Topic: Metroid: Samus Returns

Not sure what the beef with checkpoints are, Returns still gives you the option whether to use them or not, both for practical (had too little health/ammo going into a battle) or self-imposed limitation reasons.

While I can see the original having a ''scary'' atmosphere compared to it's remakes, I find Returns has both beat in regards to moment-to-moment gameplay intensity, mostly stemming from the melee counter and the more aggressive enemies it entails.

Man that Queen is tough! Tried her 5 times and still haven't been able to put her down.

I know what I'm supposed to be doing (and in fact make it a bit further each time), but trying to avoid those green orbs & her fire breath is a nightmare. I figured out the attack's pattern in the second phase, but I see no way out of taking damage in it's third phase variant.

@RR529 There isn't much to dodging that particular attack other than precise Space Jumping. If you stay grounded during the first part you should eventually make out a relatively open spot to dodge the second. Using Lightning Armour during this phase is also highly recommended.

Made it through the fight last night.

Anyhow, I think I'm pretty much done with the game (I think I just have to return to my ship), but there are a few upgrades I still can't obtain. All of which are protected by spiked hallways that don't have grapple points. One of which is a Power Bomb upgrade in area 4 I think, which has a breakable grapple block, but my grapple beam isn't long enough to reach it. The other one, in Area 7 (Super Missile, I believe), doesn't even seem to have a grapple block, hidden or otherwise.

Is there a grapple beam extension upgrade I somehow missed?

@RR529 Look up the Spiderspark technique.

@RR529 Spider ball to a wall and power bomb will launch you.

Thanks, that definitely worked.

You don't even have to power bomb, you can just spider ball across the appropriate wall.

@Araquanid I very much doubt you can Spider Ball down a corridor where both walls are covered in spikes

@BLP_Software

I meant for queen metroid fight, reading through I probably should've specified.

actually I think I might've misread something entirely thinking that was still the topic.

Is that what they're calling it?

@Bolt_Strike I assume so. It functions like the Shinespark.

Not quite. This technique isn't based on the Speed Booster (as it doesn't exist in this game having been replaced by Phase Drift), so it's not really a Shinespark.

@Bolt_Strike I say it functions like the Shinespark in that the resulting move, the actual Shinespark, was a single directional, immovable, incredible fast, glowing push in one direction.

The Spiderspark, as I have seen it called, is like the Shinespark, in that the resulting move, is a single directional, immovable, incredibly fast, glowing push in one direction.

Just finished it up!

@RR529 Well, that's what Ridley battles have always been about. No fancy tricks on either side, just relentless slugfests. This is the first time in a 2D title that Ridley moves reactively based on your position rather than randomly flying about. So while this does make him easier to predict, it also means you have to actively dodge every attack he makes.

I'm not too far into the game. I'm enjoying it but at this point I'm convinced that Nintendo should never have released a system marketed on 3D without the improvements put into the New 3DS. I'm not saying anything new I'm sure.

Also, people telling me it is better than AM2R, the game I've enjoyed most in the past 2 years...probably not a good idea. I...doubt it will live up to that. It's unfair to expect nearly any game (arguably even an official Metroid) to those standards.

You should know pretty soon if you're enjoying it more than AM2R, a lot of the praise for this game relates to the new mechanics, the 360 degree aiming, the Melee Counter, Scan Pulse, teleport stations, etc.

That reminds me, I should try and track down AM2R. I'm on a big Metroid kick right now, currently playing Corruption, then Zero Mission and Other M next.

My time was nearly twenty one hours. And I didn't feel I was going particularly slow. I hope there's a switch version in the future, so I can work on a speed run, something in the 16 to 18 hour mark😀