I recently watched Aliens 1-4 again (though 4 is utter crap and 3 is mediocre) and I suddenly had the urge to play Metroid. Then I thought why not play them all and make a little anthology like with the Wonder Boy and Super Star Wars series. So, here I go. the first Metroid game on NES! :)

You are Samus Aran, a bounty hunter, sent to planet Zebes to hunt down Mother Brain. There is not much story and it's pretty much known to anyone anyway so I'll spare you the details.

It's a classic action platformer that combines Mario's platforming with Zelda's item upgrades and adds lots of shooting action in a claustrophobic system of caverns. It's a large set of rooms and corridors, almost maze-like, and the area is divided by obstacles that often require specific items like high jump boots or bombs. You are not exactly forced to have them in many cases and can find either other ways to pass these obstacles. You are also not forced to do things in a specific order. Just explore and you will gradually progress. It's extremely well done and fairly complex for an 8-bit game. It's just a classic game.

I was quite amazed about the graphics. sure, they are just 8-bit, but still very detailed and not that repetitive. Same with the sound: some tunes are very memorable. The maze structure of the planet is well designed and makes exploration interesting. The upgrades are really upgrades and not a slight buff in your jumping or shooting ability. there is absolutely nothing to complain about except for some slowdowns, but it's not really annoying. The controls are perfect and it's fairly hard compared to later games in the series. I mean, the bosses are easy, but in some parts there's quite a lot of junk flying around that pushes you into lava or other hazardous pits.

The game also has a password system and you get a code after you die. You then restart at the beginning of the game with all the stuff you had. It's fairly short if you have mastered it and just rush through, but if you take your time to explore and play on your own without a walkthrough you're in for a few hours of great 8-bit gaming. highly recommended if you get a chance to play this!

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