Metroid Prime

Asher · February 15, 2003, 19:12

I'm trying to get back into this game. It's gotten so many great reviews by so many people, so I figure I must be missing something.

Where is the fun? Honestly?

Does anyone here ever actually get used to the controls where they can use them anywhere near as effectively as say, Halo?

Does anyone else hate the sense of lack of direction while playing? I just loaded a game an I can't remember what the hell I'm supposed to do or where I'm supposed to go, and it's simply painful to play like this.

Does anyone else get motion sick after >30m of play with the game?

Asher · February 15, 2003, 19:19

I forgot to mention how incredibly ****ing annoying it is for everything to constantly respawn.

Drake Tungsten · February 15, 2003, 20:40

Coincidentally, I just started playing Metroid Prime again today. I was about halfway through when I put it aside to finish Metroid Fusion and Zelda: A Link To The Past. Just entered the Phazon Mines.

My main problem with Metroid Prime is that it is too atmospheric. I get paranoid and jumpy as hell when I'm playing this game. Sometimes I get so paranoid that I don't even want to keep going. You just know that some giant enemy is lurking around the next corner ready to cap your ass and it freaks me out.

Still a great game, though...

Guynemer · February 15, 2003, 22:50

Having never played Halo, I can't address that complaint, but...

--Yes, I also get motion sickness after a certain amount of time.

--Yes, I also would like some more direction, plot, etc.

--Yes, I agree with Drake: still a great game.

CapitanGarlic · February 16, 2003, 01:23

I got used to the controls in ten minutes, I don't get motion sick, and I personally think it's refreshing to see a game where you're not led through by the hand.

Sounds like when you're playing it you look for reasons to not like it, though. Try playing it without complaining about every little thing that happens, it might be more enjoyable.

DinoDoc · February 16, 2003, 02:27

I can not get the damn plasma beam weapon!

Asher · February 16, 2003, 02:43

Quote:

Originally posted by CapitanGarlic
I got used to the controls in ten minutes, I don't get motion sick, and I personally think it's refreshing to see a game where you're not led through by the hand.

I commend your ability to adapt.

I still can't adapt to the controls. It's just ingrained into my subconscious how I should be able to control in a real-time first person perspective. I want to (NEED to) be able to look up, move forward, and move to the left -- at the same time! In Metroid Prime you gotta hold the R trigger to aim up/down/left/right, and when you do this you can't move forward, and the only way to strafe is to lock onto someone and in this case it just spins around the guy. It just seems like such an artificial limitation to me, it makes so much more sense and would be SO MUCH EASIER if they let us use a control scheme similar to Halo.

I don't usually get motion sick either, I play lots of PC FPS games and lots of console FPS games, and this is the ONLY one that does it to me. I was told the "HUD Lag" option could be it, but that still gives me motion sickness after about 30 minutes. It's very annoying to have to stop playing a game for the rest of the day every 30 minutes, especially considering it's supposed to be atmospheric!

As for the "hold by your hand" comment -- I agree I don't like it when games hold you by your hand and lead you through the game (which is why I avoid rail shooters and the like), but there definitely should be a happy medium. Metroid Prime suffers immensely from a general lack of direction while playing, I feel like I'm bumbling my way around and I don't feel like I'm doing anything constructive. It's even worse when I come back to a room 5 minutes later and everyone has respawned in that room -- how lame is that? I expect **** like that to happen on perhaps an NES that had ~256KB of RAM, not on a modern console which has the ability to flag people as dead across entire levels.

Quote:

Sounds like when you're playing it you look for reasons to not like it, though. Try playing it without complaining about every little thing that happens, it might be more enjoyable.

I can't, though. I spend a lot of time cursing at the controls wishing I could do what I should be able to do, I spend a lot of the time wondering where the hell I'm supposed to go and what I'm supposed to do, and by the time I start getting the hang of things I need to turn it off since I feel I'm about to throw up.

Drake Tungsten · February 16, 2003, 02:46

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I can not get the damn plasma beam weapon!

I just got it and it kicks some serious ass. There's nothing like hitting a Flying Pirate and watching him burn to death in midair before he falls...

Now that I have all the powerups, it's time to loot Tallon IV. Hooray!

Drake Tungsten · February 16, 2003, 02:49

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I spend a lot of the time wondering where the hell I'm supposed to go and what I'm supposed to do

Really? I find it disgustingly easy to know what to do. The damn computer bothers you incessently about "seismic disturbances" and other obvious hints.

DinoDoc · February 16, 2003, 02:54

Quote:

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I just got it and it kicks some serious ass.

Bastard! You could at least tell me how you got it. I know where it is but I just can not get to it.

Asher · February 16, 2003, 03:03

Quote:

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Really? I find it disgustingly easy to know what to do. The damn computer bothers you incessently about "seismic disturbances" and other obvious hints.

What damn computer? And what kind of hint is "seismic disturbance"? Does this mean you should get the hell out of there 'cause it's about to blow?

Asher · February 16, 2003, 03:06

What I mean by know what to do -- I just loaded a game and I'm in the middle of Chaos somethingorother.

My map has lots of blue areas, which means I haven't been there. So I suppose I need to just go explore them all. Then I clear most of one area and see there's a door to another new area, but there's no possible way to get there? Maybe I'm not supposed to be here yet, since there's some kind of magnetic thing up top but I don't have a grapple yet or anything?

It just seems so stupid to me. And I waste sooooo much time wandering around only to find I can't do something yet.

Perhaps I'm just spoiled by all of the other exceptional games I've played over the past year, but Metroid Prime doesn't stand out to me. It seems like a very average game, in all respects except visuals.

Drake Tungsten · February 16, 2003, 03:09

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Bastard! You could at least tell me how you got it. I know where it is but I just can not get to it.

Do you have the grapple beam yet? You can't get to it without the grapple beam.

DinoDoc · February 16, 2003, 03:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Asher
And what kind of hint is "seismic disturbance"? Does this mean you should get the hell out of there 'cause it's about to blow?

It means that it would be a good idea to check that area out.

Asher · February 16, 2003, 03:10

Quote:

Originally posted by DinoDoc
It means that it would be a good idea to check that area out.

In what twisted logic is that true?
If there's a seismic disturbance I'm getting the hell out of there!

DinoDoc · February 16, 2003, 03:12

What can I say? Samus is a bad ass.

Drake Tungsten · February 16, 2003, 03:17

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What damn computer? And what kind of hint is "seismic disturbance"? Does this mean you should get the hell out of there 'cause it's about to blow?

I'm talking about those messages you get; I'm assuming they're from your ship's computer. You get a message relatively often referring to "seismic disturbances" or "power surges" or some other vague thing. If you hit the Z-button, your map will come up and the computer will show you the exact room you should go to. Painfully easy and really annoying when you're trying to explore. The messages occur pretty frequently if you aren't getting any closer to the goal...

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It just seems so stupid to me. And I waste sooooo much time wandering around only to find I can't do something yet.

Welcome to Metroid. The game has always been about exploration and there are always areas you can see, but can't get to yet. The most fulfilling part of the game is when you finally get the right powerups to get to that energy tank or missile expansion that has been just out of reach for most of the game.

If you're lost, just go where the computer tells you. It always guides you to the next powerup you need to move on.

Asher · February 16, 2003, 03:20

Quote:

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
If you're lost, just go where the computer tells you. It always guides you to the next powerup you need to move on.

The computer doesn't tell me a damn thing, what am I doing wrong?

Nothing's given me any advice yet, I just stumble around aimlessly till I find ****. All the while killing **** I've already killed a hundred times before in the same session.

Drake Tungsten · February 16, 2003, 03:24

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The computer doesn't tell me a damn thing, what am I doing wrong?

Beats me. Your computer doesn't tell you anything and my computer won't shut up.

What part of the game are you in right now? Maybe I can tell you where to go. What was the last powerup you got or boss that you beat?

DinoDoc · February 16, 2003, 03:27

This has helped me so far:

Asher · February 16, 2003, 03:27

I'm 03% into the game right now (my brother overwrote my MP game with a FIFA season -- Nintendo memory cards are pathetic!), and I just got the roller-ball upgrade thingie.

Asher · February 16, 2003, 03:28

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Originally posted by DinoDoc
This has helped me so far:

!!

A 606KB textfile?

I play games as fun, and reading a 606KB textfile on how to play the game doesn't seem like fun to me.

Thanks anyways though.

DinoDoc · February 16, 2003, 03:30

I wanted to find all of the energy tanks.

Drake Tungsten · February 16, 2003, 03:35

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I'm 03% into the game right now (my brother overwrote my MP game with a FIFA season -- Nintendo memory cards are pathetic!), and I just got the roller-ball upgrade thingie.

You need to get the Space Jump boots now. Go back to the Tallon Overworld and find a half-pipe in the Tallon Canyon (I think that's the room). Use the boost ball in the half pipe to get to the upper level. There should be a door up there that will lead out to a ledge above your ship. Follow the ledge to another door and the Space Jump boots should be there.

Asher · February 16, 2003, 03:38

I'll probably try that out tomorrow.

But I may end up starting my second NHL2K3 season instead. We'll see...

pg · February 16, 2003, 05:47

i didn't like metroid either. sure it's a decent game but definately not something i'd recommend. the real reason i don't like it is because it's really dumbed down imo, and the exploration which is what metroid is all about isn't that impressive. maybe if the levels were more than a bunch of long halls. compared to the originals, it really is metroid in 3d but compared to other games on the market today it's not that great.

i dislike the controls a lot too, they are regressive! compared to modern fps's metroid is a joke. the only reason you need autoaim in metroid is because the control setup is sooo bad.

metroid just falls short for me. maybe a few yrs ago i'd have liked it more.

Sava · February 16, 2003, 12:29

A PC version of Metroid would have been better.

SnowFire · February 16, 2003, 20:39

I'm talking about those messages you get; I'm assuming they're from your ship's computer. You get a message relatively often referring to "seismic disturbances" or "power surges" or some other vague thing. If you hit the Z-button, your map will come up and the computer will show you the exact room you should go to. Painfully easy and really annoying when you're trying to explore. The messages occur pretty frequently if you aren't getting any closer to the goal...

This is the help option. Apperantly you have it turned on, and there should be some option to turn the hints off, and Asher has it turned off and wants it turned on to get some direction.

My roommate had it on for a bit, then wanted to do the exploration himself and turned it off.

Drake Tungsten · February 16, 2003, 21:14

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This is the help option. Apperantly you have it turned on, and there should be some option to turn the hints off, and Asher has it turned off and wants it turned on to get some direction.

You can turn it off? Thank the lord! Thanks, SnowFire.

DinoDoc · February 16, 2003, 21:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Do you have the grapple beam yet?

Yes.