Metroid

My all time favorite game. A friend had a working NES system a few years back, and I raved about this game. I got it off Amazon and played it with them. I was not disappointed, and quickly fell back into the patterns, challenges, and fun times I had with this game as a child. I spent many nights playing this growing up, and I think that it is a skill to master a game as difficult as this one. It took me a long time to beat this game, and using the codes do not justify the work and satisfaction that comes along with the start to finish of Metroid. This game is awesome. Pick up an old copy and see. The new versions are pretty cool too, but none of them compare to this gem

When I was little, I loved Metroid, and I still do, every single one of them. Now, I think Samus Aran is a great role model for girl gamers, much better than Lara Croft or any of those slutty Final Fantasy heroines. Samus Aran stands up for what she thinks is right, and that's an important message for females to learn. She also teaches us female gamers that they don't have to be quiet, docile, and perfectly proportioned. Sure, Samus is very curvy and proportioned, but that's not all she is, unlike other heroines geared toward little girls. She actually wears *gasps* armor usually when going out to battle, unlike most game heroines whom fights in leather thong bikinis or Las Vegas stripper showgirl outfits.

If you want a great series of games by Nintendo besides Mario and Zelda, Metroid is a great treat.

This is by far the best video game to have come out, ever. I know that's a heck of a sweeping statement, but it is. The play is fantastic, the objectives and goals of the game are extremely well thought out, and it actually requires skill! Even with the new, fancy shmancy video game systems out there with the far better graphics capabilities, I've yet to see one game since the original Metroid that actually meets the goals of video games: fun! As far as I'm concerned, Metroid shows that impressive graphics and sound don't make the game.

I remember having a little notebook with the saves written in it as I slowly worked my way through the game...and then I remember Nintendo Power's reveal and trying over and over again to beat the time it took to see her face, just to do it, which made the game even more playable...especially since at the time it was one of the few with an open world and a really cool sci-fi one at that.

It was just...addictive fun.

Yes, this one came in the iconic gray box that generally featured game play footage. Mario was in a black box, but this one and Kid Icarus I know were in the gray boxes. This one, and Kid Icarus were two of the early games that really had some length to them, The Legend of Zelda as well. Meaning, it took some time to traverse the game and win it. By today's standards, it isn't all that long, but back then it felt like a grand adventure. Of course, a lot of people remember this game for its twist at the end, but these days it is apparently the only twist a company like Disney seems to know how to do...

The story? You are Samus, a bounty hunter who must stop space pirates from releasing Metroid into the universe. A Metroid is a deadly parasitic alien that attaches itself to its host and drains them dry. Granted, maybe the space pirates should have cultivated those indestructible worm things that go back and forth and train them to attack, then they would have an invincible army! Samus must explore the planet in search of armor upgrades and to find the mini bosses that stand in the way of you getting to the head of the operation, The Mother Brain! Though, Ridley and Kraid are no pushovers and getting to them is a chore as their lairs feature particularly tough creatures.

The game play is fairly standard these days as it incorporates a side scrolling world where you can go to higher and lower levels. It features exploration and often times you need to have the correct upgrade to get you to a certain level. You collect missiles and energy tanks to increase your capacity for both and you get freeze beams, high jump shoes and other things to help you get through the world. Fighting can be difficult, but it must be done in order to increase your life energy as you always start out with a small amount when you die and revive. The only way to get more energy is to kill enemies and hope they leave some behind or grab an energy tank which are few and far between.

So, a fun game, I just won it again recently and it holds up alright. I plan on playing the games in order so I think a Game Boy version is after this one. Then the one that is always raved about, Super Metroid. I only played it one time, so I am looking forward to replaying it again and seeing how it holds up. I remember it having really cool music. This one was fun and I managed to get through it, but only able to get her helmet off. I swear, the first time I played this thing I got the full out of armor ending, but I do not think I have gotten it since...