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? Considering this landmark videogame’s already been re-released, re-re-released, re-re-re-released and remade, I am forced to answer “not really.”

Metroid was groundbreaking in its heyday for two reasons: It masterfully combined Mario’s platforming action with Zelda’s exploration and puzzle-solving and it was one of the first videogames to feature a female protagonist. Unfortunately, the former aspect of the game doesn’t hold up so well 21 years later. This is compounded by the fact that Nintendo released the remake, Metroid: Zero Mission, for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 which overhauled and surpassed the original in just about every way imaginable.

True to the typical Metroid archetype, in Metroid the player must guide Samus through an exotic array of caverns and tunnels while collecting suit and weapon enhancements and fending off alien creatures. While coming far short of the amount of obtainable gear to be found in its sequels, some of the old favorites are present including the Varia Suit, Ice Beam and Screw Attack.

Even though there is some nostalgia to be experienced in navigating the planet Zebes while seeking out the Metroids and the Mother Brain (and yes, the Justin Bailey code still works), the fun is short-lived. Unlike every Metroid game since Super Metroid, the original contains no map, making it difficult to navigate the oft identical-looking tunnels and even more difficult to backtrack to achieve those newly-obtainable power-ups. To give you even more of a headache, the game only lets Samus shoot in two directions despite the fact that you’re frequently subject to air and ground assaults by enemies.

If you’re a Metroid fan, chances are high that you already own at least two copies of this game. Even diehard “Don’t mess with my classics!” purists who despised the vastly superior Zero Mission, could unlock the original Metroid within the game for free. Add to that the original’s repetitive gameplay and frustrating difficulty and you get yet another Virtual Console game whose frequent re-releases make it simply unnecessary to download. Save your Wii points for when Super Metroid becomes available on Monday.