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[reektann]

So, with the recent delays of most games and nothing big coming out for a while, I had a look at the SNES games on the Switch online service. I hadn’t played a platformer for a while and funnily I’m a big fan of “metroidvania” mechanics I reloaded I have never really played through an actual 2d Metroid game, even though I grew up with the NES and SNES.

The only one I finished a couple of years ago was Metroid Prime via the Wii but I didn’t fancy a first person game at the moment.

I was playing Super Metroid with the Pro controller but constantly kept pressing the wrong button for select and took about a million screenshots. I remembered I had an 8bitdo SFC30 controller I got for my SNES mini a year or so ago. Looked online and saw I could bond it to my Switch so I did that then I went Super Metroid crazy.

I finished up Super Metroid last week which I thought has a really good balance of exploration, although in some cases I felt like I was going in circles trying to work out where to go, but it was still a fun time…apart from the quicksand and trying to jump out of it. Jesus Christ the quicksand. I let it off for that as it was an older game.

I instantly wanted more Metroid gameplay as it’s a very moreish feel,so looked up what made the most sense to play next chronologically; as I had jumped a bit ahead even though Super Metroid is an older game it’s later in the story.

I ended up seeing that Zero Mission was a remake of Metroid on the NES so I sought out a GBA with an LED screen and a back light as I didn’t really think it would look ideal on a big TV on the Wii U VC.

I played through Zero Mission over this weekend and REALLY enjoyed it. It felt very fast paced compared to Super Metroid and less obtuse with some of the secrets and such. The controls also felt a lot more responsive to me compared to Super Metroid and there was no quicksand…. I think I actually liked it more than Super Metroid as it explained each thing as you picked it up and gave you a little wink as to where you might need to go next. I appreciated that so I wasn’t running in circles. It also looked really incredible on the modded GBA LED screen.

I wasn’t sure what to do about the next game which would have been Metroid II.

Because of Zero Mission I felt going back to the original would be rough. I saw there is the fan made AM2R PC version which looks really good, but I didn’t really want to sit at the PC. So, I have switched over to the 3DS to play Samus Returns which is the more modern official remake version of Metroid 2 from my understanding and I’m really digging the 3D aspect even though the frame rate does feel much lower than Zero Miss

What would people recommend next after this. Prime 2 and 3? I have the trilogy on the Wii so have those available.

 

[ClanOfNone]

AM2R is legit, don't pass on it. Prime 2 is pretty decent, I was not a fan of 3.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

From a strictly " these came out on the same system around the same time," sense, I'd give Fusion a try. It's more linear and plot driven, but the gameplay is as good as ever and the bosses/music are top tier.

 

[Kuranghi]

I second playing AM2R, its worth sitting at PC annoyance, I'd say its better than some of the mainline 2D games overall for me personally. If you want to stay on console get Metroid Prime 2 though, I actually prefer that over 1 due to the split world mechanic, its give a fantastic sense of power journey because at first you literally die when in contact with the air itself of the other world, but at the end you are the master of that place and can force some of the enemies to kill themselves instead of fighting them.

 

[DGrayson]

I started playing AM2R just a couple days ago and I thought the controls felt a bit janky. Like when running it seemed a bit difficult to jump. Like I needed to jump first and then move the dpad to the right or left. Perhaps it was the controller, need to give it another try.

Everything else about the game looked super awesome and polished.

 

[EverydayBeast]

It’s a winner for Nintendo.

 

[Moonjt9]

Definitely gotta play Fusion next, even though it’s my least favorite. It’s the last of the 2D Metroid and it’s still really good.

 

[abstract alien]

So...did you discover these moves in Super Metroid?


And there is the crystal flash...

 

[reektann]

So...did you discover these moves in Super Metroid?


And there is the crystal flash...

haha whaaat! I thought it made sense to just have EVERYTHING on as it all seemed to be more powerful. Had no idea you could do stuff like that with different combos. Crazy!

 

[Paltheos]

Depends on your mood. Prime 2 is the shit and is worth your time if you get back into the mood for a first-person game. Prime 3... not so much - It's fine. It has lots of unique environments but certain elements of the gameplay aren't quite as interesting. Exploration feels more purposefully canned. More like you're on a guided tour than exploring worlds and that's a big turn-off.

If you're still in the 2D market, Fusion's a good game. Not quite as free-wheeling as Zero Mission, but it's got a a decent curve to it so far as difficulty goes (as opposed to ZM which is a game I personally value only for my ability to speedrun it lol, not for any sense of difficulty). It's linear, like Prime 3, but the narrative is a mite better and the nature of the game doesn't make the experience feel as linear as you're playing it.

On the subject of Metroid II, I know you said you're enjoying Samus Returns but I'm actually of the opinion it's the worst version of Metroid II. Not bad, and it has some good highs too, but it doesn't capture the moody loneliness of the original. It's too lively, too easy to know. Familiar in allot of ways. Not consistent. In the original Metroid II, the landscape gets weirder the deeper into SR388's depths you go, and the animal life eventually stops appearing at all. Presumably because higher evolved Metroids killed all other life. In Samus Returns the depths might be the most active environments in the game. It's also not as smooth or consistent in gameplay as AM2R, something it achieves by taking you through allot of different locations that feel deliberately designed by their ancient creators for some specific purposes that you must now navigate and which often present unique challenges in getting around that set each level apart. I don't remember any of the levels in Samus Returns standing out to me, except for me thinking "I sure hope this is the stage where they start phasing out Gamma Metroids, because they suck in this game."

For my money, AM2R's the best version of Metroid II to play, although even today the original still has its appeal. The former is an exciting theme park ride and the latter this thriller that gets creepier as you go along. Samus Returns is technically competent with a few standout moments but doesn't feel as though it was made with the same spark of creativity or love as the other two.

 

[Beer Baelly]

You went and bought an GBA for Metroid? Wow

 

[skit_data]

I found my old GBA the other week and booted up Metroid Fusion, which was my first Metroid experience. I still consider it one of the strongest in the series.
If you haven’t played it, I strongly recommend it!

Super Metroid and Metroid Prime are probably my favorites though. Other M is probably the worst.

 

[Captain Toad]

You went and bought an GBA for Metroid? Wow

I don't understand what is "Wow" about that.

 

[reektann]

Depends on your mood. Prime 2 is the shit and is worth your time if you get back into the mood for a first-person game. Prime 3... not so much - It's fine. It has lots of unique environments but certain elements of the gameplay aren't quite as interesting. Exploration feels more purposefully canned. More like you're on a guided tour than exploring worlds and that's a big turn-off.

If you're still in the 2D market, Fusion's a good game. Not quite as free-wheeling as Zero Mission, but it's got a a decent curve to it so far as difficulty goes (as opposed to ZM which is a game I personally value only for my ability to speedrun it lol, not for any sense of difficulty). It's linear, like Prime 3, but the narrative is a mite better and the nature of the game doesn't make the experience feel as linear as you're playing it.

On the subject of Metroid II, I know you said you're enjoying Samus Returns but I'm actually of the opinion it's the worst version of Metroid II. Not bad, and it has some good highs too, but it doesn't capture the moody loneliness of the original. It's too lively, too easy to know. Familiar in allot of ways. Not consistent. In the original Metroid II, the landscape gets weirder the deeper into SR388's depths you go, and the animal life eventually stops appearing at all. Presumably because higher evolved Metroids killed all other life. In Samus Returns the depths might be the most active environments in the game. It's also not as smooth or consistent in gameplay as AM2R, something it achieves by taking you through allot of different locations that feel deliberately designed by their ancient creators for some specific purposes that you must now navigate and which often present unique challenges in getting around that set each level apart. I don't remember any of the levels in Samus Returns standing out to me, except for me thinking "I sure hope this is the stage where they start phasing out Gamma Metroids, because they suck in this game."

For my money, AM2R's the best version of Metroid II to play, although even today the original still has its appeal. The former is an exciting theme park ride and the latter this thriller that gets creepier as you go along. Samus Returns is technically competent with a few standout moments but doesn't feel as though it was made with the same spark of creativity or love as the other two.

Thanks for such a detailed response. Very interesting and handy. I have acquired AM2R from the couple responses on how much people rate it.

 

[reektann]

You went and bought an GBA for Metroid? Wow

I’m also partial to Zelda so it’ll get a lot of use!

 

[TexMex]

You went and bought an GBA for Metroid? Wow

I did the same last year. It’s great.

personally OP id revisit Prime 1. It’s leagues better than 2/3 and if you’re gonna enjoy one, it’s the first.

Would also HIGHLY recommend Fusion. It’s awesome.

 

[nkarafo]

I didn't enjoy Zero Mission as much, the hand holding was too much. I prefer going in circles trying to figure out where to go myself, at least it's far more rewarding this way. I prefer the challenge over mechanically finishing games.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

With Metroid Dread hitting the Nintendo Switch later this year, and Metroid Prime 4 eventually on the way to the Switch as well, it seemed like a great time to revisit the entire franchise. And whether you've been a fan of Samus' adventures since the original 2D Metroid or became a fan more recently with the Metroid Prime trilogy, Samus' journey is a long and storied one. In fact, you might not know everything that's happened to Samus, or why Metroid is the way Metroid is, so let IGN's Brian Altano run through some of the facts about the Metroid games, including whether Samus actually has parents, some surprising shared connections with Wario, and, most importantly, y cant metroid crawl?

 

[IbizaPocholo]

This year marks the 35th anniversary of Metroid, the loveable bounty hunting, genre defining, child that Nintendo loves to forget about. Except to everyone’s surprise Nintendo did remember this year and are celebrating with Metroid 5, aka Metroid Dread, the first brand new 2D Metroid game in quite a long time.

So long in fact that there is a whole generation of people that have never experienced just how good classic Metroid is, and are looking at all the excitement Dread is causing, and they’re curious.

For this video, Jean-luc details the best Nintendo approved options available for you. Unfortunately that means buying a Wii U.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

The Metroid franchise has a sprawling timeline that weaves its sci-fi saga across 11 mainline games. But how does everything tie together?

Metroid Dread marks the conclusion of a story arc dating back 35 years, which takes in the original Metroid, Metroid 2: Return of Samus, Super Metroid, and Metroid Fusion. Hence, y’know, Metroid 5.

But that chronology doesn’t even take into account the Metroid Prime trilogy and its various handheld spin-offs, or even Metroid: Other M. So with Metroid Dread set to expand the canon and conclude Samus’ long-standing mission to exterminate the Metroids, what better time to recap the franchise’s entire story.

The above video breaks down the Metroid franchise's timeline from Samus' iconic confrontation with Mother Brain all the way through to Metroid Fusion and Metroid Dread.

0.00 - Intro
1.15 - Samus' Origins
2.14 - Metroid Zero Mission
4.24 - Metroid Prime
6.50 - Metroid Prime Hunters
7.57 - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
10.10 - Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
12.25 - Metroid Prime: Federation Force
13.57 - Metroid: Samus Returns
16.15 - Super Metroid
18.20 - Metroid: Other M
20.04 - Metroid Fusion
21.45 - Metroid Dread

 

[tygertrip]

Zero Mission is nothing like the original. The map and hand-holding make it a COMPLETELY different game. As a kid, I fondly remember playing and getting lost in Metroid for hours and hours, and finally beat it. No maps, not even Nintendo Power. Since Metroid 1 was not designed with a built in map in mind, Zero Mission is very simple and short. Honestly, it is a completely different experience. An inferior one, IMO. Of course, I freely admit, as an adult I never would spend hours and hours being lost… I would just quit, or at least go get a map.

Also Fusion is only a Metroid game in terms of narrative and combat. The overall gameplay is just a linear platformer, where you always know exactly where to go. No being lost and alone. I’ve read that Dread plays more like super Metroid and the original, in terms of not being led by the nose, and trying to find your way out of a vast world. I sure hope so.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

The Game Evolution Presents: Evolution of Metroid Games. This video brings you the History of Metroid on Nintendo Platforms. From the original NES game to Metroid Dread (2021) for Nintendo Switch.

0:06 Metroid (1986) NES
0:26 Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991) Game Boy
0:47 Super Metroid (1994) SNES
1:07 Metroid Prime (2002) GameCube
1:31 Metroid Fusion (2002) GBA
1:49 Metroid: Zero Mission (2004) GBA
2:08 Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004) GameCube
2:31 Metroid Prime: Hunters (2004) DS
2:48 Metroid Prime Pinball (2005) DS
3:05 Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007) Wii
3:26 Metroid: Other M (2010) Wii
3:52 Metroid Prime: Federation Force (2016) 3DS
4:07 Metroid: Samus Returns (2017) 3DS
4:22 Metroid Dread (2021) Switch

 

[IbizaPocholo]

With Metroid Dread out, the timeline is now complete! Here are the full events of the 2D Metroid timeline recapped!

0:00 Intro
0:49 Metroid: Zero Mission
2:56 Metroid Prime Trilogy
3:22 Metroid: Samus Returns
4:35 Super Metroid
5:57 Metroid: Other M
7:56 Metroid Fusion
10:43 Metroid Dread
14:31 Outro