What do you think of Super Metroid today?

[captain_obvious]

I recently finished it and while not a bad game, I didn't particularly like it either. I completed Metroid: Zero Mission and Metroid Fusion first and naturally compare it to them. It's an unfair comparison because by the GBA's era developers had spent far more time figuring out how to make the most of 16 bit hardware and I haven't played these games in over a decade now so I'm biased by nostalgia and am misremembering certain aspects. On top of this, I played Super Metroid with a Switch Pro Controller so some things like wall-jumping and the fight with Ridley felt more fiddly than they should have.

Parts of the game felt too dated to me. If you press the jump button at the wrong time when trying to space jump it fails to activate so you fall to the ground. The map only lets you view the area you're currently in, not other areas. It shows when a powerup is in a certain room but doesn't tell you whether you've already collected it. It doesn't show unopened doors which makes it harder to work out where to go after getting a new weapon type. Some upgrades are skippable; I finished the game missing one upgrade which I suspect is the equivalent of Metroid: Zero Mission's Power Grip. The quality of the boss battles are lower. The game's environments just don't look as good as those in the GBA games (though you can argue you don't play SNES games for their graphics in 2023).

So what do you think? Is Super Metroid showing its age or am I an idiot who cannot fathom its sheer brilliance?

 

[nWo]

Well, to have a real, all around opinion for this one, you must take into consideration a couple things. First, the evolution for those of us that played the original Metroid experience on NES. Back in the day, Metroid was a mind-boggling game due to the size of the planet. It felt gigantic. That was peak technology on your TV. Next, the Game Boy's Metroid II: Return of Samus. Now portable! It felt like nothing could beat that.

Couple of years later, we get Super Metroid. It takes everything their predecesors did, but ten times better and more!! The music, the graphics, the excellent story, everything was created with care and enthusiasm. If you, as you said, played other games before and not lived the moment it was the peak of the mountain back in the day, then yes, you could easily say it is not as good as it is but, reality has it that this is one of the greatest games ever made on the planet. This game is magical. Not even Dread (the latest 2D game) gave that mysteryous feeling that this one has. Of course, Zero Mission and Fusion are excellent too, almost as good as this one.

But you know, to each their own. I always have a neutral opinion when asked something, even if I don't like it, but I admire when something is truly legendary. So I think you should be a little bit less harsh with this one. It is great!

 

[hippy dave]

There were improvements in later games, which is as it should be, but it's still a great game. I've been playing games a long time and can handle some old-school clunkiness, and SM has some, but not as much as the 8 bit games.

 

[eyeliner]

The only bad part of it is the wall jump.

 

[M7L7NK7]

Overrated like all Metroid games

 

[Azukegi]

Super Metroid was one of the last 2D Metroid games I played. I played Metroid fusion when it first released, then Zero Mission then Super Metroid in that order. you can tell Super Metroid is a console game because of how vast it is. Super Metroid is definitely my favorite 2D Metroids.

 

[thynywguy]

I still play it to this day but never beat it had to use a game genie.

 

[qzack]

I've never finished it or completed it. I have a SNES but I don't own the cart. I've been playing it on the switch per the SNES games bundle (NSO) and I'm enjoying it. There are some parts that are difficult to master like "Wall Jumping" for one. I am probably 50% threw. When your juggling a Full-Time Job you don't have as much time to game as you did when you just had to go to school and come home.

I do remember beating the first Metroid game back on NES and getting it brand new for Christmas. I also remember using the "Official Nintendo Strategy Guide" so I could look at the maps and find out where to go and what was hidden around the levels.

To this day I wish I had a full Nintendo Power Magazine Collection. I found a few issues at my local Half-Price Books and grab them but to get them all now-a-days people want a fortune. They are fun to look threw and see what all was coming or already out back in the day.

 

[BigOnYa]

I do remember beating the first Metroid game back on NES and getting it brand new for Christmas. I also remember using the "Official Nintendo Strategy Guide" so I could look at the maps and find out where to go and what was hidden around the levels.

https://scripterswar.com/SuperMetroid/map

 

[qzack]

Thanks for the link. Had no idea all this was out there.