~Beyond the Border~ > Akyu's Arcade
Metroid discussion thread
Drake:
--- Quote from: Reddyne on June 14, 2017, 04:41:37 PM ---I'd just like to give a reality check for the Retro studio thing here. The original trilogy was released from 2002 to 2007 (oof that makes me feel old). It's been ten years since Retro made a Metroid game. As much as I want to see the quality that's expected of a Metroid game from Retro, the staff there now is probably vastly different. Ten years is a quarter of a person's career, and there are less than 100 people in the company. The people who worked on the original games may have been promoted, switched companies, been laid off, or simply retired over that time span. Retro's done Donkey Kong and Mario Kart since, too, so they've really shifted focus since 3 came out. There are a ton of other factors to consider so far as hardware, software, experience, and other resources are concerned, too.
Ultimately, Retro just may not be the studio for the job at this time. It would be best to see who is making the game before evaluating the potential quality of the finished product. It's fully within the realm of possibility that people who worked on the original titles will be brought in to help develop 4, too. So for now, I'm a bit apprehensive but understand that Retro is not the same bunch of people it was back then. Still, I doubt Nintendo would want to half-ass this and think they'll pull in the right team for the job.
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Absolutely agree. This is also why I mentioned that Tanabe being producer could be a good or a bad thing -- obviously he did manage the whole of the Prime series and otherwise has a great portfolio, which lends him much credence, but Sticker Star, Paper Jam, and Federation Force are not a particularly good recent history. It doesn't help that what his influence as producer even is, is not clearly visible.
@dosboot: The shield ability actually just switches from taking regular damage to depleting your Aeion meter, so it's different in that respect. Personally my mind goes immediately to potential use in speedrunning.
dosboot:
Another interview with Yoshio Sakamoto.
I thought this bit was interesting in particular.
--- Quote ---CGM: It?s been a long time since we?ve seen a 2D Metroid game, and in that time since, the Metroidvania genre has completely exploded specifically on the indie scene. With a lot of different ideas coming out from there I was wondering if you?ve been keeping tabs on that, or if you think that was one of the founders of that genre, it?s up to you to push kind of push it forward more?
Sakamoto: Yeah I?m well aware of?the abundance [of games in the] the Metroidvania genre. I know there are a lot, but I haven?t played them, it however, one thing I think we?ve learned from that is, there?s a need for this there?s a thirst for that genre. People are excited about the genre, and so from a marketing stand point, understanding that that market exists, it?s been helpful to have all of those people clamoring for them. And it really solidified the ability of this desire to creating another 2D Metroid game.
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I can't remember if Nintendo has commented on the genre/the indie scene directly before. You could read this and conclude that the popularity of Metroid inspired games by indies helped push the creation of another 2d Metroid, rather than being a disincentive (a common fear that fans would wonder about in these conversations.).
Thata no Guykoro:
anyone else played samus returns yet?
personally i thought it was an excellent return to form after Other M was... Other M
really enjoyed both the updated stuff and new stuff, hype for prime 4
Suwako Moriya:
I've been having a blast with Samus Returns. Free aiming and the melee counterattack felt natural almost immediately; I see why gaming media's been praising the controls for a while. I appreciate the fact that they lifted some of the audio straight from Super and the Primes, since it made for a cute and fitting touch without drowning us in it. The music, such as it is, is wonderfully atmospheric and really fits the "dark underground exploration of unknown terrors" theme, and the major actual-music tracks from other games that they chose to remix for this one (Spoiler: Lower Norfair/Magmoor Caverns, Red Brinstar/Hydro Dynamo, and Crateria from the original game/Zero Mission are the ones I've run across so far) were done very well. The fights, minor and major, are quite creative and challenging, though the game suffers a bit in the difficulty department by sticking a temporary autosave before pretty much anything difficult (BotW Syndrome, I suppose).
Gesh86:
Another player of Samus Returns here, about time I got it, too. So many folks I'm subscribed to on Youtube are posting stuff of it and I refuse to view any of it. I'd much rather experience the differences between it and Metroid II first hand.
Making decent headway, reached the sector that I always called sector 4, but since the sequencing in Metroid II has always been debatable, so: It's the place with 10 Metroids, notorious for being the biggest, most labyrinthine and graphics-recycling zone of them all in the original.
New Aeion abilities (just got my third) are very cool and I also like that Spoiler: there are minor differences even between the same Metroid evolutions, some Alphas have fire attacks for example. Also clever to have the Ice Beam affect them, because how did it make any sense that it didn't before?I wonder how it is to speedrun, and if 3 hours is the best ending threshold as it tradtionally is. If so, that's a harsh limit, as I'm already past it :D. I imagine you fight almost nothing when you're dedicated against the clock. As OP as many claim the melee counter is, you do always stop and have your enemies make a move for it. This I feel also makes it the least run & gun Metroid so far.
--- Quote from: Suwako Moriya on September 19, 2017, 01:06:43 PM ---The fights, minor and major, are quite creative and challenging, though the game suffers a bit in the difficulty department by sticking a temporary autosave before pretty much anything difficult (BotW Syndrome, I suppose).
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BotW Syndrome is right, because I'd say this is also the most lethal Metroid yet, or maybe on par with parts of Fusion. Samus can die very quickly, it's pretty shocking when attacks cost almost a full E-Tank, even in the early game.
People often say that modern devs are a little too soft-handed, but this game would be quite punishing without its checkpoint system. An idea would be to have it gone in the unlockable difficulties.