Super Metroid SNES
From the start of the game, you are put into the action packed life of our leading woman, Samus Aran. Briefly, she educates you on past experiences of the Metroid franchise and thus sets the back story to this sci-fi adventure. After an awesome (by 1993 standards) self-destruction sequence and "orchestral synth beat" laden song, you are thrust upon the familiar planet Zebes. Here you will gain "power-ups" for Samus' signature ketchup and mustard colored Power Suit; some old and some new, all badass. Because the game is so heavily based on exploration, secrets, and exploits, these "power-ups" will make the adventure unfold in many fun and impressive ways. For example, the "Morph Ball" power will allow Samus to access small tunnel-like passages and the aquiring of the "Grappling Beam" will allow her to climb into areas that jumping would not. The game still has the classic doors that require missiles to open and creative usage of the "Ice Beam" will reveal new ways of advancement. The armor, weapon, and power upgrades of Metroid 3 create a new level of exploration on a conventional and extreme level (ie, speed demo).
The action of Metroid 3 is great and players will find the game's many enemies fun and challenging to fight. The boss fights are difficult but can be beaten after their attack patterns have been solved. The weapons allow for various styles of fighting, but players will usually find themselves sticking with the basic arm cannon blaster (which also upgrades in power). The game, like many 2D adventures, involves a lot of jumping. The "physics" of the game are surprisingly good; water actually feels restricting and there is a sense of speed that is satisfying. However, trying to jump out of lava can be quite annoying at times.
The game has many ways of qualifying the length of the adventure and overall experience of the game. Save points, ammo and energy replenishing, and map databases are conveniently placed throughout the game. Also, you can always return to Samus' ship to replenish energy and ammo as well as save the game.
A new player to the 2D Metroid series will take anywhere from 10-20 hours to complete (even though the game clock will say otherwise as it does not take into consideration how many times you die, change zones, etc). And no new player will get all 100% of the game's items from the start, which will surely have you going through the game multiple times to get every item. After a while, you'll be able to go through the game in about 3 hours! The faster you beat the game and the more items you find, the more Samus strips once you beat the game. Once you've beaten the game in record time and collected 100% items, you can brag to your friends about how you saw 16bit Samus in a gray bikini. But don't worry if you'll never accomplish this feat, because every time you die, all of Samus' armor will explode revealing her hot yet early 90's look for all to see.
Metroid 3 is a great experience with action and sci-fi style to boot. If you like games like Castlevania Symphony of the Night, chances are you will like Metroid 3. The dark atmosphere, illusory soundtrack, intense action, and beautiful style make this game a must play for all.
