ALL HAIL METROID!
Today on the menu here at Luma's Blog and Grill, I have decided to tackle the recently-revealed Metroid games and give my full opinion on what directions they might take. The Metroid group I'm associated with on Facebook has exploded with positive enthusiasm for the reveal, and websites across the internet are filling with the news and their opinions of yesterday's event. I thought I would add my throng to the mix. Like many others, I watched Nintendo's Treehouse Spotlight Live event (though since I live in Taiwan it was really late at night and I finished work just in time to head over to Twitch). They started with Kirby, Yoshi, and Xenoblade; and my reaction was only minor (though my wife was happy to see the Yoshi one). Then, I saw a backdrop of stars. Then some music I immediately recognized. Then Samus' logo. Then a 4. Then Metroid Prime 4. Naturally, this was virtually my exact reaction:
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| I'll just say it: Rocket Man is a great film. |
Then the E3 event continued, and we watched some gameplay for Super Mario Odyssey, which I found both enlightening and entertaining; still happy about the Prime 4 reveal, I was content. There were other reveals, including the fact that there will be dinosaurs in Mario Odyssey, and some other information regarding Rocket League on the Switch. Then Reggie made a live appearance, saying he had a special announcement about a new game. Then a trailer appeared. The area was dark, ominous, and cave-like. A creature popped out. And then a greenish-blue blur streaked across the screen, revealing a Metroid when it stopped to drain a creature of its life force in that oh-so iconic Metroid fashion. I am normally a very composed man, with sometimes the Vulcan-like ability to maintain my composure. So my reaction to seeing the Metroid onscreen being even more dramatic than seeing Metroid Prime 4 is quite a feat:
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| My Vulcan-Like Composure, Everyone... |
Ahem.... As you can tell, I'm a pretty big Metroid fan, and it was about time Nintendo delivered on another one. And who wouldn't want a Metroid game? What isn't there to love? A strong, independent, stoic female character (we're just pretending Other M isn't there when I say this) who generally hunts lone-wolf style on dangerous and lonely planets; games where there is action, puzzles, and (generally) unique storytelling--even in the classic 2D games, where the environments told the story. Many of the fans will agree with me when I say it's long overdue.
So for those who don't know, Metroid Prime is a game series where the player controls Samus in 1st Person View. There have been 3 main trilogy games in the Prime series, 2 side games, and a Pinball spinoff that follows the story of the first Prime game. Personally, Metroid Prime 2 is one of my top 5 games of all-time, so I openly welcome another Prime game. The FPA (First-Person Adventure) style of the Prime series is a great changeup from the traditional sidescrolling platformer that Metroid made its name off of. As for the details of Prime 4, we know virtually nothing about this game, other than the fact that Retro (the studio that worked on the first 3 Prime games) is not the studio handling this title. What everyone is assuming, however, is that Sylux will be involved with this one, considering that what we can only assume was his ship appeared in the secret ending of Prime 3, and his shoulder appearing at the end of Metroid Prime Federation Force. Any other details cannot be speculated on. In fact, not even the title can be. It's been officially stated that it is a working title. While I suspect the title "Metroid Prime 4" will remain, it may see a small subtitle along with it. Something like "Metroid Prime 4: This One Doesn't Have Dark Samus" or something. I agree with the many assessments that Sylux will be a major element in this next title in the Prime series. If you've been paying attention to the Prime games over the last 10 years, it's quite obvious that soon Sylux will be making his move against Samus and the Federation--whatever that move may be.
My honest opinion of Metroid Prime 4 reveal? I'm super excited! Some people say we didn't get enough information. That's because it's just started development. I'd rather get an official "Hey, we're doing this!" and wait patiently for it to come, than wait 2-3 years wondering if they'll ever continue with the Prime series, then get a butt-ton of information on it out of nowhere. My personal opinion for Prime 4 actually hasn't changed from my previous article, and its development timeline improves upon my theory: Metroid Prime 4 will be Nintendo's flagship game for the Switch's VR accessory. I mentioned this before, but in December of last year, Nintendo very quietly patented their VR headgear peripheral, which was leaked to the internet but then quietly forgotten after the Switch tech demo in January. I have not forgotten this, and I maintain that Prime 4 will feature VR support with its launch. It makes perfect sense. If you're going to make a peanut butter sandwich, you might as well use the jelly to compliment it. And if you don't like jelly, then don't use the jelly! It makes a ton of sense to me that they would use Prime 4 as their main game to feature the VR headgear that I know they are working on. And for those of you who say I have absolutely no basis for other than a rumor, I'll just let you know that I have made 4 predictions about Nintendo since joining my Metroid group; people told me I was crazy, I had no proof, and that I was just being hopeful. Of those 4 times, I have been right every single time. My predictions are more accurate than most professional video game leakers who get information right 90% of the time. At this point, I am entitled to brag about my success rate and firmly maintain that I am actually good at this, and that people should trust my judgment. So come next E3, I submit that we will see more information regarding the Prime 4 game (or possibly the Christmas season of 2018), and with it we will also get to see something more about the Switch's VR peripheral. You can hold me to that.
Metroid: Samus Returns (the second game revealed) is a title that essentially retcons Metroid II: Return of Samus. For those that don't know, Metroid II: Return of Samus was a GameBoy title released in 1991 (the same year I was born), and was about Samus going to the Metroid homeworld to wipe them out. The game itself was fairly simple in gameplay, due to the technical limitations of the time. Personally, the game's design made me dizzy with the way it processed tile movement. There was a fan by the name of Milton Guasti (whose username is DoctorM64), who spent the better part of 10 years creating "Another Metroid 2 Remake" (or AM2R for short). Having personally played AM2R, I can attest to the skills this guy has. Nintendo ended up forcing him to take the game down, and the internet has had mixed feelings about that; I am on the side that believes Nintendo was not only within their rights, but had to set an example so that not everyone would steal their IP's to make fan games. Anyway, the game he made was great and it sucks that Nintendo had to do it; I'm certain they were silently pleased that a fan had done so well and loved the series so much that he wanted to recreate a classic title. That's just the way things go.
As for Samus Returns itself, the upcoming 3DS title, I am very excited. I watched the live gameplay demo and I think that it's going to be a great addition to the collection of Metroid games out there. The gameplay was solid, and I thoroughly enjoyed the melee combat aspect; they ripped one of the only good things out of Other M and put it in their new game, and I love that. I also noticed (as well as many others) that the art style is quite reminiscent of the concept art found for the now-dead Metroid Dread. I think revitalizing that art style was a smart choice, as those art assets were just going to sit there and rot, and I felt as though it could have been a great game; in a way, Metroid Dread is not dead with this art style carrying on the legacy it never got to make for itself. Assuming scalpers don't get their greedy mitts on them, I plan on buying the Special Edition of Metroid: Samus Returns. Some have speculated that, due to the timeline between Metroids 1 and 2 (where the Prime games take place) and the convenient timing of the Metroid Prime 4 reveal and this one, that Sylux may have been responsible for populating SR-388 (the Metroids' homeworld), and that Samus Returns will include this retconned content in its retelling of the classic story. Some submit that this game will foreshadow Prime 4's setting with its retelling.
I personally am not one of those people. I think that, while the timing is convenient for both the Metroid timeline and the game reveals, these two games shall remain separate. Metroid Prime has remained in the Prime sequence of events without affecting the main games, and I think it will stay that way. While the games exist in the same universe and timeline, the two series are exclusive. I can't think of an example where the events of a Prime game have infringed upon a Metroid title outside the Prime series, and, again, I think it will stay that way. But this isn't a prediction that I am incredibly set on. The evidence against my case is convincing, and on this point I admit that I very well could be wrong. So don't quote me on this. It's just a small theory that really does have no basis (or rather, less basis than the theory that Sylux is involved with Metroid II). I have no logical reasoning to refute it, but nonetheless, I posit that Sylux will not make an appearance in Metroid: Samus Returns.
Yesterday, I was having several lively discussions with several people in my Metroid group. In one of those discussions, someone asked me: "Why didn't they do a Super Metroid remake instead?" My answer was 3-fold:
1.) Metroid II probably is the game people have played the least due to its... technical appeal. Remaking this game allows players who haven't gotten the Metroid II experience to finally play it in an official capacity, even if it is updated with newer mechanics and a fresh coat of paint.2.) Metroid's coming out of a really bad streak, and they need to be careful about how they continue with the franchise. The last thing they want to do is accidentally soil Super Metroid's good name by screwing it up at this stage in Metroid's history, further isolating their longtime fans.
So there you have it! My full, unadulterated opinion about these games that were unveiled around this time last night. I am extremely excited about the seemingly-bright future ahead of Metroid, and I look forward to playing these games as they come out. What are your thoughts and opinions of the game? Feel free to share this blog post!
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