It seems the right combination of inspiration and timing have struck in the midst of my gaming life. At the beginning of this month, my colleague Hatm0nster wrote Finishing Final Fantasy VII, in which he discussed who determined he was to complete this classic game. After reading, it made me think of how I, too, never finished FFVII, and that maybe it was high time I get around to it as well! But as much as my incomplete FFVII venture bugs me, that feeling is nothing compared to the deep disappointment I carry concerning Metroid Prime.
Long story short, with nothing less than immense thrill and glee, I picked up Metroid Prime when it was released. I choked on and fought through my dislike of first-person perspective gaming to carry on with Samus and her adventures on Tallon IV. It felt like it took me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to reach just the first boss. I had a terrible time trying to beat it — took a couple months at least. Then one day I finally beat the thing and opted, like a big dummy, to celebrate my victory by forgetting to save after the boss. When I went back to play again, it picked up from just before that awful boss battle. The rage and humiliation I felt were so intense, I simply could not play. In a fit of almost-tears, I turned off the Gamecube and didn’t look back.
Fast forward to last Spring, a sad decade later, and I decide it’s time. It’s time to finish Metroid Prime. And that’s what I set about doing. I made it past that first dreaded boss. I explored the Chozo Ruins and learned all sorts of things about Samus’s history. I tread carefully through the depths of Magmoor. And I discovered a woozy peace in the Phenandra Drifts. And then…I got stuck again. Seriously stuck on the ice/rock boss Thardus. And before you could spell “anger,” I quit the game again. I moved on to other things; all the while the Metroid Prime games stared me down every time I passed them.
So here we are, close to a year later, and I swear, this time, it’s really, really time, for reals. I’ve been re-inspired by a couple of things. First was the announcement that Nintendo has not forgotten about Metroid and there may be new 2D and 3D games in our future. (I’ll have more thoughts on that in an upcoming post.) The other thing was talking Metroid shop with the sweet folks of Manic Pixie Dream Cast (*hint* LISTEN *hint*). It made me realize just how much I missed spending time with Samus and secrets and crazy-frustrating bosses. So off came the MP games from the shelves and into game mode I went. And this time, I’m doing it right.
Yep, I dug out the ol’ Gamecube. I had been using the Wii, which works perfectly fine, but something about playing Metroid Prime using the Gamecube just feels right and proper. I’ll tell ya, it must have the right mojo because just this week I defeated Thardus, and on my merry way I went. It was beautiful.
So there. This year, me and the Gamecube are going to finish Metroid Prime. And if time allows, I’m even going to tackle the sequels Echoes and Corruption as well. I’m not going for 100% complete, just finished. Just me facing the end boss and the credits. Piece of cake, right?
Props to you! Metroid Prime is worth it! It’ll try you, it’ll scare you, it can even annoy and frustrate at times but it’s all worth it at the end! Have you proceeded much further after beating Thardus? and What was the most difficult thing about that fight for you?
The toughest thing about Thardus for me was having to use the Thermal Visor and then taking time to get my shots aimed properly. (Timing and finesse tend to evade me during most boss battles.) Plus, it’s a pretty long battle, so just managing to avoid him at all costs as he was rolling around made a big difference survival-wise.
At this point, I’m a little over 40% complete. The last thing I got was the plasma beam, and I’m heading to the Phazon Mines. I don’t imagine there are too many more boss battles left, but the big thing I have do still do is gather the artifacts.
There’s still some battles to come yet, but the enemies are pretty cool. I would suggest getting familiar with how combat using your visors works though. You’ll definitely need it in the future.
Urg, I was afraid of that. The visors, as helpful as they are, are my least favorite things in the game. They take up too much screen real estate once on and it’s hard for me to focus on what I’m supposed to be looking/aiming at. But thanks for the tip; I’ll be sure to spend more time using them.
Good luck and have fun!
I sort of envy you. Playing the Prime trilogy for the first time is a blast!
Haha, thanks! So far MP is instilling a weird combination of joy and rage. I love playing it so much, but the frustrating portions are phenomenonally anger-inducing. Plus, I wish there were more save points. ☺
There is one particular segment of the game (it is towards the end) that is particularly tough due to the distance between save points. =P
So good luck!
Thanks! But oh man, I am not looking forward to that. Just backtracking through familiar areas is bad enough to make me anxious between save points. Not knowing when and where the next one will be is enough to induce panic.
I had so much trouble with “Metroid Prime”. That game could be brutally hard at times (can you imagine what hard mode must be like…what, I already thought it was hard enough!), and I, too, had to play a bit for a few months, and give up for a time, then try again. I finally did it, though, and my new frustration simply came from forgetting to scan something and forever forfeiting my chance at 100%. Well, not forever, just in that save file, but still. Still.
Now “Metroid Prime 2” really gave me trouble. That one’s even harder. That one took years to beat. There was this underwater boss that gave me so much trouble, and I just hated it so hardcore.
Hmm, if “FFVII” is Jacob’s game to beat, and “Metroid Prime” is yours, mine would be “FFVIII”. I can’t, for the life of me, figure out how to defeat the final boss. Perhaps I’ll be writing a post one day of my own about my efforts to eventually finish that game, though, frankly, that one’s so hard, I doubt I’ll ever beat it. Ever. And I’ve currently lost the will to try. Maybe in a few years.
I know I’m not going to get 100% with this playthrough. (Gosh, I’ve been forgetting to scan things as well!) But just getting through whatever the final boss is will be victory enough for me. Of course, if things get harder in the sequel (or the sequel’s sequel) who knows how far I’ll get with things. Honestly, MP has been the thorn in my side more than Echoes and Corruption, but completing the series someday would be nice.
I’ve never played FFVIII. If I ever get back to FFVII and finish it, maybe it’ll be worth a shot. But I hope you do beat it one day. As long as you have a working disc and system, it’ll never be too late, even years from now.
Good luck, Cary! :) There’s nothing quite like the feeling of having finished a game you’ve been meaning to finish in a long time. I should know since I’m doing the challenges I’ve made for the whole rest of the year. Can’t wait to hear your progress!
Thanks! Your challenge serves as a great inspiration. ☺ So far things are going well, and I’m taking my time. I’m in no hurry and really just want to enjoy the game.