tegan

Super Metroid Appreciation Station

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I heard about that, and I'm super excited to get to that section. 

 

Fusion will be next, then once I'm done with Bloodborne, I'll pick up the Prime Trilogy again at Echoes.

 

When you finish Fusion, you should watch one of my favorite "speedruns".  I have it in quotes because it's not really a speedrun, though it is run by one of the best Metroid runners Kirby Mastah.  What's amazing about it is that he plays both Fusion and Zero Mission at the same time using one set of inputs to control both games simultaneously.

 

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That's pretty amazing. I started up fusion last night and I already dislike it. Why is the computer telling me what to do? I'm motherfucking Samus. I can figure this shit out myself. Let me go explore and kill things, I'll be fine without you.

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That's pretty amazing. I started up fusion last night and I already dislike it. Why is the computer telling me what to do? I'm motherfucking Samus. I can figure this shit out myself. Let me go explore and kill things, I'll be fine without you.

 

That is one of Fusion's weak points.  Its much more linear than most other Metroid games (though still full of hidden stuff) and you are constantly being spoonfed by that damn computer.  It's the origin of the single worst thing to ever happen to Metroid (which gets fully realized in Other M).

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I would completely forgive its relative linearity if i could just skip the damn dialogue scenes, because it's otherwise a really solid platformer with some terrific bossfights.

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I would completely forgive its relative linearity if i could just skip the damn dialogue scenes, because it's otherwise a really solid platformer with some terrific bossfights.

 

I wonder if there are any fan patches out there that minimize or eliminate Adam.  Jeremy Parish is doing an Anatomy of Metroid Fusion series right now that is pointing out a lot of interesting things that the game does.  Adam is not one of those things.

 

But that SA-X!  So scary!

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The SA-X is maybe my favorite thing about Fusion.  I really like the atmosphere in the game.  An enclosed space station is actually a pretty cool environment and the different sectors still makes it feel varied.  It presents one of the better reasons for why you start out weak and depowered, as well as a good excuse for giving you your abilities.  The SA-X in particular really adds something as this seemingly invincible monster that represents what you used to be and actively hunts you down.  I remember

actively thinking "oh shit" when you discover multiple SA-X have hatched at the end of the game.  It's something I've very rarely thought in an Metroid game.

 

I just... really REALLY hate that fucking computer.

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I would completely forgive its relative linearity if i could just skip the damn dialogue scenes, because it's otherwise a really solid platformer with some terrific bossfights.

The boss fights aren't that interesting. Half of them are "shoot the floaty thing, jump over it to avoid the counter-attack."

 

The game needed more instances of avoiding the SA-X. Either by stealth or just fucking running and being a boss at platforming.

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Yeah, but the SA-X sections were the foundation for what became the awesome stealth in Zero Mission. It was already an experiment at the time and a risky thing in a Metroid, and they listened and improved upon it in the next game. I think all is good there. I'd forgotten about

that multiple SA-X thing

at the end of the game, SAM (SA-M?). Now you've made me really want to see a "Metroid 5" that follows up on that.

 

In further Metroid news, I've been continuing through Prime 2 this week. Just got the Spider Ball, so I think I'm almost done the light world section of the sanctuary/fortress/hive/whatever zone. It's still an awesome game. The boss fights in this one outclass the bosses from Prime 1 in such a dramatic way. That giant moth thing actually felt like a real fight, whereas the bosses in Prime 1 were just kind of there to give me another item. Even the "sub-bosses" that have my gear have been mostly interesting. The first couple were dumb, but they were training wheels. The spider ball one just now was awesome. An entire boss fight that takes place in a morph ball maze? Yes please, more of that. It was a little bit finnicky, but really well designed regardless. I have heard tonnes about Quadraxis, so I'm really looking forward to finding the keys and taking him on. Everything about this game has been rad so far. I just found some luminoth lore that told me about 10 keys though, so I'm now dread-ticipating another artefact hunt at the end of the game. The maps seem a bit tighter and quicker to navigate than Prime 1 though, so maybe it won't be so bad?

 

A final note on just how different a setting this current zone is from everything else in Prime so far should be tacked on here too. The wastes and bog both were cool but felt like something that could have easily been on Tallon IV, but this zone actually feels like something totally new. I like the contrasts that the Prime games have. My favourite moments in Prime 1 are when you find those pockets of technology in the middle of the natural zones (the Downed Pirate Frigate and the industrial zone in the Phazon Mines) and when I crossed that bridge into this huge tech fortress, I was floored. Awesome design in this area, and the enemies are pretty creative too. The quadrapedal robot that has a head that can separate from its body that you have to defeat by mixing up light beams, dark beams, and morph ball attacks is really cool, and the enemy that can actually freeze your visor and forces you to reboot your suit to keep fighting him is inspired. GOD THIS GAME.

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The thing that Zero Mission's stealth portion made evident is that Samus is worthy of titles that aren't limited to platformer action games. Whether in the suit or her jumpsuit or even as an agent for the Galactic Federation, Samus can have a lot of different video game genres that will be legit. All that needs to remain is the consistent theme of exploration and mystery into the unknown. And maybe bring back the characterization of the Space Pirates from Prime 1 because damn that was hot stuff.

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The thing that drove me nuts about the key-hunts in the prime series was that the keys (artifacts) didn't do anything.  It seems like in Castlevania Symphony of the Night this problem was solved by having them give passive stat boosts... the same could have easily been applied in prime... have this artfact boost the fire rate of the wave beam, that one reduce damage by 20%, or whatever.  I think it would've gone a long way toward reducing the sloggy feel.

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The Keys didn't take too long to find. At least not long enough to call it a slog in my opinion. I'm normally the first to say screw that, I'm not collecting it, but I actually enjoyed the prime key hunt because it made me think about where I've already been in relation to the clues.

Also I got to use that sweet new plasma beam. A lot.

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The Keys didn't take too long to find. At least not long enough to call it a slog in my opinion. I'm normally the first to say screw that, I'm not collecting it, but I actually enjoyed the prime key hunt because it made me think about where I've already been in relation to the clues.

Also I got to use that sweet new plasma beam. A lot.

 

The worst key hunt was the one in far-flung Phendrana's Edge, because if you don't get it the first time you're there, it's a pain in the butt to travel back there.  Key hunting in Echoes was much more annoying for me, as travel in that game required movement through Dark and Light worlds.  It definitely felt onerous to me.

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Not exactly Metroid, but Axiom Verge is a Metroid-style game that just came out for the PS4 and is coming to Steam in May and is supposed to be really, really good. I thought the people in this thread might be interested.

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Do we have a thread for Axiom Verge? Because holy smokes do I want to play that (when it comes out on PC at an undisclosed future date).

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Cool! Looks nice except for the playable character who is weird. 

 

I don't know whether I should just wait for PS+ for this. It looks like a + candidate.

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Do we have a thread for Axiom Verge? Because holy smokes do I want to play that (when it comes out on PC at an undisclosed future date).

 

We do now.

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The worst key hunt was the one in far-flung Phendrana's Edge, because if you don't get it the first time you're there, it's a pain in the butt to travel back there.  Key hunting in Echoes was much more annoying for me, as travel in that game required movement through Dark and Light worlds.  It definitely felt onerous to me.

 

Funnily enough, I'm currently halfway through that stupid key hunt. I am very sick of GCN-era Nintendo doing that all the time. I'm thinking I'm probably past the best part of Echoes, but feel like I should keep going anyway. I don't like feeling like this is a slog to the finish at this point. It was SO GOOD up to the start of the keyhunt. All the bosses have been great, but damn is this ending dragging compared to the rest of the game.

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Okay here's a really dumb thought I've carried with me since I dove reeeal deep into Metroid Prime 10 years ago or so.

 

There's a point in Metroid Prime where you gather the keys, and are about to go down the elevator to the gross end section, and Ridley shows up and you fight Ridley.  And then after you fight Ridley, you go down an elevator....  Why?  Why doesn't the game end there?

 

Samus went to this world following Ridley.  Metroid Prime is sealed up with these Chozo keys and can't escape.  By going down, Samus basically unleashes Dark Samus into the galaxy, while walking away could've prevented the genocide of Prime 2.

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I don't remember that section at all, but is the elevator the only way out (did the battle with Ridley destroy the way you came in)?

 

Besides which, exploring is like half of what Samus does (the other half being killing pirates and local fauna). Maybe she's just curious what's down there. She's been on like 300 elevators on that planet at that point, why would this one be any different?

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Okay here's a really dumb thought I've carried with me since I dove reeeal deep into Metroid Prime 10 years ago or so.

 

There's a point in Metroid Prime where you gather the keys, and are about to go down the elevator to the gross end section, and Ridley shows up and you fight Ridley.  And then after you fight Ridley, you go down an elevator....  Why?  Why doesn't the game end there?

 

Samus went to this world following Ridley.  Metroid Prime is sealed up with these Chozo keys and can't escape.  By going down, Samus basically unleashes Dark Samus into the galaxy, while walking away could've prevented the genocide of Prime 2.

It's not an elevator, not necessarily at least. It's like a magic teleportation fountain.

 

The Chozo didn't place a seal to prevent Metroid Prime from coming out. The seal the Chozo placed had to do with the Phazon meteor that crashed on the planet. The Space Pirates already had access to the crater by some means, because there's logs detailing how Metroid Prime was their main experiment on the planet. Stuff about how the project was getting out of control, how Prime was assimilating their tech into its body, etc. So while Samus went to the planet's surface to pursue Ridley, while on site she learns about the pirates' plans to use Phazon in varying ways, least of all Metroid Prime.

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I played a lot more Fusion over the weekend. Despite my earlier misgivings, it's pretty good. It's a competent and fun Metroid game, but not without a few serious flaws.

The linearity sucks. It pretty much directs you back to find secret areas once you have the item necessary, which I thought was disappointing - especially as I marked them down in a notebook. This also means I never felt lost. The fact it shows you the map off the bat completely destroys the feeling of being lost in other Metroids I've played. It still has the sense of discovery so that's good, as it makes me feel smart.

 

The bosses are good, if not a little frustrating, entirely because once you kill them, you then have to kill something else to get a power up. I've died to the power up X so many times since I had no health after finishing off a boss. I dunno, just feels like a bad choice to include those.

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For all the problems i think Fusion has, i remember greatly enjoying playing through Fusion on its hard difficulty. It was pretty much the only time that series has ever been "challenging" in a way that didn't invoke speed-running, and in my recollection of it, at least, it even felt like a game that offered enough responsiveness and precision to support that kind of difficulty.

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