Metroid

"DIE! DIE! Glowing onion rings of death!!!"

About
Metroid was first released in the 1980's as part of the NES Adventure Series. It was later re-released with updated packaging after the release of Super Metroid for the SNES. The Metroid series has become popular over the years. It started with Metroid on the NES, followed by Metroid II - Return of Samus for the Gameboy. The third, and best Metroid game IMO was Super Metroid on the SNES. There are many similarities between this game, and Super Metroid on the SNES. This is mainly because both take place on the same planet, Zebes. So many creatures and locations you meet in this game will also make an appearance in the third game. If you are reading this review, you probably had your interest spiked by playing one of the other Metroid games, so you may already know a little about the game. I personally don't think this was the best Metroid game, but I know there are some people out there that believe otherwise.

Graphics
While the graphics in Metroid are not the greatest seen on the NES, they are still done fairly well. There are a large number of foes to fight in the game; most of them will show up more then once with different colors though. I have noticed some strange graphical glitches in various area of the game. One glitch happens when too much action is on the screen at one time, this causes objects to begin flashing transparently. But this problem is more of a NES problem more so then a game problem. Other more minor glitches are simply objects changing color and back. The glitches can be annoying at times, but they do not disturb the gameplay in any big way. There are many different areas to explore, and they all have a distinct look, so it is not every hard to find where you are. The graphics in total are not terrible, but they can be easily beaten by its sequels or even later NES games.
Score : 7

Sound & Music
There is not too much to say about sound, especially when it comes to NES games. The music is overall good. Some tunes can be nice and catchy. But others can be annoying and repetitive. The music gives the tone for the area you are currently in, from the lava filled Norfair, to the mechanical Tourian. As far as it comes to sound, there is nothing too special. The sounds are not annoying to me. The sounds are pretty simple. You have your jumping, explosion, laser, monster and other sounds. The sound is not great, but not bad either.
Score : 6

Story
The story is pretty simple. You play as a bounty hunter named Samus Aran. You are on a quest to eliminate the Metroid, a deadly alien which is a threat to the universe. So, the story almost sounds b-movieish. Like most NES games of the time the only way you could fill in on the story is to read the manual. Though there is a small story you can read by sitting at the menu, it is not very deep. Normally with shooters, you never really get a deep story, but more of a background of why you are doing what you are doing. This game falls into that category. So because story is not really an issue in the game, I will not rate it into the final score.
Score : N/A

Gameplay
The gameplay in Metroid is fairly fun if you can get into it. Many areas will pit you against a large number of creatures. The problem here is that the NES tends to slow down in large battles or times with allot of action on the screen at one time. There are a few areas I have seen that can be quite frustrating, and some areas seem like it would be possible to get stuck and require you to start over. The whole map is accessible at any given time, as long as you have the correct equipment to get where you want to go. There are many power-ups in the game. Some of them are required for you to progress further into Zebes. While other un-required items are stashed away in hard-to-reach areas, but are worth the effort if you can find them. There are also many hidden energy tanks and missiles for you to find. Along the way, you will find various laser upgrades. Different lasers will be better in different locations. Unfortunately, when you pick up a new laser, you drop the old one you were using. So the only way to get that laser back is to go back to where you first found it and grab it again. There are two mini-bosses and one final boss for you to fight. The mini-bosses are not very hard battles to fight, but the final boss can be quite tough if you are not properly equipped. The map layout is not extremely maze-esque. Some areas are very straightforward. While others can be like mazes. While there is a large variety of areas, many seem to mirror others, or repeat a pattern. This makes some areas predictable, or even boring. The variety of enemies and how they are used can make areas quite challenging. Some creatures rise out of a nest in the ground, so they will keep popping out, no matter how many you kill. Other enemies will re-appear if you go off the screen. But this is very common with NES games in general. The whole game is very adventureish. You will be quite surprised if you happen to look at a map of the game. The play area is very large. One comparison is roughly 8 or more average sized MegaMan levels put together. The game does not include a built-in map. So at first the game can be confusing to navigate. In total, the game is fun if you do not mind going back and forth through large areas finding objects and killing enemies. There is quite allot of backtracking to do in Metroid. So you may want to be careful if you are not a fan of doing allot of back tracking.
Score : 7

Final
The game defiantly has its flaws. But if you are willing to over look these flaws, you will probably enjoy the game. The Metroid series is living off the fame of the highly successful Super Metroid on the SNES. So if you are a fan of Super Metroid, and you are interested in giving this game a go, I would give it a try. Though I would tell you not to expect the extremely high quality of Super Metroid, this is still a good game, and if you like the other Metroid games, you will probably like this one.
Score : 7

Rent or Buy?
Well, By today's standards, it should really be Emulate or Buy. I doubt there are many places that allow you to rent NES games anymore, so this may be a small problem. But don't fear; there are plenty of used game stores everywhere. So you can probably find a used copy of Metroid easily. If you are a fan of the series, then I would say buy if you find a good price. If you are iffy about buying this game, it may be a good idea to give it a rent... or emulate it. See if you like the first half-hour of playing it and go from there. If you are looking for a good Action / Adventure title for your NES, you may have found it here.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/24/01, Updated 10/24/01