I've just now gotten into Retro's Donkey Kong Country Returns, and so far, I agree with everything Chad Concelmo said in his review. It's awesome. Playing the game has me desperate to see Retro return to the Metroid series. The brilliant level design, the ingeniously placed hidden areas, the need to use your multiple abilities to fully explore levels, and the plentiful forms of new and fascinating wildlife all make Donkey Kong Country Returns a classic, and I'd love Retro use those same element to create a new 2D, home console Metroid game.
This concept art for Retro's Metroid Prime only has me more excited about the idea. From the looks of it, the game originally called for a battle against a six armed ice baboon, and a slightly smaller, spikier version of Kraid from Super Metroid. Can you picture those battles in a new Metroid game that has the graphic fidelity of Metroid Prime, the camera angle of Donkey Kong Country Returns, and the gameplay of Super Metroid?
I think that would be enough to get the haters to forget about Other M, but what do you think? Would you be down for seeing this concept art come to life in a 2D Metroid title?
The art of Greg Luzniak [via Adam Dork's twitter]
Jonathan Holmes is the most lovable Associate Editor on Destructoid. Catch him on videos, original editorials, and on back episodes of the Destructoid Show and MTV's Road Rules. Jonathan is a retro gamer's gamer.
Likes
Mega Man 2, Resident Evil, Katamari Damacy, Bit.Trip, Metal Slug 3
Meet the rest of the team
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
64 comments | showing # 1 to 50
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
2:00 PM on 02.20.2011 | 
Other M? What's that? :E
Heck if they could make it so I could play 2D or Prime-style first person, that would be great.
I don't know if I'd want Retro back on the Metroid series, they made three fantastic games already. I think it was mentioned on Chad's podcast that Retro should do a Zelda game, I'd really want to see that.
Fine as is, its aged quite beautifully.
As long as it has no contrived forced-waggle nonsense like DKCR.
But:
"Can you picture those battles in a new Metroid game that has the graphic fidelity of Metroid Prime, the camera angle of Donkey Kong Country Returns, and the gameplay of Super Metroid?"
Will you please never say something like this to me again?
...I'm afraid my head will explode with the sheer amount of win
Also, I miss Kraid... Remember how little and harmless he looked in Metroid?!
Thanks for posting it here!
@ The Silent Protagonist- I agree, we don't need a remake of Super Metroid. However, I do think we could use a new game that plays like Super Metroid, but is otherwise all new.
It certainly worked for the Prime games. Each play fundamentally the same, but still have their own distinct strengths and weaknesses. I wish that Super Metroid had also gotten more direct sequels like that.
Think about how amazing that would be Fusion came out in 2002 it's been almost 9 years since we had a proper 2D Metroid game. We need a new one bad. Gah I'm still hoping that Metroid Dread will eventually resurface it was said to be a direct sequel to Fusion (my favorite in the series)and was suppose to be 2D
I mean, for example, I remember reading at least a few reviews where people complained that a lot of the power-ups showed on the map. This has always been the case with 2D Metroid games. There are still lots of hidden ones though in both Super Metroid and Other M.
Another common complaint was that Samus doesn't collect power-ups but rather waits stupidly for authorization. The justification for this was weak, but does it actually MATTER? What else are you going to do, start off mysteriously unarmed again? Start the game already being so powerful nothing poses a threat? Have another scene where your abilities get damaged/malfunction/stolen/forgotten, etc?
Metroid is a game about going through hostile environments, exploring, gradually getting stronger, huge bosses, enemies that move in a set path indefinitely, enemies that self-destruct just to piss you off, etc. Other M was an excellent example of old-school 2D Metroid gameplay, but everyone was expecting another Prime game.
It would at the very least explain why they always lose their power-ups before a new game.
OK, Samus got explanations in the Prime games, but still, how many times has she had to get that Varia suit now?
The Prime games also had a stronger narrative; there wasn't much of one aside from several cutscenes in between a shit-ton of gameplay. Other M has the total opposite. And the cutscenes cannot be skipped. And the cutscenes are garbage.
I mean it's cool that you liked Other M, but I believe that there should only be one game like that and that the series deserved to be more carefully handled from here on out. Team Ninja tried way too hard to make Metroid Gaiden instead of a new Metroid.
I agree with you, man. Other M, far from perfect, was a lot of fun. I played Super Metroid(beat it, of course) and then jumped right into Other M... Awesome. What can you do?! Haters are going to be dumb.
Also, the Metroid series does deserve a new 2D adventure.
I disagree. What made Other M fail in my eyes was the lack of exploration elements, a centerpiece of Super Metroid and almost every other game in the series. The game tried a story driven approach and ended up turning the gameplay into a series of goals connected by linear hallways. Honestly, I don't recall a single point in that game where I had more than three paths I could choose to take at any given moment in time, which is absolutely pitiful compared to parts of Super Metroid and the Prime games where you could be completely overwhelmed with the sheer amount of options you were given. After the story proved itself to be almost completely incoherent, I was left wondering why exactly I had spent so much time playing it.
The boss battles were fun, though.
That Ice Baboon boss looks infinitely better than Thardus.
I'm almost jealous we didn't get that for Phendrana Drifts.
I was just about to post that exact comment. Good to know someone has their priorities straight. Keep up the good work
That's a little unfair, don't you think? I wouldn't say it's Other M vs. Prime. There are people who don't like Other M and people who don't like Prime but I wouldn't say there's some kind of divide where the one side praises one and hates the other or vice-versa. There are just games some like and others don't. There's no competition between the two audiences.
@ mattrodroid- Isn't it also black/white, left/right thinking to say that there are two types of gamers, those that "follow trends" and those that enjoyed Other M? Isn't it more likely that the game just didn't suit everybody's tastes?
If you really don't see things in absolutes, then you'll be open to the notion that there is no way to objectify measure a game's worth, and the idea that just because you find value in a game, that doesn't mean everyone else can, or even should.
And is it me, or am I the only one who liked Other M? It was a nice change of pace compared to the Prime games which I just don't like very much. (though personally Fusion is still my favorite)
Let's start a petition for an Ice Climbers reboot.
Don't forget the pinball game.