2D Metroid: The Most Ingenious Design Ever?

A week ago I bought myself a new Gameboy Player (what a great peripheral it is) and indulged in some Golden Sun and Metroid. These were the most involved, not to mention enjoyable, gaming sessions I've had in some time.

After breaking apart Metroid Zero Mission a few times, I want to pose a question . . .

Is 2D Metroid (especially Super, MZM, the original, even Fusion) the most brilliantly designed series ever?

I think it is--at least of the games I've played. I wouldn't necessarily go as far as saying it is the best, though it can't be far from the top. But the tight control, intricate level design and nonlinear pacing are unparalleled as far as I'm concerned.

Agree/Disagree? If disagree, posit an alternative.

What do you mean "even Fusion"?

Fusion has been the best Metroid game since Super Metroid. Only the original Prime comes even remotely close.

And yes, the game mechanics and level design of 2D Metroid games are incredible and astonishing.

Yes, it's an amazing series, but what else do you expect from a series partly created by Gunpei Yokei? All his series have been almost consistently fantastic, and Metroid is prime among them (hur hur). Shame Fusion was so linear really.

That's funny; I was just playing Super Metroid, and I was going to message you about how perfect it was.

The design for the Super Metroid is flawless. I can't find anything wrong with it with the expection of having to scroll through weapons (like, why can't I just charge up my regular missiles by holding the button down to unleash a Super Missile?). The actual game design is, well, perfect. I've never played a game that has been so perfect.

The idea that there is a set path for the player, but you can break off that path by using special abilties that the game never really teaches you directly adds a new layer of depth to the game. Less hardcore gamers can beat the game without having to use the walljump--which is a hard ability to master--but hardcore gamers are rewarded by mastering such a move with sequence-breaking. It's really awesome. Flawless game design. The developers really thought of everything. As a result, Super Metroid's replay value is through the roof.

Metroid Fusion is great as well. Even if the game is more linear, the boss battles were made more fun and challenging. I also think the story was engaging enough to keep the player wanting to know what exactly is going on--something Super Metroid didn't have. I love Fusion because it is obviously a sequel to Super Metroid, but you'll get something different out of it. They complement each other.

I never beat Zero Mission. I loved it until the Zero-Suit Samus missions.

Though not my favorite part of the game, the Zero Suit Samus mission (Chozodia + Space Pirate Base) ties the original to Super incredibly well. I love how the origins of the wrecked ship from Super Metroid are explained. I also love how the level design in ZM recalls that of the older games without resorting to a complete cut and paste job.

ZM = Best Remake Ever? Again, I think it is. It allowed the developers to better connect the original and Super. Along with Super, it is the best example of nonlinear design I can think of. By using advanced techniques like the wall kick and *especially* bomb jumping (ZM even lets you infinite bomb jump diagonally--a maneuver I've never accomplished in Super), you can accomplish some truly amazing feats and essentially turn the game upside down.

I still can't bomb-jump very well. I don't know the timing no matter how much I practice.

Originally Posted by KeeSomething

I still can't bomb-jump very well. I don't know the timing no matter how much I practice.

It is a lot more forgiving in ZM. In Super, your timing has to be perfect.

In both games, you lay a bomb, then lay another one right before it detonates. Then you lay another one right when you fall on the second one. Then you just keep repeating.

In Super, were you ever able to skip the Spore Spawn with the mach ball? You should try it. And in ZM, try to fight Ridley before Kraid--it's very satisfying!

Watching videos of advanced players is a thing of beauty.

Originally Posted by Black_Mamba

ZM = Best Remake Ever? Again, I think it is. It allowed the developers to better connect the original and Super. Along with Super, it is the best example of nonlinear design I can think of. By using advanced techniques like the wall kick and *especially* bomb jumping (ZM even lets you infinite bomb jump diagonally--a maneuver I've never accomplished in Super), you can accomplish some truly amazing feats and essentially turn the game upside down.

Well, not trying to be off topic, but as far as remakes go, I'd say Resident Evil is of higher quality.

Metroid Zero Mission really is amazing, though. I haven't gone back through since I learned all the Metroid tricks playing Super Metroid, so I intend to do that soon. It's a very short game, so I imagine replaying it is half the enjoyment. I was sorta disappointed with the Zero Suit level at the end, but I suppose it got the job done. Worth playing through, if anything.

For me, Zero Mission definitely doesn't come close to touching Super Metroid, but enough of what made Super Metroid great is there. And really, a game can be half as perfect/amazing as Super Metroid, and still be in the top 30 games ever made.

Metroid is indeed one of the best series I have ever played, and the 2-d games are usually incredibly designed. A pretty cool guy once said that Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Metroid just may be the best designed games ever. Which is something I agree with in broad terms, but I feel that Ico belongs there, too.

So yeah, Metroid is awesome, one of the very best videogame series I have ever played.

Metroid is one of my favorite gaming franchises out there. Super Metroid would be my favorite, with Zero Mission following close behind. Zero Mission is definitely the best remake I've seen. The original Metroid didn't age very well, and ZM fixed all that by adding a map, more bosses, and some background information on Samus. I even liked the Zero Suit section of the game. That portion of the game was more challenging because you could no longer blast your enemies away if they gave you trouble, you actually had to think carefully to get past obstacles. The only reason I think SM is better than ZM is because SM had much more depth and content.

Originally Posted by Black_Mamba

In Super, were you ever able to skip the Spore Spawn with the mach ball? You should try it.

I just searched "Spore Spawn" on Youtube. Holy crap! I never knew you could do that. I also never knew about the mockball. I'm going to have to replay the game with those abilities in mind.

Are there any other abilities that I don't know about?

Hundreds.

(okay, I exaggerate, but about ten or so advanced techniques)

Mockball, machball, one-wall wall jumping, X-Ray jumping, arm pumping, infinite vertical bomb jump, infinite diagonal bomb jump, crouch jumping, gravity jumping, quickspark, shortspark, and murder beam are various techniques that can be used to skip portions/do things in a varying order. The italicised ones are exploitable glitches, the rest are deliberate.

I've left out the secret weapons, crystal flashing, and shinesparking, because they are hinted at in-game.

I only know about the one-walljump which I finally perfected.

Wow. That proves to me that Super Metroid is one of the best designed games ever. There areso much depth that I never knew about. Of course, it's not all mandatory to beat the game, but I imagine it would drastically switch up the way you play it.

Awesome. ****ing awesome. My next playthrough will be like me playing the game for the first time.

Whoops, I forgot the blue suit glitch. It's been a while since I last speedran Super Metroid, so I forget...

But yeah, the deliberate ones are: One-Wall Wall-Jump, Infinite Vertical Bomb Jump, Infinite Diagonal Bomb Jump, Crouch Jumping, Quickspark, Shortspark, Secret Weapons, Crystal Flashing, and Shinesparking. That is an impressive number of techniques. You can even combine them - for example, Crouch Jump into a Vertical Bomb Jump to get an early energy tank before even fighting Torizo.

I bought Super Metroid last year and never really had interest in it, but this talk here is enough to push me along and start over today. I'm sure I will find how enjoyable it is after I get through the first few sections. I really haven't given it a fair chance, so now is the time.

I played Super Metroid a bit. I got to around Phantoon.
Anyway, I love the level design and concept and all that blah blah, but one thing really ruins the whole experience for me; I hate hate hate the physics engine. With a passion. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I find it to be close to unplayable at times. :/

Originally Posted by King KK

I played Super Metroid a bit. I got to around Phantoon.
Anyway, I love the level design and concept and all that blah blah, but one thing really ruins the whole experience for me; I hate hate hate the physics engine. With a passion. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I find it to be close to unplayable at times. :/

Go play metroid 2. It will make you appreciate SM a whole lot more.

Originally Posted by King KK

I played Super Metroid a bit. I got to around Phantoon.
Anyway, I love the level design and concept and all that blah blah, but one thing really ruins the whole experience for me; I hate hate hate the physics engine. With a passion. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I find it to be close to unplayable at times. :/

Seriously? Jeez.

Originally Posted by Dark Wyrm

Go play metroid 2. It will make you appreciate SM a whole lot more.

Oh god, I hate Metroid 2. It needs a map, like seriously. I don't care about anything else. I just need a damn map.

Super Metroid is perfection in gaming. I literally cannot find one thing about Super Metroid that I disliked. Everything about it from beginning, when you heard the epic opening theme, to the incredible finale with Mother Brain at the end, was just... perfect.

People say there is no such thing as a perfect game. They obviously have not played Super Metroid. I first played this game around this time last year, over a decade after its original release, and I still believe that it is better than practically every game released today.

I believe that this game is Yokoi's magnum opus, and that his legacy will forever live on through this pinnacle of gaming.