This was one of the games that I missed out on growing up, even though I owned a Gamecube. I know this game by reputation of course. It was universally acclaimed and is widely considered to be one of the greatest games of all time. But I have to admit I was slightly dubious going in, and not because I expected it to be bad. I had no doubt that it would be a good game, what I wasn’t sure about was if I would actually like it. And that’s because I’m not really a big fan of the Metroid series.
I didn’t like the first Metroid, because while I can recognize that it was an important and influential game, I also think it’s an archaic and frustrating mess that has not withstood the test of time, and is not worth revisiting anymore unless you’re extremely curious about gaming’s early history.
Super Metroid improved upon the first game in every single way, including visuals, music, gameplay, and level design, and actually has withstood the test of time fairly gracefully. It’s one of the few SNES games I can say still holds up without having to qualify that statement in some way. But while I can recognize that it’s a great game, and I can see why so many people love it, for me it just never sparked much joy or enthusiasm. There’s nothing really wrong with it, and the problems I have with it are rather small and subjective. But for whatever reason it just never clicked for me.
Metroid Fusion gave me much the same feelings that Super Metroid gave me, but with the additional downsides of the level design being much more linear and restrictive, and the boss fights being frustratingly hard. I can see why people like it, but I can also see why it’s not as universally loved as Super Metroid, and is only really well known and liked among Metroid fans.
Ironically the one Metroid game I really enjoyed was Metroid Zero Mission. I know it’s technically just a remake of the first Metroid, but something about the way the game is put together really clicked for me. It had the excellent visual and audio design expected of a Metroid game, and this time the gameplay and level progression completely engrossed me in a way none of the other Metroid games had. I don’t know why this game was the only one that worked for me, but it did, and I’m glad I found it.
With all this in mind, while I can recognize that the Metroid series has a lot of excellent titles, when it comes to my personal enjoyment the series overall has a pretty bleak track record. So despite all of the hype surrounding it, I was bracing myself to be disappointed by Metroid Prime. And unfortunately my pessimistic prediction proved to be entirely accurate.
Just as I can intellectually recognize that Super Metroid is an excellent game that has withstood the test of time, I can intellectually recognize that Metroid Prime is another excellent game that has also withstood the test of time. But just like Super Metroid failed to spark any real joy in me, Metroid Prime likewise failed in this same area. And in some ways I think this speaks to how successfully Metroid Prime translated the series into 3D, as Metroid Prime gave me a lot of the same vibes as Super Metroid while also introducing lots of its own original ideas.
I have to admit this whole situation is slightly frustrating to me. There are some games and some genres that I just don’t get on any level. But when it comes to Metroid I can totally see why the games are good, I can see why people like them, I can play them and see why I should be having fun, and yet for whatever reason I’m just not.
So having just fully admitted that my opinion on Metroid is basically worthless, let me offer my overall thoughts anyway. If you’re new to the series I would recommend playing Metroid Zero Mission first, since it’s a remake of the first game and personally I think it’s the most accessible game in the series. If you enjoy Zero Mission, then give Super Metroid a try, and if you like Super Metroid give Metroid Prime a try. If you don’t like Super Metroid, you probably won’t like Metroid Prime, and if you don’t like Zero Mission you probably won’t like Super Metroid.
Or at least, that’s what I think. But given that Metroid overall just doesn’t seem to be for me, take what I have to say with a grain of salt. Hopefully some of you are able to enjoy Metroid Prime more than me, because despite my lack of personal enjoyment I can confidently say that it does deserve all of the praise it gets.
Comments