My NES still works just fine, and you can (usually) get a game to work (eventually) by working with the cartrage.
On a separate note, I miss cartridges. I know that games will never go back to using cartridges because DVD's and now BlueRay discs can hold way more data than a cartridge ever could, but there was something about cartridges that I really liked. Maybe it is because that is what I grew up with.
I disagree. with solid state hard drives coming out and flash memory only getting better and better, I feel like we might see the return of cartridges. Of course I have no idea what the chances of that are. Reasons to move from carts to optical disks were mainly storage space and cost. It takes wayyyyyy less money to burn a DVD than create a game cart. The only reason to reintroduce cart technology would be to eliminate load times or take advantage of the tech if it got ridiculously cheap.
The problem with flash technology is that there is a limited number to the times that you can write data to them before they quit working (I don't know weather or not this was the case with cartridges). But even if we did switch to flash drives, It would still take a long time for them to catch up with the 54GB that a blueray can hold, plus they are way more expensive.
man, it would be so nice to have a non-disc system. I can't stand when people touch my game discs because they never seem to be careful with them. one little scratch and 60 bucks byebye
Oh yeah, it's not going to happen anytime soon unless there is a breakthrough we don't know about in the works, but oh what I would give for loading screens to disappear once more.
I definitely hear you, epically when I am playing Fable. Don't get me wrong Fable 2 is one of my favorite games on the 360 but the load times are insanely long even when you install the game onto your hard drive. And Rune Factory: Frontier is even worse, it is still a great game but I think I spend just as much time watching the loading screen as I do actually playing the game itself.
Come to think of it maybe the next gen will come with 20ish gigs of solid state memory built right in. Then you could install and enjoy lightning fast load times. Oh please may this become reality!
Also I'm getting really giddy for this year's E3. Hopefully aplayale Other M along with a playable Zelda. I would be sooooooooo happy.
A story-heavy prequel to Metroid Fusion... (emphasis mine)
As per the videos released so far, it seems that OM is going to take place closer to the end of Super Metroid. The nightmares/flashbacks are fresh in Samus' mind which would suggests that it's a "sequel" of sorts, but it is neither. It's an interquel. As Tropes pointed out, (also mentioned in interviews) there will be a considerable embellishment upon Samus' past in OM (rather than the story behind the mission, as we're accustomed to).
I'm glad that the GF forces this time around aren't faceless space pirate laser cannon fodder. I'm especially pleased with the return of Adam Malkovich. Though I must admit, all this chronology talk doesn't interest me much; I'm more interested in the story behind OM's overall 'Mission Objective'. Since we already know that GF ends up breeding Metroids (and Malkovich remains hesitant to include Samus in on their mission), I'm speculating that there's some corruption afoot... the kind that has nothing to do with phazon, and perhaps serves as the root of Adam Malkovich's sacrifice. Obviously, with the presence of reos and zoomers in the OM vids/pics, the space pirates are involved somehow.
The big question remains to be asked (which I'm surprised no one has posed, shame shame!): What is the Other M? Another biological project concocted by the Space Pirates? Perhaps it's some Chozo-linked mystery from Samus' past. Or does the M stand for Mother Brain, somehow surviving through some sort of cloning process (much like her Generals)? There's no way (yet) to know for sure, but I think it's a good topic for speculation while we wait to get our hands on some concrete information...
...you could get a good 12 hours out of each prime game, the 2D metroids were quick affairs rarely lasted more than 5
I dunno about the rest of you, but my first run through of Super Metriod (the first one I played) and the Prime trilogy games took me eight hours each, with an additional hour or two to tie up loose ends. M4F took a less, maybe six hours, though I did sorta cheat to find the location of the last place I could save before initiating the final sequence... so I spent more time back-tracking each sector than most people did on their first runs. MZM took me three hours, first run, and maybe two more getting the rest of the power-ups. Completion time doesn't bother me much. The thing to remember is that the shorter games tend to be handheld, whereas the longer ones are console games, so I think we're in the clear on that front.
To me, what's important is maintaining the excitement and wonder that comes from the seek-and-destroy exploration. The first time through is great, but the glory comes in the replay. With a couple exceptions, every time I re-enter a Metroid game I am able to conjure up that initial awe and eagerness to trek through the seemingly abandoned world. A big part of that experience comes from the isolation the games provide. I feel like I've taken part in Samus' vendetta against a malevolent species which makes it all the more fun to replay, rip through Space Pirate grounds and annihilating them with humiliating swiftness. I think that's what makes speed runs so damn fun!
What I'm getting at is that I hope this story-filled Metroid doesn't lack this quality. Corruption did, for me. Yes, the all over action/bosses were fun and the story (excepting the finale) was great, but they made Samus into a mercenary rather than a bounty hunter. I still enjoyed the game immensely. It's just that the planet-hopping and co-conspiring with the GF didn't evoke the same awe of exploration (not to mention solitude) that most other Metroid games do. While Nintendo's already confirmed that the story will progress much in the way that M4F did, I hope this doesn't mean we won't get a return to solitude on a single planet.
In response to E3 news (thus far):
Is anyone else bummed that you can only utilize the first-person mode while standing still (ala Twin Snakes)? I do have faith in the Project Metroid team, but I was looking forward to some epic FPS-style boss battles...
Hell, after seeing Nintendo's E3 conference, I almost wonder if this game wouldn't have been better on the 3DS. A lot of the rooms shown in the videos are 3-dimensional and we're going to have to deal with a D-pad for movement. Other than the stand-still FPS-mode, the only other Wii-related hardware usage is the graphics/cutscenes. I dunno, maybe this will become a reality in time, but for now I'd prefer to see Metroid games maximizing utilization of the Wii's technologies...
TL;DR - Samus is a clone, an embodiment of Mother Brain, bred by the Chozo to protect the Metroids on an uncharted GF planet.
Hell, after seeing Nintendo's E3 conference, I almost wonder if this game wouldn't have been better on the 3DS.
Still not out of the question...
3DS sounds amazing. One of the guys from IGN used it and said the 3D is absolutely perfect. Might be the first new handheld I have bought since the old gameboy.
A lot of people are wondering what Other M will do to Samus. Let's face it, we have seen very little of her in her own games over the years. Sure she had the Prime trilogy, but her games are still not ranking up there with even Kirby.
I have some high hopes for Other M. Since I love the Metroid series, this one is already on pre-order the day I head of it back in May. This switching from 3rd person to 1st person does seem a little odd of a direction for game developers to take, but Team Ninja is a good team.
Prime Trilogy>>>>>>>Kirby. Just saying. At any rate, 3rd/1st switching back and forth is one of my favorite features of Fallout 3/Oblivion...but it could end badly. Do you get to choose when to switch or does it just switch based on where you are in the level?
I think you can switch anytime, but it also seems like you can't move in first person. Maybe I'm totally wrong about that, but the last I knew you couldn't move in first person.
Hm, well that's a shame. That's actually not too bad though depending on how you look at it. I mean, in Super Mario 64 you could switch to first person to look around but couldn't move and it worked well. Just now you get to shoot or scan stuff while you're looking around. So it could still be awesome if you look at it that way, but it may be difficult for Prime fanatics like myself to get used to.
From all the demonstrations that I have seen thus far. You hold the Wii-mote like a traditional contoler and move. You auto lockon to enemies. When you point the Wiimote at the screen, you enter into First person and can use missiles
As to my comparing Kirby and Samus, eh. They both have 10 games out. However, Metroid was hit system in 1986, and Metroid 2 in 1991. Kirby didn't get a game till 1992. Samus should have more games, but for some reason she doesn't..
Part of it is that Kirby is Hal Labs. Sakurai really pushed the creation of more Kirby games whereas Nintendo had tons of other games they were making as well, including Kid Icarus which was released on the same day by the same team as the original Metroid.
As for that gameplay video...the one thing I don't like is moving in a 3D space with a DPad. I always prefer an analog stick.
Not to mention that it's a little "old school". Some of use spent many years with nothing but a D-pad and two buttons. So it's like riding a bike after riding a motorcycle, it's familiar and fun.
Yeah, but back then we did not have 3-D graphics. I think that the switching back and fourth between a side-scroller type game and a FPS might be a bit of a pain.
Have to wait and see. I do like that Nintendo is trying new things. After the overwhelming success of New Super Mario Brothers, I can't blame them a bit for taking some series' back to their roots. Plus Team Ninja has a solid reputation for making good games, so the new system could work great. Plus diving deeper into the person behind the cannon is nice too. So this game remains on pre-order for me.
I know it's not exactly the same, but think of how Galaxy did it. Both games had moments where you went from third person 3D to 2D seamlessly and it felt so damn natural. Those were context sensitive though, not on demand. II have faith that they can do it though.
In all fairness I generally don't like the initial idea of Nintendo changing things but when I get used to them I find that I like them better. For example I was initially against the idea of the 3DS but when I actually took the time to look into it, I found that I am pretty excited about it.
idk how i feel about this game. I am a huge fan of the metroid series, but this game has me feeling uneasy. I love the 3d side scrolling part of it, but its the switch between the first person that has me concerned. Yes it looks fine for when youre just scanning new areas, but if im in a full fledged battle with a boss and i need a well placed ice rocket, will the transition between scrolling and first person be fast enough? To make a long story short either this game will be an amazing leap forward and establishment in the Metroid francise, or a huge flop. We'll have to wait and see.
My demo was admittedly very short so I didn't get much of a chance to savor the moments, but I will say that the game, while visually strong, has a very "clunky" feel to it that hasn't gone away since my last hands-on. The game's been designed around the Wii remote exclusively, and while it's great to get a Metroid game that harkens back to the old-school NES and Super NES days, it's hard to ignore a lot of the stiffness of the game's control. Wall jumping didn't feel as fluid and natural in this game, for example. And while I can appreciate the Wii pointer control for first-person mode, it feels awkward to jump in and jump out constantly – not to mention that you can't move around while you're looking through Samus' visor -- only rotate from the spot that you were standing in when you jumped into first-person mode.
='(
Doesn't sound too promising. I dunno, maybe they will make up for it with kick-ass worlds to explore and awesome puzzles. Seems like the only thing they could salvage thus far. I will say that some of the screenshots look stunning:
That's a pretty damn expansive area, and it looks nice too.
I just played through Prime Echoes and Corruption. Just sooooo damned good. Even though echoes seems to be the least favorite it still awesome level design, great and tough boss fights. Every one of those games is just a masterpiece.
I'm excited that Metroid is going in a different direction, but at the moment this doesn't feel like the best direction.
Indeed. I'm also a little concerned...it's not often that I moan about a game's graphics, but even the first Prime looked better than the screenshot you posted...
