There are times, as one works one’s way through a video game, that the entire experience begins to feel like an obligation. Some aspect of the game becomes tiresome or boring or frustrating, and boom, you’re out of the game completely. The very best games find a way (through superb design and programming) to keep that kind of reaction from ever happening.
Super Metroid is one of the better examples in gaming of an experience that never turns into a chore. It’s a joyful play, the kind of game that stays thrilling and fascinating throughout, even as the player runs into the occasional challenge or riddle they can’t solve.
Why?
The game is compelling enough to keep the gamer invested. Instead of quitting from boredom — or worse, anger — one wants to see where this all goes. And perhaps more importantly, one wants to continue the experience itself, challenging as it might be. An obstacle that becomes a conundrum and confuses the gamer … that kind of thing can actually work to a game’s advantage if the overall experience is appealing. Do the controls hold up? Does the level design inspire? These are game play elements that make completing the game less pressing a concern.
The point, as it were, becomes the journey itself.
It’s a fine line to be sure, trying to create something that challenges and thrills rather than something that frustrates. Something that isn’t so much meant to be conquered as enjoyed. Something that rises above the genre or even the medium itself. Something like art.
Super Metroid is art.
Super Metroid
Genre: Exploring platformer
Released: 1994
Platform: SNES
EGM’s Best Game of All Time (’03)
The story behind a game that rises above the fray in such a manner is a familiar one. It was, as you might expect, a labor of love. So often do games with that devoted a team — dedicated to an idea and turning in genuine excellence — struggle to make it to market against forces that are more financially motivated. Such was the case at Nintendo, as the pursuit of perfection in this case rubbed many the wrong way, partly because a belief in the project was lacking from the beginning. That the project took forever to complete was more salt in the wound.
If the hope was to produce a commercially viable work of true genius, the concerns of the suits were perhaps warranted. Super Metroid “only” sold about 1.4 million copies, which in layman’s terms didn’t even place it among the top 30 selling titles on the Super Nintendo. Then again, I don’t doubt Nintendo made a fair amount of money out of the deal, and they ended up with one of the most well regarded games in history.
At its core, the game was meant to be a “super” upgrade to the original Metroid, a kind of cult hit on the NES. Part of the original’s genius was its dedication to exploratory principles. Bombing a random wall or floor might reveal a weapon upgrade or secret passage to another area. Backtracking to previous areas after upgrading would provide access to new weapons and areas. And so on, and so on.
The rush of constantly finding new abilities, weapons and other items pushed the gamer to continue forward and explore the terrain to their fullest ability. This basic concept would come to be known in gaming circles as “Metroidvania,” a nod to the influence of this series (as well as the Castlevania series) on the gaming industry in the development of the exploring platformer.
What Super Metroid did to improve on the original experience was simple in theory, but implemented elegantly. Expand the scope of the game. Add a map to make it easier to find your way around. And provide a bigger, better experience.
Easy, right?
Again, the solutions were mostly elegant. The map seems like a no-brainer now, but games of this nature didn’t include them before Super Metroid came along. The layout of the game took memorable locations and scenarios from Metroid, and then expanded upon them. Some boss battles mirrored past experiences, as did encounters with the metroids themselves. Samus was also given new abilities and weapons to acquire … all of which grew the scope of places the player could access, as well as provided Samus a variety pack of ways to destroy alien hostiles.
That theme, of aliens overtaking an outerspace base of some kind, was certainly inspired by the movie “Alien” (and other movies of that genre). But to make it really work, the developers had to lean into that vibe and recreate the experience for the player. Creepy sound effects and a spooky, empty-sounding soundtrack contributed to the atmosphere, as did the placement of enemies. They were often placed sparsely, in locations that would both create anxiety/anticipation when in plain sight, but also the jump scare effect when you’d encounter nothing for long stretches and then an enemy would appear suddenly.
The net effect was of being in a space horror movie.
Metroid, at least initially, was never a property that was viewed as having a wide appeal, and yet its theme — that of survival horror — begged for improvements. Indeed, the developers of the sequel correctly considered those horror elements to be cinematic in nature, so they sought to make a more cinematic game. Cut scenes that took control out of the player’s hands were considered risky at the time, but audiences ate it up. And while not everyone liked the twist at the end, it was at least the kind of thing that stuck with you!
Ultimately, it was the twists and turns of the story that left a lasting impression, elevating Super Metroid from “absurdly well designed game” to “highly memorable experience.”
So what makes it worth playing today?
That total commitment to a unique atmosphere and story, along with its critical importance within the development of a particular genre in the medium, make it a no-brainer as a game everyone must experience. Add on top of that fantastic game controls (the only failing being an annoying wall jump mechanic) and some of the best stage design in the history of gaming, and you’re left with essentially the easiest choice a person could ever make.
Play Super Metroid.
If you’ve never played it, seek it out as soon as you can. If you haven’t played it in awhile, circle back. And if you play it religiously already … good job! I can think of few other games that would hold up nearly as well upon repeat play-throughs.
I repeat … play Super Metroid.
Dave’s Score: 10/10
Check out the whole Retro Gaming Essentials list here!
How to play
- Original hardware (SNES)
- Virtual Console (Wii, WiiU, Nintendo 3DS)
- Super NES Classic Edition
- Nintendo Switch Online