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Super Metroid
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Cartridge Size: 24 Megabits
Category: Platform/Shooter
Players: One
Release Date: 1994
Difficulty: Medium
Introduction
Let me start off by saying that this is the game I have grown up with, and matured with. When I was about 4, I played my brother's Nintendo and the original Metroid game. I was pretty much retarded at it, considering I had the attention span of a Chia Pet. Well, when I was 7, I heard that there was a new Metroid game coming out for MY Super Nintendo, and was psyched that I could finally master my own game. I remember going to the store and playing it for the first time at the demo stand, and sadly enough, it was all I could think about until I got it. So I finally got it. I'm not sure why, but I would always play it in parts. I actually still hadn't beaten it before I moved on to Playstation. So, I'd take out the old SNES every year or so, and would end up putting some various amount of time into the same save file.. and finally, after 8 years of playing it, I beat it earlier this year. I felt true closure. Now, I pass the game on to you.
Story - 10/10
Super Metroid is started out with a first-hand account from Samus herself. She explains her history with the metroids. She first battled through metroids on the planet Zebes, making her way to Mother Brain and destroying the beast. Next, Samus was sent to SR388, where she was to eradicate the metroids. She did away with the Metroid Queen, but a metroid larvae thought Samus was its mother, so Samus took it back to the Ceres Space Station for research. This is where Super Metroid begins. Samus is called back to the space station just moments after her departure. She enters the wrecked station to find Ridley carrying the metroid larvae away. Samus follows Ridley back to the planet Zebes.
The introduction is pretty much all there is to the written part of the story. What really makes Super Metroid shine is the fact that there is no real up-front story in it. The story unfolds through the action. Considering Samus is all alone with nobody to talk to, there, of course, isn't going to be dialogue. However, the game is presented in such a compelling way. When you are exploring, the game gives off the feeling of solitude, intrigue, and a weird sense of fear. When Samus is put into tough situations, like in traps or when fighting bosses, you automatically start to feel the intensity of the predicaments. This game was really the first game that told a wordless story so completely. The story lay in the emotions and feelings you got from playing it. I really don't see how they could have made it better.
Gameplay - 10/10
The gameplay of Super Metroid is the shining star of the package. There had been many platformers before it, such as the illustrious Super Mario Bros., the Megaman series, and even Metroid 1 and 2. However, none before [or, actually, after] had done what Super Metroid had done. The gameplay consists of exploration of a massive environment, which of course involves platforming. Navigating the environment was just a pleasure in itself. There were many obstacles blocking the way, such as doors that only opened with a certain type of explosive, different types of blocks, and secret paths. The chance of a player actually finding every single secret and hidden path in the game [without being told] is very low. Samus could learn new abilities and get new equipment, such as items that allowed her to roll up into a ball, grapple onto hooks and swing across rooms, jump higher, and do a very creative spinning technique that would allow you to work your way through a room by jumping on the air and rolling up walls. There were also techniques that animals taught you in the game, such as jumping from wall-to-wall, and how to sprint and break through walls. The items that allowed you to progress through the game were placed very well so that you had to overcome certain challenges to proceed. Overall, the platforming element of the game was superb.
Also included in the gameplay [if one couldn't tell by the gun on Samus' arm] is the shooting. The enemies constantly remain challenging through the game. The deeper you get into the planet, the more formidable your foes. However, thanks to the myriad of power-ups and attachments of weapons, there was always a way to prevail. Each weapon had its good sides and bad sides, and you had to use a certain strategy in knowing what weapons to use in what parts of the planet. Every one of the bosses was excellent. Each had its own unique strategy; you didn't find yourself just jumping and shooting at every boss. This is what kept the game interesting. It forced you to have to get used to running and jumping in all different manners to achieve your goal. There are parts in the game that are difficult, but not too hard to get around to take away from the experience. The gameplay is just very fun, and very challenging, but in a perfect balance.
Graphics - 10/10
Yeah, I know what you're saying. How can this jerk give it a 10/10 on graphics when it's a 2D SNES game? Come on, the graphics are great! First off, the motion of Samus and any other creature was done perfectly. Samus had perfect flow, whether it was for running, jumping, rolling, spinning, sprinting.. It never skipped a beat. Also, for the time, the character design was awesome. There is really no pixelation at all. The environment was also done very well. It wasn't just like Super Mario where you can see it's just a bunch of blocks put together. The environment really became a living, breathing world right at your fingertips. Considering that there were about 7 different areas of Zebes, then you know there was a lot of work put into each and every environment, until each was perfected. The look of the game is a classic look that will never be forgotten by those who play it. The simple 2D environment even outclasses some modern-day 3D worlds in terms of quality.
Sound - 10/10
The sound of the game is really the essence of the mood of the game. Every footstep Samus takes, it makes you feel right there in her shoes, either clanking on the metal floors, squishing on the mossy peat, or swishing through the water. Every creature has its own distinct sound. Not only do the creature noises sound believable, but they also serve to let you know that "HEY! I'm a badass creature that wants to rip you apart, what's up?" The environment sounds are always active, whether it's the sound of pattering rain on the hull of your ship, or the bubbling of the boiling water of the underground lairs. Even each gun has its own sound. The sound effects are complete and wonderful.
The music in the game is usually hard to find. This isn't a bad thing at all, though. When wandering through the lairs of Zebes, the silent mood and simple sounding of Samus' footsteps gives you the odd feeling of isolation and complete self-reliance. It also has that same effect that 2001: A Space Odyssey has, when David Bowman goes out to check the "faulty" transmitter, all you hear is his breathing the entire scene. That feeling of isolation and singularity really pulls you face-first into the game. When there is music, it is well-placed and gives you this certain mind-set that you have to get your mission accomplished. The music seems to be strategically added so that the game does not drag out.
Final Report - 10/10
Super Metroid is a game that can still hold solid ground against modern-day competitors. Even though Metroid Fusion is a great game, the story and dialogue sort of drowns out the actual flow of the game. I think the only complaint that Nintendo was getting was a lack of a real story, so for Fusion, they tried to throw in some dialogue and drama. I prefer the silent story of Super Metroid any day. Also, Metroid Fusion was too mission-oriented for me. I liked the fact that in Super Metroid, there was never really a point in the game where it felt linear. You always had that feeling that maybe you were doing something wrong, which made the game feel that much more real.
My personal opinion is that Super Metroid is among the top five greatest games of all time. If you are a fan of 2D platformers or shooters, then you need to play this. Super Metroid is the pinnacle of 2D platformer/shoooters. With all that is mentioned above, Super Metroid for the Super Nintendo gets a perfect 10/10 in my book.
This post has been edited by -grahf-: 13 February 2005 - 02:30 AM
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