5 reasons that Metroid is the best video game series ever.

March 28, 2009 at 3:48 am (Video Games) (games)

When it comes to being a geek, there are two areas that I excel in: music and video games. Considering the overwhelming amount of musical content in this blog, you probably already knew about the first. But video games have been a passion of mine for a lot longer. 

However, it was a long time before I even knew what the hell Metroid was. Like many others, I saw Samus the first time in Super Smash Bros. on the N64. Soon after I turned into a pirate and started using SNES and NES emulators to play supposedly great games that I had missed before. One of them was Super Metroid. At first it was just okay. Then I played a little more. Hmm, this is getting good. Suddenly I’m running around Brinstar for hours. Shit, this is amazing! To this day, Super Metroid is my favorite Metroid game and one of my favorite games ever. 

So from then on, I was pretty much hooked on getting Metroid games. The Gamecube came out not long after I discovered Super Metroid, and it wasn’t long before I played the absolutely gorgeous Metroid Prime. I got a GBA and picked up Metroid Fusion, and later Zero Mission. I went back and got a used copy of Metroid II for my Game Boy. Got Prime 2 as soon as it came out, and used my sisters’ Wii to play Metroid Prime 3, since that was the only game I really cared about the system for at the time. I gotta tell you…I love every single Metroid game I’ve played. Some more than others, as the original, II, and Hunters admittedly have some rather disappointing factors…but still. These games are absolutely fantastic. 

Let’s go through some reasons as to why Metroid is easily my favorite game series of all time.

 

1.) Exploration

Metroid games, for the most part, rely very heavily on exploration. The original gave you no map, and you were free to wander about for hours trying to find your way toward a goal that, if it was your first time playing, you didn’t even know. Maps found themselves in the games later, but you still had to find most things yourself. The Prime series gives you hints and objectives but generally leaves it up to you to figure out how to get there and just what to do when you do get there. Actually the first Prime didn’t even always give you hints until you wandered around for 10 minutes or so first. This freedom, and just the theme of exploring virtually uncharted planets in general, is all too enticing. And as you would imagine for an uncharted area, there’s usually nobody around but Samus and her enemies which creep in the dark. All of the games really do carry a feeling of solitude and utter foreboding. And in dealing with exploration, we can’t forget the areas that we’re to explore. Major highlights are Brinstar from Metroid/Zero Mission/Super Metroid, Ridley’s Lair from Super Metroid, Phendrena Drifts and the Phazon Mines in Metroid Prime, the Sanctuary Fortress in Prime 2, Skyworld in Prime 3, and of course the entirety of the federation ship in Metroid Fusion. 

 

2.) Samus Aran 

The main character, Samus Aran, is enough of a reason to love the games. She’s nothing short of a badass. Short of words and heavy on firepower, this bounty hunter doesn’t take shit from anyone…especially not those damned Space Pirates. And hey, I’m not even going to try to deny that she’s not a babe. Don’t try to say that’s why you use Zero Suit Samus in Brawl so often. I just wish I had played the original back when most people didn’t even know she was a woman. Boy, that must’ve been a surprise. Her history is of interest as well, being raised by the Chozo that have all but disappeared…but their remnants remain. Their iconic statues, holding the tools that Samus needs and of course their wonderful little “lore” entries from Metroid Prime. It is interesting how often Samus’ fate seems to intertwine with the Chozos’.

 

3.) Power Suit and its weaponry

Often times, in exploring, you come across something that your suit cannot get you past with your current modifications. Therefore you must find something new. A new beam to open new colored doors or kill new enemies, bombs and missiles to blow away weak walls, etc. This constant system of suit upgrades is much of what makes the Metroid series interesting. In particular, a few upgrades have been timelessly enjoyable. First of all, the incredibly important Morph Ball, allowing Samus to mysteriously change into a ball form of the Power Suit that is less than a foot in diameter, if I recall correctly. It allows her to reach all sorts of areas and is especially fun in the Prime series. Second, the beam system. The Power Beam is the normal one, weak but, in the Prime series, rapid-fire. There are other awesome beams like the ice, plasma (more powerful in some games, fire in Prime), dark/light, etc. These are the primary weapons. Finding new beams is like winning the damn lottery. But finding the Screw Attack is like winning the lottery twice. This sucker lets Samus flip through the air with a dangerous field of energy around her. In many of the games, she can jump infinitely with this if done correctly. 

 

4.) Memorable enemies

I can’t stress this one enough. Come on guys. Kraid. Ridley. Mother Brain. Those original three are forever embedded into the typical NES player’s mind. But even more so, the Metroid, which the series of course gets its name from. The Metroid is an absolutely fascinating creature, especially in the Prime series where you get to read about the little life-suckers. Omega Pirate, hell, the Space Pirates in general, are some of the coolest enemies of any game ever. Ruthless, wildly intelligent, and totally unrelenting…not to mention damn cool looking. And because I feel the need to say it again…RIDLEY. Oh god, yes! Every Ridley fight in every Metroid game has been loads of fun. Especially Meta Ridley in the first Prime game…such a shame that he didn’t make an appearance in Prime 2. Other memorable bosses include Metroid Queen, Metroid Prime, Dark Samus, Emperor Ing, Crocomire, Draygon, Phantoon, Amorbis, Quadraxis, Nightmare, Omega Metroid and Rundas. Long list, eh? That’s because nearly every boss in this series kicks ass. Even some of the rather tame minibosses are awesome, like Metroid Hatcher.

 

5.) Music

When my two geekdoms collide, we get video game music. Now, I don’t very often listen to the stuff outside of their respective games, but I have huge respect for brilliant video game soundtracks…and most of the Metroid series has absolutely wonderful music, especially the godly soundtrack for the first Metroid Prime. Some of the best songs from the series include the main Metroid theme, all of the Brinstar themes in Metroid and Super Metroid, Ridley’s theme throughout the series, Magmoor Caverns/Ridley’s Lair in Metroid Prime/Super Metroid, Phendrena Drifts and the sunken pirate frigate in Metroid Prime, the space pirate theme in all of the Prime games, and one of the Maridia themes in Super Metroid.