We do, because we defend Metroid.
---

Well the deed is done, we can lock this topic unless they reply to us or there is another Journalist we can pick apart.

I don't see the need to lock every topic at some impasse.
Locking a topic is like begging someone to disregard all the discussion a topic has.

Yea, you are right. Nowadays, I am just so used to saying, "lock the topic".



Technically we aren't really saying it is going to be perfect. You can have your doubts, but really you have nothing to go on. We don't "gush cheerfully" about Other M either, but you don't see us making such ludicrous statements and observations. Whether you are or are not a fanboy, people will still question your integrity either way.

If I had known that Malstrom's name would be dragged through the mud so many times in this thread, I wouldn't have e-mailed him the link to it. Yeah, that was me. I had a very specific reason for doing so, but for what it's worth, I regret it now. I respect Malstrom's views for the most part, but he had somehow got it into his warped brain that the real Metroid fans, the ones who grew up with the series, didn't care about Samus as a character or the storyline of the series. But what he doesn't seem to understand is that even those of us who grew up on Metroid's arcade-like, maze exploring gameplay don't mind the story of the Metroid series. In fact, playing these games for so many years and yet still learning very little about Samus' past has only made us thirsty for more story in our Metroid games. And contrary to what some may claim, taking away the mystery from a character doesn't make that character less interesting.

I saw someone use the Star Wars prequel trilogy as an analogy for how filling in all the blanks with regards to the history of a beloved character could backfire and in essence destroy the integrity of that character...clever, but it's not the same thing. The character of Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker was only ruined for those that wanted him to stay frozen as he was on silver screen circa 1977: a relentless, cold badass with a metallic heart...to those people, giving Darth Vader a tragic backstory involving a murdered wife and a high "metichlorian count" was just about the dumbest thing George Lucas could have ever done.

Here's where the Darth Vader analogy fails: the original Metroid trilogy of games, unlike the original Star Wars trilogy, actually gives us a few valid insights into the character of Samus Aran. As opposed to the near-constant two-dimensional of Vader in the Star Wars films, Samus actually isn't a two-dimensional character at all:

In the ending of Metroid 2 and intro of Super Metroid, we get the implication that Samus isn't all serious business and that she actually has a caring side:




Note the words "confused" and "child". Not the kind of words that a merciless and uncaring bounty hunter such as, say, Boba Fett might use to describe an energy-stealing parasite.

Furthermore, Samus has the opportunity to kill the hatchling--effectively ending the Metroid menace once and for all, and ultimately fulfilling the mission as it was given to her by the Galactic Federation---but doesn't. Instead, she puts the baby Metroid in the hands of scientists who might put it's powers to good use.




And as everyone knows, the scientists discovered that the energy-harvesting powers of the Metroids could be used for the good of civilization. But that's not the whole story:



Samus wasn't about to just hand the baby Metroid--HER baby Metroid to a bunch of Federation scientists that would do who knows what to it in the hope of finding something remotely positive about the species. She actually stuck around until they found that there was an enormously positive aspect to the Metroid's powers. In her own words, she stuck around until she was satisfied that the baby Metroid was taken care of.
Now on the flip side off that coin, if the scientists were unable to find anything useful in the creature, Samus may have taken it upon herself to destroy it. But it's clearly implied throughout this intro that Samus has very strong feelings about a number of things--this baby Metroid, Metroids in general, and bears a sense of goodwill towards mankind.

In conclusion, Sean Malstrom would have you believe that Metroid is an old-school, arcade-style experience where you zap Metroids and other zany outer-space creatures...but anyone paying attention throughout the series would tell you that there's far more depth to it than that. He had deluded himself into thinking that we didn't care about the story, that the Metroid series didn't originally have a story, and that Yoshio Sakamoto--how dare he defile the genius creation of Gunpei Yokoi--was on a massive ego trip, inserting "story" and "character emotions" into the series at any chance he could. No Sean. Those elements were always there...you were just too busy mashing the start button to notice them.

Justin Bailey, Malstrom didn't even like the story that was told in Super Metroid. If you read his post, he is against the idea that a game should have narrative (I don't think the guy was ever all that big into reading manuals). I'm not exactly sure what his criteria are, but he seems to have some reservations for going after Chrono Trigger's cutscenes, even while he pans Super Metroid's. I don't know, though. There's been a fair amount of narrative in the games from Metroid II onward, so my gut says that Malstrom is just plain wrong about what Metroid is all about. The first game was about "zapping metroids" because it was fucking 1986 and they didn't have the technology to add much narrative, but the way the games have evolved since then show that narrative plays a vital role in the creator's vision. The exploration of Samus as a human in general and as a woman specifically has been nagging at those who play the game because of this narrative, and I don't buy for an instant the suggestion that those people are a minority.

However, Malstrom may be misreading Metroid fans specifically, but I think in a more general sense he has a point. Video games have been progressing towards movies where you have to do shit to get to the next scene. It's almost palpable in games like Uncharted, the Final Fantasy series, Assassin's Creed II and the recent Call of Duty iterations. I think it's easy to lose the balance between gameplay and narrative these days because technology now gives so much room for narrative, but I think Malstrom overreacts when he says narrative should be cut completely. He forgets that Super Metroid was also one of the first games to really tell a story directly through gameplay (the path you're "supposed" to take actually has a plot if you care to look for it), and that the balance between narrative and gameplay was very well balanced for those who took the time to appreciate both, partly due to the convolved nature of the two aspects in-game.

I think the cutscene is a valuable tool. Like any tool, overuse can ruin the work it's meant to be used on. I think Malstrom is wrong to pan the cutscene as a whole, because he is denying its usefulness. I have my reservations about Other M, yes, but I'm optimistic that Sakamoto is aware of the how to tell a story in a video game without making the player feel dragged along. After all, he was behind Super Metroid. All that remains to be seen is if he can do it again. I'm cautious, but hopeful, personally. I guess that makes me naïve in Malstrom's worldview.

Then again, the flipside of naïveté is cynicism.

Oh dear lord. More.

*cracks knuckles* These are emails from Sean Fanboys! Oh joy!



Awesome, we are all smoking crack. How about we all take a drug test. Oh that is right, that wouldn't mean anything because you were trying to insult us other than actually implying we are on drugs. Good job, we are definitely feeling the burn from that one!



I am seeing a major similarity between this guys views and Sean's views we might as well be criticizing Sean instead of a lapdog.



*facepalms* Ok you know what? If you want to mindlessly shoot things go play Halo, you might actually get along with those fanboys.



Can't criticize you on that.



Ah, ignorance to the max. We are not Sakamoto fanboys, however we trust in what he is doing and applaud for what he has done. There is no shame in that. Imagination? Well if this counts then I believe all of our theories and fanfics cover all that. We have imagination, we just want more canon. (I suppose.)



Exactly who are you trying to describe. I am pretty sure none of us really wonder about things like that. If anyone on here wants to cover this quote by all means do so.



Ah, another fan who just wants to "Zap Metroids". I have already said what I wanted to about this.



LOL. Dude, get off of your highchair. (Or is it high horse?) Personally I can't tell when it comes to you.



OMG! Yet again, we worship no Game God and everyone else here would say the same. On to Email 3!



Congrats Fan 3! You didn't insult therefore, I have nothing to say to you. You presented your opinion in an appropriate manner so I applaud to you!
----

Here is the thing fellow MDb'ers. I have seen so many similarities between these emails and Sean's own opinion. So these are definitely Sean fanboys. Now I have been known to argue for days, and this isn't done until they stop talking. Because I can keep this up, I enjoy it. I love it.

Eh, let him rant. If he wants to play a game that gives him no reason to care for the protagonist, that's his problem.

Basically, this is just want he wants: to see everybody bickering over his opinions. Need I remind everybody that we haven't actually seen some REAL gameplay yet?

That should be in everyone's mind, I know it is in mine.

I've got a different theory: these "Sean fanboys" are actually Sean himself. He's just posting emails to himself (or at least pretending to have been emailed) so that he can post what is meant to look like a "response," when in reality, he's using an AstroTurf excuse to write another extremely long blog post and stroke his own ego.

Also, flamingos.

I've got a feeling someone from here emailed him that trying to defend us.

Um, I think he requested that you remove the article out of pity. By continually responding to us and insulting us back, you're eliminating any semblance of professionalism you may have had. I mean, we're crazy, right? We're not even Metroid fans, right? So why do you seem so taken aback by what we're saying? Why do you feel the need to reply to us multiple times, instead of just ignoring us crazy wannabe fans?

So are you going to be the bigger man and not reply, or will your ego force you to insult us once again?

It seems he and "his fans" use this method where they talk down to the "younger gamers" and say they don't know the classics, and that we are changing everything.

Me? I am 15. I like the originals, I like the exploration, I like the items, etc. Basically, I like everything that made Metroid what is was/is. But you know what I like as well. All of the "narrative" stuff they keep downing. I am just like them, but with new age stuff mixed in. Would I play another Metroid type game that is more like the original style? Hell yea. Would I play a game like Other M? The answer is Yes. So really, I don't see where they are trying to go when they use the younger gamer stuff on us.



Either way, he can be the "bigger man". If he stops first, I still get the satisfaction of this debate/argument.

Well darn, he actually did respond to my email(yeah, that was me). Better thank him for releasing that to inform my existence.
I'm so happy.

By the, here's how I responded:

Email:

Hey! Thanks for noticing my email! I've never actually expected you to responded to me on your blog, therefore informing everyone about what I think. You've probably also received some hatemails aimed at me from your fans.
Isn't it nice how we can make new enemies with few senteces?
Though, I did exaggerate on that last part of my email(you know, the whole "erasing article"-thing), but hey, that's the circle of life.

Also, flamingos are overrated. Common cranes are much cooler.

Email Part Deux
... Wait, there's some typos on my email. I would humbly apologize for any inconsistencies caused on your simple-minded brains by my lack of spell checking.

It's a mad, mad world, eh?

Those who remember my posts discussing the merits of Metroid Prime vs. Super Metroid know I have a penchant for writing giant exhausting walls of text when a topic irks me. Thankfully I stepped into this topic late and thus will steer clear of excessive vitriol. However, having just read Sean Malstrom's first post I'd like to say that, his profusely absurd comments deriding Super's story (which I actually feel is one of the best gaming stories ever) notwithstanding and describing Prime as Super in 3D, I agree with his general sentiment. Video game stories are, for the most part, silly, ill-conceived, poorly executed, badly written, badly implemented, and often unnecessary. As Malstrom points out, the childish stories in games are certainly a cause for derision from people unfamiliar with the medium, but they should be a cause for derision from those within.

I LOVE the original Metroid trilogy, and that includes its approach to story. Within three games that essentially have only minimal narration and only brief opening and ending cinematics it manages to establish its namesake as terrifying creatures (and believe me, they terrified children), its protagonists as truly evil villians, its protagonist as mysterious but ultimately heroic, and hinted at a deeper universe filled with a long-lost race and culture that still played a role in what happened. Malstrom is right in that these things engaged your imagination, but they also told a story coherently in and of themselves. There was no need to force feed it to the player and doing so would probably have detracted from the games.

Now, I am certainly in the wait-and-see camp, far more on the side excited to see Sakamoto's return to Metroid on a home console than on the side tentatively worried, but I'm more excited for the gameplay than the story. The story's instead something that has me curious, but I don't expect it to be the game's biggest strength, particularly since it promises to interrupt gameplay intermittently.

Edit: Any fans of the sublime indie game Braid might be interested in hearing its creator's thoughts on how stories actually sabotage immersion in games. I think he's right, and I think gaming would do well to evolve beyond its Hollywood envy and embrace a vision of gaming that emphasizes its strengths in creating interactive experiences and worlds rather than its narrative deficiencies.

I think we should stop giving Li'l Seany Baby any attention. You guys are making it look like we actually give a damn about his opinions. He's just another one of these know-it-all small name - big ego bloggers who are extremely bad at admitting when they haven't done their research. As far as I know, he hasn't done anything to deserve this kind of attention. Let's not give him any.