nkarafo
Member
Metroid was always a pretty niche title for Nintendo. It was never nearly as big seller as Mario or Zelda (or even Starfox). Most people thought Samus is a robot called Metroid.
But when Metroid Prime was released, i was surprised with all the spotlight it got. Not only it was getting perfect review scores all over the internet (well deserved IMO) but there was also a pretty big marketing push, a first for any Metroid game. The Super Metroid release in comparison was nothing like it. The franchise never got that kind of attention ever since. Maybe OtherM came a bit close but for different reasons.
As a result, the franchise became a mainstream attraction for a little while . There was also the tiny fact that the game was in first person now and Halo was very popular at the time so the comparisons were inevitable. To this day people still compare Halo to Metroid Prime, even claiming how Metroid is Nintendo's Halo, despite being completely different games.
With all that, the game sold absurdly well for a Metroid title. But i have the feeling a lot of people must have been disappointed by it. Not me, i was thrilled. I knew what it was and what to expect and the game met or even exceeded my expectations. But what about those who got the game because of:
- The review scores and the hype.
- The FPS perspective making it look like a regular shooter.
- The Halo comparisons.
Were all these people aware of the Metroid formula and level design? And if not, how many of those liked it in the end? I'm sure some were pleasantly surprised and got to know and love this kind of design but how many hated it because it wasn't really the Halo game they wanted? That's not a great way to be introduced to the Metroidvania formula. And also, it's not a coincidence that after the Metroid Prime series hype cooled off, "backtracking" became the new videogame thing to hate. I don't remember this word existing in the videogames vocabulary before, it's like it was invented by the Prime series.
And it's not only the non-fans. I'm aware that even a lot of Metroid fans didn't like the first person perspective. So there had to be some disappointment from there too, though these people could easily avoid buying the game.
I don't know, i feel like a lot of people must have been disappointed because they thought it would be a different game and the sequel selling less than half proves that i think.
But when Metroid Prime was released, i was surprised with all the spotlight it got. Not only it was getting perfect review scores all over the internet (well deserved IMO) but there was also a pretty big marketing push, a first for any Metroid game. The Super Metroid release in comparison was nothing like it. The franchise never got that kind of attention ever since. Maybe OtherM came a bit close but for different reasons.
As a result, the franchise became a mainstream attraction for a little while . There was also the tiny fact that the game was in first person now and Halo was very popular at the time so the comparisons were inevitable. To this day people still compare Halo to Metroid Prime, even claiming how Metroid is Nintendo's Halo, despite being completely different games.
With all that, the game sold absurdly well for a Metroid title. But i have the feeling a lot of people must have been disappointed by it. Not me, i was thrilled. I knew what it was and what to expect and the game met or even exceeded my expectations. But what about those who got the game because of:
- The review scores and the hype.
- The FPS perspective making it look like a regular shooter.
- The Halo comparisons.
Were all these people aware of the Metroid formula and level design? And if not, how many of those liked it in the end? I'm sure some were pleasantly surprised and got to know and love this kind of design but how many hated it because it wasn't really the Halo game they wanted? That's not a great way to be introduced to the Metroidvania formula. And also, it's not a coincidence that after the Metroid Prime series hype cooled off, "backtracking" became the new videogame thing to hate. I don't remember this word existing in the videogames vocabulary before, it's like it was invented by the Prime series.
And it's not only the non-fans. I'm aware that even a lot of Metroid fans didn't like the first person perspective. So there had to be some disappointment from there too, though these people could easily avoid buying the game.
I don't know, i feel like a lot of people must have been disappointed because they thought it would be a different game and the sequel selling less than half proves that i think.