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Nintendo Game Discussion Club - Xenoblade Chronicles (Definitive Edition)

KingofPhantoms

The Spook Factor
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I've only played the original DKC once or twice on a SNES compilation Plug 'N Play, but the games have always piqued my interest. Seeing the other Kongs from Smash Bros. and Mario spin-offs made me curious about the heroes, and seeing K. Rool and the Kremlings from their trophies in Smash Bros. made me curious about the villains.

So seeing the actual gameplay and playing the actual game proper for the first time was awesome. The original game looked amazing for it's time and both gameplay and design-wise it's a lot of fun and highly inventive and creative. It stands out on it's own. And seeing what K. Rool was capable of in the original game, as well as it's sequels, is largely what made him my most wanted newcomer for both Smash 4 and Smash Ultimate. I really need to play the original game and it's sequels again.
 

Swamp Sensei

Today is always the most enjoyable day!
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A big congrats to ninjahmos ninjahmos to beating the game of the week! Your name is now in bold on the DKC players list.


New week, new game. And its a big one.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time


Game Summary: Widely regarded as one of the best games ever made, Ocarina of Time was the first 3D Zelda game. On this N64 adventure, Link would navigate 3D spaces while traveling through time. Hyrule would change depending on whether Link was in the past of the future. The titular Ocarina of Time let players play songs that had variety of effects, ranging from warps to calling your horse, Epona. This title codified several aspects of Zelda for decades and became what most people think of when they think of Zelda. In particular, future games would reference music tracks, characters and gameplay elements from it.

Initial Release: November 21st, 1998

Playable on...
  • N64
  • NGC
  • Wii
  • 3DS
  • Wii U
  • Switch
Notable Character Debuts:
  • Sheik :ultsheik:
  • Young Link :ultyounglink:
  • Ganondorf :ultganondorf:
  • Epona
  • Saria
  • Darunia
  • Ruto
  • Rauru
  • Nabooru
  • Gorons
  • Gerudo

Current Metacritic Scores:
Critic: 99
User: 98

Confirmed Players:
  • Swamp Sensei
  • PLATINUM7
  • Megadoomer
  • ninjahmos
  • Diddy Kong
  • KillerCage
  • LiveStudioAudiance
  • Oracle Link
  • Champion of Hyrule
  • Grim "Anubis" Reaper
  • Lamperouge
  • nirvanafan
  • King Sonn Dededoo
  • KingofPhantoms

Recommended by:
  • Swamp Sensei
  • PLATINUM7
  • Megadoomer
  • ninjahmos
  • Diddy Kong
  • LiveStudioAudiance
  • Oracle Link
  • Champion of Hyrule
  • Grim "Anubis" Reaper
  • Lamperouge
  • KingofPhantoms


Okay, this game is magical. It's going to be hard not to gush about this game, but frankly, it deserves it. While it may not be my personal favorite Zelda game, its up there. I first played the game when I was a child, but I was waaay too little to play it effectively so I watched some older friends play through it. They'd always stop after Dodongo's Cavern just due to timing issues, but even still, I loved the game. Unfortunately I did have many spoilers like Sheik being Zelda spoiled for me from Smash, but when I finally got to play it on my own (and ya know, actually play) it was a magical experience.

For me, Ocarina of Time is kind of like, Resident Evil 4, Final Fantasy 7 and Chrono Trigger, in that you hear about its praise constantly, and you find yourself thinking, "there's no way it can be that good." And then it actually ends up being that good. Personally, I'd recommend Ocarina of Time to anyone who likes video games. And if you think the game is a bit old and janky, there's the 3DS remake that fixes a lot of issues while keeping the core game in tact.

It's a definite must play.
 
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PLATINUM7

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My first experience with OoT was the Brawl Masterpiece. I wouldn't be able to play through the whole thing until the 3D remake which was immensely enjoyable. I finally got to play through the N64 version with NSO and found even the original version still holds up nicely.

I don't remember any puzzles feeling obtuse and even something like the Water Dungeon which gets clowned upon I felt wasn't that frustrating. Certainly faster to get through in the remake with how item selection works there but still not too bad in the original.

It's also a great example of a series transitioning into three dimensions smoothly. It built upon A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening really well but is so much more than just those games with a z axis. Puzzles make great use of the extra dimension and the Z-targeting helps highlight Link's sword skills.
 

Swamp Sensei

Today is always the most enjoyable day!
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My first experience with OoT was the Brawl Masterpiece. I wouldn't be able to play through the whole thing until the 3D remake which was immensely enjoyable. I finally got to play through the N64 version with NSO and found even the original version still holds up nicely.
Little known fun fact. Speedrunners have gotten so good at speedrunning Ocarina of Time, that its possible to beat the Brawl Masterpiece.

Yes, they beat the game in less than five minutes.
 

Megadoomer

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Ocarina of Time was one of the games that was packaged with my Nintendo 64, along with Banjo-Kazooie. I played MUCH more of Banjo-Kazooie when I was a kid; for Ocarina, I managed to make it through the Water Temple (with the help of a guide - I'm not sure if it's as strict regarding keys and the lay-out as I believed it to be), but I was stuck on the Spirit Temple in the Gerudo Desert and couldn't progress beyond that.

I beat Ocarina of Time for the first time about three years ago, through The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition for the Gamecube. (I had beaten Majora's Mask and Zelda 1 through that before beating Ocarina of Time, though I still haven't beaten Zelda 2) I didn't complete the game 100%, but I got the Biggoron's Sword, which I think was my first time completing the trading quest in a Zelda game.

It's one of those cases like Final Fantasy 7 where, after beating it for the first time, it definitely lived up to the hype for me. The world has a lot of variety and potential for exploration without being so vast that it's overwhelming, the music is (as expected from most Zelda games) outstanding, and I had a great time with playing it.
 

ninjahmos

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Brawl's Masterpieces was the first time I had heard about and played this game. I hadn't gotten around to playing the full game until the 3DS remake, which I never beat. On the plus side, I can get to use NSO to play Ocarina of Time.

The game itself has a memorable story with charming characters, the worldbuilding and atmosphere are incredible, and Koji Kondo's music is probably the icing on the cake. He must've taken a few of his themes from A Link to the Past and added them into OOT.

The puzzles can be a bit frustrating sometimes, but there are some rewards that make them worthwhile.

I can definitely see why some people say that this might be their favorite Zelda game (either that or Majora's Mask, which I also haven't beaten). So if you want a Zelda game that's also a 3D action-adventure title, I highly recommend Ocarina of Time.

I think I'm still pretty early on in the game...
 

Diddy Kong

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This one was pretty huge. Definitely enjoyed it, probably in my Top 5 Zelda games too and at least Top 5 N64 games.

It was downright revolutionary. What DKC was to 2D platforming, Ocarina of Time was to 3D platforming / adventure games. Played it first when I was about, 10? Definitely was a huge challenge back then. With the years I grew to appreciate the story even better. Probably the most influential game in the franchise barring the first game and Breath of the Wild.

Great story, great dungeons, great items, amazing music and gameplay, the world seems much bigger than it is due to the time traveling invovled too.

Only downside I can think of is the Water Temple and Iron Boots shenanigans. It's better handled in the 3DS remake luckily. Speaking of the remake, it was a great one. Am actually curious to see a complete remake FF7 style for this one for the next Nintendo system, cause why not?
 

KillerCage

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I have to be the outlier and say Ocarina of Time is overrated and I don't have good memories of it. OoT was the fifth game we ever bought for the N64 (the first four were Pokemon Stadium, Kirby 64, Mario Party 2, and I think Excitebike 64.) For SOME reason, my parents thought Oot was an "educational" game. After playing a hour on any of the other four games, my brother and I would be forced to play OoT if we want to play on the N64. This "rule" was quietly abolished after a year, but the damage was already done. I never properly beat OoT until sometime in the mid-2000s and I didn't play the Zelda games until Wind Waker. Any good things I could say about OoT would be tainted by my childhood experience of being forced to play the game.
 

LiveStudioAudience

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Its hard to really do justice to how significant OoT was. Zelda effectively went into hibernation following Link's Awakening and with the rise of Donkey Kong related titles and Yoshi getting more of the spotlight, the major trinity of Nintendo circa 94-97 could be argued as belonging to the latter two and Mario. Ocarina of Time's release (and Pokemon coming to the West) changed everything and essentially was their FF7, taking a reasonably popular series and shooting into the stratosphere. It was probably the first Nintendo game that could be described as cinematic in scope, with even the arrival into the overworld feeling as significant as walking around outside the castle was in Super Mario 64.

As an addendum to that, OoT could be seen as a more faithful translation of 2D Zelda into the third dimension than Mario had. While SM64 essentially had to shift the goal of levels away from linear A to Z stages to open sandboxes because of the console's limitations, there's an incredible sense of design continuity when going from Link to the Past to Ocarina of Time. The 3D combat is the biggest outright new invention, and the inherently brilliance of Z targeting gave the game a much smoother transition in dealing with enemies than so many other franchises did around the same time. The release also effectively birthed so much of the modern story and lore: Ganondorf, the more active role of Impa, the three goddesses, the Sheikah, the Gerudo, (reinvention of) the Zora, the Gorons, the Kokiri, etc; so much created here that would help define the series going forward.

Its not without its issues of course. The frame rate is bit of a chore to go back to these days, and while the muddier graphics do occasionally work for some settings, the more complex use of color/aesthetics means its a rougher game to see now than the more simplistic world of a Mario 64. The inability to skip conversations and numerous QoL issues are understandable given it was the first 3D release in its series, but the pacing takes a severe hit as a result, and the sheer number of dungeons even becomes a bit much near the endgame. Replays lend themselves so much better with the 3DS version that its hard to argue going back to the N64 version except for understanding historical context and certain preferences in aesthetics.

Much like with DKC1, the other big inherent flaw of OoT is that its successors so improved what it created that it arguably aged quicker than it would have otherwise. Majora's Mask was a masterpiece in characters and storytelling that outdid the more conventional narrative Ocarina had, Wind Waker deepened the combat elements, and even its sense of scope could be seen as bettered by the likes of Twilight Princess.

Its still an incredibly impressive game (especially given the context of its release) and even if I find the likes of LttP easier to go back to because its design or consider Majora's Mask a better execution of OoT's tools, Ocarina merits all the praise and affection its gotten.
 

Oracle Link

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Ocarina of time was my first 3d Zelda its definitly a great game!
Although i still have to say its a bit sad too see my original few zeldas being so unkouwn/ Unliked
I Do have to say that OOT has my favourite "Realistic/ Anime" Link Designs
also i would say im saddend that these didnt make it into the final game:
1690111418270.png
Obviously they would needa small touch up but i wouldve loved for octoroks to be potrayed acuratly in 3d ZElda as they are some of my favourite enemys!
 

Champion of Hyrule

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It’s been a while since I’ve played Ocarina of Time so I can’t really give a fair judgement on it anymore but honestly I’m not the bigggest fan of that era of 3D Zelda even if I won’t ignore the massive amount of influence the game had. It’s absolutely worth playing just for the sheer amount of people who call it the greatest game of all time.
 

Verde Coeden Scalesworth

Flap and Swish~
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OOT is a really fun starting era 3D game(action adventure-wise). Sure, the NPC's are a little bland, but that's okay. It still looked very beautiful for its time, had fun controls and ideas, gave you a lot to do, and had a nice story.

Really, the only sucky part about that 3D era was the painted-on texture faces that rarely had an alternate textured face for expressions. Link had some, but it wasn't often for many.

It's one of my earliest N64 games(after Super Mario 64 and Wave Race 64. And some others though I forget the order. I know I got Quest 64 later). I had loads of fun with Gameshark Codes, glitches, etc. It was so open and you could such silly stuff. MM wasn't the same way(due to being better programmed overall).

I easily recommend trying it(though if you don't play 3D games, it won't be that easy to get into).
 

Lamperouge

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I've had fond memories of OoT ever since my older brother got me The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition for the GameCube one Christmas morning. Being a small, stupid child who was still relatively inexperienced with video games at the time, I struggled with puzzle solving and frequently got stumped on the part of Dodongo's Cavern where you have to light up the eyes with bombs. That being said, I still played up to that part numerous times and even skipped ahead to Jabu Jabu and managed to clear that one (How that one was any easier I could not tell you).

Fast forward years later and with many complete play throughs of this game under my belt, I can easily consider it one of my favorite games of all time. There's just a great sense of coziness I feel from OoT whenever I boot it up, and it doesn't take long at all for me to get engrossed in its world. Even though I still consider Wind Waker to be the pinnacle of the series, Ocarina of Time is an absolutely delightful game that deserves every accolade it's received.
 

Megadoomer

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I'd probably go with Volvagia as well - the sight of him flying through the air in the heart of a volcano sticks out to me when I think of Ocarina of Time bosses.

Ganon and Gohma are also highlights for me, though - the shadowy settings make the boss fights feel eerie, even if Gohma is incredibly easy in hindsight (though the image of Gohma dissolving is one that's stuck with me).
 
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King Sonnn DeDeDoo

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Dark Link still is my go to answer for best boss. The rest are all fun and have their particular puzzle like gimmicks, but with him its just a straight up fight in a simple but effective setting.
Agreed, its a very simple fight but I think it really works well with the pacing of the temple and the room you fight in is soo cool.
 

Swamp Sensei

Today is always the most enjoyable day!
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By the way guys, we'll still get a new game tomorrow, but it will be later due to being on the road most of tomorrow.

Just letting you know I didn't forget.
 

KingofPhantoms

The Spook Factor
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Ocarina of Time is the first 3D Zelda game I ever played, and was also amongst the first video games I played, period, a result of me being given The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition for the Gamecube, itself my first gaming console and introduction to video games in general.

At the time I played it, I barely knew how to read and didn't know where to go or what to do. As I grew up, I quickly started understanding the game better and eventually started making major progress on the game. I did have to look up some guides and walkthroughs on certain parts of the game, but I tried to keep that to a minimum so that I could enjoy the full experience of the game and challenge myself. The medieval, magical fantasy setting full of different people and beings, and the numerous locations I could visit all intrigued me and made for a really cool game. The combat was fun, the puzzles were challenging and satisfying to solve, every location and storyline in the game made me experience different sets of emotions and all in all made for a really great and unforgettable game. With that and it's take on the hero's journey, Ocarina of Time absolutely deserved all the praise it's got and that it's firmly earned it's spot as one of the greatest video games ever made. Even to this day, whether you visit it via the 3DS remake or one of it's original versions, I still think playing it is absolutely worthwhile and that the gameplay and narrative hold up.

As others here have already said, it's also a pivotal game in the series as it introduced a number of elements, characters and items that would become staples for the rest of the series and would serve as the reference point that would shape every 3D Zelda game that followed it and allowed the developers to build off of what it accomplished and established. Since Ocarina of Time, I feel that the level design, item design, enemy combat, puzzle building and storytelling have all largely only improved from here on out, with Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild and it's sequel being the most standout examples, all having different strengths that built upon the foundation and standard set by Ocarina. The series as it is today and the success it's enjoyed over the years owes a lot to this game and it's developers, and for good reason. It's an absolutely phenomenal game for it's time, and remains a gem to this day.

As for my favorite bosses, I'd have to say my favorites are probably Barinade, Volvagia, Bongo Bongo and Twinrova. All of the bosses in the game have great design in the own rights, imo, but those ones are the standout examples for me as they're all fun to fight, utilize their dungeon items perfectly and can prove challenging if the player isn't cautious. The game also introduced Phantom Ganon, with a memorable boss fight and one of the earlier instances of Dead Man's Volley, so his boss fight is also a highlight for me. Ganondorf himself is also a great final boss, and the Ganon fight is not only challenging but a great dramatic final battle for the game, as well as a great callback to his previous appearances in earlier entries as a beastly giant boar monster. Having this same form serve as Ganondorf's One-Winged Angel, monstrous transformation as a result of him delving into dark powers is a clever way to tie him into previous takes on the character and connect them as ultimately being one as the same, despite the striking differences they seemingly had initially.

Concerning mini-bosses, my favorites are probably Dead Hand and Iron Knuckle. The former is one of the few video game enemies in a non-horror genre game to have absolutely terrified me, more so as a kid, admittedly, but before actually getting into the horror genre, I don't think any video game enemy ever frightened me as much as Dead Hand, so seeing it rise out of the floor for the first time after my initial confusion of what it's multiple arms sticking out the ground were for is still a memorable experience for me lol. As for the Iron Knuckle, well, it scared me in a different way. With the sheer amount of damage it could deal with one hit, and having a more difficult time landing hits on it as Young Link especially, I was scared of trying to fight it directly and had to resort to using bombs in the first fight lol. I gradually got braver on fighting it and learned the strategies to taking them down with each new battle with them, and I couldn't help but feel proud of myself once I proved able to defeat them without getting hit. Dark Link fight is by far the most challenging mini-boss in the game, though, and the sheer difficulty of it combined with his bizarre, liminal room made for one of the most unique and memorable fights in the series. It was extremely well done.

All in all, Ocarina off Time may not be my personal favorite game in the series (that spot will always belong to Wind Waker), but it's definitely among my favorites, and it absolutely earned it's title as one of the greatest video games of all time.
 

Swamp Sensei

Today is always the most enjoyable day!
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Thanks for the wait guys. To make it up to you, this week you get TWO games to talk about.

Metroid
Metroid: Zero Mission


In the OP, I mentioned that remakes will be discussed when the original games is, so we get a double dose this week.




Game Summary: Metroid is the very first game in the Metroid franchise. It introduced the famed bounty hunter, Samus Aran to the world. Metroid features a giant nonlinear map full of powerups to improve Samus' abilities. The game had a huge focus on exploration and atmosphere. Samus would have to jump, shoot and roll through Zebes and defeat the Space Pirates and stop them from using the titular Metroids for evil. The Space Pirate leaders, Kraid, Ridley and Mother Brain acted as the main bosses of the game, with Kraid and Ridley needing to be defeated before Mother Brain could be challenged.

Metroid: Zero Mission is a remake of the original game made for the Game Boy Advance. Zero Mission adds loads of new content and radically changes the map to meet more modern Metroid standards. Zero Mission plays much closer to Metroid Fusion than the original NES game. The game also added a small section after Mother Brain is defeated. Samus is shot down while escaping and is forced to use her Zero Suit to try and find a way to escape Zebes. Thankfully she finds another power suit and escapes.

Initial Release:
Metroid: August 6th, 1996
Metroid: Zero Mission: February 9th, 2004

Playable on...
Metroid:
  • NES
  • GBA
  • NGC (Through Metroid Prime)
  • Wii
  • 3DS
  • Wii U
  • Switch

Metroid: Zero Mission
  • GBA
  • Wii U

Notable Character Debuts:

Metroid
  • Samus:ultsamus:
  • Ridley:ultridley:
  • Kraid
  • Mother Brain
  • Metroids
  • Space Pirates
Metroid: Zero Mission
  • Zero Suit Samus:ultzss:
Metroid:

Metroid: Zero Mission

Current Metacritic Scores:
Metroid was released before Metacritic was around, so I'll use the GBA Port scores.
Metroid
Critics: 58
Players: 8.2

Metroid: Zero Mission
Critics: 89
Players: 9.1

Confirmed Players:
Metroid
  • Swamp Sensei
  • PLATINUM7
  • Megadoomer
  • Ninjahmos
  • Champion of Hyrule
  • KillerCage
  • KneeofJustice99
  • nirvanafan
Metroid: Zero Mission
  • Swamp Sensei
  • Megadoomer
  • Champion of Hyrule
  • KillerCage
  • KneeofJustice99
  • Jamesster445

Recommended by:
Metroid
  • PLATINUM7
  • Ninjahmos
Metroid: Zero Mission
  • Swamp Sensei
  • Megadoomer
  • Champion of Hyrule
  • KillerCage
  • KneeofJustice99
  • Jamesster445

Alright, Metroid is a franchise I'm very passionate about. I didn't start with the original Metroid. Metroid Prime was actually my first, and that had the Metroid Prime 2 Bonus disc. It had a wonderful summary of the Metroid storyline and I became a fan just by reading the summaries. I tried Metroid: Fusion and loved it. I loved Prime to death. When you link the two together, it lets you play the original Metroid on your TV. So I got my link cable out and tried it.

I was very disappointed. Metroid may have been a breathtaking game back then, but its aged like milk. So many rooms like the same. Samus is brittle and way too clunky. The secrets are hidden behind walls that look like any other wall, with no real way to test your environment. And some of those "secrets" are required for progression. It's a mess of design. It badly needs a map. It badly needs better controls. Metroid is game I do not enjoy playing and its the first game in this thread that I cannot recommend. The most fun I had with Metroid was messing around with the codes. Justin Bailey is funny. I respect it for birthing a series I love, but I'll respect it from a distance.

Metroid: Zero Mission on the other hand, is fantastic and one of the best Metroid games out there. It takes the story and ideas of Metroid and turns them into something incredible. I wholeheartedly love this game. If you want to see the origin of Samus, play this game. The remake has completely and utterly replaced the original. Zero Mission is a treat and I'm hoping its added to Switch online soon. Hopefully that will get people to try the Metroid franchise. It's a perfect place to start.
 
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PLATINUM7

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Haven't played Zero Mission but I have tried Metroid through the NES mini and NSO.

Certainly is a game that's aged but I felt that if I had the time and energy it would be manageable. I started making my own map to help out but being busy with other things and having more user friendly games prevented me from pushing through it.

That aside, it is still significant for its pioneering of the Metroidvania genre and also just having a female protagonist. I think I remember someone criticising Samus saying they could have just as easily been a dude or some kind of space centipede under the suit. Well, she could have been and if it were just about any other game at the time that would have been true because we just weren't getting a lot of female game heroes. By leaving her identity a surprise the game let more people challenge their own perceptions of who someone like Samus could be for the better.
 
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Megadoomer

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I've tried a bit of the original Metroid (through its inclusion in Metroid Prime), but a Metroidvania without an in-game map just seems like it would be a frustrating experience, so I never really stuck with it.

However, I did beat Metroid Zero Mission a few years ago through the Wii U. It was shorter than I expected (I beat it in under four hours with a 61% completion rate), though I suppose that's to be expected since it was originally an NES game (and I find that Metroidvanias are rarely super long anyways, which is nice)

All of the bosses in Zero Mission stand out to me, which is probably helped by there only being four of them, with three of them being series mainstays.

I wouldn't say it's my favourite out of the Metroid series, even if we're limiting it to 2D Metroids and leaving out the Prime series (Super Metroid, Metroid Dread, and the 3DS version of Metroid 2 are tough competition), but Zero Mission is still worth playing, at least. (I can't really comment on the original Metroid; tried to get into it a few times, but it never really stuck)
 
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ninjahmos

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I recently started playing Metroid via NSO, and I enjoyed it, but I kinda stopped playing it as soon as I got to Norfair. (I may or may not return to playing it.)

Metroid is probably well-known not only for being the precursor to the Metroidvania genre (along with Castlevania, hence their mixed names), but also for having one of the first ever female protagonists in video games, and being an important part of Nintendo's history (as well as the history of gaming in general). It's a great game that's age certainly shows, and I have to agree that it has aged terribly. The gameplay feels a bit clunky, and the blasts from Samus' Arm Cannon don't seem to go very far at all. It may also possibly be one of the NES' hardest games.

On the other hand, Zero Mission, which I've never played, is apparently supposed to be a remake of the original Metroid, so hopefully someday soon, it'll be released for NSO's GBA catalog.

I've never played Metroid Prime either.
 
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Champion of Hyrule

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I've played Metroid NES a bit but beaten Zero Mission so I'll just comment on that. Zero Mission is a pretty short game but it feels like a perfect base Metroid game. With a smaller map and given that it's a remake of, well, the first one it's a great way to start the series. It's a little basic compared to other games but still an interesting game. The way it remakes the original NES Metroid is really impressive too.
 

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I recently started playing Metroid via NSO, and I enjoyed it, but I kinda stopped playing it as soon as I got to Norfair. (I may or may not return to playing it.)

Metroid is probably well-known not only for being the precursor to the Metroidvania genre (along with Castlevania, hence their mixed names), but also for having one of the first ever female protagonists in video games, and being an important part of Nintendo's history (as well as the history of gaming in general). It's a great game that's age certainly shows, and I have to agree that it has aged terribly. The gameplay feels a bit clunky, and the blasts from Samus' Arm Cannon don't seem to go very far at all. It may also possibly be one of the NES' hardest games.

On the other hand, Zero Mission, which I've never played, is apparently supposed to be a remake of the original Metroid, so hopefully someday soon, it'll be released for NSO's GBA catalog.

I've never played Metroid Prime either.
Ah, the reason your shots seem to go nowhere is because you have to pick up an item called the long beam.

It does exactly what you think it does.
 

KillerCage

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I have tried to play the original Metroid multiple times but I couldn't dive deep into it because the first Metroid I played and beaten was ironically its remake Zero Mission. Yes it's short, but it was on the GBA. This has the effect of giving me an underwhelmed impression of Super Metroid simply because its controls felt cumbersome in comparison to Zero Mission's controls. I will stand with my belief that Zero Mission is the best starting point in the Metroid franchise. It's short. It's straight forward. It's easy (unless you're doing 100%.) It even an emulation of the original game! I can EASILY recommend Metroid Zero Mission!
 

KneeOfJustice99

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I'll preface this by admitting my initial exposure to Metroid was a copy of Metroid Prime: Hunters that my (at the time) boyfriend left in my coat pocket about 5 years ago. (Thanks Adam!) That being said, whilst I'm aware that's a weird place to start, I should mention that whilst I haven't been exposed to much of the series, it is one I do find enjoyable... though I'm not very good at it.

That said, playing the original Metroid for the first time on the NES Classic Edition I was hella lucky to get in early 2017 was a weird experience. I think part of that boils down to, in my opinion, the best-designed element of the entire game being the first two minutes. I mean, let's consider what you learn in the first section of the game:
  1. You can move either left or right at any time using the D-Pad.
  2. You are capable of attacking opponents with a short-range, low-powered projectile.
  3. Upon making contact with an enemy, you will be damaged, and will briefly become invincible.
  4. Opponents will typically take more than one hit to kill, thus requiring a degree of patience and strategy.
  5. You can jump by pressing the other action button. The height and range of your jump can be controlled.
  6. You can crouch, but under typical circumstances, you cannot crawl.
  7. The game will not always require you to move to the right, and will reward you for exploring non-linearly.
  8. There are multiple types of distinct enemy, each with their own movement patterns.
  9. Blue doors can be opened with a single shot, and passing through open doors instigates a transition.
  10. On the other side of a door will typically be a new location of some form, allowing you to continue your progress.
Fantastic. In possibly less than 60 seconds, the basic concepts of the game are elegantly and simplistically explored to the player in a non-intrusive way that rewards them for following the breadcrumb trail they leave.

And then immediately after, the breadcrumb trail is eaten by all of the aliens on Planet Zebes as you begin to realise two things - firstly, a lot of rooms look the same due to limited memory and tilesets - and secondly, you do not have an in-game map of any sort, nor any idea where exactly to go from here. You end up in one of several identical-looking shafts with no indication of what you're even really looking for.

For that, you'll need the manual.

See, from this point forward, your experience with the game is pretty much solely dependant on what external resources beyond the game itself (and its applicable equipment) you have access to. Metroid is in this interesting place in history wherein video games had developed enough that manuals weren't effectively required due to how abstract the graphics could be at times (looking at you, SwordQuest!), but hadn't yet developed enough to give a player all of the tools they could possibly need within the game itself. What's annoying about the original Metroid specifically is that it kind of already shows, at the start of the game, that it's capable of leaving a trail for you to follow - but following that point, you're kind of just booted into a world with literally no direction or objectives.

There's not many games where I can say that your experience of it effectively has required reading, but Metroid is one of them. Bear in mind, that's not even getting into the fact that some of the game's items are hidden in such infuriatingly obscure places that you would never find unless you had a guide. I think the thing that annoys me about Metroid more than anything is that there are genuinely sometimes glimmers of interesting and elegant design which then get completely ignored because you have to spend another solid hour traversing up an identical shaft and getting lost. It's a little like when you're training a dog to sit, and it gets so infuriatingly close to doing exactly what you need it to do, and then it runs off and starts defacating on your sofa. Sure, it's progress, but it sure feels like a waste of time.

That said, I wouldn't say Metroid is a "bad game". I'll admit I'm a little biased in that the genre it's in isn't exactly my cup of tea to begin with. It's just... a product of its time. Being the "first" in any given thing is going to mean it's not exactly the "best" - the first car wasn't a Toyota Prius, the first song wasn't Bohemian Rhapsody, the first Metroid game wasn't Super Metroid or Metroid Prime.

Weirdly, it's kind of fitting that the series' namesake creatures are somewhat defined by evolution, too.

Metroid: Zero Mission is therefore exactly the kind of remake I think should be more of. Metroid is, by its very nature, a flawed game... but not a bad game - so getting modern touchups (or at least as modern as 2004 might be - 19 years old, huh?) is, on paper, a pretty decent way to solve it. And by god, it worked.

The simple act of including a map alongside other minor quality-of-life improvements (like more unique zones and such!) makes the elements of good design within the original game shine. Sure, by 2004, Metroid: Zero Mission was a small Metroid game... but it effectively added everything it needed to make what it really was perfect - and more. Additional items, minibosses, areas, story, arguably a new mode, and even an emulated copy of the original game were all things it arguably didn't "need" to add, but benefits a lot from - giving Zero Mission a different enough feel from its predecessor despite still being a faithful remake of it. It says a lot that the game was pretty well-recieved for its time, and even now is lauded as a fun and engaging experience despite the remake-addled hellhole of 2023's media landscape.

I think that whilst it's important to recognise the importance of the first Metroid game and its remake, it's also important not to overestimate it. In many ways, it was ahead of its time - but maybe jumped the gun in a few respects, which future games in the series would adapt in their own unique way - arguably creating two of gaming's masterpieces in the process. The existence of Zero Mission as a more polished interpretation of the original game's vision is, in my opinion, on a similar level of importance to the original game - because it lets us put into perspective how far not just the series, or the genre, but the gaming world as a whole, has come.

Da Vinci's first painting wasn't the Mona Lisa, but every work he did along the way made it happen.
 
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ssbashworld

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Not the biggest fan of Metroid honestly, i have alot of respect for what the game accomplished & how influential it is especially in co-creating an entire genre.

Did play the original a little bit but got stuck early and its style of gameplay wasnt enough to keep me going. Tend to prefer 3d over 2d in general & rarely enjoy backtracking. Can see the appeal but just wasnt for me.
 
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Swamp Sensei

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What do you guys think of the argument that sometimes crops up online that the very first Metroid isn't a "true" Metroidvania game because of less backtracking and no map?
It's kinda lame. Maps aren't what make a Metroidvania experience.

And Metroid has plenty of backtracking.
 

ssbashworld

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I think i generally disagree with that argument, i cant really speak about the backtracking comparison given my lack of experience with this game & genre.

As for the map i look at it as an added quality of life feature that became standard & i wouldnt say earlier games that lacked future innovations are any less of a member of that genre.
 

Dan Quixote

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It's kinda lame. Maps aren't what make a Metroidvania experience.

And Metroid has plenty of backtracking.
Yeah that's always been my opinion. Always found that argument so silly but it keeps cropping up. Metroid 1's backtracking is simple and more linear than usual, sure, but that's still the essence of what makes a metroidvania game.
 

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So, what's your favorite track from the original Metroid?

I think for me it's gotta be either Brinstar or the Ending theme. Kraid's Lair is also great.
 

ninjahmos

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For me, I think it's either Brinstar or Kraid's Lair. The Escape theme is also nice.

Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka is a genius.
 
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