Metroid
Reviewed by Mariner
Space pirates have found/stolen a new form of life that was responsible
for destroying an entire planet. The galactic federation calls on you,
Samus Aran, to stop them. The instruction manual says many think he
is a cyborg. Of course, we all know that's not true, but it created quite
a stir back then when the secret of Samus was revealed. Now then, on
to the game.
Graphics: 8.5 out of 10
The graphics aren't too bad for an NES game. Samus looks kind of hokey
though. The background is simply black, but the surrounding tiles are
varied and very cool looking. They certainly help give the impression
of being deep inside a strange world. Much of the animation, including
the jumps, screw attack, and some others are impressive and not much
different from Super Metroid or even Super Smash Brothers. If the
animations can still be recycled even today, then it must be darn good.
The enemies themselves look ok, and are quite recognizable. All in all,
it's well done.
Music and Sound: 9.5 out of 10
Another great point. Metroid has some of the best music in the business.
From the eerie title screen, to the moody yet somewhat fast paced
gameplay music to the Chozo theme, it's all good. The title screen
music in particular is one of my favorite pieces of video game music,
ranking up there with Celes' opera in FF6 and the overworld theme
from Zelda. Granted, it can sound rather cheap, but this is the NES
after all. Sound effects are generally ok, and I've heard much worse.
In any case, this is not a game you want to play with the sound turned off.
Game Challenge: 9 out of 10
Yes there's a challenge. First, you have to find everything. That alone
is challenging enough. Next, all three of the bosses (Kraid, Ridley, and
Mother Brain) are tough and require vast amounts of missiles. You may
have to use many continues on these villains. Third, Metroids can eat
up your energy in a second. Fourth, there is no saving (although there
are passwords). Fifth, there's no real "resupply" points, so you'll have
to kill lots of enemies to get more missiles and energy. Yes, this is a
tough game. It sometimes borders on the frustrating side, but it's
worth it to keep coming back for more.
Game Play-Fun: 9 out of 10
Amazing, innovative, and fun. Nowhere else does the phrase "get the
power up and win the game" mean so much. There are only a few
powerups necessary to actually finish the game. However, fighting
Ridley or Mother Brain with only one Energy tank is virtual suicide.
Moreover, you have to make sure you find enough missiles, although
you'll never get them all without a guide. The game offers a perfect
blend of exploration, platforming, and action. Finding secret passages
and finding your way through the winding tunnels will become second
nature by the time the game is through. Not having a map is problemous,
and you may want to make one up as you go along. Otherwise, you will
get lost. Also, although the game is on the password system, restarting
gives you minimal health. Thus, if you can't finish it in one sitting, you
will end up spending a lot of time mindlessly killing monsters. Only two
mini bosses appear in the game, and it can be completed in about an hour
if you're good.
Replayability: 8 out of 10
This game is one of the first, if not the first, games to offer multiple
endings. And the reward for finishing the game quickly may not be much
by our standards, but was certainly a big deal back then. The fact that
there are so many items hidden means you will never find them all
without a guide, so there's always something you've missed. Going back
for a more perfect game is one of the best parts of the game.
Story: 10 out of 10
This game had to be inspired by Alien. Female hero, terrible aliens, and
one of the enemies is Ridley (as opposed to Ripley, a hero). Anyways, it
is impressive for an NES game. The manual gives you quite a bit of
background, and there is of course the mystery of Samus. Considering
this game came out at a time when the focus was on twitchy fingers,
this is a great sci-fi story. With all the new video game movies coming
out, maybe they should include this one
Overall: 9.3 out of 10
A classic in the truest sense of the word. Nintendo certainly knew what
they were doing when they made this game. It's a serious and dark
science fiction story that perfectly counterbalances the light hearted
Mario. Although this game is certainly not without its problems, there
is too much greatness to be ignored. There is no reason not to play this
game, as it is one of the best.