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"Bumm.... Bummm....... Bummmm...."

Okay, if no one gets my review title, it's supposed to be the opening 3 notes from the Metroid title screen. Metroid has the dubious honor of being the only game that I've ever purchased BEFORE I actually had my NES. I had played it over my friend's house and liked it so much I wanted to make sure that I secured a copy for myself, not knowing what a gigantic hit Metroid would become in video game lore. When I first played it, I was awed, befuddled, frustrated, and inspired all at once. I know the game inside and out now, but I'll try to keep in mind that there are some people who have never heard of this great game and be as fair as possible.

*STORY: 7/10

With what little of the story you get comes completely from the instruction manual. There is NO in game story text, aside from the final sequence which I won't spoil if you've never played because it's one of the defining moments in video game history. So, I will grade the story on what we can derive from the booklet so here goes:

You are bounty hunter Samus Aran, dispatched to investigate strange happenings on the Planet Zebes. It seems that a mysterious life form, or "Metroid", was stolen from the research facility SR-388 by some unwashed
meanies called the Space Pirates. The Space Pirates, led by their leader Mother Brain (although this can be disputed by hard-core fans) and two mini-bosses Ridley and Kraid grabbed the Metroid and retreated to their underground fortress, the aforementioned Planet Zebes. Samus lands on the planet and materializes next to two large stone pillars in the Brinstar area where the adventure begins..

*GRAPHICS: 8/10

Metroids graphics are a mixed bag. Firstly, they incorporate superior colors when compared to other first generation of NES games. (Most notably, Legend of Zelda- great game, bad colors). There are only basic black backgrounds, but what this does is actually accentuate the character and enemy models better. The levels and "blocks" look decent to above average, with the red-hot bubbles of lower Norfair standing out in my mind the most. Enemies are pretty well done, and you'll even stumble across some enemies that are only found in one or two small secret rooms. They took the time to make a completely new minor enemy for an area that some people might never see, and it's this attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile that will become the staple that all future Metroid games would possess.

*MUSIC: 10/10

The music is Metroid, techincally limited as it may be, is nothing short of classic. Even those with a beef with Metroid can't deny that the music is great and well composed. From the rockin' upbeat dig of the opening Brinstar area, to the slow-paced "large" sounding song in Kraid's lair it's all good. And of course, the music for Ridley's lair is by far the most "evil" or creepy sounding music that the game has to offer. Sound effects aren't bad either. The doors make a "Ploop" noise when they open after you shoot at them. All of Samus' weapons have a different firing sound and seem to fit nicely. No problems here.

*GAMEPLAY: 9/10

The lasting appeal of Metroid can be summed up in a few phrases: Secrets, Non-Linear Exploration, and Item-Searching. The beauty of Metroid lies in the fact that although Samus does indeed track the pirates down to their lair, Samus is all but defenseless in the beginning. It is up to you to track down the numerous different power-ups that can upgrade your armored suit. These can vary greatly, from the Maru-Mari that enables you to roll into a tiny ball, to the ultra-powerful Screw Attack that turns an aerial somersault into a spinning crash of death.

To do this, you must take command the Zebes environment itself. The underground consists of five large areas and two pirate hideouts. Each area is connected, and unlike other games at the time like Super Mario Brothers, Metroid had the great ability to 'Backtrack' to old areas you've already visited. This feature is key, because when you've acquired a new power-up, you will be able to access new areas previously unreachable by you. Whether it's when you get the bombs, which let you destroy some secret walls and bricks, or maybe it's when you find the high-jump boots to finally reach that platform that was too high to get to before.

In fact, the drive to collect every item Metroid has to offer is probably more appealing to me then actually winning the game itself, strange as it sounds. Samus can upgrade a cannon on the suit which allows for different beams, each of which has a different effect. You start out with a realitively weak "short beam" as I call it. Explore a bit more and you'll find a power up to make this same weapon fire projectiles the whole length of the screen. There is also a very well hidden "wave beam" that is the most powerful. It travels in 'waves' through the air, going through any obstacle like walls or bricks. Lastly, there are 2 areas where you can find the 'ice beam'. This gun also brings some new gameplay mechanics with it, as firing upon most enemies will freeze them where they stand. While frozen, Samus can jump on top of them and use them to reach new heights. Of course, the effect is temporary so you've got to be quick!

Aside from the beams, you will also find Missile Packs. Each pack you get will net you another 5 maximum missiles your suit can hold. Missile packs are scattered literally EVERYWHERE on Zebes, some in plain sight, and others devilishly hidden from view. Fear not if you don't get all 255 the first time you play, it's not required that you need to get them all to win. Besides missiles are Energy Tanks. Samus begins the game with 30 energy. Each time an enemy hits you, you lose energy. Lose enough and you will explode and it's game over. The maximum amount of energy you can hold is 99, at first. If you happen upon an energy tank, your energy maximum will be increased by 100. In Metroid, there are a total of 6 energy tanks and 2 hidden energy tanks, but you can never have more than 6 at once, which is sort of a shame.

While adventuring, you will come across a room with two statues of Kraid and Ridley in it. They are high above a pit filled with deadly water, and no way to reach the door at the other side. This is the entranceway to Tourian, the lair of the Mother Brain. It can only be traversed by killing the two mini-bosses in their well-guarded hideouts. As a reward for defeating each mini-boss, Samus will receive 75 maximum missiles apiece. When both are dead, come back to this room and shoot the statues and a bridge will appear...

*CONTROL: 6/10

For a game so great at nearly everything else, Metroid's control can be difficult to get the hang of. For starters, it's button configuration is 'backward' to what most games since then have. On a recent playthrough, I kept pressing the "Jump" button when I wanted to shoot. This is no fault of the game itself,
just a minor inconvience to me and what I am used to.

Press "B" button to fire either your beam weapon or missile launcher, depending on what it is toggled to, which is done by pressing 'SELECT'. The "A" button jumps, the directional pad moves Samus left or right, and if you press up you can aim your weaponry at enemies directly above you.

However, there are a few things that could have been included to Metroid's control scheme that would have made it much better. The first thing is that Samus can only fire the beam cannon in three directions: Left, Right, and Up. There is no diagonal, which isn't really that bad I suppose, but you can't crouch at all in the game! By pressing 'down' on the control pad you will roll into a ball (if you've collected the Maru-Mari, and trust me, you'll have it). A feature that would've allowed you to shoot left or right while crouched would have saved me countless lost energy, as there are many areas in the game where 'zoomers', little spiked crawly enemies will slowly walk towards you while you're standing on a platform. Without bombs, you'll be unable to hit them and the Zoomer will hit you and make you fall into the lava or some other hazard. Of course, you can rectify this by making sure to jump up and kill them before you land on the platform, but it's a pain sometimes.

Another thing that can really ruin Samus' day is that there are some "death traps" in Metroid. Yes, if you happen to fall into some areas of the game without the proper power-up you are going to die. And it happens SLOWLY. Death traps all involve an area where two or more high pillars stick straight up out of the lava. If you fall in, you absolutely can't get out, no matter what you do. Once you've discovered one, you're forced to watch an agonizing death, as Samus' energy tanks drain, one-by-one, one lava hit at a time. In truth, these are totally avoidable, but you might still make a mistake and get stuck in one sometimes.

*CHALLENGE: 10/10

I'll give it a ten and only because if you don't have a map (which there is no in-game map, by the way) Zebes can be a tortuous maze of corridors that can look very similar to each other, with some exceptions. Seriously, if you don't know the world layout, it's VERY hard to discover some of the essential power-ups that are needed to continue and ultimately win the game. Once you learn the layout, it can also be a challenge to beat the game in an hour or less. If you can happen to do that you'll get the ending that sent all us old schoolers into hissy-fits back in the day. You KNOW what I'm talking about!

*OVERALL: 8/10

An early title, Metroid brought wide-scale non-linear exploration to the masses. It's item collection was great fun, along with it's many hidden areas and secrets. A classic that has stood the test of time since 1986, it will most likely stand for 50 more..


Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/11/05