Nintendo Switch

Metroid Dread: A Nintendo Classic’s Last hurrah

Metroid Dread represents a Nintendo Classic's final run, a glorious last hurra to an unforgettable series

The Metroid game series is undoubtedly one of the most successful franchises on Nintendo, boasting 11 main storylines and an even greater number of spin-offs over a glorious 35 years – Metroid Dread is a last hurrah for the Nintendo classic.

Developed by MercurySteam in partnership with Nintendo EPD and was originally planned for a release on Nintendo DS back in 2005, however, technological limitations lead developers to a dead end. More than ten years later during the company’s E3 2021 Nintendo Direct presentation on June 15th, the company officially announced that Metroid Dread was already in development.

What’s it all about?

Metroid Dread is a single player sci-fi action adventure the that was released on Nintendo Switch on the 8th of October this year – and just like every other Metroid title that came before it, Metroid Dread follows the interstellar adventures of EMMI (Extraplanetary Multiform Mobile Identifiers) robot, Samus Aran.

This time, The Galactic Federation  deployes her to the planet ZDR to investigate suspicious events around a group of EMMI bots that were sent ahead of her and the possible presence of The X – a parasitic species that were thought to have gone extinct.

The gameplay

Playing Metroid Dread is much like playing any of its predecessors, however, this installation is richly layered. The maps feel significantly bigger with more exploration options and allow more movement between the different sectors of the planet.

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Furthermore, the added layering goes beyond the scenery and extends to the special abilities and the array of weapons that Samus builds and gathers as players progress through the game. Without omitting the classics like the Screw Attack and Varia Suit, Metroid Dread brings in a wider range of suit upgrades, missiles, beams to suit different situations and preferences.

That said, this iteration of the Metroid series is decidedly focused on combat more than it does on exploration – the attack focused upgrade list is proof of this, even though Samus has a Phantom Cloak ability for added stealth. More evidence of Metroid Dread’s pro-action orientation can be seen in the game’s boss encounters, where developers chose to follow a “the more the merrier” philosophy – more frequent, more intense and more time consuming.

Key features

In many ways, Metroid Dread has stayed true to the Metroidvania sub genre that it has always been a central figure in. Looking for unlockable areas, hidden treasures and collectibles by blasting at textures that seem a little off is rewarded in this game.

Another key feature of Metroid Dread is the addition of unkillable enemies – those aforementioned EMMI robots that went to planet to ZDR, which are an important part of the story and add a new dynamic to the “final” installation of the Metroid series.

Closing thoughts

After more than three decades entertaining Nintendo players and keeping fans waiting for more than decade for this latest addition, Metroid Dread still manages to captivate with it simplistic genius, from the weapons and abilities, to Samus’ movements and the maps that players gradually unlock – Metroid Dread is a pleasurable final salute to a Nintendo classic.

 

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Joel Bonga

A part time cryptocurrency trader, mostly a hodler, and Blockchain/crypto freelance writer. Plus an occasional contributor at BIZZNERD.
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