Metroid
Reviewed by Mike Nuss
One of the greatest games of all time, Metroid was the first of three (so far)
installments of Nintendo's "darker" series. It's creepy at times and has some weird
quirks which make it a cult phenomenon. There's just something about shooting
stuff over and over again to fill up your energy tanks!
Graphics A-
The graphics are superb for an NES game, and there are some cool visual effects.
The reason I didn't give them an A is because there are some problems with the
color palette that occasionally screw up the wall colors, and there are some
glitches that cause the game to lock up. Of course, some of these glitches also
let you get into the many, many Secret Worlds.
Music and Sound A
What can I say? The music is the best! It's fun when it needs to be, and creepy when
it needs to be. This is one of the few musical scores from an NES game that actually
does dramatically help to set the mood. The sound effects are unforgettable, too. The
sound of firing missiles, doors opening, and blowing up creatures in this game are
classic!
Game Challenge A
The challenge is just right in this game. With the password feature you can easily
continue from the area you died in, while still retaining all of your items and
energy tanks. And there are several different endings, so there's always room
for improvement.
Game Play-Fun A
Getting the picture? This game is so much fun! Shooting stuff and getting rewarded
for it is just too cool. And then there's finding out that Samus is a woman, possibly
the first great female video game hero. And then there's all the Secret Worlds, the
different endings, and all the weird quirks (like why sometimes Kraid's fire has a
different pattern, the seahorse thingies don't always shoot flames, and things
sometimes bounce high and sometimes low) to keep it interesting.
Frustration
The only thing that does get frustrating sometimes is that it seems like whenever
you need energy, all you can get are Missiles, and when you need Missiles, all you can
get is energy. That's all part of the Metroid experience though!
Replayability A
This game just doesn't get boring! I can play it all night - in fact, I have, several
times! And even when you've beat it, you can always lower your time to get a better
ending. And even if you have the best ending, you can still go for a lower time!
Game Value A
You can practically get this for free at Functioned now, so go out and buy it if you
don't already have it - it's a must have for any video game library!
Overall A
Okay, I know I'm being really subjective, I haven't given any area less than an A-, but
that's because the game truly does deserve those ratings in each of the areas. It's
simply a superior game!