Metroid SNES
Before I get started, I want to make it clear that this is a review of Infidelity's SNES port of Metroid, not the NES original. As part of his long-running porting project, this version of the game takes advantage of the SNES's increased power to eliminate all slowdown and sprite flickering found in the original. In addition, thanks to the MSU-1 virtual coprocessor, you can select one of four soundtracks to play behind the game (I chose the Japanese Famicom Disk System version). However, my biggest reason for choosing Infidelity's port wasn't the smoother gameplay or the improved music.
During the porting process, Infidelity will occasionally add optional quality-of-life improvements to his releases. These upgrades modernized the NES original Metroid just enough to make it fun to play without betraying its spirit. The save system from the Famicon Disk System release was re-implemented here, so you don't have to copy down passwords anymore. A new pause menu accessed with the X button contains both the map and the upgrade screen that you would find in any Metroid game since Super. The freeze and wave beams now stack, so you don't have to return to their pedestals to switch between them, and they can be toggled on the upgrade screen if you don't want to use both at the same time. Finally, holding the R button temporarily enables your rockets, so you don't have to reach over to the Select button every time you want to toggle your weapon.
As I mentioned in my review of Zero Mission, I tried to play Metroid on the NES, but never made it far before I became too confused to enjoy myself and I moved on. That never happened in this version, allowing me to appreciate the first game in one of my favorite series without relying on walkthroughs or online maps. Most of what I love about the later entries got started here, and it's not too long of a game, so it made for a delightful, compact history lesson.
The game isn't entirely without issues, though. Infidelity left the control fundamentals alone, so controlling Samus is still as limited as it always was. As I was guiding her through the hostile planet Zebes, I was constantly disappointed by her arm cannon. In future titles, Samus has close to, if not full, 360 degree rotation for her weapon. After playing those, the restrictive three-directional aiming found here is impossible to ignore. Being unable to aim diagonally, crouch and shoot, or fire downward while in the air can make handling certain situations much more complicated, and not in a fun way. Thankfully, that isn't enough to drown out the aspects of the game that are still enjoyable.
Having played though the whole thing with a built-in map, I'm fairly confident that Metroid on NES is still out of my reach. With this port, I feel like I was able to fully experience the game without needing to be glued to a guide. For anyone else looking to play the original Metroid for the first time, this is easily my recommendation, if you have the means to play it. Otherwise, I would skip straight to its GBA remake for a better introduction to the series.
