How would you like to be part of an elite club with only 1,000 members? I’m talking about the official “People Who Own a Limited Edition Physical Copy of the New Bad Dudes Metroid Album” club. It’s very exclusive, but we can make it happen (we know a guy).

Club benefits include having a copy of Metroid Arrange 25th Anniversary Album by the Bad Dudes (including a bonus track not available in the digital version), the ability to feast your eyeballs on a glorious, double-sided poster and four panel comic, and the satisfaction of knowing that you’re now just a bit better than everyone else out there.

All you have to do is follow the instructions below and let us know what your favorite Metroid powerup is in the comments of this post. Do you like tearing through enemies with the screw attack? Or maybe you prefer turning enemies into platforms with the ice beam. Space jump over to the comments section and let us know!

Contest Rules:

1. Leave a comment below and tell us your favorite powerup from the Metroid series
2. Limit one entry per person
3. All entries must be made by legal U.S. residents
4. Entries must be accepted by 5:00pm PST on Friday, December 30th. We will then randomly select one winner

I’m talking about the same dudes that brought you the fantastic CHRONOTORIOUS album and fought the OverClocked ReMix community in musical combat. We are talking about some seriously bad dudes here. Dudes so bad they were commissioned by Samus herself to make the Metroid Arrange 25th Anniversary Album (if their totally rad trailer below is to be believed).

That’s 14 tracks from across the series (including a 13-minute medley). For $9.99, you can get the digital-only version. But for $13.99, you can get the limited edition physical CD with a bonus track, 2-sided poster, and 4-panel comic (including an instant download of the digital album). The last 1,000 limited edition copies are in captivity at Bandcamp. How much do you value galactic peace?

Buy the album: Bandcamp

Let me be clear: Metroid is my absolute favorite video game series of all time. While I realize it’s quite common for longtime gamers to identify with a particular Nintendo franchise, I’ve always felt that Metroid was something special. The isolation, the atmosphere, the sense of progression; everything about the franchise reaches out to me.

That being said, I realize that the franchise has fallen on some hard times. The release of Metroid Prime 3 was practically ignored by Nintendo and its PR teams, Trilogy is almost impossible to find in stores and even harder to get for a decent price, and Other M was such a disappointment (both in terms of quality and in sales) that many a fan’s faith in Nintendo’s ability to handle the franchise has been shaken.

That’s why I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. Below, I’ve compiled a list of the top four things that I believe should be done with the next entry in the Metroid franchise.

Note: these are just this writer’s opinions. Currently, Nintendo has announced no plans regarding a new Metroid title.

1) Where my Chozo at?

For those unfamiliar with Metroid lore, the Chozo were the ancient race of avian aliens that raised series protagonist Samus Aran and gifted her with her iconic Power Suit. According to Metroid Prime, they were nearly wiped out by an alien incursion before disappearing.

We’ve seen next to nothing of the Chozo, save for ruins and artifacts of their forgotten civilization. With their heavy connections to Samus’ history and equipment, their involvement in a future title would be a fantastic look into the fiction. Other M had the right idea in showing us Samus’ backstory, but chillin’ with the space marines wasn’t exactly the part of the lore fans wanted to explore. An encounter with the Chozo would give us more insight (much more interesting insight, anyway) into the Metroid universe than we’ve ever seen before.

2) Break out the graph paper, bring it back to 2D.

I love the Prime games. In point of fact, I hold the not-so-popular opinion that the first Prime is the best Metroid game period. That’s right, better than Super Metroid. Now that that’s out of the way, I would love to see a new sidescrolling entry. The idea of beautifully hand-drawn sprites and 2D gameplay has recently come back into vogue in gaming. Imagine a true follow-up to Super Metroid with the full weight of the top artists of the day and the processing power of the Wii or the Wii U.

It certainly wouldn’t be the first modern, flat-perspective Metroid game in history, with both Zero Mission and Fusion being made for the GBA, but it would be the first one in quite a while. And now in a post-price drop world, the 3DS with its lack of core content, 3D capability and high processing power seems like the perfect test bed for Nintendo to drop a new Metroid.

3) A moment of silence, if you please.

Part of what makes Metroid Metroid is the sense of isolation. While a silent protagonist definitely requires some unique storytelling methods, it’s just too damn hard to feel alone and independent when you’ve got half a dozen dude-bros giving each other the thumbs up every five seconds (see Other M).

That’s not to say that Samus shouldn’t be able to express herself. There really is no good reason for her not to be able to talk and, as long as she’s well-written, I would love the opportunity to take a look into her psyche. However, I’m just not that interested in 20 minute cutscenes in a Metroid game.

Keep it entertaining, keep it concise and keep Samus separated from the rest of the civilized galaxy. Have her facing the unknown terrors of the dark alone and unaided, and we should be golden.

4) Let’s get progressive!

Along with the sense of isolation, Metroid really depends on its sense of progression. The ability to tackle previously unassailable obstacles or handle old obstacles in new ways is the reason any Metroid fan worth their salt comes back time and again.

Over the years, developers have run out of legitimate excuses to strip Samus of her powers at the beginning of each game. Other M tried to alleviate this with an implausible and downright insulting story explanation while Prime 3 just started her off with most of her abilities from the get-go. Neither of these sat well with me. While the last thing people seem to be clamoring for from core Nintendo franchises is more traditionalism, this is one thing that I would be okay with seeing brought back.

I find it hard to believe that there isn’t some developer out there willing to give this issue the proper time and care it deserves. Maybe an Ubisoft, with their long track record of explaining gameplay conceits through the story could lend a hand? Honestly, I’d be okay with anything that didn’t keep me from using the Power Bomb until after I’ve beaten the game!

"Oh Other M, will I ever run out of complaints about you?"

5) Start loving Metroid again, Nintendo.

This isn’t really so much a suggestion as it is a criticism of Nintendo’s handling of the franchise. Metroid has never been as widely appealing as other Nintendo stalwarts like Zelda or Mario. With the darker aesthetic and vastly different style of play from just about anything on the market, Metroid is certainly the black sheep of the Nintendo family. This seems to have given Nintendo the idea that they should leave the franchise out in the cold. You can hardly blow your nose without spraying a new Mario or Zelda, while Metroid games feel few and far between in comparison.

On top of that, Nintendo seems to ignore those few games that do come out. It’s the 25th anniversary of the franchise for god’s sake! This is supposed to be a celebration! With nary a peep from the Big N on this most auspicious occasion (compounded with their practical disavowing of the last three games), can it be assumed that they just don’t care about the franchise anymore?

Metroid helped to define a whole new class of adventure game while redefining what a protagonist in a game could be. It shouldn’t fall entirely to fans to celebrate this fantastic series. Nintendo should recognize that there are fans that want more Metroid and more awareness for the franchise.

It is a hard thing for me to admit, but the original Metroid is a tough game to go back to. While the graphics and controls hold up well, its insane difficulty and incredibly tedious health replenishment make it a frustrating ride. But I’m not here to focus on the few bad things. I want to talk about the things it did amazingly right.

The 8-bit era was a time when many developers were unsure how to make games for the home market. Looking through the NES library, you’ll find a huge selection of the games, particularly the early ones, are ports of arcade classics. The quarter munching arcade mentality was so ingrained in developers that even some of the best entries on the NES still have that feeling that they are after your allowance.

Let’s look at what set Metroid apart from the pack.

A Connected World

Many gamers enjoy that sense of being transported to another place and time. An entire different reality through the medium of gaming. I know as a kid that grew up with a lot of health problems, this was a huge draw for me. I couldn’t go running around outside without being sternly warned not to “overdo it”, but I could run around Zebes blasting the crap out of some alien monsters to my hearts content.

The gaming landscape was dominated by level based games. Most followed the familiar Super Mario Bros. progression of a few levels in a themed world, then a boss, followed by a new set of themed levels. Metroid did one better by making a cohesive world.

"This is the whole map. Click to see it in detail."

When you start, Samus is dropped in the middle left of the map. Following the instincts you’ve gained from other games of the era and going from left to right will barely get you anywhere in Metroid. The first move that actually helps you make any kind of real progress is moving to the left. Even this minor detail is a big change from the norms of the time. It was a smart move on the part of the game’s developers, since it really makes you realize that this is a game that is going to force you to think about things a little differently.

If you click the map linked above and take a look at the starting location, it is very interesting to note that Mother Brain is almost directly on top of you right from the outset, unbeknownst to Samus (or you, the player). Even if you knew exactly where Mother Brain was, you have no way to get into her lair without first defeating her minibosses. This requires a lot of exploration before it can be accomplished.

Just getting from one side of the room to another is not going to be enough. Metroid’s layout forces you to venture forth in every direction. It requires you to scour all corners of Zebes for power-ups and the hidden lairs of Kraid, Ridley and finally, Mother Brain.

A Sense of Progression

Character progression was still a rare thing. RPG’s gave you stat bonuses from fighting monsters and new loot. Zelda had its set of items and hearts you could collect. But Samus’s new power-ups really made you feel empowered. You start with almost no health and a gun that only shoots about two feet in front of your face. Even the most basic of enemies could kill you in just a few hits.

"Giant birds make the best boots."

Your exploits lead you to a gun that can fire the entire screen. The ability to jump twice as high. Missiles used for previously locked doors. Even an ice beam that then allowed you to freeze enemies and use them as platforms to reach new areas.

By the end of Metroid, you feel like a badass. You are still a badass that can get said ass handed to them if you stop paying attention to what you are doing, but still.

All About the Atmosphere

Playing right into what was previously said about Zebes being one connected map is its cohesive atmosphere. You are utterly alone. The soundtrack plays well into this with its creepy ambiance. The creatures are strange and the few that are recognizable (like the bee creatures) are huge, ugly and twisted versions of the familiar. The titular Metroids only appear at the end of the game, and are like nothing you will have encountered before. They don’t follow a pattern, they are out for blood and it’s yours they are after.

The giant Chozo statues that hold the power-ups meant for Samus further play into the alien atmosphere. Clearly they are there to help Samus, but who built them and why? Many of these question were answered in subsequent entries in the series, but back then nothing in-game explained any of it.

Throughout the game, the background is a very stark black. This further plays into the feelings of isolation, but it also helps tie the different areas together. You don’t suddenly get to a part with a radically different feel. Even though the other aspects of an area may shift, you always have the feeling of being in the same big, lonely, monster-filled cavern.

So it had a few flaws. The important thing is Nintendo tried to do something interesting and different. They even made their main character female, something that is sadly still rare in the gaming landscape today. All the elements came together to make something that blew my then 7 year old mind.

Amazingly, Metroid: Zero Mission was able to take that original game, iron out the kinks and make it playable for a modern audience. I highly recommend tracking it down and playing that version instead.

Image Credit: Chris Furniss. Click the image for more or to order prints.

“I had a concept that the music for Metroid should be created not as game music. . . . I wanted to create the sound without any distinctions between music and sound effects.”

This quote from a Gamasutra interview with Hip Tanaka (composer of the original Metroid) sums up the beginning of the atypical sound the Metroid series is now known for. While it has definitely evolved as the series progressed through the changes in composers and hardware, the spirit and tone of the original has mostly remained throughout.

Metroid (NES/FDS)

In a time when the industry was overwhelmed with upbeat, catchy melodies, Metroid stood against the grain. While the game is bookended with more driving themes such as Brinstar and the escape sequence, the majority of the soundtrack is made of far less traditional game music. The item room in particular consists of a combination of strange noises and awkwardly sparse high notes.

Kraid’s lair might stick out in our minds as a happy middle ground between catchy and moody, but it’s areas like Norfair, Ridley’s lair, and Tourian where Tanaka’s vision feels fully realized. The abstract structure of these themes make the planet Zebes feel truly alien.

Metroid (NES/FDS)

Having come out on the Famicom Disk System first, the original score of Metroid (which never left Japan) had some subtle differences. There are a handful of themes that utilize the system’s wavetable channel. While purists might argue, the NES version we received in North America still fits the game like a glove and is a perfectly manageable version of the score.

Metroid II: Return of Samus (Game Boy)

With the exception of a few songs, Return of Samus managed to take Metroid music to an even more abstract place. In fact, most of Ryohji Yoshitomi’s score is hard to label as music, consisting purely of sound effects. Occasionally, a Tanaka-like melody will pop in and what’s there is certainly fitting. But aside from the tunnel theme, many would agree it has less staying power than the original game.

Super Metroid (SNES)

Much like the game itself, the soundtrack of Super Metroid could easily be considered the apex of the entire series. Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano put together a phenomenal score that, while more melodically driven than its predecessors, retained an atmospheric, dark tone.

Each theme is memorable, but unintrusive. The music of the underwater area of Maridia is hauntingly beautiful. Areas like Crateria and Norfair even introduced choral elements that despite being synthesized still sound incredibly eerie.

Super Metroid (SNES)

A lot of attention is paid to dynamics. The slight variations in volume, especially when quickly rising and falling, only add to the unsettling nature of the tone. In stark contrast, some of the battle themes discard subtly with a very full, alarming sound that works as a great counter piece to the rest of the soundtrack. In all aspects, Super Metroid is a tough game to top.

Metroid Fusion (GBA)

For the simultaneous release of Metroid Fusion and Metroid Prime, the Super Metroid composers were split up leaving Yamamoto to score Prime with assistance from Kouichi Kyuma while Hamano and Akira Fujiwara handled Fusion.

The Fusion soundtrack certainly set the right mood, but was never able to reach the high bar set by Super Metroid. It’s not without its notable qualities, though. The modulating synths and punchy kick drums in themes like the Nightmare battle at least give it a different flavor.

Metroid Prime Trilogy (Gamecube/Wii)

With less hardware limitations, Kenji Yamamoto was able to play with a larger variety of sounds for the Metroid Prime soundtrack. He used more choral elements than Super Metroid as heard in the Hall of the Elders, but occasionally combined it with bits of electronica. Themes such as the Chozo Ruins took a very minimalist approach while battle themes like the Parasite Queen didn’t hold back.

I never quite felt anything as magical as Hamano’s Maridia, but the underwater frigate came close. Phendrana Drifts and the artifact temple further added to the more serene side of the score.

Metroid Prime 3 (Wii)

The second game followed fairly closely in style to the first. Of course, there are a few outliers such as the Dark Samus battle which sneaks in a little guitar here and there over a more traditional beat. But when it comes to personal favorites, Torvus Bog is the star of the show.

For the final game, Yamamoto was once again joined by Hamano, reforming the Super Metroid duo while adding Masaru Tajima to the mix. Despite the extra music staff, Prime 3 didn’t really rise above anything laid down in the first two games. It wasn’t worse either, but considering what they managed to do on the Super Nintendo, I expected a little more. Then again, I can’t deny the more dramatic sound of the title screen music.

Metroid Zero Mission (GBA)

Even before Metroid Prime 3, Yamamato and Hamano combined forces to tackle the Metroid: Zero Mission soundtrack. As a reimagining of the original Metroid, the soundtrack contained a lot of the same songs, yet the style sounded much different. If you were to take the melodies from the first game, add the choral style of the Prime series, and sprinkle a little bit of Super Metroid on top, you would have Zero Mission. This hodgepodge of styles is especially apparent in the Norfair arrangement.

Metroid Prime Hunters (DS)

Metroid Prime Hunters is an interesting case. Scored by Lawrence Schwedler and James Phillipsen, it often has a decidedly un-Metroid feel to it. There are still some ambient tracks that fit the mood, but a lot of it features beats that would feel more at home in popular electronica music. In fact, the Magma and Arctic Spawn battle almost feels like it could be on The Prodigy’s Fat of the Land. It’s not a bad soundtrack, but certainly a very different one.

Metroid: Other M (Wii)

Metroid: Other M (Wii)

I hate to end on a downer, but with Metroid: Other M being the last game I don’t have much of a choice. It was scored by Kuniaki Haishima who to my knowledge had never composed for a videogame before. I have not heard his anime or film scores, but his work on Other M is completely forgettable. Most of it is ambient noise while the rest of it is generic fluff with no real substance. It’s at its best when it steals a theme from another game, and even that it doesn’t do often.

The best song actually comes from the game’s live action trailer, but that’s just cheating.

———————————————

It’s hard to say what the future of Metroid holds, especially with the last game being such a departure from the norm. I’d love to see what Kenji Yamamoto could do with an actual choir (instead of a synthesized one). But I’m not opposed to some new blood either. That is, of course, as long as they do a better job than Haishima.

On a very special episode of “Barrel Roll! A Video Game Podcast”, Jonah, Jesse and Adam Milecki talk about Metroid.

OK, that might be a little bit of an understatement. They don’t just talk about some of the games, they go through all of the games. It’s a super sized episode of ridiculous proportions and may have nearly been too big to process in Jonah’s audio editing software. We also announce the winner to our Humble Bundle Giveaway.

All music is taken from “Harmony of A Hunter“.

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Harmony of a Hunter concentrates pure Metroid fandom into a two and a half hour musical celebration. 24 different artists including Zircon, Stemage (of Metroid Metal), Mazedude and many others contributed to the album covering a variety of styles. You’ll hear music from the game that started it all right up to Other M.

There’s talk of a very limited physical release, but for now space jump over to the official site and download the album and all its artwork for free. It’s guaranteed to increase your life’s completion rating.

Source: Shinesparkers Download the Album: Harmony of a Hunter

The series will soon be collected into a book, but in the meantime you can order a 5″x7″ print of any piece in the series for $10 on Etsy. Chris also mentions the prints are done in-house, signed, and include extra goodies like stickers and buttons.

With 31 pieces to choose from, what’s your favorite? As a fan of Samus’ ship design, I couldn’t help but order this one.

Source: Wasabi Sunshine Buy a Print: Etsy

"A very controversial entry in an established series."

I remember when Metroid Prime was first revealed. “An FPS? How dare they do this to my precious Metroid!” I exclaimed. I generally don’t like First Person Shooters save for the occasional local multiplayer. Fast forward to today. Metroid Prime is now among my favorite games.

It’s for this reason that I was less skeptical about Metroid: Other M going in. History gave me faith that a drastic change from what’s been established is not necessarily bad. Now that I’ve completed Other M, I can answer the question “Does this new take on Metroid reinvent it as successfully as Prime did?”

The short answer is “no”, but that doesn’t mean you should give the game a pass necessarily. Metroid: Other M does a few things better than Prime, but it makes a lot of missteps as well, resulting in an ambitious, but inferior game.

The most controversial change is the larger focus on story. It’s definitely a low point of the game, but isn’t as intrusive as the first hour or so of Other M would like you to believe. In fact, most of the game’s “2 hours of cutscenes” seemed to be at the beginning and end. The meat of Other M is far less story heavy, giving you plenty of time to actually play the game.

The real problem with the story is that it isn’t good. That isn’t to say it is devoid of neat ideas (there are a few near the end, though they’re borderline absurd), but any merit it would have had is ruined by its execution. Despite the cutscenes visual polish (ignoring the ugly, meat-faced male characters), the voice acting is all dull and the dialogue is absolutely horrible.

Then there’s the combat. When the girl who was previously saying lines like, “It pierced my heart,” puts a giant chameleon in a headlock and shoots him point blank in the face with a charged shot, it becomes hard to believe these two situations involve the same character.

As much as I love Metroid, I’ve never found combat to be its strong point. Other M actually has the potential to change that. It has a few rough edges, but killing enemies in Other M is fast, frantic, and most importantly, really fun.

Switching to first person is fast and works better than you’d think. Time actually slows down for a second when you switch, giving you more time to quickly aim a missile before dodging out of the way again. The auto-aim of your weapon outside of first person view works really well, too. There are often so many enemies at a time and everything moves so quickly that a manual lock-on system would likely have felt too clumsy.

"You pierced my heart. Prepare to die."

Aside from this, there are also some more cinematic moves. You can land on the heads of larger enemies, allowing you to stick your blaster right up to them for massive damage. You can also do a lethal strike on downed enemies. These animations are all different depending on the enemy and are quick enough to add a nice flourish without interrupting the action.

The combat’s biggest downfall is that the “sense dodge” is a bit too useful. Not only does a successful dodge instantly charge your weapon (which is a crucial part of the strategy), it also can be done continuously (given there is contextually something to dodge). If Other M gets a sequel, I’d like to see this ability inhibited a bit; perhaps with a slight delay before you can dodge again.

Enemies range from the familiar to bizarre new creatures and there’s no shortage of them. Even boss battles are plentiful. Besides the new monsters, you’ll fight obvious returning characters like Ridley as well as at least three very surprising returning bosses (one of which is an optional post-game boss) that have never appeared in more than one Metroid game until now. All three of these should put a smile on the face of long-time fans of the series.

"The cinematics, while visually impressive, are audio nightmares."

Rather than have you lose your powers, Samus decides not to use them until authorized by her old C.O., Adam. In the beginning, I didn’t mind too much. Sure, Power Bombs would vaporize everyone around me. I get that. But when you need authorization for the Varia Suit, Grapple Beam, Space Jump, and Gravity Suit, you really have to wonder what possible harm could come from any of these items. It comes off as moronic, not to mention that being told you can use something is not nearly as exciting as finding it for yourself.

Like Metroid Fusion, Other M‘s “Bottle Ship” feels more linear to traverse than the average Metroid. In fact, I’d argue that Other M is the most linear Metroid game to date. That isn’t to say there aren’t plenty of items to collect. In fact, I finished the game with a measly 41% completion initially.

The problem is that, while the individual rooms may still be full of secrets, branching pathways are very few and far between. One of the reasons my item collection was so low is that there is very little forced backtracking. Finding yourself in a room from earlier in the game, armed with new powers at your disposal is unfortunately a much rarer occurrence unless you really go out of your way.

The increased linearity combined with the way powers are dished out ruins some of the sense of wonder that exploring previous worlds provided so well. But what took away from the atmosphere the most for me was the music. Anime/Film composer, Kuniaki Haishima, fails to capture the spirit of Metroid in his soundtrack. Instead, we’re left with a combination of silence and forgettable ambiance, occasionally sprinkled with a theme from a previous game.

"Machines generate holograms in some rooms, making it appear like you're on a planet."

Added to the list of negatives are the forced scan sections. Occasionally, the action stops for you to play Where’s Waldo in first person view with the full 360-range of rotation. The problem is, you don’t know what Waldo is. I got stuck on some of these parts for longer than I’d care to admit, and often finding the right object to look at came completely by accident.

But it’s not all bad. Samus feels more mobile than she ever has before. Retro Studio’s take on Samus felt much slower than the classic games. Inversely, Other M makes Samus faster than ever. She can run at incredible speed, perform a hilarious amount of flips in a single jump (as it should be), and do a full 180 degree turn practically instantly.

As much as I love the Prime series, abilities like Space Jump and Screw Attack just didn’t work well in first person. Other M‘s execution of these abilities feels almost as good as the 2D games. Also, long forgotten abilities like the Speed Booster and Shine Spark make their triumphant 3D debut with great success.

Metroid: Other M get’s combat and mobility very, very right. Unfortunately, the story, level design, and a few odd design choices hold it back from being a consistently good game. The end result is uneven, but ripe with potential. If a sequel were to combine Other M‘s fast pace with Prime‘s superb level design and fix a few other issues (story, music, etc), we could have another must-have title on our hands. In the meantime, we have a pretty decent action game.

I think it is fair to say that the surprise at the end of Metroid has to rank amongst the all time great surprises in the Surprise Hall of Fame in Branson, Missouri.

And if that actually does exist, I am as surprised as you.

For those of you that don’t know by now, Samus is a girl. Yeah, that dude in the crazy cool power armor is actually a girl.

For 6 year old Dave, finding out that the crazy cool Space Bounty Hunter was a girl caused a mind explosion. Everything 6 year old Dave thought he understood about gender roles was turned upside down. I refused to believe it; I thought people were trying to pull a joke on me. It wasn’t until I saw it with my own eyes that I began to accept it. Samus was not only the most bad-ass Space Bounty Hunter ever.

She was a girl.

Other than Ms. Pac Man, there were really no other women in gaming. If a girl managed to sneak into a game, she would be promptly kidnapped and would need a man to rescue her. Not my girl Samus. Samus, would blast any would-be kidnapper in the face with a missile and then spin jump away. She wasn’t some helpless princess, she was a B.A.M.F. Long before Lara Croft was raiding tombs, Samus was saving the galaxy from evil Space Pirates and giant brains.

Finding out Samus was a girl was unlike any twist 6 year old Dave had ever encountered. Needless to say, 6 year old Dave had to rethink all his theories about the ickiness of girls and the frequency of cootie infestations.

It might seem a bit silly now, but like in an 80′s sitcom, I really did learn a valuable life lesson. Without saying a single word, Samus taught me a lesson that has stayed with me a lot longer than any lecture I have ever received about gender equality. Samus is wholly responsible for teaching me that women are just as capable as men when it comes to Galactic Space Bounty hunting.