Metroid Appreciation Thread - Come Inside and Talk About All Things Metroid

You don't ever need the wall jump in Super Metroid to progress. Unless you are trapped in that room where the animals show you how to wall jump until you wall jump out - I can't remember.

I don't mind the learning curve because it's satisfying when you get it down, and you're able to make your platforming smoother or do sequence breaks if you fancy it. And because you never *need* to use it.

Kriken wrote:You don't ever need the wall jump in Super Metroid to progress. Unless you are trapped in that room where the animals show you how to wall jump until you wall jump out - I can't remember.

I don't mind the learning curve because it's satisfying when you get it down, and you're able to make your platforming smoother or do sequence breaks if you fancy it. And because you never *need* to use it.

I thought that part was mandatory. Maybe I'm remembering this wrong.

Kriken wrote:You don't ever need the wall jump in Super Metroid to progress. Unless you are trapped in that room where the animals show you how to wall jump until you wall jump out - I can't remember.

I don't mind the learning curve because it's satisfying when you get it down, and you're able to make your platforming smoother or do sequence breaks if you fancy it. And because you never *need* to use it.

That's right.

It's the only room in the game where you "need" to do it. Just a shame it's so easy to stumble into. Even then, a few minutes of practice should be all it takes. It's no harder than a fireball in SFII.

But it's so versatile and really opens up so many sequence breaking and time saving opportunities. It's easily my favourite Metroid Wall Jump.

I've gone back to Dread to see if it's as good as you all say. It's not.

Playing on Hard this time. It is a lot of fun but I think the parry mechanic is fundamentally flawed, it slows down the game while you wait for enemies to attack. The Emmi zones are also absolute rubbish, the world design isn't very good and the music is non existent.

All that said I am enjoying dashing through it but I do hate that it is more purist in not giving you as much direction as Fusion. As already mentioned I just hate opening the map to work out where I have to go. Especially when the map is this rubbish.

Boss encounters are utterly fantastic though and Samus general movement is sublime. The story and characterization are also pretty fantastic.

Yeah after waiting for so long for Dread I wanted to love it but I'd agree with some of what you've said there

I'm still sort of apprehensive about Dread because I didn't really think the Metroid 2 remake was that great. I'll get it at some point.

You don't have to wait and parry enemies, you can just parry when the opportunity arises. And it's really good versus bosses and leads to some cool alternate attack sequences. Enemies you defeat after a parry also drop more health/ammo if you're desperate for it, so it rewards the wait if you choose that option. Also, it's not just a parry - it's a regular melee attack you can use to finish off some enemies and shatters enemies you freeze with the ice beam.

I didn't mind how Fusion directed you a lot of the time - Zero Mission did that too - but I prefer Dread's approach where you're subtly guided as to where to go. It's even not so subtle sometimes in that it'll block off some areas you definitely don't need to enter, to prevent you from getting too lost. I also think the map is possibly the most helpful one in the series because it has so much information, even telling what the obstacles are and the corresponding power-ups you need to get past them.

I can't really argue against the music being non-existent. There is barely any of it, and while I don't mind the more ambient sound of it I wouldn't have minded some tunes that were a bit catchier.

As for the EMMI parts, a lot of people don't seem to like them. I don't mind them. It's sort of fun trying to avoid them and leading them around so you don't get trapped. After a few playthroughs, I sort of got consistent at the the parry to escape the earlier ones - I think there's a specific timing for each one, and it's a neat touch that there is such an option because it's tough to pull off but you can get the timings down and more reliably escape them.

Squinty wrote:I'm still sort of apprehensive about Dread because I didn't really think the Metroid 2 remake was that great. I'll get it at some point.

For what it's worth Metroid Dread is pretty different. Same engine and physics and all that, but it really feels like it was designed in a way to address most of Metroid 2 remake's shortcomings.

I wasn't in love with the game when I first played it, but I think they did an admirably job in that regard and have made one of the most solid 2D Metroid games.

I’m a bit of my way through Super Metroid now just defeated Kraid after getting killed by it twice I’m blaming the fiddly weapon toggle on the Switch

Edit, just picked up the Power Bomb and now made it back to my ship, feels like this is the point where it opens up and I can run and explore a bit more! Just exited the game and it’s reading 3 hours play time so far, going to say that’s slow

It took me ages to get back to Norfair Kept messing up the jump across the pool of water so was aimlessly wondering around Brinstar and Crateria

Back on track now (I think, I ended up using a guide to tell me I needed to go back to Norfair), hope it won’t be too long before I get access to the gravity suit and screw attack, these two items make exploring so much easier! Really enjoying my first run though Super Metroid though, not quite as good as Fusion or Dread for myself though.

Are there many shinespark puzzles in Super? I know people enjoy them but I kind of hated them in ZM, Fusion and Dread so the lesser the better for me, looking forward to going all around the map looking for energy tanks too, plus an item I’ve never seen before in the reserve tank.

I know its a limitation of the original controller for it, but having all of the weapon options tagged onto select makes me appreciate modern control schemes a lot more.

Edit, now into the wrecked ship, beat a boss down in the lower levels of the ship, took me 3 tries and the 3rd time was oh so close to a 3rd defeat, feel like I’m massively lacking on energy tanks, currently got 4 and 1 reserve.

Robbo-92 wrote:It took me ages to get back to Norfair Kept messing up the jump across the pool of water so was aimlessly wondering around Brinstar and Crateria

Back on track now (I think, I ended up using a guide to tell me I needed to go back to Norfair), hope it won’t be too long before I get access to the gravity suit and screw attack, these two items make exploring so much easier! Really enjoying my first run though Super Metroid though, not quite as good as Fusion or Dread for myself though.

Are there many shinespark puzzles in Super? I know people enjoy them but I kind of hated them in ZM, Fusion and Dread so the lesser the better for me, looking forward to going all around the map looking for energy tanks too, plus an item I’ve never seen before in the reserve tank.

I know its a limitation of the original controller for it, but having all of the weapon options tagged onto select makes me appreciate modern control schemes a lot more.

Edit, now into the wrecked ship, beat a boss down in the lower levels of the ship, took me 3 tries and the 3rd time was oh so close to a 3rd defeat, feel like I’m massively lacking on energy tanks, currently got 4 and 1 reserve.

I can't think of anypoint in the game where you HAVE to Shinespark outside of the pit where the bird teaches it to you.
The few places where you do it's usually to get an item upgrade, but there are no mainline progression items that will require it.
So it's entirely possible to beat the game without ever doing one.

Cheeky Devlin wrote:

Robbo-92 wrote:It took me ages to get back to Norfair Kept messing up the jump across the pool of water so was aimlessly wondering around Brinstar and Crateria

Back on track now (I think, I ended up using a guide to tell me I needed to go back to Norfair), hope it won’t be too long before I get access to the gravity suit and screw attack, these two items make exploring so much easier! Really enjoying my first run though Super Metroid though, not quite as good as Fusion or Dread for myself though.

Are there many shinespark puzzles in Super? I know people enjoy them but I kind of hated them in ZM, Fusion and Dread so the lesser the better for me, looking forward to going all around the map looking for energy tanks too, plus an item I’ve never seen before in the reserve tank.

I know its a limitation of the original controller for it, but having all of the weapon options tagged onto select makes me appreciate modern control schemes a lot more.

Edit, now into the wrecked ship, beat a boss down in the lower levels of the ship, took me 3 tries and the 3rd time was oh so close to a 3rd defeat, feel like I’m massively lacking on energy tanks, currently got 4 and 1 reserve.

I can't think of anypoint in the game where you HAVE to Shinespark outside of the pit where the bird teaches it to you.
The few places where you do it's usually to get an item upgrade, but there are no mainline progression items that will require it.
So it's entirely possible to beat the game without ever doing one.

Yeah I fell down the hole where the bird teaches you how to do one, I just find them really fiddly Good to know they’re only there for collectibles like in the other games, or the trickier ones anyway.

Edit, did a shinespark puzzle just got the gravity suit too, this is really good even nearly 30 years after it came out, it must have been ridiculously good at the time.

So any tips for Maridia? The quicksand alone has me annoyed

According to the guide on IGN, you need to get the Spring Ball, I have no idea where the hell to go for it, both seem like dead ends?

Edit, seems like I wasn’t rolling around enough, going somewhere now by the looks of it.

Edit 2, seems like due to my inability to consistently wall jump, I’m on my way to get the space jump first, just at the boss I need to get it, killed me so quickly first time

Just got the space jump now back to get the ball jump or whatever it’s called. Get the feeling it might well be Ridley as the next boss? Then its onto the final area? To be honest I might cheat the game a little, load up the special edition once I’ve beaten Ridley as thats a save just before the final area with all upgrades collected….. Not technically cheating but still feels a little wrong

Sorry for spamming the thread with updates on my Super Metroid run too

Robbo-92 wrote:Just got the space jump now back to get the ball jump or whatever it’s called. Get the feeling it might well be Ridley as the next boss? Then its onto the final area? To be honest I might cheat the game a little, load up the special edition once I’ve beaten Ridley as thats a save just before the final area with all upgrades collected….. Not technically cheating but still feels a little wrong

Sorry for spamming the thread with updates on my Super Metroid run too

I'm enjoying them, so keep them coming.

I will say that the Spring Ball upgrade is purely optional. It's nice to have, but it's not needed.

Cheeky Devlin wrote:

Robbo-92 wrote:Just got the space jump now back to get the ball jump or whatever it’s called. Get the feeling it might well be Ridley as the next boss? Then its onto the final area? To be honest I might cheat the game a little, load up the special edition once I’ve beaten Ridley as thats a save just before the final area with all upgrades collected….. Not technically cheating but still feels a little wrong

Sorry for spamming the thread with updates on my Super Metroid run too

I'm enjoying them, so keep them coming.

I will say that the Spring Ball upgrade is purely optional. It's nice to have, but it's not needed.

Just picked up the Plasma Beam now after grabbing the spring ball. I’m really enjoying my first run of this, for myself it’s still not a patch on Fusion or Dread, but can definitely see why it’s rated so highly, especially if it was someone’s first game in the series.

Edit, just picked up the Wave Beam too.

Edit 2, I had no idea you could unequip upgrades in this Just reached the gold variant of the Chroizo soldier and got battered

Finally got the Golden Chozo down, then got to Ridley tried it a couple of times and I literally don’t think I have enough health for my lack of skills so skipped Ridley and loaded the special edition up, blitzed my way to Mother Brain and thought I’d been beaten, only for the Baby to come and save the day I’d have definitely not had enough health to beat the game either

I’ve really enjoyed finally playing Super Metroid, for a game that came out in 1994 it’s aged well for the most part, it’s still not as good as Fusion or Dread for myself but it’s definitely an 8/10.

On the subject on Metroid appreciation… did anyone pick up the Gameboy posters from My Nintendo with Platinum points? I did and I got some frames from IKEA… the Metroid II one looks the strawberry floating gooseberry fool!

That sentence means the absolute opposite if you're slightly drunk and miss the second "the" when reading. Glad it's not just strawberry floating gooseberry fool.

Balladeer wrote:That sentence means the absolute opposite if you're slightly drunk and miss the second "the" when reading. Glad it's not just strawberry floating gooseberry fool.

We’ve all read worse sentences. Give a guy a break… I just like my framed Metroid II poster is all.

plasticcoated wrote:

Balladeer wrote:That sentence means the absolute opposite if you're slightly drunk and miss the second "the" when reading. Glad it's not just strawberry floating gooseberry fool.

We’ve all read worse sentences. Give a guy a break… I just like my framed Metroid II poster is all.

Don't think it was an attack!

I've now finished Metroid II on GB on Switch. I think it's underrated! Has its own rhythms and feel, and is by far the most cavernous, sub-terranian, into-the-depths-of-darkness Metroid I've played, with some real spacious atmosphere and some proper bizarre-o (in a good way) soundscapes. I liked it! But I would have liked it much less without the GB rewind feature as the game is unforgiving and nails and almost a survival horror in its frugality of supplies.

Currently playing Fusion. Never played before. At first I thought it seemed a bit bland (an no morph ball bomb jump?!) but it's now turning into something pretty great with a real sense of wary anticipation. All the telegraphing of the X stuff from the computer is pretty good at foreboding too. And the ledge-grab is a great addition and the gameplay in general is responsive and the gun crunch sounds feel good.

I also dabbled a bit in Metroid 1. Was weird for it to be so much smoother and sprightly (and 60fps?) compared to Metroid 2 which has a gamefeels I like (with a gnarly series best space jump sound) but is way slower and more methodical - almost like oldschool Tomb Raider.

Playing with all of them in succession, what's strange is how much of the Metroid area themes are actually just atmospheric synth-vibe and sound effects, compared to the more melodic Prime (and Super). I'm mostway through Fusion and I'm not sure there's been more than one bona-fide melody banger. Not bad, just interesting that Prime (and Super) might actually be the outliers in that regard.

Metroid II's hub/overworld theme though is one of the series best bangers!

EDIT: listen to this!