Stumbling through Super Metroid - Part 1

[davidn]

Having now just about reached a point where I'm no longer utterly sick of the sight of Powerdirector, I've decided to open a new semi-grand project in the form of an extended Stumbling Through of Super Metroid.

This was inspired by the game suddenly landing in the hands of a large number of stupid people via its release on the Virtual Console, which led to a load of posts on Twitter by idiots who can't get past the first obstacles. Or so it seemed - to prove or disprove this, I decided to play through the game myself to see if I could do any better. Wish me luck.

In this first episode, I learn the backstory, bumble around finding my feet, and then get eaten by a fishbeast.

http://youtu.be/bYskLMl1jS8
To disclose fully: I have played this game before, but it was in fifteen-minute bursts on a train on the way in and back from work, and consequently I could never remember what I was supposed to be doing or where I had been or where to go next at any time. Just about everything that I see this time around honestly seems new to me.

Comments

[dr-dos.livejournal.com]

To hell with that wall jump tutorial though. Mechanics are supposed to be introduced gradually. You'll see lots of games with special platforms that drop you where the first few are over solid ground so you can understand. Super Metroid is like "Ok we've been hiding a walljump mechanic from you this whole time. Here's some little guys doing it, now just do it 10 times in a row.

[kjorteo]

I freely admit that the wall jump (and Shinespark, though the wall jump was worse) could have been handled better, and even I got hopelessly stuck trying to find the entrance to Kraid's Lair and the exit to Maridia the first time I played. I said that overall it was well-designed, not that it was 100% free of any design issues anywhere at all ever. The game does a great job giving you freedom and exploration while still gently guiding you toward where you're supposed to be, and there are one or two stupid rooms in the ... however many zillion non-stupid ones everywhere else.

[ravenworks.livejournal.com]

To be fair, only the first three jumps are necessary to get out, the rest just get you some upgrade ;)

Though yeah, that might not be a bad thing to mention... MESSAGE TO DAVID: If you're going to get an energy tank, and then you fall through the floor with no warning, DO NOT SAVE! You can get out of there but it's a pain. You have to learn a skill that you will NEVER NEED AGAIN, so you can safely skip it. ;) (Though, of course go ahead and try for our sadistic enjoyment ;p And maybe it's not as bad as I remember. But, it'd be nice to not be stuck at the save point that you can't leave without learning that useless skill. :/)

[kjorteo]

THAT SKILL GETS YOU THE SPAZER BEFORE KRAID OKAY

[ravenworks.livejournal.com]

I have the Spazer before Kraid and I haven't done it once o_o

[kjorteo]

...I have done some research, and it turns out you are right and I am a huge idiot. ^o.o^

I always thought the sequence was that Kraid gives you the Varia, which you need to go to Norfair and get the High Jump Boots, which you need to go back and get the Spazer since that platform is just out of reach of a normal non-augmented jump. Of course, it's easy to just wall jump once and get up there, so you can have the Spazer before Kraid. I just went and saw some videos and stuff, though, and ... apparently the High Jump Boots are just, like, sitting right there, and you don't need the Varia at all? So you can just go get them, then come back for the Spazer, then Kraid? And it's really obvious now that I'm seeing it, too! HOW DID MISS THAT? Was I just so busy feeling smug that I can just wall jump up there that I never even tried to do it the legitimate way? D:

Well, um, doing it my way still saves you like one hallway's worth backtracking, okay :c

[davidn]

Hmm. Thank you, I will try to remember!