History
Early on in the NES's life span, Nintendo released an action game by the name of Metroid, which was one of the first games, if not the first, to use passwords to go to various parts of the game. In Japan, it sold about as well as 1 year old liver that has been left out in the sun, but Nintendo still released it here in the states. This was a smart decision because it became a blockbuster hit; people just couldn't get enough of Samus's battle against the Mother Brain and her Space Pirate fiends. Not only that, but it was one of the first games to introduce a female as the hero, but you did not find this out right from the start; it was definitely one of the biggest surprises in video game history.
Shortly after the NES Metroid, the sequel was released for Game Boy, in which Samus was sent to destroy the Metroid hive and the Metroid queen. This was very similar to the original, except it had a map unlike the first, but it also sold very well.
Then a few years into the Super Nintendo's lifespan, Super Metroid was released. It was a mega hit in America and it sold like a slushy on a hot summer day. Unlike other sequels, this one is arguably the best out of the series, and it added a lot of unique devices and weapons to the already tried and true gameplay. Just on a side note, Metroid Fusion (2-D gameplay and is said to be just as fun and exciting as Super Metroid) and Metroid Prime are sequels to Super Metroid, and they should be out later this year, barring any delays.
Story
Super Metroid's story takes place shortly after the happenings of Metroid 2. In Metroid 2, after destroying the queen Metroid, Samus is just in time to witness the birth of a baby Metroid. She is about to destroy it when it seems to take a liking to her, and she just doesn't have the heart to kill it. Wouldn't you too? If a baby jellyfish that sucks the life out of its victims took a liking to you as if you were its surrogate mother? Of course you would!
After escaping the planet's confines, she returns the baby to a space colony for it to be studied. But all is not right in the galaxy because one day Samus receives a distress call from that same space colony. Samus hops into her Yellow space cruiser with duel thrusts, and 1 million horsepower engines to save the day! When she arrives at the space station she finds that everything is quiet, maybe too quiet! Then as she enters a room and sees the adorable life sucking piece of snot, Ridley, Mother Brain's second in command, who supposedly died in the first game, appears with the canister that holds the baby mucus in its talons. When the fighting is over, Ridley escapes with snot face, and the whole station enters self-destruct mode, which means you must escape or become an extra crispy bounty hunter.
When she returns to her ship, she heads towards the Planet Zebes (the planet from the original) faster than you can crack an egg in a frying pan and say, ''This is your mother brain on drugs''. Her mission is to save baby Snotty and to keep the space pirates from using it to create more Metroids to suck the life out of all living things or a whole lot of 'em! When she enters the planet, it is raining all around her and she gets out, in which she…..you have to play the game to find out what happens.
Gameplay
This game has to be one of the greatest games ever created. It is fast paced but also requires you to explore your surroundings. During your adventure to save that adorable baby Metroid, you will encounter various foes that you will remember from the previous Metroid games along with some new ones thrown into the mix to spice things up. There are also humongous bosses that may cause your jaw to hit the floor. Just make sure you don't let any Metroids fly into your mouth while it is open.
Three of these bosses are from the original Metroid, such as Kraid (he has definitely been taking growth hormones, instead of being your height he is now about 20 times your height with a bad attitude and he has a habit of throwing claws at you), Ridley, and….can't say it might spoil it! In addition to these, there are some new bosses thrown in, all with bad attitudes, and the same objective, to make your Space Pirate delicacy.
While facing these enemies, you will find various missiles to add to your arsenal along with other additions that give you different powers, such as being able to jump to extreme heights, an electric grappling hook, X-Ray vision goggles and much, much more! The items will get you to places in which you couldn't get to before in the past, whether it be a once unreachable ledge or a door which couldn't be opened by your normal gun or missiles. When you discover a new weapon or special power. You will feel a sense of accomplishment like no other. That is one attribute that makes this game so great.
The game world is split up into various sections: Crateria, Brinstar, Norfair, Maridia, and the Sunken Ship. Besides the sunken ship section, all these levels are quite big, but you have a map to guide you to make your trip through them a lot more pleasant, even with carnivorous plants, demon birds, and kamikaze birds that try to drill into you. Each of these worlds has an end boss. Each boss has its own weaknesses, or patterns, and it is up to you to figure out the best way to defeat them since they can be beaten in various ways.
During your adventure on Planet Zebes, you will also encounter characters that will not harm you, but will show you how to perform a newly discovered move. A green ostrich shows you how to super jump out of a huge hole. On the opposite side, you have the green-snuggle-bears-from-hell, who may not harm you but I believe they were placed in the game to frustrate you to no end. Despite what you may have heard, these bears are not friendly, in fact they mock you with their uncanny wall jumping ability while you have trouble stringing together one or to jumps, and no they will not pick you up and lift you up the wall either. Trust me, after hearing their mocking grunts for a considerable length of time, you will feel like grabbing your sister's teddy bear, painting it green, and blowing its head off with a shotgun. Don't even bother trying to kill these things in the game either, because you can't.
The control in this game is very responsive, except for the wall-jumping move, which can get frustrating at times. If you fall in a lava pit or get ate by a life sucking plant thing, it is no one's fault but yours and only yours. Everything else controls like a charm, so you only need skill and patience to get to the end and fight the final boss.
Graphics
For its time, these graphics were amazing, and they still are for a 2-D platformer. Everything is very well animated and the bosses are amazing looking, especially Kraid and the final boss. Nintendo obviously put a lot of work into them and it shows, just like every other aspect of the game. You have to play this game to fully get an idea of how awesome the graphics are for a 2-D game, especially for a 2-D SNES game. They have aged quite well.
Sound
Classic is how you can describe the sound in this game. In fact, it was so good I picked up the music soundtrack. Trust me, after playing through the game, you will not be able to get the sound out of your head. Some of it is quite mellow, but some of it is quite exuberating and exciting, especially the final boss's music track. You have to really try this game out to know what I mean. The sound is very memorable, just like a lot of Nintendo's games.
Overall
Super Metroid is a prime example of how to make a great 2-D platformer. This is definitely one of the best games ever, and it will probably be that way for a long time to come. If you have never played this game, BUY IT NOW! It has everything you could want in a game: amazing bosses, great sci-fi/horror/action gameplay, classic sound, and jaw-dropping graphics. Replayability is another area in which this game has nailed, even after beating it you will want to play through it again since it has two other endings and it just never seems to get old. This game is even able to play with your emotions, and that in itself is a major accomplishment for a 2-D action game. So pick up this game right now, get a nice comfy chair, and embark on one of the greatest journeys around. To save a baby pile of mucus has never been so much fun! Now bring on Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion.
Gameplay - Amazing is just one word to describe it. It's fast paced and it never has a boring part; you will be hooked. (10)
Graphics - Jaw dropping for its time and they still are, even with some slightly noticeable framerate drops; but they're not enough to detract. Huge bosses, amazing atmospheric effects such as rain, and more add to its quality. (9.5)
Sound - Classic musical themes, enough said. (10)
Overall - 10
Topic: Super Metroid Retro Review (Hey these reviews aren't that good but I thought what the heck!) (Read 2296 times)
