If you're desperate for more LENGTHY video CONTENT - you're in luck. I've just posted a new video covering the entire ONIMUSHA SERIES. It's a lengthy exploration of one of the great lost franchises and how it almost destroyed the company that made it. Enjoy! - ruclips.net/video/6zI6lW3BjZ4/видео.htmlsi
Although it is rapidly becoming common parlance here on RUclips, "funnily enough" is one of those expressions which is... Imprecise. Things aren't "funnily enough", because things aren't "funnily". Things are just funny, or funny enough. Please help stop the spread of this madness.
When I see a documentary-styled video that is 1+ hours long, I hope to see no unnecessary filler and this fantastic video does not waste your time. Every moment is meaningful and informative. Glad to see more videos bringing to light Metroid’s legacy.
Thanks my friend. I spend so many hours drafting and redrafting trying to make sure that the script is tight and doesn't have much nonsense bulking it out. It can be easy for people to presume that given the runtime but I really try my best to avoid it!
Back when I was a tiny child, I'd watch my dad play LoZ, Metroid etc. When super Metroid came out, my dad was stuck on Kraid. It was the first time he handed me the controller and was like "you try." I remember beating him on the first try and my dad never questioned anytime I wanted to buy a new video game. He knew his daughter was a serious gamer and even though I'm almost 40, he bought me Metroid Dread, LoZ: TotK, and SMB Wonder. Super Metroid will always just have that special place in my heart and I'm so glad I found this video to see the evolution of the games from then to now. Time to binge the rest of your videos!
I really wanted to put a bit in at the end of Fed Force to make sure that he didn't seem completely awful but the more I looked into his career the worse it got! The man basically ruined Paper Mario too!
A part of me thinks that Federation Force's concept could have worked as a sort of PvE mode for an existing game that had a more serious art style but, yeah, everything about it just ended up being tone-deaf and underdelivered. Oh, and also the mech idea is kind of dumb, would have been better to just present it as reverse-engineered power armor. Also it probably would have been better on a console other than the 3DS, but at the time that would have been the WiiU, so a bit of a lose-lose situation there.
He was involved with all 3 games from the main trilogy as a Producer, Federation Force - a spin off - failed because of its timing's announcement, not because of its quality. Also he's involved with Prime 4 as a Producer again whether you like it or not, and if the Prime Remaster is anything to go by, I find it hard to believe he has forgotten what makes the Prime series so special. As for Paper Mario, I also find it hard to believe it is all on him, when there are interviews mentioning how there are restrictions put on the IP, and if M&L Paper Jam is anything to go by, it seems those restrictions might be true. I mean heck, Luigi's Mansion 3 - a very recent game - was mentioned in this video and he was also involved in that game as Producer, it's pretty much obvious he still has a great track record. The less well received games that he has worked on simply receive more attention because that's just how the internet is, negativity gets clicks.
@@IFinishedAVideoGame That's a complete mispresentation. Interviews with actual devs show something completely different, but good to know not to waste 6 hours on someone painting a target on a dev. Gross and toxic.
@@NuiYabuko lol what, everything ive seen from former retro employees and ninja theory employees backs up this video. you a nintendo shill? they still hate you like they hate all their fans
I find it amaizing how a franchise like Metroid can be such an important landmark on videogame history, influencing so much of the industry, and yet also be kinda niche, never reaching Mario and Zelda heights.
@@IFinishedAVideoGame watching this video and reading this comment chain, ive realized a lot of things i like are contradictory or broken. Metroid is one of my favorite game series, the spinosaurus is my favorite dinosaur even though scientists cant figure out how they worked, and in warhammer 40k my favorite faction is the alpha legion which due to the way they work in the story don't work super well in the tabletop war game because they're more fond of subterfuge and clandestine work over open warfare.
I played Metroid 2 when I was 10 years old back in 1991. I love that game, a couple years ago I found the cartridge in my parents basement. I had never finished the game because I got stuck because there was no internet. I fired up the game, and my game save was still there. I am happy to say I successfully completed the game 32 years later
@@IFinishedAVideoGame I can appreciate the game in a different way. But I can't really remember what I was thinking when I was a kid. It was very satisfying to finish it, so cool that my game save was still there for 30 years on that little battery
Something I really respect about these videos is how seriously they take every game they talk about, even something like Metroid pinball, which helped me understand it better and see why it’s an interesting part of the series
The reality is that even the most stupid and misguided game you can think of was still worked on by someone as their job and presumably intended to be good! I feel like if you take this approach you can really start to work out why certain games go so wrong beyond just "this game is terrible"! Nobody intends to make something bad!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame that's something lacking in a lot of media criticism today. There's a million RUclipsrs who'll spend 20min saying "this sucks because it's lame" refusing to even attempt to explain how or why certain things work within the thing they're talking about. Like, isn't that the whole point of why we're here? To talk about the things we care about? All a long way of saying: great video lol
1:07:02 The frame where Samus looks up at The Baby attack Mother Brain so as to save her life is such elegant storytelling. Samus, who has with singular focus, traversed an entire hostile alien planet, now finds herself distracted for the first time. She performs a subtle movement completely outside of the control of the player. She sees her Baby save her. We, the player, do not look up. She does. It’s love, fear, appreciation, and awe all in the reorganization of a few pixels.
Just wanted to say, I’ve been consuming RUclips video game essays for years now. Nobody else comes close to your objectivity and completeness of covering any one game let alone a franchise. So on behalf of everyone interested in game preservation and/or history, thank you sir. You deserve substantially more views and subscribers.
Thanks so much my friend. Honestly I just think of myself as someone who really enjoys telling stories about video games! The videos aren't meant to be too intellectual or deep - just a cool tale about something interesting! Thanks for your kind words and I hope you enjoyed the video!
*Noah Caldwell Gervais entered the chat* Jks but really he’s in a similar vein as this. Both this work and Noah’s are excellent and insightful deep dive content made with care!
When my dad died a couple years ago, I inherited his truck that I had ridden in many times as a child. I sent it off to a friend to get detailed, and behold, he discovered a copy of Zero Mission under the seat that I had gotten when I was around 10 I’m now 28, but I got to play that long forgotten game. It drips with nostalgia from days of childhood gone by.
I still maintain that Metroid is the one Nintendo IP with the most potential for a cinematic venture. There’s so much actual continuity to draw from and avenues left unexplored
@@ClarkKentaiAgreed (also hilarious username). As far as I'm concerned trying to provide to much explanation would be one of the worst choices they could do. There should be lore of course but capturing the feeling of isolation is way more important for it to be Metroid.
"When Metroid is doing well, so are Nintendo." Very astute observation. Something to pay attention to. Hopefully Nintendo can keep this momentum going.
@@IFinishedAVideoGame Dunno, I really enjoyed the Japanese version of the story. It opens up a lot of details about Samus as a character, and is very consistent with the manga and the later Dread portrayal of her. The gameplay is still pretty damn bad, not arguing with that.
If it's something you're really interested in, take a look at the video "the other m that never was" I think it's called. It breaks down comparisons between the English and Japanese translations and deliveries and shows how it affects the overall plot
Metroid prime was my first GameCube game. To this day it has one of the best soundtracks of any game I've ever played. It gives it such a distinct scifi identity. Each area has such incredible themes, but the main menu music is a banger for all time.
I still regularly listen to the final credits version just for fun. I had a friend who was into EDM who said it would make for a great song to play on the floor.
Oh it's amazing isn't it. I listen to it all the time while working. The fact that they composed ambient versions of the zone themes to compliment the nature of your visit is so damn cool
Metroid Prime will forever be one of my favorite games, right there under Chrono Trigger and DOOM. When the remastered version came out, I picked it up day 1 and was amazed by how faithful it was, and by how much I actually remembered. If we can just get a Chrono Trigger port or remake for the Switch, I can finally have my top five favorite games on one system: Chrono Trigger, DOOM, Metroid Prime, A Link to the Past, and Monster Hunter GU.
Great idea when you're talking about a remake of a game that was 25mb in size. Not a great idea when the original is 25gb in size. Can't always fit that onto one disc or cart.
I love Metroid 2. I’ll never forget the dread I felt when I was down to one Metroid, then I went through the tunnel under the egg and the Metroid counter suddenly rolled back up to like 11. That ending is so beautiful too
Am I the only one who didn't mind this? Not once during Metroid Prime boss fight did I feel bored or annoyed by how long it took. Maybe it's because I found the super weapons and maximized their use, but that fight always felt epic to me. I love that fight, and I always play on Hard, where the healthpool is increased.
@@TheDoomKnightI played the Metroid Prime remaster and... yeah, the bosses didn't feel damage spongey to me. This was also that I was fumbling with trying to change visors to see Metroid Prime to hurt her as well.
"Metroid experience is purely single-player and exploration based-" Tanabe: " *MULTIPLAYER* " "OR PINBALL, I MEAN, HAVE YOU SEEN SONIC SPINBALL, NOTHING CAN EVER GO WRONG"
God I love Dread's ending. So much room for theorizing in such a short scene. Here's a comment I found on Vinesauce's Dread finale that some of you may find interesting as an alternate theory: I choose to believe with the very very end with Quiet Robe X that what happened was genuinely like... the X have the ability to think critically and act self-sacrificingly in the name of their greater collective. We saw that in Fusion when they were willing to blow up the BSL Research Ship by overheating the Sector 3 reactor. They also inherit the memories of anything they absorb. That's how they knew how to do the thing with the reactor, that's how more than one can actually use the power suit functionalities stolen from you to be the SA-X and all. So the X that infected Quiet Robe knew everything he had told you earlier, that the Metroids were weapons used by the Thoha clan of Chozo, and that your genetic makeup was the one thing keeping you under control. It knew Quiet Robe was a Thoha. It also absolutely recognized that at this point, you were such a ragingly out-of-control organism that you could literally destroy and absorb X on physical contact with one's stolen shape-- Literally if you just walk into any of the enemies in the escape sequence you just eat them automatically. So at the very end with the Quiet Robe X in your ship, I don't think that was necessarily 'Quiet Robe is so strong and cool that he is the one person who can be sentient as an X'. That flies in the face of everything we know from Fusion. I think, genuinely, that was an X removing the greatest galactic threat to its species, by letting you absorb Quiet Robe's Thoha genes, thus bringing you back to genetic equilibrium, taking your Metroid Suit from you. It was very convenient for Samus, yes, but in the greater scheme of things, this was a very optimistic X thinking 'maybe if I sacrifice myself, there will be other X out there someday that can at least stand a chance against this freak accident of nature'. This ending is so minimalist but it's so fucking cool the way it all comes together.
I really feel like people complaining about the ending of Dread "not making any sense" really just don't get why the ending of Super Metroid is so good. It's like the perfect modern day twist on it! I loved it!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame You can leave a story open-ended without excluding detrimental information to understand the current story. At least, this is one of my criticisms on the ending.
A detail I find REALLY cool that I never see people point out: While Samus gets brand new Aeon abilities in Metroid Dread, Raven Beak seems to be repping the Aeon abilities from Samus Returns. His whole fist phase gimmick is the Lightning Armor, we're draining his Aeon in order to hit him directly. Second phase, while he's flying, he uses the Beam Burst to fire those gatling gun-like shots. It can be inferred that his zipping around isn't necessarily him just using Phase Shift, but Phase Drift! Especially those attacks where he attacks from corner-to-corner, I think he's actually slowing down time on his end, we're just seeing what Phase Drift looks like when it's used against us. So not only do we finally get to fight a Chozo, we're seeing the intended full function of the Varia Suit in combat AND technically getting to fight our own Samus Returns loadout. Without cheaply making us fight the SA-X again, we still get the satisfaction of fighting one of Samus's previous powersets. Probably my favorite boss in the series, full stop.
@wesreleases6346 Literally just finished dread on hard mode an hour ago. The weird thing is, I legitimately had more issues with the twin chozo robot fights than against him. He's an awesome fight, he just actually gives you time to react to his moves and doesn't have a counterable move and one that your only option to dodge with the same startup animation... Also his attacks don't drain you of half your life it they hit, on top of having a second boss in the room.
@@the_last_balladI agree, those stupid robots gave me way more trouble than any of the bosses, on hard mode especially. Though as soon as you get storm missile you don’t even have to counter them and can just avoid them. Making them a joke as long as you keep your distance.
I'm always so astounded by the quality and comprehensiveness of your videos. The scripting, the editing, your voice and delivery. You must work incredibly hard to make these videos happen and I'm so grateful for it. It might take me several days to get to the end of this video but I know I'll enjoy every second!
Honestly this one was a huge slog to put together! Almost three months of playing, recording, research and writing - then two weeks of 16 hour days editing. Also had to suffer through covid which made the whole thing even worse! Safe to say I'm very glad it's now out!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame your dedication really shows, but I hope you don't overwork yourself. As you touch on in the Metroid Prime section, even when the end result is great it's not worth the human cost of crunch. Same applies here, make sure you've got room to breathe!
Your commentary on Tanabe was a clear, structured throughline in Metroid's decline and fall. I actually lol'd at Federation Force being pinned on "the unknowable mind of Tanabe." As always, great video!
I'm so thankful to learn the names behind some of these incredible franchises. It's easily the best part of all of your work in my opinion. The individuals that helped create these stories and franchises should be not be forgotten
I always think it's really important to make sure they get mentioned! People like Kiyotake, Abe, Pacini and Marquez are all such talented directors but you'd only think Sakamoto was responsible for the entire series!
I appreciate that you're actually willing to say "Yes there are redeeming qualities, but Metroid M is a bad installment and game." FAR too many video essayists pussyfoot around actually having a substantial opinion on something, and coming genuine conclusions other than "Yes it has bad things but it also has good things too". Not everything is underrated or overhated. Some things are just bad.
@@lemonov3031 I don't know "aww, my father figure could have chosen to sit there and let me die, but instead, after several minutes of me being shot at like a fish in a barrel, he let me use weapons I had on me this entire time! He really does care 🥰" is really bad writing for someone whose body count can be expressed in "# of genocides committed" Father figure or no, that should be a solid "WTF was that? I was in danger and you were preventing me from defending myself"
@@the_last_ballad You misinterpreted it, lol. Samus didn't use it not because she obeyed, but as an act of defiance: Adam told her not to visit areas where it's dangerous without permission, but she went and did it anyway. Then he authorized her to use Varia suit so she won't kill herself in her act of defiance. Good to know that more than a decade later, people are still media illiterate. Makes me feel smart.
Thank you for some information about this game that I can spring on my daughter who is obsessed with it that will make me even more awesome in her eyes😂
Sorry for bad english (no native). I was recomended by a friend because im a Castlevania maniac. When i entered in your channel and see the lenght of the videos i said "Its so long must be boring". Watch all Castlevania and in my option is the best castlevania video i ever seen. After Castlevania e see the Metroid (bigger) and watched even i not a big fan of the series. It has perfect. Not boring, very informative, well passed, well written and made with love. I subscribe and now this is my favorite channel about games in YT. Gonna watch all your videos and i hope you continued with this marvelous work. Maybe a Zelda retrospective one day? Big hug from Brazil
Your english is fantastic don't worry about it at all. I'm really pleased you enjoyed this video and it went against your expectations! Hope you enjoy my others! As for Zelda - maybe one day! I'd absolutely have to break it up into sections else I might go crazy!
This may sound like a weird compliment, but your editing was fantastic. So many videos say one thing while the visuals don’t match at all. Thank you for saying mario and showing mario on screen, sooo many get this simple thing wrong.
That's really nice to hear as I think that's my worst element! I am completely self taught and only as of about two years ago so I'm constantly learning how things work!
This is SO true. Nothing ticks me off more than a youtuber using colorful language to describe a “type of game”, yet the gameplay on screen is a completely unrelated game that has been playing for the last 2 and a half uninterrupted minutes
For the first time, I was able to start playing through the games for the first time in preparation for the new series. I'm about finished with Dread for the 2D games, and Metroid Prime has been a blast. Keep up the good work, man, you're one of the best retrospective writers around. Between you and Noah Gervais, there's no shortage of awesome historical deep dives to dig in to.
That's absolutely awesome to hear. Which have been your favourites? And that's very kind. Noah was a big inspiration so it's nice to be mentioned in the same breath!
I actually loved dread. I don’t often make it to the end of videogames, but I really enjoyed the gameplay loop. Till the final boss, thought he was absolutely brutal, but overall a fun new way to do the 2D. I think they did another 2d before it right? I may need to go back and look at that one. Edit: I’m an idiot I could have just looked further into the video. It’s samus returns
Gosh I remember your Castlevania retrospective from last year. What a dang masterpiece. I'm so glad you're getting to the other half of Metroidvania now!! Love your stuff man!!
Thanks so much! I knew the moment I released that video that I also wanted to cover Metroid so it's nice to "close the circle". Now I just have to get together the time for a non-Metroid/Castlevania Metroidvania video!
Oh it's really crazy. While Miyamoto was making sure the consoles were being used to their maximum potential - Yokoi was just allowing anyone and everyone to spend the departments money! And it somehow worked!
That kind of risk is what's missing in modern gaming... but then again, the amount of money involved in AAA game development is staggering. It's the same reason Hollywood also rarely takes risks anymore. They only invest in projects that the suits deem "safe", creativity be damned.
Unfortunately it's all down to cost. Games are eye wateringly expensive now so those with the purse strings don't want to risk funneling it into a flop! Sadly that also means it's harder than ever to get a mid sized studio off the ground - luckily the indie scene is beginning to move into full 3D projects so hopefully that will offset things moving forwards!
Just wanted to say I scrolled down to see how serious you were about replying to comments and clearly it’s not an empty gesture. I’m sure part of that comes from real passion for the subject, but another part is a respect for your viewers that really comes across. Brands, businesses and content creators spend countless hours and dollars trying to figure out how to manufacture the rapport that creates. You’re out here doing it for real. That alone makes me sure that your content is and will continue to be high quality (though your previous catalogue already assured me of that) and that success on this or any platform is virtually guaranteed.
Thanks so much! Yeah it's a bit weird because it's just something I started doing in the early days of the channel and have kept up! It's really not all that hard when you just sit down with a coffee and some music and chat to people who enjoyed your work - really it's pretty nice! Hopefully I can keep it up for awhile yet!
You know, I love it when I'm doing work around the house and can't figure out just what it is that I'm going to watch for a longer stretch. Over and over again, I find myself circling back to your lengthy retrospectives as a kind of background-noise while I get things done, so it was an absolute delight to see this video updated less than an hour ago.
You are without a doubt one of the best channels on RUclips. The effort and detail put into videos like this one is second to none and deserves every single second I and everyone else puts into watching them. Please continue the amazing work and I look forward to watching the Metroid retrospective many times over as I have your previous works!
That's so kind of you to say. I've been feeling a lot of anxiety around this release so it's really nice to hear such kind words about my work. Hope you enjoyed this one!
It's amazingly ambitious considering it came out in 1986 but I do think it's a bit of a tough sell these days. Fan mods that include an in game map make it really really enjoyable though
@@niallreid7664 it is. Just not openly, to avoid another one. It is also a fan team of the mod working on it. Then again, it is on the internet. You could find it, if you look for it.
I did the same thing last spring! Played a hack that restores color and I had a blast👍 I've always been enamored with Metroid II, but have found it to be a somewhat unnapproacheable game, but I find myself gaining more and more appreciation for the original. Color helped tho, undeniably so😂
Whatever the current generation says about Metroid 1....As a kid playing it was one of the most unique and lasting gaming experiences I have had. It was magical and left a deep impression on me. It imprinted a love for Metroidvanias for life. In my 40's now.
Totally agree. It sucked you in....And the music was so ominous and fitting....As a kid I was nervous as hell playing it and I felt sucked in completely. @@jarlwhiterun7478
Ah I'm so jealous you got that experience. Metroid Prime was my first and Super Metroid quickly after that - I'd have loved to experience the first as it came out without any prior ideas of the series!
It's really indescribable. Never had any experience like that ever again. I will never forget that journey through Metroid one as a kid. Literally, magical. @@IFinishedAVideoGame
Oh it was only about three months solid of my life and then two weeks of 16 hour days editing. Nothing much really (I wanted to die) As for the flub - it's a reference to a mistake in the Castlevania video! I think I'm gonna start putting it in every video haha
@@IFinishedAVideoGame Well, your work gained a new subscriber! Keep up the awesome work man, I look forward to watching more from you and noticing those little references lol.
1:00:50 something that wasn't mentioned here (it could be mentioned in the next couple of minutes) is that the super missles do dmg equal to 5 regular missles, and when below 40 HP you can use the power bombs to do what's called a 'crystal flash' to recover a good chunk of HP. I forgot the buttons you need to hold down to do a CF, but it's like 90% of the buttons lol. all of this on top of opening different colored doors :)
You also need to watch the opening sequence past the title screen in SM, as it covers how to use the power bomb to open access to Maridia, same with Crystal Flash. Mind you that is not as good as a manual explaining these, but that is how they did things in the 90s for lots of games, as even space in the manual was a premium.@@IFinishedAVideoGame
5:32:35 - I definitely dread those things. I have to admit I still have not finished Dread. Part of it was I'd dedicated to streaming it, but the other part is I stopped right outside of the purple one, E.M.M.I.-06WB and every time I start to think about playing the first thing I think is, "Oh god, I've gotta start by going through the EMMI zone again." I don't know why I'm so freaked out. The checkpoints are generous. I will lose almost 0 progress if I die. But the damn things just stress me out so much everytime I'm in their area. DX And I've loved all my sessions playing it. but clearly these sections really bother me if I'd rather keep procrastinating about finishing the game rather than dealing with one again.
This and the Castlevania retrospective are two of my absolute favorites videos within the last few years of anything I've seen on RUclips. Keep up the great content.....and if you ever do a Resident Evil retrospective my brain might explode lol.
I'd love to do a Resident Evil video but they release them so damn quickly! Anything would be out of date within just a few months! Maybe one day if they take a little break I'll finally get my chance to talk about how much I like Resi Zero
I still think most of the criticisms I've seen of the Ridley scene in Other M are a bit on the harsh side. The PTSD reaction didn't feel too out of place because Other M happens right after Samus blows up Zebes, which effectively kills Ridley for good. The horror that has been following her for her whole life is finally put down, but I think seeing him reappear yet again after a definitive killing blow would've shaken anyone. That being said, the *severity* of her reaction was way over the top.
I perfectly respect if it works for you but for me it's all just a bit absurd. By this point she's fought Ridley five times (twice in the manga, once in NES, twice in Super Metroid) so to have this sort of reaction at his sudden appearance seems extreme. Like I said - the core idea of her having this response isn't the issue - it's the severity and it's place in the timeline. When it happened in the manga it was a really cool twist!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame Taking into account the ending of Samus Returns, and the idea that the Prime Trilogy happens between Metroids 1 and 2, it could be argued that Samus has fought Ridley an additional four times before Other M! While I understand the “he’s finally dead and that’s why she’s freaking out” explanation, I do agree it doesn’t exactly make sense when Other M is the *tenth time* she has had to fight some form of Ridley. I feel like her freak out would have made more sense if it wasn’t out of fear so much as in some sort of rage, as if she were to demand “Why won’t you just die and stay dead already?!” It would certainly coincide with her outburst in Dread.
Isn't her reaction reasonable because Ridely is actually dead this time? She is facing a clone of Ridley, so effectively its a ghost that is still haunting her.
FANTASTIC WORK! This was a wonderful retrospective. I feel like any company other than Nintendo would have given up on Samus. Dread is a phenomenal game, and I felt such an accomplishment when I finally beat Raven Beak! Prime Remastered is great Can’t wait for Prime 4 and the follow up to Dread!
After watching this video over the past couple of days its insane to look back at Metroid as a series and the journey its had. Hopefully one day it can break out more into the main stream media and truly be one of the best.
Okay, let me just acknowledge and commend the monumental achievement that is this video🤯 It's magnificently well put together, and I loved every second of it❤
On Fusion - so many people miss the fact that the X slowly *learn*. When you first encountered the ice X, they aggressively attack Samus. Once a few get absorbed, the rest of the ice X flee from her. It's a hive mind that can process cause and effect.
The quality of your videos are phenomenal and you should be extremely proud of your work. After watching all of them at least once fully, they turn into a playlist of sleep aid material for me. The cadence of your voice is perfect for the content and there is nothing better than nerding out listening and drifting to sleep. Please keep them coming!
Metroid Prime and subsequently Fusion were my first entries in the series, and I hadn't even asked for Prime. I got it along with a Gamecube and a few other games for Christmas one year, and was surprised but gave it a try anyway. I ended up playing it nigh exclusively for quite a long time and became a huge fan of the series as a result. This retrospective will bring back a lot of nostalgia, and I'm glad you took the time to finally cover this series. ^_^
I played Metroid Hunter's online multiplayer back when it released, and it was _fantastic_ ...is what I want to say. It was legitimately one of the most fun I've had in a multiplayer FPS, but there were two massive issues that utterly ruined it. First off, the game came out right when piracy was first hitting the system. So within 2-3 weeks the online modes were filled with cheaters, and the game had no way to mitigate this. No banning methods, no block list, no patches, no cheat detection, nothing. Second, the game is really _really_ hard on your wrist. The single player mode had one good piece of level design, and that was spacing out encounters just enough to let your wrist relax between fights. In a hectic multiplayer match there's no breathing room, so I'd frequently have to stop playing after a single round if it was a particularly long and intense fight. But yeah the controls were brilliant and it's a shame that the DS/3DS had so few games that used the touchscreen for FPS controls.
That's an amazing point about the spacing of fights in the single player reducing the strain on your wrist. I wish I'd mentioned that because you're so correct - that control scheme only works because you do get moments to rest!
I would still like to give it a whirl using the thumb/wrist strap. Seems like that accessory was made for Hunters and would cause a lot less strain on the wrists. Strange how it was included with the demo and then dropped. The secret to playing with stylus was to stay relaxed and not stiffen up to avoid wrist strain. Easier said than done in such a high intensity game. Hunters for me was quite an amazing game; a sort of Quake Arena-like on a handheld with super fluid controls. Never expected to see this or think it could've been done. With the different Hunters and their abilities, it made for quite a unique game and I thoroughly enjoyed it's online and local multiplayer while it lasted. It can still be played online today through a player-run alternative online service, but I haven't looked into it and expect active player count must be really low. Nice though the possibility is still there. As fun and memorable as Hunters was, I get burned out on super intense competitive multiplayer. While I ignored Federation Force on release because gyro seemed like such a massive downgrade from Hunters' touch screen controls, I recently acquired it to give coop multiplayer a go. A good coop experience can be quite fun and satisfying, and more relaxed compared to cut-throat competitive multiplayer.
Insanely well put together. I thought to use the video as 2nd monitor content while playing other games but it quickly moved to any time slots where I only watched the video. Superb and an inspiration to all us other video creators out there.
Given what Mercurysteam did, I fully trust them with a Metroid Fusion remake, as their mechanical and environmental art style is literally perfect for the BSL
I wish nintendo hire a better team to make a real good metroid game, not a dark souls style metroid game, but dark souls style games are popular, so, mercury will continue.
@@Leee275 Hollow knight is a souls game, and metroid dread and samus returns remake grab elements and mechanics of a soulsgame (mandatory counters, super low damage weapons and super low defense for the character) I want a normal metroid, not a soul-like metroid, and mercury loves soulslike mechanics, they only do soulslike metroid.
About half an hour in and another fantastic video. Your Castlevania video brought me to your channel initially and you are still doing fantastic work. You deserve a million+ subs like right now.
Thanks my friend! Well I've gained almost 100k this year so it feels like things are growing pretty quickly - especially considering my release schedule and format are pretty much the anti-RUclips!
I'm only halfway through my personal playthrough of this series. I'm excited to regularly check in with this over the next few months while I complete the rest of the games. I always love to hear your thoughts and your coverage on the context of a game's release!
That's really cool to hear you're going to do that! You'll have to update the comment with your thoughts as I'm interested to see if they deviate from mine!
I'd argue Outer Wilds is absolutely descendant from Metroid's influence. It's a pure exploration game, with no combat, but with a deep mystery and incredible world building. Instead of tools and weapon upgrades gating an otherwise open world, you progress by gaining understanding and skill. And the gameplay loop of trying something, dying, learning how the world works, figuring out the connections between things, it's absolutely amazing.
I kinda see that but I think Metroid has a really big focus on unlocking player "moves" that expand the world rather than just gating it based on knowledge. I'd almost saw that Outer Wilds is more akin to something like Myst which really can be pretty short if you know exactly what you're doing!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame That's true, it has pretty much no replayability because of that. Once you know, you know. But I think that's what's remarkable, they are such completely different games at their core, but the feeling of exploration and isolation and mystery is so similar. You could be right, though Myst has just straight up logic puzzles, you can't really wing it or figure out your own solution to things. I think that's the difference for me. But maybe I'm crazy lol
My man with the multi hour long review of one of the best franchises from my youth. Been waiting for it, and though I’m just getting started, I know it won’t disappoint
This a great deep dive into the franchise, and I enjoyed every bit of your research, lore, and presentation. I will say that I am one of those motion control detractors, but maybe not for the same reason as others. I'm left-handed, and until the Wii, this was never any kind of barrier to gaming. But I really struggled with Prime 3 and the Trilogy package. I think they're great titles, but my clumsy right hand really struggles to aim well, so I actually found the reworked Prime 1 and 2 to be more difficult than the originals. Switching the Wiimote and Nunchuck to the opposite hands just felt really awkward and also led to moments of bad motion detection. These factors are the reason I was never able to finish Skyward Sword either.
Oh god I've never thought about how hard a Wii would be to play left handed but it would really mess up so many games as they are so aligned towards the right!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame the ds had a lot of similar issues, as a south paw myself, anything that requires you to do anything other than play the game with a controller is a daunting and often game ruining prospect. I have particularly poor motor control in my right hand and have tremors that make the wii and ds deeply disappointing to play. so many games that are basically unplayable
You mentioned that Zero Mission's controlled structure didn't lend itself well to being played through quickly, I vehemently disagree with his. I'm going to assume you are unaware of this but the overwhelming majority of the guiding chozo statues can be skipped and it's possible to get some upgrades far earlier by using secret passage ways and well placed manoeuvres. Zero Mission is a game full of potential sequence breaks that allow you to snap the game in half and finish it in under an hour, I've done this dozens of times, it's one of the most fun and repayable games I've ever played. None of this requires glitches or extreme exploits either, it's all completely intentional by the developers and I find it to be ingenious design, first time players will be guided along whilst veteran players are free to break the games sequences as they please.
8:40 I don’t care what some critics say, today. The first Metroid is iconic and is every bit as amazing, now, as it was in the past. The music, the design, the sparse nature of the game, all make it an indelible classic.
I don't disagree with that praise but it is a tough recommendation to make! The health system is brutal and I do think it works against the exploratory nature of the rest of the game!
Metroid, series where sales were never good enough. Even after getting praise from everyone. Except finally with Dread, its a miracle the series has survived for so long.
I plated metroid 1&2 on nes and gameboy new. Kicked my butt. But still a fan beat prime super etc. CANNOT wait 4 prime 4. Dredd was ok the addition of robots eh
The failure of Other M is especially sad to me. The Prime series and older 2D games handle storytelling in their own way, but I'm a big fan of personal character investment. We had a chance to really step inside her suit in a meaningful way, but it didn't land. Dread was an amazing experience; I don't think I'd change it. But what I want more than that is another chance at what Other M tried to do.
Yeah it's a real shame that Other M panned out the way it did. I think it's core ideas are perfectly fine - it just needed to be executed at a WAY higher level
Anyone who thinks the first nes metroid is better than Zero Mission is seriously coping so that someone can watch their speedrun. The fact that Zero Mission comes with the original makes it the overall better package regardless.
@@IFinishedAVideoGame i feel that. Been trying to recapture nostalgia and emulators just dont cut it. Been meaning to buy a CRT just to get in that mood. If it’s an aesthetic preference , then I get it. If we are going to compare mechanical experience though, then I truly believe Zero Mission is objectively a deeper and more engaging experience. Then again I had fun with Other M’s gameplay while laughing at the cutscenes so my taste is probably bad. Love your videos btw, thanks for being active with your comments.
Can't wait to watch this in parts! Your narration really does remind me of TV shows and radio shows in the best way possible. Hope you have a peaceful and relaxing rest of the year.
Thanks! I was really self concious of my voice before I began on RUclips so it's been really nice to hear people enjoy it! Hope you have a great rest of the year too!
I'm surprised you didn't mention the incredibly difficult wall jumping mechanic in Super Metroid. I used to hate how difficult it was but now I understand it was a brilliant way to keep players from using it too much to their advantage. I mean you can get to some cool areas and items with it.
I did originally have it in the script but it cut it for time! It is kinda bullshit isn't it - especially with how smooth that move becomes in later games!
I think it has to do with the unintuitive timing. Once you realize there is a slight delay between pressing away from the wall and pressing jump, it doesn't take long to hit the sweet spot almost every time. It wasn't until many years later, after I could do things like get Varia right after bombs in ZM with ease that I revisited Super Metroid to try to learn some of its advanced tricks like the mockball and the wall jump.
@@IFinishedAVideoGameI assume they deliberately made it awkward to make it something you were unlikely to find by accident. I honestly really liked the revelation that you had several of these abilities at the start but just didn’t know it. Then in places you’re almost guaranteed to find the game will force you to learn the mechanic. It ends up making the linear early game a decent bit less linear on repeat playthroughs. I also think they intentionally made the wall jump and honestly many other exploitable mechanics difficult to avoid making it too easy to sequence break the game. I also do think that they definitely intended for it to be an option to let the player when lost either search the map or use the mechanics cleverly to sequence break. That may be projecting though as I personally sequence broke when getting lost on my blind playthrough playing super Metroid as well as almost all future metroidvainas. As much as the sequence breaking is intended I’m really not sure how much it’s expected on first playthrough.
dread is sop punishing the first time through. But after playing a few times it really rewards you learning how to play. The game is incredibly "easy" once you know how to play. sub 3 hours, no deaths is accessible for anyone who puts in the time to learn and master the game. Rookie mode was a good decision though. I especially like how even rookie demands you learn, just making regenerating from mistakes less punishing.
Man, what a video. Huge props to the objectivity, breadth of information and entertainment value stuffed into a "mere" six hours, this is like a compilation of everything you‘d ever want to know about the history of Metroid, albeit the game series, not the world of the series (though there’s plenty of that in here as well). Thank you for making this!
Thanks so much! I really do try to be as comprehensive as possible so you can go from nothing to a Metroid fanboy in just six hours! Really pleased you enjoyed it and thanks for commenting!
Aside one or two facts, I heard everything there is to hear about this series, and yet I never get tired of it, that’s how good Metroid is. Great video, it was a very entertaining watch 👍
Thank you for this video, I’ve watched it for the past couple of days and as a huge Metroid fan seeing the love put in this retrospective is very nice :)
The Samus scene in ridley's fight in other M must have been a recall to the metroid manga for zero mission. Also, I bet that if other M would have released in these times, the epilog would have been DLC 😂
The fact that discussing Metroid’s evolution/lifetime and history almost necessitates bringing up AM2R is a testament to just how good of a project Guasti and the others put out, and how it may have helped to revive or create new interest in the series. What a loss not to involve him with the series moving forward.
I love Metroid Zero Mission so much. I don't think I've beaten and replayed a game so many times in a row. I think it perfects the controls and style of 2D Metroid so well. Between Zero Mission and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, 2D platformers on the GBA had some amazing games that still stand the test of time!
I think it's easily the strongest genre on the platform! To get Fusion, Zero Mission and Aria - all of which are arguably the three best games in that style - within a few years of each other is insane!
@@IFinishedAVideoGameI love seeing Fusion get love. As far as GBA platformers, I'd add the Mega Man Zero games. Similar to Fusion and Zero mission, they flow much better and have much tighter, more intuitive controls than their SNES predecessors. Hint hint wink wink 12 hour Mega Man video? 😂
You know I'd love to make a MegaMan video. I've played the main games quite a few times but have actually NEVER played any of the X, Zero or Battle Network games!
As crazy as it sounds, I've never played a Metroid game before, but that makes me want to watch this even more as I get to experience the whole series by your amazing retrospective! Let's goo!
Same but I have seen walk-throughs of metriod prime and metroid dread so I have kinda experienced those two , other than that nope I haven't played any of the games
I really hope it inspires you to check some out! You can play a lot of them through emulation and they are really very unique games unlike anything else on the market!
Metroid is my favorite franchise ever. I've grown up with this series. I remember as a child, I use to have recurring nightmares about the SA-X appearing in my bedroom and I could never finish the game until I was a teenager. This series means so much to me, so I really want you to take it to heart when I tell you that this is by far the best retrospective of the series I've ever watched. I'd even go as far as to say that your writing is some of the best on this platform. This is the first time in almost 20 years that I've watched a 6 hour long video. Absolutely fantastic work! This was a JOY to watch and listen to!
I have this far off dream of one day putting together an animated adaptation of Samus's backstory as seen in the manga, with all of its brutality given full weight, with changes made to enhance it even further. (And make it fully canon friendly) I imagine scenes like Samus walking through the corpse yard of her former home with a hollow empty expression, following its destruction, Old Bird and Grey Voice, upon seeing her, _realizing_ what true horror this young girl had became the central perspective of, _knowing_ they were responsible for leading the Space Pirates there in the first place, can't help but emote utter horror and _guilt_ upon _their_ faces. And of course, Ridley would be given all the terror he deserves, his despicable sadistic form of joy he derives from anything, at any opportunity, would rely upon finding just the right voice actor capable of doing it all justice. The most major change I would make would be cutting the ending, where you get a flash forward to an adult bounty hunter Samus and a brief telling of her "Zero Mission", since that whole section is just a glorified ad for said game. What I'd replace it with is a flash forward to just over a month later, with Samus continuing to serve under Adam and the Federation. As this final chapter progresses, fans will be able to realize what this all is. It's the day Adam let his brother die. Just a month after Samus had to watch Grey Voice sacrifice himself to save countless others, she's subjected to a contorted perversion of that sacrifice, wherein the martyr has no idea they're about to die, isn't even given the choice to give themselves up, because they have no idea that's what they're doing. All under the authority of a man she trusts, whom she would expect would have the human decency to tell his own brother he's saving lives at the cost of his own. Samus was taught the ways of a warrior by the Chozo, and Ian Malkovich _did not_ die a warrior's death. After this, this moment, this is what turns Samus into a woman of few words, words did nothing as she begged to be put to action, from this point on, actions will be all she is. She makes the expected choice, and leaves without a word, with no one even seeing her leave. Adam, upon realizing her decision, thinks back to something Grey Voice explained to him: "Her service within your military is part of her training, she needs to learn all she can about her own people AND this galaxy's conflicts, and once that purpose is fulfilled, after she's learned everything she can from you, she'll move on to what's next." Cue the credits sequence, blasting that uplifting classic Brinstar Theme we all know, while giving the viewer visuals that represent just that: _What Came Next_
Metroid and to a greater extent Super Metroid are two of my absolute favourite games of all time, the atmosphere in especially Super Metroid is second to none, which makes it weird that I have never played any Metroid game after Super Metroid. I plan on playing Metroid Dread in the near future, so I'll probably not watch that part until after :) I've been meaning to give Metroid Prime a try, but at this point it's been so long I'll probably not get around to it, might as well watch your take on it instead :) Really looking forward to this, will be interesting to see what I've been missing all these years.
I'm sure you'll enjoy both Dread and Prime! The former takes the building blocks and turns it into a breakneck action game and the latter is a full realisation of Super's ideas in 3D!
I absolutely adore your channel and gotta point out how much having these long form videos is not only entertaining and informative but having a whole series be contained in a single retrospective you get an idea for its progression in both a granular AND a wide view. Much appreciation for all the work that goes into these.
Absolutely! I think what sets my channel apart is that everything is contained in a single video and that makes it a lot easier to digest! I'd absolutely hate to have 100+ videos and have this be split over a bunch of different uploads!
If you're desperate for more LENGTHY video CONTENT - you're in luck. I've just posted a new video covering the entire ONIMUSHA SERIES. It's a lengthy exploration of one of the great lost franchises and how it almost destroyed the company that made it. Enjoy! - ruclips.net/video/6zI6lW3BjZ4/видео.htmlsi
Thank you !! I have gotten obsessed with this channel and none of the videos are disappointing
Wasnt there also a retrospective of the Tomb Raider Series , i wanted to rewatch it but i dont seem able to find it .
That's because I haven't made one! Maybe it was by someone else?
That's really kind to say. I was quite worried about this one for quite awhile but it's nice to see people are enjoying it
Although it is rapidly becoming common parlance here on RUclips, "funnily enough" is one of those expressions which is... Imprecise. Things aren't "funnily enough", because things aren't "funnily". Things are just funny, or funny enough.
Please help stop the spread of this madness.
When I see a documentary-styled video that is 1+ hours long, I hope to see no unnecessary filler and this fantastic video does not waste your time. Every moment is meaningful and informative. Glad to see more videos bringing to light Metroid’s legacy.
Thanks my friend. I spend so many hours drafting and redrafting trying to make sure that the script is tight and doesn't have much nonsense bulking it out. It can be easy for people to presume that given the runtime but I really try my best to avoid it!
Back when I was a tiny child, I'd watch my dad play LoZ, Metroid etc. When super Metroid came out, my dad was stuck on Kraid. It was the first time he handed me the controller and was like "you try." I remember beating him on the first try and my dad never questioned anytime I wanted to buy a new video game. He knew his daughter was a serious gamer and even though I'm almost 40, he bought me Metroid Dread, LoZ: TotK, and SMB Wonder.
Super Metroid will always just have that special place in my heart and I'm so glad I found this video to see the evolution of the games from then to now. Time to binge the rest of your videos!
That's really awesome! I'm always so jealous of people that have nice video game memories with their parents!
Damn that almost 40 hit me hard
Your dad must've been proud! I wish I get to live that with my own someday.
@@assaf_jerry tears of the kingdom for switch
@@assaf_jerry rly?
The biggest takeaway from this review is that Kensuke Tanabe is just like Ridley: He never fails to return and wreak havoc.
I really wanted to put a bit in at the end of Fed Force to make sure that he didn't seem completely awful but the more I looked into his career the worse it got! The man basically ruined Paper Mario too!
A part of me thinks that Federation Force's concept could have worked as a sort of PvE mode for an existing game that had a more serious art style but, yeah, everything about it just ended up being tone-deaf and underdelivered. Oh, and also the mech idea is kind of dumb, would have been better to just present it as reverse-engineered power armor.
Also it probably would have been better on a console other than the 3DS, but at the time that would have been the WiiU, so a bit of a lose-lose situation there.
He was involved with all 3 games from the main trilogy as a Producer, Federation Force - a spin off - failed because of its timing's announcement, not because of its quality.
Also he's involved with Prime 4 as a Producer again whether you like it or not, and if the Prime Remaster is anything to go by, I find it hard to believe he has forgotten what makes the Prime series so special.
As for Paper Mario, I also find it hard to believe it is all on him, when there are interviews mentioning how there are restrictions put on the IP, and if M&L Paper Jam is anything to go by, it seems those restrictions might be true. I mean heck, Luigi's Mansion 3 - a very recent game - was mentioned in this video and he was also involved in that game as Producer, it's pretty much obvious he still has a great track record. The less well received games that he has worked on simply receive more attention because that's just how the internet is, negativity gets clicks.
@@IFinishedAVideoGame That's a complete mispresentation. Interviews with actual devs show something completely different, but good to know not to waste 6 hours on someone painting a target on a dev. Gross and toxic.
@@NuiYabuko lol what, everything ive seen from former retro employees and ninja theory employees backs up this video. you a nintendo shill? they still hate you like they hate all their fans
I find it amaizing how a franchise like Metroid can be such an important landmark on videogame history, influencing so much of the industry, and yet also be kinda niche, never reaching Mario and Zelda heights.
It's the great Nintendo contradiction!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame watching this video and reading this comment chain, ive realized a lot of things i like are contradictory or broken. Metroid is one of my favorite game series, the spinosaurus is my favorite dinosaur even though scientists cant figure out how they worked, and in warhammer 40k my favorite faction is the alpha legion which due to the way they work in the story don't work super well in the tabletop war game because they're more fond of subterfuge and clandestine work over open warfare.
I played Metroid 2 when I was 10 years old back in 1991. I love that game, a couple years ago I found the cartridge in my parents basement. I had never finished the game because I got stuck because there was no internet. I fired up the game, and my game save was still there. I am happy to say I successfully completed the game 32 years later
That's really cool. Did you enjoy it in exactly the same way or did you approach it with a new perspective?
but metroid 2 came out in 1991
@@Melkac close enough. I edited it
@@IFinishedAVideoGame I can appreciate the game in a different way. But I can't really remember what I was thinking when I was a kid. It was very satisfying to finish it, so cool that my game save was still there for 30 years on that little battery
@@zg-it Get one of those devices to back up the save into a PC.
Something I really respect about these videos is how seriously they take every game they talk about, even something like Metroid pinball, which helped me understand it better and see why it’s an interesting part of the series
The reality is that even the most stupid and misguided game you can think of was still worked on by someone as their job and presumably intended to be good! I feel like if you take this approach you can really start to work out why certain games go so wrong beyond just "this game is terrible"!
Nobody intends to make something bad!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame Even ET was made to be at least functional, according to the developer.
@@IFinishedAVideoGame that's something lacking in a lot of media criticism today. There's a million RUclipsrs who'll spend 20min saying "this sucks because it's lame" refusing to even attempt to explain how or why certain things work within the thing they're talking about. Like, isn't that the whole point of why we're here? To talk about the things we care about? All a long way of saying: great video lol
1:07:02 The frame where Samus looks up at The Baby attack Mother Brain so as to save her life is such elegant storytelling. Samus, who has with singular focus, traversed an entire hostile alien planet, now finds herself distracted for the first time. She performs a subtle movement completely outside of the control of the player. She sees her Baby save her. We, the player, do not look up. She does. It’s love, fear, appreciation, and awe all in the reorganization of a few pixels.
It's beautiful non verbal storytelling. Something that really was mastered during the 2D era!
Just wanted to say, I’ve been consuming RUclips video game essays for years now. Nobody else comes close to your objectivity and completeness of covering any one game let alone a franchise. So on behalf of everyone interested in game preservation and/or history, thank you sir. You deserve substantially more views and subscribers.
Thanks so much my friend. Honestly I just think of myself as someone who really enjoys telling stories about video games! The videos aren't meant to be too intellectual or deep - just a cool tale about something interesting! Thanks for your kind words and I hope you enjoyed the video!
Its the love of the story and the storyteller. Danclark nailed this comment. completely agree.
One of the best creators on YT... in my opinion.
Yeah, I couldn’t agree with you more.
*Noah Caldwell Gervais entered the chat*
Jks but really he’s in a similar vein as this. Both this work and Noah’s are excellent and insightful deep dive content made with care!
When my dad died a couple years ago, I inherited his truck that I had ridden in many times as a child. I sent it off to a friend to get detailed, and behold, he discovered a copy of Zero Mission under the seat that I had gotten when I was around 10 I’m now 28, but I got to play that long forgotten game. It drips with nostalgia from days of childhood gone by.
That's a really nice thing to hear. I hope playing that was a really nice way to remember your dad and the relationship you had when you were a kid!
Zero Mission is a great game. You should play Fusion, too!
THE METROID PRIME 4 IS REAAAAAAAL
😂 Yes Yes!!!
After skipping Wii U 😢.
But still making Switch release 😊.
CAN WE GET IT MORE HIGHER?
I still maintain that Metroid is the one Nintendo IP with the most potential for a cinematic venture. There’s so much actual continuity to draw from and avenues left unexplored
I'd rather they hand it to Genndy Tartakovsky and tell him to make a dialogue-free miniseries similar to Primal.
@@ClarkKentaiAgreed (also hilarious username). As far as I'm concerned trying to provide to much explanation would be one of the worst choices they could do. There should be lore of course but capturing the feeling of isolation is way more important for it to be Metroid.
A movie with a silent protagonist would be tricky...and we know Samus should remain a silent protagonist.
@@ClarkKentai Samurai Jack style Metroid is exactly the vision I had!
@@FlameOfUdun96that sounds f ing PHENOMENAL
"When Metroid is doing well, so are Nintendo." Very astute observation. Something to pay attention to. Hopefully Nintendo can keep this momentum going.
Yeah I was particularly proud of that line!
VERY excited to watch this!
Same bro
That's so cool to hear! I love your work so it's a real honor!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame Finished it today, was a delight! I didn't even know that Metroid = Metro + Android. That makes so much sense!
I was shocked to find it myself! When you think about it it's such a strange name - especially as it's given to the creatures!
what if i told you that a video game about genocideing an entire race would become popular - long long ago
YES. This is unironically one of my highlights this year. Looked forward to this for months.
Apologies it took so long but I finally got there. Hope it was worth the wait!
all good, but I hope your already working on the next one right now! @@IFinishedAVideoGame
@@IFinishedAVideoGame It's been well worth the wait! Couldn't ask for more!
You greedy gumdrops!
This is the FIRST TIME I've heard about region differences in other M's script I'm shocked.
To be totally clear - it's still a very bad story but I do think it's very worst moments are slightly more palatable in Japanese!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame Dunno, I really enjoyed the Japanese version of the story. It opens up a lot of details about Samus as a character, and is very consistent with the manga and the later Dread portrayal of her.
The gameplay is still pretty damn bad, not arguing with that.
If it's something you're really interested in, take a look at the video "the other m that never was" I think it's called. It breaks down comparisons between the English and Japanese translations and deliveries and shows how it affects the overall plot
Metroid prime was my first GameCube game. To this day it has one of the best soundtracks of any game I've ever played. It gives it such a distinct scifi identity. Each area has such incredible themes, but the main menu music is a banger for all time.
I still regularly listen to the final credits version just for fun. I had a friend who was into EDM who said it would make for a great song to play on the floor.
Oh it's amazing isn't it. I listen to it all the time while working. The fact that they composed ambient versions of the zone themes to compliment the nature of your visit is so damn cool
Tallon Overworld Depths has to be my fav ❤
Metroid Prime will forever be one of my favorite games, right there under Chrono Trigger and DOOM. When the remastered version came out, I picked it up day 1 and was amazed by how faithful it was, and by how much I actually remembered. If we can just get a Chrono Trigger port or remake for the Switch, I can finally have my top five favorite games on one system: Chrono Trigger, DOOM, Metroid Prime, A Link to the Past, and Monster Hunter GU.
Every remake should contain the original. I think this should be an industry standard. The original work should be honored.
Absolutely - I especially love the way in some like Halo 1 remake you can press a button to switch between the two versions. That's such a nifty idea!
Tell that to tlou part 2 remake lol
They actually did that with Diablo 2 you can flip between the new graphics and old with a button press.
Great idea when you're talking about a remake of a game that was 25mb in size. Not a great idea when the original is 25gb in size. Can't always fit that onto one disc or cart.
Great point!
I love Metroid 2. I’ll never forget the dread I felt when I was down to one Metroid, then I went through the tunnel under the egg and the Metroid counter suddenly rolled back up to like 11.
That ending is so beautiful too
I can't believe the level of quality and effort you put into to your videos. I just absolutely love them!
Thanks so much my friend. It's very easy to get sucked up in imposter syndrome so it's really nice to hear people are enjoying my work
Brush that right off, this is quality stuff as mentioned above@@IFinishedAVideoGame
Thank you for calling out the health pools of Ridley and Metroid Prime in Prime one, they feel endless
They are such bullshit!
Am I the only one who didn't mind this? Not once during Metroid Prime boss fight did I feel bored or annoyed by how long it took. Maybe it's because I found the super weapons and maximized their use, but that fight always felt epic to me. I love that fight, and I always play on Hard, where the healthpool is increased.
@@TheDoomKnightI played the Metroid Prime remaster and... yeah, the bosses didn't feel damage spongey to me. This was also that I was fumbling with trying to change visors to see Metroid Prime to hurt her as well.
"Metroid experience is purely single-player and exploration based-"
Tanabe: " *MULTIPLAYER* "
"OR PINBALL, I MEAN, HAVE YOU SEEN SONIC SPINBALL, NOTHING CAN EVER GO WRONG"
God I love Dread's ending. So much room for theorizing in such a short scene. Here's a comment I found on Vinesauce's Dread finale that some of you may find interesting as an alternate theory:
I choose to believe with the very very end with Quiet Robe X that what happened was genuinely like... the X have the ability to think critically and act self-sacrificingly in the name of their greater collective. We saw that in Fusion when they were willing to blow up the BSL Research Ship by overheating the Sector 3 reactor. They also inherit the memories of anything they absorb. That's how they knew how to do the thing with the reactor, that's how more than one can actually use the power suit functionalities stolen from you to be the SA-X and all. So the X that infected Quiet Robe knew everything he had told you earlier, that the Metroids were weapons used by the Thoha clan of Chozo, and that your genetic makeup was the one thing keeping you under control. It knew Quiet Robe was a Thoha. It also absolutely recognized that at this point, you were such a ragingly out-of-control organism that you could literally destroy and absorb X on physical contact with one's stolen shape-- Literally if you just walk into any of the enemies in the escape sequence you just eat them automatically. So at the very end with the Quiet Robe X in your ship, I don't think that was necessarily 'Quiet Robe is so strong and cool that he is the one person who can be sentient as an X'. That flies in the face of everything we know from Fusion. I think, genuinely, that was an X removing the greatest galactic threat to its species, by letting you absorb Quiet Robe's Thoha genes, thus bringing you back to genetic equilibrium, taking your Metroid Suit from you. It was very convenient for Samus, yes, but in the greater scheme of things, this was a very optimistic X thinking 'maybe if I sacrifice myself, there will be other X out there someday that can at least stand a chance against this freak accident of nature'. This ending is so minimalist but it's so fucking cool the way it all comes together.
I really feel like people complaining about the ending of Dread "not making any sense" really just don't get why the ending of Super Metroid is so good. It's like the perfect modern day twist on it! I loved it!
I hope Exelion Star Corp becomes a major human/alien antagonistic structure.
@@IFinishedAVideoGame You can leave a story open-ended without excluding detrimental information to understand the current story. At least, this is one of my criticisms on the ending.
A detail I find REALLY cool that I never see people point out:
While Samus gets brand new Aeon abilities in Metroid Dread, Raven Beak seems to be repping the Aeon abilities from Samus Returns. His whole fist phase gimmick is the Lightning Armor, we're draining his Aeon in order to hit him directly. Second phase, while he's flying, he uses the Beam Burst to fire those gatling gun-like shots. It can be inferred that his zipping around isn't necessarily him just using Phase Shift, but Phase Drift! Especially those attacks where he attacks from corner-to-corner, I think he's actually slowing down time on his end, we're just seeing what Phase Drift looks like when it's used against us. So not only do we finally get to fight a Chozo, we're seeing the intended full function of the Varia Suit in combat AND technically getting to fight our own Samus Returns loadout. Without cheaply making us fight the SA-X again, we still get the satisfaction of fighting one of Samus's previous powersets.
Probably my favorite boss in the series, full stop.
That's a really cool observation! I think you might be spot on!
Damn I never considered this, very cool
Raven Beak is one of the best final bosses I’ve ever seen.
@wesreleases6346 Literally just finished dread on hard mode an hour ago.
The weird thing is, I legitimately had more issues with the twin chozo robot fights than against him.
He's an awesome fight, he just actually gives you time to react to his moves and doesn't have a counterable move and one that your only option to dodge with the same startup animation...
Also his attacks don't drain you of half your life it they hit, on top of having a second boss in the room.
@@the_last_balladI agree, those stupid robots gave me way more trouble than any of the bosses, on hard mode especially. Though as soon as you get storm missile you don’t even have to counter them and can just avoid them. Making them a joke as long as you keep your distance.
Me: oh look he released another retrospective. I'll watch it over the next few days. Also me: watches it in one day. 😂
Haha! So many people comment saying they do this! You crazy people there are chapters for a reason!
@@IFinishedAVideoGameI mean, I do stuff like that cause I work 12 hour shifts and can listen for my whole shift as I work.
I'm always so astounded by the quality and comprehensiveness of your videos. The scripting, the editing, your voice and delivery. You must work incredibly hard to make these videos happen and I'm so grateful for it. It might take me several days to get to the end of this video but I know I'll enjoy every second!
Honestly this one was a huge slog to put together! Almost three months of playing, recording, research and writing - then two weeks of 16 hour days editing. Also had to suffer through covid which made the whole thing even worse!
Safe to say I'm very glad it's now out!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame your dedication really shows, but I hope you don't overwork yourself. As you touch on in the Metroid Prime section, even when the end result is great it's not worth the human cost of crunch. Same applies here, make sure you've got room to breathe!
Your commentary on Tanabe was a clear, structured throughline in Metroid's decline and fall. I actually lol'd at Federation Force being pinned on "the unknowable mind of Tanabe." As always, great video!
I was quite pleased with that line so I'm glad it got some flowers! Thanks for watching!
You my friend, deserve SO much commendation for the effort you put in these videos.
Thank you my friend. I'm so pleased everyone seems to be enjoying this one!
I'm so thankful to learn the names behind some of these incredible franchises. It's easily the best part of all of your work in my opinion. The individuals that helped create these stories and franchises should be not be forgotten
I always think it's really important to make sure they get mentioned! People like Kiyotake, Abe, Pacini and Marquez are all such talented directors but you'd only think Sakamoto was responsible for the entire series!
I appreciate that you're actually willing to say "Yes there are redeeming qualities, but Metroid M is a bad installment and game." FAR too many video essayists pussyfoot around actually having a substantial opinion on something, and coming genuine conclusions other than "Yes it has bad things but it also has good things too". Not everything is underrated or overhated. Some things are just bad.
Eh, I liked it. So it's not just bad, it's your opinion.
True I love seeing these games through a critical lens instead of simply going through the history
@@lemonov3031 I don't know "aww, my father figure could have chosen to sit there and let me die, but instead, after several minutes of me being shot at like a fish in a barrel, he let me use weapons I had on me this entire time! He really does care 🥰" is really bad writing for someone whose body count can be expressed in "# of genocides committed"
Father figure or no, that should be a solid "WTF was that? I was in danger and you were preventing me from defending myself"
@@the_last_ballad You misinterpreted it, lol. Samus didn't use it not because she obeyed, but as an act of defiance: Adam told her not to visit areas where it's dangerous without permission, but she went and did it anyway. Then he authorized her to use Varia suit so she won't kill herself in her act of defiance.
Good to know that more than a decade later, people are still media illiterate. Makes me feel smart.
Fun Fact Phantoon is the soul of the Original Mother Brain.
Damn I've just looked it up and it says so in the Japanese manual! I'll be!
Thank you for some information about this game that I can spring on my daughter who is obsessed with it that will make me even more awesome in her eyes😂
Sorry for bad english (no native). I was recomended by a friend because im a Castlevania maniac. When i entered in your channel and see the lenght of the videos i said "Its so long must be boring". Watch all Castlevania and in my option is the best castlevania video i ever seen. After Castlevania e see the Metroid (bigger) and watched even i not a big fan of the series. It has perfect. Not boring, very informative, well passed, well written and made with love. I subscribe and now this is my favorite channel about games in YT. Gonna watch all your videos and i hope you continued with this marvelous work. Maybe a Zelda retrospective one day? Big hug from Brazil
Your english is fantastic don't worry about it at all. I'm really pleased you enjoyed this video and it went against your expectations!
Hope you enjoy my others! As for Zelda - maybe one day! I'd absolutely have to break it up into sections else I might go crazy!
This may sound like a weird compliment, but your editing was fantastic. So many videos say one thing while the visuals don’t match at all. Thank you for saying mario and showing mario on screen, sooo many get this simple thing wrong.
That's really nice to hear as I think that's my worst element! I am completely self taught and only as of about two years ago so I'm constantly learning how things work!
You're right, it's simple but it's not easy and very time-consuming
Thats that low effort editing (or lack of editing) that consists of putting looping footage and yapping over it. 😂
@@RiqMoranGOD I hate that crap
This is SO true. Nothing ticks me off more than a youtuber using colorful language to describe a “type of game”, yet the gameplay on screen is a completely unrelated game that has been playing for the last 2 and a half uninterrupted minutes
For the first time, I was able to start playing through the games for the first time in preparation for the new series. I'm about finished with Dread for the 2D games, and Metroid Prime has been a blast.
Keep up the good work, man, you're one of the best retrospective writers around. Between you and Noah Gervais, there's no shortage of awesome historical deep dives to dig in to.
That's absolutely awesome to hear. Which have been your favourites?
And that's very kind. Noah was a big inspiration so it's nice to be mentioned in the same breath!
I actually loved dread. I don’t often make it to the end of videogames, but I really enjoyed the gameplay loop. Till the final boss, thought he was absolutely brutal, but overall a fun new way to do the 2D. I think they did another 2d before it right? I may need to go back and look at that one.
Edit: I’m an idiot I could have just looked further into the video. It’s samus returns
Gosh I remember your Castlevania retrospective from last year. What a dang masterpiece. I'm so glad you're getting to the other half of Metroidvania now!! Love your stuff man!!
Thanks so much! I knew the moment I released that video that I also wanted to cover Metroid so it's nice to "close the circle".
Now I just have to get together the time for a non-Metroid/Castlevania Metroidvania video!
@@IFinishedAVideoGamemight I suggest one of the finest examples of modern metroidvania in hollow knight?
Man that development of the first game is insane. I don’t know how Nintendo thrived so much by doing stuff like that.
Oh it's really crazy. While Miyamoto was making sure the consoles were being used to their maximum potential - Yokoi was just allowing anyone and everyone to spend the departments money! And it somehow worked!
That kind of risk is what's missing in modern gaming... but then again, the amount of money involved in AAA game development is staggering. It's the same reason Hollywood also rarely takes risks anymore. They only invest in projects that the suits deem "safe", creativity be damned.
@@IFinishedAVideoGame meanwhile in 2023 no one is willing to take the risk on whether or not that same approach could still work today
Unironically, the good ol' days.
Unfortunately it's all down to cost. Games are eye wateringly expensive now so those with the purse strings don't want to risk funneling it into a flop! Sadly that also means it's harder than ever to get a mid sized studio off the ground - luckily the indie scene is beginning to move into full 3D projects so hopefully that will offset things moving forwards!
it's my sleepover i get to pick the movie.
Cuts to Marcy eagerly watching this as Ann and Sasha sleep.
Amphibia, in case you're wondering what I'm referencing.
Just wanted to say I scrolled down to see how serious you were about replying to comments and clearly it’s not an empty gesture. I’m sure part of that comes from real passion for the subject, but another part is a respect for your viewers that really comes across.
Brands, businesses and content creators spend countless hours and dollars trying to figure out how to manufacture the rapport that creates.
You’re out here doing it for real. That alone makes me sure that your content is and will continue to be high quality (though your previous catalogue already assured me of that) and that success on this or any platform is virtually guaranteed.
Thanks so much! Yeah it's a bit weird because it's just something I started doing in the early days of the channel and have kept up! It's really not all that hard when you just sit down with a coffee and some music and chat to people who enjoyed your work - really it's pretty nice!
Hopefully I can keep it up for awhile yet!
You know, I love it when I'm doing work around the house and can't figure out just what it is that I'm going to watch for a longer stretch. Over and over again, I find myself circling back to your lengthy retrospectives as a kind of background-noise while I get things done, so it was an absolute delight to see this video updated less than an hour ago.
That's really cool to hear. I'm honored to be the go to long form video maker! Hope this one worms it's way into circulation too!
You might also find yourself interested in the more recent works by PandaMonium (reviews every U.S. SEGA Saturn game).
I am subbed and do indeed enjoy his videos!
You are without a doubt one of the best channels on RUclips. The effort and detail put into videos like this one is second to none and deserves every single second I and everyone else puts into watching them. Please continue the amazing work and I look forward to watching the Metroid retrospective many times over as I have your previous works!
That's so kind of you to say. I've been feeling a lot of anxiety around this release so it's really nice to hear such kind words about my work. Hope you enjoyed this one!
a fresh paint of coat
My classic line
I sat down and played the OG Metroid 2 a few months ago and was blown away by how good it was. Especially for its time and hardware
It's amazingly ambitious considering it came out in 1986 but I do think it's a bit of a tough sell these days. Fan mods that include an in game map make it really really enjoyable though
You should play AM2R
@grizzlyhamster is that still going? I thought it got a C&D.
@@niallreid7664 it is. Just not openly, to avoid another one. It is also a fan team of the mod working on it.
Then again, it is on the internet. You could find it, if you look for it.
I did the same thing last spring! Played a hack that restores color and I had a blast👍 I've always been enamored with Metroid II, but have found it to be a somewhat unnapproacheable game, but I find myself gaining more and more appreciation for the original. Color helped tho, undeniably so😂
Whatever the current generation says about Metroid 1....As a kid playing it was one of the most unique and lasting gaming experiences I have had. It was magical and left a deep impression on me. It imprinted a love for Metroidvanias for life. In my 40's now.
Back then it was so atmospheric, you might as well have been in space with Samus. It still has that atmosphere in my opinion
Totally agree. It sucked you in....And the music was so ominous and fitting....As a kid I was nervous as hell playing it and I felt sucked in completely. @@jarlwhiterun7478
Ah I'm so jealous you got that experience. Metroid Prime was my first and Super Metroid quickly after that - I'd have loved to experience the first as it came out without any prior ideas of the series!
It's really indescribable. Never had any experience like that ever again. I will never forget that journey through Metroid one as a kid. Literally, magical. @@IFinishedAVideoGame
Hold onto that! It's the stuff that keeps you in love with this strange medium!
Gotta say, I seldom find videos so long that also contain genuine insight about their subjects like this Metroid Retrospective did. Subscribed.
Thanks very much. Glad I could surprise you!
Can’t even imagine how much research went into this. Super awesome job.
Also 2:17:16 “Fresh paint of coat” 😂
Oh it was only about three months solid of my life and then two weeks of 16 hour days editing. Nothing much really (I wanted to die)
As for the flub - it's a reference to a mistake in the Castlevania video! I think I'm gonna start putting it in every video haha
@@IFinishedAVideoGame Well, your work gained a new subscriber! Keep up the awesome work man, I look forward to watching more from you and noticing those little references lol.
Ha! I believe it was me that caught that one too 😂 happy to see it’s a thing now 😊
Came here to comment about the "fresh paint of coat" too 😆
Aye aye captn
1:00:50 something that wasn't mentioned here (it could be mentioned in the next couple of minutes) is that the super missles do dmg equal to 5 regular missles, and when below 40 HP you can use the power bombs to do what's called a 'crystal flash' to recover a good chunk of HP. I forgot the buttons you need to hold down to do a CF, but it's like 90% of the buttons lol. all of this on top of opening different colored doors :)
Goddamn there are so many crazy tricks in Metroid! I started getting a headache just looking at all the speed tech in Super!
You also need to watch the opening sequence past the title screen in SM, as it covers how to use the power bomb to open access to Maridia, same with Crystal Flash. Mind you that is not as good as a manual explaining these, but that is how they did things in the 90s for lots of games, as even space in the manual was a premium.@@IFinishedAVideoGame
5:32:35 - I definitely dread those things. I have to admit I still have not finished Dread. Part of it was I'd dedicated to streaming it, but the other part is I stopped right outside of the purple one, E.M.M.I.-06WB and every time I start to think about playing the first thing I think is, "Oh god, I've gotta start by going through the EMMI zone again." I don't know why I'm so freaked out. The checkpoints are generous. I will lose almost 0 progress if I die. But the damn things just stress me out so much everytime I'm in their area. DX And I've loved all my sessions playing it. but clearly these sections really bother me if I'd rather keep procrastinating about finishing the game rather than dealing with one again.
Just dive into it my friend! I know it's intimidating as you die a lot but those checkpoints really make it not so bad!
This and the Castlevania retrospective are two of my absolute favorites videos within the last few years of anything I've seen on RUclips. Keep up the great content.....and if you ever do a Resident Evil retrospective my brain might explode lol.
I'd love to do a Resident Evil video but they release them so damn quickly! Anything would be out of date within just a few months! Maybe one day if they take a little break I'll finally get my chance to talk about how much I like Resi Zero
@@IFinishedAVideoGame lol....I actually dislike RE0 so I would love to hear your take. Thanks for all the great content!
You're more than welcome bud
Oh Hell yes! A deep dive of every game of one of my favorite series! Always down for that
Fingers crossed I did it justice!
I still think most of the criticisms I've seen of the Ridley scene in Other M are a bit on the harsh side. The PTSD reaction didn't feel too out of place because Other M happens right after Samus blows up Zebes, which effectively kills Ridley for good. The horror that has been following her for her whole life is finally put down, but I think seeing him reappear yet again after a definitive killing blow would've shaken anyone. That being said, the *severity* of her reaction was way over the top.
I perfectly respect if it works for you but for me it's all just a bit absurd. By this point she's fought Ridley five times (twice in the manga, once in NES, twice in Super Metroid) so to have this sort of reaction at his sudden appearance seems extreme.
Like I said - the core idea of her having this response isn't the issue - it's the severity and it's place in the timeline. When it happened in the manga it was a really cool twist!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame
Taking into account the ending of Samus Returns, and the idea that the Prime Trilogy happens between Metroids 1 and 2, it could be argued that Samus has fought Ridley an additional four times before Other M!
While I understand the “he’s finally dead and that’s why she’s freaking out” explanation, I do agree it doesn’t exactly make sense when Other M is the *tenth time* she has had to fight some form of Ridley. I feel like her freak out would have made more sense if it wasn’t out of fear so much as in some sort of rage, as if she were to demand “Why won’t you just die and stay dead already?!” It would certainly coincide with her outburst in Dread.
Also compared to her reaction to seeing kraid in dread. Developers definitely got her attitude in line with how fans see her
Isn't her reaction reasonable because Ridely is actually dead this time? She is facing a clone of Ridley, so effectively its a ghost that is still haunting her.
FANTASTIC WORK! This was a wonderful retrospective. I feel like any company other than Nintendo would have given up on Samus. Dread is a phenomenal game, and I felt such an accomplishment when I finally beat Raven Beak!
Prime Remastered is great
Can’t wait for Prime 4 and the follow up to Dread!
Let's hope that it's coming with the Switch 2! Thanks for watching!
After watching this video over the past couple of days its insane to look back at Metroid as a series and the journey its had. Hopefully one day it can break out more into the main stream media and truly be one of the best.
Absolutely - I can only dream that Prime 4 will be that moment alongside the Switch 2!
Okay, let me just acknowledge and commend the monumental achievement that is this video🤯 It's magnificently well put together, and I loved every second of it❤
Thanks so much!
On Fusion - so many people miss the fact that the X slowly *learn*. When you first encountered the ice X, they aggressively attack Samus. Once a few get absorbed, the rest of the ice X flee from her.
It's a hive mind that can process cause and effect.
That's a very cool spot! I totally missed it myself!
The quality of your videos are phenomenal and you should be extremely proud of your work. After watching all of them at least once fully, they turn into a playlist of sleep aid material for me. The cadence of your voice is perfect for the content and there is nothing better than nerding out listening and drifting to sleep. Please keep them coming!
Don't worry - I've got absolutely no plans to stop any time soon and I'm really excited about my next two videos!
17:07 fuck that hidden floor tile so much. Never found it as a kid.
Metroid Prime and subsequently Fusion were my first entries in the series, and I hadn't even asked for Prime. I got it along with a Gamecube and a few other games for Christmas one year, and was surprised but gave it a try anyway. I ended up playing it nigh exclusively for quite a long time and became a huge fan of the series as a result. This retrospective will bring back a lot of nostalgia, and I'm glad you took the time to finally cover this series. ^_^
That's an extremely cool christmas - I bet you were so happy in the rest of your holidays!
I played Metroid Hunter's online multiplayer back when it released, and it was _fantastic_ ...is what I want to say.
It was legitimately one of the most fun I've had in a multiplayer FPS, but there were two massive issues that utterly ruined it.
First off, the game came out right when piracy was first hitting the system. So within 2-3 weeks the online modes were filled with cheaters, and the game had no way to mitigate this. No banning methods, no block list, no patches, no cheat detection, nothing.
Second, the game is really _really_ hard on your wrist. The single player mode had one good piece of level design, and that was spacing out encounters just enough to let your wrist relax between fights. In a hectic multiplayer match there's no breathing room, so I'd frequently have to stop playing after a single round if it was a particularly long and intense fight.
But yeah the controls were brilliant and it's a shame that the DS/3DS had so few games that used the touchscreen for FPS controls.
That's an amazing point about the spacing of fights in the single player reducing the strain on your wrist. I wish I'd mentioned that because you're so correct - that control scheme only works because you do get moments to rest!
I would still like to give it a whirl using the thumb/wrist strap. Seems like that accessory was made for Hunters and would cause a lot less strain on the wrists. Strange how it was included with the demo and then dropped. The secret to playing with stylus was to stay relaxed and not stiffen up to avoid wrist strain. Easier said than done in such a high intensity game.
Hunters for me was quite an amazing game; a sort of Quake Arena-like on a handheld with super fluid controls. Never expected to see this or think it could've been done. With the different Hunters and their abilities, it made for quite a unique game and I thoroughly enjoyed it's online and local multiplayer while it lasted. It can still be played online today through a player-run alternative online service, but I haven't looked into it and expect active player count must be really low. Nice though the possibility is still there.
As fun and memorable as Hunters was, I get burned out on super intense competitive multiplayer. While I ignored Federation Force on release because gyro seemed like such a massive downgrade from Hunters' touch screen controls, I recently acquired it to give coop multiplayer a go. A good coop experience can be quite fun and satisfying, and more relaxed compared to cut-throat competitive multiplayer.
I wonder if MercurySteam has any desire to remake Other M. Would that heal people's hatred towards it? Or completely kill their reputation? Lol
Just forget about other m, just wait for prime 4 and be happy
I very much hope they just continue making new games. Remakes are cool and all but new stuff is almost always better in my mind!
Insanely well put together. I thought to use the video as 2nd monitor content while playing other games but it quickly moved to any time slots where I only watched the video. Superb and an inspiration to all us other video creators out there.
That's awesome to hear. It's the ultimate "long video" compliment to progress from 2nd monitor to genuine interest!
Thanks ALOT for doing this! 💜 I bought the Nintendo Switch Oled only because of Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime! 💜
You're welcome!
Given what Mercurysteam did, I fully trust them with a Metroid Fusion remake, as their mechanical and environmental art style is literally perfect for the BSL
Absolutely - I really like them as a studio and hope they get a chance to work on Metroid 6!
I entrust them to remake metroid 3 and 4
I wish nintendo hire a better team to make a real good metroid game, not a dark souls style metroid game, but dark souls style games are popular, so, mercury will continue.
@@Raylightsen The game you're describing would be either Grime, Salt and & Sanctuary or Hollow Knight. Dread is nothing like a souls game.
@@Leee275 Hollow knight is a souls game, and metroid dread and samus returns remake grab elements and mechanics of a soulsgame (mandatory counters, super low damage weapons and super low defense for the character)
I want a normal metroid, not a soul-like metroid, and mercury loves soulslike mechanics, they only do soulslike metroid.
About half an hour in and another fantastic video. Your Castlevania video brought me to your channel initially and you are still doing fantastic work. You deserve a million+ subs like right now.
Thanks my friend! Well I've gained almost 100k this year so it feels like things are growing pretty quickly - especially considering my release schedule and format are pretty much the anti-RUclips!
This and the castlevania video are a Big inspiration for me to one Day get into these type of long form game retrospectives keep up the amazing work
Nothing is stopping you my friend! If you enjoy it go ahead and make one!
Thank you for videos like these, amazing!
Thanks for watching! I'm really pleased you enjoyed it
I'm only halfway through my personal playthrough of this series. I'm excited to regularly check in with this over the next few months while I complete the rest of the games. I always love to hear your thoughts and your coverage on the context of a game's release!
That's really cool to hear you're going to do that! You'll have to update the comment with your thoughts as I'm interested to see if they deviate from mine!
I'd argue Outer Wilds is absolutely descendant from Metroid's influence. It's a pure exploration game, with no combat, but with a deep mystery and incredible world building. Instead of tools and weapon upgrades gating an otherwise open world, you progress by gaining understanding and skill. And the gameplay loop of trying something, dying, learning how the world works, figuring out the connections between things, it's absolutely amazing.
I kinda see that but I think Metroid has a really big focus on unlocking player "moves" that expand the world rather than just gating it based on knowledge. I'd almost saw that Outer Wilds is more akin to something like Myst which really can be pretty short if you know exactly what you're doing!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame That's true, it has pretty much no replayability because of that. Once you know, you know. But I think that's what's remarkable, they are such completely different games at their core, but the feeling of exploration and isolation and mystery is so similar.
You could be right, though Myst has just straight up logic puzzles, you can't really wing it or figure out your own solution to things. I think that's the difference for me. But maybe I'm crazy lol
@@25meip Oh I totally agree about the sense of exploration and mystery. I can't get enough of games like that!
Dude. Imagine disappointing and angering Miyamoto? That shame would make crawl in a hole
My man with the multi hour long review of one of the best franchises from my youth. Been waiting for it, and though I’m just getting started, I know it won’t disappoint
I hope you enjoy it my friend!
This a great deep dive into the franchise, and I enjoyed every bit of your research, lore, and presentation. I will say that I am one of those motion control detractors, but maybe not for the same reason as others. I'm left-handed, and until the Wii, this was never any kind of barrier to gaming. But I really struggled with Prime 3 and the Trilogy package. I think they're great titles, but my clumsy right hand really struggles to aim well, so I actually found the reworked Prime 1 and 2 to be more difficult than the originals. Switching the Wiimote and Nunchuck to the opposite hands just felt really awkward and also led to moments of bad motion detection. These factors are the reason I was never able to finish Skyward Sword either.
Oh god I've never thought about how hard a Wii would be to play left handed but it would really mess up so many games as they are so aligned towards the right!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame the ds had a lot of similar issues, as a south paw myself, anything that requires you to do anything other than play the game with a controller is a daunting and often game ruining prospect. I have particularly poor motor control in my right hand and have tremors that make the wii and ds deeply disappointing to play. so many games that are basically unplayable
You mentioned that Zero Mission's controlled structure didn't lend itself well to being played through quickly, I vehemently disagree with his. I'm going to assume you are unaware of this but the overwhelming majority of the guiding chozo statues can be skipped and it's possible to get some upgrades far earlier by using secret passage ways and well placed manoeuvres. Zero Mission is a game full of potential sequence breaks that allow you to snap the game in half and finish it in under an hour, I've done this dozens of times, it's one of the most fun and repayable games I've ever played. None of this requires glitches or extreme exploits either, it's all completely intentional by the developers and I find it to be ingenious design, first time players will be guided along whilst veteran players are free to break the games sequences as they please.
8:40 I don’t care what some critics say, today. The first Metroid is iconic and is every bit as amazing, now, as it was in the past. The music, the design, the sparse nature of the game, all make it an indelible classic.
I don't disagree with that praise but it is a tough recommendation to make! The health system is brutal and I do think it works against the exploratory nature of the rest of the game!
Metroid, series where sales were never good enough. Even after getting praise from everyone. Except finally with Dread, its a miracle the series has survived for so long.
It really is! We're lucky it's a Nintendo series as if it was a Sony, Sega or Microsoft franchise we'd have likely never have seen it again!
I plated metroid 1&2 on nes and gameboy new. Kicked my butt. But still a fan beat prime super etc. CANNOT wait 4 prime 4. Dredd was ok the addition of robots eh
Fresh paint of coat?
It's a little nod to the castlevania video. Who says I can't have fun
The failure of Other M is especially sad to me. The Prime series and older 2D games handle storytelling in their own way, but I'm a big fan of personal character investment. We had a chance to really step inside her suit in a meaningful way, but it didn't land. Dread was an amazing experience; I don't think I'd change it. But what I want more than that is another chance at what Other M tried to do.
Yeah it's a real shame that Other M panned out the way it did. I think it's core ideas are perfectly fine - it just needed to be executed at a WAY higher level
Listening to this while painting cars haha cool vid mate
Thanks very much!
Anyone who thinks the first nes metroid is better than Zero Mission is seriously coping so that someone can watch their speedrun. The fact that Zero Mission comes with the original makes it the overall better package regardless.
I mean I can maybe see 8bit purists preferring the lofi atmosphere. I know some people who are genuinely like this!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame i feel that. Been trying to recapture nostalgia and emulators just dont cut it. Been meaning to buy a CRT just to get in that mood. If it’s an aesthetic preference , then I get it. If we are going to compare mechanical experience though, then I truly believe Zero Mission is objectively a deeper and more engaging experience.
Then again I had fun with Other M’s gameplay while laughing at the cutscenes so my taste is probably bad.
Love your videos btw, thanks for being active with your comments.
Thank you for creating these videos. They are incredibly informative and well made.
Thanks so much! I really appreciate it
It's incredible that Nintendo games multiple and repetitive controls problems could be solved with a simple customizable input menu.
Can't wait to watch this in parts! Your narration really does remind me of TV shows and radio shows in the best way possible. Hope you have a peaceful and relaxing rest of the year.
Thanks! I was really self concious of my voice before I began on RUclips so it's been really nice to hear people enjoy it! Hope you have a great rest of the year too!
Man you do not need to worry about your voice buttery smooth I listen to you during my work days all the time
I'm surprised you didn't mention the incredibly difficult wall jumping mechanic in Super Metroid. I used to hate how difficult it was but now I understand it was a brilliant way to keep players from using it too much to their advantage. I mean you can get to some cool areas and items with it.
I did originally have it in the script but it cut it for time! It is kinda bullshit isn't it - especially with how smooth that move becomes in later games!
@@IFinishedAVideoGameLOL wall jumping is very easy in SM. Always amused people have trouble with it
I think it has to do with the unintuitive timing. Once you realize there is a slight delay between pressing away from the wall and pressing jump, it doesn't take long to hit the sweet spot almost every time. It wasn't until many years later, after I could do things like get Varia right after bombs in ZM with ease that I revisited Super Metroid to try to learn some of its advanced tricks like the mockball and the wall jump.
@@IFinishedAVideoGameI assume they deliberately made it awkward to make it something you were unlikely to find by accident. I honestly really liked the revelation that you had several of these abilities at the start but just didn’t know it. Then in places you’re almost guaranteed to find the game will force you to learn the mechanic. It ends up making the linear early game a decent bit less linear on repeat playthroughs. I also think they intentionally made the wall jump and honestly many other exploitable mechanics difficult to avoid making it too easy to sequence break the game.
I also do think that they definitely intended for it to be an option to let the player when lost either search the map or use the mechanics cleverly to sequence break. That may be projecting though as I personally sequence broke when getting lost on my blind playthrough playing super Metroid as well as almost all future metroidvainas. As much as the sequence breaking is intended I’m really not sure how much it’s expected on first playthrough.
dread is sop punishing the first time through. But after playing a few times it really rewards you learning how to play. The game is incredibly "easy" once you know how to play. sub 3 hours, no deaths is accessible for anyone who puts in the time to learn and master the game. Rookie mode was a good decision though. I especially like how even rookie demands you learn, just making regenerating from mistakes less punishing.
Absolutely - I think it's one of the few games where I would legitimately enjoy attempting a no damage run!
Man, what a video. Huge props to the objectivity, breadth of information and entertainment value stuffed into a "mere" six hours, this is like a compilation of everything you‘d ever want to know about the history of Metroid, albeit the game series, not the world of the series (though there’s plenty of that in here as well). Thank you for making this!
Thanks so much! I really do try to be as comprehensive as possible so you can go from nothing to a Metroid fanboy in just six hours! Really pleased you enjoyed it and thanks for commenting!
Aside one or two facts, I heard everything there is to hear about this series, and yet I never get tired of it, that’s how good Metroid is.
Great video, it was a very entertaining watch 👍
You're welcome - glad it was a good watch anyway!
4:48:20 "Romhacks arise! Fans take the job for themselves to keep the dream alive!"
P.S.: Just for reference. ;)
Thank you for this video, I’ve watched it for the past couple of days and as a huge Metroid fan seeing the love put in this retrospective is very nice :)
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it!
Definitely get excited to see a new 6 hour ifinishedavideogame post every time, thank you for all the work
You're welcome - enjoy!
The Samus scene in ridley's fight in other M must have been a recall to the metroid manga for zero mission.
Also, I bet that if other M would have released in these times, the epilog would have been DLC 😂
It's crazy to think it's a reference to an event that's never been expressly stated in the video games!
The fact that discussing Metroid’s evolution/lifetime and history almost necessitates bringing up AM2R is a testament to just how good of a project Guasti and the others put out, and how it may have helped to revive or create new interest in the series. What a loss not to involve him with the series moving forward.
Luckily he now works for Moon Studio who just announced their next game - No Rest for the Wicked - which he's working as a level designer on!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame So Tanabe is the devil, while that studio is fine?
I love Metroid Zero Mission so much. I don't think I've beaten and replayed a game so many times in a row. I think it perfects the controls and style of 2D Metroid so well. Between Zero Mission and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, 2D platformers on the GBA had some amazing games that still stand the test of time!
I think it's easily the strongest genre on the platform! To get Fusion, Zero Mission and Aria - all of which are arguably the three best games in that style - within a few years of each other is insane!
@@IFinishedAVideoGameI love seeing Fusion get love.
As far as GBA platformers, I'd add the Mega Man Zero games. Similar to Fusion and Zero mission, they flow much better and have much tighter, more intuitive controls than their SNES predecessors.
Hint hint wink wink 12 hour Mega Man video? 😂
You know I'd love to make a MegaMan video. I've played the main games quite a few times but have actually NEVER played any of the X, Zero or Battle Network games!
Amazing Metroid Documentary 👏
Thanks very much! I'm really pleased you enjoyed it!
As crazy as it sounds, I've never played a Metroid game before, but that makes me want to watch this even more as I get to experience the whole series by your amazing retrospective! Let's goo!
Same but I have seen walk-throughs of metriod prime and metroid dread so I have kinda experienced those two , other than that nope I haven't played any of the games
If you own a Switch, both Prime Remastered and Dread are absolutely fantastic games.
I really hope it inspires you to check some out! You can play a lot of them through emulation and they are really very unique games unlike anything else on the market!
Metroid it's not just another game series, it's real piece of high art.
Hopefully I've done that justice! It really is beautiful game design at it's best so often
Metroid is my favorite franchise ever. I've grown up with this series. I remember as a child, I use to have recurring nightmares about the SA-X appearing in my bedroom and I could never finish the game until I was a teenager.
This series means so much to me, so I really want you to take it to heart when I tell you that this is by far the best retrospective of the series I've ever watched. I'd even go as far as to say that your writing is some of the best on this platform. This is the first time in almost 20 years that I've watched a 6 hour long video.
Absolutely fantastic work! This was a JOY to watch and listen to!
This channel genuinely deserves at least a million subs
You're too kind man. 125k feels insane to me already!
I have this far off dream of one day putting together an animated adaptation of Samus's backstory as seen in the manga, with all of its brutality given full weight, with changes made to enhance it even further. (And make it fully canon friendly)
I imagine scenes like Samus walking through the corpse yard of her former home with a hollow empty expression, following its destruction, Old Bird and Grey Voice, upon seeing her, _realizing_ what true horror this young girl had became the central perspective of, _knowing_ they were responsible for leading the Space Pirates there in the first place, can't help but emote utter horror and _guilt_ upon _their_ faces.
And of course, Ridley would be given all the terror he deserves, his despicable sadistic form of joy he derives from anything, at any opportunity, would rely upon finding just the right voice actor capable of doing it all justice.
The most major change I would make would be cutting the ending, where you get a flash forward to an adult bounty hunter Samus and a brief telling of her "Zero Mission", since that whole section is just a glorified ad for said game.
What I'd replace it with is a flash forward to just over a month later, with Samus continuing to serve under Adam and the Federation.
As this final chapter progresses, fans will be able to realize what this all is.
It's the day Adam let his brother die.
Just a month after Samus had to watch Grey Voice sacrifice himself to save countless others, she's subjected to a contorted perversion of that sacrifice, wherein the martyr has no idea they're about to die, isn't even given the choice to give themselves up, because they have no idea that's what they're doing.
All under the authority of a man she trusts, whom she would expect would have the human decency to tell his own brother he's saving lives at the cost of his own.
Samus was taught the ways of a warrior by the Chozo, and Ian Malkovich _did not_ die a warrior's death.
After this, this moment, this is what turns Samus into a woman of few words, words did nothing as she begged to be put to action, from this point on, actions will be all she is.
She makes the expected choice, and leaves without a word, with no one even seeing her leave.
Adam, upon realizing her decision, thinks back to something Grey Voice explained to him:
"Her service within your military is part of her training, she needs to learn all she can about her own people AND this galaxy's conflicts, and once that purpose is fulfilled, after she's learned everything she can from you, she'll move on to what's next."
Cue the credits sequence, blasting that uplifting classic Brinstar Theme we all know, while giving the viewer visuals that represent just that: _What Came Next_
Nobody is stopping you from making it my friend! People are making all sorts of beautiful animations in 2023! This could easily be one too!
Metroid and to a greater extent Super Metroid are two of my absolute favourite games of all time, the atmosphere in especially Super Metroid is second to none, which makes it weird that I have never played any Metroid game after Super Metroid.
I plan on playing Metroid Dread in the near future, so I'll probably not watch that part until after :)
I've been meaning to give Metroid Prime a try, but at this point it's been so long I'll probably not get around to it, might as well watch your take on it instead :)
Really looking forward to this, will be interesting to see what I've been missing all these years.
I'm sure you'll enjoy both Dread and Prime! The former takes the building blocks and turns it into a breakneck action game and the latter is a full realisation of Super's ideas in 3D!
Praise. You nailed it with this one. Thanks for taking the time to make this thorough dive
I absolutely adore your channel and gotta point out how much having these long form videos is not only entertaining and informative but having a whole series be contained in a single retrospective you get an idea for its progression in both a granular AND a wide view. Much appreciation for all the work that goes into these.
Absolutely! I think what sets my channel apart is that everything is contained in a single video and that makes it a lot easier to digest! I'd absolutely hate to have 100+ videos and have this be split over a bunch of different uploads!