Why Hasn't The Metroid Series Traditionally Sold Well?
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2021
- Things may finally be looking up for our favorite intergalactic bounty hunter!
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#Metroid #MetroidDread #SamusAran 
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Its so weird that the game that started a genre sells much worse than others in the genre it started.
Easy explained, most of those games are indie games with a bargain price of 15-25$, of course they will sell more than 60$ Metroid games. And they don't do THAT much better anyway.
And the timing. In that time, the genre wasn't very popular.
Funnily enough it didn't even start it, but it was the most popular take on it for a while.
@@sandman8993 Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II
IT's not even remotely as refined as even NES Metrodi, but it's the first game with open ended siedescrolling exploration I can recall.
@@SaItyToad00 yea that makes sense tbh. But still its just ...odd. my main point of comparison is Dark Souls. Sure there's others, but no soulslike sells better than FromSoft's takes.
i wasn't super hyped for dread when it was announced but since then I've played through Zero Mission, Returns and Super (just start Fusion) and now I'm HYPED AF
Metroid is an amazing franchise once someone gets into it. It’s niche and the appeal is not broad. But man the quality and fun of each game is outstanding
Love your enthusiasm! Take your time though, it’s worth it.
Well all I can say welcome to the community I won't be like damn you just now gotten into it lol it's okay cause I just recently gotten into the 2d Metroid franchise just recently beaten Super Metroid last month I just am glad people are finally giving both 2d Metroid and Metroid prime franchises a chance.
im not its not prime
Nice. Fusion was my first when I was a kid and I've replayed it from start to finish more than any other game I've ever owned. Took me while to get to the older games since they're a little harder to get into (Metroid 2 without a map is a nightmare), but Samus Returns got me to replay the whole series a couple of years back and it was worth it
If Metroid Dread outsells all the old Metroid games, I will be very happy. The series will obviously get much better treatment if it sells better.
It most likely will outsell. It’s on Nintendo’s most popular console and this is the most attention the franchise has ever had!
Depends for me. If it goes back to the series roots then I'll be happy. If it goes farther in the direction of Fusion and the game which shall not be named with the being dragged by the nose through the game... yeah I'll be done with the series entirely regardless of how it sells. I do not trust Sakamoto anymore.
I’m assuming it will sell very well. It has a ton of hype already and it’s coming out on the switch which definitely gives it a leg up over the previous Metroid games
@@spooky6534 it's almost like Nintendo did that on purpose XD.
Now, seriously. This is the best chance Metroid had to sell well in a while. It's on a successful console (that it's focused on more than casual audiences), it's a new game, comes out on the same day than a new model of set console, the Metroidvania style games have a much bigger audience and Nintendo give it quite a bit of focus during E3.
The only thing I think it drags it down is the 60 dollar price tag in comparason to it's contemporaries could be a little steep for some. But still... I think it can become the best selling Metroid game at least.
So far, the Switch has had many Nintendo series have their best selling entries so maybe that good luck will rub off on Metroid.
I think the fact they're marketing Dread with the OLED Switch is huge. Dread also has the solo spot as the main first party being marketed for Fall 2021, so its sales won't be cannibalized by other games.
Yes, I really liked how much Metroid was shown in the OLED trailer and that it's launching together. Nintendo have a lot of faith in that game and try their best to make it successful
@@Ray_2112 Hmm.. I kind of see it the other way around. It seems to me they're latching the two together so people who see the new Switch model will keep seeing Dread and try to foster interest. I don't think they have the confidence to launch it on its own.
This is why I believe Prime 4 will launch with a Super Switch in late 2023.
@@johnleonard9102 reminder that nintendo said in 2022 that “the switch is halfway through its life cycle ie. They planned to keep the switch running till 2027. mp4 started dev in 2021? Earlier? So it’s unlikely that they were planning to launch on new hardware that far in advance. Plus it would be a terrible marketing move to put a (relatively) unpopular series on a new console and make it unplayable to the millions of people that aren’t going to cash out on a switch successor at launch
Metroidvania games just have the tendency to turn into "where the f*ck do I go"-games if you have large gaps between playing sessions or aren't very good at navigation in the first place. Depending on the game it's like 70% navigation and 30% skill/reflexes.
Classic Platformers like Mario or Megaman-style action platformers are far more "pick up and play"-friendly as it's 90% reflexes and only 10% navigation.
This is a really good description of what makes Metroid inaccessible without falling into the trap of saying that that makes it bad. The games are really hard to pick up and play or return to after a long hiatus, due to the way they are designed. Things like given objectives or markers showing where you've been are simple improvements that could alleviate this issue, and simply having more frequent save points would do wonders for the game's accessibility
@@chuckbatman5
All 3 Metroid Prime games have a hint system where it literally shows you where to go next every time you turn the game on.
@@SaItyToad00
Figuring it out yourself is the satisfying part though. Basically the experience suffers either way. A possible solution is to make it COMPLETELY open (open world style) so that it kinda doesn't matter at all any more where you go, but that almost turns it into another genre.
@@chuckbatman5 The thing is that the more recent 2D games like Zero Mission, Fusion and Samus Returns do have waypoints that show you where to go, just not how to get there. And are pretty much filled to the brim with save points as well. The older games and Super Metroid don’t share this luxury due to being from the 80s/90s, but the more recent Metroid games are definitely quite accessible even without playing them for a while.
If you don't like getting stuck please go play Mario or Megaman. It's ok if you don't like Metroid. Not all games have to be accessible.
Frequent save points and or objective markers would derive the game of it's tension, which is key in Metroid.
Most Metroids are over in a couple of hours if you know what to do and where to go. If you must starting over isn't a big deal.
I’m going to buy Metroid Dread. Which will be my gateway to the series.
If you have an NSO subscription you have access to Metroid and Super Metroid. Metroid has not aged well but Super Metroid is absolutely one of the most well aged game out there.
Can confirm what IllCaesar said, and Im a very picky person. Super metroid feels like every other game released lately.
A wise decision indeed. ^^
@@QwertyCaesar or you could use an emulator
If u have nitendo online u can play Metroid on the nes and super nes app.
The Metroid Franchise is cursed by the idea that it's a game where you're going to get lost a lot. And to most people this perspective is an absolute deal breaker.
Many fans will argue that the fun comes from finding your way back or unlocking new paths. but to the average gamer finding your way back is more like applying a bandage to a wound that shouldn't have happened in the first place, not much of a reward at all. And unlocking new path means more risks to get lost again.
The irony is with the exception of NEStroid and Super Metroid, most of the Metroid games are actually fairly straightforward and even have hints and waypoint systems to tell you where you should go. What's even more ironic is these two games are the only one available on the NSO virtual console.
I think by now this isn't an issue for many anymore. The Metroidvania genre grew a lot in the last 10 years thanks to many good Indie titles and people realise more and more the quality and appeal of that kind of game. Sure, it's not as easy to play like any Mario game, but there aren't only beginners playing games
Lack of exploration is why Metroid 2 and Metroid Fusion are such crap and are the worst in the series (other Other M, but that's non-canon)
And yet Super Metroid is usually considered the best 2D Metroid game
See, as someone with this exact perspective it’s really good to know that those are outliers….. huh! That’s actually a big relief for me
@@gamephreak5 actually, that’s why I really like fusion. I have have it on an emulator on my phone and play it in my free time meaning I sometimes don’t play for days on end. It makes it easier for me knowing what I have to do when my memory isn’t fresh
God I wish you three would make a weekly podcast. These long form discussion videos are great and I want MORE
Also, I appreciate that CGP Grey reference, Alex.
Yeees... Let's make that happen!!!
A podcast to listen to whilst working would be great,,
@@thelennon07 hexagons
Are the bestagons
_"Metroid always got the short end of the stick"_
*F-Zero cries in the corner*
F-Zero doesn't get any of the stick.
Well Metroid has been around since the NES. It’s much more important to highlight that, rather than a spin-off series for that Captain Falcon guy from Smash Bros.
(I’m joking please don’t hurt me)
ffs
Zion’s comments break my heart and really make me understand why Metroid is so inaccessible. His complaints are what makes me love the games. Oh well, hopefully Metroid keeps being Metroid, sales be damned.
Ya but he’s rite
Here’s an example the blue coins in sun shine are not fun to get with out a guide. That’s how a lot of people feel about metroid
I feel like with a game intended to maybe be a bit frustrating- old 2D zeldas, metroidvanias- you either need to have been trained to have the patience by playing games like that since forever, or need the time to waste running around doing trial and error. I feel similarly to Zion and I simply don’t have the time to waste being frustrated on a game I paid $60 for, yknow? it turns it into a negative experience for me…. I’m really interested as to why those aspects of Metroid made you love it
@@starsong3 I love being lost. A game to me is a puzzle, especially the Metroidvanias. They are something to figure out. I never use strategy guides as I consider them spoilers. Sometimes in a game if I’ve been stuck for way too long (days and days) I will carefully search out the solution on the internet, and I’ve either been obtuse or the game design was flawed. You hope for the former, but sometimes it’s the latter. Anyway, to me, Metroid games are always very helpful in keeping you on the path. They block you off when it would be too cumbersome to backtrack, but when you have enough abilities to make traversal easier they open it up. I hate hand holding in games and movies. I want the developer (or director) to expect more from me. I want them to make me feel engaged and ready to undergo a transformation mentally to get to the other side. Metroid games make me have to mentally construct the map, to think back on where I have been, where I have seen a certain kind of door or type of block. And more importantly, they inspire me to do it faster the next time around. My first play through of Super Metroid took me 16 hours in a single sitting the night I rented the game in 1994. My best time was 1:11. That difference in time is the beauty of Metroid and the conciseness of the world when you truly understand its layout. It puts you in control of the direction of your game, rather than just simply following a very linear set path. That’s why I like these kinds of games. They don’t challenge the twitch gamer, they challenge the cerebral gamer. It isn’t about bullet dodging, it’s about understanding structure and exploits of the environment. To me, it is just a sublime act and one that I’m so happy has taken fire these last years with Ori and Steamworld Dig and Hollow Knight and many, many more.
Why are there so many people that don't seem to get the simplest of concepts? It's like people complaining about the weapon breaking in Zelda breath of the wild and wide open empty spaces and they can't grasp all the amazing things Breath of the Wild does right. So let me break it down 5 things that makes Metroid amazing. I mean for starters the world. It is pretty much different from any video game in existence. There is such an amazing wealth of enemies that can be pretty damn terrifying. The sense of isolation.... And danger especially at the beginning of the game. So many of today's popular video games have a thriving social aspect, Metroid does not. You are not part of a team you are not part of a squad you are on your own. Metroid rewards thorough exploration. There are so many secrets scattered across the worlds in the Metroid games. From the extra missiles and energy tanks in the first game to the sheer number of things that can be scanned in the Prime series. Much like a Zelda game secrets are hidden everywhere and it feels great to find them. The music, it is pretty much sci-fi perfection. Not only does the music perfectly encapsulate the lonely isolated atmosphere of being by yourself on a hostile alien planet it is just absolutely unforgettable. From the tension filled driving theme of Norfair in MP to the damn unsettling music of Maridia in SM, it is amazing. Finally the combat is freaking awesome. Some of the weapons you get in the best Metroid games are still up there with the best weapons in gaming. Going from the Ice beam and the wave beam in the original, to being able to mix the different weapons in Super Metroid to the absolutely kick ass combat in the Prime series, it just feels great. Most importantly though no games sounds like Metroid no game looks like Metroid and no game feels like Metroid but Metroid and that's the real reason....
@@LoroTalby I'd recommend getting a puzzle game like Anti-Chamber or Baba is You rather then Metroid.
To be frank, what you praised about Metroid... are done better in other games all around. Metroid is sort of like that 1$ toy that breaks and has flaws which distract from the toy. Especially when you get Energy Tanks which means in a way you could remove all enemies from the game.
I still remember often times in Metroid games where you need to get an upgrade... by going to a low level area... to then return to the high level area. It is one of the most miserable experiences because I'm good at navigation and the rooms are so simple.
Pretty much every Metroidvania game now has some kind of fast travel system, which I think is absent from every Metroid game except Samus Returns. Prime 3 sort of had one but it was very slow - find a landing pad for your ship, signal your ship to land if it wasn't already there, select a destination, watch a cutscene of taking off, cutscene of traveling to the location (multiple cutscenes if you're traveling interplanetary), cutscene of landing, and cutscene of exiting the ship.
Prime 2 had one but it was only available near the end.
Pretty much every Metroidvania game people played was also released in the last 5-10 years...and now think about how many/less Metroid games were released in that time... ;) So it's no surprise Samus Returns has that feature, but older games not. Dread will definitely have it too
Metroid games are pretty small, so they generally don't really require a fast travel system.
@@legrandliseurtri7495 never know - this one might break the mould and be a giant of a game.
Fast travel unfortunately can easily break the core of the game, instead of having to think where to go and what path to take to get both items and near the objective at the same time, you end up brainlessly teleporting around grinding every spot before progressing without much involvement.
I think for the first time in Metroid's history, it has the internet on its side. Metroid Dread got massive reactions and more people are noticing it and checking out the series. The Switch doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon either. There's still big games ahead like Breath of the Wild 2. Metroid Dread could finally break the cycle and sell more.
It always tends to slip my mind what's discussed after the 17min mark, that videogames as a medium are relatively new. Like, a quick google shows me that videogames are ONE HUNDRED YEARS younger than movies. That's insane! As a medium, videogames are practically in their infancy. Graphically we're hitting a point of diminishing returns, but I do think that mechanically we have so much left to see still.
Still hoping for a Metroid Prime Trilogy on the Switch! 🤞 And I thing this could help a lot of players who don't know the licence before getting into the last episode
Agreed, if Nintendo gave us the trilogy, I'd be super hyped for that! =D
I'm hoping they release it later this year, but I'm keeping my expectations low with getting only Prime 1 remastered.
@@johnleonard9102 Well...
"Metroid is made out of RICE?!"
Metrice
Just had the exact conversation with my 9YO about Metroidvania (and portmanteaux) he loved Hollow Knight and has watched a few vids of yours and other channels giving countdowns of the genre even for Switch specifically and is avidly awaiting Silk Song - like his dad and you three haha. Anyway he was like Metroid huh? Don't you mean Metroidvania? The idea that Castlevania isn't just a Netflix animé blew parts of his noggin clear off!
@@charliec6020 To be fair, it’s not usually too hard to blow the mind of a 9 year old.. or even a 19 year old lol (I even know people in their 20s who are constantly shocked at things in games or movies that I thought were common knowledge)
I think Dread will experience the “Fire Emblem Awakening” effect
They better put dating mechanics then 😂😂
We had better not get a metroid Gacha
I sure hope so. Leading to a renaissance of Metroid titles in the years following. I think if Dread doesn't, maybe Prime 4 will...
FE awakening is the best game on the 3ds. Fight me
"Ugh, another Metroid rep"
"Hexagons are the best-agons"? Is this a CGP Grey reference?
Yes it is. I scrolled down in the comments to see if anyone else noticed. Hexagons are the best-agons. Spread the good word.
Couldn't be anything else other than a callout.
The Metroid franchise is my favorite. I don’t understand how ppl ignore it
Because I don't like it
Because the franchise genre isn't for everyone like Mario or Zelda lol.
I dont like to walk around aimlessly for hours only to discover i went the wrong way. Sorry not my thing.
Well, most games on nintendo are very easy to grasp and mostly with no tension or danger, metroid does not match this description. I'm so on the fence for the Metroid dread, that i think I will wait to see when price and reviews will setle
@@breadordecide I am curious. Have you played Zero Mission? I would say Zero Mission is the perfect jumping in point and a great test to see if Metroid can be for you. Like you only have to do a little exploring to beat the game as there are beacons as to the general direction of the next segment. It is pretty linear and so if Fusion. It is also easier than most others to be honest. I found after beating Zero Mission, you get a good sense of where hidden secrets will be and it made Super Metroid a lot easier. If the series isn't for you, that is fine. It can never be for everyone but I would reccomend anyone trying the series out to try Zero Mission as a first one.
Bad marketing. I have never seen a TV ad for a Metroid game in my life, I vividly remember ones for Mario, Animal Crossing and Zelda though.
not sure how old you are, but I remember seeing Super Metroid, Metroid 2 commercials growing up..and with Super Game Boy Commercials, they had a good amount of M2 footage.
@@thecunninlynguist I'm British and most of my childhood memories of actually watching TV are from the 00's.
@@Froge0 ah. here in the states, in the 90's we had some metroid commercials. Sounds like it fits my narrative I've always read growing up that Metroid does best stateside over other places, especially japan.
@@thecunninlynguist Nintendo also wasn't as big in the UK. I think the N64, Wii and Switch were the only home consoles are the only ones I hear regular people have memories of. N64 obviously didn't have a Metroid and most Wii ad's were for things like Rabbids, DeBlob and Epic Mickey.
Metroid, Metroid Samus Returns, Super Metroid, and all 3 Primes had marketing campaigns
Metroid prime was big because it was sort of like a launch title for the GameCube, and it was first person Metroid. People were super curious about a Metroid game in a 3D space for the first time. The games graphics at the time, as I remember, were pretty incredible too.
as a high school kid who never got into metroid as a young kid, im super hyped to pick up metroid dread and try to get into the series. i think im with many others in which dread will be the first metroid pickup we get in a while, maybe ever.
if you’ve got switch online definitely check out super metroid
I know you can play Dread without playing previous titles but I just emulated Zero Mission and Fusion so I can play those just to get used to the mechanics
Check out AM2R too, it's a beautiful game.
I've never been really interested in any Metroid games, but the announcement of Dread still put a smile on my face since I knew Metroid fans have been DYING for a new game
Me too! =)
You should give the games a try
I think that you can release the old games when there's a lot of time before the new entry. For example release metroid prime trilogy in 2022 if metroid prime 4 comes out in 2023
If not, you alienste sales because they already bought similar games very close to one another.
We NEED to make dread sell well.
@Shin Shaman Grow up pal. Just because you don’t like it, no need to be an idiot about it.
Hope a new generation of Nintendo players will pick it up.
My best mate, who’s the same age as me (37) has only recently picked up his first Nintendo console in the Switch (before which he was always either Sega or PlayStation)
Going to do me damned best to convince him Metroid is a game he needs to experience.
@Shin ShamanNo? No what?
Lmao “you haven’t bought a Metroid, why is that?” .. proceeds to list off half the games in the series.
I honestly think Zion hit the nail on the head. People who don’t enjoy navigation or aren’t hyper-thorough with their exploration will have an extremely difficult time enjoying a Metroid game, and will most likely get lost. Sad but true, and I hope more people give this entry a chance despite this.
6:59 I played zero mission when I was 4 years old, my dad loved it and one day I asked him if I could play, it was the first game I ever played, I loved it then and I still love it now
Metroid is god tier gaming. Literally created the genre, but like many other genre creating games there are many that have come out afterward that build on the framework to become better games, but they will never really surpass the one who birthed it.
Ever played Hollow Knight?
@@armandogavilan1815 Yes, I have, and I enjoyed it....up to a point. It seemed like it was going on and on and on, though, and I kind of got burned out playing it. Ill play it again some time when I get the desire. I ran into the same issue with Neir, it just seemed like after the third or fourth "completion" I just couldn't play anymore, I had to take a break.
@@snappertrx yeah, HK imo is a masterpiece BUT it tends to overstay its welcome a bit, the map is huge, not a very replayable game when you found everything, still is one of my fav games from this era. Nier is great and yes I agree too.
@@armandogavilan1815 Ever played Ori? That game did everything better in my mind.
@@Spazza42 I have Ori here with me, waiting for the right moment, I have no doubt is a good game, better than HK? Wow if that's true, then I'm for a treat! :)
Metroid and especially Prime has a unique flavor that’s hard to sell. It’s not inherently hype, it’s mellow and chill most of the time. Some of the best feelings I’ve had while playing Metroid were more meditative than outright fun which might sound like a slight but it’s the opposite really. I love how it feels to play a Metroid but it’s not exactly fun to watch which makes it difficult so sell visually. it’s a problem of marketing and getting it in people’s hands that can appreciate what makes it cool.
I think you've touched on a great point. I felt this when there was discussion of Metroid vs Halo in the early 2000s. People looked at Metroid Prime and saw it as slow, empty, and boring. No action compared to Halo. I've always loved Metroid for the reason you stated, there's a certain meditative adventure it brings.
@@vinny61389 the camera is very bad as well.
IDK I feel like it's the opposite. Metroid is dark, dank, claustrophobic, oppressive...giant bugs are spewing out of the ground, they're raining down from the ceiling...players constantly run into dead ends, not knowing the right path forward.
Metroid can be very unpleasant, both aesthetically and design wise.
@@vinny61389 Fun Fact: the creators of both series confirmed that Aliens was the biggest inspiration.
It took me 2 days to beat Super Metroid without any guide when it first came out, it was nowhere near the difficulty of the first Metroid and I was actually disappointed that I beat Super Metroid in 2 days. I felt like it should’ve been longer or something and I was a kid, I couldn’t believe it was over so fast, I almost felt ripped off. I did love the game though. It just needed more.
I still remember watching my older brother besting super metroid within the time limit to see Samus in a bikini lmao. I find gaming now is more about the social aspect rather than figuring stuff out. Plus the abundance of other games coming out daily its next to impossible to introduce metroid to a new audience. When I was a kid I was very limited on games to play so we enjoyed what we had now games come out in droves.
@@joemama-cf7sj That’s very true, we had Mario, Sonic, Metroid, Castlevania, Mega Man, Dragon Warrior, Zelda and Final Fantasy and usually only 1 per generation, though they made up to 3 of some. Now we get yearly releases of so many IPs. It becomes tiresome.
@@richardaaron4454 oh man that takes me back. I remember being and idiot sibling and stealing my brother copy of FF mystic quest to trade for mortal Kombat on the snes hahaha worst trade ever and my brother never let me forget it haha. Whats tiring is people saying over and over theres nothing to play? I never understood that but I guess it makes sense since people just flock to online gaming and completely ignore other games.
@@joemama-cf7sj Yeah, there’s too much to play! My backlog is stupid! I played Ultima Online and EverQuest in the mid to late 90’s. I played Modern Warfare a couple months and Battlefield 3 or 4 a couple months but I like to beat games. All my friends play ESO and I refuse to play, I don’t want to play games that don’t end. I’m playing Bravely Default 2 right now and it’s like an old school FF game.
it has more if you put the time into it - i mean, it's one of the most popular speed run games of all time so it can obviously be breezed through, but if you really tear into it you can put tons of time into it
Thanks for covering so much Metroid, you will totally contribute to the growth of the series ❤️
I feel that Metroid doesn’t sell well because of complexity, not being family friendly, and not being accessible to younger generations. But thank you for understanding this.
It’s one of Nintendo’s few franchises that doesn’t exclusively pander to children. I don’t think I’ve met a child recently that even knows what Metroid is, let alone plays it. The reason the other Metroidvania games do well is because they are cross-platform. People of various ages can try those games, whereas most people that own a Switch are either children or are casual gamers that wouldn’t play a Metroid game. I wish franchises like Metroid, Fire Emblem, and even Zelda to some extent could break free of Nintendo and make games that could target their demographic better.
@@chasehefner4976 Making something family-friendly isn't pandering exclusively to children. Nintendo knows they have adult fans and parent fans. Look at Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Family-friendly and 30 million sold. It's not just kids playing it. My niece (age 9) and nephew (age 12) think it's dumb, and they like Mario and Zelda.
11 year old me loved 2D Metroid
@@chasehefner4976 Good grief. Nintendo's family is friendly. Mario, Zelda, AC, and Pokemon sell to grown-ups without kids.
Also, Zelda is very complex. What are you talking about?
False. Zelda is very complex.
I simply think the Metroid series hasn't a very strong appeal to the mainstream market. Metroidvanias are more popular than ever, sure. They're still mostly niche, rarely sell over a million copies and most modern examples are indies that ain't sold at a full price. Hende people complaining a Metroidvania like Dread isn't worth 60 bucks.
It has a place in the market, but it's not bound to be a strong one.
Agreed I see 1.5 million sales. Maybe 2-3 at best if we get more newcomers. Metroidvania is niche but I would love for it to explode in sales
People are really missing out by ignoring that genre and especially Metroid. It's always been up there in quality with Zelda and it's not even that big a different of a game. Exploring worlds, upgrading yourself, solving puzzles, beating bosses, quite similar actually. Everybody should at least try Metroid once...if it's not for them, okay, but just ignoring it and never try, that's really missing out. I think Metroid would have a lot more fans if more people actually tried it. Since Dread's announcement there are comments everywhere about people checking out and loving the Metroid games in anticipation for Dread. It's really not that "niche" or different from other genres.
@@Ray_2112 that is why it’s niche. It’s the fact that people look at it and go, I don’t think it’s my thing even if it is. Same with many shows and book etc. Somethings are niche not because of taste but rather the impression it gives on the surface
@@Ray_2112 Well, it has structural differences to Zelda that make it a very different experience. And those differences can put off a lot of people.
@@Ray_2112 Metroid is niche. Maybe dread will break that.
I think Metroid appeals more to older gamers. Older gamers tend to be on other platforms than Nintendo. I think Metroid is a game that isn’t bought by parents for their kids. It doesn’t have much of a cute factor. Now that the Switch has sold really well, also among older gamers, I think Metroid (dread) will do a lot better.
I was ten when Super Metroid came out, and absolutely loved every moment of it.
Alex has always been great
But this channel is SOOOO much better with the addition of Z and Jon 🙏🙌
Agreed. This channel was amazing before as Alex was always charming and entertaining.
Now the channel is super amazing. As Jon and Z bring even more charm to the channel.
I started playing Metroid games after Dread was announced, and now I'm a Metroid fan.
BAYEEERN! 😄 Mit Metroid ist natürlich auch super.
Welcome to our ranks
Same!
Where do you play one though? They haven't made one in a decade and i'm not buying a game boy advance or DS.
@@kratos.8151 sadly your only options are 3ds which has Samus Returns, Wii U which has zero mission and fusion and Super, + Prime. Switch online has one of the best games, Super Metroid
Metroid RULES. PERIOD
YES!!
I think the problem with the Metroid series has been timing
Yeah. Like it's hard to get an game released that other more popular and successful games like Mario or Zelda gets to outsell more than Metroid. Like with Metroid Prime on the GameCube, it came out in the exact same year as Super Mario Sunshine and Zelda: Wind Waker and those games sells better than Metroid Prime. Which is an shame since I found Metroid Prime to be better games than those 2. But that's just me. And it came out in the exact same year as Fusion did and both games were released 8 years after Super.
@@jaretco6423 Are you a time traveler or from an alternate dimension? Because here, Mario Sunshine and Breath of the Wild did NOT come out in the same year, not even on the same system.
Pyrrha. Sorry. I meant Wind Waker. I change my edited.
After the Dread announcement I beat Fusion and Zero Mission. They were my first Metroid games! I’m gonna buy Samus Returns and then Dread when it comes out!
I have to continue my lineage of being a Metroid fan, my grandma and mom love Metroid :)
Super Metroid is available for free on your Switch if you have an online subscription. It has save states and a rewind feature which are excellent quality of life additions to a game that otherwise feels shockingly modern.
Now thats a cool grandma
Samus Returns is a fantastic game - enjoy!
It’s amazing how they’re completely stepping over Prime 2’s sales. They fell by over 50% from Prime 1, which shows a lot of people played the first game and didn’t like it.
Other M sold more than trilogy and zero mission even super Metroid only sold 1,42mil
I think it has more to do with the fact that it came out a single day before half life 2 in a year that was crowded with high quality, big budget releases
@@horricule451 That is a piss poor excuse.
@@psychokinrazalon How? Do you think it's reasonable to expect any fps, much less one released on a console most people didn't care for, to be compete with half life 2?
@@horricule451 If people who played Prime 1 liked the game, they would’ve picked up Prime 2. Half-Life 2 wasn’t released on GameCube, so the idea of there being competition at play is ridiculous.
Never played a Metroid game before. Saw the hype for Dread, thought it looked cool, played Super Metroid on NSO, definitely a fan of the series now. I agree with Zion on certain aspects of that game that have aged, but I had no qualms on using the reverse feature and checking online when stuck, so I mostly enjoyed it, and am really looking forward to playing one with some of more modern refinements to the user experience.
I guess people are also forgetting how… relatively unpopular the Metroid series is in Japan, which could explain some of the game droughts (Star Fox also has a similar problem)
I think it is because metroid is not a casual game so it does not sell as well.
@Shin Shaman how rude, you should've asked for the sauce instead.
@Shin Shaman Dude, lay off.
Hey. Luigi's Mansion 3 being numbered didn't stop if becoming the best selling of that series.
I can personally attest to the inaccessiblity reason they mentioned being a big part of the problem. Way back in the 90's, I rented Super Metroid when it came out. I played for a about a half hour and hated it. I picked it back up around 2015 when I got back into gaming, and it now sits as my #1 video game of all time.
The difference between me as a child and me now is that back then I HATED getting lost in a game, not knowing where to go. Today, that feeling you get when you lose yourself in a world and finally find progress is one of the things I crave. But I can see how many people would absolutely hate this, because I used to as well.
indeed
The fact that Metroid doesnt hold your hand is what makes it good
Agreed, it challenges you at every turn. Exploration can be a wonder, or can kill you. Plus a fantastic soundtrack (cough with the exception of OM)
Your map is a trusty guide, once you figure out a rhythm, and markers that feel familiar, that lost feeling dissipates until you find a new area.
Every change you make, also enhances the in game world. The music tone changes, or even places you could not visit before is finally accessible.
That also works against it. I get stuck all the time in Metroids
@@Poever That's intentional.
@@Joostuh And not everyone enjoys it, which IS a detriment to it's appeal for many
@@roskiart8750 Sure thing. I just hope one of my favourite series doesn't go to shit in the name of accessibility. Problem solving and overcoming frustration is a big part of why I game. I've been heartbroken over many franchises because they imitated success and lost what made them special. Many disappeared not long after.
12:15 - WAIT! Is that what the channel Screw Attack is named after?!? Fitting that would click while I'm watching a video talking about how Metroid isn't in the zeitgeist to the degree one would expect.
Yes, the hunters from Prime Hunters have so much untapped potential!
Yeah, Sylux is definitely going to be more relevant in Prime 4. I do wish the other hunters were in a better game that doesn't have a carpal tunnel inducing control scheme.
Metroid definitely wasn't for youngsters. It was a shooting game and meant to be taken as a grown-up, scary game with getting attacked by a robot or monster. Mario and Zelda, on the other hand, were pretty harmless and cartoony with kids ( as well as teenagers and some adults) playing these games and having a blast with them.
@@christopherbee8635 not aimed at kids doesn't mean kids can't like the game, or no kids would ever even touch GTA or COD lol
Zelda has lots of dark, scary stuff as well. Not every game, but it's definitely part of the franchise. Also, there are lots of adults playing Nintendo, maybe even more than with other consoles
@@nejishadow thats true lol. Btw, whos @adam ? It seems like he deleted his comment ig…
Disagree. I was ten when Super Metroid came out and absolutely adored it.
@@Ray_2112 Metroid is inspired by the horror film Alien, meaning this series is meant to appeal to core sci-fi fans.
I recently had an issue with my playthrough in Super Metroid. There is a certain point at Brinstar, where you need to hold B in order to run and escape some collapsible terrain. The problem is, there is no indicator that you can run by holding B, so I got stuck for a looong time until I checked some blogs and then I read that you can run. For me that was an accessibility issue bc the challenge itself was easy actually, there is no difficulty in that part of the game. Is a lack of transparency with the player that make an artificial challenge.
And this, is was I think, is one of the many examples of why the Metroid saga didn't sell as good as Zelda for example
Back then games assumed you had read the manual. It kinda irks me that the manuals aren’t on NSO.
what ih9591 said. Plus you also could have always checked the controls in the options screen, since you haver the ability to change button layout. Even then, you should have familiarized yourself wit what the buttons do, you could have easily figured you can run.
Lol... I know exactly the Part you are describing. I got stuck too back in the day when I first play Super Metroid on the Wii U.
I've totally supported Nintendo since I noticed this series in 2009, with Metroid Prime Trilogy. It's a series that I always knew of, but never played. I've now purchased Prime Trilogy (one of the best games/sets of all time), Other M (which I like and have beaten 3 or 4 times), Samus Returns(beautiful and natural evolution of a game like Super Metroid) - and a few on my 3DS eshop. I'm there for them with all future releases. Let's Do This!!
24:47 Alex knows the truth, hexagons *are* the bestagons.
I became a Metroid fan 'cause of the Wii U. Metroid Prime Trilogy, Metroid Fusion, Super Metroid, and Metroid Zero Mission were all very splendid titles on Wii U!
You forgot the most important one Metroid Prime hunters.
@@christopherbee8635 don't forget Prime Pinball
@@MrDiana1706 I didn't but that one isn't on the Wii u
@@christopherbee8635 not surprised it failed
Yes, Wii U was a great console for Metroid.
Metroid Prime 3 is definitely a strange case, you can say that the Wii was owned mostly by casual people, but still, RE4 or Twilight Princess sold quite well, way more than Prime 3 ever did, it's one of the very few cases were a series sold better on GC than on Wii. I think poor marketing by Nintendo and never giving it a Nintendo Select release affected it in the end
Most likely, yes. It's really weird that game sold so mediocre on the Wii. oO
Always wondered about this as well. I first dived into the series with the original NES, and followed Samus journey ever since.
I did not own an original game boy, missed out on Metroid 2
I never owned a SNES. So sadly I missed on Super Metroid
GameCube, Prime 1&2 were incredible experiences. GBA, Fusion, and Zero Mission, fantastic.
I did pass on owning a Wii (wiimote felt weird to me). But I did give Prime 3 Corruption a try at a store kiosk, I did enjoy the atmosphere, just the controls took some getting used to. I did not own a Wii when it was the system to have, but later. Sadly some games I did find were in a rough state, so I was unable to play them. But I did play a bit more of Prime 3, and also Other M (wasn't my jam, but I gave it my best, it definitely was the odd egg)
3DS (I could not find one) but I used to own SR, sadly gave up hope on finding a 3DS, and took my copy in.. hopefully someone else who owns a 3DS found the amazing treasure.
I do have a Switch, and pre-ordered my copy of Dread. Just counting down the days till it's available.
I honestly hope that Nintendo brings the rest of Samus's journey to the system. There are so many possibilities with this series.
To answer Zion, I think it would help. Zero Mission, 2: Return of Samus + Samus Returns, and Fusion (4), plus the Prime Trilogy would be fantastic to see brought to the Switch.
There is a vast world, more people should have accessibility to explore
Part of it in the old games is because it doesn’t grab you like some other games do off the bat. It’s a slow burn. You have to put some time into Super Metroid before you start to “get it.” I think another reason is players probably forget why they’re running around in some of the games. The newer games have cutscenes and whatnot, which I think help add context.
On your point about botw hinting you towards Zora’s domain first, yeah I completely ignored any signs and went straight to gerudo desert and didn’t really find myself underprepared for it whatever, yet more praise of botw showing you can go anywhere and it be a valid option
Lol..that's just not true, if you went to fight thunderblight Ganon first, he will wreck you unless you didn't go straight there and you did a lot of shrines before getting there.
@@bern9642 Not really... you have this thing called a shield and shield parry which is a safe option as long as you swing latter then early. Likewise there is 1-2 Major Tests of Strength on the way there which gives you weapons to chop through their Health with.
You also get the Gerudo set of armor on top of all of that which gives you a slight edge.
@@bern9642 can’t remember how many shrines I did at this point but I think I would’ve probably had around 6/7 hearts, but I remember I used to always go for hearts as I thought they were more useful than stamina (boy was I wrong)
24:48 is that a gosh darn CGP Grey reference?
The undisputed winner-agons.
Love listening to you guys talk about Metroid!
On accessibility, I recently played through Super Metroid for the first time and loved it, but I was very surprised that you get the X-Ray beam so late in the game when it feels like it would have only improved the game. I was also very frustrated that it doesn't work on that one wall.
Thank you Alex for that CGP Grey reference 😌
There's a big asterisk on this video. Metroid has always sold poorly in Japan. It has always sold decently in the west, but that evens out to doing just okay in sales.
There are many theories as to why this is the case, but here is mine: metroid is the opposite of traditional Japanese storytelling. In most Japanese media, characters have the tendency to speak everything they think. You see this most commonly in anime where all background characters say or think the same thing in unison. Metroid isn't like that, as it fits more western tropes. There is some exposition at the beginning and a few context clues along the way, but the audience is mostly left to determine what the characters are feeling.
The best example of this divide is Metroid: Other M. The team wanted to attract more Japanese viewers, so they added mountains of dialog and characters that stopped just short of talking directly to the audience. This alienated the existing fans and didn't attract any new ones, which led to low sales even by metroid standards.
Good point never thought about that how it presents itself when play Other M. I forget Anime even does that as its just so normal to me now.
I can tell the difference I just adapt to it rather than question it. Third person, monologues or otherwise.
@@suntannedduck2388 now you will never unsee it when it happens.
I'd like to add that in a lot of samurai films from the 50s and 60s (seven samurai being the most popular example), the acting can come across as almost over the top to western audiences, and because of this the characters have an almost animated quality to them (not a bad thing at all, seven samurai and kurosawa styled films in general are awesome). compare this to the original alien, which the metroid series was inspired by...the film has a sort of show don't tell approach, and focuses on subtly building tension over time. neither approach is necessarily better than the other, but i think it shows the cultural differences that might be attributed to metroid's poor sales in japan
One more reason to purge anime from the face of Earth!
I'll never understand it. Except for the original which I got a couple years after release, every other main line Metroid game has been a day one purchase for me. I absolutely love them!
I grew up playing NES/SNES/N64 and I didn’t really know what Metroid was until I became an adult. In fact fusion/prime1 were my first Metroid games and I loved both enough that I went back and played the originals. Some of it may be marketing.
It's hard to sell games when you don't make them....
Constant momentum to slowly raise a franchise's popularity is a thing (Which Other M completely killed BTW).
I bet if the series was as consistent in the 2010s as much as it was in the 2000s. Today it would sell much better.
Most of the Metroid games released during the early 2000s up until Other M did poorly or barely above a million units, the only ones that actually sold well were Prime 1 and Fusion, which were the ones to kickstart the golden era.
@@eiriseven Back in the day 1 million of units was really good considering budget and that games were more expensive considering inflation.
The Metroid games that don't sell well are usually spin offs, limited runs or games that come out when the system has already retired.
The only one I'm baffled that it didn't do well was Zero Mission. But I remember back in the day the complaints about its length. That and the ease of emulating GBA maybe was the reason for the poor sales.
Anyway. Metroid games are the highest sellers on the Wii U VC. The demand is there so I think we have a brilliant future ahead.
Metroid Prime 3 only sold about 1,5 mio. despite being the last chapter of a highly rated trilogy and being on the Wii where everything sold better. I don't get it, but it shows Metroid never really could sell as much as Zelda, despite being of the same quality and even not that unsimilar as a game in general. I really hope Dread and Prime 4 finally change that
@@eiriseven Fusion's sales are not even close to comparable to Prime 1's sales. It's much closer to Prime 3 and even Prime 2.
Just beat zero mission yesterday on my Wii U! :)
Listening to Zion talk here I think really does answer the question. Not a criticism by any metric mind you.
The frustrations and roadblocks he describes are also elements that define this genre of game. And I think that's not uncommon.
Metroid doesn't sell because, for all that it's this perfect example of game design for some of us, people just don't like what it fundamentally is.
It makes me think of Hollow Knight, which has done very well. HK, aka the perfect video game, however I've heard so many people react Super Negatively to the map system. To the point that Hollow Knight is basically unplayable for them. Because some people hate that shit.... but that's also an extreme example of elements and mechanics that have defined the genre, very much including Metroid, since day one.
So why doesn't Metroid do as well as we, or Nintendo, would want? It's because there's more of "them" than of "us". It's a celebrated but niche genre that doesn't appeal to the mass market crowd that's required to become a megablockbuster.
Also, on a lighter scale, it doesn't look like a typical Nintendo game, so it doesn't really get that bump from folk who simply just buy whatever game has Mario and/or bright family friendly visuals on the cover. Again, no shade, it's a valid and large portion of retail consumers who fall in that group that does good for Nintendo.
So it's neither Mario Kart nor a slam dunk even amongst more so called "core" game enthusiasts. So it's a game that appeals to a subset of a subset of potential buyers. Thus it only sells ok.
I think that the bit about timing/console is very true to show the struggles of the Metroid Series.
The original games were massive hits, but gaming was still pretty niche, so it didn't hit the mainstream
The Prime games started on one of Nintendo's worst selling consoles, and ended on one with an install base uninterested and unfamiliar with the series.
Metroid Other M might have sold better had it not gotten such poor reception. It's worth noting that the 2010s really began the trend of social media being able to boost or sink a game, and had it come out a few years earlier, the negative online reception might not have crushed it.
Samus Returns came out at the very end of the console's life cycle, and people had moved onto the Switch.
For what it's worth, I have a friend; not much of a gamer, who got really into Super Metroid on the SNES mini, and was super down for the Dread when I showed the trailer. I think there's a lot of late-comers to the Metroid franchise who got hooked over the years (mostly through Super Metroid given how well it's held up and how accessible it is) who will leap for the chance to play Dread.
Honestly, what worries me more is how Prime 4 will sell. The Metroid thirst will have been quenched thanks to Dread, and the 3D first person option isn't always accessible to people. I think it's got to go huge steps forward in terms of visuals and design to make the impact it needs to to sell well...
I'm one of the few people that liked Other M.
Same here, I actually enjoyed the gameplay! I know the story wasn't great and I did not like that Samus was "controlled", but when I ignored all the rest, I found the gameplay enjoyable. It gets all this incredible religious hate when, in fact, I've played games that were so much worse. Sure, Other M was the weakest of the series but I liked the direction of where the gameplay was heading.
Other M was my first Metroid game & it made Samus my favorite Nintendo character, the way she used sense move, lethal strike, & over blast, especially the last 2 I just mentioned, that was just epic! I especially loved the lethal strike she used on Ridley. I also liked Samus talking, that was what I liked most about that game. Zero Suit Samus looked so much hotter in Other M than she ever did in any Smash Bros game or other Metroid game.
It's not as bad as people echo. Humans love agreeing with widely accepted "hot takes" because it brings them solace. We get it, they completely deconstructed her character from the invincible and terrifying image that was once the generally accepted answer to who this character was. God forbid we humanize our indestructible Amazonian goddess and allow her to have feelings for once. I mean, I get it, I get it, they might'a went a little overboard with it, but it doesn't make the game mechanically a bad game. People hate this game for the same reason they hate DmC, they've never actually played the game and only parrot what the general consensus is at the time. DmC is actually pure kino and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside that anime degenerates got collectively btfo'd. Anime was a mistake.
I also like the graphics in Other M, the opening cutscene made the game look like a live action Metroid movie.
The main reasons I liked it were that she had all her upgrades at the start (Like Megaman why does she throw them away between games?) and the gameplay. I think The PTSD with Ridley makes sense but not at this point in the timeline because she was unfazed before.
Because of its Metroidvania nature. Metroid games usually didn't hold your hands, it was easy to get lost or stuck and most people don't have the patience to walk arround for hours trying to figure out where to go next. Thats why the Metroid games from now on really need to get modernized and implement check points when dying, frequent save opportunities and clearer hints where to go next so gamers don't lose interest.
Have you played Samus returns? It has all that
@@thefallofranny
Good, then we're on the right track 👍.
I bought the original Metroid game for the NES because the cover of the box has enemies flying out of a pipe. I honestly thought it was going to be like Super Mario Bros…
I was hooked as soon as I first played it. So glad I cluelessly bought it back then.
As with anything, it's a combination of factors, right?
I think the Metroid series is far less accessible than many other games. You don't get the repeated dopamine hit that you can get every 2-5 minutes in a Mario game. It's more drawn out. I think that turns a lot of people off. I remember Fusion being disliked strongly by people slightly older than me who had played the first 3 Metroids because it was too "hand holdy". That was in 2002. Gaming has changed a lot since then.
I think some of these modern amenities like teleporting will remove the need of backtracking (and as such the incentive to explore and experiment with those new powers you keep getting). This will fundamentally change how Metroid is played for many players, but may do a good job of bringing in more people.
Either way, I'm excited for Dread. While I don't have the visceral hatred many do for Other M, it's been a long time since there was a *good* Metroid game.
Thank you. Metroid is a quick game. You can't pick it up and just play for 10 minutes and feel happy about it unlike Mario levels.
At least Zelda has a story to keep hooked, Metroid's stories are not that intriguing.
I’m a Metroid fan. My favourite franchise. But let’s be honest. The 2D games even at the best of times are obtuse. You really have to “learn” the style of progression. They are essentially a series of escape rooms tied together in a maze like map that you have to be able to navigate. There are a lot of skills needed to enjoy Metroid and so they are not as accessible.
You could say the same thing about Zelda games. I've seen people play various different Zelda games for the first time on streams and struggle.
It has its own 'language' as well. You see empty torches, eventually you learn you have to light them up. You see an eye switch, you figure out you need to shoot it. Blocks need to be pushed or pulled accordingly.
Metroid is more complex than Zelda, yeah but they both have a learning curve. One just happens to have a bigger curve than the other.
@@Griffnix Zelda has better tutorials as well, tho. There's just no in game indication for some things in Metroid
@@Griffnix I honestly think it comes down to the atmosphere. Zelda games while they can be dreary inside dungeons it's definitely a different game outside with different support characters, landscapes and towns to flesh out the atmosphere. With metroid games if you're not sold into its dreary atmosphere with little to no characterization/story you're not going to want to push through the game. At least that's the way it has been for me. I just really hate the atmosphere of those games.
@@Griffnix bruh. Shooting a very obvious target like an eye to progress is a lot different from having to randomly bomb floors. That’s kind of tedious. And you can’t expect more casual gamers to find that engaging.
@@roskiart8750 bruh I had no idea about things like shinesparking in zero mission. Especially shinesparking as a morph ball never mind being able to store a charge. Like. How are people supposed to figure that out?
finally, a less intimidating metroid... "dread"
I think part of the problem was timing. Metroid Prime 2 released on a console that had lost most of its steam by that time. Same thing with Zero Mission on the GBA, since it released shortly before the DS launched. And of course, Samus Returns released six months after the Switch launched, so it was essentially dead in the water. I can’t explain Prime 3, since other hardcore games like Twilight Princess still sold really well, and it had a decent marketing campaign, but something besides “the Wii was mostly popular with casuals” must’ve been the case, and Other M speaks for itself.
Edit: I forgot about Super Metroid, which came out around the same time as Donkey Kong Country, and considering that game’s popularity, I think it’s fair to say Super Metroid was overshadowed by it at the time.
The fact that pre-orders for Dread are so high gives me tons of hope for the series! The original NES game was one of the first games I ever played as a kid (I was terrible lol. Thank the Nintendo Gods for JUSTIN BAILEY)
I had really lost interest in Metroid over the years. I got ori and the will of the whisps on gamepass. As soon as I beat it I went and found a copy of Samus returns. Loved it. I think I can appreciate the genre much more now than I used to
Ori and the will of the wisps was an awesome one. As well as Samus returns. That one is my second favorite Metroid game of all time near fusion. Great games.
And Metroid Dread is basically the successor of Samus Returns (in terms of gameplay, it's the same studio), so you'll for sure love Dread as well
Ori and the Blind Forest is my all time favourite game. It's just such a beautiful experience. I adore it.
Hopefully the rise in popularity of Metroidvanias over the last decade will help sales of Dread.
I would say this though, I see a lot of people being scared of Metroid because they might get lost. Then why does Zelda sell well? I'm a fan of both series and Zelda equally stumps me as much as metroid games can, especially since they both have puzzles and at times Zelda isn't super clear in direction either especially in dungeons.
Because Zelda manages this in a much more accesible fashion.
Not only do you have NPCS that can point you in the right direction, but dungeons are self contained so you can taclke much smaller maps to solve with the solution always at reach.
You can be at the wrong side of the entire world map in Super Metroid, solutions to the problems aren't always as clearly presented and you don't have NPCs to guide you most of the time.
@@roskiart8750 Metroid is inspired by the horror film Alien, meaning this series is meant to appeal to core sci-fi fans.
@@orangeslash1667 That premise is already flawed because drawing inspiration from something doesn't mean your intent is to appeal to the same audience as your influence. Dragon Quest popularized RPGs among children in Japan while being based on computer games designed with an older demographic in mind.
But even if that was the case...OK? That doesn't help much.
@@roskiart8750 Fun Fact: Halo also takes inspiration from Alien, and since Halo doesn't have a learning curve like Metroid. It would make sense why Metroid got over shadowed. There's also Halo 3 which came out the same year as Prime 3.
Zelda works because there's not much like it.
Dragon Quest is not a good comparison, because Ulitma and Wizardry were not very accessible. Dragon Quest felt more easier to understand by comparison.
The good news Super Metroid is in the top 35, and Fusion is in the top 25 in sales.
@@orangeslash1667 Uh... I'm lost. I don't necessarily disagree with your observations, even though the Dragon Quest one is missing my point: you can borrow inspiration from something while making the end result vastly different and more appealing which is why I think the origins of Metroid as inspired by Halor aren't the crux of the problem.
That's PRECISELY why I brought it up: because it outdid bot Ultima and Wizardy by being easier while still clearly borrowing from them.
At my local Walmart, Wii games were still on the shelves into late 2016.
Other M was one of them, and was the only one that was always full price, at $80 CAD
This is a great video!! Definitely agree with Alex's take the most, that outside conditions (timing, install base, etc.) have likely had the greatest impact on sales.
As someone who's never bought a Metroid game, I never bought it because it's hard to tell from the outside why one "needs" to play this series, especially if you're completely unfamiliar with it and Metroidvanias in general. The only thing that makes me super curious about Dread is the hype from the fanbase for it. Which is awesome, but I think Nintendo's marketing needs to try harder to sell it to new folks too.
You all want for Metroid exactly what Pokemon fans have been complaining about in their franchise
It’s just doesn’t really stand out to an outsider. It looks like a generic sci-fi shooter, I’m sure that’s a horrible mischaracterisation, but as someone who’s never played it, that’s how it looks. I do like the look of Dread though, because it’s 2D, and has a RE nemesis vibe, so maybe it will be my entry point.
Metriod prime on GameCube was my first single player game in life. I was born in 97 so I was around 4 or 5ish plays a huge roll to me
Playing prime hacks on pc with a controller is great
I think that it is simply because of its genre. Other Nintendo series are within genres that are simple to understand like platformers, RPG, racing games to name some examples, while a Metrodvanias are about getting lost and initially not knowing were to go. That can be frustrating the average casual player, or even players in general who are not used to that feeling.
Lmao I went straight to Gerudo Desert on my first playthrough of botw
A game with cerebral world design, aimed at tenagers and young adults, and has a female lead (that doesnt use her good looks until the very last second of the games).
Metroidvanias aim at the gamer crowd, thats why it did poorly on Wii, and traditionally does so-so overall in Nintendo's platform, Switch may change that.
Also your sales numbers are wrong, Corruption sold 1.4m (shipped), Other M did not sell over a million, Nintendo does not feature it in their shipment data. Check out ResetEra's historic Nintendo shipments for the complete Metroid data.
Gamers respecting strong women in video games? What alternative reality have I drifted into?
@@JoshLeitzel You got me there, so thats why it doesn't sell well among the gamer crowd either lol.
I agree with you 100%. The one thing i would emphasize is that both the Wii & DS were systems for more casual gamers. And wii U was...
I've gaming since NES and DOS PC. Both the Wii and DS and/ 3DS had zero appeal to me mainly due to the motion and stylus controlls for many of the games i wanted to play. So i never really had a chance to play some of the games that came out on those systems. I think this is the case with many of the more hardcore gamers that moved to the X360 or PS3 from the Gamecube, like i did.
Basically the people that would have bought the Metriod games were to busy on other consoles to even know the games were out.
Now that the switch is a secondary console for many i can see a metriod collection doing very well. Especially since you have to have a GameCube and/or a Backwards Compatible Wii or a WiiU just to play the triology.
I rarely watch 30 minutes YT videos, but this was great. Solid content & banter + gameplay from the whole series in the background. I need more loose scripted podcast-like videos like this in my life.
very glad to see John HERE!
I'm like Zion here, I tend to get lost or stuck about 50-75% of the way through and just put it down for a while as I lose interest at that point. Which means that its almost impossible to readjust yourself after a long time. I love the design of metroidvania type games, but no matter what I play (Metroid, Hollow Knight, Strider, etc.) I always get to a point where I have to stop for lack of interest or getting stuck, then not picking it up for a long time. I own a whole bunch of the Metroid games and have only really gotten some way into Samus Returns, Prime 1, Prime 3, and Super. But I just reach that blockade of some kind and hardly ever return.
Ngl Metroid just does not have pop culture reach, the only way I had previously come across it (prior to the Switch generation) is from playing Smash Bros Brawl at someone's house
Metroid prime remastered is selling out everywhere it's been number 1 for weeks it just proves once it's on a system with a lot of people it'll sell a lot of copies.
I'd love to see the prior games available on switch. Metroid 1 and Super are on the online service I know but Returns and the GBA games would be nice.
I love metroid. Until get stuck and i cant figure out where to go.
I just don't feel like bombing every single tile of every room to hopefully find progression.
Way to obtuse.
Fortunatelly, they fixed that in Samus Return with a radar that shows breakable blocks.
@@jowysw yeah i know! Hope they implement that feature in Dread aswell.
I'm currently playing zero mission. And guess what. Stuck.
In other words Metroid needs “accessibility options” / “easy mode” for gamers that won’t put in the work but wants the game to hold your hand…
The genre needs QOL improvements. It can be much more punishing and obtuse than I think it was intended to be. Like sometimes you see an exit that looks like it's a save room and it turns out it is a boss room, you get trapped inside and lose 45-90 minutes of progression and the save room exit was the one that looked like a boss room entrance. Also what the one guy mentioned, sometimes a wall just doesn't read as breakable or a mechanic will not be explained fully, but the player will be expected to use it at a high level and the player will look elsewhere until they look at a guide.
It's either that or fading into irrelevance
A mode change could do wonders for the series
That way you can keep the challenge of classic Metroid and appeal to modern audiences as well
@@AdamTheGameBoy Eh. Most boss rooms, if not all of them, have a save room right before the fight so that you don’t lose any progress…
@@andyc6542 Yeah, the issue is when you think you are going into the save room first, but go into the boss room instead and a cutscene immediately traps you in a fight
@@AdamTheGameBoy that's never happened to me, i'm pretty sure most games communicate what is a boss room and a save room in many ways other than directly, the map screen for example, look at the shape and size of the room and if it's a dead end or contains a point of no return.
This popping up on my feed after watching so many vids on Metroid Prime Remastered is funny. It seems like now things are slotting into place for Metroid to (re)gain its popularity now and as a new fan of the series (Dread was my first and I've been playing other games in the series since I completed it) I'm glad to see it. I think the accessibility comment is a valid critique but I'm hoping the series can continue to gain popularity amongst people who appreciate that kind of challenge.
I think I’m addition to it being sold at inopportune times, is also that it is sold at such varying intervals. Mario and Zelda get regular releases that keep it in the public’s eye. However Metroid can go many years between titles. Had 5 years between the first and second, 8 years between super and fusion. And then 7 years between Other M (which was already a weaker received entry) and Samus Returns (a remake). We did get a spin off a year before but it’s looks didn’t even entice fans of the series overall. Not counting a remake it will have been 11 years since a wholly originally mainline title. That isn’t the best to keep interest built up.
I'd like the Metro prime told you release that you can turn on and off the hint system. There were times when I just want to go exploring and it was great being able to turn the hint system off. To me the Metroid prime trilogy release is more than intuitive.
I've been thinking about this lately, I've come up with two ideas- 1) the series isn't named after the character and that limits the scope of the games and 2) of Nintendo's biggest franchises, it's the only one that has a hard focus on continuity between games, which limits where they can go narratively; they have to be concerned about a long-term story as well as making a game with new and fun mechanics.
The Legend of Zelda
Splatoon exists
@@internetguy7319 Zelda doesn't have the same A to B to C continuity as Metroid. Zelda's timeline continuity is post facto. With regards to splatoon, we're only just now getting the third game, and the narrative isn't as big a focus of the gameplay as it has been since super metroid. It's incidental to the game play.
Except you can play a Metroid game without caring about the narrative one single bit. I think it's more that the atmosphere is a lot more creepy, claustrophobic, and ominous than other Nintendo franchises and that the gameplay is more complex and less hand-holding.
And yeah, as the other reply said, The Legend of Zelda also isn't named after the main character. That's not a factor in making a successful game at all. To take the example from the video, look at e.g. Animal Crossing: It's not named "Villager: THE GAME" lol
I researched this a long time ago. Players would rather play levels and or pick levels than get lost and confused. This is probably why Mega Man was said to originally be like Metroid, before they went for the "pick a level, play a level" format.
I still love Metroids though.
Dread ended up the best selling Metroid game so far, hopefully it was good enough to motivate them to further focus on the series. It's not doing flagship numbers, but as far as 2D games go it did pretty great.