mDuo13

My vacation is coming along pretty well. I've had plenty of time to chill out, catch some waves on Kilama Beach, and play Metroid. It's funny: I bought Zero Mission thinking, "This will substitute for that frustratingly difficult classic Metroid in my experience of the series." But when I fired up the game and glanced at the extras, it had the original Metroid available. I decided half-heartedly to try it out, and now I've spent a lot of hours, beaten Kraid and gotten almost all the power-ups, despite how mind-bogglingly difficult the game is.

I unfortunately had to consult a FAQ on it for a few points, something I do only in the most dire of circumstances. Nonetheless, a FAQ cannot make up for the soul-crushing difficulty of the game, and I'm sure I'll still feel pretty darn accomplished when I finish it. This will make the fourth Metroid game I've successfully finished on my second try only; Metroid Primes 2 and 3 were too easy by comparison to my dedication and skill level when I finally picked them up, I guess. After this, though, I'll be running into more questionable parts of the franchise... the obscure Metroid II, which I will have to acquire somehow or play on emulator, and Metroid Prime Hunters, which concerns me because it seems like Metroid Prime 3, to have a different prevailing mood than the Metroid I love. Whereas Super Metroid focuses on the sense of isolation in exploring a hostile planet alone, Corruption has interactive allies and continued contact with authorities, and Hunters seems to emphasize the former even more in addition to being more about run-and-gun gameplay than exploration.

That is, even more, the worry I have with regards to the recently announced Metroid: Other M. It seems to me that Project Ninja's garish cinematics and Metroid's understated but powerful plot are completely at odds. I also think the art design, from the trailer, looks less suitable for the Metroid franchise than that of Retro Studios. I will admit tough, that their short-haired version of Samus is the first time I've seen her look seriously attractive. I think the game might be enjoyable for reasons other than most Metroid games are; but it has me so worried on behalf of the franchise that it doesn't seem worth it.

Oh yeah, and it turns out that there was a wireless router on the other side of the house. I was too far away from it the other night, when I was writing my last post, so I have internet now.