A Breath of Fresh Air

Breath of Fire II, the first sequel to Capcom’s premier RPG series, has arrived on the Wii’s Virtual Console. This marks pretty much the first traditional RPG available on the service, and while this oft-overlooked role-playing title may not be the most glamorous on the Super NES, it still beats getting another 2D shooter. Oh yeah, and it happens to be a pretty fun game too. Read more

The Last Metroid is in Captivity

While most Nintendo fans are currently diving into the third installment in the Metroid Prime series, why not take a moment to download Super Metroid from the Virtual Console and experience arguably the pinnacle of the franchise?

Debuting for the Super NES back in 1994, Super Metroid was the third Metroid game to be released, but chronologically it’s the sixth installment in the series. Taking place after Metroid II: Return of Samus for the original Game Boy and before Metroid Fusion for the Game Boy Advance, Super Metroid has Samus Aran once again returning to the planet Zebes to battle the sinister forces of the Mother Brain. At the time of its original release, some considered it a remake of the original Metroid for the two games shared a similar premise, locales and even bosses. In truth, though, to compare Super Metroid to the original NES game is like comparing a Van Gogh to a self-portrait your little brother drew with a box of crayons.

Super Metroid begins with Samus - in a rare speaking moment - lamenting on her previous adventure on the Metroids’ homeworld of SR-388. Upon killing the Queen Metroid, Samus stumbled upon a lone egg which hatched to review a baby Metroid. Rather than attack Samus, however, the baby accepted her as its mother and aided the exhausted bounty huntress as the two of them made their escape back to her ship. Upon handing the hatchling to scientists at the Ceres Space Colony, their research concluded that Metroids are actually docile by nature and, if left uncorrupted, their powers can be harnessed for the benefit of mankind.

Unfortunately, right after leaving the Ceres Space Colony, Samus is forced to turn around after receiving a distress call from the colony. Inside, she finds all of the scientists dead and the fire-breathing pterodactyl Ridley clutching the baby Metroid in its talons. Try as she might to recover the hatchling from Ridley, he escapes after a brief fire fight and Samus is forced to pursue him to the planet Zebes in order to rescue the last remaining Metroid.

Technologically, Super Metroid is a cut above most Super NES games. At a beefy 24-megabits, SM had the biggest-sized cartridge for the console and was capable of visuals and audio nearly impossible to match on any other 16-bit platform. Backgrounds are lively and extremely detailed, many times containing effects that were rare for the time such as rain and thunder, and screen-blurring steam in areas with heavy lava concentrations. The audio is also masterfully scored, with music selections that have been heard in many a Metroid game since.

Gameplay-wise, Super Metroid took all the aspects of the original Metroid and improved upon them exponentially. The new planet Zebes is divided into six regions, several even divided into sub-regions. Now that you have a map for the first time in a Metroid game, you can actually see where you’re going and backtracking is relatively pain-free. Secret areas are not highlighted on the map, though, making achieving that 100% collection rate more challenging than in many future Metroid games.

Among some of the old tools Samus will be using are all of the classic beams (which you can combine), the Screw Attack and the Morph Ball Bomb. Some new tools include the debut of the Speed Booster, Power Bomb and Grappling Hook. There are also items exclusive to Super Metroid including the X-Ray Scope, which lets you scan an area for hidden secrets, and Reserve Tanks which store extra energy and can be manually or automatically activated anytime you’re in a jam. Super Metroid was also the first Metroid to contain hidden abilities for Samus. Not just the bomb jump and Shine Spark, but beam shields, as well as the elusive Crystal Flash, a life-saving energy-restoring technique virtually impossible to pull off without help from a friend or the internet.

All in all, there’s a reason why Super Metroid is number one on so many gaming publications’ lists of top 100 videogames of all time. It’s fun, and if the Super NES had any technological limitations, SM sure doesn’t make it seem like it. You could release this game today on any gaming platform and it would still probably go on to sell close to a million copies. And in case you weren’t aware yet, Super Metroid contains arguably one of the most shocking and dramatic last boss battles of all time. You got 800 Wii Points? Use them to download this game from Virtual Console.

Metroid Prime 3: First Impressions

I fought through a sore right leg and a bad back to walk nearly two miles to my local Toys R’ Us the other day. Why? Well, to pick up Metroid Prime 3 for the Wii of course! It’s been two days since I started playing Samus Aran’s latest 3D outing and I thought I’d share my initial thoughts on this highly-anticipated “final” installment in the Metroid Prime series.

Graphics-

First off, Metroid Prime 3 looks beautiful. The graphics have come a long way from the first unveiled screenshots of the game, which back then made it almost indistinguishable from Metroid Prime 2. It wouldn’t have killed Retro to tweak Samus’s HUD a little, but the backgrounds and locales are rich, lively and easily comparable to first-generation Xbox 360 games. I’m not even 1/4 into the game yet, but so far Prime 3 is the best-looking Wii game I’ve ever seen.

Sound-

Another area of huge improvement. The first Prime had a primitive soundtrack that was saved by some familiar tunes, whereas the second Prime’s entire audio collection sounded like something an electronica maniac composed in his basement using software from the original Game Boy. I’m happy to report that Metroid Prime 3 sounds nothing resembling this.

Most of MP3’s sound effects seem to be refined samples from the past two Primes, but the music is another story. Gone are the grating MIDIs from the past two Primes (save a few recycled, if slightly improved selections); replaced with much grander, more sophisticated orchestral pieces. Much similar to Super Metroid than anything else. This is a good thing, although Retro could’ve done even better with a live orchestra performing the score.

Oh yeah, and everyone talks now….except Samus. Why, oh why, did Retro tweak her body with shapelier legs and sexier eyes and yet leave out the final feminine trait that could potentially reel in thousands of female Metroid fans? I just don’t see the point in continuing to make Samus mute. Why even bother to give her a name if Nintendo wants her to feel like the player? Excluding Samus, though, the voice acting is actually pretty good. Particularly for the Aurora Unit, a “good” version of the Mother Brain who oddly sounds like a combination of Frieza from Dragonball Z and my college speech professor.

Controls-

Relatively smooth, and not as difficult to get adjusted to as one might think. Targeting is more challenging now that you have to manually aim the Wiimote at your enemy after locking on, but I suppose it’s more true to life. It also helps that so far most of the enemies I’ve encountered are relatively slow and stay in plain sight. Turning is slower than it used to be though, and the buttons for missiles and changing visors are also somewhat awkwardly placed. Just wait till you get your hands on the fun Grapple Lasso though. It just might make you yearn for Wii Castlevania.

Gameplay-

Different from the get-go. Unlike past Metroid games, where it was essentially you against an entire planet, Samus has company this time around. In addition to the presence of rival bounty hunters, interaction in MP3 is plentiful. For the first time in a Metroid game you have the ability to talk to NPCs. The Aurora Unit is also a constant throughout, serving as a guiding ear that briefs you on missions, maps your destination and provides hints and advice.

Your travels in Prime 3 no longer take place on a single planet, but several. Let’s face it, constant backtracking nearly ruined Metroid Prime 2. In Prime 3, however, instead of Samus being forced to navigate one giant, confusing map, each world is divided into multiple, much smaller sections. Each of these sections can be reached using Samus’s redesigned ship, which acts as a mobile home base. Not only can you save and replenish your energy and weapon supply, but you can view the inside of the cockpit and use the various controls to find out what your percentage of Phazon corruption is, for example. The ship can also supposedly be summoned for an air strike at certain points, although I haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing this yet.

Final thoughts-

Let me clarify that these are only my first impressions of Metroid Prime 3 and my opinion of the game could change very suddenly, very dramatically. So far, however, this is shaping up to be a most exciting conclusion to the Prime series. I’m very pleased at Retro Studios for the greater emphasis on story and the faster, more action-oriented gameplay. It just feels….right. I can’t wait to delve deeper into Prime 3 and finally figure out how Dark Samus, the Mother Brain and Phazon are connected. Look for my full review in PTD #310.

Metroid For Virtual Console

Kicking off Nintendo’s “Month of Metroid,” the very first Metroid game was released for the Wii’s Virtual Console on Monday. While no one will deny that the original NES Metroid is a classic in itself within the legendary sci-fi adventure series, is it really worth 500 Wii Points? Read more