This week it's
finally time. Seven years after the last ''proper'' release in the
series we're getting a new Metroid game. Of course it's not
completely new, but ''just'' a remaster of Metroid 2 for the Gameboy,
but if you compare both games directly it's like night and day.
Metroid: Samus Returns is not just a remaster with better graphics,
but a true remake build from the foundation that was Metroid 2. With
new areas and more story this game will be worth it even if you know
the original in and out. Or at least that's what I hope. The
definitive answer will arrive on the 15th of September
when the game finally launches.
Still in the past
Metroid fans didn't have it easy. Even though Samus is often
considered as one of the big three Nintendo figures, together with
Link and Mario, she is by far the character with the fewest
appearances. Also Nintendo hasn't been handling her all to well in
the past. And while I'm sure that Samus Returns and the upcoming
Prime 4 will be a return to form for her, it can't be denied that
Nintendo has had several missteps in Metroids long and storied
history.
So before we,
hopefully, return to a positive outlook for the Metroid series let us
delve one last time into the dark pits that was the Metroid series in
the last couple of years. Hopefully by looking back at the darkness
behind us the light at the end of the tunnel will shine even
brighter.
So without further
ado here are the five times Nintendo has dropped the Ball with
Metroid.
5: Metroid Prime
Pinball
Metroid is a series that has a very unique atmosphere. No matter which game you play all perfectly translate the feeling of being alone in space perfectly to the player. So what is the natural idea for the first Spin-off game in the series? If your answer is a Pinball game because of Samus Morph Ball then I think I hate you. Metroid Prime Pinball was released in 2005 in NA (or 2007 in Europe) for the Nintendo DS. It was a commercial failure selling only 6,228 copies during it's first month, but more importantly this was the first proper Spin-off game the Metroid series recieved. Not only that but it felt more like a cheap cash in, than a full fledged game. Nearly all reviews criticized the lack of variety and content.
Not to say that
the game was bad, but a series with such a long history clearly
deserved more. Metroid Prime Pinball is a perfect example on how to
cheaply cash in on a huge IP. In todays market it would probably be a
phone game, created to make a quick buck. Still some of the redeeming
qualities the game has, are the fact that it's actually a pretty good
pinball game and fans of the Metroid series will recognize many
details on the different tables.
Still the fact
remains that the first proper Spin-off the Metroid series recieved
should have been something more thematically appropriate. A stealth
based game where you play a Federation Spy or maybe a team based
shooter with some federation forces.... which brings us to...
4: Metroid Prime
Federation Force
Hach Metroid Prime Federation force... you were so young and innocent. But you were also delivered to us at the worst possible time. You just can't hope that Fans, who have been waiting for a new game in a franchise, will take lightly to a spin-off game using a completely different art style and having little in common with the main line entries. Federation Force has been doomed from the start, which is a pity because the game wasn't that bad. It's not great by any means, but it is a solid team shooter. It was a solid Spin-off and certainly more thematically fitting than a Pinball game.
Then why is it
higher on this list? The answer is simple. When Metroid Prime Pinball
was released it was between Prime 2 and 3 during one of the best
peroids for being a Metroid fan. As a result the game was mostly
ignored or accepted as a fun oddity. When Federation Force released
it had been six years since the last proper Metroid title. And that
title was Other M.
So the first
Metroid title after a full console cycle was a game where you didn't
even play Samus. And while I did say that the game wasn't half bad
there is one glaring flaw, which I simply can't ignore. Earlier I
said that Metroid is a game series with a strong and rich atmosphere.
And that is the one thing that Federation Force is severly lacking.
The Chibi Artstyle they chose for this adventure simply doesn't mix
well with the idea of a Metroid title.
So in conclusion
the game came at the worst possible time and with the worst possible
art style. Which is a damn shame because otherwise I'm sure it
would've been a success. So in the end Nintendo is to blame for the
fall of Metroid Prime: Federation Force
3: Not celebrating the 25th anniversary
2011 was a huge year for Nintendo. During e3 they celebrated 25 years of Zelda with a live orchestra and later that year Skyward Sword, the biggest Zelda releas up to that point, came out for the Wii. And Nintendo really went all out to make the 25th anniversary of the Zelda series as big as possible.
Another series
that celebrated it's 25th birthday during that year was
Metroid. Of course you wouldn't know because Nintendo did absolutely
nothing to remind you of that fact. No concerts, no release, not even
a sale of older titles on the e-shop.
Hey Samus thanks
for 25 years of service and staring in several of the most critically
aclaimed video games of all time. Here's a friendly handshake. Now
back into the closet with you.
Metroid is often
ranked among the most important Nintendo franchises. Even though it
doesn't sell huge quantities of games it has an extremely high
standing among the more hardcore gamers. A demographic in which
Nintendo doesn't have the strongest standing. Metroid is one of the
few possibilities to garner the attention of that crowd. By not
celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Metroid series
Nintendo let a perfect opportunity got to waste to promote their
brand as something more than just a casual paradise.
2: Metroid Other M
Metroid Other M started with a bold vision. Giving Samus a voice. But along the way it seems like Nintendo forgot that she also has to say something with that voice. When Other M was released Voice Acting was still a novelty in Nintendo titles. Metroid Prime: Corruptoin had been the trail blazer three years earlier. Samus, however, had remained silent during the course of that game. And looking back this was the right decision.
Before Other M we
never knew what Samus was thinking. So we had to fill that with our
own imagination. Luckily her actions did speak for her. We got to
know Samus as a badass bounty hunter, who gets the job done. Even
when faced with immense danger she never backed down, but instead
bravely faced it head on.
Well now we know
she proabably was haunted by self doubt during all those encounters.
Other M has many problems, but by far the biggest has to be Samus
characterization in that game. I get that they intended to maker her
a flawed character for a more engaging story. After all it's hard to
connect with a superhuman, but they overshot that goal by a long
mile. Other M currently sits nearly at the end of the Metroid canon.
When the game takes place Samus not only had been a soldier in the
galactic federation, but also an accomplished bounty hunter and hero
for several years. She has survived two encounters with Mother Brain,
exterminated the Metroids and defeated Dark Samus. And still one
meeting with her old superior turns her back into the insecure and,
to be honest, dumb girl she was many years ago?
To say Metroid
Other M has been pretty damaging to Samus character would put it
lightly. At this point everything about that game should be forgotten
and burried.
1: Not doing enough with (and for) the franchise
Between Super Metroid and Metroid Prime were nearly 8 years and between Other M and Federation Force still 6 years. And if you count Metroid Prime 4 as the next ''true'' Metroid game then it's even more. As you can see Metroid has always been a series with ups and downs. Which is a huge shame considering the great potential it offers.
It's often said that Nintendo lacks appeal for more mature audiences. It even goes so far that some people love to suggest transitioning games like Zelda into a game for adults. I think a darker Zelda is always among the top of wishes when a new game in that series is announced.
What people tend
to forget is that Nintendo already has a franchise with a dark
atmosphere and the possibility for a deep story. And they just ignore
it.
Even though there
lies so much potential in the Metroid series. Not only in the
mainline games, but also in spin-offs and merchandise. Of course
Samus is no Mario, so seeing her go cart racing or having a nice
Boardgame with Ridley would not fit into the tone of the series, but
games like Federation Force, ill recieved as it was, prove that there
are great possibilities for Spin-Off games in the series. And not
only that. Metroid would be a great fit for adaptiation in a
different Medium. Expanding the backstory of the galactic federation
in a series would be interesting to see.
Generally speaking
the lack of Metroid in all of Nintendos merchandise is just baffling.
While you see Mario around every corner and each GameStop has at
least two copies of Zelda Monopoly in store you're hard pressed to
finde any trace of Samus outside her own games. And that is a damn
shame.
Where do you think
Nintendo dropped the Ball with Samus? What would you do differently?
Let me know in the comments
and as always
thanks for reading
No comments:
Post a Comment