+the environment design is probably my favorite part of the game. the space station model is a nice change of pace from the caves and tunnels that usually make up metroid games, and the amount of variety in each of the sectors is laudable as well. I even appreciate the vibrancy of the coloring as well, even though it's more of a result of this game being designed for a poorly-lit original GBA and me playing this on a much brighter SP101 model
+overall the focused mission-based model for the game is refreshing on a portable console. obviously it's not the same as a usual metroid game but it feels easier to play in short spurts thanks to this reason
+certain story beats are quite exciting, especially as the game draws to a close. I also like how many ties there are back to both super and return of samus.
+my favorite puzzle was definitely the one post-ice missile, where you have to kill an enemy in a certain room, let its X parasite infest a nearby lethal tower of vines (?), freeze it, and then use it to bridge a gap in a set of platforms used to speed boost through a wall in a different room. I wish there were more puzzles like this in the game (and I also wish it wasn't followed up by more mindless wall-bombing)
-by far my biggest complaint is the puzzle/progression design. the game frequently locks you into an area four to six rooms large and then forces you to find some hidden pathway through to continue. the concept itself is not bad (most of the metroid games do this occasionally) but the frequency and opacity are what frustrate me. some of these provide clues on where a passage might be, but there are just as many that require mindlessly bombing walls and floors. there are better ways to gate progression than using this repeatedly
-this game is just absolutely bursting to the seams with bosses. while earlier on I enjoyed them, the later game bosses left a very sour taste in my mouth. yakuza (the spider boss) can easily chain together grabs, and it's not obvious that mashing L+R specifically is the key to get out initially, so quick deaths are very common (especially since the save point is soooo far away). SA-X at the end also made me tear my hair out thanks its copious i-frames and the janky physics of its screw attack. in contrast, meta ridley felt underdesigned compared to both the other bosses and his iterations in both super and zero mission thanks to how non-aggressive it is and how easy it is to spam with missiles. having to destroy the spiked capsule thing after each one is also annoying; an entirely needless addition to each fight.
-the one failing of the mission structure here is that there's really no fun in finding new items, especially since virtually all of them draw from previous games. you nearly always know what you're gonna get, and thus the accomplishment of getting one and powering up is lost
-I thought there would be a point where I could run to each of the sectors fully powered up before taking care of the endgame, but this is not the case... I don't believe it actually locks off each sector near the end of the game but there's some trigger involving recharge rooms that causes them to be inaccessible.
-the X parasite concept replacing the inert hp/ammo drops of previous games is neat, but never really pans out past the puzzle mentioned above. for one, the drops give so little in comparison to the shocking amount of damage dealt by enemies in this game. they also have a tendency to escape and become something new with barely any downtime for samus to catch them (I have a feeling this may be scripted for certain enemies, as it's not universal)
glad I pushed through but really not my favorite metroid experience. I came in knowing about its polarizing reception, and while I initially enjoyed its new take on metroid structure, plenty of other issues cropped up. there's still the heart of a metroid game here though through and through, and I'd look forward to a remake that can capitalize on the atmosphere and structure this game was aiming for without the pitfalls.
+overall the focused mission-based model for the game is refreshing on a portable console. obviously it's not the same as a usual metroid game but it feels easier to play in short spurts thanks to this reason
+certain story beats are quite exciting, especially as the game draws to a close. I also like how many ties there are back to both super and return of samus.
+my favorite puzzle was definitely the one post-ice missile, where you have to kill an enemy in a certain room, let its X parasite infest a nearby lethal tower of vines (?), freeze it, and then use it to bridge a gap in a set of platforms used to speed boost through a wall in a different room. I wish there were more puzzles like this in the game (and I also wish it wasn't followed up by more mindless wall-bombing)
-by far my biggest complaint is the puzzle/progression design. the game frequently locks you into an area four to six rooms large and then forces you to find some hidden pathway through to continue. the concept itself is not bad (most of the metroid games do this occasionally) but the frequency and opacity are what frustrate me. some of these provide clues on where a passage might be, but there are just as many that require mindlessly bombing walls and floors. there are better ways to gate progression than using this repeatedly
-this game is just absolutely bursting to the seams with bosses. while earlier on I enjoyed them, the later game bosses left a very sour taste in my mouth. yakuza (the spider boss) can easily chain together grabs, and it's not obvious that mashing L+R specifically is the key to get out initially, so quick deaths are very common (especially since the save point is soooo far away). SA-X at the end also made me tear my hair out thanks its copious i-frames and the janky physics of its screw attack. in contrast, meta ridley felt underdesigned compared to both the other bosses and his iterations in both super and zero mission thanks to how non-aggressive it is and how easy it is to spam with missiles. having to destroy the spiked capsule thing after each one is also annoying; an entirely needless addition to each fight.
-the one failing of the mission structure here is that there's really no fun in finding new items, especially since virtually all of them draw from previous games. you nearly always know what you're gonna get, and thus the accomplishment of getting one and powering up is lost
-I thought there would be a point where I could run to each of the sectors fully powered up before taking care of the endgame, but this is not the case... I don't believe it actually locks off each sector near the end of the game but there's some trigger involving recharge rooms that causes them to be inaccessible.
-the X parasite concept replacing the inert hp/ammo drops of previous games is neat, but never really pans out past the puzzle mentioned above. for one, the drops give so little in comparison to the shocking amount of damage dealt by enemies in this game. they also have a tendency to escape and become something new with barely any downtime for samus to catch them (I have a feeling this may be scripted for certain enemies, as it's not universal)
glad I pushed through but really not my favorite metroid experience. I came in knowing about its polarizing reception, and while I initially enjoyed its new take on metroid structure, plenty of other issues cropped up. there's still the heart of a metroid game here though through and through, and I'd look forward to a remake that can capitalize on the atmosphere and structure this game was aiming for without the pitfalls.