IMO... timeless. They are as fun as they day they released. SOTN too... PS1 (and many other platforms now) ... but still.
I dunno... it's rare to point to a game that's basically eternally great.
If you haven't already, check out the randomizer that combines both games. You'll have to find which doors lead to the other game. It's fun opening a chest in LttP and getting a super missile upgrade.
I played Super Metrod after I beated Fusion and Zero Mision (my first metroidvania games) and I was worried that Super Metroid would not hold up at the same level of those as being a snes game, but I was surprised that I enjoyed it more than the other 2 games.
The ambiance and the music are superior here for me. The controls can feel cluncky and slower in the beginning, but you get used to them.
Fusion was the first Metroid game that I found available to play like 15 years ago. I was not interested in the Metroid series before until I found out that Samus was a girl thanks to the Super Smash Bros Brawl trailer and I wanted to play the game where she appeared in the Zero Suit, but I got confused and I got Fusion thinking that was the game where the Zero suit appeared. Nonetheless, Fusion was a great introduction for me, not only for the Metroid series, but also, for the entire genre.
Super Metroid is the best Metroid game ever made.
Every other game that is created tries to recapture that perfection. The only ones that come close are other Metroid games and a few masterpieces like the Ori games and Hollow Knight. I am hoping that the soon-to-be-released early 2025 Metroid Prime 4 on Switch will be awesome as well. Been waiting a long time
I also really loved Metroid Dread and hope they make a Metroid Dread 2 soon.
Prime 2 just didn't sell nearly as well as prime 1, in no small part because it released the very same week as the single biggest release of that year, Halo 2.
I wouldn't be surprised if they were to shadow drop remasters for Prime 2 and 3 shortly before the release of Prime 4, but as of now, we don't even know whether that game will still come out for the Switch or only on its successor.
The Metroid prime 1/2/3 collection is absolutely amazing when emulated on PC with upscaling; using the keyboard and mouse mod makes it impossible to go back and play it any other way. It's a truly incredible experience.
When I booted up that remaster and found out it wasn't a full remaster of 1-3 I was really surprised. I just assumed they would be bundled since they were sold bundled years ago already.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is hands down the BEST Castlevania game ever made.
That being said, I really enjoyed Lord of Shadow 2.
Aria of Sorrow was also amazing.
I think it's funny that it's the first time they tried a metroid style castlevania and it was instantly a well designed and thought out game. You'd think they'd need a bunch of games to things out better, but it was immediately working well from the get go. The only thing that finished these games perfectly was aria of sorrow's enemy soul collection
It wasn't \*quite\* the first time, as the 2nd (in the US) Castlevania game, Simon's Quest, was made to compete with Zelda and other "adventurized" games on the NES.
I think Dawn of Sorrow doesn't get it's due. I think because it's on the DS and it's seemed as "gimmicky" maybe. But it's an amazing all-around great Castlevania with a great castle for exploration, tons of secrets. EVERY enemy has an ability (soul) you can drop which adds to the great weapon upgrade system. It's second behind SotN for me.
It gets slept on because it was on the DS and because they got rid of the incredible art from sotn and aria of sorrow in favor of some of the most low-budget looking generic anime art ever. The cover looks like a B-tier anime released direct to VHS.
[cover art](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d5/Castlevania_Dawn_of_Sorrow_NA_Cover.jpg)
The successor to Dread won't be called "Dread 2", it'll have its own title. Super Metroid is Metroid 3, Metroid Fusion is Metroid 4, Metroid Dread is Metroid 5.
Pretty much this. I wonder what Metroid 6 will be called, though? I think we're all pretty certain that it'll have to do with the X parasites that escaped from ZDR before it went kablooie. Maybe something like one of these?
Metroid Contaminant
Metroid Extermination
Metroid Deception
Metroid Infection
Metroid Contagion
I'd pick one of these depending on the story direction they want to go in.
The only reason I have a switch was for Prime 4. When I found out it was scrapped and started over I was bummed out but at least it will be a better game this way.
I'm so interested to see the sequel to Dread, they won't be saddled with the "dread" name anymore so we hopefully won't have emmi-style "horror" sections, and they managed to wrap up the clusterfuck of a story the metroid games had been cobbling together up until that point pretty neatly (I loved the reason Samus wasn't talking this whole time). Dread also has the best bosses in the series by a huge margin.
Mercury Steam have got 2 Metroid games worth of dev experience now. If they can get a better soundtrack next time I think they've got a real shot at finally outdoing Super!
The only thing that could've made Dread better is a more memorable soundtrack. Good use of returning themes and the final boss theme and sequence afterwards was great but the area themes aren't memorable at all. Even the ambient themes in Super Metroid like Tourian stick out to me with its bubbly wap-wap wap-wap wap-wap wap-wap brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr wap-wap wap-wap.
I didn't play it until 2019, but it's my favourite game of all-time. You do need to have an open mind about classic games to appreciate it, though. You can very easily write it off as having aged poorly if you really want to, but anyone who does so is doing a disservice to themselves, especially if they're a fan of the genre.
I think both can be true. The sense of exploration in Super Metroid is the best I've ever found in a metroidvania. But the controls during late-game action moments are frustrating and awful to the point of ruining the experience. And I'm personally sick and tired of farming pipes to refill health.
They're unlike controls in most games, so they can feel unintuive and unlike how games are "supposed" to feel, but that's part of the game's character, along with the floatiness. The game has an incredibly high skill ceiling though, and getting a hang of the controls does away with the stiffness you might feel at first.
Huh? There's very few games across all platforms that holds up as well as Super Metroid, fuck there's games from the seventh generation of consoles that aged horribly.
It has not aged poorly. It could use a couple quality of life changes but to say it “holds up” would be a gross understatement. It’s still one of the best
I think so, my first metroid wasn't until metroid fusion on the gba (despite growing up in the 90s with a snes).
Went back at a later date and played SM and loved it.
I also don't think these questions are useful because everything is a product of it's time and circumstances and nobody knows how things will progress in the future.
it's still often considered the best metroid by many if not the best metroidvania only recently with games like dread ori and hollow knight have i seen people put other games in contention imo it holds up very well
I'm an 80s kid who only went back and played Super Metroid as an adult. It holds up 99.9% as one of the greatest of its genre, standing alongside some of the best metroidvania and retro-style pixel art games today.
That 0.1% exception is the wall-jump mechanic, which was a new thing for video games when Super Metroid came out. After three decades of wall-jumping I found it frustrating to the point that I almost rage-quit the game altogether. There's a combination of input mechanics and timing in executing a wall jump that feels utterly foreign today, and there is a spot where the game blocks your progression until you manage to wall-jump all the way up a vertical corridor.
I only played it as an adult, and I loved the game but I still have no clue how to wall jump lol. I got stuck in that wall jump pit, and it took me an embarrassingly long time to get out. I had to watch a guide on how it works, and even then it took way too many attempts. A great game, but I think my brain is just too trained on the more modern wall jump to understand how to do it in Super Metroid
I understand that opinion and for me it was also frustrating at the beginning. But now it has gone so deep in my muscle memory that I always try to do Super Metroid style wall-jumping in different metroidvanias and have hard time to adjust to games own wall-jump mechanic :D
Couldn't that vertical corridor be passed using the Ice Beam?
I could be misremembering. Or there could be a different one I'm thinking of.
I remember trying to wall jump up that section for ages and becoming so frustrated, and then I froze then little red guys flying back and forth and realised I could have tried it way earlier.
The flying spin jump also had a frustrating application in that sometimes it just wouldn't work.
Still one of my favourite games of all time. Almost certainly my favourite for nostalgic purposes.
Similar to someone else, I've played it through a bunch of times. Back when I got it first in '94 or '95, then on the Wii, then on the Switch.
The only place that requires you to wall jump iirc is the place where the little creatures ”teach” it to you. It is a completely optional skill that’s mostly useful for sequence breaking.
"there is a spot where the game blocks your progression until you manage to wall-jump all the way up a vertical corridor."
There is no such spot. In fact, you only need to successfully wall jump once, off of one wall, and from that ledge you can bomb the wall to the left and get out if you don't want to wall jump up to the top. And if you want the item at the top, you can come back when you have the Space Jump.
And this is only if you fall down here and use the save point, which you probably will on a first playthrough, but technically you can 100% Super Metroid without a single wall jump, and if wall jumping weren't a little tricky, new players could and would immediately start breaking the intended game progression.
You can bypass that if you know it’s there. I could never wall jump and had to start a new save and just avoid that area until I had either that super jump thing or Space Jump. Can’t remember but it’s possible to beat with no wall jumping.
Yes, for me it never feels outdated due to its limited ability pool and upgrades.
It also surprised me that I liked it best among these metroid titles (Zero Mission, AM2R, Super, and Fusion) even without knowing the general consensus at the time.
I recently gave up on it having hit a wall with the old controls. I might try and pick it back up at some point, but my hope is for a proper remake of it that modernizes controls while keeping the rest of the game the same so I have a better chance of experiencing it.
I haven't tried it yet, I do want to though. I started with zero mission and then played Samus returns (3ds), that was probably the biggest mistake, cause going back to SNES after 3ds stuff was rough.
If you're emulating it there are a few different rom hacks that update the controls and/or the physics to more closely match the GBA games. Beloved as Super Metroid is, control schemes have come a long way since then.
I recommend Project Base v0.8. It modernizes the game but it's slightly less faithful at a cost of not having design issues of implementing GBA physics in a game that doesn't have levels built for it. It's my favorite improvement mod for the game. The one I believe you're talking about is Redux.
I haven't actually played either, so I didn't want to be specific, just happened to be looking into them the other day, Redux has the physics as an optional patch I believe.
its amazing the only problem i have with it is the controls feel kinda clunky, especially compared to the gba games. its much more exploration heavy then zero mission id say bc zero mission legit just points you where to go.
yeah if you're set on hating Super Metroid (by saying it "feels dated") you're only doing yourself a disservice. Super Metroid is the "Metroid" in "Metroidvania"
It helps to realize that "Speedrunning" in general was barely a thing people did at the time, (some of the first speedrunning communities were formed around Doom in 1993) yet despite this they built in certain things in terms of game design that supported this idea of "trying to traverse through the game faster" like the secret moves, the shinespark tricks and routes, and the different endings based on playthrough time. I also think that the inherent 'glitchiness' of the shinespark and other 'hidden' mechanics really played a large role in making Metroid a game that people spent years and years trying to analyze.
Also, being a game from 1994 certain aspects are bound to feel a little dated (mainly the controls imho). But coming from Zero mission I don't think you will have anything to worry about and you can always remap the controls in the menu to your preference. Compared to most of the games that came out in those days it has aged extremely well and it still holds up, especially considering it's still head and shoulders a better game than the vast majority of metroidvania imitators out there.
I personally feel that the major developments in metroidvanias over the years has been their 'opening up more' rather than being faux-linear, and in that respect I think Super Metroid doesn't meet today's interpretation of the genre. So perhaps if you're really into these more open MVs like Hollow Knight you could consider Super Metroid 'dated'.
Does it hold up? It's one of the greatest games of all time.
Take your time. Don't look at any guides. Wear headphones and try to be left undisturbed. Enjoy that shit.
I'm going to say this: my first Metroid game was Zero Mission, and I loved it. It's one of the best metroidvanias I've ever played. After that, I wanted more, so I played Fusion (very linear, lots of exposition, quite worse in my opinion), Metroid II (liked it a lot, making my own maps was a blast), and then Super Metroid. Knowing the community consensus, I started the game three or four times, and each time I abandoned it. There's a choke point in the middle with a very obscure path that's easy to miss. If you miss it, you're bound to wander the map aimlessly for hours. A huge number of enemies just throw themselves at you at high speed, and the controls are clunky compared to newer games, especially the wall jump. It feels dated, especially after all the control and quality-of-life improvements in Zero Mission. I understand it's old, but please note that I loved Metroid II on the GameBoy.
That said, I know (and you can see it here) that I'm in the minority. I'd recommend you play it and update this thread with your feelings about the game. I'd love to hear how it was for you.
I admit to some degree of bias, having grown up playing it. I’ve played every other masterpiece in the genre, though, and it’s still my favorite (although Hollow Knight is a close second).
Like most people already told you: yes. But not everyone feels the controls hold up or they feel the game is dated in several areas, especially if you came from the GBA games like Zero Mission and Fusion.
There are a myriad of ROM hacks available for Super Metroid that seek to address this and other seemingly dated features. Mind you, this changes the original experience, so not everyone recommends this for a first playthrough, but if you find yourself too much bothered by aspects of the vanilla experience, you should pay no heed to them.
One of the most extensive QoL hacks that changes the game to feel more up to date is [Redux](https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4963/). Those who don't like the forced inclusion of [Control Freak](https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/405/) generally recommend the latest version of [Project Base](https://www.begrimed.com/pb/) instead.
I played it for the first time this year; I'm not really into retro gaming, yet I was amazed by how smart that game was. It holds up, it's a great time.
"""Hold up"""? Super Metroid is still without a doubt peak of the genre. Games don't age, if they were good then they are good now. If you don't like Super Metroid, instead of saying it has "aged" say what is actually supposed to be wrong about the game. It having floaty controls has nothing to do with age, as the vast majority of platformers at the time had fast-falling characters. The wall jumps not being free has nothing to do with age either, Sunsoft's Batman, Mega Man X and the Ninja Gaiden trilogy let you wall jump by jumping at it and simply pressing jump again.
Video games are art, they aren't just technology that linearly becomes better with time, it's just disrespectful to the medium to ask questions like "is this worth playing today?".
Super Metroid(1994), Metroid Fusion(2002), Castlevania Symphony of the Night(1997) and Castlevania Aria of Sorrow(2003) all hold up extremely well despite being 20-30 years old.
Only minor forgiveness for lacking modern sensibility is required, but all are classics in their own right.
I can't think of many old classics that hold up as much as Super Metroid does. It's so insanely ahead of its time. It feels like a game that could have came out last week. The *atmosphere*, level design, music graphics... It's a legendary game for a reason. Every metroidvania fan should play it, imo.
Super Metroid was so, so ahead of its time and to this day my very favorite game. If you enjoyed Zero Mission you should enjoy Super - the one area where it hasn’t aged the best is the physics feel a little floaty in comparison to the later titles, but outside that it’s basically does everything else better. The last boss is also an incredible piece of interactive storytelling.
It's still one of the best Metroidvanias ever, if not the best. I played it for the first time in 2019 as my second metroid game and it's now in my top 5 favorite games of all time.
Are you kidding? Super Metroid IS the genre. In fact, Metroid is the genre. SotN gets waaaaaaay too much credit for being instrumental when in reality it was the real poser. Super Metroid is the genre. It's time we drop the "Vania" and let it be Metroid-esque instead.
I think it is awesome, but your main hurdle will be the control differences. You will essentially be learning entirely new controls, as opposed to every other 2D Metroid game from Fusion onward which feel like an extension of Fusion's controls.
However, in my opinion everything else holds up. The sheer atmosphere that they were able to achieve is stunning, and I recommend playing it for that alone.
I do too, I'm moreso talking about:
-Each bumper is up OR down
-Weapons are selected with one button, used, then deselected either with that button several times or with a completely different button
-The Run button
-In-game physics are completely different. (I probably should have said this as a different point originally, but I also would call this how the game controls so my mind pushed them together in the first comment).
Definitely a masterpiece. Although it does not have any story except the opening movie, it's in some sense story-rich, and an unforgettable experience. To avoid a spoiler, nothing more can be said, but believe me.
It's also nice to have the experience of Metroid 1 / ZM before playing Super Metroid, so you're in a very good position. If you've enjoyed MZM a lot, it won't harm.
It's still studied to this day from a game design perspective. It doesn't just hold up, it still stands a giant among its modern peers.
Like Chrono Trigger, it's not just nostalgia making people think that. New players and young people come to the game all the time and are consistently and constantly impressed. It's timeless.
> possibly feeling dated in comparison to Zero Mission
Zero Mission feels absolutely dated in comparison to Super Metroid, it's the other way around.
The words "clunky" or "dated" often get thrown around and misused to refer to games that simply require more skill, precision and practice of the player to master their controls, not that they're _actually_ unpolished or unrefined.
I think a lot of Super's claimed issues are overstated or misunderstand the deliberate intent behind certain design choices. Plenty of modern players have fired it up for the first time and had no problem acclimating to its controls. In actuality, most of the ways in which the game is genuinely dated are pretty minor QOL issues like a lack of a few nice to have features on the map screen and no widescreen support. In some rare instances perhaps, it can have some overly cryptic level design too. Thats really the bulk of it. Outside of that, the game is a masterpiece and still the best in the entire series.
There's a good chance you'll enjoy it based on the responses. I played it recently for the first time without the rose colored lenses of nostalgia. I'll just play devil's advocate to most responses and say it felt very dated to me and was relieved I could use guides and save states to avoid unnecessary frustration. Absolutely worth trying though.
Super Metroid is truly an amazing game with incredible music and atmosphere, However, compared to later entries in the series, including remakes, it DOES have some traits that don't quite hold up. For one, wall-jumping is much harder than it has been in later games. Another is that a few of the boss rooms feel very small and don't give you much room to maneuver. But these aside, it truly is a great game. Frankly, I'd love to see what Mercury Steam could do if they got the chance to remake it.
"wall-jumping is much harder than it has been in later games"
I replied to another similar comment already, but I do not think this is a valid critique for two reasons:
1. You're not supposed to know going in that wall-jumping is even possible. If it worked like, say, Mega Man X (which came out before Super Metroid, by the way), players would figure it out on their own, and it would break the first playthrough progression, or would have forced the devs to use more hard gating.
2. Wall-jumping is only required in one spot--literally only the room where the game teaches you to do it!--and you only have to successfully do it once on a single wall. Even if you are going for 100%, you can come back later once you have the Space Jump.
Super Metroid has a very, VERY low skill floor for a game from 1994. So it's nice that there is optional movement tech that increases the skill ceiling and adds replay value for would-be speedrunners and other challenge runners.
I busted out my SNES in 2012 and beat it again then, it held up very well. It’s not perfect compared to how the genre has evolved, but it’s still very fun
A lot of it does but I think we have far better Metroidvanias now. The biggest sticking point for me is how Samus controls. It just feels a bit janky and imprecise. Collision detection also feels a bit weird. Its still fun. But I don't think it would sell well if it was newly released this year.
After playing many other modern metroidvanias, I would like to experience the original metroid series. As a newcomer to the series, should I start with the original Metroid (the NES one) or with Super Metroid?
It's got the same thing going on as original Dark Souls, IMO. Best world design, but most archaic gameplay. Since you've beaten Zero Mission and you understand how a Metroid game works, you should be in a perfect position to play and enjoy it. There are certain mods that add some of the GBA quality of life features into Super that you might want to look in to.
I think I was lucky to play it before Fusion and Zero Mission, because the controls feel way better in the GBA games. But it's still a wonderful game regardless. The other shortcoming is the Miridia section, but it's worth pushing through.
I replayed both Metroid and Super Metroid when Online came out a few years back. Metroid aged a bit, but was still enjoyable. Super Metroid, on the other hand, is basically what any of the pixel art games are today (except for the 4:3 ratio). It's an amazing game.
its great. i played it at 16 6 years ago and its pretty great. i do wish you could quick save but, playing on modern console usually means if you close it it will pick up where you leave off so its not that big of a deal.
It's one of the top 3 games of all time. Of the other Metroid games, only Prime 1 & 2 are in Super' Metroid's league.
I find Fusion, Zero Mission, and a Dread to all be fine games, but they all have substantial caveats that keep them from remotely being as good as SM, in my opinion.
It’s a fantastic game but I personally prefer Metroid Zero Mission and especially Metroid Dread. imo the gameplay in Metroid Dread is completely unmatched.
For me, yes absolutely. My favorite game of all time, but I'm old. What's most impressive to me as a hobbyist game dev is looking at the sprite sheets for super Metroid vs current games with a similar art style. Metroid just has so many more sprites per animation, despite being like 500 years old.
I played Metroid Fusion first, then Super Metroid and Metroid Prime simultaneously. Late 90’s kid who grew up with Super Mario 64 and Fusion, and Super Metroid is my favorite game of all time. I first played it on the Wii U.
Hollow Knight feels like the spiritual successor to Super Metroid. Its freedom, sequence breaking, movement, abilities, level design, and respect for the player’s intelligence feel very familiar to Super Metroid.
Super metroid does ambience beautifully. Every zone feels completely different. It makes you feel like you're actually exploring a planet as it is. Soundtrackwise it's my favorite, every track is unique and it's memorable. I know I'm biased because it was the first metroidvania I've ever played, however it's a game I can play 3 or 4 times a year and I'll never get bored of it.
As someone who played Samus Returns on 3ds first followed by Zero Misson and Fusion before playing Super I can say although it can feel slightly dated at times, it still holds up extremely well and was a blast to play, if you like Zero Mission's movement and feel, Super will feel a smidge clunkier but again still a great game.
I feel it's somewhat akin to people who have played the more modern Castlevanias (like the ds trilogy and Gba games) then go back and play SotN, yes not as smooth movement wise and looks slightly aged but still the best in the series.
I didn't play it as a kid so it's not just nostalgia when I say it's still one of the best metroidvania games ever made. It's my personal favorite of the metroid series too, but you could make a strong case for fusion and dread. I don't think zero mission is on the same level, but it's good and more story driven than SM.
Yes! Its the Metroid that all metroids should try to be or surpass. The only things that might be annoying are wall jumping, which you don’t really need to do to play the game, and switching between power ups. I can’t stress this enough, though: the game allows you to set the controls to how you want, so find a configuration that is comfortable for you.
It set a standard in gaming that in my opinion has yet to be matched in its respective genre. One of the singularly greatest pieces of media of all time.
no super metroid is the goat as far as i am concerned better then the advance games or anything nintendo put out since. i am still waiting for the super metroid style game not some 2.5d crap. even though the last2 games were good i still want that traditional game they have yet to deliver on. instead i have turned to the indies to scratch that itch.
If you can get a hang of the weighty controls and are ok with getting stuck for possibly hours, it holds up as one of the greatest metroidvanias, yes.
I’m sorry but as far as atmosphere and depth of exploration, Zero Mission is the far inferior title
The controls are a bit clunkier than modern games (floaty jump, no wall hanging, cycling through sub weapons instead of input patterns), but the game itself holds up great. The atmosphere, pacing and level design are top-tier... mostly. A couple areas are undercooked (the pipe section in Maridia), but overall its phenomenal. Still one of the best, if not THE best.
I replayed it last year. It still has a ton of atmosphere, especially with the music. It's more inventive than any other Metroid game -- nothing as big as Shinespark has been added to the series since then.
I have issues with the floaty physics and clunky controls of that game. I've played it dozens of times, but it never feels as good as ZM or Fusion, so it has aged quite a bit in that respect.
That being said however, the ambiance, open layout, music, visuals are all world-class. Still a fantastic game and a masterpiece.
The controls won't feel as snappy but technically you can do way more with the physics in Super Metroid. Just gotta get used to the floatiness. Exploration is really really good though.
I recently gave it a replay, remembering it as endlessly mysterious and fascinating as a kid.
The first half is absolutely a marvel of 2D exploration and style -- and I think that's where the rose-tinted glasses set in.
The second half was a complete slog, mostly due to floaty, aggravating jump mechanics and badly implemented wall jumping (which had already been done better years earlier). The endings scheme... does not hold up at all, and I'll leave it at that.
It's still certainly worth a play, and has moments where you can see why it's a revered piece of gaming history. However, I have to admit I hate-played roughly half of it.
Come for the atmosphere, leave with good memories if your blood pressure rises.
It's still an incredible game that regularly features in top 10 video games of all time lists. I wouldn't say the game is dated, but I do think the controls can feel a bit dated for some people (the controls are somewhat floaty, rather than the smooth movement modern gamers are generally used to).
The environment, exploration, and music are some of the best in any video games at all.
It holds up extremely well but if you come from zero mission don’t expect it to control the same. It’s not meant to feel very empowering; the exploration is the key
Super Metroid is a once-every-few-years play through for me. It’s got great ambiance and I get super nostalgia hits thinking back to halcyon summer days watching my bro and his friends push through the first time. It doesn’t have the narrative and gameplay guidance that later iterations do, leaving the exploring completely up to you which adds to the mystique of the experience. Worth a playthrough for sure!
I’ll throw out a dissenting opinion: it’s a little clunky. It can be frustrating at times. The map is large but doesn’t provide great ways of getting around, which you need to do a lot. It’s still a fantastic game, but I don’t think it’s stood the test of time perfectly well. Newcomers have perfected the formula. I played it very late, not in my childhood, so I might be missing the nostalgia connection. I’ve definitely been spoiled by more modern takes on the genre.
Also, Metroid games love to hide items and secret pathways in walls which appear pristine, making you shoot every square tile of wall in every room, which is lame IMO.
Yeah Super is a timeless classic. The floatier movement will feel odd at first after Zero Mission, but it’s not worse, it’s just different and the world is made for the different movement.
Super Metroid has definitely aged well, it’s the original on NES and Metroid 2 on Gameboy that didn’t age so well
In my opinion it's still the best game of all time.
And the best Metroid game.
The level design is still top notch, gives you liberty enough while also guiding the player with just visual clues.
And talking about visuals...the visual storytelling is still unrivaled to this day. Later Metroid games rely more on text to tell a story.
But this game doesn't even have dialogues and yet tells a pretty good story in an amazing way that I haven't seen it done it since. It's like those cinematic platformers such as Out of this World Flashback and Inside, but with a interconnected map ; this is incredibly difficult to task.
Still talking about the visuals, the pixel art is extremely detailed and beautifully animated, with gorgeously looking sprites and great effects such as transparency which makes the atmosphere feel more authentic and unique.
It's still one of the best looking games I've seen.
Soundtrack is wonderful and takes the mood to a whole another level.
I can still remember all the tracks from beginning to end.
Crateria Theme, Upper Brinstar, Lower Brinstar... All of them and more stood the test of time even with the limitations of the cartridge (because the chip of SNES itself was capable of doing CD-quality music, but the cartridge sizes limited that).
The controls, despite what some people say, feels great and it's incredibly deep and complex.
Metroid Dread, which is a recent game, have some of the nicest movements I've ever seen in a Metroidvania. Is a evolution of Super Metroid at some parts... But still isn't as deep.
The wall jump is much more flexible and hard to pull off, while the running and jumping actually takes momentum into consideration ( unlike later Metroid games), tons of hidden techniques with are very useful in speedruns.
I feel like a lot of people also play with default controls, which may not be the ideal for everyone.
If you change the shot button to Y and jump to B, the game feels much more comfortable to play.
Finally, this is a really awesome game to replay.
Tons of paths you can choose to take, you can even go crazy and do a Reverse Boss Order, which is very hard but rewarding once you do.
There may be some aspects which hasn't stood the test of time (such as the sand physics which isn't great) , but overall, yes, I can say that the game is still awesome despite being old.
It's precisely because of this that I play it every year since 2014 (where I first finished it).
It has some wonky areas like the controls, some of the map being wonky, having an unessential run button and the wall jump; it otherwise still holds up and it's still one of the series' best.
It definitely does. I got into the genre last year with Hollow Knight and have played lots of modern MVs since then. Recently played Super Metroid on emulator and it was just as enjoyable as some of the best form the last few years.
Super Metroid feels like it could have came out yesterday. People who don’t like the controls need to accept that maybe the game is slower paced than they’d prefer. It’s not something that’s bad or wrong with the game. It’s how Metroid always controlled until zero mission and fusion decided samus should move 2.5x faster
It's an amazing game.
One of the all time greats. I’ve played through it at least 10 times over the years.
I shamelessly played it hundreds of times
I've played it at least a thousand times
Bro chill my gf uses this app
Oh yea, what’s a thousand to a couple ten thousand
Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past are the two best games ever made for Super Nintendo.
IMO... timeless. They are as fun as they day they released. SOTN too... PS1 (and many other platforms now) ... but still. I dunno... it's rare to point to a game that's basically eternally great.
Ahem add Chrono Trigger to that list and all is forgiven heh
I'd say add Terranigma as well, tbh
Was wondering how come I don't know this game. It was never released this side of the pond eh. I'll look for it, thanks for the suggestion.
If you haven't already, check out the randomizer that combines both games. You'll have to find which doors lead to the other game. It's fun opening a chest in LttP and getting a super missile upgrade.
W t fffff
Interesting
I played Super Metrod after I beated Fusion and Zero Mision (my first metroidvania games) and I was worried that Super Metroid would not hold up at the same level of those as being a snes game, but I was surprised that I enjoyed it more than the other 2 games. The ambiance and the music are superior here for me. The controls can feel cluncky and slower in the beginning, but you get used to them.
I still think it's weird that some people play fusion before super, since the story/atmosphere of fusion hits so much harder if you play them in order
Fusion was the first Metroid game that I found available to play like 15 years ago. I was not interested in the Metroid series before until I found out that Samus was a girl thanks to the Super Smash Bros Brawl trailer and I wanted to play the game where she appeared in the Zero Suit, but I got confused and I got Fusion thinking that was the game where the Zero suit appeared. Nonetheless, Fusion was a great introduction for me, not only for the Metroid series, but also, for the entire genre.
yeah i think fusion is my favorite metroid game
Super Metroid holds up fucking immaculately. It's in strong contention for my favorite game in the genre with Hollow Knight, and it came out in 1994.
Agreed. Its crazy how well Super Metroid holds up!
Super Metroid is the best Metroid game ever made. Every other game that is created tries to recapture that perfection. The only ones that come close are other Metroid games and a few masterpieces like the Ori games and Hollow Knight. I am hoping that the soon-to-be-released early 2025 Metroid Prime 4 on Switch will be awesome as well. Been waiting a long time I also really loved Metroid Dread and hope they make a Metroid Dread 2 soon.
Was really hoping we'd get a Prime 2 remaster. Doesn't look like it at this point
Yeah, I was hoping the same thing. I played through Metroid Prime: Remastered on Switch a few times and enjoyed it.
Does a bear shit in the woods?
Prime 2 just didn't sell nearly as well as prime 1, in no small part because it released the very same week as the single biggest release of that year, Halo 2.
What better time to re-introduce it to the world, especially after the success of Prime remaster.
Leading to the Halo Envy that is MP3
I wouldn't be surprised if they were to shadow drop remasters for Prime 2 and 3 shortly before the release of Prime 4, but as of now, we don't even know whether that game will still come out for the Switch or only on its successor.
The Metroid prime 1/2/3 collection is absolutely amazing when emulated on PC with upscaling; using the keyboard and mouse mod makes it impossible to go back and play it any other way. It's a truly incredible experience.
When I booted up that remaster and found out it wasn't a full remaster of 1-3 I was really surprised. I just assumed they would be bundled since they were sold bundled years ago already.
Eh, could easily be a September shadowdrop with Prime 3 coming later (December?) and Prime 4 launching in March
Symphony of the night is also truly amazing
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is hands down the BEST Castlevania game ever made. That being said, I really enjoyed Lord of Shadow 2. Aria of Sorrow was also amazing.
I think it's funny that it's the first time they tried a metroid style castlevania and it was instantly a well designed and thought out game. You'd think they'd need a bunch of games to things out better, but it was immediately working well from the get go. The only thing that finished these games perfectly was aria of sorrow's enemy soul collection
It wasn't \*quite\* the first time, as the 2nd (in the US) Castlevania game, Simon's Quest, was made to compete with Zelda and other "adventurized" games on the NES.
I think Dawn of Sorrow doesn't get it's due. I think because it's on the DS and it's seemed as "gimmicky" maybe. But it's an amazing all-around great Castlevania with a great castle for exploration, tons of secrets. EVERY enemy has an ability (soul) you can drop which adds to the great weapon upgrade system. It's second behind SotN for me.
It gets slept on because it was on the DS and because they got rid of the incredible art from sotn and aria of sorrow in favor of some of the most low-budget looking generic anime art ever. The cover looks like a B-tier anime released direct to VHS. [cover art](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d5/Castlevania_Dawn_of_Sorrow_NA_Cover.jpg)
I don’t think it gets slept on so much as it’s hard to play in the current era.
This guys whole profile is worth watching but check this vid out https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8-VIgKvW6k/?igsh=MTFqeGJhYWFjOTJmZQ==
Damn, that's awesome!
The successor to Dread won't be called "Dread 2", it'll have its own title. Super Metroid is Metroid 3, Metroid Fusion is Metroid 4, Metroid Dread is Metroid 5.
Pretty much this. I wonder what Metroid 6 will be called, though? I think we're all pretty certain that it'll have to do with the X parasites that escaped from ZDR before it went kablooie. Maybe something like one of these? Metroid Contaminant Metroid Extermination Metroid Deception Metroid Infection Metroid Contagion I'd pick one of these depending on the story direction they want to go in.
Metroid X-tinction 😮
I’m in
Extinction, I hadn't thought of that! I doubt they'd stylize it like that, though.
Metroid Extermination sounds too much like the mission of Metroid 2. Haha. But the others sound cool.
The only reason I have a switch was for Prime 4. When I found out it was scrapped and started over I was bummed out but at least it will be a better game this way.
I'm so interested to see the sequel to Dread, they won't be saddled with the "dread" name anymore so we hopefully won't have emmi-style "horror" sections, and they managed to wrap up the clusterfuck of a story the metroid games had been cobbling together up until that point pretty neatly (I loved the reason Samus wasn't talking this whole time). Dread also has the best bosses in the series by a huge margin. Mercury Steam have got 2 Metroid games worth of dev experience now. If they can get a better soundtrack next time I think they've got a real shot at finally outdoing Super!
I’d give Prime the edge but Super is amazing.
The only thing that could've made Dread better is a more memorable soundtrack. Good use of returning themes and the final boss theme and sequence afterwards was great but the area themes aren't memorable at all. Even the ambient themes in Super Metroid like Tourian stick out to me with its bubbly wap-wap wap-wap wap-wap wap-wap brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr wap-wap wap-wap.
Only one the gives me the same itch is Symphony of the Night.
I didn't play it until 2019, but it's my favourite game of all-time. You do need to have an open mind about classic games to appreciate it, though. You can very easily write it off as having aged poorly if you really want to, but anyone who does so is doing a disservice to themselves, especially if they're a fan of the genre.
I don't think it's aged that poorly aside from the floaty(which provides an unique in its own right) the game still looks amazing due to it's artstyle
I think both can be true. The sense of exploration in Super Metroid is the best I've ever found in a metroidvania. But the controls during late-game action moments are frustrating and awful to the point of ruining the experience. And I'm personally sick and tired of farming pipes to refill health.
Use...an energy recharge station?
I realt wanted to like it but the controls were both stiff and floaty so i vouldnt but i think it still aged pretty well
They're unlike controls in most games, so they can feel unintuive and unlike how games are "supposed" to feel, but that's part of the game's character, along with the floatiness. The game has an incredibly high skill ceiling though, and getting a hang of the controls does away with the stiffness you might feel at first.
Huh? There's very few games across all platforms that holds up as well as Super Metroid, fuck there's games from the seventh generation of consoles that aged horribly.
Yes
Absolutely!
I believe it does. It is a near perfect game.
It has not aged poorly. It could use a couple quality of life changes but to say it “holds up” would be a gross understatement. It’s still one of the best
Of course it does. It's the original great Metroid game.
My favorite one
I think so, my first metroid wasn't until metroid fusion on the gba (despite growing up in the 90s with a snes). Went back at a later date and played SM and loved it. I also don't think these questions are useful because everything is a product of it's time and circumstances and nobody knows how things will progress in the future.
it's still often considered the best metroid by many if not the best metroidvania only recently with games like dread ori and hollow knight have i seen people put other games in contention imo it holds up very well
I'm an 80s kid who only went back and played Super Metroid as an adult. It holds up 99.9% as one of the greatest of its genre, standing alongside some of the best metroidvania and retro-style pixel art games today. That 0.1% exception is the wall-jump mechanic, which was a new thing for video games when Super Metroid came out. After three decades of wall-jumping I found it frustrating to the point that I almost rage-quit the game altogether. There's a combination of input mechanics and timing in executing a wall jump that feels utterly foreign today, and there is a spot where the game blocks your progression until you manage to wall-jump all the way up a vertical corridor.
Wall jumping not being free has nothing to do with age. Sunsoft's Batman, Mega Man X and the Ninja Gaiden trilogy have effortless wall jumps.
Gargoyle's Quest on the game boy was another one.
I only played it as an adult, and I loved the game but I still have no clue how to wall jump lol. I got stuck in that wall jump pit, and it took me an embarrassingly long time to get out. I had to watch a guide on how it works, and even then it took way too many attempts. A great game, but I think my brain is just too trained on the more modern wall jump to understand how to do it in Super Metroid
I literally couldn’t do it when the game was new. It’s hard af.
I understand that opinion and for me it was also frustrating at the beginning. But now it has gone so deep in my muscle memory that I always try to do Super Metroid style wall-jumping in different metroidvanias and have hard time to adjust to games own wall-jump mechanic :D
Couldn't that vertical corridor be passed using the Ice Beam? I could be misremembering. Or there could be a different one I'm thinking of. I remember trying to wall jump up that section for ages and becoming so frustrated, and then I froze then little red guys flying back and forth and realised I could have tried it way earlier. The flying spin jump also had a frustrating application in that sometimes it just wouldn't work. Still one of my favourite games of all time. Almost certainly my favourite for nostalgic purposes. Similar to someone else, I've played it through a bunch of times. Back when I got it first in '94 or '95, then on the Wii, then on the Switch.
The only place that requires you to wall jump iirc is the place where the little creatures ”teach” it to you. It is a completely optional skill that’s mostly useful for sequence breaking.
"there is a spot where the game blocks your progression until you manage to wall-jump all the way up a vertical corridor." There is no such spot. In fact, you only need to successfully wall jump once, off of one wall, and from that ledge you can bomb the wall to the left and get out if you don't want to wall jump up to the top. And if you want the item at the top, you can come back when you have the Space Jump. And this is only if you fall down here and use the save point, which you probably will on a first playthrough, but technically you can 100% Super Metroid without a single wall jump, and if wall jumping weren't a little tricky, new players could and would immediately start breaking the intended game progression.
You can bypass that if you know it’s there. I could never wall jump and had to start a new save and just avoid that area until I had either that super jump thing or Space Jump. Can’t remember but it’s possible to beat with no wall jumping.
100%
it's still my all time favorite
Simple answer is yes, although some people may not like the floaty physics.
Yes, for me it never feels outdated due to its limited ability pool and upgrades. It also surprised me that I liked it best among these metroid titles (Zero Mission, AM2R, Super, and Fusion) even without knowing the general consensus at the time.
Zero Mission was good. Super Metroid was the best Metroid game ever made. Many can come close but no one can touch it.
I recently gave up on it having hit a wall with the old controls. I might try and pick it back up at some point, but my hope is for a proper remake of it that modernizes controls while keeping the rest of the game the same so I have a better chance of experiencing it.
Just curious, have you tried A2MR? It's a fan remake of Metroid 2. It might hit that balance of old school gameplay/atmosphere and updated QOL.
I haven't tried it yet, I do want to though. I started with zero mission and then played Samus returns (3ds), that was probably the biggest mistake, cause going back to SNES after 3ds stuff was rough.
If you're emulating it there are a few different rom hacks that update the controls and/or the physics to more closely match the GBA games. Beloved as Super Metroid is, control schemes have come a long way since then.
I recommend Project Base v0.8. It modernizes the game but it's slightly less faithful at a cost of not having design issues of implementing GBA physics in a game that doesn't have levels built for it. It's my favorite improvement mod for the game. The one I believe you're talking about is Redux.
I haven't actually played either, so I didn't want to be specific, just happened to be looking into them the other day, Redux has the physics as an optional patch I believe.
I'm playing it on my 3ds, so it's just the SNES virtual console controls. Maybe I'll have to try emulating somewhere I can i stall romhacks.
Yes
its amazing the only problem i have with it is the controls feel kinda clunky, especially compared to the gba games. its much more exploration heavy then zero mission id say bc zero mission legit just points you where to go.
yeah if you're set on hating Super Metroid (by saying it "feels dated") you're only doing yourself a disservice. Super Metroid is the "Metroid" in "Metroidvania"
It helps to realize that "Speedrunning" in general was barely a thing people did at the time, (some of the first speedrunning communities were formed around Doom in 1993) yet despite this they built in certain things in terms of game design that supported this idea of "trying to traverse through the game faster" like the secret moves, the shinespark tricks and routes, and the different endings based on playthrough time. I also think that the inherent 'glitchiness' of the shinespark and other 'hidden' mechanics really played a large role in making Metroid a game that people spent years and years trying to analyze. Also, being a game from 1994 certain aspects are bound to feel a little dated (mainly the controls imho). But coming from Zero mission I don't think you will have anything to worry about and you can always remap the controls in the menu to your preference. Compared to most of the games that came out in those days it has aged extremely well and it still holds up, especially considering it's still head and shoulders a better game than the vast majority of metroidvania imitators out there. I personally feel that the major developments in metroidvanias over the years has been their 'opening up more' rather than being faux-linear, and in that respect I think Super Metroid doesn't meet today's interpretation of the genre. So perhaps if you're really into these more open MVs like Hollow Knight you could consider Super Metroid 'dated'.
Does it hold up? It's one of the greatest games of all time. Take your time. Don't look at any guides. Wear headphones and try to be left undisturbed. Enjoy that shit.
I'm going to say this: my first Metroid game was Zero Mission, and I loved it. It's one of the best metroidvanias I've ever played. After that, I wanted more, so I played Fusion (very linear, lots of exposition, quite worse in my opinion), Metroid II (liked it a lot, making my own maps was a blast), and then Super Metroid. Knowing the community consensus, I started the game three or four times, and each time I abandoned it. There's a choke point in the middle with a very obscure path that's easy to miss. If you miss it, you're bound to wander the map aimlessly for hours. A huge number of enemies just throw themselves at you at high speed, and the controls are clunky compared to newer games, especially the wall jump. It feels dated, especially after all the control and quality-of-life improvements in Zero Mission. I understand it's old, but please note that I loved Metroid II on the GameBoy. That said, I know (and you can see it here) that I'm in the minority. I'd recommend you play it and update this thread with your feelings about the game. I'd love to hear how it was for you.
It’s a must play. I do want a remake in the engine of Dread though. Man that would slap
I admit to some degree of bias, having grown up playing it. I’ve played every other masterpiece in the genre, though, and it’s still my favorite (although Hollow Knight is a close second).
Like most people already told you: yes. But not everyone feels the controls hold up or they feel the game is dated in several areas, especially if you came from the GBA games like Zero Mission and Fusion. There are a myriad of ROM hacks available for Super Metroid that seek to address this and other seemingly dated features. Mind you, this changes the original experience, so not everyone recommends this for a first playthrough, but if you find yourself too much bothered by aspects of the vanilla experience, you should pay no heed to them. One of the most extensive QoL hacks that changes the game to feel more up to date is [Redux](https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4963/). Those who don't like the forced inclusion of [Control Freak](https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/405/) generally recommend the latest version of [Project Base](https://www.begrimed.com/pb/) instead.
I played it for the first time this year; I'm not really into retro gaming, yet I was amazed by how smart that game was. It holds up, it's a great time.
Greatest game of all time.
"""Hold up"""? Super Metroid is still without a doubt peak of the genre. Games don't age, if they were good then they are good now. If you don't like Super Metroid, instead of saying it has "aged" say what is actually supposed to be wrong about the game. It having floaty controls has nothing to do with age, as the vast majority of platformers at the time had fast-falling characters. The wall jumps not being free has nothing to do with age either, Sunsoft's Batman, Mega Man X and the Ninja Gaiden trilogy let you wall jump by jumping at it and simply pressing jump again. Video games are art, they aren't just technology that linearly becomes better with time, it's just disrespectful to the medium to ask questions like "is this worth playing today?".
Super Metroid(1994), Metroid Fusion(2002), Castlevania Symphony of the Night(1997) and Castlevania Aria of Sorrow(2003) all hold up extremely well despite being 20-30 years old. Only minor forgiveness for lacking modern sensibility is required, but all are classics in their own right.
Yes, it holds up.
I can't think of many old classics that hold up as much as Super Metroid does. It's so insanely ahead of its time. It feels like a game that could have came out last week. The *atmosphere*, level design, music graphics... It's a legendary game for a reason. Every metroidvania fan should play it, imo.
Super Metroid was so, so ahead of its time and to this day my very favorite game. If you enjoyed Zero Mission you should enjoy Super - the one area where it hasn’t aged the best is the physics feel a little floaty in comparison to the later titles, but outside that it’s basically does everything else better. The last boss is also an incredible piece of interactive storytelling.
It’s my favorite video game of all time to this very day
I play through Super Metroid every few years and it’s so good that it’s the only game I’ll immediately start a new save file once I’ve beaten it.
Played it like a year ago for the first time and loved it.
It holds up better than Zero Mission.
It’s still the best metroidvania ever made. And I first played it like 8 years ago. The music and ambiance is still unmatched to this day.
Of course it does. Next question.
Lol what is this bait post. Still one of the top 10 games of all time
The fact that it's 30 years old and still the best Metroid game is incredible
It's still one of the best Metroidvanias ever, if not the best. I played it for the first time in 2019 as my second metroid game and it's now in my top 5 favorite games of all time.
It'll hold up forever
It hasnt aged a bit. 10/10
Super Metroid is a top 2 Metroidvania and a top 3 SNES game.
Are you kidding? Super Metroid IS the genre. In fact, Metroid is the genre. SotN gets waaaaaaay too much credit for being instrumental when in reality it was the real poser. Super Metroid is the genre. It's time we drop the "Vania" and let it be Metroid-esque instead.
Hell the fuck yes it does.
I’d love a super Metroid or fusion with dreads engine
I was in the same boat as you. I just finished Zero Mission and am currently playing Super Metroid. It holds up great
Best game I've ever played. And my first play through was in 2020.
It holds up, it's a great game. Although you are a bit right; Samus's controls are the best in Zero Mission but everything else is better.
I think it is awesome, but your main hurdle will be the control differences. You will essentially be learning entirely new controls, as opposed to every other 2D Metroid game from Fusion onward which feel like an extension of Fusion's controls. However, in my opinion everything else holds up. The sheer atmosphere that they were able to achieve is stunning, and I recommend playing it for that alone.
I remap them on every playthrough. It's only 2 buttons that are strange to me.
I do too, I'm moreso talking about: -Each bumper is up OR down -Weapons are selected with one button, used, then deselected either with that button several times or with a completely different button -The Run button -In-game physics are completely different. (I probably should have said this as a different point originally, but I also would call this how the game controls so my mind pushed them together in the first comment).
Ahh yeah, it could definitely be better
Definitely a masterpiece. Although it does not have any story except the opening movie, it's in some sense story-rich, and an unforgettable experience. To avoid a spoiler, nothing more can be said, but believe me. It's also nice to have the experience of Metroid 1 / ZM before playing Super Metroid, so you're in a very good position. If you've enjoyed MZM a lot, it won't harm.
Just started a new save the other day having not played it since the miniSNES came out. Still awesome.
It's still studied to this day from a game design perspective. It doesn't just hold up, it still stands a giant among its modern peers. Like Chrono Trigger, it's not just nostalgia making people think that. New players and young people come to the game all the time and are consistently and constantly impressed. It's timeless. > possibly feeling dated in comparison to Zero Mission Zero Mission feels absolutely dated in comparison to Super Metroid, it's the other way around.
Yes, buy not as well as people say.
The words "clunky" or "dated" often get thrown around and misused to refer to games that simply require more skill, precision and practice of the player to master their controls, not that they're _actually_ unpolished or unrefined. I think a lot of Super's claimed issues are overstated or misunderstand the deliberate intent behind certain design choices. Plenty of modern players have fired it up for the first time and had no problem acclimating to its controls. In actuality, most of the ways in which the game is genuinely dated are pretty minor QOL issues like a lack of a few nice to have features on the map screen and no widescreen support. In some rare instances perhaps, it can have some overly cryptic level design too. Thats really the bulk of it. Outside of that, the game is a masterpiece and still the best in the entire series.
There's a good chance you'll enjoy it based on the responses. I played it recently for the first time without the rose colored lenses of nostalgia. I'll just play devil's advocate to most responses and say it felt very dated to me and was relieved I could use guides and save states to avoid unnecessary frustration. Absolutely worth trying though.
It holds up, there are romhacks that add polish and quality of life too that are with checking out
Super Metroid, SOTN and Hollow Knight are the Trinity of this genre. Both Super Metroid and SOTN still amazing.
Definitely
yes, its one of the greatest video games of all time.
Super Metroid is truly an amazing game with incredible music and atmosphere, However, compared to later entries in the series, including remakes, it DOES have some traits that don't quite hold up. For one, wall-jumping is much harder than it has been in later games. Another is that a few of the boss rooms feel very small and don't give you much room to maneuver. But these aside, it truly is a great game. Frankly, I'd love to see what Mercury Steam could do if they got the chance to remake it.
"wall-jumping is much harder than it has been in later games" I replied to another similar comment already, but I do not think this is a valid critique for two reasons: 1. You're not supposed to know going in that wall-jumping is even possible. If it worked like, say, Mega Man X (which came out before Super Metroid, by the way), players would figure it out on their own, and it would break the first playthrough progression, or would have forced the devs to use more hard gating. 2. Wall-jumping is only required in one spot--literally only the room where the game teaches you to do it!--and you only have to successfully do it once on a single wall. Even if you are going for 100%, you can come back later once you have the Space Jump. Super Metroid has a very, VERY low skill floor for a game from 1994. So it's nice that there is optional movement tech that increases the skill ceiling and adds replay value for would-be speedrunners and other challenge runners.
Super Metroid hasn't aged a single bit. I played it for the first time around 2016. It's my favorite Metroid game by far.
It feels dated but atmosphere and feel makes up for it.
I busted out my SNES in 2012 and beat it again then, it held up very well. It’s not perfect compared to how the genre has evolved, but it’s still very fun
I played it for the first time 5 years ago. IMO it is the best videogame of all times.
Very well.
I personally liked zero mission more, and there were a few puzzles i had to look up, but it’s a classic game for sure. One of the GOATs
yeah
A lot of it does but I think we have far better Metroidvanias now. The biggest sticking point for me is how Samus controls. It just feels a bit janky and imprecise. Collision detection also feels a bit weird. Its still fun. But I don't think it would sell well if it was newly released this year.
After playing many other modern metroidvanias, I would like to experience the original metroid series. As a newcomer to the series, should I start with the original Metroid (the NES one) or with Super Metroid?
It's got the same thing going on as original Dark Souls, IMO. Best world design, but most archaic gameplay. Since you've beaten Zero Mission and you understand how a Metroid game works, you should be in a perfect position to play and enjoy it. There are certain mods that add some of the GBA quality of life features into Super that you might want to look in to.
I think I was lucky to play it before Fusion and Zero Mission, because the controls feel way better in the GBA games. But it's still a wonderful game regardless. The other shortcoming is the Miridia section, but it's worth pushing through.
Yes, it holds up just great. There is a widescreen patch you could try, it's a nice addition.
I replayed both Metroid and Super Metroid when Online came out a few years back. Metroid aged a bit, but was still enjoyable. Super Metroid, on the other hand, is basically what any of the pixel art games are today (except for the 4:3 ratio). It's an amazing game.
Lmao yes. It’s one of the goat. Everything about it is still near perfect to this day.
Impeccably
its great. i played it at 16 6 years ago and its pretty great. i do wish you could quick save but, playing on modern console usually means if you close it it will pick up where you leave off so its not that big of a deal.
It has aged a bit, but it’s incredible. Def worth playing!
It's one of the top 3 games of all time. Of the other Metroid games, only Prime 1 & 2 are in Super' Metroid's league. I find Fusion, Zero Mission, and a Dread to all be fine games, but they all have substantial caveats that keep them from remotely being as good as SM, in my opinion.
It’s a fantastic game but I personally prefer Metroid Zero Mission and especially Metroid Dread. imo the gameplay in Metroid Dread is completely unmatched.
For me, yes absolutely. My favorite game of all time, but I'm old. What's most impressive to me as a hobbyist game dev is looking at the sprite sheets for super Metroid vs current games with a similar art style. Metroid just has so many more sprites per animation, despite being like 500 years old.
Timeless!
It mostly holds up but I kinda just got stuck and not sure what to do next. I feeling this in the 3rd act
I played Metroid Fusion first, then Super Metroid and Metroid Prime simultaneously. Late 90’s kid who grew up with Super Mario 64 and Fusion, and Super Metroid is my favorite game of all time. I first played it on the Wii U. Hollow Knight feels like the spiritual successor to Super Metroid. Its freedom, sequence breaking, movement, abilities, level design, and respect for the player’s intelligence feel very familiar to Super Metroid.
Super metroid does ambience beautifully. Every zone feels completely different. It makes you feel like you're actually exploring a planet as it is. Soundtrackwise it's my favorite, every track is unique and it's memorable. I know I'm biased because it was the first metroidvania I've ever played, however it's a game I can play 3 or 4 times a year and I'll never get bored of it.
As someone who played Samus Returns on 3ds first followed by Zero Misson and Fusion before playing Super I can say although it can feel slightly dated at times, it still holds up extremely well and was a blast to play, if you like Zero Mission's movement and feel, Super will feel a smidge clunkier but again still a great game. I feel it's somewhat akin to people who have played the more modern Castlevanias (like the ds trilogy and Gba games) then go back and play SotN, yes not as smooth movement wise and looks slightly aged but still the best in the series.
I didn't play it as a kid so it's not just nostalgia when I say it's still one of the best metroidvania games ever made. It's my personal favorite of the metroid series too, but you could make a strong case for fusion and dread. I don't think zero mission is on the same level, but it's good and more story driven than SM.
Yes! Its the Metroid that all metroids should try to be or surpass. The only things that might be annoying are wall jumping, which you don’t really need to do to play the game, and switching between power ups. I can’t stress this enough, though: the game allows you to set the controls to how you want, so find a configuration that is comfortable for you.
Super Metroid holds up. I would probably say the main issue is how barebones the map is.
It set a standard in gaming that in my opinion has yet to be matched in its respective genre. One of the singularly greatest pieces of media of all time.
no super metroid is the goat as far as i am concerned better then the advance games or anything nintendo put out since. i am still waiting for the super metroid style game not some 2.5d crap. even though the last2 games were good i still want that traditional game they have yet to deliver on. instead i have turned to the indies to scratch that itch.
If you can get a hang of the weighty controls and are ok with getting stuck for possibly hours, it holds up as one of the greatest metroidvanias, yes. I’m sorry but as far as atmosphere and depth of exploration, Zero Mission is the far inferior title
what a silly question.
The controls are a bit clunkier than modern games (floaty jump, no wall hanging, cycling through sub weapons instead of input patterns), but the game itself holds up great. The atmosphere, pacing and level design are top-tier... mostly. A couple areas are undercooked (the pipe section in Maridia), but overall its phenomenal. Still one of the best, if not THE best.
Compared to the original 1 and 2. Of course. But to the remaster of 2 and Zero Mission? I don't think so.
I’ve never heard about it ‘not holding up’ until this sub. Ridiculous take that people have just to get attention.
lol, not at all. Super Metroid is a game that really won't ever feel dated.
Yes Super holds up. Symphony of the Night holds up. Play them.
I disagree with most of the other posters. I found that it was too dated for me after loving Fusion and Zero Mission.
Playing it now, I hate Maridian, stuck here lol
Super Metroid holds up incredibly well and is still the best Metroidvania ever made.
It holds up surprisingly well!
I replayed it last year. It still has a ton of atmosphere, especially with the music. It's more inventive than any other Metroid game -- nothing as big as Shinespark has been added to the series since then.
The only thing that gets in the way of it holding up is playing Metroid dread.
Yes.
Super Metroid for me is still the best of the whole series.
…does one of the top five games of literally all time hold up?
I have issues with the floaty physics and clunky controls of that game. I've played it dozens of times, but it never feels as good as ZM or Fusion, so it has aged quite a bit in that respect. That being said however, the ambiance, open layout, music, visuals are all world-class. Still a fantastic game and a masterpiece.
The controls won't feel as snappy but technically you can do way more with the physics in Super Metroid. Just gotta get used to the floatiness. Exploration is really really good though.
I recently gave it a replay, remembering it as endlessly mysterious and fascinating as a kid. The first half is absolutely a marvel of 2D exploration and style -- and I think that's where the rose-tinted glasses set in. The second half was a complete slog, mostly due to floaty, aggravating jump mechanics and badly implemented wall jumping (which had already been done better years earlier). The endings scheme... does not hold up at all, and I'll leave it at that. It's still certainly worth a play, and has moments where you can see why it's a revered piece of gaming history. However, I have to admit I hate-played roughly half of it. Come for the atmosphere, leave with good memories if your blood pressure rises.
Simple answer: YES! C
It's still an incredible game that regularly features in top 10 video games of all time lists. I wouldn't say the game is dated, but I do think the controls can feel a bit dated for some people (the controls are somewhat floaty, rather than the smooth movement modern gamers are generally used to). The environment, exploration, and music are some of the best in any video games at all.
It holds up extremely well but if you come from zero mission don’t expect it to control the same. It’s not meant to feel very empowering; the exploration is the key
Super Metroid is a once-every-few-years play through for me. It’s got great ambiance and I get super nostalgia hits thinking back to halcyon summer days watching my bro and his friends push through the first time. It doesn’t have the narrative and gameplay guidance that later iterations do, leaving the exploring completely up to you which adds to the mystique of the experience. Worth a playthrough for sure!
I’ll throw out a dissenting opinion: it’s a little clunky. It can be frustrating at times. The map is large but doesn’t provide great ways of getting around, which you need to do a lot. It’s still a fantastic game, but I don’t think it’s stood the test of time perfectly well. Newcomers have perfected the formula. I played it very late, not in my childhood, so I might be missing the nostalgia connection. I’ve definitely been spoiled by more modern takes on the genre. Also, Metroid games love to hide items and secret pathways in walls which appear pristine, making you shoot every square tile of wall in every room, which is lame IMO.
Super Metroid is basically a perfect game. I replay it about once a year.
Yeah Super is a timeless classic. The floatier movement will feel odd at first after Zero Mission, but it’s not worse, it’s just different and the world is made for the different movement. Super Metroid has definitely aged well, it’s the original on NES and Metroid 2 on Gameboy that didn’t age so well
In my opinion it's still the best game of all time. And the best Metroid game. The level design is still top notch, gives you liberty enough while also guiding the player with just visual clues. And talking about visuals...the visual storytelling is still unrivaled to this day. Later Metroid games rely more on text to tell a story. But this game doesn't even have dialogues and yet tells a pretty good story in an amazing way that I haven't seen it done it since. It's like those cinematic platformers such as Out of this World Flashback and Inside, but with a interconnected map ; this is incredibly difficult to task. Still talking about the visuals, the pixel art is extremely detailed and beautifully animated, with gorgeously looking sprites and great effects such as transparency which makes the atmosphere feel more authentic and unique. It's still one of the best looking games I've seen. Soundtrack is wonderful and takes the mood to a whole another level. I can still remember all the tracks from beginning to end. Crateria Theme, Upper Brinstar, Lower Brinstar... All of them and more stood the test of time even with the limitations of the cartridge (because the chip of SNES itself was capable of doing CD-quality music, but the cartridge sizes limited that). The controls, despite what some people say, feels great and it's incredibly deep and complex. Metroid Dread, which is a recent game, have some of the nicest movements I've ever seen in a Metroidvania. Is a evolution of Super Metroid at some parts... But still isn't as deep. The wall jump is much more flexible and hard to pull off, while the running and jumping actually takes momentum into consideration ( unlike later Metroid games), tons of hidden techniques with are very useful in speedruns. I feel like a lot of people also play with default controls, which may not be the ideal for everyone. If you change the shot button to Y and jump to B, the game feels much more comfortable to play. Finally, this is a really awesome game to replay. Tons of paths you can choose to take, you can even go crazy and do a Reverse Boss Order, which is very hard but rewarding once you do. There may be some aspects which hasn't stood the test of time (such as the sand physics which isn't great) , but overall, yes, I can say that the game is still awesome despite being old. It's precisely because of this that I play it every year since 2014 (where I first finished it).
It has some wonky areas like the controls, some of the map being wonky, having an unessential run button and the wall jump; it otherwise still holds up and it's still one of the series' best.
It definitely does. I got into the genre last year with Hollow Knight and have played lots of modern MVs since then. Recently played Super Metroid on emulator and it was just as enjoyable as some of the best form the last few years.
Super Metroid feels like it could have came out yesterday. People who don’t like the controls need to accept that maybe the game is slower paced than they’d prefer. It’s not something that’s bad or wrong with the game. It’s how Metroid always controlled until zero mission and fusion decided samus should move 2.5x faster