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Metroid
Nintendo (NES)
Do Metroids Suck Out Energy...Or Time?
4/5 stars
My first review for the site, I chose Metroid because of its well-known replayability and the sheer size of the game, allowing me to demonstrate my ability to rate a game. Before I start, though, one quick thing: my rating system rates each aspect out of 100, to kind of give a greater impression of how relative I feel one game is to another. Without further ado, I begin my review of Metroid!
Gameplay - 95/100
Fluid and predictable controls lend to a very strong game, which it takes even further by having a large map, lots of satisfying upgrades, and a memorable cast of characters. You start as a fairly weak Samus Aran, armed with just her power suit capable of firing weak, short-range energy bullets and 30% Energy. Right off the bat you're able to upgrade your suit with the Maru Mari, which allows you to roll up into a ball and fit into tight spaces. From there, the underworld of Zebes is yours to explore! With very few restrictions on where you can go and when, you can spend literally hours exploring and memorizing every area of the game, picking up power-ups and energy capsules along the way. The password system even lets you take a break with the only real penalty being that you start back from the beginning warp point. The game just shines in the gameplay department, delivering everything that makes a true adventure game fun!
Soundtrack - 77/100
With only a handful of tracks in the game, the only major downside to Metroid's soundtrack is its repetitiveness. Playing for hours at a time means you're going to be listening to the track of a single area for 10 - 20 minutes at a time. The music itself is extremely good - some people may not be bothered by the repetitiveness since it is so good. The sound effects are very fitting, but can also get annoying after a while, particularly the Screw Attack sound. And if you're rapid-firing your gun, you may find the Ice Beam and Wave Beam to be irritating as well. Overall, though, the soundtrack is insanely good. If you can manage to run through it as fast as I can, it'll keep you pleasantly entertained for years to come!
Story - 80/100
Keeping in mind NES games tend to lack in stories, Metroid delivers a strong premise and holds onto it the whole game through. Samus was sent to Planet Zebes to destroy and/or recover the last Metroid by the Galactic Federation. There's dangerous aliens all over the place, the Space Pirates are ready to kick your fanny, and you've got a few possible very slightly different endings based on how quickly you get out of there. All-in-all, the game's story is pretty well told with very few words.
Characters - 82/100
While there's only one player character, there's many, many denizens of Zebes. Each area has its own set of creatures ready to take out Samus. That's five zones of original creatures! They all have really good designs, and the palette swaps are clean and allow you to easily discern which ones are stronger and which are weaker (except for a rare few). Zero Suit Samus is also in this one, if you can unlock her. Not counting all the different palette swaps used during the Screw Attack (which coincidentally line up perfectly with the palettes of the Missile and Energy Tank Upgrades) or swapping to missiles, Samus has four different palettes - two with and two without the Varia Suit (one each for Samus and Zero Suit Samus). Ultimately, there's a lot of color, a lot of characters, and all of them well-designed and satisfying (often to kill). The only possible downside ends up being one of its strong points - all the palette swapping. But that's not too bad of an issue, right?
Overall - 84/100
As a leading contemporary of its time, Metroid has proven to be a timeless classic of the system. There are no losers here - if you're not an 8-bit fan, you can play the more linear and updated Metroid: Zero Mission for the Game Boy Advance, which is virtually the same game just improved to fit in with the more modern Metroid games (and even includes the full 8-bit version as a bonus). The game has very high replayability as a result of its strong gameplay mechanics paired with the vastness of the world and the freedom with which you can explore it. There are also plenty of bugs to fiddle around with when you really want to push the game beyond its limits, and the game is a decent challenge on its own merits, though it definitely gets much, much easier as you learn its ins and outs through many replays. If you're looking for a good all-around adventure title with a lot to offer, Metroid should definitely be at the top of your list.
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