On music and third person
I just stumbled upon your site
Actually I disagree with you in some areas (namely music) about Prime. I though the music was great, different, but great. I also hate the control set-up idea you have mainly cause I hate walk and look being on different sticks. In my opinon, most Harcore Metroid fans (like me) came into Prime with low expectations, and this brought most people's opinions down because they were expecting it to be bad cause it was not only first person but made by an american company, basically they have bias. I usually keep an open mind so I didn't have much bias, but I still found plenty wrong with it.
I do agree about the Scan visor, it was waaay over powered, not only that but places to roll through that you had to bomb to enter were waay too easy to see.
I think that an even better way to do the screw attack would be if they'd allow you to switch to third person, then you could do better jumps and even the sumersault jump, and therefore the wall jump, screw attack, space jump and such. it would definitely make it more Metroid like. And I never thought of the the speed boost, but yeah, they could use it. and what about the jump ball and a better bomb jump. Prime's bomb jump was too limited. I hope we get to see more of Samus in the next one rather than her view the entire time.
-DeathJake34
Looking back I wish I’d expressed myself somewhat differently with regards to the music. My main argument against it isn’t on how it can or can’t suit one’s personal tastes but rather against how inappropriate and inadequate it too often is at conveying the uniquely eerie, mysterious, and haunting atmosphere that any Metroid game deserves. Certainly I acknowledge how divisive the music issue is for fans, but I wholeheartedly stand by my conviction that the musical direction needs to change if the game is to adequately exude the ambiance of the franchise. Though I can understand why some may find it appealing, letters like the following one let me know I’m definitely not alone in my beliefs. With regards to the controls, why hate choice? All I propose is that a dual-look scheme is possible and it should be an option.
On music, atmosphere, and gameplay
I agree wholeheartedly with what you said in The Music. In fact, the score was possibly what I remember most vividly about Super Metroid, even above the gameplay, simply because it added just that much to the mood (another incredibly important aspect of such an epic game). I can just now hear the triumphant Crateria theme as I move from upper Brinstar to the Wrecked Ship (the Crateria theme, by the way, being my favorite of all). Come to think of it, I don't remember a thing about the soundtrack to Prime. In all truth, I couldn't have even recalled that it was Techno, it was so unimpactful. I, for one, would like to see Retro bring back the old themes (or bits of them), remix them and use them in the next game.
Your comments about Prime's gameplay prompted another response, in which I once again state my stalwart agreement. I noticed many of the same things about Prime, especially when it came to Samus' downgrade in manuverability. As you said once before, it was most likely part of the fact that the world was in 3D, mostly open, airy environments and required that Samus not be able to access every location as easily as she might were she able to jump as high or run as fast as she could before. However, a few careful re-calculations could easily remedy this, putting that platform on the other side of the water just barely out of reach until you recieve the grapple beam. In addition, you are right on the money about the bombs being altogether too trivial and the scan visor altogether too omniscient. Revealing storyline and creature information is one thing, but telling you that there is a weak point in the wall you could not see with the naked eye...
Perhaps one minor change that should be made for the next sequel, simply to eliminate the problem of repetition and unsatisfying methods of exploration is to make Samus just a little less God-like. Other than her restricted movement, It seems as though Samus just has just a tad too much unnatural influence over everything around her. We all understand that she must needs be strong enough to destroy gigantic bosses as well as agile enough to fit into incredibly tight spaces, but she should at least have to use her own brain (namely the player's) to solve the game's puzzles and identify unnatural looking walls and floors.
One final note, I never actually beat Metroid Prime. It was almost as if, unlike the games before it, it just did not have the mystery, mood and excitement to keep me engaged long enough to finish it, so I put it down in favor of Resident Evil 0 (which I also never finished). I practically bought the Gamecube for the sole purpose of playing Metroid Prime and, other than the beautiful graphics and, at the very least, on-par gameplay, was faced with somewhat of a dissappointment. It is my only wish that the next game returns to the quality of Metroid and Super Metroid, games that left a wonderful legacy and plenty to build off of.
-Peter Larson
The wrong way to disagree
hey dude i saw this metroid evolution site and how you questioned every little thing that was or wasnt in prime and why it was that way well dude its because they can do what they want!
oh and i have some reasons for you
reason the speed boost and the shine spark arent in prime is because THEY WERENT INVENTED YET! METROID PRIME HAPPENED AFTER METROID 1 DUDE GOOD LORD!!!! THEY WERENT IN PART TWO EITHER THEY APPEARED IN METROID 3 AND THATS WHY THEY ARE ALSO IN METROID FUSION WHICH IN TURN IS THE SEQUEL TO METROID THREE!
reasons for the non crouch in prime is because THERE WAS NO POINT IN IT WHAT SO EVER!!!! NONE!!!! THIS GAME IS PERFECT IT DIDNT NEED ANYTHING LIKE A CROUCH SO WHAT THE HELL!
you can take your site and shove it for all i am concerned
-Jamie Harris
I swear I didn’t change anything about the letter to make this guy or his argument look bad. That’s really how he wrote it. I put it up just to illustrate how pointless and self-defeating this type of letter is. I received it long before Zero Mission, which invalidates one of his arguments, was released, and the other is explained in depth on a section of the site which he apparently didn’t bother to read. Those who disagree, please try to argue coherently against my assertions or else you simply make your point look rather pointless.
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