Game Design Assessment

Super Metroid was developed and published by Nintendo in 1994 as a direct sequel of the first two games in the series. Continuing the adventures of alien bounty hunter Samus Aran, this game builds off of the base mechanics established in the NES and Game Boy games by refining controls and introducing new ways to explore the world. Like its predecessors, Super Metroid is a adventure platformer which involves shooting lots of aliens and uncovering hidden power-ups to gain access to different parts of the map. At the start of the game, players can only run, jump, and shoot in eight directions, but overtime they build up an arsenal of missiles, bombs, and suit upgrades which allow Samus to explore the world more freely.

The game is driven by exploration and one’s experience of the overworld is directly shaped by whatever power-ups they have obtained. Much of the base mechanics are built around Samus’s blaster, which has multiple functions and upgrades littered throughout the levels. Not only is it used for fighting aliens, it’s also used to open every single door in the game—and the door’s color indicates which type of ammo unlocks it. This mechanic allows players to shoot a door from a distance and continue running into the other room. In other words, the player doesn’t have to slow down to open doors and the fast paced adventure can continue. Even the missiles have multiple functions built into the game mechanics. They can be used as powerful projectiles to blast away strong enemies or unlock certain door types by shooting them enough times.

The way enemies behave also influences how the game is played. Within steep vertical platforming sections, aliens will circle the platforms or dart back and forth to hinder Samus’s progress. Some of these are easily killed for health and missiles while others are just obstacles to be avoided. Because Samus can only fire in eight total directions, the player’s position during combat is crucial. With the exception of missiles, Samus has unlimited ammo, but her fire rate is limited by how quickly the player can press shoot, so decisions must be made on where to stand when firing and how to aim before engaging an enemy. Most of the boss fights challenge the player’s coordination and decision-making skills by bombarding Samus with projectiles and presenting brief attacks of opportunity. During these fights, missiles are often used to attack when the boss is vulnerable, but timing that just right while also avoiding their attack patterns makes for an exciting combat dynamic.

Super Metroid does a good job of getting players to think tactically when facing enemies and creatively when tackling hinderances in the overworld. Enemy sprites are designed to reflect the nature of their attack patterns; some of the creatures fly at you in arches while others shoot at you from a distance. Depending on the terrain, certain tactics will fare better against some enemies and worse against others; this makes properly orienting oneself in combat extremely important and it can be very nerve wracking when exploring new areas. The overworld can also be quite puzzling at times and players often encounter dead ends which must be revisited later on with better gear. A common trick is hiding morph ball pathways behind destroyable blocks, however, whether or not a block can be broken is not always apparent. Using a bomb can determine this by destroying the block or revealing a symbol hinting at how to do that. In any case, the player is frequently rewarded for their efforts after defeating a boss or exploring a room by receiving additional power-ups, resources, or new environments to traverse.

The overall aesthetic of Super Metroid is both earie and exciting. First time players face a good challenge in trying to navigate the alien planet’s sprawling cave system while fending off a variety of enemy types. Even the soundtrack serves to elevate the game’s suspense with spooky science fiction noises and intense boss music. Furthermore, the creativity required to find all the overworld’s hidden facets makes the map feel that much more cryptic and alien. Many dead ends are bypassed by shooting walls which hide one or more destructible blocks, which can feel deceptive and potentially confusing at times. In general these blocks look slightly different to convey the fact that they can be broken, but sometimes there is no indication that it’s an option, so players get into the habit of shooting around a room in hopes of finding an unforeseen hidden passageway.

If I could make a specific change to the game it would be to better indicate which blocks are breakable. There are multiple ways to do this subtly while still retaining the cryptic elements of the overworld: the most obvious would be to design a “cracked” block sprite or, more discretely, slightly alter the color or shape of the breakable block. This isn’t always an issue, but it happened enough times during my playthrough to warrant an improvement. Moments like these felt less rewarding to solve because it was more like a lucky guess as opposed to a genuine “Eureka” moment. I would also suggest expanding on the combat by adding enemies which require unique tactics or weapons to defeat. Most of the aliens in the game are simply disposed of using just the basic blaster, and that can get rather repetitive and predictible, but having to use missiles or aim at a particular weak spot (on their backs, for example) would make some combat situations a lot more challenging and interesting. Part of me also would’ve liked to see a fast travel mechanic for the game, however, that may have detracted from the exploratory nature of the game. A lot of fun can be derived from trying to remember all the different rooms and passageways as you delve deeper into the alien planet. With that said, being able to warp between save points would also save a great deal of time and energy when finding all the remaining upgrades as the player nears the endgame.

Mechanics: Fundamental and Discrete Data and Algorithms

• Shoot (aim up or down, moonwalking) in 8 directions
  • Charge beam
• Jump
  • High jump boots
• Dash
• Special item (missiles, bombs, etc.)
  • Missiles do more damage and shooting 5 opens a red door
  • Super missiles seem like a redundant additional item…
• Morphing ball (doesn’t start with bombs)
  • Use bombs to hop short distances

Dynamics: Run-Time Behavior of the Mechanics

• Platforming shooter
• Different door types require different weapons
• Dashing can outrun/avoid certain enemies
• Low gravity jumps (very floaty)
• Challenging first “boss” teaches importance of timing and strategy
  • In contrast, plant boss teaches patience and dodging using morph ball
• Destroyable terrain
  • Very hidden and sometimes found through trial and error
• “Danger zones” based on enemy mechanics

Aesthetic: Desirable Emotional Reactions Evoked by Gameplay

• Space exploration (and some memorization)
  • Low gravity jumps make for slow methodical platforming
  • Hidden rooms and passageways are everywhere
    • Feels more natural than following a linear dungeon
  • Planet and story shrouded in mystery
• Alien hunting
  • Different types of aliens require different play styles to defeat
    • Fast/slow, Linear/parabolic paths, weapon weakness, etc.
  • Directional shooting feels very arcade-like
  • Defeating bosses rewards players with important items/upgrades