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StarTopic Metroid |ST| Praise The Process

Metroid Prime 4 in the June 2024 Nintendo Direct?

  • Total voters
    58
  • Poll closed .
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Joe said:
I sure hope we get the Metroid Prime 4 reveal trailer in the September Direct.

I can't deal with another "maybe we'll see Metroid at The Game Awards". We've heard that like 6 years in a row already.
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please wait until summer of next year, when hopefully the game is reanounced, as a techinal/graphical showcase for Nintendo next hardware, releasing late octobre/early dezembre, on both Switch and it sucessor
 
Giancarlo said:
please wait until summer of next year, when hopefully the game is reanounced, as a techinal/graphical showcase for Nintendo next hardware, releasing late octobre/early dezembre, on both Switch and it sucessor
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Its most likely going to be like The Last Of Us Part 2 and release a few months before the new hardware mid year
 
Mekanos said:
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Dread is definitely one of the Metroid games of all time.

I think decades later, Super is still the barometer of 2D Metroid. Every game since then, for better or worse, has lived in its shadow. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Dread comes the closest to Super IMO, but there is still a noticeable gap. It's the kind of game that just makes such a strong impression it's hard for me to imagine a game following in its footsteps surpassing it unless they took a radically different approach. All that said, it's still a really good game with a lot to enjoy. Samus' movement options are amazing, and more than any other Metroid title, by endgame you really do feel like a superhero. Level design is solid, and the story was interesting. Raven Beak was a fun villain and I'd be cool with seeing him again. And speaking as someone who found Samus Returns 3D bloated and tedious to the point of stopping halfway through, Dread is a massive improvement in just about every regard. Pacing and combat are sooooo much better. MS gets a Most Improved award there. Overall I had a really fun time with this game and consider it a worthy addition to my Switch collection.

That said, in terms of gameplay, I can think of two major issues here, both related to boss battles. I'm not against a good challenge in a game by any means, even though tough-as-nails battles are not usually what I look for in Metroid. Some boss battles in Dread I really enjoyed, some were a frustrating test of endurance. For me it basically comes down to this: you can give me a tanky boss with tons of health that takes forever to die, or you can give me a boss battle that has extended periods of invulnerability where you have to keep dodging until you can hit them again. Raven Beak's first and third phases are actually fantastic in this regard; you can hit him at almost any point in the boss battle and he doesn't take too much to go down. In that regard it reminds me of a classic Mega Man battle. The second phase... not only is he super tanky, but he has that attack where he shoots his beam in a 360 degree angle that just wastes time as you jump around. I felt similar with the boss with all the tentacles, towards the end I was dodging constantly until I could get a counter due to running out of missiles.

The second issue is how often the game reuses boss encounters, both the Chozo soldiers and the EMMI. The concept of the EMMI is interesting (there was more of Fusion's DNA in this game than I anticipated), but the general formula remaining the same with some tweaks means as the game goes on those sections are more likely to be a drag than tense or interesting. I think both of these issues though are tied to the developers desperately not wanting this game to be less than 10 hours as to justify its retail price while also reusing assets; I don't think these reused boss battles were bad in a vacuum, but it definitely spoke to a game that was perhaps stretched a bit thin in terms of development.

A third minor gameplay issue is you have so many moves, in the heat of battle it can be difficult to remember which button does which. The option to remap these would have been nice.

Moving on, there are two aesthetic issues that probably everyone knows about, the environments and the music. While the game's environments did get more varied as they went on (I especially love the frozen over sections), at the start you're in a lot of drab metallic areas. I still think Super Metroid's biodiversity is unmatched as far as 2D Metroid goes. And as for the music... everyone knows the problems there, but I never thought the music was bad, just not particularly memorable. I did like Artaria III, and there's probably other tracks I'd enjoy if I pulled them up, but yeah, definitely one of the weaker soundtracks in the series. Hopefully they take this criticism to heart. I'd like to see Kenji Yamamoto come back but I dunno what he's doing these days.

To close this out on a more positive note... like I said, I think MS had a really tough task here. Not only did they have to make the first brand new 2D Metroid in two decades, it was also a major flagship Switch release (not a late life 3DS remake that could be mostly ignored) as well as the game that would be a lot of people's first Metroid. They had to hit a balance of pleasing both old and new fans, and honestly for the most part I would say they succeeded. In a way it's a game that's both ambitious for Metroid and also plays it kind of safe, but I think that's a good thing. 2D Metroid needed to be re-established not just within its own series, but as a game worthy of being released on Nintendo's mainline consoles (since we only got portable games after the SNES), and with Dread's success I'm very confident we will continue to see more going forward. (I sure hope so as this is how I play Metroid at all!) I'm definitely looking forward to Metroid 6 and am optimistic they can address the issues in Dread.

How I'd rank the 2D Metroid games I've played to completion:

Super: S
Dread: A-
Zero Mission: B+
Fusion: B
Return Of Samus (GB): B-

Also can we get that sick ass Metroid Suit as an alt in Smash please
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I'm glad (and a little surprised) you enjoyed it.

I enjoyed reading this post not only because it was well-written but also because it addressed some opinions I have on the game that it seemed like only I had on the game. For starters, that I don't think Dread is a particularly great boss game. Which is weird to say because it's definitely one of the most consistent in the series in that regard, but it just walks this awkward middle ground for me between the memorable bosses of Super and the fast paced bosses of Fusion. I don't think having every boss be a torture test is really conducive to a game like Metroid but even if it was Fusion did it much better to me as it never felt unnatural. Pretty much every boss in that game was a hectic back and forth and while there were times where you couldn't hit an enemies weak point there was rarely down time in the bosses as you were usually scrambling to dodge attacks. I also think the way that game implements difficulty was much better, it was usually about having precise aiming or dodging which made sense given the simpler control scheme and was much more intuitive than Dread with its controls and the need to remember when to counter. The fact that one of the most notable bosses in the game is Kraid which turned a boss about being proactive and climbing moving platforms and shoting into a somewhat unimaginative fight about being reactive and shooting is sort of a bad omen for the game methinks (I say this while acknowledging it's probably the best Kraid fight) . This isn't to say the bosses aren't fun, they're incredibly fun and I was actually surprised how well they held up on hard mode. It's definitely the third best game in the series for bosses *notcountingalltheothergamesihaven'tplayed, but I'm always slightly perplexed at how much its put on a pedestal in that regard.

Though I will say Drogyga (underwater guy) and Z-57 (tentacle guy) are my favorite bosses in the game. Z-57 in particular is a series highlight for me. They feel the most imaginative and I enjoy the difficulty. Z-57 also has the only QTE sequence that is as cool as the game thinks those are (Ravenbeak's come close!).

I do agree on Ravenbeak. Though funnily enough my least favorite phases are 1 and 3. On a first playthrough I didn't realize that you have to activate the QTE in order to get past phase 1, which was fucking annoying, then on a replay I didn't realize that hitting him with missiles apparently shortens the time for his QTE prompt (to be honest it seemed inconsistent to me even when I tested it?), which meant on hard mode every time I died I had to do the same repetitive waiting over and over again. Phase 3 also doesn't do a good job of queuing you in that you can use power bombs to destroy the nova, which to me just seems stupid. Phase 2 on other hand makes good use your entire toolkit and makes you use the screw attack in some really fun ways.

I do agree about boss variety also, though I think the EMMI / mother brains are acceptable. It's almost "cute" how they're reused and the EMMI paths are distinct enough that it's a cool challenge to see how you'll kill an EMMI, probably some of the best game design in the entire series is figuring out how to use the EMMI areas to kill them. The bigger problem is that there's so little boss variety, the fact that Escue (flying dude) and Escue (crab dude) are based off common enemies is embarrassing, and then of course the reuse of Chozo Robots / Warriors is obnoxious and repetitive. Of course those are more mini-bosses than anything, but then the actual amount of real bosses is very small. It also doesn't help that Corpius and Z-57 look so similar even if it makes sense. Overall very few of them spark imagination.

One major problem the game has imo is that it doesn't really feel like a planetary Metroid. Out of all the 2D games, relative to its concept it probably uses its setting the weakest. Because at least Metroid 2's faults felt more methodical. A lot of the indoor or underground or factory environments only have a vague connection to the environment like some rocks or dirt, which isn't any different from Fusion. When this game was announced I thought it took place on a ship in the reveal trailer and was excited to see them do the ship concept done right. After playing the game twice it still sort of feels like a ship outside the Chozodia rip off and the ending sequence, just with the planetary aspect done wrong.

I do like what you said about Dread having to prove itself as a console game. I have to admit that I think a lot of the appeal of the game for me is that it feels like the most epic / well-rounded adventure in the 2D series since Super, even as the resident guy-who-likes-short-games. It's not too long or too short, which makes replaying it pretty fun, and it is epic in a way the series hadn't fully captured since the last console entry.

It's a top 3 2D Metroid for me, definitely below Super, probably above Zero.

No one asked for my opinion but I gave it anyways.
 
I’m replaying Dread. I haven’t played it since 2021. Wow this game is amazing. I remember loving it at the time, but when you can love it again years later you know it’s good.
 
Heron said:
Also, the Emmi sections, as the big unique selling point... they don't quite hit, do they? They're fine, but... they don't quite work. They don't feel like the cat and mouse sense of being hunted they're supposed to. You either get spotted or don't, and then it's a mad chase, and if you get caught, you lose five seconds of progress. There's no real strategy there, or fear.
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Very spot on. I also feel Emmis were the weakest point of Dread.
Add to that they are clearly telegraphed by the distinctive doors...I think SA-X on Fusion was much more effective at giving you the sense of "dread".
 
Samus95 said:
The Emmi feel like a prototype for something bigger in future Mercury Metroid
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I hope not, this stealth and chase nonsense should go away. Sucked in ZM's chozodia, sucked in SR's diggernaut sections, and most definitely sucks in Dread. It's tolerable in fusion because there's a grand total of like 30 seconds of SA-X chases throughout the game
 
Zeal543 said:
I hope not, this stealth and chase nonsense should go away. Sucked in ZM's chozodia, sucked in SR's diggernaut sections, and most definitely sucks in Dread. It's tolerable in fusion because there's a grand total of like 30 seconds of SA-X chases throughout the game
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I was more thinking about samus dealing with orter bounty hunters in specifics area of the map

Mercury seems the right team to try and include the natural fact that more hunters May accept the same mission
 
Heron said:
Played Metroid Dread again this weekend and while I had a ton of fun (as always), it's not the best Metroid to replay, is it? Feels incredibly linear once you have a rough idea what you're doing. The teleports in particular give it the feeling that the devs are just bringing you from item to item, becuase it's always the right decision to use one when you have access to a new one. The whole thing about the "invisible hand" of Metroid game design is that it's supposed to be invisible. In Dread it isn't.

I've never played a randomizer, but I couldn't help but think that Dread would benefit from an official randomizer more than any other Metroid - because the gamefeel, combat, movement etc is all right on point, but there's no real exploration at all. It feels like a game where the "in-between areas" have been removed, like all fat has been trimmed. It gives the game a relentless kinetic energy that is super fun, but also a bit one-note. I honestly think one of the reasons that the music is as non-descript as it is is that you're barely ever in one place long enough to listen to it, and you're constantly shooting anyway. All of that said - it's still a great game.

I just hope the next 2d Metroid slows Samus down a bit and is less of a pure action game.

Also, the Emmi sections, as the big unique selling point... they don't quite hit, do they? They're fine, but... they don't quite work. They don't feel like the cat and mouse sense of being hunted they're supposed to. You either get spotted or don't, and then it's a mad chase, and if you get caught, you lose five seconds of progress. There's no real strategy there, or fear.

I do have a hacked Switch, maybe I'll look into this Randovania. I'm always wary of fan projects though... I wish Nintendo would do it officially.
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Eh, every Metroid feels linear once you know where you're going, unless you are intentionally sequence breaking. And Dread is the first game in a long time that you've been able to do it fairly easily. I actually quite like the Emmi sections. I love being able to outmanuver and outplatform them. It makes speedrunning not annoying because you aren't required to sneak by, though that is a completely viable option, and that's why they're well designed in my opinion. I get not liking them though, and it does come down to your own taste. Personally I think it's one of the most fun Metroid games to replay, and I've already played it about 7 times since release.
 
On the subject of combat, it seems like nobody else likes them, but the only classic-style Metroid that I think really utilized the combat system at all was AM2R with its Metroid fights. It's the game that taught me how to actually use Super Missiles in combat, which ended up being very useful when I replayed Samus Returns because towards the end of the game the fights suddenly become huge slogs if you don't know to do this (they're barely in Zero Mission if you aren't going for 100% and the only notable experience players are likely to have with them in Super is Phantoon punishing you for using them, so it's very easy to be left with the impression that they're not very useful as a weapon and the handful you're likely to obtain should just be used for opening doors).
 
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Statue based on the new MPR Samus model. It looks phenomenal. I wonder how much it'll cost. 🥲

EDIT: According to their Facebook group, it's a 1:4 scale in the $550 USD price range, and they're unwilling to move forward with the project unless there's enough demand.

 
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This individual is a Japanese Metroid fan I follow who always seems to post some of the rawest English commentary. I'm sure something's being lost in translation, but I honestly prefer these as they are. Powerful words.



 
lemonfresh said:
wait is that real lol
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Thankfully not 💀

I expect Metroid 6 on the Switch 2 within a reasonable time from now (3-5 years), especially if Nintendo continues to work with MercurySteam. Hopefully the series has a bright future ahead of it. Things have been good for Metroid these past couple years.
 
I think Metroid 6 will be released in 2025. Although maybe they will try to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the franchise and release it in 2026.
 
SmolSam said:
I think Metroid 6 will be released in 2025. Although maybe they will try to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the franchise and release it in 2026.
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It's exceedingly rare that Nintendo acknowledges any franchise's anniversary other than Mario and Zelda.
 
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I hope we're done with the X Parasites. They were cool for Fusion and Dread, but I think it's time to introduce a new antagonistic force, or even bring back the Space Pirates in a fresh new way (since they haven't been the main threat for a couple games now).

I was fanfic daydreaming the other day about how it'd be funny if some X Chozo Soldiers really did escape ZDR aboard the Hanubia ships everyone talks about, but were immediately shot down by the mystery character from Chozo Archives 08, who was presumably ready for the possibility that some would try to flee.
 
Aurc said:
I hope we're done with the X Parasites. They were cool for Fusion and Dread, but I think it's time to introduce a new antagonistic force, or even bring back the Space Pirates in a fresh new way (since they haven't been the main threat for a couple games now).

I was fanfic daydreaming the other day about how it'd be funny if some X Chozo Soldiers really did escape ZDR aboard the Hanubia ships everyone talks about, but were immediately shot down by the mystery character from Chozo Archives 08, who was presumably ready for the possibility that some would try to flee.
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what for Metroid 6, Nintendo decided to use the rouge/corruption faction of the Galatic Federation as it main treath
 
Linkstrikesback said:
They're never going to have Samus primarily fighting and killing (she has no non lethal weapon , remember) human enemies. That's a pretty clear hard line they've drawn and it won't be crossed.
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tecnically Samus already killed human enemies before, the possesed Federation Troopers for Metroid Prime 2, or Nintendo could make the rougue Galactic Federation fight Samus with bioweapons/machines
 
I wish Prime 2 and Prime 3 Remaster would hurry up and release already. I want to continue my journey and play Prime 3, but I don't really feel like doing it on PrimeHack. And I'm also itching to replay Prime 2 already, and need a good excuse.
 
For Humans you can always say that the Evil side of the federation created their own clones or i dont know created a sub race of the X parasite that mimic the troopers
 
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As someone who has played Prime 2 and 3 a million times, I'd much rather wait until they are properly remastered like Prime. They'd make good stopgaps in between new mainline entries in the series to ensure more regularly released Metroid content. Honestly I prefer both sequels to the origina in many ways, and they deserve the royal treatment too. But I get that they might feel it's in their best interest to get them both out before Prime 4, and that it might not be worth investing all the work to get them up to Prime R quality. They are bigger and more complex games, especially in terms of the art design, than Prime 1, and less popular, and it may not be worth the investment.
 
I've been trying to make peace with the idea of Prime 2 and 3 not getting remastered like 1 was, but if I don't get to see the Sanctuary Fortress or Skytown Remastered style I'll be so sad lol.
 
Samus's internal monologue in which she acknowledges that the X must be eradicated no matter what is easily one of her rawest character moments, imo. No cool action scenes whatsoever, just pure text on a GBA screen, but it perfectly conveys her sense of duty and selflessness. A true hero who will do whatever it takes for the good of galactic civilization, even if it means disobeying orders, and even if it means death. Fusion was my first Metroid game, and moments like these (small as they were) went a long way in shaping my idea of the kind of character Samus was.
As soon as the Federation ships land, the X will overwhelm them and absorb the knowledge and power of their occupants. The X are just waiting for the hunt to begin, and then they'll spread across the universe. Galactic civilization will end.

The X hunger for form, knowledge, and power. They mimic these perfectly. But they cannot copy the soul. They're single-minded, instinctively seeking to increase in number. They're a plague, and the Federation underestimates their threat.

The X must not leave here. I must destroy them all before the Federation arrives. This station has a self-destruct mechanism. I must use it to destroy the X here and on the planet. I must send them to oblivion. Them, the station, and myself, if I have to.
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Aurc said:
Samus's internal monologue in which she acknowledges that the X must be eradicated no matter what is easily one of her rawest character moments, imo. No cool action scenes whatsoever, just pure text on a GBA screen, but it perfectly conveys her sense of duty and selflessness. A true hero who will do whatever it takes for the good of galactic civilization, even if it means disobeying orders, and even if it means death. Fusion was my first Metroid game, and moments like these (small as they were) went a long way in shaping my idea of the kind of character Samus was.
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Fusion was THE pivotal game for me as a kid. I had played games before, but after I completed Fusion...I discovered a love for gaming as a medium. It was my first Metroid game as well. Samus is my favorite video game character, and a big reason for that is Fusion.
 
space_dragon said:
Fusion was THE pivotal game for me as a kid. I had played games before, but after I completed Fusion...I discovered a love for gaming as a medium. It was my first Metroid game as well. Samus is my favorite video game character, and a big reason for that is Fusion.
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Yes!!! Right on! I feel the same way, and the game was just as pivotal for me. Folks who claim Samus's Fusion characterization is in any way bad are buggin' imo, and likely putting Other M's mistakes on Fusion, because the latter "started Samus down that path" (or some similar sentiment).

Fusion's backdrop is one of soulless alien life amidst sterile machinery. B.S.L. is an entirely frigid setting where everything is doomed, and your only companion is a computer. Samus is depicted as capable, yet also radiates warmth through the cold darkness of the station. Her survival is owed to the life of the infant she spared, and she's driven forward in part by her memories of a close friend and mentor she cared about. Thematically, she's left weaker than ever following a near-death experience, yet her inner strength carries her onward. The SA-X can mimic her abilities, but not her heart. In the end, it's her own humanity that summons her old friend from what she thought was just another machine.

As if that wasn't enough, the Etecoons and Dachoras are present on the station as well, untouched by the X, serving as a reminder of what's worth saving... and a metaphor for the incorruptible light amidst overwhelming darkness.

Metroid Fusion is ultimately a highly hopeful game that does well to contrast the virtue of the protagonist against the unending darkness of space. That's why I love it, and I wish more people would give it props for that!
 
I'm almost finished with a Dread replay btw, and as a hater of the game's OST, I've gotta say... parts of it have become tolerable-ish, and some tracks I'd go as far as to say I actually like! Artaria III grows on me more and more with each playthrough.



My Top Five (Original) Metroid Dread Tracks: (So no Theme of Samus, Lower Brinstar, etc.)

Artaria III
Burenia I
Burenia II
Ghavoran
Dairon (Blackout)
 
Aurc said:
Metroid Fusion is ultimately a highly hopeful game that does well to contrast the virtue of the protagonist against the unending darkness of space. That's why I love it, and I wish more people would give it props for that!
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Back in 02, the SA-X was what I considered the scariest stalker this side of Nemesis.

That, among other reasons, is why I love Fusion.
 
Fusion is still my favorite 2D Metroid game, and one of the best 2D games ever made. I love everything about it. One thing that I think is really underrated about it is the level design. Yes, it's linear, but there were always puzzles or blocked paths where you had to figure out how to proceed. I liked finding all of the hidden exits that put my power of observation or timing/dexterity to the test. The music is also very underrated, especially for being on the GBA. Here's one of my favorites:

 
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