This honestly feels like a pivotal moment for Metroid as a series. Because Nintendo have gone all out on their marketing, it really feels like they're saying "Ok. This is it. We marketed like crazy. If this doesn't sell well there can be no complaints that we didn't give Metroid an opportunity to shine as a flagship title." If it doesn't sell well Nintendo would be fairly justified in not continuing to support the series heavily. If it does sell well... we could be in for a golden age of metroid content going forward. Good luck Metroid fans!
Metroid is at *exactly* the stage in its life that Fire Emblem was in prior to Awakening's release. The devs have made a love letter to the series, writing it under the assumption that it could be the last in the series. Nintendo doesn't have any major titles this quarter so have assigned their primary marketing teams to this niche title, giving it way more coverage than it probably deserves from a business perspective. I was one of the people who fell in love with FE because of Awakening. This time, as someone who's already a Metroid fan, standing on the precipice of fate like this...it's exciting and overwhelming. If we do well, we follow in Fire Emblem's footsteps and become a massive flagship series despite being under the radar for literal decades. If we don't do well enough....Prime 4 might become the last Metroid game.
@@Rot8erConeX Well, this newbie is excited to pick up Dread as my first Metroid release :) The trailers successfully got me hyped, and I went back and played Super Metroid in the meantime and... wow. I don't really like retro games, but that SNES game earned the hype, I was so impressed. And now, I can't wait for Dread!! Already purchased it and it arrives tomorrow ^_^
1. This video contains no spoilers for Metroid Dread beyond footage from the initial reveal trailer and Treehouse presentation. 2. Unfortunately I forgot to mention Super Smash Bros. on the N64 and didn't realize until it was too late. But that was my very first exposure to Metroid, and I remember being curious about it. 3. Tell us about YOUR Metroid journey! Has it been a long one? Or has it only just begun?
I started with Prime. It was the first time I remember being exposed to the cold, dark sci-fi genre I'd go on to love being immersed in. I'm so excited for Dread.
Mario: "Look, I can explain." Samus: "No, there's no way you can justify having all these games when I only get to have these two!" Fox: "At least you guys are getting actual games, I'm stuck with nothing but gimmick fests and remakes." Captain Falcon: "You guys are getting games?"
I had never played a Metroid game until after Dread was revealed in June. Since then, I’ve played every official 2D Metroid game since the NES original. In fact, I just 100%’d Samus Returns today. I’m totally hooked on this series now and I’m counting the hours until Dread releases!
@@FoodLiquorCool I used emulation. Look, if Nintendo is only gonna put the game on a dead console that few people bought then I’m gonna take matters into my own hands. If they ever do release it on the eshop or something I’ll be the first to buy it!
My journey with Metroid began with Smash Bros. 64. Even as a kid I figured out Samus was a woman before knowing who she was (I think it was her shoulder pads of her varia suit that made me figure it out), and I would main her back then. And then I saw the commercial for Metroid Prime during the hours of Toonami, and I got it for Christmas. The game was ahead of its time by probably 10 years. Then I played Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission, and from there on, I fell in love with the Metroid franchise. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was incredible too!!! Loved that one too. The amount of stress this game gave me was something no other game has given me. And then I was hyped when Zero Suit Samus came into Smash Bros. Brawl!!! I was hoping Ridley would be a fighter, but seeing him and Meta Ridley as bosses still surprised me to see them. Then I played Metroid Prime 3, and I absolutely love it!!! The motion controls were great, and the cutscenes were really good!! Music is incredible too!! I saw this scan in the game that said “Project Dread is nearing completion”, and I was hoping a DS game called “Metroid: Project Dread” would be a thing. Had to wait 19 years though. Metroid Prime: Hunters was the DS game we got instead and I didn’t like it. Sorry to those who like it. Also, “Metroid Prime: Pinball” is a masterpiece!! While searching through Wii Virtual Console, I saw two games called “Metroid” and “Super Metroid”. Ok, I didn’t like the NES version, but thankfully I own the remake so it’s all good. Then I played “Super Metroid”, and i immediately loved it!!! The music, the atmosphere, the gameplay, the subtext of the story is just so perfect!!! I saw the announcement for Other M, and I didn’t buy it, even if it looked good. I learned the hard way that I’m kinda glad I didn’t buy it. Neither did I buy Federation Force. As soon as I saw a Metroid in SR388, I screamed that “Metroid 2: The Return of Samus” is being remade!!! Because much like Arlo, I don’t have the patience to play a Metroid game with no map system. Samus Returns was BRUTAL, and I loved it!!! And I got all the Chozo Memories, as soon as I saw that last memory, DAMN!!!!! I knew eventually that would be the next Metroid game. Ridley and Dark Samus reveals in Smash Bros. Ultimate had me screaming and ecstatic!! WHO’S TOO BIG NOW?! WHO’S TOO BIG NOW?! And then E3 2021 happened. At First, I thought we’d get a Metroid Fusion remake, but then I saw “Metroid 5”. And finally, I saw “Metroid……………DREAD” Afterwards, I replayed every mainline Metroid game, and begun to appreciate how far the Metroid series has come, and the subtle storytelling in the series (except for Other M and Federation Force) After almost 2 decades, I am ready to be filled with Dread, Suspense, and Brutality with Metroid Dread. See you all tomorrow, when Samus truly returns.
Same for me man and I got Metroid prime on GC just like him and I’ve had to back track to play the games. Absolutely love the games and especially the character.
That's also how the DMC fans felt before DMC V got announced seemingly out of the blue a few years back. It's never too late ........ unless you expect Valve to learn to count to 3
Man, imagine being a fan of Half-Life, Portal, Left 4 Dead, Star Fox, Metroid, F-Zero, and Jet Set Radio and you can imagine how I feel on a daily basis. Lol Man I miss Jet Set Radio.
My dad is a huge Metroid fan. He bought Metroid Prime and Fusion when they were new, and used them as a chance to introduce me to the series. I absolutely adored them even though at the time I thought they were both really hard games. I've followed the series closely my whole life!
@@poisxnashley He's a very busy man so he hasn't finished yet, but from what he's texted me, it seems like he's had a great time so far! I think the latest major power up he got was the plasma beam.
The way he describes his yearning for Metroid as a fan is how I feel about Sonic. Mania was my one moment to recapture that glory, it did amazing… and still Sega just simply refuses to succeed.
Say what you will about the Big N... at least we have a better chance at seeing another one of their lesser franchises than any of Sega's... *Cries on Golden Axe and Shinobi*
it really is sad, every time Sega makes something really good out of Sonic, they throw it out and start from scratch. the Modern levels in Generations were AMAZING, and it was the last time Boost was good. Mania was fantastic, yet they seem to have zero interest in letting that team make more of it. They create a gem and then go back to giving us coal
Metroid Prime was my introduction to the series as well, also was a Christmas gift and I fell head over heals in love with it . . . I didn't really follow games back then, just kinda played whatever my parents happened to get me so I had no idea they were even making Prime 2, so when I walked into a store one day and saw a display with it up front I damn near lost my mind . . . crazy how that memory in particular sticks so much in my mind, I honestly don't know if I have EVER been that excited to see a box and logo before or after that day. Metroid Prime 3 then, was probably the first game I followed the "hype cycle" for, always on the lookout for more info and eating up every bit of info that dropped (remember that "metroid channel" on the Wii?). To this day I hold that trilogy in highest regard.
Arlo's story is somehow very relatable to mine, Prime 1 was my first introduction to the series, and my first gamecube game, it took me years until I finally gave all the 2D games a try, and with Ridley reveal I was legit shocked, and by the time Dread was revealed, my familiarity with the Metroid franchise was good enough to get me super excited.
The second best part of a second Metroid Renaissance would be regular Arlo Metroid content! I remember playing Super Metroid as a kid and I didn't quite get it back then. But when I became a teenager and took another look at it, oh man... What an experience! Challenging game play! I was ecstatic to see that I could bypass entire areas of the game if only I was _just_ crafty enough. Nowadays when I playthrough Super Metroid, I'll skip getting the grappling beam all together. And then Prime came out. To this day, it looks absolutely incredible. Those first steps onto Tallon IV were unprecedented for gaming as a whole, let alone Nintendo. It's like a Fallout 3 - it set a standard that few other games could ever compete with. You look up? You get more raindrops on your visor. You look down? Few to no raindrops. Fallout 4 couldn't do that ~15 years later, for some inexplicable reason. Those points of action where you get a blast to the face, and you see the reflection of Samus, only briefly? Retro did a bafflingly good job and it stands to this day as one of the greatest games of all time. Prime 2 is seen as many as a "more of the same" game. But I couldn't disagree more. It is the most atmospheric game in the series, and the story it tells is incredibly rewarding. It's my second favourite game in the series after Super Metroid due to it's atmosphere and difficulty. I've rambled enough! BUY DREAD AND LET'S ALL LOVE IT! I AM BEYOND READY!!!!
Prime 2 is weird to me. I like it, don't get me wrong, but a lot of what made 1 so mesmerising is kind of gone. U-Mos's existence says goodbye to the sense of loneliness from before, Aether feels too by-the-books compared to how open Tallon IV felt (I know both games are linear, but 1 tried to feel non-linear while 2 embraces that linearity to its detriment IMO), and the idea of going to these three temples and also a dark world - complete with "guardian" minibosses - felt like I was playing a Zelda game instead of a Metroid game. Least favorite of the trilogy, to be perfectly honest.
@@swishfish8858 I see MP2 as being less interested in wasting time with backtracking. Everything you need to do is in a smaller area, those being one of the three main areas. Instead of galumphing across the entire game map, you're (with a few exceptions) in one of those three areas until you're done that part of the mission. Walking into an area with the few upgrades you have, and then walking out when you're done? That's a powerful experience. It punctuates your progression. It makes YOU feel like the badass bountyhunter collecting alien technology across a dangerous foreign planet.
@@WaluigiisthekingASmith My pleasure! Prime 3 is fantastic. What it lacks in the familiar isolation of the Metroid series, it gains in the expansion of the universe. The scope of the game is just huge, from the sprawling steampunk Jupiter of Elysia (where you drop a NUKE onto the pirate shields) to the derelict GFS junker where you piece the power units back where they belong. My only criticism would be of hypermode. Enemies without using it are too spongy, and take a bit too much time to defeat. But enemies with it are dispatched in mere moments. It just needed more balancing. I never used it in my first playthrough, except of course for the moments where you have to use it. But I'm never going to complain about an expansion of an in-game universe for a series that I love. Prime 3 did that in bounds and it's a strong title partly for that reason.
My Metroid journey started in 2017 when I got Samus Returns for my birthday. I played it for a bit and was enjoying it, but it got backlogged by other games that came out that year and I didn't finish it until just this summer, when my interest in Metroid was rekindled by the announcement of Dread. I finished Samus Returns and loved it, then jumped straight into Super, Fusion, and Zero Mission and loved all of them. Then I went and played the Prime trilogy and was blown away by those games too. I'm kind of kicking myself for not getting into this franchise earlier because man these games are good. And man just hearing you praise Prime 1 so much makes me want to play it again that game is godlike
This genuinely one of my favorite videos you’ve made. I just by chance stumbled upon your channel in the months leading to the switch’s release and I have been hooked ever since. Your Metroid Prime 4 reaction got me to question why people loved the series so much and I ended up playing the NES Metroid and have been love with the series since January of this year. Thank you, Arlo for your wonderful content. Truly a joy to watch!
My story of how I got into Metroid is probably one of my favorite memories of all time. When I was about 4, I moved into a new house in a new town. A few weeks prior, I was gifted my first video game console, a used gba from my brother. I only had 2 or 3 shovel ware games on it that I absolutely adored. Fast forward a few weeks after I move in and as I’m unpacking the stuff in my closet, I find a dusty game cartridge in the back corner of my closet that had the words “Metroid: Zero Mission” on the front. I had no clue what that was or meant but it seemed to fit in my game boy so I ended up playing it. I remember the opening cutscene as soon as you turn on the game and being slightly scared of it for some reason. I noticed that there were still files on the cartridge still in progress so me not knowing to start a new game just played on one of them. I would continue to pick up and set down the game for YEARS before I ever made actual progress. I just thought the game was another shovel ware game and when I got my ps2, I just kinda forgot about it. But then about 6 years later, I find myself picking it up again and wandering around aimlessly for several minutes when suddenly, I find the entrance to Tourian. It appeared that whoever’s file I was playing on had beaten Ridley and Kraid, but never made it to Tourian. So I ended up beating mother brain and getting to the zero suit segment, which enthralled me. I continued forward and ended up beating the game a few days later, and soon after, started my own file. With all this said and done I just thought that this game was just some random shovel ware baby garbage that I alone really liked. However, I was proved VERY wrong when I stumbled upon a little game called Super Smash Bros Brawl. I had picked up the game and freaked out finding Samus to be an actual popular character. Furthermore, I was elated to find that there were more Metroid games. So I begged my mom to take me to the local GameStop and it was there that I found Metroid Prime 3. From that moment, I was solidified to be a Metroid fan for life. And now here I am, typing this comment, a few hours away from Metroid Dread releasing, and reflecting on probably my greatest gaming memory. To think that I’m now a adult waiting for the game I spent HOURS watching theory videos on in 2013, is really insane. Overall, being a Metroid fan has had its highs and lows, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I hope Metroid Dread is great!
"Oh no samus, lookout!" Not even the first time that happened - fusion, zero mission, arriving on aether in echoes, outstaying your welcome on sky town in corruption and almost at the end of samus returns Samus goes through ships like an understandably frustrated busty woman goes through shirts
I think a re-framing of the discussion of what constitutes "good sales" is sorely needed. Without knowing the budget of a game its hard to say when something hasn't sold well. Most franchises do not sell in the millions or 10 million+
1M sales for a new IP and/or indie should be a good benchmark. But talking about longstanding series that have a dozen or more games in them, it will vary by series. Pokemon will sell 20M every pair of games, and that will be considered meeting expectations. Big Nintendo tentpoles will generally pull 10-20M per entry, and many top hitters across the industry will see similar. There are breakaway outliers, like GTA V and Minecraft, but they shouldn't set expectations or goals. I'd say around 2.5-3M mark for established franchises could be called a healthy success. And of course, .5-1M for new IPs and indies.
Due to being as old as Mario and Zelda, Metroid is frequently compared directly to them and unfairly lambasted for not bringing in the same numbers. With the exception of Federation Force and Prime Pinball the series has always brought in what most standards consider a profit. People just like to make up flimsy rules for what is and isn't "selling well". Super Metroid outsold the likes of Mega Man X and that game was considered a smash hit. Yet Super is called a failure regardless. Hell, Prime was the 6th best selling game on the GameCube. Dread isn't Nintendo giving the series "one last chance to sell well", that's not how companies work. They're making it because they expect to make money from it. This series would have died a long time ago if it truly "didn't sell well". Just look at F-Zero.
@@toamatoro570 pretty sure Other M was a flop too. Sure, the sales don't look too bad but a lot of them were sold at heavy discounts. Which is practically unheard of for any Nintendo product.
Oh god I really hope he does a first impressions video his happiness for this series makes me just so happy and makes me realize how the little things in life can make you the happiest it’s just friggen great
I really liked this video, just a nice recap of someone's journey into such an unfathomably incredible series. For me, it's really hard to say. Alongside tons of Zelda games like Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, A Link to the Past, and Minish Cap, Metroid games, specifically Super Metroid, Zero Mission, and Metroid Fusion, were some of the first games I ever played in my life. I was like 4 or 5 too. To me, Metroid is just one of those series that just represents video games as a whole, for me. They've basically been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and have really shaped what I've come to expect from a gaming experience, at least somewhat. I've moved on to tons of other games and series since then, but even now, Zelda is my favorite video game series of all time with a massive impact on my life and creative viewing, and Metroid sits really close by, with tons of memories of me just playing those 2D games on my GBA SP, or reading the Super Metroid manual while trying some speedrun methods I'd learned about. It's hard to truly savor these types of things nowadays due to how busy I am, I won't even able to play the game on launch, similar reasons as you'd mentioned in your video, but I really enjoyed just hearing someone take the time to just gush about the series. I've never been able to get into the non-2D games, unfortunately, but man, those 2D games are just breathtaking for me. Here's to a hopefully EXTREMELY successful release and many more Metroid games to come
I have a similar but different experience. I was about that age when I first played Sonic 2, and I had grown to love Sonic and consider Sonic 3 and Knuckles to be the peak of Sonic, but I had gotten a Gameboy game I didn't know much about called Metroid II, Return of Samus, on the Gameboy, from some lady I don't remember that my mom knew. I think I'll ask her about it the next time I visit. I'm now 30 and Metroid is my favorite series. I encountered the Spider Ball in Metroid II and thought it was so cool, but didn't know how to progress from there and forgot about the game for awhile. Smash Bros was a game I liked a lot and it talked about Samus, and with Metroid Prime being featured in Nintento Power and talking about how immersive it is and the different visors like scanning your surroundings it just seemed so cool! So of course I got that game when I was able to, or when my mom was up for giving me the game. I had seen someone playing Zero Mission while in the waiting room for the doctor or dentist and I recognized that as Samus fighting Kraid because of Brinstar Depths featuring Kraid in Melee (good memories of Melee by the way but irrelevent). Anyway Fusion was kind of advertised alongside Metroid Prime so I thought I'd get that too. I didn't have all the context but the game intro explained it enough. I had read the metroid trophy description and imagined them over pits of volcanic activity with them needing to be frozen but it turned out to be acid they were hovering over in the original games but still I wanted to play more. I played Zero Mission and the original Metroid which is... clunky and archaic, and not a game you should play if you want to get into Metroid, but after playing through Prime 2 over the summer with the underwater area lingering in my mind while at the pool, imagining Samus with her gravity suit or booster doing stuff like blowing open the drain in the pool with a morph ball bomb, and playing the first Metroid game, I decided to give that old Gameboy cartridge another shot, starting at the beginning since I had no idea where I left off but a fresh start really helped. I defeated the Metroid Queen eventually after a guantlet of Omega metroids and found it to be a satisfying esperience. From then on I considered myself a Metroid fan and it is my favorite game franchise ever even today, standing above even Ocarina of Time (though I did love the Zelda games you mentioned too, Ocarina of Time especially with its narrative approach but Metroid has a special place of its own for me.) I played Prime 3 on the Wii and got the Prime Trilogy, and got to play through Super Metroid thanks to the virtual console! It's too bad there was such a hiatus after Prime 3 when my interest in Metroid was at its peak. I had theorized how life energy works, and whether the same energy metroids drain is the same energy Samus collects, her suit detecting residual life energy from defeated enemies and absorbing it since the chozo created both metroids and her suit. Oh I forgot to mention the Metroid Manga of her backstory, that made me even more of a fan when I found out about it. While I understand her PTSD with Ridley taunting her in it, they did an awful job of referencing it in Other M and it didn't make sense. After other M and Federation Force I had lost hope for awhile. However something from back in Metroid Prime Hunters, which isn't a game I like all that much and was my most disliked Metroid game at the time... before Other M and Federation Force... but anyway people were talking about Metroid Dread which was at first referenced in Nintendo Power. I was reading theories about the Galactic Federation hunting Samus down because of her destroying the BSL and a planet, and Adam's comment at the end of Fusion about them maybe needing to be on the run. That's not how things turned out in Fusion but I imagined stuff like being chased by Federation troopers, underpowered and much of your powerups gone, and being surrounded by them needing to escape through glass tunnels like in Super Metroid or a part of Fusion from glass tunnels with power bombs, then trying to slip by unnoticed in these massive city scapes in 2D format, similar to Megaman X with Storm Eagle's stage except with more interior areas. While the robots in Dread hunting you down were made by the GF, their implimentation surpassed my expectations of what could be possible after the SA-X, how would they capture the DREAD of being chased down? Of course it might not have been the Federation since it was later explained after Other M that in Fusion it was just a rogue sector of the federation, not the main federation themselves, apparently that part wasn't translated so Samus being hunted by the main GF doesn't make sense anymore, but I still saw it that way since the needles of the Emmi seemed to be meant for extracting and I figured they were for getting the metroid DNA from her. I'll stop there with that though, I'm just glad that after SO long of this game being announced and cancelled multiple times and seemingly never to come to light, it's finally happened! I love this game!
Arlo, I really want to thank you for getting me into this series. Your recommendation of Super Metroid in many of your videos influenced me to check it out on NSO, and it is one of the greatest games I’ve ever played, and has really really gotten me into the Metroidvania genre. I can’t wait to play Dread and make more memories, can’t thank you enough!
Everyone’s hype for Dread has convinced me to purchase legitimate copies and play each game before Dread’s release!! (well, only the remakes for 1 and 2). Super actually ended up being my least favorite. It’s hard to control and I got stuck a lot (not a huge fan of games where you have to look up a guide). But even so, the series as a whole is so SOOO fun. The constant progression is what really hooked me. I’m sad you didn’t talk more about Zero Mission - I think that one ended up being my absolute favorite! So tightly designed and short and sweet with lots of momentum. I’m gonna buy Dread digitally to support the series fully. Hope everyone really enjoys it!
Super is actualy my favorit because it didn't guid you like Zero Mission or Fusion did. I was lost sometimes but I never needed a guide, just with exploring I was able to find the path and that feeling of slowly finding your path and overcomming opstacles was just perfect for me. But yes I agree on the controls but it's fine enougth for me.
Super could use a revision of some of its progression paths. Specially that point in Norfair where you have to walk through a fake wall that doesn't even show up on the x-ray visor. Switching between missiles, bombs, grapple and x-ray also gets annoying coming from the GBA games.
I think super has perfect progression paths because it felt amazing on a first play through and allows for so much sequence breaking, if only they fixed that wall tho
I cannot WAIT to play my first Metroid game soon, and honestly you’re a big reason for that! Hearing you talk about the series’s history for so long made me get on board for Dread since it was first announced
I haven't been a Metroid Fan for too long, but I've been a huge fan for the genre for a while This is gonna see like a weird tangent, but bear with me here- So, I'm a massive Spidey fan, obviously. And when 2008 came around there was nothing I was more excited for than Spider-Man Web of Shadows. It was the first time that I can remember that I found out about a game before it released, and I followed it extensively. I watched every trailer regularly, checked the website often, and just geeked out about the fact that Wolverine was going to get a symbiote suit to anyone who would listen. But sadly, I didn't own a 360, a PS3, or even a Wii. As far as I knew, I'd never get to play this game I'd wanted so badly. But then that Christmas, I got a surprise. I got a Nintendo DS, and a copy of Web of Shadows for it. Of course, it obviously wasn't the same game, but I quickly got over that when I realized how good this version was. It had this strange ambience of a world on the brink of destruction, and as you ran around it, you'd get hints of a bigger threat. It wasn't until years later that I found out that it and Shattered Dimensions on DS (which is absolutely phenomenal BTW) were Metroidvania titles. And that made me curious. I knew of Samus from Smash, but I'd never played any of her games. And that fact that her series inspired some of my childhood favorites peaked my interest. Of course, I didn't have a lot of cash, nor did I own any way to play the series at the time unless I wanted to hunt down a copy of Fusion or Zero Mission. So Metroid just became something I'd play some day, whenever I got around to it. But that all changed when AM2R came out. I heard how much people were praising this thing, and since it was a free fan game, I didn't have an excuse not to try it out. And I was not disappointed at all! The world had that same ambience of WoS, the controls were so tight and responsive, and the music was just... OHHHH MAN. I couldn't put it down. I played it non-stop, and after I beat it, I just wanted more. Metroid was no longer something I'd just get around to, it was a priority. And even though I could've emulated the older titles, and I certainly did that for Super Metroid, I wanted to get these legit. So I tracked down Zero Mission and Fusion, I bought Samus Returns the day it came out, and thanks to my roommate back at college, I was able to experience the entire Prime Trilogy as well as Other M, and I loved... almost every minute of it. I got lost a lot in Super, and Other M was... Other M. Regardless, I am a massive fan of the series now. Heck, half the reason I bought a Switch was for Prime 4, becoming the first Nintendo home console I've ever owned (I was more of a Sony kid growing up), and when Dread was announced I was floored!! So TL:DR, I'm a massive fan of this series thanks to a random Spidey game, and the passion project of other fans (And I'm still bitter about Nintendo taking that down)
@Noodle Oh, shock yeah man!! Those games were awesome! ... Not Edge of Time though. They got a different developer for that port, and they... REALLY dropped the ball there
I was too young to play any 2D Metroid games, but my dad had a steelbook Trilogy. I had been asking to play it for years; whenever I saw him play it, I knew I needed to. When I was finally old enough, I played all 3 in a row. MP1 absolutely wowed me. The music, the gameplay, the story, the environments, it absolutely wowed me. I found out that I'm a "lore player", because I LOVED reading anything I could scan. MP2 had always scared me. When I played it, it did again. The music was still an absolute masterpiece. I was wowed again with how Retro had turned the lore up to 11. The story of the Luminoth was so compelling and I wanted to find all of their lore. MP3 was disappointing in the way they removed beam changing and super missile combos. But it still had an amazing story. And the music was, again, masterful. As a lore buff, the story of the Bryyo was great. The Prime Trilogy is a masterwork and it got me into all the other Metroid games. The music/sound design still amazes me to this day. For instance, the Luminoth theme is an underappreciated one, but sets the tone of the whole game perfectly and has great emotion while being amazing to listen to.
I’m a much more recent fan of Metroid. I really loved seeing the energy from creators when Dread was revealed and I felt like it was a good time to get into the franchise. Really enjoyed Zero Mission and I’m going through Returns now. Preordered Dread so I’m hoping to avoid any spoilers before I get around to playing it.
This is the one moment. The moment right before you started to get everything what you ever asked for. I'm not only talking about Metroid Dread. I'm talking about the Pikmin Ports, Metroid Prime Remastered, Pikmin 4, Paper Mario And The Thousand Year Door and Metroid Prime 4. These last two years must have been an incredible time for you.
The Christmas list is absolute gold. "An official extra PS2 controller - no weird other company junk", "I like Reese's peanut butter cups" and the Wierd Al soundtrack are particular highlights.
This is one of my favorite videos of yours. It's... serene. And thoughtful. It's had me reflecting on my time as a Metroid fan, and what I'm hoping for in the future as well. Thanks for sharing this with us.
I have to admit, it was the E3 Dread reveal that got me into Metroid. I wasn't shown anything I didn't already know, like what I knew what Metroid was and looked like, but what little I knew about the history of Dread just sparked this excitement in me when it was finally revealed. The same month I went back and started my Metroid journey. Metroid: Zero Mission was my first Metroid game. I played them in canonical order (ZM>SR>SM>MF) and I think it was a nice way to do so. It was nice to swap back and forth between gameplay feels and I can wholeheartedly say that I adore every entry in the mainline series. I'll be honest, it was harder for me to connect with Fusion as much because of my major fear of being chased. Despite only making up like 7% of the game, I was sweating around every corner, anxiously awaiting the SA-X. Metroid Fusion is a truly terrifying game. It has me worried about the E.M.M.I. sequences in Dread, but I'm hoping that my experience with Diggernaut and the SA-X will help me along while facing off against the E.M.M.I.
I'm going through the series the same way you did, and really enjoying it so far. I'm still on Samus Returns, just started actually (life got in the way) but Zero Mission was fantastic and I've greatly enjoyed the little of Samus Returns I've played so far.
yes, im really sad about DREAD and i dont get why everyone loves the game, every aspect of the game is stuck and not worthy of modern inteleigent game design instead they just added things and often hurting the game feel. And why is the game so easy ghosh i just wish i never played it
Metroid 6: Our protagonist, the mercenary Samus Aran, goes throught out space, after compliting a mision for the federation, when suddenly her ship gets blasted by a 2D shooting star. She lands in a strange planet, similar to earth, where a misterious species called the Arlos, live making videos about human videogames. Exploring the planet, she learns about the story of a atrocious bet where one human man, recognisable only by the code RGT85, was forced to go throught ritual called Balan wonderworld, and decides to hunt the responsable for this inhuman acts. Sorry, too much coffee.
I know we aren’t talking about Prime 4, but I just can’t help myself! I can’t wait for Prime 4! I really wanna be totally immerse on a foreign alien planet, with an otherworldly atmosphere yet again, with many secrets and hidden details to discover!
tearing up a bit because your story is so so close to mine. i first got exposed to metroid from smash brawl and somehow fell in love with the series after falling in love with ZSS. looking back, I've been a fan of metroid since I was 8 years old and now I'm 20. I've been a huge fan for longer than half of my life and in those years, none of those games were an original game AND had samus as the main protagonist. which is why dread means so much to me and I'm so glad im not alone in this sort of euphoria im in. its been a crazy hell of a ride but we finally made it boys, here's to us longtime fans :')
It's incredibly touching, watching this video before release and truly thinking about what is to come. As someone who hasn't really played any Metroid games, watching this makes me, more then ever, want to support this game, and help the series flourish once more. I look forward to playing the game and hopefully gaining the appreciation and love seen in this video.
I usually don’t comment on videos, but I’m honestly to excited for the release of Metroid Dread that I’m willing to make the exception. I love the Metroid Series, which is so odd because I’m not a huge sci fi guy myself. I’ve been playing Metroid since the early 2000s. I remember getting Metroid Fusion and Zero mission for the GBA. I at least played those game 20 times each during my lifetime. I also played Super Metroid like crazy and I’ve been happy being able to beat that game under 1 hour and 30 minutes. A new Metroid brings a smile to my face like no other game could. I really love this franchise and I cannot wait for Dread. I called off work for it and I’m ready to play it all night. Thank you to all the developers who worked on the franchise 🙏 💕 you made my childhood
When I was young, my uncle got us a gameboy advance, along with 4 games. One of which was metroid fusion. At the tine I didn’t understand how to play it and it was too hard for me. Years down the line, I got into watching speedrunning videos- exposung me to super metroid and it made me try it out for myself, I fell in love with it and it made me want to experience as much metroid games as I can. After super, I played zero mission- an absolute masterpiece and then revisited fusion- i know the linearity of it drive some people away but it didnt bother me as it helped feel more constructing and kept me on my toes from paranoia. I didn’t get to play samus returns because I didn’t have a 3ds and I can’t see myself enjoying the gb version. My girlfriend and I got each other games recently and she got me metroid dread. I am here today, watching metroid videos tk hype me up more and waiting less than 24 hrs till it releases. I feel so giddy with excitement!
I actually started playing Metroid in 2019 I think. That being said, I’ve beaten every single Metroid game ever released including remakes, and am absolutely psyched to get my hands on Dread. I really didn’t think I’d like Metroid at first, but it quickly became one of my very favorite franchises.
My Metroid journey practically began with the reveal for Dread. I'd always been curious about the series, and had intentions of using NSO to give Super Metroid a shot, but it was always sort of an "I'll get to it when I get to it" sort of intention. But when I saw the reveal trailer and the hype it brought with it, I thought it was finally the perfect time to get into the series. Then I saw your video on how to get into Metroid, what games to play and where to play them (great video, by the way), and booted up Zero Mission on my Wii U a few weeks later. Now we're only a few hours from the release of Metroid Dread, and it's one of my most anticipated games of the past few years. Also, kinda wished I'd played Super Metroid first because I think I might have appreciated it more than I currently do. Instead, Samus Returns is my favorite Metroid game so far.
"Samus Returns" was the game that convinced me to buy a 3DS. The announcement for Prime 4, meanwhile, is what convinced me to get a Switch (fortunately, I've enjoyed plenty of other games on it in the meantime :P).
Here's how my Metroid journey was. I was 7 years old, and Metroid Fusion was the second or thrid game I had got for my first ever console - the GBA. I played it for a while, but didn't understand anything so I kept it back. 6 years later I picked up Super Metroid and I fell in love with it. I played it almost 10 times over the span of a couple weeks, that's how much I was hooked on that game. Then I gave Metroid Fusion one more try, let me just say it is now my favorite 2d Metroid game. The horror, the atmosphere, the combat, the bosses, I loved everything about it. And then I played Zero Mission, another fantastic experience. All this was within the month of January and I replayed all 3 of those games several times. Then I got interested in checking out the Prime series. I played Prime 1, took me over 4-5 days to finish it, I absolutely loved it. Everything about it felt perfect, I was shocked how a GameCube game from 2002 looked so good even so many years later. Then I played Prime 2, loved it as well and really appreciated Retro for taking a risk with the Light/Dark Aether mechanic, ammo, etc. and Prime 3 was also amazing. I don't tend to dislike linearity in games as long as executed well (explains why I love Fusion so much) so I enjoyed every single one of the Prime games....so much so that the Prime trilogy is now my favorite video game series. I replayed all the games countless times after that, until E3 the same year where Nintendo pulled out Prime 4 and Samus Returns. It felt like I had stepped into the series at the most perfect time possible. I bought Samus Returns, and really enjoyed it. And since then I've played these games a lot, I've 100%ed them many times, I've tried speedrunning Super Metroid and Zero Mission to an extent where I can finish Super Metroid in almost 50 - 60 minutes. And this year, at E3, I screamed so hard my voice cracked for like 15 minutes. It felt like a dream, it still does. And I hope this game sells so good that Nintendo can finally give this series another chance. Apologies for the wall of text lol
Arlo, this is one of your best videos ever. I’ve been watching your stuff for years and this one really felt special to me. Its tone and writing felt so sincere and wonderfully nice. I can relate to growing up with a series and feeling it slip away and change but always harboring hope that it may one day return just as I remember when I first met it. Keep up the good work! :)
I completely agree with you on appreciating Prime 2 more and more every time I play it. At first it was a great but somewhat lesser sequel to Prime, then it was a sequel that, despite its lack of color, arguably rivaled Prime 1, and at this point it's straight up my favorite Metroid game.
The only criticism I can think of that game was the ammunition system. It was totally unnecesary and was clearly added to balance the multiplayer that no one played. In the main game you'll probably ran out of ammo by shooting at doors figuring which way to go rather yhan in actual combat. Other than that in terms of level design, exploration, boss fight and overall setting its the best of the 3.
@@Xfushion2 I could not disagree more. The beam system is a VAST improvement over Prime 1, each beam serves a purpose and managing your ammo is a part of the combat, you can't just spam light beam willy nilly at a boss because it's weak to it, you have to time and aim your shots and make each one count.
Prime 2 has a significantly better atmosphere for sure. I also love the setup of the story. Samus' mission was to answer a distress single. Nothing more. You complete that objective within the first hour of the game but since her ship is busted, she decides to look around some more. Eventually she encounters best moth and after hearing his plea, decides to help. She didn't need to, she just did what was right. then at the end theres that badass wave she gives the luminoth before leaving their planet. That hit real hard.
I only started getting interested in the Metroid series after Dread was announced. And when I buy it, I hope to have that feeling of isolation and tension that everyone else had when they played the games before. I can't wait!
Thank you for capturing this moment and doing it so well. It’s not often we take time to reflect and realize where we are before something so exciting takes place.
My Metroid journey: As a person on the internet, I had heard loads about how Super Metroid was this revolutionary game, and when Nintendo announced SNES games on NSO, I figured it was the perfect time to play it. Long story short, it was great, and I wanted more. However, Nintendo doesn’t seem to want us playing their games, so I had to resort to emulation. I emulated Fusion and Zero Mission at the same time, switching back and forth whenever I hit a roadblock. After that, I did something even more heinous. I downloaded a fan game. AM2R is the Metroid game I’ve played the most thus far, and in my opinion it’s the best way to play Metroid 2. I still haven’t touched the Prime series yet, but if Nintendo releases an HD collection you know I’ll be all over it. And now I’ve preordered Dread, and I’ll be playing it on my very first Twitch stream. This is an exiting moment, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Golly. I didnt expect to take a trip down memory lane today but here we are. My first exposure to the series was actually Ronnie Oni Edward's Digressing and Sidequesting episode on Super. Rest in peace Ronnie. That video is what put the exsitance of the series on my radar so when Super was put on the New 3ds Eshop i picked it up immediately and fell in love with it just as fast. Played the GBA games on an emulator on my phone a couple months after closing the book on Super, picked up and played Samus Returns as soon as it came out, got the Prime Trilogy on the Wii U a couple months after that and then here we are. Could not be more hyped for dread.
The whole reason metroid became my favorite video game series ever is actually because of you, Arlo. Watching you rant about this series with such passion inspired me to go and play super Metroid for the first time, and I immediately fell in love. I’m not as much of a fan of the prime series, but I’m hyped for 4 and excited to get a chance to try it! Thank you for bringing Metroid into my life and being a fantastic creator. You’re awesome, Arlo!
I’m glad you made this, Arlo. It’s always fun to sees someone’s path of passion. While there are tons of things we’ve been into forever it’s always cool to see how and why someone got into a franchise. No matter if it’s when you’re 5 or 25.
there are 2d pikmin games? unless you mean the 3ds one but that one looked like a 6 out of 10 platformer like cheebi robo (however you spell) decent but meh
@@ChrisnOut pikmin got a game on the Wii u so that's pretty good compered to metroid or wario the platforming ones wich the last game was on the Wii regular or f zero witch I believe was the gamecube.
@@bland9876 problem is is that Metroid got 8 games, F-Zero got 8, and pikmin got like 4. 2 on an undersold console comparedto its competitors. 1 of which on a console that barely sold more than the dreamcast. And one that sold on a system that was starting to become irrelevant by the time the game came out. So ye. Pikmins got it pretty bad.
@@ChrisnOut but Pikmin is a need franchise so it obviously is only going to have a few games. Just like splatoon. It is time for a new game though. Maybe next direct we hear about it? I heard they are working on a new one but it is not one they put lots of time into other games are more important.
Every time I go back to Prime 2, I appreciate more and more how different it is in Tone than the others. I was planning on playing Dread the minute it came out but medical stuff is rearing it's head. My only hope is that I don't fall too far behind and miss out on the hype
I really do hope you do make a movie one day. Your scriptwriting does such a good job at captureing a moment and making me really reflect on it. Thank you, Arlo. Keep up the good work.
Arlo lore... Arlore: if my math is correct, Arlo is 34 yo. I think we always knew he was on the elder side of the millenial generation, but I don't think we had an actual number before.
Metroid dread might be my first Metroid game, and it's because of your excitement for the series. It's been enough for me to actually get interested in it. :)
My Metroid Journey: Started when my brother lent me his gold gameboy advance and a copy of Metroid Fusion for an evening. I thought I was so cool when I beat Arachnus, but then there was a whole rest of the game to explore. The following day, he pawned his GBA and the game, so I never saw the end. Later, my brother-in-law introduced me to emulation and hooked me up with hundreds of NES games. I tried the first Metroid and... Wasn't a fan. Later when I hacked my PSP, I put a GBA emulator on it and looked at recommended games. I got the two Metroid games, Fusion and Zero Mission. I finally beat Fusion and later, Zero Mission would be my favorite of all Metroid Games. Super Metroid was also suggested to me, but when I compared the control feel of Super to Zero Mission, Super didn't stand a chance. I now have an appreciation for Super, about 15 years after I first tried it, but I still hold that the only reason people like it more than Zero Mission is that it can be broken more than Zero Mission due to some glitches, exploits, and moves that speedrunners use all the time. I also tried Metroid II, but I couldn't get into the GB version. I 100%'d Samus Returns within the week it came out, my first 100% Metroid game. I tried Prime and... Not my cup of tea. Sacrilege to admit, but I had the Wii Prime Trilogy, and I just couldn't enjoy the control feel of the Wii Remote/Nunchuck. Other M... Well... I'd rather pretend that game not exist. People try to say the gameplay is fine, it's just the story. Let's just say I wouldn't trust those people to petsit for me. And now, we have Dread... I remember being surprised that we didn't see a new 2D Metroid game on Wii, after New Super Mario and DKC Returns and all kinds of old series returning to their roots, but Metroid? Well... We got Other M and Prime: Federation Force as a one-two punch of Nintendo basically admitting they didn't know how to give fans what they actually wanted. I have high hopes for Mercurysteam, as the Spaniards have had experience with 2D Metroidvania, both the Metroid and the Castlevania, and I've managed to get Friday off work so I can spend the whole day playing the game I've been wanting since I was a depressed teenager as a depressed adult.
Note that I would later purchase each of these games that I had emulated. I own the physical versions of the GBA games, Metroid 1, and Super Metroid and the digital versions that I could get on Wii U and 3DS.
I like Super more than Zero mission because I love the look and feel of the game. It isn't about how much I can break it, the music, spritework and just the layout of the world in general just hit the exact tone and style I love. Zero Mission has manga inspired visuals and is held back by the soundfont of the GBA. It builds a fun world, but it never truly builds a beautiful, isolating atmosphere to the same heights as Super imo. I won't argue about the controls though. They are a million times better and less clunky, though I do have a soft spot for Super's physics.
@@SoIstice I agree as much I like Zero Mission's compressent sound font, Super's music is better. But I still think progression is way smooooother in Zero Mission
this is my favorite arlo video :) watched it a handful of times over, and the passion you have for the series, and how you describe how you fell into the series is something I think a lot of us can relate to. Here’s to Prime 4, you blue monster! 🥂
It really does look amazing. Weird thing is, it goes for more moody lighting and realism, which both tend to age really poorly but somehow they made it timeless. Upscaled to higher resolutions it almost looks like a modern game.
Prime to this day still blows my mind. It breaks my heart that I just can't enjoy it (This is a me problem, I have trouble with 3D spaces so FPS games disorient me) because I swear they sacrificed 2 virgins and a goat to get the game looking that good on Gamecube. It's beautiful even today.
This is truly beautiful. Like, yeah I think you are totally right about savoring and remembering this moment. I didn't think we would get another, brand new 2D Metroid. I was right there with you, looking at SR's sales and thinking "this is it, this was our last chance and it didn't go well"
Can’t wait to play my first ever Metroid game tomorrow with Dread. Honestly I think Dread is going to outsell the rest of the series as a whole. My only concern for people like you Arlo is that Nintendo will look at the ‘Switch effect’ and expect more. Also my Metroid is the Golden Sun series, but I never expect to see another one. Would love to see a remake of the first 2 as a 3D adventure. If that ever happened in a direct I think I would actually full on weep with joy (from every orifice).
Golden Sun is how I met one of my best friends back in Jr High! I loved the first two games so much, and I enjoyed the third one, but man... that cliffhanger. I'm right there with you, doubtful we'll ever see a fourth game, but wishing for it all the same. I'd love to see more love given to the series.
From the reviews I have seen so far, this should be an excellent introduction. The first few zones are rather linear to keep you from getting overwhelmed, but then opens up in true Metroidvania fashion.
I highly suggest playing super Metroid on the Super Nintendo online thingy I forgot the name of, to get you familiar with everything as it’s the most important game and recaps the events of the old games
I've always felt curious about the Metroid Series since I had fun one time with my friends playing Super Smash Bros (I'd never played SSB either and I chose Samus because she looked cool). When the lockdown was declared in 2020 and I had a lot of free time, I played an emulated version of Super Metroid for the first time on my PC. Needless to say... I fell absolutely in love with the series. I had no idea a game could be so perfectly designed, much less in 1994. So engaging, so satisfying with every little progress I made. After that I played Metroid Fusion, Zero Mission, and I even bought a 3DS XL to play Samus Returns. So now I'm eagerly waiting for Dread, and I'm sure It'll be the best Metroid title so far. 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
Can we get a 10 hour loop of the first few seconds of Arlo admiring the stars? It looks great on tv and my daughter wants me to keep reminding the video :P
As a fan of Metroid since Metroid II on Gameboy I am glad to see that it captured you in the same way it captured me, even if it was a little later. Glad to have you on team Metroid!
Metroid Fusion might be a fun one to replay during the Halloween season. Turn off the lights. Crank that music up. Sure, its the most linear of the lot, structurally, but that mood though.
Coming from a fan who has played since childhood. As they released, and needing day one level support the whole way through. XD this series is a magical one. Like the Man Arlo says, it's hard to explain why it's so magical.. but it truly is that when they make a Metroid game, they have a goal in mind on how to make the game feel and look and play, and they deliver on them. It's fresh, and it's always going to be centered on your skill to survive and fight back. How well you can react. While you are exploring lush environments down to the frozen environments, to the molten lava caves. The music, the flow, the energy, the pace, the enemies, and the world's you explore... This is a BEAUTIFUL series. And it has been very sad having gone without any Metroid for so long. Always just replaying the classics.. but here we are guys. AND LET ME TELL YOU. I've played Dread, NO SPOILERS. But I will say, this is going to be the tightest feeling, most modern Metroid game, where the world breathes interactivity. This IS going to be a TREAT. Boys and Girls .. these are truly the moments before Metroid, MAINLINE METROID, indeed comes back, and BEAUTIFULLY.
Man, I wanna marathon Metroid so bad! I’ve never played any of them, and I want Dread and Prime 4 and, and, AND I want to see the franchise be successful! I WANT THEM.
As someone who just got into Metroid in the lead up to Dread, the one thing I’m really dreading is not having guides to reference for when I inevitably get lost and/or stuck.
@@jennifergriel861 Don't stress out about that! I am pretty sure you will be able to mark down roadblocks in the map so you could fix it later, and since the game is supposed to be more accessible and the genre has been more refined, you are probably gonna be safer run than I was playing Super Metroid a couple years ago XD But I can give you a few tips that have helped me: -If you see a dead-end, throw all you abilities at the wall until something works, and if it doesn't mark it down for later - Always make sure to check around the outer parts of the map first and then the inner parts until you find a way out as all dead-ends must have a purpose - And if you still can't figure it out, try to look for a general direction of where to go online and try these again While most people think getting lost is part of the experience, and I can kinda get behind that idea, I mostly agree with you and I hope these tips help
@@danjoredd That's pretty subjective. When I played Super Metroid for the first time, even though I loved some stuff, I hated it it being so cryptic and sometimes vague on where to go, which I wasn't really ashamed of as I wouldn"t have figured it out. But now that I've played them more times, I can appreciate the feeling a bit more
If you got into metroid and played at least two or three of the games before this one then you should be fine. You learn from your past games. At least thats how it works for me. You learn what to look for and what not to. You learn when and where to bomb things and what ro look for. Its like practicing for a test. You take the practice exams and have an answer key. But then now youre actually about to take the test. No answer key. Just you and the test. And that is the fun part. It tests what all you have learned from your past adventures and sees how much you know. Thats actually one of my favorite things about this new release is that its fresh and a new test for us all. Also side note Im sure itll be easy to figure out things. I 100% Samus Returns with almost no guide. I think I might have looked once? I dont remeber. But that game tells you everything you need to know but it lets you figure it and and doesnt just spell it out for you. I assume mercury steam will do the same thing this go around. I have so much faith in them because of how well they recreated Metroid II. Youll be good the game will tell you what you need to know you can do it without a guide.
As a recent Metroid fan myself. I avoided the long wait. But I couldn't be more excited for Dread. I played my first Metroid game in July of this year actually. I decided to give Super Metroid a go on the SNES app and absolutely loved it. After that I got the entire mainline series + the primes. And it truly is an amazing series. Personally I think Prime 2 is better then prime 1 but that's not what I'm here to say. I think you misunderstood the ideas and direction of Fusion. It was specifically made to be linear to tell a story. It had a major theme of corruption. Not just in the story but gameplay as well. Several aspects of the game are similar but slightly shifted from the usual Metroid formula. And the Linearity is conveyed through Samus's loss of agency. As you progress through the game Samus is able to explore more. And specifically go against the Federation. A group I assume she quit due to the restrictions. The point of the game is Samus taking back her agency. And regaining confidence in her abilities after the corruption she herself went through. I don't think I explained it the best but I believe I got the general point across. If you want a better explanation and someone to go deeper into it I recommend you watch geek critiques video on Fusion. And maybe even the other Metroid games if you're interested. He does a great job at breaking them down. And his videos are very entertaining. Lastly I'd just like to say thank you Arlo. As you were one of the main reasons I gave the Metroid series a shot. Please have a wonderful day.
Fusion has been one of my favorite games of all time since it came out, and I don't think I've ever thought about its themes like that, but I agree with it! Really paints a cool picture over it all. Man, I love Fusion so much...
I'm in bed listening to this, and I'm hopeful. The Switch is a current platform that isn't nearing the explicit end of its life-cycle, as far as we know, and good games on the Switch really sell because people really like buying them, and word of mouth gets around fast. Yet, at the same time, I'm terrified. I _need_ Metroid Dread to do well, _so...badly._ It's the one series at Nintendo that I've been the most passionate about for the longest amount of time, and that includes the one that I've made my username after, which is what hooked me into gaming in the first place. Buy Dread, people!
This has got to be one of your best videos ever, such a beautiful retrospective! Dread has definitely caused me as to really dig deeper into the series, beyond just loving individual games. It wasn't until fairly recently that I realized that the 2D games were actually the main games in the series from a story perspective, or that petty much all the Metroid games are part of one big, cohesive story. Reading the (canon) Metroid manga and replaying Fusion, Super Metroid and Zero Mission has definitely solidified my love for the series, the characters and the Metroid universe.
Arlo? Lemme tell ya somethin’. I’m a historian, because I love reading epic tales of ancient heroes that inspire hope. This segment right here: 20:36 - 21:40. That segment made me feel the things I feel when I read Gilgamesh. You gave me hope.
I’ll buy Dread, not because I love the series or played all the games, neither are true. But because a little blue monster and other fans want it to succeed. Maybe it will, maybe I’ll like it.
Revisiting this post Metroid Prime Remastered drop. We really are living in a dream. The Metroid love these past few years has been such a joy. I remember those breathless days before Dread arrived at my doorstep. Wonderful video.
thank you for doing so much content about metroid dread and the metroid series, i played prime in the past a bit but i decided to play zero mission and its actually really good, I really appreciate helping me finally get into this series.
"Everyone has that one game that they love and are hoping will get a sequel even though it probably wont happen" As a Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon fan, I think I'm good
Funniest thing about this video is that my journey through Metroid has been almost the exact same, although in a much shorter time frame. I grew up on the Prime games and love them all to death (especially number 2), followed by Super Metroid when I purchased Nintendo Switch Online earlier this year. I then proceeded to play the original, albeit with a walkthrough, and then followed it up with Fusion on the Wii U. I played Zero Mission after that, and most recently I beat Metroid 2: Return of Samus on an emulator with a walkthrough. It's been super exciting joining the Metroid community, and when Dread was announced right after I beat Zero Mission for the fourth time in one week, it was like a dream come true. Great video Arlo!
This honestly feels like a pivotal moment for Metroid as a series. Because Nintendo have gone all out on their marketing, it really feels like they're saying "Ok. This is it. We marketed like crazy. If this doesn't sell well there can be no complaints that we didn't give Metroid an opportunity to shine as a flagship title."
If it doesn't sell well Nintendo would be fairly justified in not continuing to support the series heavily. If it does sell well... we could be in for a golden age of metroid content going forward. Good luck Metroid fans!
Metroid is at *exactly* the stage in its life that Fire Emblem was in prior to Awakening's release. The devs have made a love letter to the series, writing it under the assumption that it could be the last in the series. Nintendo doesn't have any major titles this quarter so have assigned their primary marketing teams to this niche title, giving it way more coverage than it probably deserves from a business perspective.
I was one of the people who fell in love with FE because of Awakening. This time, as someone who's already a Metroid fan, standing on the precipice of fate like this...it's exciting and overwhelming. If we do well, we follow in Fire Emblem's footsteps and become a massive flagship series despite being under the radar for literal decades. If we don't do well enough....Prime 4 might become the last Metroid game.
@@Rot8erConeX Well, this newbie is excited to pick up Dread as my first Metroid release :) The trailers successfully got me hyped, and I went back and played Super Metroid in the meantime and... wow. I don't really like retro games, but that SNES game earned the hype, I was so impressed. And now, I can't wait for Dread!! Already purchased it and it arrives tomorrow ^_^
Agreed. This is Metroid's make-or-break moment. Here's hoping!
It’s going to be really awkward if this game doesn’t sell well.
I usually dislike the practice of preordering, but if it can make the difference, I had to do it.
love that you did this man
yuck.
1. This video contains no spoilers for Metroid Dread beyond footage from the initial reveal trailer and Treehouse presentation.
2. Unfortunately I forgot to mention Super Smash Bros. on the N64 and didn't realize until it was too late. But that was my very first exposure to Metroid, and I remember being curious about it.
3. Tell us about YOUR Metroid journey! Has it been a long one? Or has it only just begun?
I haven't played yet but I want to
I started with Prime. It was the first time I remember being exposed to the cold, dark sci-fi genre I'd go on to love being immersed in. I'm so excited for Dread.
I have played every 2d Metroid they are all good I played them 2 months ago
I have Super Metroid on my SNES Classic. Maybe I should play it.
I’ve played Prime Trilogy, Fusion, Zero Mission, Samus Returns, and Super a little bit.
Mario: "Look, I can explain."
Samus: "No, there's no way you can justify having all these games when I only get to have these two!"
Fox: "At least you guys are getting actual games, I'm stuck with nothing but gimmick fests and remakes."
Captain Falcon: "You guys are getting games?"
Kirby just eating popcorn in the corner
Pit: I guess I have to wait another 20 years for kid icarus 4...
@@theeternalslayer yeah I feel really bad for the kid icarus fans.. I love those games🥲
@@barelyhere7200 Kirby: Poyo
Link: Hek
DK: I don't see what the problem is.
Well I guess he kind of got a game with his brief cameo in 99
I had never played a Metroid game until after Dread was revealed in June. Since then, I’ve played every official 2D Metroid game since the NES original. In fact, I just 100%’d Samus Returns today. I’m totally hooked on this series now and I’m counting the hours until Dread releases!
Its almost here bro. Its almost here😍😃😁😁
That is awe inspiring
How’d you play Fusion
Same, I didn’t start until like July of this year
@@FoodLiquorCool I used emulation. Look, if Nintendo is only gonna put the game on a dead console that few people bought then I’m gonna take matters into my own hands. If they ever do release it on the eshop or something I’ll be the first to buy it!
My journey with Metroid began with Smash Bros. 64.
Even as a kid I figured out Samus was a woman before knowing who she was (I think it was her shoulder pads of her varia suit that made me figure it out), and I would main her back then.
And then I saw the commercial for Metroid Prime during the hours of Toonami, and I got it for Christmas. The game was ahead of its time by probably 10 years.
Then I played Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission, and from there on, I fell in love with the Metroid franchise.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was incredible too!!! Loved that one too. The amount of stress this game gave me was something no other game has given me.
And then I was hyped when Zero Suit Samus came into Smash Bros. Brawl!!! I was hoping Ridley would be a fighter, but seeing him and Meta Ridley as bosses still surprised me to see them.
Then I played Metroid Prime 3, and I absolutely love it!!! The motion controls were great, and the cutscenes were really good!! Music is incredible too!! I saw this scan in the game that said “Project Dread is nearing completion”, and I was hoping a DS game called “Metroid: Project Dread” would be a thing. Had to wait 19 years though.
Metroid Prime: Hunters was the DS game we got instead and I didn’t like it. Sorry to those who like it. Also, “Metroid Prime: Pinball” is a masterpiece!!
While searching through Wii Virtual Console, I saw two games called “Metroid” and “Super Metroid”. Ok, I didn’t like the NES version, but thankfully I own the remake so it’s all good.
Then I played “Super Metroid”, and i immediately loved it!!! The music, the atmosphere, the gameplay, the subtext of the story is just so perfect!!!
I saw the announcement for Other M, and I didn’t buy it, even if it looked good. I learned the hard way that I’m kinda glad I didn’t buy it. Neither did I buy Federation Force.
As soon as I saw a Metroid in SR388, I screamed that “Metroid 2: The Return of Samus” is being remade!!! Because much like Arlo, I don’t have the patience to play a Metroid game with no map system. Samus Returns was BRUTAL, and I loved it!!! And I got all the Chozo Memories, as soon as I saw that last memory, DAMN!!!!! I knew eventually that would be the next Metroid game.
Ridley and Dark Samus reveals in Smash Bros. Ultimate had me screaming and ecstatic!! WHO’S TOO BIG NOW?! WHO’S TOO BIG NOW?!
And then E3 2021 happened. At First, I thought we’d get a Metroid Fusion remake, but then I saw “Metroid 5”. And finally, I saw “Metroid……………DREAD” Afterwards, I replayed every mainline Metroid game, and begun to appreciate how far the Metroid series has come, and the subtle storytelling in the series (except for Other M and Federation Force)
After almost 2 decades, I am ready to be filled with Dread, Suspense, and Brutality with Metroid Dread. See you all tomorrow, when Samus truly returns.
That, and when she is shocked in Smash 64, you can see her character model has boobs.
Not me. I didn't think Space Guy should have been in Smash Bros with my Yoshi and Pikachu >:(
Same for me man and I got Metroid prime on GC just like him and I’ve had to back track to play the games. Absolutely love the games and especially the character.
How do her shoulder pads give it away? Because she's not broad-shouldered otherwise?
My first smash was wii u and I originally thought Samus and Zero Suit Samus were different people.
"Its an awful feeling, being madly in love with a series that feels like it's gone". Coming from a half life fan, I feel you Arlo.
That's also how the DMC fans felt before DMC V got announced seemingly out of the blue a few years back. It's never too late ........ unless you expect Valve to learn to count to 3
Or Castlevania. C'mon Konami, Get it together.
You should see how us SEGA fans live...
Man, imagine being a fan of Half-Life, Portal, Left 4 Dead, Star Fox, Metroid, F-Zero, and Jet Set Radio and you can imagine how I feel on a daily basis. Lol
Man I miss Jet Set Radio.
@@vaderman212 i would kill for a new F-Zero(not literally)!
My dad is a huge Metroid fan. He bought Metroid Prime and Fusion when they were new, and used them as a chance to introduce me to the series. I absolutely adored them even though at the time I thought they were both really hard games. I've followed the series closely my whole life!
Ur dad is epic
do let us know what your dad thinks of dread!
@@poisxnashley He's a very busy man so he hasn't finished yet, but from what he's texted me, it seems like he's had a great time so far! I think the latest major power up he got was the plasma beam.
The way he describes his yearning for Metroid as a fan is how I feel about Sonic. Mania was my one moment to recapture that glory, it did amazing… and still Sega just simply refuses to succeed.
They made one great 3d experience with generations(and like 60% of it was 2d lol) and then continue to fumble at every turn. its really sad actually
Try "freedom planet" you can thank me later
Say what you will about the Big N... at least we have a better chance at seeing another one of their lesser franchises than any of Sega's...
*Cries on Golden Axe and Shinobi*
it really is sad, every time Sega makes something really good out of Sonic, they throw it out and start from scratch. the Modern levels in Generations were AMAZING, and it was the last time Boost was good. Mania was fantastic, yet they seem to have zero interest in letting that team make more of it. They create a gem and then go back to giving us coal
@@beneven-kesef5121 well more than one, but sadly a long time ago. The last good 3d game in the series came out 10 years ago 😑
1:03 You showed F-Zero GX at the perfect time in your speech. That is the one series I want more then ever.
Metroid Prime was my introduction to the series as well, also was a Christmas gift and I fell head over heals in love with it . . . I didn't really follow games back then, just kinda played whatever my parents happened to get me so I had no idea they were even making Prime 2, so when I walked into a store one day and saw a display with it up front I damn near lost my mind . . . crazy how that memory in particular sticks so much in my mind, I honestly don't know if I have EVER been that excited to see a box and logo before or after that day. Metroid Prime 3 then, was probably the first game I followed the "hype cycle" for, always on the lookout for more info and eating up every bit of info that dropped (remember that "metroid channel" on the Wii?). To this day I hold that trilogy in highest regard.
Arlo's story is somehow very relatable to mine, Prime 1 was my first introduction to the series, and my first gamecube game, it took me years until I finally gave all the 2D games a try, and with Ridley reveal I was legit shocked, and by the time Dread was revealed, my familiarity with the Metroid franchise was good enough to get me super excited.
I am working a 12 hour shift on Friday and then swinging by BestBuy on my way home to pick up my Dread preorder. 😁
Neat. I am gonna hold off on buying that game for now, but I might but it eventually.
Me too but I've got a digital preorder so debating on if I want to play it in the early early morning or wait till I get back home
Hi I work at Best Buy… Hope you get it!
Free decals
@@TheGlassSword I preordered it basically as soon as the option became available, so I am not too concerned about shortages.
“It’s silly, because we’re talking about a game series here”
No. It’s never silly to appreciate the smaller things I life💙
The second best part of a second Metroid Renaissance would be regular Arlo Metroid content!
I remember playing Super Metroid as a kid and I didn't quite get it back then. But when I became a teenager and took another look at it, oh man... What an experience! Challenging game play! I was ecstatic to see that I could bypass entire areas of the game if only I was _just_ crafty enough. Nowadays when I playthrough Super Metroid, I'll skip getting the grappling beam all together.
And then Prime came out. To this day, it looks absolutely incredible. Those first steps onto Tallon IV were unprecedented for gaming as a whole, let alone Nintendo. It's like a Fallout 3 - it set a standard that few other games could ever compete with. You look up? You get more raindrops on your visor. You look down? Few to no raindrops. Fallout 4 couldn't do that ~15 years later, for some inexplicable reason. Those points of action where you get a blast to the face, and you see the reflection of Samus, only briefly? Retro did a bafflingly good job and it stands to this day as one of the greatest games of all time.
Prime 2 is seen as many as a "more of the same" game. But I couldn't disagree more. It is the most atmospheric game in the series, and the story it tells is incredibly rewarding. It's my second favourite game in the series after Super Metroid due to it's atmosphere and difficulty.
I've rambled enough! BUY DREAD AND LET'S ALL LOVE IT! I AM BEYOND READY!!!!
Prime 2 is weird to me. I like it, don't get me wrong, but a lot of what made 1 so mesmerising is kind of gone. U-Mos's existence says goodbye to the sense of loneliness from before, Aether feels too by-the-books compared to how open Tallon IV felt (I know both games are linear, but 1 tried to feel non-linear while 2 embraces that linearity to its detriment IMO), and the idea of going to these three temples and also a dark world - complete with "guardian" minibosses - felt like I was playing a Zelda game instead of a Metroid game. Least favorite of the trilogy, to be perfectly honest.
@@swishfish8858 I see MP2 as being less interested in wasting time with backtracking. Everything you need to do is in a smaller area, those being one of the three main areas. Instead of galumphing across the entire game map, you're (with a few exceptions) in one of those three areas until you're done that part of the mission. Walking into an area with the few upgrades you have, and then walking out when you're done? That's a powerful experience. It punctuates your progression. It makes YOU feel like the badass bountyhunter collecting alien technology across a dangerous foreign planet.
I think you should mention prime 3. It's not as good as the other 2 imo but it's very underrated and still very close.
@@WaluigiisthekingASmith My pleasure!
Prime 3 is fantastic. What it lacks in the familiar isolation of the Metroid series, it gains in the expansion of the universe. The scope of the game is just huge, from the sprawling steampunk Jupiter of Elysia (where you drop a NUKE onto the pirate shields) to the derelict GFS junker where you piece the power units back where they belong.
My only criticism would be of hypermode. Enemies without using it are too spongy, and take a bit too much time to defeat. But enemies with it are dispatched in mere moments. It just needed more balancing. I never used it in my first playthrough, except of course for the moments where you have to use it.
But I'm never going to complain about an expansion of an in-game universe for a series that I love. Prime 3 did that in bounds and it's a strong title partly for that reason.
My Metroid journey started in 2017 when I got Samus Returns for my birthday. I played it for a bit and was enjoying it, but it got backlogged by other games that came out that year and I didn't finish it until just this summer, when my interest in Metroid was rekindled by the announcement of Dread. I finished Samus Returns and loved it, then jumped straight into Super, Fusion, and Zero Mission and loved all of them. Then I went and played the Prime trilogy and was blown away by those games too. I'm kind of kicking myself for not getting into this franchise earlier because man these games are good.
And man just hearing you praise Prime 1 so much makes me want to play it again that game is godlike
This genuinely one of my favorite videos you’ve made. I just by chance stumbled upon your channel in the months leading to the switch’s release and I have been hooked ever since. Your Metroid Prime 4 reaction got me to question why people loved the series so much and I ended up playing the NES Metroid and have been love with the series since January of this year. Thank you, Arlo for your wonderful content. Truly a joy to watch!
Dread was my first Metroid. So far I’m really liking it. I hope the series grows
My story of how I got into Metroid is probably one of my favorite memories of all time. When I was about 4, I moved into a new house in a new town. A few weeks prior, I was gifted my first video game console, a used gba from my brother. I only had 2 or 3 shovel ware games on it that I absolutely adored. Fast forward a few weeks after I move in and as I’m unpacking the stuff in my closet, I find a dusty game cartridge in the back corner of my closet that had the words “Metroid: Zero Mission” on the front. I had no clue what that was or meant but it seemed to fit in my game boy so I ended up playing it. I remember the opening cutscene as soon as you turn on the game and being slightly scared of it for some reason. I noticed that there were still files on the cartridge still in progress so me not knowing to start a new game just played on one of them. I would continue to pick up and set down the game for YEARS before I ever made actual progress. I just thought the game was another shovel ware game and when I got my ps2, I just kinda forgot about it. But then about 6 years later, I find myself picking it up again and wandering around aimlessly for several minutes when suddenly, I find the entrance to Tourian. It appeared that whoever’s file I was playing on had beaten Ridley and Kraid, but never made it to Tourian. So I ended up beating mother brain and getting to the zero suit segment, which enthralled me. I continued forward and ended up beating the game a few days later, and soon after, started my own file. With all this said and done I just thought that this game was just some random shovel ware baby garbage that I alone really liked. However, I was proved VERY wrong when I stumbled upon a little game called Super Smash Bros Brawl. I had picked up the game and freaked out finding Samus to be an actual popular character. Furthermore, I was elated to find that there were more Metroid games. So I begged my mom to take me to the local GameStop and it was there that I found Metroid Prime 3. From that moment, I was solidified to be a Metroid fan for life. And now here I am, typing this comment, a few hours away from Metroid Dread releasing, and reflecting on probably my greatest gaming memory. To think that I’m now a adult waiting for the game I spent HOURS watching theory videos on in 2013, is really insane. Overall, being a Metroid fan has had its highs and lows, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I hope Metroid Dread is great!
"Oh no samus, lookout!" Not even the first time that happened - fusion, zero mission, arriving on aether in echoes, outstaying your welcome on sky town in corruption and almost at the end of samus returns
Samus goes through ships like an understandably frustrated busty woman goes through shirts
I think a re-framing of the discussion of what constitutes "good sales" is sorely needed. Without knowing the budget of a game its hard to say when something hasn't sold well.
Most franchises do not sell in the millions or 10 million+
1M sales for a new IP and/or indie should be a good benchmark. But talking about longstanding series that have a dozen or more games in them, it will vary by series. Pokemon will sell 20M every pair of games, and that will be considered meeting expectations.
Big Nintendo tentpoles will generally pull 10-20M per entry, and many top hitters across the industry will see similar. There are breakaway outliers, like GTA V and Minecraft, but they shouldn't set expectations or goals.
I'd say around 2.5-3M mark for established franchises could be called a healthy success. And of course, .5-1M for new IPs and indies.
Due to being as old as Mario and Zelda, Metroid is frequently compared directly to them and unfairly lambasted for not bringing in the same numbers.
With the exception of Federation Force and Prime Pinball the series has always brought in what most standards consider a profit. People just like to make up flimsy rules for what is and isn't "selling well". Super Metroid outsold the likes of Mega Man X and that game was considered a smash hit. Yet Super is called a failure regardless. Hell, Prime was the 6th best selling game on the GameCube.
Dread isn't Nintendo giving the series "one last chance to sell well", that's not how companies work. They're making it because they expect to make money from it. This series would have died a long time ago if it truly "didn't sell well". Just look at F-Zero.
@@toamatoro570 Did you really have to bring up f-zero like that man
@@morphstarchangeling8024 If the shoe fits.
@@toamatoro570 pretty sure Other M was a flop too. Sure, the sales don't look too bad but a lot of them were sold at heavy discounts. Which is practically unheard of for any Nintendo product.
I love rewatching this video again and again. Its so cool watching someone recount a journey, even if its just for a video game franchise.
Oh god I really hope he does a first impressions video his happiness for this series makes me just so happy and makes me realize how the little things in life can make you the happiest it’s just friggen great
I really liked this video, just a nice recap of someone's journey into such an unfathomably incredible series.
For me, it's really hard to say. Alongside tons of Zelda games like Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, A Link to the Past, and Minish Cap, Metroid games, specifically Super Metroid, Zero Mission, and Metroid Fusion, were some of the first games I ever played in my life. I was like 4 or 5 too. To me, Metroid is just one of those series that just represents video games as a whole, for me. They've basically been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and have really shaped what I've come to expect from a gaming experience, at least somewhat.
I've moved on to tons of other games and series since then, but even now, Zelda is my favorite video game series of all time with a massive impact on my life and creative viewing, and Metroid sits really close by, with tons of memories of me just playing those 2D games on my GBA SP, or reading the Super Metroid manual while trying some speedrun methods I'd learned about.
It's hard to truly savor these types of things nowadays due to how busy I am, I won't even able to play the game on launch, similar reasons as you'd mentioned in your video, but I really enjoyed just hearing someone take the time to just gush about the series. I've never been able to get into the non-2D games, unfortunately, but man, those 2D games are just breathtaking for me.
Here's to a hopefully EXTREMELY successful release and many more Metroid games to come
I have a similar but different experience. I was about that age when I first played Sonic 2, and I had grown to love Sonic and consider Sonic 3 and Knuckles to be the peak of Sonic, but I had gotten a Gameboy game I didn't know much about called Metroid II, Return of Samus, on the Gameboy, from some lady I don't remember that my mom knew. I think I'll ask her about it the next time I visit. I'm now 30 and Metroid is my favorite series. I encountered the Spider Ball in Metroid II and thought it was so cool, but didn't know how to progress from there and forgot about the game for awhile. Smash Bros was a game I liked a lot and it talked about Samus, and with Metroid Prime being featured in Nintento Power and talking about how immersive it is and the different visors like scanning your surroundings it just seemed so cool! So of course I got that game when I was able to, or when my mom was up for giving me the game. I had seen someone playing Zero Mission while in the waiting room for the doctor or dentist and I recognized that as Samus fighting Kraid because of Brinstar Depths featuring Kraid in Melee (good memories of Melee by the way but irrelevent). Anyway Fusion was kind of advertised alongside Metroid Prime so I thought I'd get that too. I didn't have all the context but the game intro explained it enough. I had read the metroid trophy description and imagined them over pits of volcanic activity with them needing to be frozen but it turned out to be acid they were hovering over in the original games but still I wanted to play more. I played Zero Mission and the original Metroid which is... clunky and archaic, and not a game you should play if you want to get into Metroid, but after playing through Prime 2 over the summer with the underwater area lingering in my mind while at the pool, imagining Samus with her gravity suit or booster doing stuff like blowing open the drain in the pool with a morph ball bomb, and playing the first Metroid game, I decided to give that old Gameboy cartridge another shot, starting at the beginning since I had no idea where I left off but a fresh start really helped. I defeated the Metroid Queen eventually after a guantlet of Omega metroids and found it to be a satisfying esperience. From then on I considered myself a Metroid fan and it is my favorite game franchise ever even today, standing above even Ocarina of Time (though I did love the Zelda games you mentioned too, Ocarina of Time especially with its narrative approach but Metroid has a special place of its own for me.) I played Prime 3 on the Wii and got the Prime Trilogy, and got to play through Super Metroid thanks to the virtual console! It's too bad there was such a hiatus after Prime 3 when my interest in Metroid was at its peak. I had theorized how life energy works, and whether the same energy metroids drain is the same energy Samus collects, her suit detecting residual life energy from defeated enemies and absorbing it since the chozo created both metroids and her suit.
Oh I forgot to mention the Metroid Manga of her backstory, that made me even more of a fan when I found out about it. While I understand her PTSD with Ridley taunting her in it, they did an awful job of referencing it in Other M and it didn't make sense. After other M and Federation Force I had lost hope for awhile. However something from back in Metroid Prime Hunters, which isn't a game I like all that much and was my most disliked Metroid game at the time... before Other M and Federation Force... but anyway people were talking about Metroid Dread which was at first referenced in Nintendo Power. I was reading theories about the Galactic Federation hunting Samus down because of her destroying the BSL and a planet, and Adam's comment at the end of Fusion about them maybe needing to be on the run. That's not how things turned out in Fusion but I imagined stuff like being chased by Federation troopers, underpowered and much of your powerups gone, and being surrounded by them needing to escape through glass tunnels like in Super Metroid or a part of Fusion from glass tunnels with power bombs, then trying to slip by unnoticed in these massive city scapes in 2D format, similar to Megaman X with Storm Eagle's stage except with more interior areas. While the robots in Dread hunting you down were made by the GF, their implimentation surpassed my expectations of what could be possible after the SA-X, how would they capture the DREAD of being chased down? Of course it might not have been the Federation since it was later explained after Other M that in Fusion it was just a rogue sector of the federation, not the main federation themselves, apparently that part wasn't translated so Samus being hunted by the main GF doesn't make sense anymore, but I still saw it that way since the needles of the Emmi seemed to be meant for extracting and I figured they were for getting the metroid DNA from her. I'll stop there with that though, I'm just glad that after SO long of this game being announced and cancelled multiple times and seemingly never to come to light, it's finally happened! I love this game!
Metroid Dread will be my first ever Metroid. And I have never been so HYPED to FINALLY get into the series!
Man, I really hope Nintendo gets the rest of the series onto Switch. You have GOT to play them all!
"Everyone's got that one series"
Me, a Custom Robo fan: Yeah......
I understand your pain...I'm a Chibi-Robo fan
@@hsalfesrever3554 We'll get through this together, comrade
The franchise so forgotten it doesn't even get mentioned in the forgotten lists. I'd even settle for _Arena_ getting a Switch remaster at this point!
F Zero whhhhhhhhyyyyyyyy
Arlo, I really want to thank you for getting me into this series. Your recommendation of Super Metroid in many of your videos influenced me to check it out on NSO, and it is one of the greatest games I’ve ever played, and has really really gotten me into the Metroidvania genre. I can’t wait to play Dread and make more memories, can’t thank you enough!
Everyone’s hype for Dread has convinced me to purchase legitimate copies and play each game before Dread’s release!! (well, only the remakes for 1 and 2). Super actually ended up being my least favorite. It’s hard to control and I got stuck a lot (not a huge fan of games where you have to look up a guide). But even so, the series as a whole is so SOOO fun. The constant progression is what really hooked me. I’m sad you didn’t talk more about Zero Mission - I think that one ended up being my absolute favorite! So tightly designed and short and sweet with lots of momentum.
I’m gonna buy Dread digitally to support the series fully. Hope everyone really enjoys it!
Super is actualy my favorit because it didn't guid you like Zero Mission or Fusion did. I was lost sometimes but I never needed a guide, just with exploring I was able to find the path and that feeling of slowly finding your path and overcomming opstacles was just perfect for me.
But yes I agree on the controls but it's fine enougth for me.
Super could use a revision of some of its progression paths. Specially that point in Norfair where you have to walk through a fake wall that doesn't even show up on the x-ray visor.
Switching between missiles, bombs, grapple and x-ray also gets annoying coming from the GBA games.
LOL
I think super has perfect progression paths because it felt amazing on a first play through and allows for so much sequence breaking, if only they fixed that wall tho
I cannot WAIT to play my first Metroid game soon, and honestly you’re a big reason for that! Hearing you talk about the series’s history for so long made me get on board for Dread since it was first announced
How can you make me cry just by sharing your Metroid jurney. Thank you so much for your amazing work!
I haven't been a Metroid Fan for too long, but I've been a huge fan for the genre for a while
This is gonna see like a weird tangent, but bear with me here-
So, I'm a massive Spidey fan, obviously. And when 2008 came around there was nothing I was more excited for than Spider-Man Web of Shadows. It was the first time that I can remember that I found out about a game before it released, and I followed it extensively. I watched every trailer regularly, checked the website often, and just geeked out about the fact that Wolverine was going to get a symbiote suit to anyone who would listen. But sadly, I didn't own a 360, a PS3, or even a Wii. As far as I knew, I'd never get to play this game I'd wanted so badly. But then that Christmas, I got a surprise. I got a Nintendo DS, and a copy of Web of Shadows for it.
Of course, it obviously wasn't the same game, but I quickly got over that when I realized how good this version was. It had this strange ambience of a world on the brink of destruction, and as you ran around it, you'd get hints of a bigger threat.
It wasn't until years later that I found out that it and Shattered Dimensions on DS (which is absolutely phenomenal BTW) were Metroidvania titles. And that made me curious. I knew of Samus from Smash, but I'd never played any of her games. And that fact that her series inspired some of my childhood favorites peaked my interest.
Of course, I didn't have a lot of cash, nor did I own any way to play the series at the time unless I wanted to hunt down a copy of Fusion or Zero Mission. So Metroid just became something I'd play some day, whenever I got around to it.
But that all changed when AM2R came out.
I heard how much people were praising this thing, and since it was a free fan game, I didn't have an excuse not to try it out. And I was not disappointed at all! The world had that same ambience of WoS, the controls were so tight and responsive, and the music was just... OHHHH MAN.
I couldn't put it down. I played it non-stop, and after I beat it, I just wanted more. Metroid was no longer something I'd just get around to, it was a priority. And even though I could've emulated the older titles, and I certainly did that for Super Metroid, I wanted to get these legit. So I tracked down Zero Mission and Fusion, I bought Samus Returns the day it came out, and thanks to my roommate back at college, I was able to experience the entire Prime Trilogy as well as Other M, and I loved... almost every minute of it. I got lost a lot in Super, and Other M was... Other M.
Regardless, I am a massive fan of the series now. Heck, half the reason I bought a Switch was for Prime 4, becoming the first Nintendo home console I've ever owned (I was more of a Sony kid growing up), and when Dread was announced I was floored!!
So TL:DR, I'm a massive fan of this series thanks to a random Spidey game, and the passion project of other fans
(And I'm still bitter about Nintendo taking that down)
@Noodle Oh, shock yeah man!! Those games were awesome!
... Not Edge of Time though. They got a different developer for that port, and they... REALLY dropped the ball there
I was too young to play any 2D Metroid games, but my dad had a steelbook Trilogy. I had been asking to play it for years; whenever I saw him play it, I knew I needed to. When I was finally old enough, I played all 3 in a row.
MP1 absolutely wowed me. The music, the gameplay, the story, the environments, it absolutely wowed me. I found out that I'm a "lore player", because I LOVED reading anything I could scan.
MP2 had always scared me. When I played it, it did again. The music was still an absolute masterpiece. I was wowed again with how Retro had turned the lore up to 11. The story of the Luminoth was so compelling and I wanted to find all of their lore.
MP3 was disappointing in the way they removed beam changing and super missile combos. But it still had an amazing story. And the music was, again, masterful. As a lore buff, the story of the Bryyo was great.
The Prime Trilogy is a masterwork and it got me into all the other Metroid games. The music/sound design still amazes me to this day. For instance, the Luminoth theme is an underappreciated one, but sets the tone of the whole game perfectly and has great emotion while being amazing to listen to.
I’m a much more recent fan of Metroid. I really loved seeing the energy from creators when Dread was revealed and I felt like it was a good time to get into the franchise. Really enjoyed Zero Mission and I’m going through Returns now. Preordered Dread so I’m hoping to avoid any spoilers before I get around to playing it.
This is the one moment. The moment right before you started to get everything what you ever asked for. I'm not only talking about Metroid Dread. I'm talking about the Pikmin Ports, Metroid Prime Remastered, Pikmin 4, Paper Mario And The Thousand Year Door and Metroid Prime 4. These last two years must have been an incredible time for you.
😂😂 never even thought of it like that but true, Arlo genuinely got likely everything he wished for on the Switch.
I rewatched Arlo’s reaction to Prime 4 just to see if he really made that noise- he 100% did. It was amazing
The Christmas list is absolute gold. "An official extra PS2 controller - no weird other company junk", "I like Reese's peanut butter cups" and the Wierd Al soundtrack are particular highlights.
This is one of my favorite videos of yours. It's... serene. And thoughtful. It's had me reflecting on my time as a Metroid fan, and what I'm hoping for in the future as well. Thanks for sharing this with us.
I have to admit, it was the E3 Dread reveal that got me into Metroid. I wasn't shown anything I didn't already know, like what I knew what Metroid was and looked like, but what little I knew about the history of Dread just sparked this excitement in me when it was finally revealed. The same month I went back and started my Metroid journey. Metroid: Zero Mission was my first Metroid game. I played them in canonical order (ZM>SR>SM>MF) and I think it was a nice way to do so. It was nice to swap back and forth between gameplay feels and I can wholeheartedly say that I adore every entry in the mainline series. I'll be honest, it was harder for me to connect with Fusion as much because of my major fear of being chased. Despite only making up like 7% of the game, I was sweating around every corner, anxiously awaiting the SA-X. Metroid Fusion is a truly terrifying game. It has me worried about the E.M.M.I. sequences in Dread, but I'm hoping that my experience with Diggernaut and the SA-X will help me along while facing off against the E.M.M.I.
I'm going through the series the same way you did, and really enjoying it so far. I'm still on Samus Returns, just started actually (life got in the way) but Zero Mission was fantastic and I've greatly enjoyed the little of Samus Returns I've played so far.
@@Makoto0729 That's awesome! Do you plan on getting Dread? I picked it up a few hours ago!
yes, im really sad about DREAD and i dont get why everyone loves the game, every aspect of the game is stuck and not worthy of modern inteleigent game design instead they just added things and often hurting the game feel. And why is the game so easy ghosh i just wish i never played it
@@idate-ir8wm Oh dod you not enjoy Metroid Dread?
Metroid 6: Our protagonist, the mercenary Samus Aran, goes throught out space, after compliting a mision for the federation, when suddenly her ship gets blasted by a 2D shooting star. She lands in a strange planet, similar to earth, where a misterious species called the Arlos, live making videos about human videogames. Exploring the planet, she learns about the story of a atrocious bet where one human man, recognisable only by the code RGT85, was forced to go throught ritual called Balan wonderworld, and decides to hunt the responsable for this inhuman acts.
Sorry, too much coffee.
Omg 😂😂😂
Your palpably passionate adoration for video games is what sets you apart from other TH-camrs, Grover. Keep being you! It's a beautiful thing.
I know we aren’t talking about Prime 4, but I just can’t help myself! I can’t wait for Prime 4! I really wanna be totally immerse on a foreign alien planet, with an otherworldly atmosphere yet again, with many secrets and hidden details to discover!
I'm right there with ya buddy
Heaven on Earth.
i'm gonna wait till we have actual details about prime 4 before i start to get excited over it.
@@FluffyBunniesOnFire only if its optional.
dread is such a piece of shit i dont want prime anymore
tearing up a bit because your story is so so close to mine. i first got exposed to metroid from smash brawl and somehow fell in love with the series after falling in love with ZSS. looking back, I've been a fan of metroid since I was 8 years old and now I'm 20. I've been a huge fan for longer than half of my life and in those years, none of those games were an original game AND had samus as the main protagonist. which is why dread means so much to me and I'm so glad im not alone in this sort of euphoria im in. its been a crazy hell of a ride but we finally made it boys, here's to us longtime fans :')
that hand-drawn Christmas list is the cutest thing ever
Weird Al Yankovic: polka party lmao
It's incredibly touching, watching this video before release and truly thinking about what is to come. As someone who hasn't really played any Metroid games, watching this makes me, more then ever, want to support this game, and help the series flourish once more. I look forward to playing the game and hopefully gaining the appreciation and love seen in this video.
I usually don’t comment on videos, but I’m honestly to excited for the release of Metroid Dread that I’m willing to make the exception. I love the Metroid Series, which is so odd because I’m not a huge sci fi guy myself. I’ve been playing Metroid since the early 2000s. I remember getting Metroid Fusion and Zero mission for the GBA. I at least played those game 20 times each during my lifetime. I also played Super Metroid like crazy and I’ve been happy being able to beat that game under 1 hour and 30 minutes. A new Metroid brings a smile to my face like no other game could. I really love this franchise and I cannot wait for Dread. I called off work for it and I’m ready to play it all night. Thank you to all the developers who worked on the franchise 🙏 💕 you made my childhood
When I was young, my uncle got us a gameboy advance, along with 4 games. One of which was metroid fusion. At the tine I didn’t understand how to play it and it was too hard for me. Years down the line, I got into watching speedrunning videos- exposung me to super metroid and it made me try it out for myself, I fell in love with it and it made me want to experience as much metroid games as I can. After super, I played zero mission- an absolute masterpiece and then revisited fusion- i know the linearity of it drive some people away but it didnt bother me as it helped feel more constructing and kept me on my toes from paranoia. I didn’t get to play samus returns because I didn’t have a 3ds and I can’t see myself enjoying the gb version. My girlfriend and I got each other games recently and she got me metroid dread. I am here today, watching metroid videos tk hype me up more and waiting less than 24 hrs till it releases. I feel so giddy with excitement!
I actually started playing Metroid in 2019 I think.
That being said, I’ve beaten every single Metroid game ever released including remakes, and am absolutely psyched to get my hands on Dread.
I really didn’t think I’d like Metroid at first, but it quickly became one of my very favorite franchises.
My Metroid journey practically began with the reveal for Dread. I'd always been curious about the series, and had intentions of using NSO to give Super Metroid a shot, but it was always sort of an "I'll get to it when I get to it" sort of intention. But when I saw the reveal trailer and the hype it brought with it, I thought it was finally the perfect time to get into the series. Then I saw your video on how to get into Metroid, what games to play and where to play them (great video, by the way), and booted up Zero Mission on my Wii U a few weeks later. Now we're only a few hours from the release of Metroid Dread, and it's one of my most anticipated games of the past few years.
Also, kinda wished I'd played Super Metroid first because I think I might have appreciated it more than I currently do. Instead, Samus Returns is my favorite Metroid game so far.
"Samus Returns" was the game that convinced me to buy a 3DS. The announcement for Prime 4, meanwhile, is what convinced me to get a Switch (fortunately, I've enjoyed plenty of other games on it in the meantime :P).
Here's how my Metroid journey was.
I was 7 years old, and Metroid Fusion was the second or thrid game I had got for my first ever console - the GBA. I played it for a while, but didn't understand anything so I kept it back. 6 years later I picked up Super Metroid and I fell in love with it. I played it almost 10 times over the span of a couple weeks, that's how much I was hooked on that game. Then I gave Metroid Fusion one more try, let me just say it is now my favorite 2d Metroid game. The horror, the atmosphere, the combat, the bosses, I loved everything about it. And then I played Zero Mission, another fantastic experience. All this was within the month of January and I replayed all 3 of those games several times. Then I got interested in checking out the Prime series. I played Prime 1, took me over 4-5 days to finish it, I absolutely loved it. Everything about it felt perfect, I was shocked how a GameCube game from 2002 looked so good even so many years later. Then I played Prime 2, loved it as well and really appreciated Retro for taking a risk with the Light/Dark Aether mechanic, ammo, etc. and Prime 3 was also amazing. I don't tend to dislike linearity in games as long as executed well (explains why I love Fusion so much) so I enjoyed every single one of the Prime games....so much so that the Prime trilogy is now my favorite video game series. I replayed all the games countless times after that, until E3 the same year where Nintendo pulled out Prime 4 and Samus Returns. It felt like I had stepped into the series at the most perfect time possible. I bought Samus Returns, and really enjoyed it. And since then I've played these games a lot, I've 100%ed them many times, I've tried speedrunning Super Metroid and Zero Mission to an extent where I can finish Super Metroid in almost 50 - 60 minutes. And this year, at E3, I screamed so hard my voice cracked for like 15 minutes. It felt like a dream, it still does. And I hope this game sells so good that Nintendo can finally give this series another chance.
Apologies for the wall of text lol
I've never played metroid. But the short montage of different games made me want to play Golden Sun again xD
Arlo, this is one of your best videos ever. I’ve been watching your stuff for years and this one really felt special to me. Its tone and writing felt so sincere and wonderfully nice. I can relate to growing up with a series and feeling it slip away and change but always harboring hope that it may one day return just as I remember when I first met it. Keep up the good work! :)
I completely agree with you on appreciating Prime 2 more and more every time I play it. At first it was a great but somewhat lesser sequel to Prime, then it was a sequel that, despite its lack of color, arguably rivaled Prime 1, and at this point it's straight up my favorite Metroid game.
Glad to see another person of culture
The only criticism I can think of that game was the ammunition system. It was totally unnecesary and was clearly added to balance the multiplayer that no one played. In the main game you'll probably ran out of ammo by shooting at doors figuring which way to go rather yhan in actual combat.
Other than that in terms of level design, exploration, boss fight and overall setting its the best of the 3.
@@Xfushion2 I could not disagree more. The beam system is a VAST improvement over Prime 1, each beam serves a purpose and managing your ammo is a part of the combat, you can't just spam light beam willy nilly at a boss because it's weak to it, you have to time and aim your shots and make each one count.
@@bakubread9308 yep, not to mention ammo was so easy to get in the first place
Prime 2 has a significantly better atmosphere for sure. I also love the setup of the story. Samus' mission was to answer a distress single. Nothing more. You complete that objective within the first hour of the game but since her ship is busted, she decides to look around some more. Eventually she encounters best moth and after hearing his plea, decides to help. She didn't need to, she just did what was right. then at the end theres that badass wave she gives the luminoth before leaving their planet. That hit real hard.
I recently played through super a couple months ago because dread looked cool and I am beyond hyped now. Thank you for capturing the moment arlo
I only started getting interested in the Metroid series after Dread was announced. And when I buy it, I hope to have that feeling of isolation and tension that everyone else had when they played the games before. I can't wait!
Thank you for capturing this moment and doing it so well. It’s not often we take time to reflect and realize where we are before something so exciting takes place.
My Metroid journey:
As a person on the internet, I had heard loads about how Super Metroid was this revolutionary game, and when Nintendo announced SNES games on NSO, I figured it was the perfect time to play it. Long story short, it was great, and I wanted more. However, Nintendo doesn’t seem to want us playing their games, so I had to resort to emulation. I emulated Fusion and Zero Mission at the same time, switching back and forth whenever I hit a roadblock. After that, I did something even more heinous. I downloaded a fan game. AM2R is the Metroid game I’ve played the most thus far, and in my opinion it’s the best way to play Metroid 2. I still haven’t touched the Prime series yet, but if Nintendo releases an HD collection you know I’ll be all over it. And now I’ve preordered Dread, and I’ll be playing it on my very first Twitch stream. This is an exiting moment, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Drop the Nintendo fanboy mindset. Not all fangames are illegal
It's not heinous crime.. it's the will of the Chozos.
For me AM2R is better than Samus Returns
@@jess648 fairly certain he was being sarcastic
@@latecore_ Correct. I would have bought the games if Nintendo would sell them to me, but they won’t. Emulation is fantastic.
Thanks Arlo, this was beautiful. It makes me excited and emotional for all the Metroid experiences that were, are, and will be.
Golly. I didnt expect to take a trip down memory lane today but here we are. My first exposure to the series was actually Ronnie Oni Edward's Digressing and Sidequesting episode on Super. Rest in peace Ronnie. That video is what put the exsitance of the series on my radar so when Super was put on the New 3ds Eshop i picked it up immediately and fell in love with it just as fast. Played the GBA games on an emulator on my phone a couple months after closing the book on Super, picked up and played Samus Returns as soon as it came out, got the Prime Trilogy on the Wii U a couple months after that and then here we are. Could not be more hyped for dread.
The whole reason metroid became my favorite video game series ever is actually because of you, Arlo. Watching you rant about this series with such passion inspired me to go and play super Metroid for the first time, and I immediately fell in love. I’m not as much of a fan of the prime series, but I’m hyped for 4 and excited to get a chance to try it! Thank you for bringing Metroid into my life and being a fantastic creator. You’re awesome, Arlo!
Dread will be my first Metroid, I’m excited
I’m glad you made this, Arlo. It’s always fun to sees someone’s path of passion. While there are tons of things we’ve been into forever it’s always cool to see how and why someone got into a franchise. No matter if it’s when you’re 5 or 25.
This video made me long for the day when Pikmin gets its own Metroid Dread.
there are 2d pikmin games? unless you mean the 3ds one but that one looked like a 6 out of 10 platformer like cheebi robo (however you spell) decent but meh
@@bland9876 no no, what I meant was I'm waiting for the day pikmin gets its big come back game with a bunch of marketing behind it.
@@ChrisnOut pikmin got a game on the Wii u so that's pretty good compered to metroid or wario the platforming ones wich the last game was on the Wii regular or f zero witch I believe was the gamecube.
@@bland9876 problem is is that Metroid got 8 games, F-Zero got 8, and pikmin got like 4. 2 on an undersold console comparedto its competitors. 1 of which on a console that barely sold more than the dreamcast. And one that sold on a system that was starting to become irrelevant by the time the game came out. So ye. Pikmins got it pretty bad.
@@ChrisnOut but Pikmin is a need franchise so it obviously is only going to have a few games. Just like splatoon. It is time for a new game though. Maybe next direct we hear about it? I heard they are working on a new one but it is not one they put lots of time into other games are more important.
You are a very eloquent and articulate storyteller, very compelling and thoughtful videos!
Every time I go back to Prime 2, I appreciate more and more how different it is in Tone than the others.
I was planning on playing Dread the minute it came out but medical stuff is rearing it's head. My only hope is that I don't fall too far behind and miss out on the hype
I really do hope you do make a movie one day. Your scriptwriting does such a good job at captureing a moment and making me really reflect on it. Thank you, Arlo. Keep up the good work.
Arlo lore... Arlore: if my math is correct, Arlo is 34 yo.
I think we always knew he was on the elder side of the millenial generation, but I don't think we had an actual number before.
Oh time to use that for our totally grounded Arlo cannon theories !
Metroid dread might be my first Metroid game, and it's because of your excitement for the series. It's been enough for me to actually get interested in it. :)
My Metroid Journey: Started when my brother lent me his gold gameboy advance and a copy of Metroid Fusion for an evening. I thought I was so cool when I beat Arachnus, but then there was a whole rest of the game to explore. The following day, he pawned his GBA and the game, so I never saw the end.
Later, my brother-in-law introduced me to emulation and hooked me up with hundreds of NES games. I tried the first Metroid and... Wasn't a fan.
Later when I hacked my PSP, I put a GBA emulator on it and looked at recommended games. I got the two Metroid games, Fusion and Zero Mission. I finally beat Fusion and later, Zero Mission would be my favorite of all Metroid Games.
Super Metroid was also suggested to me, but when I compared the control feel of Super to Zero Mission, Super didn't stand a chance. I now have an appreciation for Super, about 15 years after I first tried it, but I still hold that the only reason people like it more than Zero Mission is that it can be broken more than Zero Mission due to some glitches, exploits, and moves that speedrunners use all the time.
I also tried Metroid II, but I couldn't get into the GB version. I 100%'d Samus Returns within the week it came out, my first 100% Metroid game.
I tried Prime and... Not my cup of tea. Sacrilege to admit, but I had the Wii Prime Trilogy, and I just couldn't enjoy the control feel of the Wii Remote/Nunchuck.
Other M... Well... I'd rather pretend that game not exist. People try to say the gameplay is fine, it's just the story. Let's just say I wouldn't trust those people to petsit for me.
And now, we have Dread... I remember being surprised that we didn't see a new 2D Metroid game on Wii, after New Super Mario and DKC Returns and all kinds of old series returning to their roots, but Metroid? Well... We got Other M and Prime: Federation Force as a one-two punch of Nintendo basically admitting they didn't know how to give fans what they actually wanted. I have high hopes for Mercurysteam, as the Spaniards have had experience with 2D Metroidvania, both the Metroid and the Castlevania, and I've managed to get Friday off work so I can spend the whole day playing the game I've been wanting since I was a depressed teenager as a depressed adult.
Note that I would later purchase each of these games that I had emulated. I own the physical versions of the GBA games, Metroid 1, and Super Metroid and the digital versions that I could get on Wii U and 3DS.
Oh my god I relate to the Zero Mission > Super claim but I think fans generally prefer the one they started with, like you and me
I like Super more than Zero mission because I love the look and feel of the game. It isn't about how much I can break it, the music, spritework and just the layout of the world in general just hit the exact tone and style I love. Zero Mission has manga inspired visuals and is held back by the soundfont of the GBA. It builds a fun world, but it never truly builds a beautiful, isolating atmosphere to the same heights as Super imo. I won't argue about the controls though. They are a million times better and less clunky, though I do have a soft spot for Super's physics.
I loved other M. It was just a fun shooter
@@SoIstice I agree as much I like Zero Mission's compressent sound font, Super's music is better. But I still think progression is way smooooother in Zero Mission
this is my favorite arlo video :) watched it a handful of times over, and the passion you have for the series, and how you describe how you fell into the series is something I think a lot of us can relate to. Here’s to Prime 4, you blue monster! 🥂
It doesn’t get talked enough about how Prime still looks SO GOOD. You could genuinely argue it looks better than Dread, 20 years later.
Art direction goes a long way.
It really does look amazing. Weird thing is, it goes for more moody lighting and realism, which both tend to age really poorly but somehow they made it timeless. Upscaled to higher resolutions it almost looks like a modern game.
Here, here!
Metroid Prime is still amazing looking!
Prime to this day still blows my mind. It breaks my heart that I just can't enjoy it (This is a me problem, I have trouble with 3D spaces so FPS games disorient me) because I swear they sacrificed 2 virgins and a goat to get the game looking that good on Gamecube. It's beautiful even today.
This is such a good video especially near the end. One of my favorite videos you've done to date!
Before metroid dread was revealed, i had never played a metroid game. after its reveal though i played super metroid and really liked it
This is truly beautiful. Like, yeah I think you are totally right about savoring and remembering this moment. I didn't think we would get another, brand new 2D Metroid. I was right there with you, looking at SR's sales and thinking "this is it, this was our last chance and it didn't go well"
Can’t wait to play my first ever Metroid game tomorrow with Dread.
Honestly I think Dread is going to outsell the rest of the series as a whole.
My only concern for people like you Arlo is that Nintendo will look at the ‘Switch effect’ and expect more.
Also my Metroid is the Golden Sun series, but I never expect to see another one. Would love to see a remake of the first 2 as a 3D adventure. If that ever happened in a direct I think I would actually full on weep with joy (from every orifice).
We will see another Golden Sun.
Golden Sun is how I met one of my best friends back in Jr High! I loved the first two games so much, and I enjoyed the third one, but man... that cliffhanger. I'm right there with you, doubtful we'll ever see a fourth game, but wishing for it all the same. I'd love to see more love given to the series.
This is gonna be my first Metroid game and I’m super hyped to start on this one!
Dread will actually be my first Metroid game which is pretty cool
From the reviews I have seen so far, this should be an excellent introduction. The first few zones are rather linear to keep you from getting overwhelmed, but then opens up in true Metroidvania fashion.
I highly suggest playing super Metroid on the Super Nintendo online thingy I forgot the name of, to get you familiar with everything as it’s the most important game and recaps the events of the old games
Same. Aside from the first game on emulator. Only a few hours though.
Play the others first, you still have time!! Zero Mission is only 2-3 hours long and it's the best in the series IMO
Watching your videos just feels great, Arlo. Thanks for making them.
I've always felt curious about the Metroid Series since I had fun one time with my friends playing Super Smash Bros (I'd never played SSB either and I chose Samus because she looked cool). When the lockdown was declared in 2020 and I had a lot of free time, I played an emulated version of Super Metroid for the first time on my PC. Needless to say... I fell absolutely in love with the series. I had no idea a game could be so perfectly designed, much less in 1994. So engaging, so satisfying with every little progress I made. After that I played Metroid Fusion, Zero Mission, and I even bought a 3DS XL to play Samus Returns. So now I'm eagerly waiting for Dread, and I'm sure It'll be the best Metroid title so far. 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
What a passionate and eloquent love letter. Thank you for this video, everyone who worked on it!
Can we get a 10 hour loop of the first few seconds of Arlo admiring the stars? It looks great on tv and my daughter wants me to keep reminding the video :P
As a fan of Metroid since Metroid II on Gameboy I am glad to see that it captured you in the same way it captured me, even if it was a little later. Glad to have you on team Metroid!
Metroid Fusion might be a fun one to replay during the Halloween season. Turn off the lights. Crank that music up. Sure, its the most linear of the lot, structurally, but that mood though.
Coming from a fan who has played since childhood. As they released, and needing day one level support the whole way through. XD this series is a magical one. Like the Man Arlo says, it's hard to explain why it's so magical.. but it truly is that when they make a Metroid game, they have a goal in mind on how to make the game feel and look and play, and they deliver on them. It's fresh, and it's always going to be centered on your skill to survive and fight back. How well you can react. While you are exploring lush environments down to the frozen environments, to the molten lava caves.
The music, the flow, the energy, the pace, the enemies, and the world's you explore...
This is a BEAUTIFUL series. And it has been very sad having gone without any Metroid for so long. Always just replaying the classics.. but here we are guys.
AND LET ME TELL YOU. I've played Dread, NO SPOILERS. But I will say, this is going to be the tightest feeling, most modern Metroid game, where the world breathes interactivity. This IS going to be a TREAT. Boys and Girls .. these are truly the moments before Metroid, MAINLINE METROID, indeed comes back, and BEAUTIFULLY.
Man, I wanna marathon Metroid so bad! I’ve never played any of them, and I want Dread and Prime 4 and, and, AND I want to see the franchise be successful! I WANT THEM.
The prime trilogy is $20 on the wiiu eshop. And fusion and zero mission are both $8
These are the Arlo videos I love. Hype fueled discussion pieces that come straight from the heart.
As someone who just got into Metroid in the lead up to Dread, the one thing I’m really dreading is not having guides to reference for when I inevitably get lost and/or stuck.
@@r008in I just mean simple answers to questions I’ll inevitably have when I can’t figure out what to do or where to go.
@@jennifergriel861 Don't stress out about that! I am pretty sure you will be able to mark down roadblocks in the map so you could fix it later, and since the game is supposed to be more accessible and the genre has been more refined, you are probably gonna be safer run than I was playing Super Metroid a couple years ago XD
But I can give you a few tips that have helped me:
-If you see a dead-end, throw all you abilities at the wall until something works, and if it doesn't mark it down for later
- Always make sure to check around the outer parts of the map first and then the inner parts until you find a way out as all dead-ends must have a purpose
- And if you still can't figure it out, try to look for a general direction of where to go online and try these again
While most people think getting lost is part of the experience, and I can kinda get behind that idea, I mostly agree with you and I hope these tips help
@@danjoredd That's pretty subjective. When I played Super Metroid for the first time, even though I loved some stuff, I hated it it being so cryptic and sometimes vague on where to go, which I wasn't really ashamed of as I wouldn"t have figured it out. But now that I've played them more times, I can appreciate the feeling a bit more
@@danjoredd I have a job and I need to like… eat and sleep and stuff. I want to be having fun. Not wasting what little time I have to play games.
If you got into metroid and played at least two or three of the games before this one then you should be fine. You learn from your past games. At least thats how it works for me. You learn what to look for and what not to. You learn when and where to bomb things and what ro look for. Its like practicing for a test. You take the practice exams and have an answer key. But then now youre actually about to take the test. No answer key. Just you and the test. And that is the fun part. It tests what all you have learned from your past adventures and sees how much you know. Thats actually one of my favorite things about this new release is that its fresh and a new test for us all.
Also side note Im sure itll be easy to figure out things. I 100% Samus Returns with almost no guide. I think I might have looked once? I dont remeber. But that game tells you everything you need to know but it lets you figure it and and doesnt just spell it out for you. I assume mercury steam will do the same thing this go around. I have so much faith in them because of how well they recreated Metroid II.
Youll be good the game will tell you what you need to know you can do it without a guide.
I've never played a metroid game before, I can't wait
As a recent Metroid fan myself. I avoided the long wait. But I couldn't be more excited for Dread. I played my first Metroid game in July of this year actually. I decided to give Super Metroid a go on the SNES app and absolutely loved it. After that I got the entire mainline series + the primes. And it truly is an amazing series.
Personally I think Prime 2 is better then prime 1 but that's not what I'm here to say.
I think you misunderstood the ideas and direction of Fusion. It was specifically made to be linear to tell a story. It had a major theme of corruption. Not just in the story but gameplay as well. Several aspects of the game are similar but slightly shifted from the usual Metroid formula. And the Linearity is conveyed through Samus's loss of agency. As you progress through the game Samus is able to explore more. And specifically go against the Federation. A group I assume she quit due to the restrictions. The point of the game is Samus taking back her agency. And regaining confidence in her abilities after the corruption she herself went through.
I don't think I explained it the best but I believe I got the general point across. If you want a better explanation and someone to go deeper into it I recommend you watch geek critiques video on Fusion. And maybe even the other Metroid games if you're interested. He does a great job at breaking them down. And his videos are very entertaining.
Lastly I'd just like to say thank you Arlo. As you were one of the main reasons I gave the Metroid series a shot. Please have a wonderful day.
Fusion has been one of my favorite games of all time since it came out, and I don't think I've ever thought about its themes like that, but I agree with it! Really paints a cool picture over it all. Man, I love Fusion so much...
@@Road_to_Dawn Fun fact Alien was a big inspiration on Metroid.
This is truly so beautiful and absolutely pure love. I think that’s amazing!
I'm in bed listening to this, and I'm hopeful. The Switch is a current platform that isn't nearing the explicit end of its life-cycle, as far as we know, and good games on the Switch really sell because people really like buying them, and word of mouth gets around fast.
Yet, at the same time, I'm terrified. I _need_ Metroid Dread to do well, _so...badly._ It's the one series at Nintendo that I've been the most passionate about for the longest amount of time, and that includes the one that I've made my username after, which is what hooked me into gaming in the first place.
Buy Dread, people!
This has got to be one of your best videos ever, such a beautiful retrospective!
Dread has definitely caused me as to really dig deeper into the series, beyond just loving individual games. It wasn't until fairly recently that I realized that the 2D games were actually the main games in the series from a story perspective, or that petty much all the Metroid games are part of one big, cohesive story. Reading the (canon) Metroid manga and replaying Fusion, Super Metroid and Zero Mission has definitely solidified my love for the series, the characters and the Metroid universe.
Arlo? Lemme tell ya somethin’. I’m a historian, because I love reading epic tales of ancient heroes that inspire hope. This segment right here: 20:36 - 21:40. That segment made me feel the things I feel when I read Gilgamesh. You gave me hope.
I always love these kind of Vids! We’re excited with ya Arlo! 🤘🏻
I’ll buy Dread, not because I love the series or played all the games, neither are true. But because a little blue monster and other fans want it to succeed. Maybe it will, maybe I’ll like it.
Revisiting this post Metroid Prime Remastered drop. We really are living in a dream. The Metroid love these past few years has been such a joy. I remember those breathless days before Dread arrived at my doorstep.
Wonderful video.
I just beat Metroid Fusion on my “Nintendo” brand hardware, and it was awesome, super fun.
thank you for doing so much content about metroid dread and the metroid series, i played prime in the past a bit but i decided to play zero mission and its actually really good, I really appreciate helping me finally get into this series.
"Everyone has that one game that they love and are hoping will get a sequel even though it probably wont happen"
As a Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon fan, I think I'm good
Funniest thing about this video is that my journey through Metroid has been almost the exact same, although in a much shorter time frame. I grew up on the Prime games and love them all to death (especially number 2), followed by Super Metroid when I purchased Nintendo Switch Online earlier this year. I then proceeded to play the original, albeit with a walkthrough, and then followed it up with Fusion on the Wii U. I played Zero Mission after that, and most recently I beat Metroid 2: Return of Samus on an emulator with a walkthrough. It's been super exciting joining the Metroid community, and when Dread was announced right after I beat Zero Mission for the fourth time in one week, it was like a dream come true. Great video Arlo!