Metroid (1986) on NES—the cartridge in all its gray-plastic glory.
This is my favorite Nintendo franchise, the very reason “Metroidvania” is even a word. Not a Miyamoto joint but a Yokoi production, and you can feel it—tougher, sharper, with real bite. Few games of that era had this much atmosphere, this much mystery, or were simply this fun.
Honestly, it’s probably the biggest reason I still keep an NES hooked up.
The very reason Metroidvania is even a word
It’s quite literally only half of the reason. Castlevania is the other half. :P
I actually dont even know why the “vania” is part of it. Castlevania didnt have the same kind of tool-based progressive gameplay until Symphony of the Night, whereas Metroid was like that from the start.
Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest follows the formula. Unlike the first game, Simon’s Quest is an open world game with lots of backtracking. It has experience points, shops to buy things, and puzzles to solve by using key items in the right locations.
The game also features upgradable whips, secondary weapons to find, and even a day/night cycle.
Metroid didn’t pioneer the progressive tool-based unlocking system anyway though. The Legend of Zelda was built on that concept and released before Metroid (in Japan; in the US Metroid was released a week before LoZ, but both were a year after the Japanese releases).
Imagine getting a new Metroid released and then a week later a new Zelda is released in this day and age.
I immediately questioned myself about Simon’s Quest but couldn’t remember if it had tool based progression or just your standard kind of RPG backtracking. I didn’t play it nearly as much as any others (excluding ghe 64 one which is best forgotten).
But very true about Zelda. Maybe they should be called Metzeldvanias? 🤔
SQ has a bunch of tool stuff going on. The crystals which unlock certain areas (functioning as keys), the relics of Dracula which let you see things you couldn’t otherwise or break certain blocks, the holy water which can be used as both a weapon and as a tool for detecting false floors, and oak stakes which you need to pierce the protective spells around Dracula’s relics.
@atomicpoet @videogames And we can’t forget that it tricked boys into playing as a woman.
“If you beat the game fast enough, you get to see Metroid naked, and she’s actually a girl!” - Things heard around the playground growing up (we didn’t know her actual name)
Which was obviously bullshit and ignored, until lo and behold 15 years later some guy on YouTube tells me that was actually true the whole time
Image description: Mickey Mouse from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse facing the viewer. Overlaid text says: “It’s a suprise tool that will help us later!”
I’ve just recently watched every alien movie and it just made me want to play Metroid again. The sounds from this game live in my brain.
I’ve just recently watched every alien movie
Me too, coincidentally. I watched them all before I found out Alien: Earth was coming, so not in connection with that.
Alien: Earth is blowing my absolute mind, by the way. So good.
I’m loving it. I loved all of them actually, which I didn’t expect.
I just caught myself saying Wow out loud.
The first game I ever finished. Wow, was I surprised. And I loved it at the same time. I encouraged my friends to also finish the game. It was hell keeping the secret. Of course, this also means I’m old now.
@atomicpoet Gran juego 👍🏼 @videogames
Seeing this just made my hands ache
@atomicpoet @videogames this was the first video game I bought with my own money, I think for my birthday
Five dollars off? What a sale!
