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Official Super Metroid (VC) Thread of Best Game Ever Made

A

_Alkaline_

Member
super-metroid-snes-box.jpg


NOTE: ONLY USA'S DATE (AUGUST 20) HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED. PAL DATES ARE YET TO BE REVEALED - expect them to coincide with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption's PAL release in October/November.

"The last Metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace."

On April 18, 1994, America was overloaded with awesome. This was solely due to the release of, quite possibly, the greatest game ever made: Super Metroid. Metroid and Return of Samus may have been a solid start for the franchise, but this chapter in the series was leaps and bounds ahead. Even with the addition of classics such as Metroid Prime, many still agree that Super Metroid remains the pinnacle of the series. Now, on August 20, America will once again experience the peak of gaming.

Story
After extinguishing the Metroids on their home planet of SR-388 in Metroid II: Return of Samus, bounty hunter Samus Aran brings the last surviving Metroid larva to the Ceres Space Colony. There, scientists conduct research on the larva and reach the conclusion that the powers of Metroids could be harnessed for the benefit of mankind. Confident that things are in order, Samus leaves Ceres in search of a new bounty to hunt. However, shortly after leaving, Samus picks up a distress call from Ceres and returns to investigate.

Screens
73180-3-2.jpg


73180-16-2.jpg


73180-11-2.jpg


Critical response

At the time of its release, Super Metroid was universally praised. To this day, it remains one of the most popular and critically lauded games not only for the Super NES, but in all of gaming history. It has sold 1.4 million units (780.000 in Japan and 460.000 in North America), becoming a Player's Choice. It frequently appears in "best games of all time" lists; Electronic Gaming Monthly has named Super Metroid the best game of all time, it came in 4th place on the reader's choice edition of IGN's 100 greatest video games of all time, and IGN ranked it the third best game of all time in its 2003 "top 100" list, and fourth best game of all time in its most recent 2006 list.

"Hailed as one of the best 2D adventures ever, Nintendo's sci-fi epic still provides one of the most thought out and intriguing gameplay experiences around. Ranging from extensive platform challenges to gigantic boss battles to a comprehensive power-up system, Super Metroid has attained a divine place in the hearts of longtime gamers. Certainly, it stands as something players and developers can idolize for years to come."

The graphics and sound form a wonderful symbiosis, creating an almost tangible atmosphere. Concerning the looks, there is no individual part that sticks out; the game maintains an even, stable, and thoroughly crafted graphical style. The music mostly consists of reserved, dark and mystical melodies that lurk in the background. After a while they consume you, fully immersing you in the Samus role. And the role is indeed an exciting one to play. The pure joy of exploration is on top and constantly makes you thirst for more.

“Super Metroid remains one of the most well made adventures ever produced. Every detail, from the echoing ice shafts to the statue that shifts color to illustrate which of the game's four bosses have been defeated, is indicative of an almost manic dedication among the developers at R&D1.”

From Sharp:

You can't play Super Metroid for any length of time without admiring the game's polish. In brief, Super Metroid is probably the most carefully designed game I've ever seen. From the incredibly detailed enemies and the huge, powerful boss fights to the hidden elevators, myriad secret passages and densely packed levels to the amazing physics engine and in-game cutscenes, the attention to detail and overall quality--the creator's clear refusal to do anything the "easy" way, the way that might compromise the gameplay at the cost of immersion--oozed from its every pore. Little things like the power bomb beam stacking working differently, the bosses not simply requiring the most recently acquired item, the world design that was so different from the classical platformer, like seemingly useless tricks like holding down cancel while selecting to select an item for one use, like the shinesparking and walljumping techniques that were not bugs as they were in so many other games, but features explained by the creatures of the world, made the experience all the more unique and compelling. And the powerups--the Speed Booster, Screw Attack, the Gravity Suit, the Grappling Hook--make the already deep game even deeper, adding wonderful complexities to every route and opening up new gateways to new areas that were almost like new worlds. My quest to find the missile packs and my determination to complete the game with as high a percentage as I could manage meant that I had the opportunity, and the desire, to pore over every nook and cranny in the game, to go through every room and explore the haunting, fantastic, living, breathing planet.

And it all contributed to the sense of truly unmatched immersion that was begun when I set foot on Zebes, and didn't end until I got to my ship--no long stretches of text or pretentiously drawn-out dialogue interfered with my experience, no occasions on which I lost control of Samus made me passively watch the game instead of playing it, and, in short, nothing made me play the game the "right" way. The idea that there is one valid way of playing Super Metroid is alien to the game's very concept.

But what finally pushed the game, for me, from mere greatness to untouchable perfection was the way that the game's depths--its elaborate physics engine, its freedom from unnatural barriers, its huge world and its keen, urgent call for exploration--led naturally into speed tricks, sequence breaks, and out-of-"order" playing. Even something as simple as infinite bomb jumping--trivial from a timing perspective compared to many of the other tricks--opens up hundreds of new routes and new gameplay ideas, and makes every out-of-reach item not just a trophy to be returned for later, but a fresh challenge. Can I get super missiles without fighting Spore Spawn? What about his Super Missiles? Without power bombs? Can I get those two missile upgrades I've been longing for in Crateria before I even enter? With walljumping? Do I really need the High Jump boots to get to Kraid, or is there another way? The answers to every question on that list is yes, and they're just a few of the questions that can pop up in the first ten minutes of the game (if you're a speedy, anyway).

I don't even want to think about how much time I spent on those tricks, since I usually didn't save. By the end of my first game, the in-game clock reported that it had taken me over fourteen hours. My rate of item completion? 87%. After all my combing and searching, after spending literally over a month on the same game, I had missed 13 items, and as I later found out hadn't even discovered every room yet.

That's my story. For me, Super Metroid was (and is) an unparalleled, infinitely replayable experience, every runthrough fresh and meaningful in its own way, its every aspect polished until it gleams.
Click to expand...

In summary: When this game hits the VC in a mere few hours time, you have no other choice but to buy it. If you don't have money, then get some. If don't have have wifi, then get it. If don't have a wii, then buy one. This game MUST be played by every single person on earth who considers them a fan of gaming. If gaming was sex, Super Metroid would surely be the orgasm. The best part of it is, there's more than one orgasm to be found in this game. A LOT more.

BUY. THIS. GAME.
 
N

Nuclear Muffin

Banned
Man I can't wait to pick this one up again! Finally, no more 50hz and massive boarders for me PLUS 480p support make me very happy :D

Thank goodness I imported my Wii!
 
6

65536

Banned
Are these just random screens you've found, or are they captures from the VC version? I really hope it's not filtered like that, it looks horrible.

I mean I'd still buy it and love it, but I hate how bad TG-16 games look compared to others due to this.

Nuclear Muffin said:
Man I can't wait to pick this one up again! Finally, no more 50hz and massive boarders for me PLUS 480p support make me very happy :D

Thank goodness I imported my Wii!
Click to expand...
This is one of the main reasons I imported mine too. I feel sorry for people stuck with PAL systems that have an interest in the virtual console.
 
A

_Alkaline_

Member
andrewfee said:
Are these just random screens you've found, or are they captures from the VC version? I really hope it's not filtered like that, it looks horrible.

I mean I'd still buy it and love it, but I hate how bad TG-16 games look compared to others due to this.


This is one of the main reasons I imported mine too. I feel sorry for people stuck with PAL systems that have an interest in the virtual console.
Click to expand...

Just random screens. :)
 
S

Stapler Gonzales

Banned
I'll still play it on my SNES, no chance of me buying it. Honestly, it should be a LTTP thread. And you're spot on it being the best game ever, had I not already had it I would've bought it in a heart beat.
 
R

Rindain

Banned
Best game ever.

Some of my favorite moments:

Crocomire death
electrocuting Draygon
saving the Dachora and Etecoons
the entire ending
Ridley
Kraid
this is pointless every second of this game is perfect
 
C

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Enjoy the best game ever made. I envy first timers, even though they're drastically late,this is the game I'd like to experience for the first time again. Make sure to post round the clock impressions.
 
C

Cdammen

Member
Nuclear Muffin said:
Man I can't wait to pick this one up again! Finally, no more 50hz and massive boarders for me PLUS 480p support make me very happy :D

Thank goodness I imported my Wii!
Click to expand...
Wait. VC games on PAL Wiis suffer from 50Hz, borders and no 480p?
 
V

viciouskillersquirrel

Member
Red Scarlet's 56 minute 100% speed run was close enough to perfection as makes no real difference. I wonder if the availability of this game on VC will encourage a whole new generation of speedrunners?

I still stand in awe of Red Scarlet's inhuman reflexes

And in 480p sharpness too! I forgot about that!
 
E

E-phonk

Banned
Cdammen said:
Wait. VC games on PAL Wiis suffer from 50Hz, borders and no 480p?
Click to expand...
They are the exact same version as the original PAL release, so yeah, 50 hz and borders, although I think the 480p is possible if you have component (most PAL users have scart or RGB Scart though).
 
C

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
E-phonk said:
They are the exact same version as the original PAL release, so yeah, 50 hz and borders, although I think the 480p is possible if you have component (most PAL users have scart or RGB Scart though).
Click to expand...

I don't think the games support 480p. I have my Wii plugged in with component and when I press the info button on my tv while playing a VCgame, it never states it as such.
 
P

pswii60

Member
Cdammen said:
Wait. VC games on PAL Wiis suffer from 50Hz, borders and no 480p?
Click to expand...

Yep.

If you want to make yourself feel real bad, play Sonic on XBLA then play it on VC. The game is so, so much slower it is unbearable. The music is slowed down too, everything. And borders.

This is why I don't bother with VC. It's just rubbish on my PAL Wii.

Anyway, please don't reply to this so as to avoid derailing this thread about an awesome classic.
 
R

Rezbit

Member
Rindain said:
Best game ever.

Some of my favorite moments:

Crocomire death
electrocuting Draygon
saving the Dachora and Etecoons
the entire ending
Ridley
Kraid
this is pointless every second of this game is perfect
Click to expand...

Let's get together. I mean because we have so much in common and all.
 
D

Deleted member 1235

Unconfirmed Member
when does europe get this.

fuck you pal hating nintendo fuck you
 
S

SovanJedi

provides useful feedback
Red Scarlet, have you heard of a chap named Brickroad? He's a friend of mine who is quite prevailant in the Super Metroid speedrun world. I'm not sure how his speedrun compares to yours now, but he's definitely up there in the rankings.

Also know a guy named Andrew Mills (LAX is his alias? I dunno) He's pretty big in the Metroid speedrun world too. I think he's more focused on Metroid Prime nowadays.
 
C

Cdammen

Member
E-phonk said:
They are the exact same version as the original PAL release, so yeah, 50 hz and borders, although I think the 480p is possible if you have component (most PAL users have scart or RGB Scart though).
Click to expand...
Wow... why? Why would they work and release the inferior European version instead of just giving us the American one? Stupid :|

Anyway, thanks! When I'll buy a Wii it'll be the US/NTSC one.

(EDIT) And not to derail this thread further: Super Metroid is awesome! Played it halfway through at a friends house a couple of years ago, the atmosphere is as heavy as in BioShock :)
 
R

Rindain

Banned
Rezbit said:
Let's get together. I mean because we have so much in common and all.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I also think Jessica Alba is totally hot. I would totally hit that.

Just wanted you to know something about me.
 
S

SovanJedi

provides useful feedback
Rindain said:
Best game ever.

Some of my favorite moments:

Crocomire death
electrocuting Draygon
saving the Dachora and Etecoons
the entire ending
Ridley
Kraid
this is pointless every second of this game is perfect
Click to expand...

I'm tempted to repost my "Recreate Favourite gaming moments in MS Paint" picture to illustrate how shocking and awesome this scene was, but I don't want to blow my own trumpet on this stuff. :(

Nevertheless, I agree with all those pointers.

EDIT: Ah what the hell. If it makes more people appreciate this game then so be it!

crocoburn.gif


EDIT 2: I'd post all the others most people did in that topic for Super Metroid, but nearly all the others were of the last boss and for people who (unbelievably) haven't played it yet they may see them as spoilers, so I won't. But check them out anyway to see how much this game is cherished by all.
 
P

pswii60

Member
As much as I enjoyed Metroid Prime, seeing these screens again makes me realise that it actually had far less in common with the original series than I thought.
 
S

StevieP

Banned
AniHawk said:
They should totally make Metroid into 3D someday.
Click to expand...

Only if they make it one of the highest rated (and yet polarizing) 3D games of all time as well. Also, Virtua Fighter 5. I just added 3000 Wii points to buy this game.
 
A

AniHawk

Member
pswii60 said:
As much as I enjoyed Metroid Prime, seeing these screens again makes me realise that it actually had far less in common with the original series than I thought.
Click to expand...

Thank you.
 
M

Mirk

Member
My most over used snes game <3

Will be buying as the game no longer saves :(

edit
Tenbatsu said:
pic
32min Speed run. Warning for those who nv play it before, spoiler ahead!
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...&svnum=10&um=1&hl=en&client=opera&rls=en&sa=G
Click to expand...

How the fuck does he wall jump like that!
 
M

Magicpaint

Member
pswii60 said:
As much as I enjoyed Metroid Prime, seeing these screens again makes me realise that it actually had far less in common with the original series than I thought.
Click to expand...

In what ways exactly? If it's in terms of environments, viewpoint and amount of action I'd agree. Metroid Prime's environments were more 'earthy' , but also featured far more detail than ever which ultimately made them more interesting for me. Viewpoint obviously made a difference, Samus is much slower and there's the addition of scanning and visor effects, Prime also had much less action because of the slower pace.

Ultimately though, the Metroid formula remained unchanged and all of the core elements were intact.

When you move a franchise to 3D, lots of things tend to change. Ask Mario 64 and Zelda OoT. I thought Prime was more faithful to its predecessors than both of those games, though.
 
Red Scarlet

Red Scarlet

Member
SovanJedi said:
Red Scarlet, have you heard of a chap named Brickroad? He's a friend of mine who is quite prevailant in the Super Metroid speedrun world. I'm not sure how his speedrun compares to yours now, but he's definitely up there in the rankings.

Also know a guy named Andrew Mills (LAX is his alias? I dunno) He's pretty big in the Metroid speedrun world too. I think he's more focused on Metroid Prime nowadays.
Click to expand...

I've read posts from Brickroad and looked at his glitch guide long ago. I know Andrew Mills from when he hosted samus.co.uk. Dunno what he's doing now after stopping the site.

Cool drawing, I remember that in that thread.
 
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