Old-school throwbacks
First and foremost, great job on the site. Your almost overwhelming, critical-yet-proactive take on the efforts of the boys over at Retro is rather impressive. Additional kudos go out to what appears to be a genuine concern for the preservation of the Metroid experience set forth by Prime's predecessors. Your dedication to the continuance of an art form is immediately evident and incredibly welcomed.
I've often considered two things that would tickle my fancy as an old-school-gamer. The possible egg-worthy-hat-tips-to-old-school-gamers I speak of are: a) The inclusion (or reincarnation, if you prefer) of a character that would take the name of Juntis Beylia (or any other acronym for that matter); and b) a timed final escape sequence of epic proportions that, somewhere amongst all the chaos, involves the arbitrary rescue of friendly, indigenous life that vaguely resembles ostriches, koopas, and a trio of green pokemon.
-M. Dizon
Thanks for the very kind words. I'm glad there are others out there who enjoy the site and appreciate my intent. It is my belief that there are elements, both major and minor, that define the appeal and uniqueness of the Metroid franchise. Though Retro Studios crafted an excellent game, they overlooked or changed many of them. Though there are fans (particularly some of the younger ones) who don't see these things in the same light, as someone who loves the Metroid franchise I think it’s important that these elements be recognized and represented in future games if the franchise’s appeal is to be preserved.
I think a lot of the older fans would get a kick out of seeing a reference to Metroid's famous "Justin Bailey" trick. Some have even suggested that the "Justin Bailey" mode make a return to the series, though the value of such a bonus is dubious at best in a first person game. As for a climactic end sequence, I'm fairly certain Retro meant to add one (they can't have overlooked that much!) but probably ran out of time. The way the Impact Crater was designed and the message you get after the final boss suggest that such a sequence was intended, but Nintendo's rush to have the game out the door in time for the holidays probably robbed us of it. The return of something as satisfying as Super Metroid's escape would certainly be a great way to cap off a sequel that addresses all (or at least most) of Prime's faults.
Robo's suggestinos
Scan visor issue: I never really liked the idea of shooting everywhare to find secrets, and when you use that form on a 3d world, you need to be shooting at 3x more areas than in a first person veiw. here is [an idea]:
the "scan visor" would display the walls and floor in a non-detailed way, and there would be a small figure of samus that is allways in the center.
and for an added bonus it could be more like a scanner, and would show you some hollowed-out areas underground and in walls for some chalanging energy tanks/missles/powerbombs.
and for the controls: Seperate alternate weapons. Instead of just always having the missile on Y, make Z toggle the C-stick switcher from beam to secondary fire. They could have missiles, super missiles, grappling beam and perhaps other power-ups. They could even do other charge combos. Charge plus missile equals beam combo. Charge plus super missile equals shield combo (kind of like the power bomb combo from Super Metroid).
-Robo
Remember, a good level designer would hint at where you need to shoot or bomb, not just randomly assign these places. A dead end, a small curious nook, or a slightly different texture can all hint at what to do without explicitly saying it. Bombing and shooting to explore has always been a trademark of the series and should be represented in 3D. I don't quite understand your scan visor suggestion, but scanning in Prime was just too powerful. It needs to be de-emphasized, and the other visors need a more active role in the exploration, especially if secrets are to be better represented.
Your control suggestion assumes the beams will remain separate. If that occurs (and it shouldn't), then it could be a good way to make super missiles and the grapple beam separate selectable items again. However, even if weapons are once again combinable, a toggle button could still serve a function. For a suggestion, see the response below.
A response to my reply
Ever played Jet Force Gemini? That shooter had some control issues, but if there is one thing that game did right, it was the camera. It is entirely in third person, but there were two camera modes. One is the typical Zelda/Mario camera, while the other is a behind the back view that is exactly like a first person view except you can see your character, who is semi-transparent. I never had any issues with the camera in that game, except that I would have liked to have the option to jump while in the first person mode, but it was not a big deal since most jumping would be in third person.
I played Jet Force Gemini long before I even knew what a Gamecube would be or what Metroid Prime would be like, but when playing that game, I said to myself and anyone who would listen, "This is what Metroid 64 should be like." I really said that, and I still think that. Sure, they could make the next game entirely in third or first person and avoid complaints from me, but I think it could be even better if they combine them.
Admittedly, the two views in JFG each have their own complicated controls, but that is not really necessary. The only difference would be the function of the analog sticks. In a third person view, the left stick would turn and move your character like Mario, while it would only move your character in the eight directions without turning in the first-person view. In the third person view, the C-stick would control the camera, while in the first person view...it would control the camera, except differently. Is that really hard
learn or program? I think not.
As for level design issues related to the camera, I think the only major ones are the narrow corridors and tall, vertical halls. The solution: force the player to use the first person view in narrow corridors; encourage the player to use the third person view in vertical halls. Forcing the player to switch to first person inside a narrow tunnel would not actually be a big deal. Just pull the camera into the back of her head as she passes through the door, and nothing will be interrupted. The level designers at Retro Studios are obviously talented enough to fix any other camera issues.
I want to address the weapon issue. I say that the Ice beam should be an easily switchable weapon. There are situations when I would want to use it, and situations when I definitely would not. The situation changes would probably be quick enough that I would not want to retreat to the pause screen every time I want to switch. The D-Pad could probably be reorganized to include the Ice Beam switch somehow. I wouldn't mind seeing some other weapons that are ideal for certain situations and not other situations as
well, but I guess the rest of the weapons we have seen so far could be combined automatically with minimal complaints from me.
-Shaktool
I'm afraid that I've never played Jet Force Gemini so I can't comment on it. I understand it gathered a bit of a cult following from N64 fans so it must certainly have its merits. I hope my previous response didn't seem to be downplaying your opinion. I agree with you that a switchable viewpoint would be feasible, and there would certainly be nothing wrong with taking such a risk if it means that we'll get a more faithful 3D Metroid game. My argument is just that I don't think the bulk of Prime's shortcomings as a Metroid game stem from its perspective, but it's true that because first and third person each have certain advantages being able to switch views could be a good option. I'm certainly open to the idea if it's done right.
As for the weapons, I understand your opinion on the ice beam. In Super Metroid some fans like to switch it off at times to make killing the enemies quicker. While I still think fully combinable is the way to go, maybe some sort of a quick menu scheme could be implemented that would bypass the start menu. Prime's controls could be reorganized to free up at least two buttons (map on start frees up Z, missiles on C-stick frees up Y), so maybe one of them could display a menu that lets you quickly toggle beams with the D-pad or C-stick or something to that extent. As long as I'm not forced to constantly switch or toggle beams I don't mind if Retro gives us the option (as it was given in Super) and if it can be streamlined then it's all the better.
Metroid, Metroid Prime, the Metroid logo, Metroid games and related items, all names, photos, and scans of these Metroid games or items are registered trademark and/or copyright Nintendo of America, Inc., and Nintendo Co., Ltd. The author of this page is not affiliated with Nintendo, Retro Studios, or any of their licensees. No copyright infringement in these pages is intended. All such content is protected by intellectual property laws and any use other than for private, non commercial purposes is strictly prohibited.
