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.
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
Well, that's easier to say about modern games like Dustborn, Concord and every online multiplayer. I refuse to play any of them because I fly solo. *sad forever alone beeps*
One of my favorite games of all time. I'm 43 now. My father is 69. And still to this day. Anytime we are together and video games get brought up. He brings up how Metroid was the one game he really enjoyed watching me play as a kid. And as for me. I absolutely loved the difficulty and overall exploration factor of the game. I could just lose myself in it. And collecting every upgrade and finishing the game was soooo rewarding. Learning how each upgrade opened up new areas of the game was so interesting. I remember spending hours just using bombs to blast myself up to secrets in the walls. Which took much patience and impeccable timing. But was such a great feeling when you found a secret passage. Then finding out there were secret endings. This game had it all.
One of the things I love about Metroid with the original 8 bit art graphics and synthetic music is the futuristic alien like ambiance feel the game puts the player in. I kind of feel when I turned on this game that I was transported into another world far away from earth, to a alien civilization highly advanced with mutant and aliens to get rid of. It is really a game classic that is challenging, interesting and fun to explore as well emerges the player into another universe. When i remember playing as a kid, the music for the game and the graphics created this amazing illusion that you felt like you where in the world of Metroid. When a video game designer and those who make the music do a real good job, you create this magic illusion and the player feels transported into the game world they are playing in.
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.
There was something truly special & raw about the early non-black box titles made by Nintendo themselves. That is when they really started to craft big, expansive games with deep gameplay. Games you could spend hours, days, weeks & even months with. Games that truly captivated the senses. It was a truly special Era for gaming, & you simply HAVE to give Nintendo credit for revolutionizing gaming in such a huge way. Nobody had seen ANYTHING like this before!
Those of us that kept the manuals always used the "Notes" section at the back of every manual to put our high scores, passwords, and useful info for finding secrets or beating bosses
@@underwaterlevelz1947I always wondered why there were the "Notes" section. I always wrote stuff on a separate notebook containing stuff from all the older games I played as a kid. I only once threw the manual away, by accident. My first GBA game and threw the box away with a manual in it. I loved reading manuals at toilet so I don't know why that happened.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
One of the things that makes Metroid easier once you realize it, is that there are a very limited number of different room setups, and all rooms with the same layout always have hidden tunnels in the same place. Purple/green bubble walls always have a horizontal tunnel in the middle and at the top. You can roll through the tube under the statues in item rooms. Small rooms with |_--_࠘_| platform setup have breakable ceilings on the right side. The only major "how was I supposed find that" secret passage that I can think of is the one leading to the High jump and the second half of Norfair, but even that is hinted at earlier in the area, where a room with the same layout is put at a dead end to encourage the player to find the secret tunnel on the right side of the floor.
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.
@@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.
@@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.
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!
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 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.
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.
Your willingness to accept and truly experience these games in their original context is fantastic. The manual especially is something simple that a lot of retro gamers and reviewers just ignore. I love the AVGN but the character seems to have popularized the idea of ignoring the manual and just booting up the game, expecting it to be self-explanatory. But the manual is included in the box for a reason. It's part of the game. You don't just ignore the instructions of a new board game and start trying to play it blind. I very much appreciate your level-headed approach to experiencing these games for yourself, on original hardware, in the original context they were presented.
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.
Been trying to savor each video as I started closing in on your backlog, like a fine meal they deserve to be appreciated at full attention and not the usual background noise I've got going. Have to say this was one of those constant rental as a kid and being about 5/6 years old I would make limited progress but loved how it rewarded me for being familiar with things. When Metroid 2 came out in 1991 it was an easy choice as a gift and I must have devoured that game for years, taking what felt like forever to actual finish but once I did was replayed so often I never really felt like it needed a map. And of course I revisited the original and finished it eventually, having a much stronger foundation on it's flow, and felt it's one of the strongest NES titles out there. It's just the right amount of challenging and forgiving, something that is incredibly important to me in a game. I would never call myself a super fan of the series, I've played most of them but not to completion, but rather a long time fan. Pretty much every title in the franchise is wonderful, even stuff like Other M have a few things I enjoyed, and it's what I gravitate towards when I want a fun time no matter my mood.
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!
the 8-bit graphics and the NES sound chip do this game a lot of favors in the atmosphere department. I love me some Super Metroid. It's probably the best Metroid game, but it still doesn't quite capture the mood as well as the original.
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.
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.
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 game in single digits. Might have beat Kraid. It's hard as nails. Yet, I kept coming back. Speedrunning Super Metroid is like redemption.
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.
@@ChromeCobraI find Ridley first runs way easier, you have screw attack at that point so tougher enemies mean nothing. Ridley is also easier boss than Kraid.
I had the privilege of playing this game in 1987 shortly after release. It was after playing the primitive single screen affairs of the Atari 2600 and Colecovision era. I can say that not only did this game feel like a huge technical leap of the time, but it was incredibly fun even by today's standards. Neighborhood friends would want to come by and just play it too. I didn't take it as a time-attack though, I spent a lot of time just exploring in wonder at the huge layout. It was more of an exploration game for me. Thanks for covering this.
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.
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.
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!!
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 :)
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is really the only thing I dislike about the game. And unlike later games in the series, farming energy takes so long due to the inconsistent drop rates.
@@Rockman057 Right? If you're going to make me refill half a dozen energy tanks after I die, how about we don't make health pickups more rare than a Pink Tail.
Metroid Mother has new sprites and a minimap, can't remember if it has the energy update you mentioned or stacking beams. I haven't died in a while, I always use save states with NES Metroid to take some frustration away.
@@JoakimOtamaa Yeah. Mother was great too. It had the beam stacking, but it didn't come with Metroid99 and you actually couldn't patch it with Metroid99. Another hacker came in and made a 99 patch to put on Mother. In fact, I think they actually made a full Metroid Mother +99 hack combined so you didn't have to go to the trouble of patching it twice. Have you played Rogue Dawn? That's one of the most impressive romhacks I've ever seen. There were a couple of other good Metroid hacks I can't remember the names of now. Some hackers specifically said they didn't add 99 because that wasn't part of their "vision" for it, but you were able to just patch it with 99 anyway. I'm not suffering through 40 year old bad game code because it wasn't somebody's vision to patch it out.
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.
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.
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.)
Brother, you NAILED this retrospective. I was 11 years old in 1987 when I’d first played Metroid… lifelong fan. EVERYTHING amazing and *important* about this game was covered here, and I appreciate you dearly for it. INSTANT sub. Thanks for this… Cheers! \m/, 😊 ,\m/
Many younger people that tried Metroid do not get how it was back in 1986 and 1987. There were lots of games that had the passcode system of saving. That was one thing we all had to deal with, and I had no problems with it. Metroid was the first game of its type (Metroidvania), and when I got it the others had yet to be released. I got Metroid for the NES as soon as it was released in 1987. It soon became my favorite NES game. It made the player think about how to defeat certain enemies, how to get into certain areas, and how to look for secrets. In case someone in this comment section thinks otherwise, I must ask "Since when was thinking, using your brain, a bad thing? Why would you not wish to use your brain to figure things out, when no one can tell you enough these days, to help you know what to do in any difficult situation; always leaving a little but very important bit of it out?" We are given brains because we are meant to be thinkers. We are given hands because we are meant to do things. Put the two together, so that we can say "Think about how to do it, then try what you came up with! This is the best way to learn about what works, and what does not! If you are not using your brain, you will lose it over time!"
One of the best NES games ever imo. I agree with you on all points made. Especially the music. It adds to the atmosphere so much and just propels you further along. Also, very nice little Triniton. Best consumer CRTs and I love my 20” Triniton. Big enough to sit relatively far away from without losing detail, but not so big that I can’t move it around by myself. As a 37 yr old , I think you’re a legend for championing the original hardware experience. I’ve always wanted a Famicom Disk System and after watching a few of your videos I’m finally going to get one. I grew up with 3.5” “floppies” and so the experience of slotting an old school disk in and hearing the hardware whir away is, like you said, very comfy. It’s an almost inexplicable comforting. There’s some nostalgia for sure but even without having used them as a kid it still feels almost emotionally warming. As always, awesome video. Thank you!
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.
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!
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.
"Sometimes however, I feel like people can latch on to somewhat unfair assessment of games... I see people take a sentiment, absorb it, and then later pass it off as their own" I've seen this happen in the Dark Souls community as well, with Dark Souls II in particular. People outside of the community who played the games tend to like it about the same as the other entries, but those within the community have sort of absorbed this unfair assessment of it being irredeemably bad
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.
Very nice to see someone thats young and wasnt there when the game came out but still absolutely and completely "gets it". Especially calling out the music and sound, which is just incredible. Some of the best ever. You even correctly called out Kraids Lair as the best theme music! I hope youve played Super Metroid!
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.
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.
@@HPRshredder In the NES version every time you enter a door, 2 random numbers are drawn. 1 for the maximum number of pickups for health and 1 for missiles. I’m not sure of the range, but the number is finite, and it can be zero. You’ve probably noticed when farming, that drops eventually do stop, and you have to leave and reenter to rest the room. It’s not your imagination, the game really works that way.
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.
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. 👍
Without Metroid, there is no Symphony of the night, Axiom Verge, Super Metroid etc....this game literally made an entire genre. Does it have faults, sure....it's easy to get lost, areas look the same, you start out with only 30 health, but back in 1986, it was groundbreaking. Metroid as a series might not sell like Mario or zelda, but I'd argue it's importance on the genre it helped influence makes it even more important than those games. Will always be my favorite game series
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.
First off I am glad you enjoyed this game. I don't want to take away from that. I am 46 and I played Metroid when it came out. I never got to Ridley or Kraid. So obviously I never beat it. I will never be able to beat it much less get the super good ending. I am crap at video games and no amount of practice is going to change that. Metroid was a great game at the time but there are so many better games now. I think it is perfectly acceptable to skip playing old games. No game is required to be played.
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 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.
The reason people say what they say about the original Metroid, is because they've played Super Metroid. Being compared to perfection is pretty tough...
Super Metroid is not even close to perfection. It is an online myth to say SM is perfection. It is bullshit. It is a great game especially when you knew the original Metroid like I did when I played SM for the first time. But most people have no real chronological gaming experience and jump right into Super Metroid. False opinions and fake impressions are all that creates.
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!
As a kid in the 80’s, Metroid was one of the few games that kept me interested enough to play it all the way through. From the moment I saw the gameplay, it blew my mind. One of the best on the NES.
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.
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
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. ❤❤❤❤
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
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
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.
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.
You are so true, I was one of the people that didn’t give a chance to metroid because of the opinion of others. I didn’t even install it on my hacked snesmini. Just a couple weeks ago I gave the game a chance because I was bored at work so I emulated it on my laptop. The controls, music and atmosphere where so good for an nes game. I completed the game with a map but besides that I still felt accomplished. After that I coincidentally got recommended your video and all your points are so true. Thanks for making this video and calling out all the haters especially arlo which was the worst take because he didn’t even play the game LOL
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.
My experience with OG Metroid and Metroid II kind of blew me away with just how accurately the series holds to the core gameplay, enemies, items, power-ups, and exploration. It was nearly all there since the beginning. My love for 2D Metroid compelled me to buy Metroid II and eventually the ability to play the original Metroid and Super. I decided to play them in release order building up to Fusion, one of my all-time favorite games. I loved going back through the old titles and gain new appreciation for the series as I did. I found OG Metroid to be brutal until I gained more energy and traversed the world more carefully. I set out drawing the map as I went, but eventually switched to an online map when the multitude of matching corridors that effectively made a giant loop caused me to die too frequently. I was familiar with how Metroid games hide secrets, but some of the ones in OG Metroid threw me for a loop for a bit, namely ones on the ground one block left of the wall. Newer games put it in the block on the corner. Metroid II surprised me at well I knew my way around the planet with no Map. Last note, the Samus we know today looks the way she does due to limitations of the original software she appeared on. Metroid II gave her the iconic Shoulders and the arm cannon expanding to show missiles.
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.
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 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!
Probably my favorite video game of all time. It doesn't hold your hand. It drops you immediately into a cold alien world no cutscenes, no dialogue. I think Metroid 2 Return of Samus on Game Boy has an even better intro. If you boot up the game and don't press start it has this pulsing sound and if you wait a while it eventually turns into a beautiful song.
There’s also an inherent flaw in recommending Zero Mission as a replacement for the original, which you see in a lot of reviews. Metroid is a tense action adventure with a focus on navigating a hostile world, Zero Mission is a power trip. The vibe isn’t remotely the same despite sharing the same setup. It’s a fantastic, accessible starting point on the timeline for new players and a wonderful game in its own right, but it’s definitely missing the darker atmosphere. Honestly, even though Super is a sequel, I think its take on Zebes is still a more faithful interpretation of the original’s mood while lowering the difficulty from it.
I played Metroid shortly after it came out. It was one of my top NES games. I sunk quarters into the Play Choice 10 at Children's Palace to play. This game is a time capsule for me. I own both Metroid (NES) and Zero Mission (GBA). Zero Mission brought the original to a new audience with updated features that made it more accessible. Despite my love of all the Metroid games (as I do own them ALL), my personal favorite is still Metroid II: The Return of Samus (GB). I think it brought the best balance between accessibility, discovery, and challenge. Would I play the Metroid (86) today.... YES Would I recommend that modern gamers play Metroid (86) .... ABSOLUTELY There's no doubt in my mind that Metroid (86) is an important and influential game in the history of gaming.
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 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 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?
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 had no idea people didn't consider this a stone cold classic, craziness.
This Game was and is a piece of Game History and a Masterpiece.
"This game is bad, I've never played it." Valuable story bro.
Well, that's easier to say about modern games like Dustborn, Concord and every online multiplayer. I refuse to play any of them because I fly solo. *sad forever alone beeps*
Funny, I never thought any retro TH-camr would have openly quoted McKenna to make a point about retro games. 100% on point.
One of my favorite games of all time. I'm 43 now. My father is 69. And still to this day. Anytime we are together and video games get brought up. He brings up how Metroid was the one game he really enjoyed watching me play as a kid. And as for me. I absolutely loved the difficulty and overall exploration factor of the game. I could just lose myself in it. And collecting every upgrade and finishing the game was soooo rewarding. Learning how each upgrade opened up new areas of the game was so interesting. I remember spending hours just using bombs to blast myself up to secrets in the walls. Which took much patience and impeccable timing. But was such a great feeling when you found a secret passage. Then finding out there were secret endings. This game had it all.
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
One of the things I love about Metroid with the original 8 bit art graphics and synthetic music is the futuristic alien like ambiance feel the game puts the player in. I kind of feel when I turned on this game that I was transported into another world far away from earth, to a alien civilization highly advanced with mutant and aliens to get rid of. It is really a game classic that is challenging, interesting and fun to explore as well emerges the player into another universe. When i remember playing as a kid, the music for the game and the graphics created this amazing illusion that you felt like you where in the world of Metroid. When a video game designer and those who make the music do a real good job, you create this magic illusion and the player feels transported into the game world they are playing in.
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
There was something truly special & raw about the early non-black box titles made by Nintendo themselves.
That is when they really started to craft big, expansive games with deep gameplay. Games you could spend hours, days, weeks & even months with. Games that truly captivated the senses.
It was a truly special Era for gaming, & you simply HAVE to give Nintendo credit for revolutionizing gaming in such a huge way. Nobody had seen ANYTHING like this before!
Graph paper was how we did it back then with so many adventure games. That and writing down clues.
Those of us that kept the manuals always used the "Notes" section at the back of every manual to put our high scores, passwords, and useful info for finding secrets or beating bosses
Yep, and we were better for it.
@@underwaterlevelz1947I always wondered why there were the "Notes" section. I always wrote stuff on a separate notebook containing stuff from all the older games I played as a kid. I only once threw the manual away, by accident. My first GBA game and threw the box away with a manual in it. I loved reading manuals at toilet so I don't know why that happened.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This was my favorite game for years!!! I played it for the first time in 1988 and I still replay it now. It's so good. Thank you for the love!
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.
One of the things that makes Metroid easier once you realize it, is that there are a very limited number of different room setups, and all rooms with the same layout always have hidden tunnels in the same place. Purple/green bubble walls always have a horizontal tunnel in the middle and at the top. You can roll through the tube under the statues in item rooms. Small rooms with |_--_࠘_| platform setup have breakable ceilings on the right side. The only major "how was I supposed find that" secret passage that I can think of is the one leading to the High jump and the second half of Norfair, but even that is hinted at earlier in the area, where a room with the same layout is put at a dead end to encourage the player to find the secret tunnel on the right side of the floor.
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.
@@Emberson-9000Metroid Mother is also pretty good fan update with a mini map and better sprites but it slows down like hell.
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.
I read this with a really shitty accent, sorry for that. Very wholesome story, my fellow Metroidian.
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
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.
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.
Your willingness to accept and truly experience these games in their original context is fantastic. The manual especially is something simple that a lot of retro gamers and reviewers just ignore. I love the AVGN but the character seems to have popularized the idea of ignoring the manual and just booting up the game, expecting it to be self-explanatory. But the manual is included in the box for a reason. It's part of the game. You don't just ignore the instructions of a new board game and start trying to play it blind.
I very much appreciate your level-headed approach to experiencing these games for yourself, on original hardware, in the original context they were presented.
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.
Been trying to savor each video as I started closing in on your backlog, like a fine meal they deserve to be appreciated at full attention and not the usual background noise I've got going.
Have to say this was one of those constant rental as a kid and being about 5/6 years old I would make limited progress but loved how it rewarded me for being familiar with things. When Metroid 2 came out in 1991 it was an easy choice as a gift and I must have devoured that game for years, taking what felt like forever to actual finish but once I did was replayed so often I never really felt like it needed a map. And of course I revisited the original and finished it eventually, having a much stronger foundation on it's flow, and felt it's one of the strongest NES titles out there. It's just the right amount of challenging and forgiving, something that is incredibly important to me in a game. I would never call myself a super fan of the series, I've played most of them but not to completion, but rather a long time fan. Pretty much every title in the franchise is wonderful, even stuff like Other M have a few things I enjoyed, and it's what I gravitate towards when I want a fun time no matter my mood.
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!
Weird how it's 8bit and still it captures the creepiness and coldness of space better than the rest
My theory is that it's because it's so minimal on details that it requires your brain to fill in the blanks
the 8-bit graphics and the NES sound chip do this game a lot of favors in the atmosphere department.
I love me some Super Metroid. It's probably the best Metroid game, but it still doesn't quite capture the mood as well as the original.
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.
Yes! I do this every few years as well. Incredible game.
The quality of the editing and the b-roll is incredible. Keep it up!
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.
Yep. I must have been 8 or 9 years old when I beat that game. Drew my own map for that game....just like I did with Zelda and Pirates.
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 game in single digits. Might have beat Kraid. It's hard as nails.
Yet, I kept coming back.
Speedrunning Super Metroid is like redemption.
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.
@@FoxarisThat's still ass.
@@ChromeCobraI find Ridley first runs way easier, you have screw attack at that point so tougher enemies mean nothing. Ridley is also easier boss than Kraid.
I had the privilege of playing this game in 1987 shortly after release. It was after playing the primitive single screen affairs of the Atari 2600 and Colecovision era. I can say that not only did this game feel like a huge technical leap of the time, but it was incredibly fun even by today's standards. Neighborhood friends would want to come by and just play it too. I didn't take it as a time-attack though, I spent a lot of time just exploring in wonder at the huge layout. It was more of an exploration game for me. Thanks for covering this.
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.
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!
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.
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!!
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
“It’s still the best NES jumping I’ve found…” SMB and SMB 3 are laughing really hard right now.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is really the only thing I dislike about the game. And unlike later games in the series, farming energy takes so long due to the inconsistent drop rates.
@@Rockman057 Right? If you're going to make me refill half a dozen energy tanks after I die, how about we don't make health pickups more rare than a Pink Tail.
Metroid Mother has new sprites and a minimap, can't remember if it has the energy update you mentioned or stacking beams. I haven't died in a while, I always use save states with NES Metroid to take some frustration away.
@@JoakimOtamaa Yeah. Mother was great too. It had the beam stacking, but it didn't come with Metroid99 and you actually couldn't patch it with Metroid99. Another hacker came in and made a 99 patch to put on Mother. In fact, I think they actually made a full Metroid Mother +99 hack combined so you didn't have to go to the trouble of patching it twice. Have you played Rogue Dawn? That's one of the most impressive romhacks I've ever seen. There were a couple of other good Metroid hacks I can't remember the names of now. Some hackers specifically said they didn't add 99 because that wasn't part of their "vision" for it, but you were able to just patch it with 99 anyway. I'm not suffering through 40 year old bad game code because it wasn't somebody's vision to patch it out.
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.
01:50 Is It Fun? is actually a series of video from NESComplex and the answer to that question in that video is actually "yes".
Yes! I have seen the video and it's excellent -- especially for coming out so long ago now.
I like the whole vibe of giving it a fair shot. Keep up the good work
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!
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.)
Playing this game is like being pummeled in the face by a fist that is also flicking you off at the same time.
Get good
@@goldenphonautogram6141Such a non-statement
Brother, you NAILED this retrospective.
I was 11 years old in 1987 when I’d first played Metroid… lifelong fan. EVERYTHING amazing and *important* about this game was covered here, and I appreciate you dearly for it. INSTANT sub. Thanks for this… Cheers!
\m/, 😊 ,\m/
Thanks for the encouragement, man! I appreciate that! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Many younger people that tried Metroid do not get how it was back in 1986 and 1987. There were lots of games that had the passcode system of saving. That was one thing we all had to deal with, and I had no problems with it. Metroid was the first game of its type (Metroidvania), and when I got it the others had yet to be released. I got Metroid for the NES as soon as it was released in 1987. It soon became my favorite NES game. It made the player think about how to defeat certain enemies, how to get into certain areas, and how to look for secrets.
In case someone in this comment section thinks otherwise, I must ask "Since when was thinking, using your brain, a bad thing? Why would you not wish to use your brain to figure things out, when no one can tell you enough these days, to help you know what to do in any difficult situation; always leaving a little but very important bit of it out?" We are given brains because we are meant to be thinkers. We are given hands because we are meant to do things. Put the two together, so that we can say "Think about how to do it, then try what you came up with! This is the best way to learn about what works, and what does not! If you are not using your brain, you will lose it over time!"
I’ve binged watched 4 of your videos. Probably my new favorite retro gaming channel. Thank you!
Thanks! Glad you're enjoying them!
One of the best NES games ever imo. I agree with you on all points made. Especially the music. It adds to the atmosphere so much and just propels you further along. Also, very nice little Triniton. Best consumer CRTs and I love my 20” Triniton. Big enough to sit relatively far away from without losing detail, but not so big that I can’t move it around by myself. As a 37 yr old , I think you’re a legend for championing the original hardware experience. I’ve always wanted a Famicom Disk System and after watching a few of your videos I’m finally going to get one. I grew up with 3.5” “floppies” and so the experience of slotting an old school disk in and hearing the hardware whir away is, like you said, very comfy. It’s an almost inexplicable comforting. There’s some nostalgia for sure but even without having used them as a kid it still feels almost emotionally warming. As always, awesome video. Thank you!
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.
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
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!
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.
"Sometimes however, I feel like people can latch on to somewhat unfair assessment of games... I see people take a sentiment, absorb it, and then later pass it off as their own"
I've seen this happen in the Dark Souls community as well, with Dark Souls II in particular. People outside of the community who played the games tend to like it about the same as the other entries, but those within the community have sort of absorbed this unfair assessment of it being irredeemably bad
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.
Very nice to see someone thats young and wasnt there when the game came out but still absolutely and completely "gets it". Especially calling out the music and sound, which is just incredible. Some of the best ever. You even correctly called out Kraids Lair as the best theme music!
I hope youve played Super Metroid!
I haven't played it yet but plan to reach it eventually through this series!
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.
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.
@@HPRshredder In the NES version every time you enter a door, 2 random numbers are drawn. 1 for the maximum number of pickups for health and 1 for missiles. I’m not sure of the range, but the number is finite, and it can be zero.
You’ve probably noticed when farming, that drops eventually do stop, and you have to leave and reenter to rest the room. It’s not your imagination, the game really works that way.
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.
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. 👍
Without Metroid, there is no Symphony of the night, Axiom Verge, Super Metroid etc....this game literally made an entire genre. Does it have faults, sure....it's easy to get lost, areas look the same, you start out with only 30 health, but back in 1986, it was groundbreaking. Metroid as a series might not sell like Mario or zelda, but I'd argue it's importance on the genre it helped influence makes it even more important than those games. Will always be my favorite game series
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!
First off I am glad you enjoyed this game. I don't want to take away from that. I am 46 and I played Metroid when it came out. I never got to Ridley or Kraid. So obviously I never beat it. I will never be able to beat it much less get the super good ending. I am crap at video games and no amount of practice is going to change that. Metroid was a great game at the time but there are so many better games now. I think it is perfectly acceptable to skip playing old games. No game is required to be played.
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 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.
The reason people say what they say about the original Metroid, is because they've played Super Metroid. Being compared to perfection is pretty tough...
Super Metroid is not even close to perfection. It is an online myth to say SM is perfection. It is bullshit. It is a great game especially when you knew the original Metroid like I did when I played SM for the first time. But most people have no real chronological gaming experience and jump right into Super Metroid. False opinions and fake impressions are all that creates.
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!
As a kid in the 80’s, Metroid was one of the few games that kept me interested enough to play it all the way through. From the moment I saw the gameplay, it blew my mind. One of the best on the NES.
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.
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
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. ❤❤❤❤
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
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
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.
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.
You are so true, I was one of the people that didn’t give a chance to metroid because of the opinion of others. I didn’t even install it on my hacked snesmini.
Just a couple weeks ago I gave the game a chance because I was bored at work so I emulated it on my laptop. The controls, music and atmosphere where so good for an nes game. I completed the game with a map but besides that I still felt accomplished. After that I coincidentally got recommended your video and all your points are so true. Thanks for making this video and calling out all the haters especially arlo which was the worst take because he didn’t even play the game LOL
This video was awesome. I hadn't heard that Terrance quote at the end, making note of it. Great Metroid video!
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.
@1:48 Heeeey, I remember that guy! :D
Really enjoyed your follow-up video to your original by the way
My experience with OG Metroid and Metroid II kind of blew me away with just how accurately the series holds to the core gameplay, enemies, items, power-ups, and exploration. It was nearly all there since the beginning.
My love for 2D Metroid compelled me to buy Metroid II and eventually the ability to play the original Metroid and Super.
I decided to play them in release order building up to Fusion, one of my all-time favorite games.
I loved going back through the old titles and gain new appreciation for the series as I did.
I found OG Metroid to be brutal until I gained more energy and traversed the world more carefully. I set out drawing the map as I went, but eventually switched to an online map when the multitude of matching corridors that effectively made a giant loop caused me to die too frequently.
I was familiar with how Metroid games hide secrets, but some of the ones in OG Metroid threw me for a loop for a bit, namely ones on the ground one block left of the wall.
Newer games put it in the block on the corner.
Metroid II surprised me at well I knew my way around the planet with no Map.
Last note, the Samus we know today looks the way she does due to limitations of the original software she appeared on. Metroid II gave her the iconic Shoulders and the arm cannon expanding to show missiles.
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.
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 use of the mushroom people in the hand holding part lol nice dark souls reference
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!
Probably my favorite video game of all time. It doesn't hold your hand. It drops you immediately into a cold alien world no cutscenes, no dialogue. I think Metroid 2 Return of Samus on Game Boy has an even better intro. If you boot up the game and don't press start it has this pulsing sound and if you wait a while it eventually turns into a beautiful song.
There’s also an inherent flaw in recommending Zero Mission as a replacement for the original, which you see in a lot of reviews. Metroid is a tense action adventure with a focus on navigating a hostile world, Zero Mission is a power trip. The vibe isn’t remotely the same despite sharing the same setup. It’s a fantastic, accessible starting point on the timeline for new players and a wonderful game in its own right, but it’s definitely missing the darker atmosphere. Honestly, even though Super is a sequel, I think its take on Zebes is still a more faithful interpretation of the original’s mood while lowering the difficulty from it.
I’d play through the original Metroid again and again to avoid playing Donkey Kong Country once.
You have fabulous hair, sir! :)
I played Metroid shortly after it came out. It was one of my top NES games. I sunk quarters into the Play Choice 10 at Children's Palace to play. This game is a time capsule for me. I own both Metroid (NES) and Zero Mission (GBA). Zero Mission brought the original to a new audience with updated features that made it more accessible. Despite my love of all the Metroid games (as I do own them ALL), my personal favorite is still Metroid II: The Return of Samus (GB). I think it brought the best balance between accessibility, discovery, and challenge.
Would I play the Metroid (86) today.... YES
Would I recommend that modern gamers play Metroid (86) .... ABSOLUTELY
There's no doubt in my mind that Metroid (86) is an important and influential game in the history of gaming.
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.
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.