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E3 Previews - Metroid 3 and Super Mario Galaxy
Although Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Super Mario Galaxy were both touched on at the Nintendo press conference ... it didn't really seem like enough. Thankfully, there are plenty of hands-on writeups to satisfy interested parties. Wired's Game|Life has almost nothing but praise for Metroid. Specifically, Chris Kohler singles out the FPS controls as proving the concept for him on the system. 1up is equally pleased with Mario. They cite its unconventional nature as initially offputting, but ultimately one of the things they enjoyed most about the game. "We simply love the way the game feels. Many gamers are of the opinion that Super Mario Sunshine strayed too far from the fundamentals of the series by focusing so heavily on the water cannon/jet pack, but Galaxy puts the emphasis right back on jumping and stomping foes. The controls are tight and the graphics are crisp, if not exactly a dead ringer for top-of-the-line Xbox 360 visuals. And tiny references to games past are everywhere, from the usual coins, to Goombas of unusual size, to "?" blocks that appear as crystalline squares that can be kicked around the levels as weapons or stomped on to yield rewards."
I would find flowers and then try to shoot fireballs, or I would find a feather and try to fly. Now I am a very depressed man in his mid 20's. Mario ruined my life.
ZOMG! There are a finite number of topics that can be created and Zonk is wasting them all!
Jeeze dude... if you dont like it, your mouse has a scroll button. Use it.
This is no better or worse than another article on Internet Radio, security holes, or a new mother board. One geeks garbage is another geeks treasure, no?
First it was suggested this morning that Nintendo was abandoning hardcore, now we are being told that two of the most "hardcore" franchises are going old school in their gameplay. Hmmm sounds like maybe Nintendo is just playing smart and going after new gamers AND the old fans, nothing wrong with that.
I'll shoot...
In the Zelda overworld, you are correct, there isn't much emphasis in how to get from point A to point B (although there is some) but inside dungeons, the gameplay becomes VERY similar. Navigating dungeons in Twilight Princess, for instance, isn't really that different from navigating Norfair or Phendrana. There are subtle differences: keys and dungeon items, instead of "activating the elevator" in Metroid; but these aren't genre defining differences, more like slightly different storytelling devices that basically do the same thing.
Basically, Metroid is like Zelda if there were ONLY dungeons and no overworld. The differences between a Zelda overworld and a dungeon, however, can be fairly minor, in many cases. Sometimes getting to the dungeon takes about the same kinds of navigational skills and enemy killing as the actual dungeons themselves. But, again, I don't see these as genre defining differences. Final Fantasy IX and Grandia II are both considered RPGs, even though Grandia II doesn't have an overworld.
To me, both Zelda and Metroid are in the same category because they cross genres in a similar manner. The mixture is a bit different: Metroid has more action and navigation, Zelda has more puzzles and NPC interaction, but just in different amounts.
Here's the kicker, generally, fans of one game are also into the other game, and for similar reasons. Sure, you'll find one person who hates Zelda and loves Metroid, or vice-versa, but usually its because they have some stick up their ass about the stylistic principals behind one, not because they don't like "that kind of game."
The action/adventure genre, as it is, is sort of a grabbag of genres. There are much fewer cliches than in any other genre, so there are fewer common things to pin them down with. All RPGs have HP/MP and a skill system, all FPSs have similar gameplay, all RTSs have some sort of "mine the gold so you can build the jellopy." Where as action/adventures like Zelda, Metroid, and Castlevania (another series that fits easily within this category), don't have as many concrete ideas that tie them all together. But it's their willingness to mix multiple genres that makes them action/adventure games in the first place.
Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.