Metroid

"The beginning of one of the greatest franchises ever"

The Metroid franchise is one of the greatest and most respected. It has been around since the mid 80s, and it is still going strong today with titles such as Metroid Prime. Metroid is also an unlockable in Metroid Prime and Metroid: Zero Mission, so there's plenty of ways to play this gem. I suggest you give it a try, since it's a great game.

Graphics - 8/10
The graphics in Metroid aren't the greatest for the NES, but they're nice for the most part. Samus's sprite looks good, and most of the enemies look good as well. The bosses look great, and they are nicely detailed. The environments are large a give the game an outstanding atmosphere. Brinstar is bright, and it has an upbeat feeling to it. Other areas, such as Norfair, are dark, and they give you a lonesome feeling. That is great, because you are supposed to be alone on a mysterious planet with no one to help you. Most of the mid-air platform that you stand on look nice, also. The graphics in this game are great, but not the best.

Sound and Music - 10/10
One thing that I really love about the Metroid games is the music. The music in Metroid is well done and catchy. Brinstar's music is upbeat, and it makes a good theme for the beginning of the game. Kraid's lair has this awesome, gloomy music that fits the area perfectly. All the other areas have great music, too. The music does an excellent job capturing the game's atmosphere. It fits the game perfectly. Sounds are good, too. The blasting noises are good, and the missiles sound like they should. Nintendo did an excellent job with the music.

Story - 9/10
Taken from the instruction booklet:

"The year is 20X5. The galaxy is relatively peaceful. Although there is some inter-stellar Piracy, the Galactic-Federation keeps the peace well. However, on an expedition to a remote planet dubbed 'SR388', a Federation research team finds a creature found in relatively suspended animation. The researchers call it a 'Metroid', and they experiment. The findings were astounding! Once exposed to Beta Rays for over 24 hours, the Metroid replicates itself. In addition, they found that the main attack of the apparently genetically-engineered creature is to latch onto it's prey and slowly suck the life-force out of the unfortunate life form. The creature is nothing more then a floating, parasitic life form, with appearance similar to a Jellyfish.

Immediately, the Federation realizes that the creature, if used by those who would do harm to the galaxy, could conceivably hold the galaxy hostage. They hope to keep the Metroid safe on the research vessel returning to base.

Unfortunately, inter-stellar nomads known as the Space Pirates, led by the pulsating creature named ''Mother Brain'', board the research vessel, and quickly swipe the Metroid. They travel back to their base on the remote planet of Zebes. The planet itself is almost like a natural fortress. Every single attempt at infiltration by the Galactic Federation has failed. Only one hope remains. They call in the renowned Bounty Hunter Samus Aran, who, with her technologically advanced suit, pioneered by the extinct species of Bird-Like people that raised her from orphan-hood, will infiltrate Zebes, penetrate the Pirates' defenses, and terminate the Mother Brain!"

Basically, as a bounty hunter named Samus Aran, you must enter the pirate base, and destroy Mother Brain. It's a very good and interesting story, although it isn't expressed much during the game.

Control - 9/10
The controls in Metroid are mostly good. Samus moves at a good speed, and shooting is easy. Just about everything is easy to perform. Jumping on small platforms can be a major annoyance sometimes, but it's manageable. The controls are very responsive, and you shouldn't have a problem with them.

Gameplay - 9/10
Metroid changed gaming in many ways. It was one of the first games to have a health system. In most games, before Metroid, you'd die, if you took a hit. Metroid has a health system that starts with 99 energy. Each enemy does a different amount of damage to you. You can refill your health by picking up small or large energy balls. It's a great system, and the game would be nearly impossible to complete without it. You can also pick up energy tanks to increase the maximum amount of energy that you can have.

There are a lot of abilities and weapons in Metroid. Missiles, beams, bombs, and more. It adds lots of variety to the game. You don't just start with those weapons, though. You have to find every one of them. Exploring is the best part of the game. You search for items to destroy the two main bosses and reach the last area. It's a brilliant game with top notch level design. Metroid is a hard game that provides quite a challenge.

Replay value - 8/10
There are 5 different endings to Metroid. Each depends on your completion time. There are also a lot of items to search for, making this a great game to play after you've beaten it. There's plenty of hidden things to keep you busy.

Overall - 9/10
Metroid is one of NES's best games. Get it now, if you don't have it, and enjoy.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/22/04