November Retro Community Playthrough - Super Metroid

[JerryGreenwood]

twice today I have spent an hour running around aimlessly.  

I think this is one of the most fun games to run around aimlessly in. The controls and the way you move in this game is fantastic.

it really is an amazing game, i feel exactly the same about wondering where this game has been all my life.

I'm sure Super Metroid was wondering where you and a few others were in 1994. I'm surprised so many people here haven't played this game. It was a huge blockbuster when it came out.

[singlebanana]

I honest think that the difficulty and time sync of the original was enough to scare anyone off when it came out. I can honestly say that I had no desire in repeating that experience.

[JerryGreenwood]

I understand what you're saying, but I don't think it scared off too many people. It sold extremely well in the US. It got top reviews from every magazine at the time and it has consistently been thought of as a top 10 game of all-time by just about every magazine and critical website since it's release. In 2003, EGM called it the best game of all-time.

I dunno...I guess everyone's world is a little different. When this game came out, it was the only thing that mattered. Everyone I knew was playing this game. The rental store had like 3 copies of this game (which was nuts).

[Raidou]

Random save file wipe FML

Fortunately I hadn't made any real progress and don't have much to make up, so I'm still in.

[techwizard]

that sucks Raidou are your contacts clean? could have been a bad connection.

@Jerry, i was only 4 when this game came out and went from my grandparent's NES straight to N64...i had a super nintendo from around 10 and on, but only ever owned super mario world all the way up until i started collecting.

[Shadow Kisuragi]

Random save file wipe FML

Fortunately I hadn't made any real progress and don't have much to make up, so I'm still in.

All save files, or just one? If it's all, your battery may be dying.

[MaterialHandlerMike]

It's been interesting, playing this game by the checkpoints. Not sure how many times I have played, but this is a new one for sure. Achieved the checkpoint for week 3, this morning.

[singlebanana]

Congrats Mike! Hope you are enjoying it. First time playing this game right?

[MaterialHandlerMike]

Congrats Mike! Hope you are enjoying it. First time playing this game right?

First time? No.

Not sure how many times I have played Super Metroid. I am guessing around 8 or 9? I have played enough times that certain Boss strategies are forever in my memory. I am no speed runner though. I still get stuck at times and spend awhile wandering before I remember the current goal. LoZ:LttP and Final Fantasy II were always my favorite SNES games as a kid...until Super Metroid, Shadowrun and Final Fantasy III all came along to give the other two a run for their money.

[RetroRage]

Did you ever get your round going again Raidu?

Has anyone else run through the game again to get a better clear time/item %?

[russlyman]

ahhh son of a B&^% how did I miss this. Sorry I have been kinda MIA ha. I guess I can always have a quick late start. I have it on virtual console and SNES as well. Which to play hmmmm ha. I also have been meaning to find the old VHS tape I recorded back in the 90's of me doing a speed run ha. It would be interesting to see how fast I did it and what items I got. I know I def didn't do any sequence breaking back than

[RetroRage]

I'd love to watch that tape.  I used to record myself running Mega Man X on VHS, but I have no idea where the tapes are.

[singlebanana]

Welcome to the playthrough Russ. Glad to have you.

[MetalFRO]

I spent a TON of time on this game over the weekend, and accomplished a lot!  I beat the boss I was struggling with earlier, got the Grapple Beam, the Gravity Suit, the Space Jump, the Plasma Beam, and the Screw Attack!  I beat Phantoon, Botwoon, the big flying boss that grabs hold of you, and am now in the final area trying to make my way to what I believe is the fight with Ridley (large Pterodactyl-like boss?).  Yes, I cheated and have consulted a Super Metroid guide, as well as some YouTube playthroughs, but most of those just revealed the specific secrets or entrances I missed - I covered a lot of ground going back and forth, trying to uncover every inch of the map previously, so a lot of the areas that the YT play-through uncovered, I had already seen.

I also spent over an hour in the area with the speed run and ramp jump up to the top-left of the map (can't remember which area), and then you had to use the Grapple Beam to swing from place to place all the way over to the top-right side of the room.  Until I became more proficient with the GB, it was a fool's errand.  HOLY COW, I dislike the Grapple Beam.  Cool idea, cool if you know how to use it right, but it sure takes some getting used to, and it's hard to master.  There was a spot where you grab on to a "grapple block" and can spin around to the top to get an item (Energy Tank, if memory serves), and it took forever before I could control the beam or my trajectory well enough to obtain that.  I dislike how the beam immediately "sucks you in" to the block you're connecting to.  I'm also not fond of the wall jump.  I'm used to wall jumping like in Batman on NES - simple, elegant, and effective.  SM's wall jump seems to be just a bit more complicated than it needs to be.  I do quite enjoy the Space Jump, though it takes a bit of getting used to before using it becomes second nature.  Still, I'm enjoying myself, and every time I uncover an upgrade, I'm like a little kid, pumping my fist and yelling "YESSSSSS!"  My wife probably thinks I'm going nuts

[singlebanana]

Ha! Ha! Fantastic that you are enjoying this game and glad you consulted a guide. Seems that it gave you just enough to get you going in the right direction.

Your frustrations with the grapple beam, wall jumping, and getting use to the space jump are all things we discussed last night in the podcast. And I actually laughed out loud when you were describing "the room" you were having difficulty with the grapple beam in:

I also spent over an hour in the area with the speed run and ramp jump up to the top-left of the map (can't remember which area), and then you had to use the Grapple Beam to swing from place to place all the way over to the top-right side of the room.  Until I became more proficient with the GB, it was a fool's errand.

This room is the big one in Maridia, and yes, we all mentioned how much we hated it.