Charts Genres Community
Charts Genres Community Settings
Login

Super Metroid

スーパーメトロイド

Developers: NintendoIntelligent Systems Publisher: Nintendo
19 March 1994
Super Metroid [スーパーメトロイド] - cover art
Glitchwave rating
4.30 / 5.0
0.5
5.0
 
 
2,445 Ratings / 7 Reviews
#30 All-time
#2 for 1994
After the events on SR388, Samus Aran retrieves the last and newborn Metroid larva and brings it to scientists in the Ceres Space Colony for research. After leaving the colony, Samus receives a distress signal and returns in time to see the Metroid larva being kidnapped by Ridley, the leader of the Space Pirates. Samus pursues Ridley, arriving at the planet Zebes, where she searches for the lost Metroid.
There was an error saving your submission.
Rate / catalog Rate / catalog another release
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Cartridge
JP 4 902370 501902 SHVC-RI
Cartridge
US 0 45496 83029 8 SNS-RI-USA
Cartridge
GB 0 45496 83029 8 SNSP-RI-UKV
Show all 12 releases
Cartridge
ES 0 45496 83029 8 SNSP-RI-ESP
Super Metroid Players Choice Million Seller
Cartridge
US 0 45496 83029 8 SNS-RI-USA-1
Write review
Title
Alien menace
Super Metroid is in many ways an excellent game, but i find it outdated in a lot of ways, and i tend to prefer many of the modern metroidvanias to it. This is really the TLDR of my review, so you can kill me on a fire right now.

One thing that the game does excellent is atmosphere. It feels like an Aliens game in everything but the main character. You have visuals with lots of dark colours like blues, purples and greens that really drive the feeling of you being in an mysterious, dangerous and unknown universe. The pixel art is sublime, and i think its probably the best of the 16 bit era. The music is another one of the reason why the atmosphere is so damn good. Instead of being catchy and upbeat like the other SNES action games of the era, this one is much more laidback. The main theme is the obvious exception with the intense synth beats, the rest of the tracks are much more subversive. They give a sense of impending danger and weirdness that fits like a glove with the visuals and narrative of the game.

Now the reason why i am not in love with this game is the gameplay. It is a metroidvania so the map is huge and you will be transversing it back and forth in order to arquire new power ups that will let you reach further into the game. I love the concept of metroidvanias, and many of my favourite games are metroidvanias. The map layout in here is pretty well designed, but i do tend to get stuck in sections for a long time. What i dont like about the gameplay is the core mechanics such as jumping and shooting. They feel really clunky and make the game much more frustrating than it should be. Boss battles in particular showcase how stuff like hitboxes and the controls of the game leave a lot to be desired. For a game thats all about exploring and transversing the map, it is a very major flaw that its not enjoyable to move and jump around in this game. I think thats really the main reason why i have not been able to finish this game despite trying to a couple of times. I can get through the inicial hours but once the novelty is gone and the game starts to get more challenging i drop the willpower to go on.

I understand completly the Super Metroid is a great game, and even perhaps the favourite game for some people out there. For me though, its just not quite there.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Threntall 2016-06-26T13:11:13Z
2016-06-26T13:11:13Z
3.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
review
en
Expand review Hide
Title
In my view it's important to look at works both in their own context but also to look at how they fit into today's context. Both views are important. Super Metroid was astounding when it was released, that much is clear. But if I imagine it were released today, it would probably just be pretty good. Like 3/5. It's clunky, short, and easy (with the exception of some too-obscure roadblocks) and with a bare-bones story, albeit one that delivers at the very end. It still looks and sounds good, and there are great hacks that improve it a great deal. I just don't believe a rating should reflect the historical context. It should reflect what the work is now. When we discuss the history of the medium we fill in that context and remain aware of how groundbreaking it was. Some works hold up many years later. I still think Sunrise and City Lights are amazing films. Video games are a medium that is particularly dependant upon technology. It is reasonable that games would get better as technology improves. Even now we are just entering a period in which independent games can stretch out into more interesting territory, in contrast to big commercial projects that are all but required to have mass appeal. It's only natural that there will be games from the past that we will be able to see as having been surpassed. And that's ok.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
jasterlaf 2024-01-24T21:35:41Z
2024-01-24T21:35:41Z
3.5
1
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
review
en
Expand review Hide
Title
if you think this game has bad controls you might have arthrosis
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
yoitu 2023-10-11T16:22:34Z
2023-10-11T16:22:34Z
›99%
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
commentary
en
Expand review Hide
Title
As everyone points out, the controls are a bit clunky and can be occasionally frustrating. Combat is also pretty shallow and that makes the boss fights not as memorable as they could have been.

Other than these shortcomings, that I think can be forgiven in light of the age of the game, Super Metroid is incredible. The atmosphere and art direction, the exploration (which I'd argue is the most important aspect of the gamplay), the level design, are all amazing for 2023, I can only imagine what it must have felt like in 1994.

Also, and this is obviously a bit up in the air, I think the game just has an aura to it that is hard to match. Part of it is its reputation obviously, but to me it just feels like an important game, somehow. Highly recommended, still.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
kid_for_today 2023-07-25T12:55:00Z
2023-07-25T12:55:00Z
5.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
commentary
en
Expand review Hide
Title
Simplesmente fundou o gênero que une plataforma com exploração de mapa, o fazendo de forma virtualmente perfeita. Não há qualquer deslize considerável em Super Metroid.

Mas pra mim, o ponto mais importante deste jogo e a cola que liga tudo é a sua atmosfera. Um jogo verdadeiramente opressivo, incorpora em vídeo game a clássica frase de Alien: "No espaço, ninguém pode ouvir você gritar."
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
gabrielctps 2022-03-10T03:10:03Z
2022-03-10T03:10:03Z
5.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
draft
en
Expand review Hide
Title
I respect Super Metroid's considerable influence on the medium, but I don't think it holds up well as a game looked at without nostalgia glasses.

The first problem I have is a serious one for an action platformer: it just doesn't feel great to play. The controls are clunky, it tries to do too much with the SNES's buttons, combat and Samus's movement through the environment don't feel very slick or satisfying or refined.

The other problem is that this game comes from the old school of game design where you wring playtime out of obscurity and backtracking. I've tried playing it without a guide and I inevitably reach a point where I get bored out of my mind trying to figure out where I need to go, because some critical progression path is hidden and unmarked somewhere in its labyrinthine, samey-looking world. Speaking of obscurity, I didn't even realize the wall-jumping mechanic existed for my first few guide-free attempts at playing this game, since it neglects to inform you and it's tricky enough to execute that you probably won't do it accidentally. Maybe it's in the paper manual.

It is creditably atmospheric for a Super Nintendo game, but it can only do so much with the hardware. 30+ years down the road, I'd much rather play one of the games it inspired.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
blargh4 2022-01-26T04:54:07Z
2022-01-26T04:54:07Z
3.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
review
en
Expand review Hide

Catalog

Spyarmf スーパーメトロイド 2024-03-28T01:45:56Z
2024-03-28T01:45:56Z
3.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
ricopomelo スーパーメトロイド 2024-03-27T19:13:36Z
SNES • JP
2024-03-27T19:13:36Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
L9Nio スーパーメトロイド 2024-03-27T16:01:45Z
2024-03-27T16:01:45Z
4.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
deSelby スーパーメトロイド 2024-03-24T03:42:20Z
2024-03-24T03:42:20Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
vidyaculte スーパーメトロイド 2024-03-23T14:23:47Z
2024-03-23T14:23:47Z
3.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
vitipunto スーパーメトロイド 2024-03-23T12:57:55Z
2024-03-23T12:57:55Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
ringevalley スーパーメトロイド 2024-03-23T00:22:53Z
2024-03-23T00:22:53Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
dotnds スーパーメトロイド 2024-03-22T19:27:18Z
2024-03-22T19:27:18Z
3.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Alpoea スーパーメトロイド 2024-03-21T04:53:49Z
2024-03-21T04:53:49Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Miniroltons スーパーメトロイド 2024-03-20T12:33:36Z
2024-03-20T12:33:36Z
4.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
RikuNeto スーパーメトロイド 2024-03-17T11:29:22Z
2024-03-17T11:29:22Z
3.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
jamep スーパーメトロイド 2024-03-17T04:04:45Z
2024-03-17T04:04:45Z
4.5
1
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Player modes
Single-player
Media
1x Cartridge
Franchises
Also known as
  • Super Metroid
  • Metroid 3
  • View all [2] Hide

Comments

Rules for comments
  • Be respectful! All the community rules apply here.
  • Keep your comments focused on the game. Don't post randomness/off-topic comments. Jokes are fine, but don't post tactless/inappropriate ones.
  • Don't get in arguments with people here, or start long discussions. Use the boards for extended discussion.
  • Don't use this space to complain about the average rating, chart position, genre voting, others' reviews or ratings, or errors on the page.
  • Don't comment just to troll/provoke. Likewise, don't respond to trollish comments; just report them and ignore them.
  • Any spoilers should be placed in spoiler tags as such: [spoiler](spoiler goes here)[/spoiler]
Note: Unlike reviews, comments are considered temporary and may be deleted/purged without notice.
  • Previous comments (92) Loading...
  • babyclav 2023-12-30 00:37:50.897359+00
    get this back to #1 metroidvania
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • wallrooseyes 2024-01-13 04:18:15.227019+00
    i have periods of my life where i obsess over this game and just constantly replay it in single sittings, and i'm happy to say i'm in such a period right now
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • figurehead 2024-01-19 19:04:19.120477+00
    using wall jump to sequence break never felt so goo
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • thm_yrk12 2024-01-26 02:12:32.120488+00
    definitely as good as everybody says
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • luna128 2024-02-02 22:11:16.877468+00
    Hollow Knight is better than this game but still legendary. Would still be hailed a masterpiece if released today
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • Gem29 2024-02-11 17:41:16.361198+00
    Skip the grappling hook out of principle
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • Pumas 2024-03-14 01:30:37.742942+00
    Ironically the one movement that I think feels great in this game is the wall jump. Sorry but if you think its bad then ur ass
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • BoostGuardian 2024-03-19 19:42:23.784862+00
    Happy 30th
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • More comments New comments (0) Loading...
Please login or sign up to comment.

Suggestions

There was an error saving your submission.
ADVERTISEMENT
Examples
1980s-1996
23 mar 2015
8 apr - 12 may 2015
1998-05
Report
Download
Image 1 of 2