Deerock71
Member
My kind of woman.
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Diseased Yak
Gold Member
Hah well crap, didn't think this would be some release hard to get as physical, but Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, and Target are either not listing it at all or not allowing orders.
Buggy Loop
Member
Shipped today, should have it Monday
I’m a patient man..
I’m a patient man..
Gambit2483
Member
Diseased Yak
I think Nintendo seriously underestimated the demand for this game physically. Plus the shadow drop probably didn't help at all with stocking/shipping and delivering logistics. Its been complete FUBAR as far as physical releases go.
SafeOrAlone
Banned
This game is good but I was really hoping to like it more. I love atmospheric games and this game brings that in spades.
I love the way the visor/hud behaves, for instance. Or the way the arm-cannon changes shape when you choose different weapon types. I adore these little details.
I just don’t find traversing the world, engaging in the puzzles, or combat to be very compelling. None of these elements are weak, mind you.
I’m a little over halfway through and I keep waiting to finally “sink into” the game and get that feeling where you don’t want it to end. That rare occasion where I have to find out how many hours are left in the game, from my current point.
Instead, I feel like I’m pushing through as fast as I can to get to that point…and it’s just not happening. I think I might be done for now.
Keep in mind, my expectations were naturally inflated by all the hype. Also, I don’t have any solid criticisms for this game. It’s intelligently designed, inventive, and very stylish. The gameplay is solid.
Actually, it’s a lot like a Zelda game, imo. Both in the gameplay design centering on Adventure + puzzle progression and in the way it seems to absolutely delight everyone but me.
Long story short, I wanted to love this game, because it does so much that interests me, but it’s just not clicking for whatever reason.
That said, I am still looking forward to MP4. I really don’t know exactly why and I don’t have many suggestions for them to improve the game. I just want to see more games that are focused on really immersing you as the character you’re controlling. I’m hoping the adventure they craft next time will just click with me more.
It’s probably heresy, but I wouldn’t mind a little more focus on survival and a slightly smaller focus on puzzles. My favorite moments in this game were when I actually felt on the verge of death. Suddenly the game did become compelling. Those moments were rare however.
And maybe give us puzzles that don’t feel so abstract. I’m not saying the puzzle design is bad, but they don’t make a lot of sense in the context of the world. Yes, it’s an alien world and they can make excuses for why I’m rolling up in ball and blowing bombs in sockets but that’s not naturally intuitive. I think it’d be more satisfying to be doing stuff like repairing your ship, connecting wires to open a door, etc. That would probably play into the immersion strengths as well.
The game does this really well on occasion actually, like when you use rockets to destroy the environment or your electric beam to power a door - more of that.
I love the way the visor/hud behaves, for instance. Or the way the arm-cannon changes shape when you choose different weapon types. I adore these little details.
I just don’t find traversing the world, engaging in the puzzles, or combat to be very compelling. None of these elements are weak, mind you.
I’m a little over halfway through and I keep waiting to finally “sink into” the game and get that feeling where you don’t want it to end. That rare occasion where I have to find out how many hours are left in the game, from my current point.
Instead, I feel like I’m pushing through as fast as I can to get to that point…and it’s just not happening. I think I might be done for now.
Keep in mind, my expectations were naturally inflated by all the hype. Also, I don’t have any solid criticisms for this game. It’s intelligently designed, inventive, and very stylish. The gameplay is solid.
Actually, it’s a lot like a Zelda game, imo. Both in the gameplay design centering on Adventure + puzzle progression and in the way it seems to absolutely delight everyone but me.
Long story short, I wanted to love this game, because it does so much that interests me, but it’s just not clicking for whatever reason.
That said, I am still looking forward to MP4. I really don’t know exactly why and I don’t have many suggestions for them to improve the game. I just want to see more games that are focused on really immersing you as the character you’re controlling. I’m hoping the adventure they craft next time will just click with me more.
It’s probably heresy, but I wouldn’t mind a little more focus on survival and a slightly smaller focus on puzzles. My favorite moments in this game were when I actually felt on the verge of death. Suddenly the game did become compelling. Those moments were rare however.
And maybe give us puzzles that don’t feel so abstract. I’m not saying the puzzle design is bad, but they don’t make a lot of sense in the context of the world. Yes, it’s an alien world and they can make excuses for why I’m rolling up in ball and blowing bombs in sockets but that’s not naturally intuitive. I think it’d be more satisfying to be doing stuff like repairing your ship, connecting wires to open a door, etc. That would probably play into the immersion strengths as well.
The game does this really well on occasion actually, like when you use rockets to destroy the environment or your electric beam to power a door - more of that.
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Nico_D
Member
I've been playing this bit by bit. The game has a great talent of getting seriously on my nerves.
There are great moments but every great exploring and/or platforming section or enemy encounter is followed by something frustrating which requires extremely precise platforming (sometimes in darkness) or a boss in a small area with enviromental hazards and basic pirates with different elemental weakness.
Just too much.
There are great moments but every great exploring and/or platforming section or enemy encounter is followed by something frustrating which requires extremely precise platforming (sometimes in darkness) or a boss in a small area with enviromental hazards and basic pirates with different elemental weakness.
Just too much.
Polygonal_Sprite
Gold Member
This Remaster is phenomenal from a tech / art perspective and the redone controls are great but it’s such a frustrating game that feels every one of it’s 20 years old when compared against games from today. I go from feeling good and having 30 minutes of progression to being utterly dumbfounded on where to go or what to do next. The fact you have to trek back through the entire World (while also regularly running into 20 second load times for the lifts) to try and find where to go next to progress the story or to find missile / health bonuses with your latest suit upgrade just make it super frustrating and feel quite dated compared to todays games. A simple change like being able to warp between save rooms or lifts would improve the quality of life immensely. This could have only been available in the easy mode or as an option in the menu to appease hardcore fans.
I’m astounded several outlets are giving the game a perfect score while looking at it through the lens of what’s popular today and the strides that have been made in terms of quality of life improvements and game design in the past 20 years. It feels like some of it’s design decisions were made solely to pad the games length by making you consistently go back through art assets you’ve already seen ten times over.
It won’t happen and I will get flammed to death for even suggesting it in this thread but if Nintendo took Metroid, it’s Universe, it’s characters, it’s music, it’s lore and some of it’s better game design and morphed it into more of a Tomb Raider reboot direction (more of a linear action game with optional sections which would contain the classic puzzles using the suit gadgets) it would sell 10x more than the series currently does. That would require a $100+ million development budget though which is the major reason it won’t happen.
Nintendo did find a 10x leap in sales by taking several elements from modern gaming and combining it with classic elements of Zelda for Breath of the Wild though so anything is possible.
edit -
I should add that I’m extremely glad that this Remaster exists and was eventually released and that those who love the game or who are enjoying it for the first time are loving it. I really, really wanted to like it I just find it super frustrating and dated personally.
I’m astounded several outlets are giving the game a perfect score while looking at it through the lens of what’s popular today and the strides that have been made in terms of quality of life improvements and game design in the past 20 years. It feels like some of it’s design decisions were made solely to pad the games length by making you consistently go back through art assets you’ve already seen ten times over.
It won’t happen and I will get flammed to death for even suggesting it in this thread but if Nintendo took Metroid, it’s Universe, it’s characters, it’s music, it’s lore and some of it’s better game design and morphed it into more of a Tomb Raider reboot direction (more of a linear action game with optional sections which would contain the classic puzzles using the suit gadgets) it would sell 10x more than the series currently does. That would require a $100+ million development budget though which is the major reason it won’t happen.
Nintendo did find a 10x leap in sales by taking several elements from modern gaming and combining it with classic elements of Zelda for Breath of the Wild though so anything is possible.
edit -
I should add that I’m extremely glad that this Remaster exists and was eventually released and that those who love the game or who are enjoying it for the first time are loving it. I really, really wanted to like it I just find it super frustrating and dated personally.
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DevilMayFlyForAWhiteGuy
Member
I’m having choice paralysis when it comes to the control options. I really wish the Wiimote aiming didn’t require recalibrating the aim every two seconds because otherwise it would be perfect.
Now I’m using GC with gyro. Dual stick with gyro is nice, but feels too fast paced for this game lol.
Now I’m using GC with gyro. Dual stick with gyro is nice, but feels too fast paced for this game lol.
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Kuranghi
Member
I just take a photo whenever there's a door for a beam I dont have, material I can't currently break, inaccessible item or other such obstacle and then review the photos when I get a new item and I'm at a loss as to what to do next.
There are a scant few times when that won't work like the furnace room but that's also kinda down to me for not remembering I couldn't enter that room properly before, I could only go inside the furnace even tho that put the whole room on my map.
Part of the fun of a Metroid game for me is going oh I can go back there now, the 2D maps did make it easier to glance and see where you could now go so photos definitely help make it easier in 3D.
Polygonal_Sprite
Gold Member
That’s a great idea tbh.
Like I said I don’t think I’ve wanted to like a game as much as Prime (I actually played it at launch but got the same extremely frustrated feeling). So wanted to give it another chance with the Remaster.
I actually didn’t feel as bad or as stupid for being stuck as I did when I watched the most viewed long play on YouTube after deleting the game on Sunday because the person playing struggled even longer than me on some of the more obtuse progression points lol.
It’s also interesting to note that some of this was on purpose because from looking at long plays it seems like you can beat the game in under 5 hours if you know where to go. So I guess it was padded to a degree with most people beating it in around 12 hours.
What are the two sequels like in this regard, just as obtuse or even harder progression points?
Kuranghi
Member
MP2 has better shortcuts opened by new items and you mess about searching everywhere less in my memory and MP3 is more like Fusion and Dread, as they heavily hint where to go next.
MP2 does the whole double reality world thing, so almost every room has two versions but you can't traverse the dark world freely at first and over time it becomes easier so you can generally always go back there as you get more suits.
Celcius
°Temp. member
Just finished the game.
I really hope they give MP2 and MP3 the same remaster treatment. Regardless though, I'm wondering if both will release this year since they'll want to space them out but also release them before MP4.
Back to this game though, it really stands the test of time as a true classic. This remaster is possibly one of the best looking and smoothest running games on the system. I tip my hat to the devs.
15:48 was my clear time
I really hope they give MP2 and MP3 the same remaster treatment. Regardless though, I'm wondering if both will release this year since they'll want to space them out but also release them before MP4.
Back to this game though, it really stands the test of time as a true classic. This remaster is possibly one of the best looking and smoothest running games on the system. I tip my hat to the devs.
Sounds like Metroid just isn't for you. And you shouldn't call the game "dated" or flawed simply because it isn't casual and doesn't hold your hand every step of the way like modern games. I and every Metroid fan enjoys that aspect of the series., and don't want the series to be dumbed down to modern standards for people who don't want to think or be challenged. Just turn the hint system on in the options if you want some guidance.
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Icymanipulator
Member
We must not have played the same game. The motion controls were amazing and worked perfectly. I beat Prime 3 4 times. And played the entire trilogy with motion control via the trilogy collection. Never had an issue. You barely have to move your hand and you can aim anywhere on the screen.
Polygonal_Sprite
Gold Member
I didn’t call the game dated because it makes you think I called it dated because of the ridiculous amount of backtracking you have to do but I get that’s what they had to do back in the day to get the most out of each art asset especially when constrained by the size of the Gamecube storage media.
And yeah I’m quite willing to admit it’s not for me. As much as I want it to be
Kuranghi
Member
I didn’t call the game dated because it makes you think I called it dated because of the ridiculous amount of backtracking you have to do but I get that’s what they had to do back in the day to get the most out of each art asset especially when constrained by the size of the Gamecube storage media.
And yeah I’m quite willing to admit it’s not for me. As much as I want it to be
It's not about reusing art after Metroid 1 and 2 but even then it was still a design decision to make it feel like an adventure.
In Prime you backtrack because its about finding the tools you need to progress, sometimes you hit a barrier and you need to go away and learn the skills you need to overcome or circumvent it.
The fun for me comes from slowly understanding a world and its mechanisms, learning the lore through text (MP2 also has some holographic "video logs") and feeling like you start to understand this ancient civilization by the end.
One aspect I think 2D Metroid wins over 3D wholeheartedly is the speed of traversal power journey, I can see why some people find the backtracking annoying in that regard because there arent really any proper shortcuts in MP1, MP2 has way more and MP3 has the ship which helps too (MP3 while my least favourite has the best QoL stuff like the satellites to find all collectibles if you get stuck).
The 2D games: 1/ZM, AM2R, Super, Fusion and Dread (I bailed on Samus Returns after finishing ZM, AM2R, Super and finally Fusion because I just felt AM2R was better and filled that role) all benefit in this regard from having the Speed Booster and proper good shortcuts especially AM2R, Super and Dread (Although more hidden, like Fusion) for the latter.
I think if you aren't enjoying it just give it a miss or as someone above said just turn on the hints, I used the hints on my first GCN playthrough of MP1 (were they on by default?).
Probably stopped because I didn’t knew what to do back then.
SCB3
Member
Got the Grapple Beam and Power Bombs and only just realised that the Save Point do not restore your bombs, so I had to farm some pirates for the needed 2 Bombs to get the Grapple Beam, thats a minor niggle for me, the Save Stations should restore everything or at least have some that contain the missile restore stations
hemo memo
You can't die before your death
Starting over with casual. Phazon Mines was brutal. It will take me a lot of time it is just simpler if I played on casual. Weird as everything in the game before it is very easy. That was a very weird high difficulty spike.
Didn’t have difficulty with any other Metroid game but this is the first Metroid Prime I play.
Didn’t have difficulty with any other Metroid game but this is the first Metroid Prime I play.
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Kuranghi
Member
With the beam specific pirates and Elite Pirate bit or after that?
I always try to get all energy tanks before moving on and if I'd had one or two less I'd have been fucked but scraped through it.
How many tanks did you have on your normal playthrough? I think I have 7
hemo memo
You can't die before your death
7 or 8 I think and 85 missiles. Pirates come at you hard. As my first Prime game I should’ve started with casual and the difficulty as I’ve said was very balanced until that section. I can practice it for hours but I will hate the game this way. There should be a save point in the middle honestly. Anyway, starting over and I just hope the game doesn’t become too easy and get me bored before Phazon Mines.
I didn't imply that was the reason you called it dated. Getting lost and figuring out where to go and revisiting already explored areas for further discoveries has been a part of the series since the start. It is its most defining characteristic and has nothing to do with storage constraints and it's certainly not "dated" design. It's just not for everyone.I didn’t call the game dated because it makes you think I called it dated because of the ridiculous amount of backtracking you have to do but I get that’s what they had to do back in the day to get the most out of each art asset especially when constrained by the size of the Gamecube storage media.
And yeah I’m quite willing to admit it’s not for me. As much as I want it to be
Kamina
Golden Boy
*gets high jump boots* „I guess i can do that now“
*gets morphball* „Did I just do that?!“
SafeOrAlone
Banned
Same experience. I wanted to like it more.
I think what I love most about Metroid games are the atmosphere, immersion, and attention to detail. I do think exploration is a crucial element, but I think it can evolve from the formula in Metroid Prime, which does feel a bit dated and obtuse.
I think many of us do appreciate games that make us think, but we don’t necessarily want to backtrack through reused assets for hours. I start to feel like my time is being stolen at some point.
Deerock71
Member
I actually, just officially, got to a point in Metroid Prime I've never seen before. The last boss I beat (and I remember beating it on the Gamecube) was the giant rock/ice monster that you just had to target specific spots and not get run over. This last bit...I could see why I quit. It involved a TON of backtracking, and killing metroids, pirates, and those fucking ANNOYING turrets, all while mostly using your x-ray specs.
But this time, I PERSEVERED. I hope to God I can find a save spot soon.
But this time, I PERSEVERED. I hope to God I can find a save spot soon.
DragoonKain
Neighbours from Hell
This was one of my favorite games of all time and starting this I'm just overcome with nostalgia vibes. I've been thinking about a remaster a lot in the last several months and then when they announced it and it's here already, man, it's just the perfect game for the perfect time for me right now. And I remember playing it the first time around this time of the year too. Can't wait to get through this.
DragoonKain
Neighbours from Hell
Just got to Phendrana Drifts. My favorite section. And that music! It's been as good as I remembered.
I know it's a remaster, but I won't play a game in 2023 I like more than this. Maybe some just as much, but not more. And it was released totally spontaneously. I can't remember another time where a game released with no build up same day out of nowhere that was an all time great.
I know it's a remaster, but I won't play a game in 2023 I like more than this. Maybe some just as much, but not more. And it was released totally spontaneously. I can't remember another time where a game released with no build up same day out of nowhere that was an all time great.
N0S
Al Pachinko, Konami President
Hi-FI Rush did it a week earlier.
hemo memo
You can't die before your death
Damn it. I’ve restarted the game on casual because of the sudden high difficulty spike on Phazon Mines as this is my first 3D Metroid game. Now the game is piss easy. I will see how the difficulty scale when I reach Phazon Mines again. Maybe i’m getting too good.
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SCB3
Member
Tbh the difficultly is in not knowing where to go and getting attacked as you're lost, the Phazon Mines is a perfect example of that, the game is quite easy up til then aside from maybe the bosses, hence the sharp difficulty spike
hemo memo
You can't die before your death
Even the bosses up to that point are easy on Normal (Thardus is the last one I’ve beaten) It is just about figuring the way of attack. The lose of progress in Phazon Mines though was too much for me. But nothing in the early game prepare you for that. It felt unbalanced. As now i’m reading that Dread was actually harder and I’ve played that on normal with no issues.
SCB3
Member
I think Prime assumes too much previous knowledge of Metroid, like if you'd have played 1 2 and Super, you know the harder enemies are coming so you can somewhat assume thats whats coming next, they do tease the Pirates and harder enemies via the scans as well
But as a first Metroid game it can be rough, my first was Fusion so I had some experience from a couple of playthroughs of that a year before I got a GC with Prime
hemo memo
You can't die before your death
Not hard but the difficulty spike with that long section with a save point is bizarre in comparison to the rest of the game.
SCB3
Member
Oh definetely, hell the Wii version is even easier, the amount of Health Tanks I have now allows to literally face tank all the bosses (I have 11 so far) the 2D games are the hardest, especially the first game and the Ridley fight in Super were the only places I struggled before Dread
Deerock71
Member
I hope what you're referring to is the stretch I just went through. I had literal sweaty palms hoping for a save station around the corner. Felt like an eternity.
EDIT- In the end, it netted me the gravity suit.
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hemo memo
You can't die before your death
Nope. It is worse which is coming. I restarted the game on casual because of it. You will know.
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RoboFu
One of the green rats
Why the only hard boss fight is the last one.
The biggest issue I have with the gage is my muscle memory is with the quicker reacting wired GC game. This one I was constantly running off platforms because of the lag. Lol
touchfuzzy
Member
It’s not a difficult game at all, I beat it on normal without dying once. I don’t think I even dropped below half health in the second half of the game. And I’m not a git gud guy, I’ve never even got halfway through a From Soft or Team Ninja game.
I just hope it evolves the series forward in a meaningful way.
hemo memo
You can't die before your death
You play a lot pf FPS games?
nkarafo
Member
Bosses aren't hard if you meet them with a decent amount of upgrades. If you have the maximum amount of energy tanks you can get when you meet them you don't even have to dodge or care about their attacks. The only thing you care about is some resource management because they are sponges and take a lot to die. That's on normal difficulty.
touchfuzzy
Member
No, basically none.