Thursday, June 7, 2012

Nintendo Power's Super Metroid Comic Review






























---SPOILER WARNING. FOR THE COMIC AND THE GAME---

I've been thinking about video games a lot lately. Mostly because of E3 and the fact I finally got around to playing Super Metroid. So I think you know where I'm going with this. But before we get into today's comic let look back at the history of the Metroid Series. The first Metroid game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (Or Famicom Disk System in Japan) on August 6, 1986. The game was wildly successful despite it's incredible difficulty, and non-linear style gameplay. It eventually got a sequel on the Gameboy.

But on March 19, 1994 another sequel was released. This time on the 16-bit system the SNES. The game I'm talking about is of course Super Metroid. I'm not going to lie. This is a great game. It has a bit of a learning curve to it but it was enjoyable, and goes to show how well you can do cutscenes with out dialogue. But still feel the emotion to it. It is in every sense of the word a classic.



















As it is with other popular titles they eventually made a comic. This is loosely based off the game, and I mean loosely. The comic was a five-part series that was released in the pages of Nintendo Power. So does it hold up? Let's find out.

The comic starts the same way the game does with the Ceres Space Colony being attacked by Ridley. Samus goes to investigate, and Ridley escaping with the Baby Metroid that Samus found in Metroid 2. This is where the comic diverges from the game. We are introduced to new characters like an annoying guy named Houston and the incompetent leader of the Galactic Federation. Samus goes to Zebes like she does in the game, but in this Houston goes along with her.
























Houston keep's getting in the way, and Samus get's hurt by a spear. So they have to leave the planet to go get her some help. They arrive on a different planet called the Nest where they are greeted by a Chozo named Old Bird. Real original. Anyway while Samus rests Old Bird tells Houston about Samus' tragic past. Anyway Samus decides that the only way she can heal is by using the experimental medical treatment of a Power Bomb. These are the things that Adam Malcovich orders you not to use in Metroid Other M because it will vaporize all living things on the bottle ship instantly. I know she's using the Crystal Flash but still, and besides the Crystal Flash doesn't create a large explosion like it does in this comic. Houston and Old Bird should of been vaporized since they were so close to the blast.

Anyway she goes back to Zebes, and confronts Mother Brain. But when she finds out that the Baby Metroid was killed she thinks that Mother Brain killed it, and destroys Mother Brain. But unknown to Samus the Baby Metroid was accidentally killed by the leader of the Galactic Federation because he thought it was just another Metroid. His incompetence knows no bounds. The comic ends with them escaping Zebes before it explodes and Houston trying to become Samus' partner.
Sadly Beta Ray Bill isn't in this comic. But it would of made it a lot more awesome.















This comic isn't very good. It changes a lot from the game, and adds a lot of unnecessary unwanted characters. It also completely destroys the sacrifice of the Baby Metroid, since in the game it dies trying to save you from Mother Brain. The only good thing I can say was that the art is good, for the most part.Overall I can't recommend this unless your a die hard Metroid fan. But even then I would suggest you just play the game, and if you haven't already go get it. It's on the Wii Virtual Console for 800 Wii point or $8.00  to be technical.

Rating: 2/5

No comments:

Post a Comment