Metroid was an ambitious game when it was released. Having a large area to explore with no correct path to explore it, upgrades to your character which unlock areas for further exploration, and plenty of secrets, the game can feel daunting for first timers. Especially since Metroid does not provide any direction or hint of where the player needs to go. There is also no in-game map and many of the screens look very similar to one another, so it is easy to get lost. In many ways, Metroid makes the player feel like a rat in a maze. The game is also punishingly difficult. Single mistakes can often be fatal, and the only checkpoints which exist are at the beginning of each of the areas in the game. What makes it worse, is after you have died or entered your password to continue from a previous game, you begin with only a small amount of health and must grind needlessly in hopes enemies drop enough health to get back to a full health bar. I spent nearly a half-hour killing the same couple of enemies repeatedly until I had enough health and missiles to beat the final boss. As odd as this sounds, the beginning of the game is often the hardest part as you do not have any upgrades and a low amount of health, but as you progress through the game Samus-- the main character becomes very powerful and the game becomes easier. Even with all of these problems however, Metroid is still a landmark game whose accomplishments have influenced the design of many other games and that alone should deserve praise for what is otherwise an old and flawed game.
The Good:
- A game world to explore which was huge for its time.
- Lots of powerful, iconic upgrades.
- As odd as it sounds, the game actually becomes easier if you can get past the very difficult beginning and acquire a few upgrades for your character.
The Bad:
- Extremely punishing and difficult.
- If you die or enter a password to continue, you start far away from where you were with a small sliver of health and must grind for as long as a half-hour to get a full health bar.
- No in-game map or hint of where you need to go, or even what your objective is.