Board 8 > so, Metroid: Samus Returns

(+) Yeah! (+)

tazzyboyishere posted...

Biggest issue was how long it was, god damn

You know, usually it's not a bad thing but Metroid games are supposed to be "short" and replayble
But I don't think the first playthrough in a Metroid game should be indication for it's length..I mean, most of the time you spend being stuck
The real length is how long it takes to beat when you master it

Like, is it possible to finish 100% under two hours, like it was possible in Fusion and Zero Mission..?
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Finished AM2R at 5 hours at 88%. Didn't hunt for items at all, just got the ones near me. Got some extra power bomb things at the end but that's it. So lame, normally I'm at like 70% after hunting a lot.

The early-middle parts were fun but man that level design gets so tiring and garbage later on. Like look at this nonsense, literally just space jumping across 4 entire rows of screens for no reason.

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Looks like business as usual for Metroid. At least going by the GBA games.
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I'd defend AM2R but I need the game in front of me to do so. I'll say that a map isn't much proof.

I'm avoiding some of the posts here until I finish the game. I did a lot of cleanup and got to area 7. I'm down to 1 Metroid now. I had trouble with one of the omega metroids - it seemed like it took twice the number of shots of other ones and I died a couple of times right at the very end of the battle. power bombs do a nice job of dealing with the rocks though.

also, I apparently got sick and tired of the 3ds stick:



this thing just pops on and off, apparently, and doesn't click in or anything, it just sits on the top of the stupid controller. this feels like poetry that it broke while trying to play this dumb game.
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I love the 3DS but I swear to god the circle pad is fucking trash and I try to avoid it every time possible
Too bad more and more games turned out using it as time passed
I miss the D pad
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foolm0r0n posted...

Finished AM2R at 5 hours at 88%. Didn't hunt for items at all, just got the ones near me. Got some extra power bomb things at the end but that's it. So lame, normally I'm at like 70% after hunting a lot.

The early-middle parts were fun but man that level design gets so tiring and garbage later on. Like look at this nonsense, literally just space jumping across 4 entire rows of screens for no reason.

Looks boring but Zero Mission Tourian had that too
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Nanis23 posted...

Looks boring but Zero Mission Tourian had that too

I was thinking about this when doing the last bit with the Queen

Metroid 2 is basically them looking at Tourian and being like "what if the whole game was like that"

Like that part is just the worst example I had at the time, but almost the entire game is running through a linear path, then running back to the other side, then running back again to the other side when it is unlocked. Some of the middle areas had some nicer levels but they were still hyper-linear. It actually reminds me a lot of Prime 1 which I think has very bland level layouts as well (the rooms themselves are badass so it's okay, but 2 has farrrr more interesting and complex layouts).

Also I'm not sure if this is AM2R's fault for adding all the awesome ZM movement abilities, but there's like very little use for Spiderball. Early on there were a handful of cool unique uses, but I rarely felt like it was needed over infinite bomb/wall jump. And it was NEVER used again after Space Jump.
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SR is better about that, but also I don't mind because spider ball is pretty slow. it feels like an earlier game ability that gets displaced later by better ones.
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foolm0r0n posted...

but I rarely felt like it was needed over infinite bomb/wall jump. And it was NEVER used again after Space Jump.

Well these are skills that require mastery rather than a simple movement tool, so that's a weird complaint. But yeah, you do get space jump really early iirc.

transience posted...

I'd defend AM2R but I need the game in front of me to do so. I'll say that a map isn't much proof.

I'm avoiding some of the posts here until I finish the game. I did a lot of cleanup and got to area 7. I'm down to 1 Metroid now. I had trouble with one of the omega metroids - it seemed like it took twice the number of shots of other ones and I died a couple of times right at the very end of the battle. power bombs do a nice job of dealing with the rocks though.

also, I apparently got sick and tired of the 3ds stick:



this thing just pops on and off, apparently, and doesn't click in or anything, it just sits on the top of the stupid controller. this feels like poetry that it broke while trying to play this dumb game.

Most depressing thing I've seen all week. That really sucks, man. How's your warranty?
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I wouldn't send it over to repair because of it
I lost my rubber too, but because of sweat >_> it just made a "crack" in the middle and then started to crumble
Personally I don't really feel a difference, it sucks without the rubber just as it sucks with
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yeah I played some without it and it didn't feel any worse. man, the 3ds sucks as a piece of hardware.

I got to thinking about it and the only way I'd like this 360 degree aiming stuff is if they went all the way. dual analog sticks, shooting with the triggers, etc. obviously not possible on the 3ds but that would be an interesting experiment.
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tazzyboyishere posted...

Well these are skills that require mastery rather than a simple movement tool, so that's a weird complaint.

What I mean is, it doesn't feel like an improvement. There are lots of places in SM and ZM where you can infinite bomb or wall jump to access areas, but it's really freakin hard, and getting Hi Jump and Ledge Grab and Ice Beam and such feel like big upgrades to mobility for that reason.

Spiderball doesn't really feel like that. Lots of places felt easier to use infinite bombs than trying to crawl all the way around stuff.
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Jeeze that fifth to last metroid
(the fucking huge one in area 6)
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the one with the arms?
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Yeah

I think it actually took me fewer tries than the first one that climbs on the ceiling (because it took me stupidly long to realize I could pull it down with the grappling hook), but my hands were cramped by the end from all of the screw attack dodging.
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wait, what? I didn't even know that
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Yeah, occasionally a red grapple point appears on its back
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heh yeah took me a while to figure that out, loved it once I did
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phew

14:53:57 (aww yeah endless item hunting)
90%

oh snap, metroid 5 tease!
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wut

is that for the new Prime or something else?
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nope. that's an X taking over an enemy, so post-Fusion
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I think it was just alluding to Fusion, showing how the eradication of Metroids allowed the X Parasite to spread.

God, I hope Mercury Steam isn't touching Metroid 5.
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yeah I thought it was alluding to Fusion
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Wait, I may have my lore messed up. How does that signal post-Fusion and not pre-Fusion?
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yeah that's definitely just a Fusion reference because they both take place on the same planet
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fusion doesn't take place on a planet
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stfu
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CelesMyUserName posted...

fusion doesn't take place on a planet

The opening scene does
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dammit
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The only 2D Metroid I've played is Super Metroid, which I enjoyed. Is this worth a buy?
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okay, my thoughts on the end sections:

the 'tourian' section felt really sudden, like here I am and hey metroids. it's hilarious how hard they try to make the metroid concept feel fresh. these guys unfreeze in less than a second so you just jam on the button and occasionally press r to missile them. it's dumb.

I wasn't a big fan of the metroid queen, but I found it better as I went on and learned the patterns. the fight didn't feel particularly satisfying, it just felt like holding on. I much preferred the am2r queen fight. that one is more of a grind as you really get in some good shots and it takes a ton. this one, it felt like she didn't take that many shots but she was harder to avoid. I thought the use of different powers like spider ball was cool though. they found a response to the complaint that foolmo had and that was cool.

metroid larva get! I always loved this in Metroid 2, or at least AM2R. but wait, you can just.. explore the world? yeah, I'm with notyou saying how that felt completely serene to slowly walk out of the planet and wandering back through the world with it as a sort of powerup is a bad choice.

ridley, huh? that feels retcon-y in a way that I shouldn't care about but totally do. this fight gave me hell. I died a few times. now this fight is a grind. I found a good flow where I would use super missiles on the head and, for the first time, I used the magic powers in a boss fight. that little shield ability gives you free life and I never really thought about using it until I saw that ridley was giving me some meter after each form.

I get why they went this route, adding ridley and putting a lot of focus on the metroid larva because that's really the money shot of metroid 2, but I dunno. I have a real deep and weird attachment to the metroid larva thanks to super metroid and seeing it as anything but samus's baby is really bizarre. anyway, not going to dwell on this too much.

fun game. am2r's better.
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you people and your nostalgia for a time before I was born

I joke, but it's cool seeing people reflect on M2 for once, as far as pre-Super goes I only ever see people's impressions of the first game
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I feel like I'm overlooking something obvious with the giant robot boss.

I can destroy the first arm, but whenever he drops his second arm the morph ball tracks never seem to line up fully before he pulls the arm back up again.
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I had the same problem.... I don't know how randomly worked eventually, really.
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Whoever thought that "Hold L to use Spiderball" is a good game design should be fired from game design and not hired again forever
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OliviaTremor posted...

lso I hate the random heated rooms and Norfair music

As I just got the Varia Suit I must say...
This is a fucking nitpicking, what the hell?
Not to mention how Norfair music is the best music in the game (so far at least)
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You could always slow down time
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Nanis23 posted...

OliviaTremor posted...

lso I hate the random heated rooms and Norfair music

As I just got the Varia Suit I must say...
This is a fucking nitpicking, what the hell?
Not to mention how Norfair music is the best music in the game (so far at least)

It's really not nitpicking as you will likely realize. Area 2 sort of did it right, I was okay with it then, but in other areas you'll quickly see that it's an occasional random room that's heated or whatever.
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What's the amiibo support for this game?
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OliviaTremor posted...

Nanis23 posted...

OliviaTremor posted...

lso I hate the random heated rooms and Norfair music

As I just got the Varia Suit I must say...
This is a fucking nitpicking, what the hell?
Not to mention how Norfair music is the best music in the game (so far at least)

It's really not nitpicking as you will likely realize. Area 2 sort of did it right, I was okay with it then, but in other areas you'll quickly see that it's an occasional random room that's heated or whatever.

But by that point you already have the Varia Suit so who gives a shit what rooms are heated anymore? It doesn't make a difference.
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I loved theheated rooms for that awesome Norfair/Magmoor remix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzMg8SXCGic

Wish they were bigger though. Most were pretty small.
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If you read my previous post you'd realize why it bothers me. It feels disjointed and incoherent, like there is no structure or thought put into the level design. Also, switching from ambient music to the Norfair music for 10 seconds because it is a tiny room, back to ambient music drastically detracts from the mood in my opinion.
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TheRock1525 posted...

What's the amiibo support for this game?

The four Metroid amiibo each have one gameplay boost and one post-game unlock.

Smash Bros. Samus: Missile reserve tank; concept art gallery

Smash Bros. Zero Suit Samus: Energy reserve tank; sound test

Samus Returns Samus: Elon reserve tank; Metroid II art gallery

Samus Returns Metroid: Metroid map marker; Fusion difficulty mode
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What's Fusion difficulty mode exactly?

Also are those permanent unlocks? Like if I snag my friend's four amiibo do I get the art gallery or extra gameplay boosts forever?
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OK I finished this game, 9:30, 55%.

I really can't decide if I like it or not. I think it was just too long, and not enough variety. Certainly not 9 hours' worth.

I'll try to stay positive though: I liked the combat, counter felt great, and sometimes I'd be exploring and actually worried about my health. Definitely liked the metroid fights. I enjoyed improving my aim, leading my shots and perfecting my strategies. Some of the fights were repeated way too many times though.

Cool powerups too, I enjoyed experimenting with aeon abilities.

But the world is not very exciting. You look for metroids, then you look for more metroids, again and again. They don't really introduce new enemies, and all the areas feel pretty much the same. Exploring a single "area" is pretty fun, but I didn't need to do it so many times.

This would have been an fantastic game if they took about half of the world out, I think.
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I'm still in the middle of the game but I just do not dig the map at all. I don't like how different it is from the original Metroid 2 map, I feel cheated out of nostalgic moments because I can hardly recognize a damn thing from the classic map. And I get that Metroid 2 didn't exactly have an inspired map to begin with but I feel like between basic layout & landmarks, visuals, enemy types, and audio, I should always have some sense of where I am in relation to the original game. I never have a fucking clue. Zero Mission pulled this off amazingly, this game hardly feels like it's even trying.

I'm also not a fan of the layout they went with on a basic level. I don't like the addition of elevators between areas because I get that they're a classic Metroid thing but they're not a Metroid 2 thing so they don't belong here. But those intra-area elevators? Fuck that shit, that never belongs in any game. Especially when they result in two rooms being directly adjacent to each other but you can't actually get from one to the other without taking a circuitous path all over half the area up and down multiple elevators. Makes reading the map a chore.
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I dunno if it's fair to hold it against this game if it is different than metroid 2, I mean, they didn't even call this one metroid 2. Just consider it a retelling, not a remake!

I assume the elevators are all for technical reasons, not sure though. I never thought loading times made that much sense on a cartridge.
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Nah, if they didn't want the game to be a remake, they wouldn't have made it one. It should be critiqued in regards to how well it emulated the goals of the original to a certain standard, otherwise there was no point in remaking the original source.

That being said, the level design in both sucks. It's just more forgivable in the original because it's 26 years old.
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Did the original also have the "earthquake" gating of new areas and morph ball tube teleporters like in AM2R? Those were dumb as hell
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Man, post-game cleanup is kind of a grind. Especially since I feel like there's no point.
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