The Metroid That Wasn't - What Would You Like to See?

It's fair to say that, no matter your level of opprobrium at Metroid Prime: Federation Force (ranging from "hey this looks like it could still be quite fun" to "MURDER IWATA'S MOTHER"), it's not the Metroid that most wanted. So what would be?

Vent your frustration by saying what you would like to see in a new Mertoid game, or games, for Wii U, 3DS, and/or NX. Want a 3D Prime-like? A 2D sequel to Fusion? A game where Samus packs it all in to lead an alien football team? All three?


I'll start by saying that I'd like to see the return of the Krikens. A repulsive invasive territorial race. Starting with Trace in Hunters, who turned into a skittering thing from your nightmares, could become invisible when sniping, and was my absolute favourite character. Bring him and his race back, and let Samus slaughter them.

Piccy of Trace:

Top idea for a thread balla and top idea for a Metroid, Trace was arguably the best character in Hunters & yet they picked Sylux as a way to continue the Prime time line? He's the dullest looking out of the hunters to me

Sylux:

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I'll need to have a good think for my own idea on this one but I love that Mr Tanabe is thinking more along the lines of Echoes for his.

A continuation of Corruption explaining Sylux's origins and bringing back Rundas, Ghor and Gandrayda to fight the git because the developers screwed up by wrecking their brains, turning them evil and killing them. My view anyway.

Metroid Prime amiibo Festival, natch.

Jas, I presume because he's the Metroid universe equivalent of gaming's 35-year-old white man. "Closest to somebody the audience can associate with."

Sentinator wrote:

...Gandrayda...

Samus' Epic Yarn.

I'm currently playing through Metroid Prime, and I'm not actually sure I'm enjoying it as much as other people (it might not help that I'm playing the Wii version, with the pointer controls that mean, if you stop and think for a couple of seconds, you ineviatably cause Samus to look at the floor and slowly turn round like she's been on the Space Captain Morgan's). So I'm not really sure what I want. Maybe another 2D-ish one (there's a name for the genre - I can't think what it is); I actually quite enjoyed the gameplay of Other M, just not the story.

I'd like to see either a 2D Metroid in the style of Super Metroid or a 3D Metroid in the style of the Prime games with minimal emphasis on story. Whilst I enjoyed Metroid Prime 3's more Haloesque storyline with its space marines at the time, I'd chalk that up to being 14 as opposed to it actually being decent. Metroid excels when it focuses on solitude, with any story being gleaned from scan logs or your surroundings. You should feel utterly alone, yet you'll succeed because you're Samus Aran, space badass. I'd also like to see bigger environments, such as Phendrana Drift's huge opening area. Traversing and exploring these was a blast, so more of this.

Oh, and bring back Kraid. I miss that big ugly spike-chucking dude.

Agree with almost everything Jay says, which makes Jimbob a willy-head, natch.  In fact, I'd love to see both a follow-up to Fusion on the 3DS (or successor), and a Prime-esque game with aching loneliness and more open environments on the Wii U (or successor).  Krikens probably fall into the Wii U one, for the horror of a Triskelion charging you in first-person.

I don't agree that there has to be no story, though - but it should be told through brief cut-scenes and lore.  No dialogue, no friendly NPCs, definitely no Gandrayda.



I do like the idea of Samus having a yarn grapple beam, though.

I think someone at Retro had a sass quota to fit, so they created the monstrosity that was Gandrayda. Quite liked the ice chap from that game though, but it really did lessen the hostile solitude the first two Primes reveled in. You should be expecting nasty Space Pirates around every corner, not a gruff but well meaning ice dude or a pink one-liner spewing monstrosity.

Massive, sprawling, interplanetary 2D shenanigans. Maybe... five planets, each with different and gorgeous ecosystems with their own hilarious bunch of critters. The classic gear gating in a big way, so that to mine all the goodies from any one planet you need to go back with all the items. A bit more Zero Suit action - not for the reason, but because it provides a really tense change of pace, and it's only been in one game. Samus to get really tooled up, with numerous guns/beams/suits, including at least two of each that we've not seen before.

No character-ruining storyline... in fact, a story that builds her back up into the brilliant heroine she always was.

In terms of (world) setting I want to see the opposite of the Mr ZJ just suggested, so I just want the one location and since Dark souls done it so well I'd like to see a Metroid that doesn't utilise a map system (very doubtful, I know) so you have to use all of Samus' abilities to explore and survive.

If not that I'd settle for a "broken" map that could only log a certain distance of an area so you had this fog of war situation of totally unexplored areas you would have to navigate with your (Samus') skill set.

JayMoyles wrote:

I think someone at Retro had a sass quota to fit, so they created the monstrosity that was Gandrayda. Quite liked the ice chap from that game though, but it really did lessen the hostile solitude the first two Primes reveled in. You should be expecting nasty Space Pirates around every corner, not a gruff but well meaning ice dude or a pink one-liner spewing monstrosity.

Corruption had space pirates around every corner. The role they played in 3 was higher than the first game and a LOT higher than the second game. I would say Corruption was more linear but I think Samus having help for a change is why I like it the best. Losing your gear and going alone became a trope that 3 had the guts to change. Plus it showed the human side of Samus without daddy issues or PTSD.

Perhaps I'm misremembering it then (it has been a while since I've played Corruption), but I seem to remember coming across wounded troopers or that gaggle of other bounty hunters regularly throughout the game, which ate into the solitude that I love about Metroid. I can't fault it for attempting to buck the formula, but I don't like the way they went about it.

What I read here and what I know of the series, could we get a bioshock-esque came where the world is also part of the game where along the way you pick up audio logs etc and procress through the world when you have picked up better gear.

That sounds pretty much like a regular Prime to me, bar the audio logs. I feel that text fits Metroid better than voice, though.

The_Jaster wrote:

In terms of (world) setting I want to see the opposite of the Mr ZJ just suggested, so I just want the one location and since Dark souls done it so well I'd like to see a Metroid that doesn't utilise a map system (very doubtful, I know) so you have to use all of Samus' abilities to explore and survive.

If not that I'd settle for a "broken" map that could only log a certain distance of an area so you had this fog of war situation of totally unexplored areas you would have to navigate with your (Samus') skill set.

No map system? Completely disagree with you there, Jas! I like exploring: I don't like getting completely lost.

Wouldn't mind having to plot out some of the rooms by fully exploring them, though.

I think the big difference between Souls and Metroid is that Souls funnels you through it a lot better than Metroid. I get lost enough with a map...

Balla wrote:

No map system? :Shocked: Completely disagree with you there, Jas! I like exploring: I don't like getting completely lost.

If they are careful in how the world is designed then getting lost shouldn't be much of a problem.

andy wrote:

I think the big difference between Souls and Metroid is that Souls funnels you through it a lot better than Metroid. I get lost enough with a map...

Aye it probably does but there no reason why a map-less Metroid couldn't do the same, heck there's already portions in 2d Metroid games where you are exploring without a full map.

I just find exploring the unknown to be some of my favourite parts of Metroid and to have that ramped up a notch would make the game all the more interesting to me............perhaps you could have visor abilities to hep you navigate better?

Souls is definitely a game Metroid needs to look at; it was the most original Metroidvania since the first Prime, in my opinion.
I like 2D metroids, but there seems to be a new indie Metroidvania every other week, so I'd rather Nintendo gave us something a bit different. A massive, HD Metroid Prime, taking cues from DS and Bioshock, on either Wii U or whatever comes next could be something very special indeed.

Fun side note, though: I've definitely mentioned in previous discussions on this subject that I quite like the idea of a game set in the Metroid universe when one plays as generic troopers instead of Samus and does a bit more shooting. So blame me, I guess!

An indie Metroidvania is never quite going to have the scale, let alone the clever level design, of Nintendo's own efforts. I agree with you that I'd much rather see a Prime, though. Wouldn't mind it taking from the Souls template, although I'm none too keen on the idea of wandering off in a random direction for ages and getting smashed by enemies I have no business running into.

Balladeer wrote:

An indie Metroidvania is never quite going to have the scale, let alone the clever level design, of Nintendo's own efforts.  I agree with you that I'd much rather see a Prime, though.  Wouldn't mind it taking from the Souls template, although I'm none too keen on the idea of wandering off in a random direction for ages and getting smashed by enemies I have no business running into.

Git gud then.

Axiom Verge which is on PS4, which I think is coming to Wii U at some-point is meant to be a very very good Metroidvania.

Metroid Federation Force only on Wii U with a competitive online mode like Hunters, I genuinely believe this could be great fun and a good answer for online FPS games on a Nintendo console but I'd be more likely to play on the big screen if it's online and really enjoyed the online side of Hunters. Also Blast Ball looks great fun.

This may seem a bit blasphemous but I've yet to complete Prime 1 & 2 so I'm in no rush for a fully fledged sequel to the series.

balla wrote:

Wouldn't mind it taking from the Souls template, although I'm none too keen on the idea of wandering off in a random direction for ages and getting smashed by enemies I have no business running into.

Now, I'm not saying you can't wander off the beaten path in DS but you are seemingly make it sound like it does it in a way that leaves you stuck in front of some impossible enemy who is blocking progress that lies beyond them.

For example: DS and Metroid run on many of the same rules when it comes to that (progress) though the latter will mostly block you off entirely from an area because you don't have the right ability whereas DS might allow you a little taster of what's to come later but still make it clear you shouldn't be there in various ways. (locked doors, enemies taking a lot of damage etc)

Here's a map comparison between DS and super metroid:

Also in both when you do wonder off in a random direction you can be rewarded for it, in Metroid you could find extra missiles/energy tanks and in Dark souls you might find new armour/upgrade materials/weapons so having worlds designed like this only makes them more real not to mention that not everyone's play through will be the exact same.

Hopefully you haven't taken any of this the wrong way as I'm just trying to clear up that DS isn't the super impossible/unfair game that it's made out to be. (I also thought the same of it before I played it btw)

EDIT: Also since when did you die to things in Metroid other than bosses? Standard enemies are there to give you health.

Toppling into lava/acid, mostly.

Okay, I may yet be able to give the franchise a shot if/when I pick up a PS4 and give an informed judgement. Trouble is, I'm easily overwhelmed by a massive game world. "Which way do I go? What do I do first? What if I spend an hour walking down one path and find it's a waste of time? AAAAARGH!" I really do need some form of guidance, but if DS has that in some form then fair enough.