
	Platform NES Genre Platformer Developer / Publisher Nintendo Year Released 1986
Newsletter
Be notified of site updates. Sign-up for the Newsletter sent out twice weekly. Enter E-Mail Address Below: Subscribe \| Unsubscribe

Metroid

metroid classic nintendo review

Metroid has one of the most incoherent and strange game directives ever:

Emergency Order

Defeat the Metroid of the planet Zebeth and destroy the mother brain the mechanical life vein.

Galaxy Federal Police

M510

Is that clear enough for you? It probably should have just read, “Kill the Bad Guy!”

Regarded by many as a classic beyond reproach, Metroid has developed a cult-like following so any criticism is likely to be met with angry emails. I may be in the minority, but Metroid wasn’t engaging then and less so today. That’s not to say it was horrible or even unworthy of being played, but I don’t think it deserves the praise that often gets heaped on it (unlike Kid Icarus which doesn’t get enough attention).

Advertisement

Metroid puts you in control of Samus – a girl in a robotic suit – who is hot on the heels of Metroid (or the mother brain – take your pick). “Hot on the heels” might indicate Samus is right behind Metroid but this isn’t the case, as Samus must navigate huge scrolling levels, fighting every inch of the way against respawning enemies. It’s the kind of game you need a map for since some areas look identical and it’s easy to get lost and turned around without ever realizing it.

Advertisement

In terms of platform jumping, Metroid scores big time. There’s lots of jumping to be done – sometimes extremely timed jumps with well-placed shots to flying enemies. But that’s not all, Samus has an assortment of moves. The most classic of all is the ability to curl into a ball and roll along the ground and get into small spaces. After acquiring a specific item, rolling up into a ball also allows Samus to lay a small explosive that can bounce her into the air. The variety of weapons is also pretty good for a sidescroller from this era in gaming.

metroid classic nintendo review

The full power of the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) wasn’t full realized until Super Mario Bros. 3, but Metroid offers enough variety in terrain type and enemies to avoid repetition. Metroid does contain some of the most annoying enemies ever. Sure, they have predictable attack patterns but the positioning of platforms and gaps usually means they’ll bounce right on you or you’ll jump into them because you’re gambling on making a jump. This is what makes them annoying. Most enemies are easily defeated but the final showdown is entirely too hard – I base this on recent experience and not on a vague memory. Most of Metroid is simply a matter of exploration then using new abilities and weapons to make progress (and a password feature let you pick up close to where you left off). This makes it somewhat more accessible than a branching world where you could find yourself SOL in short order, but when the end boss is so difficult even the most dyed in the wool gamer is more likely to give up than keep at it. (Metroid and Kid Icarus are similar in this department.)

While many gamers have a spot in the gaming heart reserved for Metroid, I don’t. It isn’t boring, it isn’t horrible, it’s not excellent but it’s far from mediocre. I’m not even that fond of the SNES incarnation. The Metroid legacy just walks the middle-ground in gaming, which is probably why I’m looking forward to the release of Metroid Prime for GameCube. It’s analogous to hitting a couple of grounders to get to second base and waiting for the third to be knocked out of the park – it could happen.

- Omni

(September 19, 2002)


PC \| Gamecube \| DS \| Wii \| PlayStation 2 \| PlayStation 3 \| PSP \| Xbox \| Xbox 360
News \| Reviews \| Previews \| Features \| Classics \| Goodies \| Anime \| Forums