u/CleanAd8632

Can we talk a moment about Samus' arm cannon weaponry in MP4?

With only very few exceptions (1 or 2)--and it's probably just me--but in combat, it seems it takes an average multiple shots (more than one "trigger pull") for any of Samus' weapons (beams and missiles) to put down an attacking enemy--specifically, grievers, shrens, psy-bots, tanks, and pyremites. But in cut scenes, she only needs one (1) shot to dispatch the enemy, and the weapons of the NPCs (particularly Tokabi) also seem to be able to dispatch an enemy (e.g., a griever) with just one shot.

Is it just me who's noticed this? Am I seeing things?

In a cave in The Great Mine, as Samus is about to fight the Omega Griever, she stoops and touches what appears to be a crystallized substance embedded in the cave floor. The camera view looks down from above her.

Is this what remains of Gravinax after losing its fight with the Omega Griever?

Q1: How long have Lamorn been extinct?

I'm wondering because their machinery and equipment in Flare Pool and Volt Forge seem to be in perfect working condition--as if the Lamorn were still around; and some key systems in Ice Belt and The Mines also seem to be functional.

Q2: Why do the NPCs (and apparantly everyone else) have an apparent distant formality with Samus' reputation and status, yet they all are so familiar with her that they only call her by her first name, and not a more respectful "ma'am," or "sir," or "Miss Aran?"

Q3: Upon first seeing Ssmus Aran, Sgt. Duke wonders aloud why the Federation would send it's best bounty hunter on a podunk (my word) rescue mission. Am I wrong, but Samus wasn't there to rescue them--right? I mean, did she know they were there--or, even where she was?!?

...kicking Psy-Bot asses since 20X9!!

The attached images and the link below are is an "right-to-left" morphball shinespark located in the SW corner of Brinstar. I haven't found an alternate path to this item and this one seems so apparently simple but obviously it's not. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong in the video.

https://youtu.be/lUexQIQ50S0?feature=shared

Has anyone in the group obtained this item, and if so, could you send me a chat message so I can learn the correct controller button combinations to pull it off?

I've found a few videos but they just show the shinespark, they don't teach or instruct "how" to execute it. I'm just looking for the controller "A-B-Cs."

I'm currently at 95% with just 5 more items, including this one. I've given up on the other four as they involve very complicated chain shinesparks, and frankly, it's just not worth the mental frustration. I'm happy with 95%, but this one seems so doable, it's plaguing me--I gotta figure it out!

I don't want to come off as creepy, but the power suit does her a great service!!!

My mind wants to say something more about these images. I know it's just a game, and this was the 80s/90s, but still...

Finally beat it! That zero suit "stealth" phase was tricky as heck! Not hard (difficult), but the maze was complicated.

Now on to get 100%!

Q: Can you do a "downward" (⬇️) shinespark in Zero Mission?

I'm trying to get an item that's below my feet blocked by two double layered speedrun blocks (pictured). I've tried several ways to break these blocks, but have only been able to break the first layer with a speed "run." When I try to do a shinespark, I can't get Samus to shoot downward, either from a standing position or from the morphball.

I'm playing on my Switch with a power controller (not the Joycons). The controller steps I've been doing are:

• I speed run left ⬅️ using the "D" pad.

• At the right moment, I save the spark and go into morphball.

• I then press my "jump" button (either "A" or "B").

• Then I press down ⬇️ on the "D" pad.

Each time the morphball goes straight up (⬆️)--never downward.

Here's a clip of my attempt:

https://youtu.be/dMI3sdkNrzk?feature=shared

What am I doing wrong? Or, is a downward spark not possible in Zero Mission?

I know this is technically the 1960s (it was for me), but I'm sure this tradition carried into the early 70s.

Every morning during grade school (it was called "elementary school" in Washington, DC) the principal would play this song, by Robert Preston, over the school loud speakers. I loved it mostly because it used the phrase "chicken fat!"

Touch down
Every morning
Ten times
Not just...now and then
Give that chicken fat
Back to the chicken
And don't be chicken again
No...don't be chicken again

Push up
Every morning
Ten times
Push up...starting low
Once more on the rise
Next to the flabby guys
Go, you chicken fat
Go away
Go, you chicken fat, go

https://youtu.be/EFofqe26t-4?is=E8DvQUegpKui7lvr

I just finished playing MP4 for the seventh time (just for the fun of it) and I "think" I know why many people don't like. I'm just spitballing here.

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I've read a lot of IGN reviews of the different Metroid games and watched a lot of videos to get a feel for the gameplay. I've played all of the Prime games (1, 2, 3, and 4) and "Dread," and thanks to the Switch game packs, I'm just now getting to the OG games. I recently completed "Fusion" and I'm now playing "Super Metroid" and "Zero Mission" concurrently. Eventually, I'll get to the original "Metroid," "Return of Samus," "Prime Hunters," "Other M," "Federation Force," and "Samus Returns."

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I played "Dread" before any of the early 2D games and I noticed how they all follow the same game play pattern, use similar icons (save stations, "eyeball" entrances, "gargoyle" statues holding upgrade items), and the background music and effects are the same or similar. And while MP4 breaks the Prime 3D model somewhat, it's still somewhat similar to the iconic Prime games.

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But the one thing that MP4 does that none of the games that proceed it do, is how it tells the story.

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From what I've seen and read, with the exception of MP4, each of the games gives the player a very brief text intro to the game's plot, and periodically provides more tidbits of the backstory as Samus reaches certain milestones.

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But MP4 interweaves and overlays the backstory as an interactive part of the gameplay. In the 2D games, you get it ignore the backstory completely and focus on solving puzzles, navigating mazes, finding items, and slaughtering enemies. But in MP4, the NPCs are constantly talking--telling you the story, Samus must listen to story episodes in order to get clues to advance in the game. Essentially, the game forces the player to have to listen to, read, or otherwise learn the story while simultaneously focusing on first-person shooter game play. I believe when MP4 forces this on the player, then adds tedious, superfluous tasks that don't factor in the success of the game--such as the green crystal search, getting arm cannon upgrades that are no more useful or powerful than the default arm cannon--it becomes an annoying distraction. They tried to balance this with eye-popping graphics and eerie music, but it didn't work. So, it's not just an irritating MacKenzie, or a thirsty Armstrong, or a bull-in-the-China-shop VUE, it's forcing the player to think about crap they don't want, or need, to think about while trying to avoid a spitting Griever.

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At least that's how I see it...

I don't mind the NPCs, but sometimes I wanna scream because it seems like they do this shit on purpose--like a 6-year old...mainly VUE and Armstrong! 🤣