1985 proved to be a very good year for Nintendo, to say the least. They successfully launched the Nintendo Entertainment System in America (1984 in Japan), introduced us to the inviting world of Super Mario Brothers, and pretty much commanded the love and devotion of young gamers (and parents) everywhere. Nintendo’s reputation for making quality games seemed to have reached what some might call the “legendary” status in a fairly short period of time. In 1986, a game was created that would wow the crowd once again, and prove to be a real pillar of strength that’s still going strong today. That game, of course, is Metroid– the first game to introduce us all to the cybernetic bounty hunter Samus Aran. Metroid proved to be a truly inventive title, breaking away from some of the usual elements found in most games of that era, and played a significant roll in getting rid of a certain stereotype about females common to many video games of the 80’s.

Metroid is a game that’s all about action and exploration. Samus starts out with virtually nothing, but can gain a number of weapons and abilities that are carefully tucked away on planet Zebes. One of the cool things that set this game apart from the rest is the fact that Samus has the ability to be a very powerful force to be reckoned with, but it’s not all handed to you on a silver platter. You have to go and search for the items that will grant your character that kind of power. Gamers that have never played the first Metroid before might be a little shocked to see that your default weapon doesn’t initially carry very far. First, you have to find the Long Beam, then you’ll be in business. This game also introduced us to the Ice Beam, Wave Beam, Screw Attack, High Jump Boots, and the Varia Suit. All of these items prove to be quite helpful, and all of them are essential to your mission one way or another. In fact, you can’t possibly finish the game without the Ice Beam, even if you have the seemingly more important items in your possession.

Without these items, you won’t get very far in the game at all. Missiles are needed so that you can blast open those red, yellow, and purple doors. Energy Tanks are a must because they add on an extra block of 100 units of energy with each capsule that you find– there are 6 to be collected in all. The Maru Mari ball is needed for those times when you must fit through tight spaces in the walls or floors. This ability is really fun to use once you find the bombs that accompany your ball form and allow you to blast through enemies and cracks in the walls and floors.

A rather very clever concept went into the level design and structure of the game. Instead of merely advancing through a number of levels more difficult than the next, Metroid featured a world with different sections that could all be accessed from one main area in the game. Brinstar is the main area that connects to the other sections of the planet; and is also where the mini-boss Kraid dwells, waiting for you to cross his path. This is the area where you’ll find the Varia Suit, among other things. You’ll need it when you’ll travel to Norfair, the fiery zone that’s home to some of toughest creatures in the game. After you’re done there, you’ll then be able to make your way to Tourian, where you’ll get a chance to say “hi” to the life-draining Metroids that patrol the area. Although there are only 3 main areas in the game, Brinstar and Norfair have their own sub-sections that must be explored. So really, you have a total of 5 areas to search through before your mission is complete. What I love about this whole setup is that fact that you aren’t forced to explore any one section in particular. It gives the player freedom to go almost anywhere they want to go at any given time. Unfortunately, that kind of freedom can also have its drawbacks and even add to the game’s difficulty in a negative way.

The artistic design in Metroid is also something worth noting, since much attention was given the overall atmosphere of each major section in the game. Although you’ll never see the words “Brinstar”, “Norfair”, or “Tourian” actually mentioned in the game itself, you can easily recognize each section’s environment. The cold, jutting rocks of Brinstar are the first things you’ll see as you travel around Zebes. Norfair is my favorite section to look at because the environments of that area successfully convey the idea that it’s really hot where Samus is. I guess it’s the way ledges and ceilings have little crystal spheres hanging from them– as if parts of the structure are slowly beginning to melt. You can tell when you’ve hit Tourian, because everything suddenly looks deceptively quite and sterile of any natural creatures.
Just the right mix of color and brightness were used in creating this game. The only real marks against the visuals of the game are the small glitches that show up in some areas when Samus is switching weapons, or moving on the screen. Also you might notice the occasional discolored brick or ledge, but it’s nothing that wasn’t already common to games of that era anyway. Overall, Metroid holds a nice visual style that only got better with the later games in the series.

The music that accompanied the varied environments of the game was enough to always grab your attention and keep you playing for hours. All of the tunes sort of have their own life and personality that sticks with you long after you’ve finished the game. For instance you’ll be happily trotting along to the upbeat tempo of the upper areas of Brinstar, until you take the elevator down to Kraid’s hideout. Suddenly, the music becomes cold, brooding and creepy– letting you know that you’re not in Kansas anymore. You’ll always know when you’re about to get an enhancement of some kind, because the music always changes to this sneaky tune, almost as if saying “What’s behind this door?” Just as intriguing are the sound effects in the game. Samus can be heard running through each area of the game, to my initial surprise when I first played Metroid. It’s fun to hit the mini-bosses with your weapons and hear the crazy little whines that they utter. Interestingly enough, if Samus get killed, you’ll hear the same sound that Pac-Man makes when he dies. Nice.

Play or Stay? Here again is another game that proved to be a very valuable mascot for Nintendo in the years to come. With its combination of action, exploration, and attention to detail, Metroid was guaranteed to be a game that wouldn’t be doomed to sit on stores shelves, unwanted by the gaming masses. Even so, that wasn’t the thing that won my heart about this game. My most favorite aspect of the game is fact that Samus Aran turned out to be a woman, which is revealed if you finish the game within a certain amount of time. It was nice to see a female lead character for once, which for me also dissolved the stereotype of most girls being limited to the “damsel in distress” roll in video games. I highly recommend this game to any gamer out there looking for a nice adventure that’s hard to beat in few hours.