomb the floor before getting to where the wave beam is etc..) it'd been a few weeks of aimless wandering, bombing and shooting everything... so when it happened it was a massive relief. Dying all the time, lost, grinding and grinding, yeah its tedious and frustrating. You do have to look at it through 1988 eyes, like THEN, this is what you want, a challenge, a long streched out experience, not something you breeze through in a day or 2 and never want to play again. I loved the inky blackness in the background, the feeling of isolation, not knowing where to go, what to do, you're really out there in deep space on a mission on your own, and its dangerous.
I see videos and clips, reviews of these great newer titles, Super Metroid, Zero Mission, Prime etc.. they look like they've lost what the original had, the atmosphere, the helplessness, the isolation etc. So all in all I did appreciate this game. And a lot of the reviews i've watched since beating it (No way was i watching any before I had) have been negative. So to find this was a breath of fresh air. I appreciate the in depth analysis as well. Great content, keep it up :)
Appreciate the story! That was a fun read. And I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the comment
I was like 8 or so when we got this game, and I would just sit there and enjoy the title screen on repeat a lot of the time. It was my favorite song for a while. It just starts off so brooding, and then gets kind of sweet and starts to feel like an epic space adventure and then ends in such triumph.. the title screen alone takes you on this journey.
Fantastic breakdown of NEStroid. I just recently finished the FDS version and I can say that I've warmed up a bit to it. Before Zero Mission came out, I always told people the original NES version is a bit clunky, but required to play though it since it was the only way to play it.
Now that Zero Mission exists, I still tell people they should play NEStroid, but only if they really want to see the original roots of the Metroid series.
I wasn't aware Metroid needed defending. I've always considered it to be in my top 3 NES games. Then again, I played it when it first came out and have never sought any commentary about it in recent years.
That said, I stumbled upon your channel recently, and as someone who was young/alive when these titles were released, it's gratifying to know that there are people younger than I who are appreciating their design and craft. Keep up the great work!
I've been loving them. Playing them in a vacuum and in order has kind of simulated waiting for games to release as well, and it's fun to have old games I'm looking forward to getting around to. Not every game is a banger, but very few have been outright bad. I feel like I've learned a lot about their design, and game design in general just by paying a little closer attention. Metroid is one that gets better with each playthrough.
I wish I could upvote this video a million times! I absolutely agree! Played it as a kid and have been in love ever since!
Metroid is one of the best games which started very strong along with The Legend of Zelda and Dragon Quest. which They all Released in the same year. 👍
Metroid is one of the earlier games that encouraged speed running in a way since you need to finish the game at a fast time to get the best ending. Simon's Quest did the same thing when it was released in 1987. Both games pin the player against the clock and are very rewarding when completed quickly.
Great job with this video. Never realized how much the original Metroid received for flak.
So glad you took your time with this one and didn't take anyone's word for it. I grew up with the NES and this has always been a favorite classic. Anyone can argue that Super Metroid (et al) improved the formula, and that's fine (I think Super Metroid is also a great game) but the original was, and still is, excellent. In my opinion, though I can certainly see its weaknesses in hindsight, it never deserved to be called a 'prototype' and - if you like games in this style - I think it is ridiculous to call it 'skippable'.
I love the beginning. Thank you! That is so refreshing to hear. But it goes far, far beyond video games. I remember growing up in the 80s and 90s and Black and White movies were seen as unspeakable evil in terms of being entertainment. A sentiment that has only gotten worse with time. I never understood it. It's more it's unfamiliar so people dismiss it because it's not what they're used to.
For me some of my all time favorite movies are silent films (Metropolis, The Trial of Joan of Arc, and Nosferatu come to mind), and I genuinely feel sorry for those who can't enjoy it because they're missing out on some really great and interesting stuff.
Then there's reading books. The amount of times people ask me what I did over a weekend and I answer with "Read a book." and got the reply of "...Why?" in a tone of both bafflement and disgust as if I just peed on their dog is horrifying beyond belief. If it's something current people are talking about they may give it a pass, but if it's something really old (for example I recently reread Homer's The Iliad and Odyssey) so many people think it's a waste of time.
It just seems more and more with anything the longer something goes on for the more disdain there is for anything back when they were a kid or before they were born. It's good to hear something with the opposite view point. As you pointed out with when you search for something like this game you're just bombarded with negativity to the point where someone saying "Give it a chance first." is almost a miracle.
Thank you for the long and detailed comment! I appreciate it. I'm glad you liked the video, and I'm glad that quote resonated with you. I still need to watch those movies. I saw Roman Holiday about six months ago and enjoyed it, I've been meaning to look into more of the classics.
It's interesting to see how much the McKenna quote has in common with the views of Saint Thomas Aquinas on the state of euphoria
Best video for newbies, love the graphics. Nice mod.
Thank you for this perspective. Metroid is my favorite Nintendo franchise and I don’t understand the dismissal of the original. Zero Mission is a decent retelling, but it isn’t the same game by any stretch of the imagination. I definitely prefer the original for its atmosphere and music, loneliness, vibe, difficulty…. No hand holding. Feels much closer to the true 1st game, as Super Metroid reuses and upgrades many of the tile graphics. Metroid 1 is the canon’s true beginning.
I first played Metroid after linking up Metroid Fusion to Metroid Prime and unlocking it as a bonus. I played it off and on over the years but I never beat it until just a few years ago on 3DS. I really enjoy it. I think fans of the series should at least give it a try for a few hours, if nothing else. It's an experience, even if you don't finish it. It stuck with me through the years and I wanted to keep going back to it.
i've never processed a 4k video before so maybe that just takes a day or so but damn i was worried something happened to the video, hit with a copyright strike by nintendo or something. glad to see it's finally here!
as someone who only ever beat metroid fusion, i too have heard that the OG 1986 metroid is either a steaming pile of donkey turds, or an interesting retro game that laid the foundation, but that it's nothing you're really missing out on if you choose to play the gba remake instead. it's always refreshing to hear a counterpoint to opinions like those, especially when it seems so genuine like yours is, and not just to play devil's advocate. prior to watching this video, if i ever dived into the metroid series proper, i would've just started with metroid: zero mission, but now i will at LEAST give metroid 1986 a shot.
my opinions on retro games overall is usually along the lines of holding nothing against them, but that i'll almost always prefer what came after by default (such as a remake or reimagining/reboot), and in some cases that's out of spite due to the hatred some game remakes get for simply not being a copy paste of the original product. however, your channel and it's insistence at taking a deeper look at these old games is really quite eye opening for me, and makes me more inclined to try out older games that i may have dismissed in the past.
tl;dr good fucking shit as always, thanks for the refreshing opinion on OG metroid
I appreciate this comment & I'm glad you aren't completely writing it off! As stated in the video this is the first Metroid game I have completed, so I can't really speak to Zero Mission, though it does look nice and I do plan to play it. On the surface level though, it seems to be a very different experience to Metroid 1; and more like a romp through the world of Metroid 1 with the abilities of Super Metroid. That's not speaking to the quality of the game, but I can tell at the very least you are working with far fewer limitations than you are in the first Metroid.
In my own experience it makes me think it would be sort of like going through Dark Souls 1 but with the moveset and starting stamina you have in Dark Souls 3, where you can roll six times by default as opposed to 2, and you are a lot faster in general. But again, I have yet to play ZM or SM, so grain of salt.
If I was someone who was opposed to playing Metroid 100% but still wanted to start "early" it seems like Super Metroid would be the place to begin, since it's the next console release, and laid the foundation for Zero Mission and Fusion. But that is just speculation.
If you do end up giving Metroid a shot I would say the most important thing is to go into it with the mindset that you are going to try and beat it rather than see how it treats you. For me it was a lot of fun. It was rewarding and felt like an accomplishment to beat.
Most of the criticism you hear is based on things later games did that only improved the formula, maps, save rooms. That in mind there are a lot of reasons I see this as a harder to approach title despite it being something I often go back to replay. Main thing is the password system, I can write a pass out no problem but starting with only 30 energy especially after a death is heart breaking. Also Kraid is a ROUGH fight for what most players are going to go up against first! All in all I do recommend people comfortable with the NES/famicom era to play metroid
The starting with 30 is something I could have addressed a little more in the video. I did a lot more Zeb grinding my first playthrough for sure, but when I actually timed it as to how long it took to get my health to a “safe” level I found it didn’t take too long. If you want to max out six energy tanks it can take a little longer, but it’s not necessary IMO. Also, the Screw Attack makes it so you almost don’t have to grind because you’ll pick up so much energy naturally by moving through the world. And the Varia suit as well. Also: the extra energy tanks in the game partially alleviate this, though they are mostly just so you can max out your tanks without finding all of them.
It’s a challenge for sure, and death in Metroid carries that weight. Patience is key in this game when it comes to putting yourself in positions to persevere. It has some strong survival elements.
I agree that it could be a turnoff to some people, but it wasn’t for me. I thought it was a fair consequence. If you are someone who only wants to play a little bit and then stop and pick it up later then you’ll feel that more, since it is every time you restart the game. That could also be the hidden “cost” of “fast travel” which I definitely abused in my sub-1-hour playthrough.
As always, appreciate your take, jakethesnake.
First of all, thank god this video was recommended to me. The Metroid series is my number 1 favorite and I love the first 2 games dearly and from a young age. I don't necessarily mind if people don't like them, but it is genuinely infuriating when people don't even TRY to play them and tell others not to. Especially when they try to depict playing all the games in a row as "learning about the evolution of the series", but ask you to play the 5th (Zero Mission) and 6th (Samus Returns) games first, THEN the 3rd and 4th. You don't have to beat a game to understand it and move on. Just TRY it first so you can see how the series grows and changes.
Second, in regards to the music, the credits theme is STILL one of my favorite songs in any video game and may just be my favorite Metroid song, period. Both the NES and GBA versions are awesome and filled with beautiful, heart-swelling hope that it makes me misty eyed every time
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the comment, I really appreciate it! The music has also stuck with me as well. There is a terrific analog synth remake of the OST for Metroid out on TH-cam by a musician called "Luminist" that I would strongly recommend checking out.
Also, if you enjoyed this video and love Metroid: my buddy over at @TheCrawl (another channel) is almost done with a 90+ minute documentary-style video on the whole Metroid series. I'll be sharing a link on my community tab once it's out as I'm featured in it, but he has some content up talking about Dread a bit I believe.
Anyway, thanks again!
~HPR
As a fan of the game it's refreshing to see someone actually give the original a fair shot and approach on its own terms, rather than going in expecting something unfinished or to bash it. It's an uncommon take and I'd love to see your thoughts on Metroid II someday since it has a similarly unfair reputation built up. I don't know how I didn't find this video before but I'm pleased it exists and appreciate the efforts to cover version differences and provide the full context of the manual and even a somewhat era-appropriate TV. FDS/NES games hardly get this much love put into reviews and even less defense pieces, so it's refreshing to see one treated with the respect it's been lacking
I do plan to play Metroid II when I cover Gameboy titles eventually. Thanks for the comment btw! I’m really glad you enjoyed the video.
This was the first video I found from your channel, and it surprised me. It's easy to do "controversial hot take", but this is genuine art appreciation. I really like your approach to reviewing and criticism!
I’m glad you enjoy it! Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate that!
Very late to this, but I appreciate the emphasis you put on the music and the way the game world is "just there." It's fun and interesting to get lost in Metroid and find a secret area (even if it leads nowhere -- that's part of why finding something is rewarding). I think some TH-cam game theory and, well, Metroid Dread reduced the Metroid formula to that first lock + key morph ball tutorial... but that's not really what makes the original game a classic.
I'm flattered! Thanks for the comment!
I haven't commented on your videos before, but I found you through Sean Malstrom's blog. I actually decided to play and beat the game before watching rest of the video after the Terrence McKenna part because I wanted to try and beat the game without much help. I watched the rest of the video and gave it a like after my first playthrough, and I'm making this comment after my second. I avoided playing this game for a long time mainly because I hated the idea of having to grind for health. However, after playing it, I have found that criticism to be very overblown. I did have to grind a bit, but I found that grinding to full health was pretty much never necessary if I just killed most of the enemies I came across. And now I love this game and wish I had played it sooner. I also grew up in the 2000s playing PS1 & PS2 games in my early childhood, so I don't have nostalgia for NES games aside from the Mega Man games.
In my first playthrough I didn't use a map (I didn't use one in my second either) and I got the ending where Samus is fully suited and facing the player. I think I died over 30 times, and most of my deaths were in Ridley's area. I also beat Ridley before Kraid.
In my second playthrough I got the Varia Suit early without the High Jump like you did at 11:48 and I had a MUCH easier time with the game (I only died once at Mother Brain and I only needed to grind at Tourian). And this time I beat the game fast enough to get the ending where Samus removes her helmet.
I agree that this game is WAY better than people today give it credit for, and nowhere near as hard as they make it out to be. I already want to do a third playthrough and try to find the Wave Beam and the missle tanks that I missed. And then I want to attempt getting the better endings.
I'm glad you tried it and enjoyed it! I definitely agree that after actually playing it starting with 30 health wasn't something that hindered my enjoyment in any capacity. It is hyped up to be a major flaw but I personally didn't see it that way. When I went for the best endings I also abused the start+up+A on the second controller to get a password and warp back to the start of each respective area; and if you do that the idea of keeping all your health as well seems rather game-breaking. Those who see it as insurmountable though tend to be very rooted in that opinion.
I'm glad you commented and enjoyed the video. I wanted to reach out to Sean Malstrom to thank him after I saw he linked my Zelda video on his blog but I haven't been able to find a contact on there. I still check it from time to time however because there are a lot of good reads. Whoever sent that video to him it made a big difference. It's a small channel and the traffic from his email segment was a huge boost for me.
@@HPRshredder TH-cam keeps deleting my comments so look up Malstrom's post titled "Nintendo Switch Images".
If you try to put an address in the comments it will do that! But thank you - I will!
THIS is my biggest issue with the gaming community. Making statements and following others streams of thought without giving the material a thorough chance before putting out a review or swaying peoples minds.
Terrence Mckenna in a Metroid 1 review, you have a cool range of interests! Subbed
I printed out a rough map and then played through this game. I enjoyed it :) I think people used to really enjoy mapping out games on grid paper in the 80’s, not just on NES, but on microcomputer games too, and I think that’s something that modern players don’t want to do.
Great video and review, I just started playing this game with out knowing how negatively it was perceived by the community and I think your totally right about how people kind of just regurgitate other opinions. By the way I’m cirrhosis how you play the Famicom in America, do you need a Japanese tv? Do you have to get power converters or anything? I really love how those Japanese systems look and have been wanting to get one for a while
I’m glad you enjoyed it! You do not need a Japanese TV. But you do need an adapter that works with the famicom. I use the same power adapter as the Sega Genesis actually and it works perfectly. I also have modded my Famicom to have HDMI out though, so it’s quite nice!
Great detailed video and thank you for putting it together.. especially from someone that did not grow up with the game.
I was 12 when it was released here in the US in August 1987. I agree anyone that down talks this game has no understanding of the skill in planning and programming it took at the time to pull off such a feat. Prior to the NES and Sega Master System, there were no home console games that gave you this type of quest as most games were more straight forward and oriented around arcade style gaming. Also, since Metroid, Zelda and Castlevania were really the first of their kind, it took longer for people to figure them out as the concepts they brought were new and so gamers at the time had to learn from scratch what the game was pitting them against. There was no internet, no TH-cam to as to how to find a new item in the game. If you were rich you could buy Nintendo Power but that was not an option for me but I really did not care for it. It was exciting playing the game and discovering a new item and sharing them with your friends.
How Nintendo R&D1 team able to not only provide a platform game with almost perfect controls, throw in a complex map to hide each item and at the same time able to link each section of the map ..so the player was later able to find them in such a sequence to beat the game under a certain time limit was genius. You cannot even say this about most modern games today with the formula already available to them. And one thing that no developer will ever have an issue with today is software size limitation. Games in the 8 bit era were budgeted where the ROM size could only be so big. This meant they had to fit a game this complex in a small 2 megabit cartridge as well as pack in a soundtrack using very primitive hardware. The NES's was primitive even in 1987 given that most arcade games were boasting 16 bit hardware and Yamaha sound chips providing far better sound capabilities.. I feel blessed growing up in the eras when these games were made, playing them in CRTs as they were meant to be. I encourage anyone to play the game on an original NES on a CRT, even a small one with at least composite connection. You do not need RGB.. simply because the NES does not natively support it, but more importantly because that is how the game was experienced by games at the time. It is the closest thing to going back in time. Especially if you have played the more modern titles which came in the subsequent generations.
RIP GUNPEI YOKOI and THANK YOU for the vision you and the R&D1 team had to create such a masterpiece of a game.
I agree. It amazes me to see a younger generation of gamers saying things like Metroid and Zelda 1 are poorly designed, because they don't implement modern game design techniques... It's like, no duh. They were creating game design elements from scratch, not using tried and true formulas like developers can draw from today, and doing so in a 128KB cartridge rom.
I agree. It amazes me to see a younger generation of gamers saying things like Metroid and Zelda 1 are poorly designed, because they don't implement modern game design techniques... It's like, no duh. They were creating game design elements from scratch, not using tried and true formulas like developers can draw from today, and doing so in a 128KB cartridge rom.
Starting with 30 health after death was rough though. I grew up with this game and loved it, but it's not one of my go-to retro games that I replay every few years. But there are some amazing hacks for it now like Metroid 99 that gives you full health and tanks after death, and other hacks that added a map and also allowed you to get ice and wave beam combined instead of just either one overwriting the other one. After I found that out I have played it a few times again.
Cool vid. I hope you cover more Metroid.
In hindsight, there is a pretty decent map in the instructions. And if they wanted to make it any easier, they would have. In Zelda, the idea was getting lost. Except that you could have grabbed a pen and paper and took notes.. In BOTW, there's a map, but there's no 'how to craft helper' ... the only way to figure out the best combinations is look them up or grab that pen and paper.. also comparing it to the previous generation, Atari 2600, the doors are blown off..
Edit: feel like a big part of being ok to be lost was the awesome music
I just discovered your channel and your review style is a breath of fresh air. After seeing this review of Metroid, I can't wait to see your review of Super Metroid.
Thank you, that means a lot. I'm really excited to play Super Metroid as well. I had played roughly an hour of it back when I had a SNES mini, but I had to put it down because I knew I ultimately wanted to experience the games I hadn't played yet in order of release.
It's possibly the most perfect game ever made. There is quite literally no legitimate fault with it
Loved this video. I just beat Metroid Prime Remastered and it was such an awesome experience. The metroids in Metroid Prime are seriously terrifying, btw. But you probably didn't make it far enough to face them. I played all 3 Metroid Prime games as a teenager, and 20 years later I can't wait for the 2 and 3 remakes and Metroid Prime 4. I am playing through Metroid Fusion and Metroid Dread in the mean time. Really enjoying this franchise (and the nostalgia from my teenage years), both the old and new entries. I probably won't play Metroid 1-3 but I came here to get an idea of the experience anyway. Thanks for telling us all about it!
Thank you for the comment! When I make these I try to make them detailed to the point where they could serve as a supplemental experience for those who may not be interested in playing themselves. I'm glad you took that away from it and I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Every time I see a new of these I'm like "OH HE DID A METROID ONE?! 🤩" and I get so excited. Please stick around!
Great video!! I think with modern gaming, there is a lot of hand holding. It's why people are either scared or down grade the older generation of games ala Metriod and Legend of Zelda. You summed up everything about the game pretty good and it was great to watch/listen to.
Very good video!!! Thank you for sharing. Also check out the game chip n' dale rescue rangers on the famicom/NES. Highly recommended and a great co-op experience. I would love to see you make a video on that! :DD
I never could get through this game when I was younger, because I would always try to go right to Kraid after getting bombs and I would get stuck. A few years ago I played it again, and I found that since playing Zero Mission I had a rough idea of where everything was (the breakable floor on the right of Norfair, the ceiling where Screw Attack is hidden, etc), which made playing this game without a map so much easier.
The first METROID IS A MASTERPIECE!! I like your super chill demeanor, great work mate!
Thanks! I appreciate it!
Jeremy Parish agrees FWIW. It’s surprisingly effective at terrifying the player at various points and makes you feel more ALONE than any other game I can think of.
You are correct - you MUST get an NES Advantage.
Calling NES Metroid a "prototype" is rather insulting to the visionaries of the time.
It strikes a perfect balance of alienation and exploration, as well as innovation and creativity. Not to mention one of the best main characters ever invented (surprise and all) and already completely designed as such from the start! There's also the super interesting sci-fi world building..
No other game has done so much wih so little, as Metroid. It might have been refined a lot.. but to think someone could make Metroid then without anything else to be based on in such a timeless manner!? It's quite impressive!!
Gen Xer here. Here's how my Metroid experience went.
1987: Read about it in How To Win At Nintendo Games. Find the whole idea of the game scary and largely cryptic. Not inspired to get it.
1989-ish: Play this in a store for a few minutes. Don't find it anything special. Annoyed that I can't hit enemies on the ground. Don't see any particular reason to get it.
1992-ish: The last time NES games were readily available for rental. Tried some first-line NES classics (Kid Icarus was tolerable; Zelda 2 was... occasionally tolerable). Gave Metroid a hard pass.
2010's or somesuch: Oh wow, emulators, _and_ I have a secure income! 😄 Plus I can look up all kinds of information on old games that used to have me completely stymied! This is the perfect time to... [plays Metroid for a few minutes] Holy crap, this thing is a _morass._ How the hell is anyone supposed to avoid getting lost every two minutes? Screw this. Oh hey, I always wanted to see if Snake's Revenge was any good...
Two days ago: All right, for some weird reason this video inspired me to give it another go. Lessee, does GameFAQs have a decent map? Oh, there it is. Now I just need to plug in the requisite Game Genie codes, get some idea of which order to take things, and I'm going to take this niiiiiiice and easy and there will be no stress and.... [about a couple hours later] Hoh. Lee. Crap. Well, I've made it this far... [about another hour later] Frustration.... frustration... so much frustration... must... go... on... [gets to the part with the Metroids... with a Wave Beam] AAAAGGGGHHHH!!
Yesterday: Hahh... hahh... all right, for real this time.
Today: The code gets you the _bad ending?_ Eh, who cares at this point.
Real talk here. There is _nothing_ redeemable about this game. Nothing. It's way too easy to get lost (especially since so many of the freaking corridors look the same), there's way too much precision jumping required, enemies can hit you from all directions while you're stuck with "straight" and "up" (no, not being able to hit floor enemies never gets bearable, no, those stupid bombs are not the answer), those goddam life-draining pools are everywhere, you get swatted halfway to Neptune after most hits (frequently into one of the aforementioned pools), all the bosses take way too much damage, _every_ enemy _does_ way too much damage, there's lots of outright BS (that energy tank lying right beyond a fake floor trap that erases like fifteen minutes of progress), the controls are slipperier than an SUV on a frozen lake, you are _completely hosed_ if you enter the final area with the Wave Beam, which is just ludicrous to me, and the runup to Mother Brain is flat-out murder. You know why everyone "only plays this for a couple minutes?" Because _that's how long they last._ Let me put it this way: I entered an infinite lives code and an infinite missiles code, loaded up my very accurate and detailed map, had save states and rewind at the ready, and went in thinking that this would make the experience _on the barest threshold of fun..._ *and it didn't, not even close.* I still got lost several times, I still had trouble finding this weapon or that boss, and I still got completely irritated getting battered pillar to post by enemies I could only occasionally hit back at.
I'd like to take a little time to give the full story on the Metroids. They are very fast and maneuverable and will swoop in on you like bees to honey the moment they get clear line. The _only_ thing that damages them is the missile, and _only_ when they're frozen (which is why you're toast with the Wave Beam). If you're grabbed, a bomb has, mmm, about a 20% chance of stunning it and freeing you, which is crucially important, as _you cannot use your gun or missiles while grabbed._ Oh yeah, every place with them has a red or yellow door at the end, so if you were thinking of toughing it out and making it to the door, that's a non-starter. In short, these things are _pure evil_ (and they're not even the toughest part of Tourian!).
Look, what you all need to understand was that it was a much different world in 1986. Video games were largely seen as mindless kiddie time wasters at best and assaults on all that was pure and righteous at worst. We were _not_ popular in any circle. Being so dedicated to our games was an act of defiance against an ignorant, hostile world that hated us. We put up with a _lot_ of junk out of little more than sheer defiance. You _cannot_ expect a Zoomer or whatever they're called now, in an era with greater acceptance of and access to video games than any time in history, to put up with constant disorientation, grossly overpowered enemies, clunky controls, and bad graphics in support of some ideological line in the sand that stopped existing _decades_ ago.
This game is a travesty. It's a testament to the enduring greatness of Nintendo that they were able to turn THIS into a successful franchise.
with this video you got me subscribed, i agree with every single word you said. great job describing an ever green classic.
People do love to hate on games. Really appreciate a fresh perspective. Subscribed!
I played this game when it was released.
The biggest obstacle is, that the game does not "teach" you easily is how to unlock all those secrets. If a friend told you, maybe even shown you the ways of how to find secrets it would get easier to grasp.
I would say, this is NOT skippable. There is a reason why they made a Metroid 2 for GB and why they even bothered to throw so much at Super Metroid. The game had good sales and a fanbase. The first Metroid has a very different atmosphere then all the other Metroids that followed. Especially the last area with all the Metroids, for wich I agree is IS very creepy. I feel that way even now.
All that said... I think I go back and play it again. Great Video!
Thanks for the comment! If you do play it again; it can be a lot of fun trying to get the best ending. Glad you enjoyed the video.
@@HPRshredder I do want to play it, honestly I think I try to emulate the Famicom Disk Version. I beat Metroid back on the NES many times, then when Metroid Prime came again on GameCube.
Interestingly the Disk System version has different sound effects, that will be interesting to play.
Come to think of it, it feels like Nintendo doesn't really know what to do with the Metroid series. Metroid 1 was good, Metroid 2 story-wise made sense, even Super Metroid did.
But for me, they dropped the ball already with Metroid Fusion and after that all they did was Rer-Work old titles, Metroid Zero Mission and Metroid Samus Returns.
After killing off all Metroids... turning Samus into a "Metroid" basically, I feel like they wrote themselves into a corner.
Yeah, maybe... Samus was since inception meant to be the "Metroid", some form of Android.
But... this made me not interested in playing Metroid Dread. It looks like a rehash of a rehash. If you look at it, Super Metroid feels like a remake of Metroid, and Metroid Zero Mission is another remake, Metroid Dread looks like a 3D remake.
Then again, maybe I need to force myself to play Dread once.
@@HPRshredder I just found out about that Metroid Planets, which playes close enough to the original thing. Beating the original in that way, I can understand why some people don't like it, lol. The original Metroid was brutally hard and at some spots quite unfair in the sense that you can't get past spots without taking damage. Once you get the Screw Attack that trivializes many spots. The bosses where also not that well thought out, I still enjoyed them.
Playing that "New Planet" Metroid Planets comes with, makes you realize how much is actually possible with the old Metroid game. While the physics of jumping and such is changed, it is still pretty close. Metroid Planets has allot rooms that are pure jumping puzzles and searching secrets, made me realize how much potential the game really had. It also made me realize that even Super Metroid is at its base actually not a good game in the sense as there are very few enemies/Bosses that really challenge you.
I played Super Metroid first, and by that I mostly mean my older sibling did while I watched, though I did eventually get to play it. We only rented the SNES and Super from Blockbuster though because I'm really old, so it wasn't a game I got to keep around till much later, though I loved it. However, I DID own an NES, and I was aware there was an earlier Metroid game though I had never seen it, till one day I found a copy at KBtoys (like I said, I'm old). I believe it was only $7 new in box in their bargain bin, because they were clearing shelves for SNES and Genesis games. It was like a players choice version too, with a yellow box and cart label that used Metroid 2's Varia art rather than being the old grey box copy. I snatched it up and brought it home and played the crap out of it. To me it felt like a demake of Super Metroid and it was nostalgic revisiting the same areas, only it was actually for the first time so my nostalgia was backwards. Anyway I loved it. I'll note that it did help I eventually got a Nintendo Power with a full Metroid Walkthrough and I basically used the Nintendo power as my auto map. My preferred way to play the game is still with a map open beside me, but I absolutely don't think it's necessary. I still own that very cart, my original NES, and the issue of Nintendo power.