Overall 10-
Super Metroid is an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo R&D1 and published by Nintendo. It was initially released on the Super Famicom (Super Nintendo) in 1994, but has since then been re-released on the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console. It is the third game in the Metroid franchise, and the plot picks up where the last game in the series, Metroid II: Return of Samus, left off.Like most games of the series, Super Metroid is an 2D action-adventure game with platforming elements. Players take the role of a female bounty hunter known as Samus Aran as she explores the deadly planet Zebes and collect an arsenal of weapons and gadgets, which will in turn let her progress into areas that were previously inaccessible.Super Metroid was one of the largest and most graphically-impressive games for the console at the time of its release. Even today, the game is considered by many to be one of the greatest games of all time.Super Metroid is also famous for the unintentional ability to "sequence break" the game. This means that although there is roughly a set path for Samus to follow, skilled players are capable of reaching ledges or getting past barriers before they have discovered the power up that is ordinarily required to get there. For example, by mastering a maneuver known as the 'mockball' players can get the super missiles very early in the game, when they enter Brinstar for the first time. This curious mechanic has many people struggling to see who can find the fastest path to take to complete the game, making Super Metroid one of the first games surrounded by the 'speedrun' phenomenon.

Graphics 9-
Super Metroid looks exactly how a 2D platformer should look like without a 3D engine. Visually it may not blow you away in this day and age, but carefully looking at the detail put into the setting, background, characters, etc, and you’ll see that they put a lot of effort into this game. The graphics in Super Metroid are about as pretty as games were at the time (aside from games accelerated by the “Super FX Chip”), but even with fancy HD-quality sprites or a 3D engine this is still a great looking game. Even compared to the more recent GBA Metroids, this game stands right up there, enduring the test of time.


Sound 10-
In terms of old school gaming music, Metroid is one of those titles that really defined the genre. The music was simple yet catchy, and it even led to an official soundtrack being released on Nintendo Power. Some of the more memorable tunes were the ‘escape music’ (from the intro clip above), the tune after you load a save file, the ‘ending theme’, and the ‘boss battle’ music (as heard in the clip below). Aside from the music, there are no voice-overs in the game, just scrolling text, like all games at the time, so you’ll have to do some reading. Samus has remained silent for the most part anyways, even in the recent Metroid Prime Trilogy, but Metroid: Other M might change that. Anyways, Super Metroid will show you what game developers were able to produce musically even with their limited technology.

Addictiveness 9-
Super Metroid‘s gameplay stands atop its genre ever since it was created. There is a few glitches, but aside from that Super Metroid defines 2D side-scrolling adventure/exploration (nicknamed “MetroidVania”, Metroid and Castlevania being the most well-known for its design). What really sets this game apart from your standard old school side-scroller is the exploration aspect of the game. There are a lot of places you can go and explore, and you’ll probably find something new, such as more suit upgrades, or a even a whole new section
Newcomers may occasionally get stuck from time to time, and this can get frustrating, so you may need to look up a walkthrough from time to time. Eventually you’ll pick up and breeze through some challenges. Some of the more veteran players can even “sequence break”, getting items earlier than they are supposed to. For example, by wall-jumping, I was able to beat Kraid before getting the Ice Beam, which saved me time on backtracking.Speaking of backtracking, that is another aspect of the game that some might find tedious. As you progress through the game you’ll encounter areas you cannot enter or items you cannot reach without certain upgrades, so from time to time you might want to explore backwards for a bit to see if you can buff up Samus, especially if a certain boss is giving you a hard time.

Story 8-
Chronologically, Super Metroid takes place seventh in the Metroid universe and immediately after the events of Metroid II: Return of Samus, and begins with a narrative by bounty hunter Samus Aran. Samus describes how a Metroid larva hatched from an egg and immediately imprinted upon her, believing her to be its mother. She brought the larva to Ceres Space Colony, where scientists learned that they could harness its power. Just after she left the colony, she received a distress call and returned to find the scientists dead and the larva stolen. The game begins as she follows the leader of the Space Pirates, Ridley, to the planet Zebes, where she searches for the stolen larva in a network of caves.Along the way, Samus defeats four of the Space Pirate bosses, including Ridley, and arrives in Tourian, the heart of the Space Pirate base. There, she encounters the Metroid larva, which has now grown to an enormous size. It attacks Samus and nearly drains all of her energy before it realizes who she is, and then departs. Samus recharges her energy and confronts Mother Brain, the biomechanical creature that controls the base's systems. Mother Brain nearly kills Samus, but is then attacked by the Metroid larva, which drains it of its energy and transfers it back to Samus. Mother Brain recovers and destroys the Metroid in retaliation, but is in turn destroyed by Samus with an extremely powerful weapon created from the energy given to her by the Metroid. Afterward, a planetwide self-destruct sequence begins, which Samus narrowly escapes.

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