Super Metroid without a Walkthrough?! Ugh!

Last weekend, I had some free time after everyone had gone to bed and I had poured a couple of hours into a presentation for Historical Linguistics class, so I decided to pop Super Metroid into my family's Retro Duo console. Up to the point where I had saved my game, I had been using a walkthrough that was posted on IGN. It has been a good walkthrough, but more written from the perspective of a speed player who is trying to beat Super Metroid under 90 minutes. However, I have found that following a walkthrough word-for-word can be tedious, sapping the fun and adventure out of Super Metroid. So, I decided to just wing it and play without the walkthrough...

For the most part, I did well enough. Because I had saved my game in Maridia after defeating Draygon, I still had to find a reserve tank and a missile tank. I found these items easily enough after navigating for 30 minutes using Samus' map screen. It was after that when things got tough as I worked my way to Norfair, where I spent five minutes trying to get a missile tank located on the other side of some crumble blocks, got into a nasty fight with an evil Torizo, and then acquired the Screw Attack. After that, I tried to screw attack/space jump my way up a massive room, only to have the Space Jump (I loathe Space Jump) work half of the time, while I would fall or crash into nigh-invincible Metal Pirates the other half of the time. After 25 more minutes, Samus drowned in rising acid as she failed to complete her space jumps. Sheesh.

Because I didn't (or couldn't) save after beating that Torizo, all of my progress after acquiring the reserve tank was lost. Thankfully, I at least saved when I did, but I realized how hard Super Metroid is without a walkthrough. I'd like to blame the Retro Duo's controller, though; I mean, why can't I string together successive Space Jumps?!

Goof Troop: 3HN Father and Son at Play

Last week, my four-year-old son and I decided to play Goof Troop, a Super Nintendo game based on the animated series of the same name that was broadcast in the early to mid-90s. The basic premise of the game involves Goofy and his son evading pirates, finding keys, using various items, and solving puzzles to rescue their friend, Pete, who has been kidnapped by the aforementioned pirates. The game is played from above with a perspective reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda, except that this game is much simpler and involves teamwork if played with another player.

Much to my surprise, the more I play Goof Troop, the more I am impressed by the gameplay and fun factor, particularly the fun of playing such as goofy character as... well, Goofy. I had initially purchased this game from a co-worker solely on the premise that this was a cooperative game which my two sons could play together, but I have found that the game is better played when one more-skilled player (me, in this case) plays with a younger, less-skilled player (my youngest son) because the more-skilled player can bail out the less-skilled one. How? Well, one of the prominent tactics of Goof Troop involves movement from one screen to the next: if one player leaves a particular screen, both players appear in the next screen. This not only allows one player to save another from imminent danger, but it also allows for additional tactics, like one player luring foes to one corner of the screen while the other player leaves; or, one player runs across the screen to retrieve an important item and the other player leaves shortly after retrieval. Besides this, players can throw projectiles to each other if one of the players needs it, and both players can carry different items that may be useful on different screens.

It took my youngest son and I about 20 minutes to pass the first stage of the game, which was a wonderful accomplishment for him, especially because he is only four years old and he has just started learning how to play video games (specifically, retrogames). I really enjoyed playing alongside him to beat the stage. As a dad, I suppose that is what I enjoy most about retrogaming: watching my sons enjoy and do well with games that were relevant when I was younger.

Gunstar Heroes: 1HN Overrated Mess

Back in my college days in the 90s, I bought a game about which I had read a few very favorable reviews: Gunstar Heroes. This rock 'em, sock 'em shoot-em-up side-scroller was hailed as one of the finest games of its genre for the Sega Genesis or any game system at the time. Initially, the game was fun and amusing with the main characters and their abilities to combine gun types, punch and kick villains, climb across platforms, and even throw foes or each other. At the time, it seemed to be like Contra, but wrapped up in a slightly cutesy, Japanese anime-like look. However (and this should say something about the game), a few months after I bought it, I remember selling Gunstar Heroes so that I could buy some EA Sports game.

Why? Because the game is a farce. Amidst all the explosions, throwing robot bad guys, blowing the tar out of foes, and comically animated bravado, you begin to realize that the game is all about blowing up stuff. Imagine playing a game in which, suddenly, you're mobbed by bad guys. Then, you throw these bad guys here and there, blowing away a bunch more with explosion after explosion happening. After a while, it ceases to be amusing and becomes tedious; no strategy, but just mashing buttons as quickly as you can to wreak aimless havoc. The only amount of strategy you need is when fighting the various end-stage bosses, but after learning the trick that beats each boss, anyone could beat this game and move on.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't have patience for this game so I got rid of it; but, if I had held onto that game, I could've sold the cartridge for close to its purchase price now. Years later (actually, a few months ago), I read about this game again and decided that I wanted to give it another chance. I played it again, and I felt the same way: explosions, bodies thrown, ugh. So, once and for all, I turned my back on Gunstar Heroes. My advice: avoid this cartoonishly violent game, even if it is just throwing robots, and play Super Mario 3 or something more worthwhile like that.