logical argument for Metroid Prime's superiority in the series

[Nick Lepperd]

The original Metroid paradigm has three important aspects. One: you are alone, and the atmosphere is richly dark. Two: the story takes a backseat to the gameplay. Three: the world layout is non-linear and you are never told where your next goal is. SM kept completely loyal to the first and third, while slightly tweaking the second in a way with which nobody took issue. Fusion keeps the first but moves as far as possible in the opposite direction from the second and third.

You forgot a very important and game-altering element to this list: Functions and Mechanics. Sure they include the same weapons and utilities, yet upon creating Metroid Prime, the game is completely flipped on us. You are no riding in the cockpit in a first person shooter.

I love Metroid. I own every single release of it on all platforms, yet even I found this new point of perspective nearly detouring. You could present the argument that you were now seeing the atmosphere and world through Samus's eyes, yet in some essence, there was joy in seeing Samus in the actual world(SNES - Zebes). (I am not suggesting a side scroller would have been better than Prime, though it would have been incredible to see).

It seems that the Metroid series has been redefined permanently, from action/adventure to first person shooter. Sure, you can argue that there is still discovery and adventure in it, yet that's the nature of the beast. You progress and you will find something new. When you break it down though, to it is 'nuts n' guts,' you have a shooter. So to follow the trend.

Super Metroid
Metroid 2: Return of Samus
Metroid Fusion
Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime 2
Metroid Echoes
Metroid Other M

Maybe they'll grind out a 3rd person shooter... Not like we have enough of them.

 

[Aiedail256]

Are you saying Prime and Super's stories conflict? How?

I'm saying that Prime cannot POSSIBLY be in the same timeline as Metroid 1, return of samus OR Super Metroid.

Here's why.

1. Metroid Prime cannot be before Metroid 1. This was the first ever encounter with the metroids. This is pointed out in super metroid and Metroid return of samus. And this is a linear, straight forward set of events (Metroid, Return of Samus then Super Metroid).

2. It can't be after Return of Samus. Why? Because super metroid occurs right after this and...

3. It cannot occur after super metroid. The metroids are truly extinct.

The best it can be argued as being is an alternate timeline.

The Prime miniseries officially comes between Metroid 1 and Return of Samus, which I can't help noticing is a time slot you didn't address here.

 

[Chibz]

The Prime miniseries officially comes between Metroid 1 and Return of Samus, which I can't help noticing is a time slot you didn't address here.

I forgot to mention. Return of Samus is a direct sequel to #1. Samus was pretty much rushed off to wipe out the metroid home planet.

Here's what really happened.

Metroid Prime was made to REPLACE super metroid. And failed, in this cynical retro gamer's opinion.

 

[gigastrike]

Wait a minute. People didn't like Metroid Fusion? Also, how can you base whether a game was good or not on only two factors?

 

[Aiedail256]

Super Metroid is ever-so-slightly better than Metroid Prime because you are never told where to go.

Um, I hate being this rude, but, uh, did you read everything I wrote? You can turn the hints/directions off in Prime.

 

[HobbyJim]

Well, what sold Metroid Prime for me was (at the time) it was the quintessential console shooter. PC guys who play console FPS' and hate them often gripe about the controls. When you compare controls for both PC and console, the mouse usually allows you to aim better since a control stick aim might get wonky if you don't have your sensitivity right. Prime fixed that by allowing you to manual aim with the right trigger+control stick but also having a lock-on feature that let you move around so you can get a better angle at your enemies. You could make the argument that this made the game easier, but you can't deny the controls worked perfectly.

The number one thing you need to know about Prime is that it was essentially an experiment. How do we translate the Metroid experience into the next generation of consoles? The result is a richly detailed, masterfully handled, absolutely gorgeous game. I grew up with a mix of Dooms and Duke Nukems and Nintendo games and what better way to tickle my fancy than combining both classic Nintendo side-scrolling and FPS? My favorite game of all time .

 

[RollForInitiative]

Add me to the list of people that considers Super Metroid the most superior in the series, hands down. I was just playing it the other day to see whether it had survived the test of time and the game still holds up seventeen years later. =)

 

[Korak the Mad]

Very interesting, and I agree. I find it amazing that the praise for the game was so universal. I mean, Retro added a new dimension and still didn't alienate old fans, while bringing in new fans at the same time. It remains the best game I've played to this day.

That is something that I agree with you fully. There was an article that pretty much stated that Metroid Prime is the "Citizen Kane" of the videogame world.

The link is http://wii.ign.com/articles/103/1033302p1.html
I highly recommend that you read it, it makes alot of similiarities between the two.

I liked Corruption, it was a good game, except for one thing: The credit system. I absolutely loathe that part of it, especially the Friend vouchers/credits. The Metroid Prime Trilogy has the same damn credit system. The reason I hate it is because I don;t have internet access at home, so the trading of vouchers is useless.

I did bring my console over to a friend's house and connected there, but only to install Super Metroid for the Wii. Great game

For my favorites, they would have to be:
1)The Metroid Prime Trilogy(despite the credit system)
2)Metroid: Zero Mission
3)Super Metroid
4)Metroid Fusion

Also, I would like to say I love the music to it. It has a beautiful, yet eerie quality to it that I love listening to.

 

[Euhan01]

Prime 1 was the best Metroid i've played, followed by Fusion. Prime 3 then 2 and the others follow pretty close as they are all good game, i'm yet to play a Metroid game I haven't liked (Haven't played other Other M yet)

 

[Aiedail256]

Super Metroid is ever-so-slightly better than Metroid Prime because you are never told where to go.

Um, I hate being this rude, but, uh, did you read everything I wrote? You can turn the hints/directions off in Prime.

Uh, yeah. No need to be rude. The hints are there by default; they are an option but the hints are still there and most people will still give in and look at them. Super Metroid gives you no options; explore and find your own way through the game or go home. Granted, Metroid Prime only tells you the spot you need to be in, it doesn't tell you how to get there, but it still has a hint system.

Hmmm...fair enough, I suppose.

Prime 1 was the best Metroid i've played, followed by Fusion. Prime 3 then 2 and the others follow pretty close as they are all good game, i'm yet to play a Metroid game I haven't liked (Haven't played other Other M yet)

I advise you to seriously consider skipping Other M. It's so...ugh.

 

[Blue_vision]

A pretty annoying aspect of Metroid Prime is some very annoying backtracking at some points in the game. Especially at the point where you need the X-Ray visor and later find out you'll need to take the exact same path back again because you'll also need the Plasma Beam. Backtracking by itself doesn't have to be so bad as long as you can create new shortcuts or new enemies appear. This however was rarely the case with Metroid Prime.

The first Metroid Prime remains an excellent game I really like, but I do think Corruption was the best part of the trilogy, as it got about everything right.

I found the backtracking to actually be pretty good in the first one, with two exceptions. First was a single part late in the game where the devs could have taken out one little roadblock in Magmoor caverns and make it a lot easier to backtrack. Second was those damn Chozo ghosts that started populating Chozo ruins, which took way too long to kill, imo.

But I think other than those mobility issues, it's an amazing game. I still end up replaying it frequently, along with Echoes, which is similarly good, but has the issue of a less connected world, with the end-of-game treasure hunt requiring you to go to places that end up being very far away from one another.

I'll agree that Corruption was excellent, but I'm really dismayed at its use of the Wiimote, which makes the game unplayable for me. If there was a version that used the regular Gamecube controller, I'd play it in an instant. It was a bit of a change up from the rest of the trilogy, and the only thing I'll mourn is the loss of the different beam weapons, with the arm cannon just upgrading like other Metroid games.

I personally loved every game in the series, but I do think that Metroid Prime was the best game, and the Prime trilogy were the best games of the series.

 

[Korak the Mad]

Very interesting, and I agree. I find it amazing that the praise for the game was so universal. I mean, Retro added a new dimension and still didn't alienate old fans, while bringing in new fans at the same time. It remains the best game I've played to this day.

That is something that I agree with you fully. There was an article that pretty much stated that Metroid Prime is the "Citizen Kane" of the videogame world.

The link is http://wii.ign.com/articles/103/1033302p1.html
I highly recommend that you read it, it makes alot of similiarities between the two.

I liked Corruption, it was a good game, except for one thing: The credit system. I absolutely loathe that part of it, especially the Friend vouchers/credits. The Metroid Prime Trilogy has the same damn credit system. The reason I hate it is because I don;t have internet access at home, so the trading of vouchers is useless.

I did bring my console over to a friend's house and connected there, but only to install Super Metroid for the Wii. Great game

For my favorites, they would have to be:
1)The Metroid Prime Trilogy(despite the credit system)
2)Metroid: Zero Mission
3)Super Metroid
4)Metroid Fusion

Also, I would like to say I love the music to it. It has a beautiful, yet eerie quality to it that I love listening to.

Ah yes, I have read that article, really enjoyed reading it. I want to see Citizen Kane myself so I can recognize the similarities the article discusses.

And the credit system is kind of lame, I'll admit. I actually have internet connection, but no online Wii friends to trade with, rendering it useless. Luckily you can almost ignore that aspect of the game if you want to. I definitely agree with you about the music as well.

What is your opinion on Echoes? A lot of people dislike it for being hard, the insane scavenger hunt at the end or for smaller things like the ammo system. Personally, I love it and consider it almost as good as the first, and better than Corruption. Once you replay the game, it's strengths really shine through...

I fully agree with you about Echoes, it's a great game, and it has a very unique story around it. You get a feeling of remorse for what happened to the Luminoth, and that another race similar to the Chozo almost met a similiar fate.

I actually liked the idea of a planet in dimensional flux, and is at war with being that are literally the photo negative of each other. I say this because The Ing are the polar opposite of what the Luminoth are.

Luminoth: Creative, good/light, in tune with nature, helpful, in a physical body.

The Ing: Destructive, dark/evil, not exactly in a fully physical form.

 

[lumenadducere]

I'd actually have to agree. Prime is a brilliant game, and it was done exceedingly well in so many ways, notably the environment design. Metroid's always had distinctive zones, and from the beginning when you set foot onto that station it sets the mood perfectly.

The other two are not as good, I think - stronger stories and more polish, but that first one captured the Metroid spirit so unbelievably well, and I don't think the others really managed to get the same feeling. They were still very good games, don't get me wrong, but I just don't think they were as good.