Metroid

"An Intergalactic Gem"

Video games have proven to be like movies, in that the great ones never lose their appeal because they go past the superficial level and make a permanent home in your brain. I used to play 'Metroid' on a regular basis in my childhood days, and I decided to play it again a few days ago to see if it still had the magic. And I wasn't in the least bit surprised to find myself sitting in my chair, completely captivated, until I had completed the game yet again. Dated graphics and primitive sound hardware? Those two foes are no match for perfect pacing, creativity, a well-tweaked challenge level, and just plain old fun.
'Metroid' is one of the top titles in Nintendo's great history, sitting beside 'Super Mario Bros.' and 'The Legend of Zelda' as the originators of three superior gaming dynasties that have kept Nintendo strong for decades. It stars Samus Aran, a bounty hunter who has been sent to the planet Zebes to rough up a rowdy race of aliens known as the Metroids. And who could forget the evil Mother Brain and her merry band of spice pirates, as well as her lieutenants Kraid and Ridley? Samus will need a lot of weaponry to battle crafty foes like these. Thankfully, somebody left a ton of missiles, weapon upgrades, and utility items lying around Zebes to help you out.
The game itself is hard to categorize. It's a unique blend of exploration, platforming, and pure action. You'll spend a lot of your time running around and blasting critters with your arm cannon, but you'll do just as much tricky jumping and searching for secret passages and items. It seems like every room has a little piece of wall you can bomb open and roll through, so if you plan on finding most of the game's exotic items and extra energy tanks, you'd better be prepared to look hard. There are walls you can walk through, ceiling panels that can be shot open... every patch of landscape is a potential windfall of goodies. The huge number of secrets to be found is one of the reasons that 'Metroid' is far more captivating than the average space-themed action game.
One of the best aspects of 'Metroid' is how non-linear it is. There is no set path to take, no map screen, and no arrows painted on the floor to guide your way. Sure, it makes your life a little harder, but it makes finding a special item (or one of the game's mini-bosses) that much more satisfying.
Another fun feature is Samus Aran's power armor, which gets all kinds of upgrades before the adventure is through. Extra missiles and energy storage is always nice, but even more fun is the Ice Beam, which freezes foes and renders them harmless for a bit. You can even use a frozen critter as a platform to stand on, which of course will come in handy on several occasions. And who doesn't love the Varia power-up which enhances your armor? Or the beloved and wonderfully-named Screw Attack, which turns your somersault jumps into a deadly buzzsaw? Watching Samus grow into a powerhouse over the course of the game is one of the many pleasures of 'Metroid.'
While 'Metroid' is not insanely difficult, it is rather unforgiving. If you die, you'll keep all of your stuff, but you'll respawn with only 30 energy units, which isn't enough to survive even two hits in the more difficult zones. You can regain energy by snagging pellets (or whatever those things are called) from slain aliens, but it's usually only five energy units at a time, which makes refilling your energy tanks into a slow and careful affair. Adding to the challenge is the fact that most of the game's key items are hidden behind secret holes and walls, so you can't just shoot your way through the game and ignore the act of exploration.
The only knock against the game's difficulty level is from the mini-bosses Kraid and Ridley. While Kraid is a very tough customer and a worthy foe, Ridley is ridiculously easy if you just stand in the right spot and pump missiles at him. (Her? It?) A bit of a disappointment after fighting your way through Ridley's nasty little lair, but hey, not even the classics are perfect.
The graphics in 'Metroid' were superb in their time, and they hold up well to this day. Sure, many of the game's halls and passageways look very similar, but the bizarre columns and ancient Chozo statues give 'Metroid' a unique style. It was definitely a change of pace from the more fantasy-themed worlds of Mario and Link. Still, it's probably pointless to nit-pick over the graphics in a game from the mid-eighties. Either you can deal with older games or you can't.
The sound package, of course, is something special indeed. Many of the game's effects and tunes are forever etched in the minds of old-school Nintendo fans. The fanfare that greets Samus Aran's arrival... the melody that plays when you gain a new item... the eerie music you hear whenever you're in a room with an elevator... some real classic stuff. Each zone in the game has a different song, and all of them manage to pull you in despite the ancient sound hardware of the NES. The tunes from 'Metroid' are some of the few select songs that can cause me to become overwhelmed with nostalgia.
Hey, you've probably heard this before, but here it is again: if you consider yourself a hardcore video gaming fan, you need to play through 'Metroid' at least once. I don't care if you're some 14 year-old who thinks that the Sony PlayStation was the world's first gaming console. There are no excuses, my friends! Find an old NES and a copy of 'Metroid,' and get down to business. It's a truly great game from one of the greatest eras of the hobby.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/20/02, Updated 08/20/02