Metroid Prime Remaster

[spatular]

Been playing the remaster of the first one on switch, its great, im really enjoying it! I remember liking it originally on gamecube but getting annoyed as i couldnt get past omega pirate (did complete it in the end using a cheat disk), but i dont really remember much about it. It looks great and sounds amazing. the exploration, the atmosphere, the little puzzles, its really good! Well the combat isnt great, and theres a bit too much backtracking. The controls seem good although not sure how they compare to the original and wii versions.

 

another problem is more of a problem with my memory but itd be nice to have a tips mode that shows the features of a room so you know which ones to go back to when you get a new gadget/powerup. Im playing on easy so hopefully get past the omega pirate this time. And there is a tips mode which shows you where to go next if you get a bit lost which is good. It is a bit confusing working out how to get somewhere via the different elevators mind, found a useful map for that but its full of spoilers so im trying to ignore the key and just look at the map.

 

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/metroid/images/c/cd/Mp_prodmap.png/revision/latest?cb=20140819051514

[DANGERMAN]

Yeah I've been playing this over the last few days, put quite a lot of time in over the weekend. I forget the actual name of it but I've got the wave energy cannon, so now I can kill the energy based aliens. 

 

I'm really enjoying it, it's easier than I remember it being though. Maybe that's because of the analogue controls, although I've had to switch from the joycons to the Hori wing things I've got, it plays a lot better with them (the joycons were just swinging past targets) but you do lose the vibration. The issue I do still have is the map and the backtracking, I've been stumped a few times and had to just trudge across the map to find where I can use whatever power I've just got. It could do a better job of marking items on the map, it's impossible to tell you're missing anything once you've been in a room. 

 

I do like that it will sometimes pop up and tell you that there's activity somewhere, basically pointing you in the right direction for where to go 

[Maryokutai]

3 hours ago, DANGERMAN said:

I'm really enjoying it, it's easier than I remember it being though. Maybe that's because of the analogue controls

 

I think it's rather this being a game where the difficulty comes from a lack of knowledge and being underprepared on your first playthrough. I watched some people play this for the first time with the remastered version and they did just as bad, if not even worse, than I did as a teenager when I played it back then. Meanwhile I just breezed through it and I didn't even use the modern controls. Case in point, the Phazon Mines took me four or five tries back in the day, but I barely lost half of my health this time around. Being sneaky around corners and hitting Pirates with fully charged beams before they notice you turns that section in particular into a cakewalk, more or less. 

 

That's not to say the modern controls don't lower the difficulty even further, but having prior knowledge is a bigger factor I think. Combat isn't really designed around reactions, some stuff can't even be avoided completely. It's just knowing when to strike and what tool to use to inflict as much damage as possible during that timeframe.

 

But it's certainly a great remaster and still a fantastic game. I agree that from a more modern perspective it would have helped to see where missing items are still available. Even a very basic "Missile Containers found: Y/X" information for every hub would help. I think they could also have added some teleporters without ruining the sense of presence – at the very least, I think and instant teleport back to your ship would have worked. Other than that it's pretty much the best version of the game. Echoes in particular would benefit a lot from a remaster of this caliber and is similarly impenetrable for younger generations due to its unique control scheme.

 

[DisturbedSwan]

I've been playing this too over the past week or so, think I'm about 6 hours in currently in the Phendara(?) Drifts, the snowy area anyway lol.

 

I played the OG GCN game back in the day but I didn't get very far, from memory I just played the tutorial then gave up as soon as I got to the Planet (Tallion IV?) as I don't remember anything else. Playing on Normal, that may of been a mistake after reading a few late bosses gave a few folks here trouble, but we'll see. 

All been relatively straightforward so far in terms of progress, haven't really got lost yet and have steadily been picking up more and more upgrades, fought one boss too that went down on the first try. Has all been pretty easy to so far, but yeah, reading some replies from the Trilogy thread there are some road bumps ahead the further I get into it possibly I think.

 

Have been really enjoying it so far, it's like an FPS Souls game in lots of ways so I feel right at home really, maybe a little more linear and not quite as large but there's plenty of overlap there, but then I guess Souls itself was probably inspired a lot by the OG game and Metroidvania games in general so it all swings and roundabouts really. I definitely feel much more at home with the dual stick controls in this compared to the original, I remember that being jarring at the time, especially coming from Xbox console FPS' at the time. Saying that, the aiming can still feel a bit loose at times but the lock-on saves it really, I remember the lock-on being a lot more prominent in the OG whereas in this there's a lot more room to free aim as/when needed really.

 

Not sure where to go next, I've just picked up the boost ball upgrade and was trying to jump up at a fallen down stalactite last night to no avail.

 

Pics:

 

 

 

[DANGERMAN]

Barely played this since the weekend but still managed to get 2 upgrades last night. The super missile I can't seem to get to fire, so maybe it's for the standard beam. I then got the thermal vision right after 

 

I also got an alert to say I'd scanned 50% of the items, so, while I suspect that's very front loaded, I must be making decent progress 

[spatular]

Not sure ive used the super missile much as its pretty convoluted to use but yeah i think you have to be on the standard beam, charge the beam up and press the missile button iirc?

 

on the easy mode i basically jump up and down infront of the enemy hammering the fire button, or increasingly just run past them.

 

 The thermal vision looks cool but also makes me feel a bit sick.

 

still enjoying it and did also manage to get something useful last night - a new beam - however traipsed across the map to a room with a door i can now open only to find something else there blocking progress.

[Maryokutai]

The Super Missile is the Power Beam's "missile combo" and yes, charging up the Power Beam and then pressing the missile button is the right combination for it.

There are three other missile combos for the other beam variants, but unlike Super Missile they're optional, and also less useful bar maybe one exception. But they look pretty cool in action.

 

The equipment tab in the pause menu has some good information about all that stuff. It also notes which weapon can destroy which material among other things.

[DisturbedSwan]

On 26/04/2023 at 07:24, DANGERMAN said:

Barely played this since the weekend but still managed to get 2 upgrades last night. The super missile I can't seem to get to fire, so maybe it's for the standard beam. I then got the thermal vision right after 

 

I also got an alert to say I'd scanned 50% of the items, so, while I suspect that's very front loaded, I must be making decent progress 

 

I think we're in the same area, you're just a little bit further ahead of me.

 

I picked up the Super Missile last night and then left it there for the night. Since my last post I've got the Space Boots, the Wave Beam and then the aforementioned Super Missile, I'm kind of surprised there hasn't been more bosses yet? I was expecting there to be one at the end of every kind of mini-area or something and whilst I did fight a mini-boss there's been nothing on the scale of Flaagha - or whatever the hell the tentacled thing in Chao Ruins(?) was called - yet. 

 

I did get lost a few times over the past few days, didn't really know where to go to after getting the Boost Ball, did a lot of exploring, particularly in the Magmoor Caverns but didn't really find anything so started looking elsewhere then followed the tip ? that sometimes pops up and eventually found the Space Boots, has been relatively plain sailing from there on out. Enemies have got a little more difficult and I'm actually having to use my Missiles at times where before I was seldom using them at all really.

 

For those that have played Prime 2 & 3, how similar are they to this?

[Maryokutai]

23 minutes ago, DisturbedSwan said:

Chao Ruins

 

Jesus Christ.

[DisturbedSwan]

Lol I think I was thinking of Sonic 😂

[Maryokutai]

Prime 2 (Echoes) is a bit more complex due to having two game worlds (or one and a half) and its boss encounters are significantly more difficult. It's really good though, which is nuts considering they built it in 18 months.

 

3 (Corruption) is a bit more streamlined and easier, but visually the most versatile and impressive one. It's a good game, but in hindsight probably the weakest of the bunch.

[DANGERMAN]

3 is my favourite of the series, but it was built around the Wii remote 

[spatular]

yeah i think i prefer 3 too, probably because it was a bit easier and the wii controls were nice.

 

didn't play 2 much because i heard it was harder.

 

beat omega pirate last night - in your stupid face stupid omega pirate (in the end it was pretty easy on the easy mode). although i remember getting caught on rocks in this fight in the original but not here so maybe there's another fight, it seemed different anyway, not sure/can't remember. i was loving this and played loads but further in i am getting increasingly annoyed with all the backtracking, definitely would have been a good idea to add optional assistance mode with better map info and fast travel options - stuff like that. my current ? marker on the map takes me to the 

Spoiler

artefact garden type thing

so guess i need to collect more of those, might just use a guide to keep the backtracking to a minimum

[spatular]

Finished this last night, the last bit 

Spoiler

Collecting artefacts

Wasnt as annoying as i was expecting, used a guide and map to plan a route and work out which ones i still needed in each area so the backtracking wasnt too bad. Worked out how to get them mostly on my own but did need a guide for a few. Took 15 hours, id say the first 10 or so were great, really great game, the last 5 was less good imo, i got a bit fed up with it and some backtracking, basically when youve already uncovered all the map but just have to go back to places and collect stuff. The music great. 73% completion in the end, think i had a high % in everything (like scanning 90+%, all but one suit upgrade, i think all energy tanks) except missiles which i think i was missing a lot of. Overall it was good, glad i played it again, not sure i liked it as much as the 2d ones i played last year.

[DisturbedSwan]

On 27/04/2023 at 13:10, Maryokutai said:

Prime 2 (Echoes) is a bit more complex due to having two game worlds (or one and a half) and its boss encounters are significantly more difficult. It's really good though, which is nuts considering they built it in 18 months.

 

3 (Corruption) is a bit more streamlined and easier, but visually the most versatile and impressive one. It's a good game, but in hindsight probably the weakest of the bunch.

Bit late but thanks for this! I hope Nintendo/Retro port 2 & 3 over to Switch as well at some point. Would like to play them after playing this.

 

Got the Thermal Visor in my last session on Thursday and it is just as migraine inducing as @DANGERMAN warned about lol. I really liked that whole research area though, just a different vibe to the rest of the game completely, was cool getting out of there after as well despite the Visor.

 

I powered up the next room (which looks like a boss and left it there. Will pick it up again on Monday night.

[DisturbedSwan]

Not sure how many more hours I'm not into this but I've made decent progress.

 

Unlocked the Ice Beam, fought an Stone Golem looking boss, did lots more exploring, got lost an awful lot, found a couple more Energy Tanks thanks to the exploring and that's pretty much it. I'm back in the Phendara Drifts at the moment heading to the next ? on the map where I'll presumably pick up my next upgrade or face another boss fight.

 

Still enjoying it but do find my mind wandering a bit and becoming a bit bored occasionally when I get lost or something.

[DANGERMAN]

I'm an upgrade further on that you I think. I'm at the point where I'm using a guide and I reckon if I just sat and played it I could finish it, but, though no fault of the game, I'm finding it hard to keep concentrated on it

[Maryokutai]

I saw @spatular mention this as well, but what are you using the guides for? Just out of curiosity, not to be an elitist idiot about it. The artifact locations are all mentioned in the Data Log after scanning their empty emplacements in the Temple, and you don't really need to max out your energy tank or missile count to beat the game. I do basically know the game by heart at this point so maybe my perspective is skewed, but it never struck me as a "need a guide for it" kind of game.

[spatular]

i don't remember all the points i used a guide but do remember 2 specific ones, one was just to optimise collecting required things in the same area (could have done this without a guide it would have just taken a lot longer), and one was one of the things you collect 

Spoiler

was in a door hidden behind a wall that you can only see is there with one of the visors - i couldn't find it 

 

[DANGERMAN]

I put it down back in the day and never got around to going back to it purely because of the trekking across the map. I've nothing against a metroidvania, but the traversal in Prime can be very slow and a little irritating with some of the enemies. A guide for the later stuff just smooths that out, it's more linear now because I'm not trudging back to zones only to find a missile expansion rather than story progress