*Note: this review will be for the version of the game released on the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console
Back in the 80s, Nintendo was on a role releasing several iconic and groundbreaking games that went on to become influential franchises! Metroid stands as one of my favorite Nintendo franchises of all time, creating a lot of concepts that we see today in games. The original that started it all is still a blast to play today as it was back then, though it does have its shortcomings.
Originally released in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System(NES) Metroid is a timeless classic that broke a lot of new ground in gaming. The story of Metroid follows intergalactic bounty hunter, Samus Aran, as she is instructed by the Galactic Federation to travel to the planet Zebes to destroy a species of energy-sucking creatures called Metroids before they can be used by the evil Space Pirates and their leader, Mother Brain, to defeat the Federation and gain control of the galaxy. While the story may not be as deep or totally fleshed out as later entries in the series, Metroid's plot is still captivating in an old-school sci-fi way and it lays the groundwork for the rest of the series to follow!
The gameplay of Metroid is where the game sort of stumbles in some spots. Being an original NES game you have the basic actions to jump over enemies and obstacles and across gaps while having a simple power beam to blast your enemies with. You had a set system of health reaching up to 99 at the start as well. But what set Metroid apart from most other games at the time was the number of unique items and upgrades you could find to make Samus stronger, evening the odds against the hordes of Space Pirates and creatures that inhabit Zebes. A lot of items and upgrades first got there start in the original game. You can collect the Morph Ball upgrade, allowing Samus to morph into a small ball to travel through small gaps to reach new areas. Morph Ball Bombs were used to lay traps for enemies as well as to open secret or closed off areas as well as to perform the helpful and legendary Morph Ball Jump. Powerful and helpful weapon upgrades included missiles to blast enemies and unlock certain doors, the powerful Wave Beam which could hit multiple enemies across long distances and the ever useful Ice Beam which could freeze enemies in place especially those pesky Metroids! Additinal upgrades that could be found are Energy Tanks which increase Samus's health by 100, Missile Upgrades to increase your number of missiles as well as the Varia Suit which decreased the damage you took, and the Screw Attack to allow you to jump higher while performing a deadly spinning attack. All these weapons and items and upgrades were needed to help you defeat the onslaught of alien creatures that you encountered and trying to find them was just as fun as it was to defeat your enemies! But good luck trying to find them all! As fun as it is to travel around finding upgrades and items the action is just as fun, even if it is really basic. The most from from the action though comes from the intense and challenging boss battles! Only three bosses make up the games real challenge from the powerful Kraid, to the iconic and fan-favorite arch enemy of Samus, Ridley, to the Metroids and Mother Brain. While not as deep or epic as some of todays games, the action and the boss fights are still as fun today as they were in 1986! The controls of the game also have not changed at all since 1986 and are decently responsive. Though today through the Virtual Console you are able to play with either the Wii Remote on its side, the Game Cube controller or the Wii's Classic Controller(I myself prefer the Game Cube controller).
The beginning of the epic rivalry: Samus vs Ridley!
For an end boss, Mother Brain sure doesn't do a whole lot O.o
Find those upgrades to kick some Space Pirate ass!
One of the most groundbreaking aspects of Metroid was the non-linearity
of the whole adventure. From start to finish you are able to go where
ever you want when ever you wanted so long as you had the proper tools
in your arsenal to help you do so. While it may be fun to be able to run
around freely especially in such an old game like this, this innovative
open world environment is sort of its own undoing nowadays. Being a
game from the 80s, there is no real sense of direction for you to take.
No real sense of where to go. The game's massive world and countless rooms and trap doors sure don't help with that either. One of the bigger issues though is the fact that the game doesn't have a map that would be used in later games in the series to help you travel the immense worlds. Though this being the first game in the series the lack of a map is not too surprising. Still, with no map you will find yourself wandering for hours trying to figure out where to go next. In this day and age though there are helpful ways to bypass these flaws. To really play Metroid and have a good time without getting lost of what to do and where to go it is always best to use online video walkthroughs on YouTube and custom-made maps from fan sites.
Uhhh...where do I go again?
The game's graphics are actually pretty striking for an NES game. Lots of basic colors and designs define environments, enemies, and effects. There is a lot of old-school charm here, but the graphics also have there hiccups that can lead to frustrations. The sprites tend flicker a lot, sometimes making it hard to see enemies or even Samus herself. This can lead to difficulties when jumping across large areas as not being able to see yourself or an enemy can lead to you falling and becoming trapped in an inescapable pit. The simplicity of the design of the graphics also tends to make everything looking alike. A lot of rooms will look the same and tend to make you confused about where to go leading to a lot of wandering around. Still when everything is working the way it should, the graphics really add a dark and mysterious atmosphere to the game. You really do get a sense of being in a strange alien world! :D
The music and sound of metroid is also pretty good. the soundtrack may be very minimal but what is there really helps set the mood from a heroic battle tune to a strange series of beeps and boops that lend to the mysterious atmosphere of the game. The sound effects are what you would expect from an NES game. :)
Metroid may not have totally withstood the test of time, but it is still a fun and important game. Even with the lack of direction and issues with the graphics Metroid delivers an atmospheric open-world style adventure that spawned one of the greatest franchises of all time! Several elements from Metroid would also go on to influence franchises such as Castlevania, Shadow Complex, and Tomb Raider. Metroid also set the bar for having female protagonists in gaming and the shocking reveal of Samus as a woman is surely one of gaming's greatest moments! While nothing has changed in this Wii port of the original game, Metroid is still one fun retro game that fans of Nintendo and Metroid should not miss! If you are able to go on the Wii Virtual Console and download this classic! Do not miss out! :D
Metroid(Wii) score: 7.5/10
