The earliest memory that I have of Super Metroid was from the game magazines that my friends had in the 90s. I didn’t have a Super Nintendo back then, but I assumed from the screenshots and artworks printed in the magazine that it was a nice game because the main character for me at the time was like a super cool version of Megaman.
I had no idea what the premise of the game was, but I just knew that it was a side-scroller action/adventure game. Years passed without actually playing (or even trying) the game and I only have that little piece of information from those magazines about what the game was or who the main protagonist is. So you can imagine the shock and realization that dawned on me when I found out years later that the main character — Samus Aran — is a girl.
I knew the game only on paper. From the magazines in the 90s and the numerous articles that I’ve read about it through the years, I had a clear picture that Super Metroid is well-loved, well-appreciated, and a classic. I never had the time to actually play it and try it out for myself for quite a long time…Not until I stumbled upon AGDQ.
AGDQ, or Awesome Games Done Quick, is a charity event wherein speedrunners play their games of choice in the shortest time possible while viewers of the event both online and at the venue can donate to the charity which AGDQ is supporting. One of the games at the event was Super Metroid, played by means of a 4-way race. Seeing how speedrunners Garrison, Krauser, Zoast, and Ivan navigate through the game, exploiting glitches and secret moves, they eventually finished the game in just under 46 minutes (except for Garrison, who died in the course of the run). Watching the event and seeing how they finished the game was enough for me to be inspired to play it and try to finish it.
In a time where there’s only in-game music and sound effects but no voiceovers on cutscenes and during gameplay, like a silent film the story of the game unfolds visually. From the prologue where Ridley steals the Metroid larva and upon your arrival to the planet Zebes where the story takes place, you are immediately thrown into a world that’s waiting for you to be challenged and tested. Like a labyrinth, the environment is large enough that you’ll most likely be lost on a couple of occasions. There’s a lot of backtracking involved, but eventually, you’ll manage to find a way through. And if you do find your way through, it feels rewarding and empowering through the power-ups and upgrades you get along the way to aid Samus in reaching areas that were previously inaccessible.
Noticeable also is the amount of detail in the game. As of its release, Super Metroid has the largest file size for a Super Nintendo game. The team behind it used every amount of space available to be able to show the variety, mood, and vastness of each area of the game’s environment. And since the story heavily relies on visuals, every animation on each major character and easter egg has been given extra detail to somehow make the game more immersive.
As I guided Samus around Zebes as the story unfolds before me, I can’t help but move forward. Every boss defeated, every upgrade acquired, and every path opened that I have no access to before encouraged me to mush on. Going deeper into the story, I finally reached the inevitable which is the final confrontation between Samus and Mother Brain. And as I finally defeated Mother Brain, the final minutes are for me one of the most memorable parts of the game.
Finishing Super Metroid, I fully understood why this game is regarded as one of the most refined games and one of the best games in video game history. It somehow feels linear, but how you finish it is all up to the player. A casual gamer can go at it, getting every upgrade and defeating all bosses, while a highly-skilled speedrunner can have a go and finish the run with limited resources and skipping bosses — in under an hour. Watching the credits roll, I would have to hand it out to the people behind it in making such an awesome game that will forever be an all-time favorite. I have to admit I’m a late bloomer. But better late than never, I suppose.
I finished the game close to 7 hours in the span of 2 weeks of playing. Samus gave me a thumbs-up at the end. It’s like she’s saying let’s do this again soon.
I will.
