Super Metroid for SNES
Review #577
Super Metroid
Alien meets Iron (Wo)Man
Gameplay
I thought long and hard about giving this game a 4 in gameplay but I couldn't do it. My only gripe is that the game feels designed for only the most hardcore of gamers. It's not accessible to the masses. To master this game you have to learn a host of very challenging mechanics like the Screw Attack, the grappling hook, the Shinespark, and those darn wall jumps. Despite these challenging features the mechanics present are varied and fun to experiment with. It is so exhilarating to earn a new ability and then discover that it can help you clear a barrier you ran into earlier, like getting the ice beam and suddenly being able to turn enemies into platforms. It makes you feel smart despite it being the path intended by the devs. Genius
Level Design
Absolute master class on how to introduce new mechanics, train the gamer to use them, and suggest backtracking. The use of memorable landmarks and rooms with a unique visual element perfectly suggest the need to explore further.
Theme
Incredible respect for the legacy of its prequels. The opening cutscene sets the stage and then the opening escape sequence and arrival in Zebes and walk through the Mother Brain lair to the opening room gives me goosebumps every time.
Art Style
Excellent throughout. The sprites are amazing. The backgrounds are amazing. The world you're exploring feels alive and organic. Tiny details like bugs scurrying away when you approach add such a tremendous ambiance
Audio
Not only is the soundtrack incredible, but the sounds of this game are as much a part of the experience as anything else is. It's simply superb. The last bit of dialog and text is shown about 7 minutes into the game just before you arrive in Zebes. After that, every bit of the game's storytelling is accomplished exclusively via sounds and sights, in that order. The quiet walk through the Ceres space colony. The music slowly building as you take the elevator down to Brinstar. The fanfare when you earn a power up. The epic song that plays when you descend into hellish Norfair. Every sound and music track is memorable, recognizable, and designed to make the player feel something. And you absolutely do. Just impeccable stuff.
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