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So, it has been announced by Retro Studios that the next installment in the wildly popular Metroid series is to be an FPS. Yeah, you heard right, a First Person Shooter, like Quake, or Doom. All over the globe, the Nintendo gaming community is alight with seemingly unbridled anger at this decision, which came from NCL as they thought the original third-person perspective was not doing justice to the series. More so than anywhere else, the web and its gaming forums are groaning under the strain of all the complaints.
This is where this editorial comes in. I have no doubt that the game will be brilliant. However, what I would like to do is to examine what the advantages and disadvantages for the series are caused by this choice of perspective, in the hope of placating people. I will also offer what I see as the best solutions to the disadvantages. First of all, we should consider one of the most important features of previous Metroid games, the combat. Perhaps the greatest experience on any Nintendo console has been taking on the games' hordes of aliens, and of course, the bosses. The switch to the third dimension presents a large amount of problems though that are not an issue in 2D. Primary amongst these is the difficulty in aiming. If there are a number of enemies on screen at once, moving rapidly (as you would expect in a Metroid game), then it is very hard to aim. Unless that is, you use a first person perspective. It is then possible to shoot down aliens, planes, coconuts, whatever with ease and precision.
Just look at anyone who plays PD or Goldeneye. It is no hassle for them to strafe round an enemy, aiming up and firing, all at the same time. If the game is in the third person however, this is next to impossible to implement without using an auto-aim system (Sin and Punishment) or an aiming mode activated by a button (Jet Force Gemini). And if you think about it, would a bounty hunter, like Ms. Aran, rely on an aiming device for the simplest of shoots? Or have to stop to pop a bug nearby? The answer is no; one of the most important advantages that this perspective will bring to Metroid is its accuracy and fluidity of combat, which is in the spirit of the series.
Another advantage posed by this new choice of perspective is similar to the last one, in regards to weapons and powerups. Many have cursed this perspective saying that it would not retain the element of enjoyment caused by upgrading your armor, getting a new weapon etc. However if you think, about it, only the armor changes would be well represented by the 3rd person view. In that type of game, the weapons and such are low detail, as the game has to cope with the player animation and model as well. However if we are looking through Samus' eyes, loads of attention can be lavished upon the weaponry. Believe me, you'll appreciate getting the Ice Beam in Metroid 4 a heck of a lot more when you see it in its full glory, with pipes and venting gas, as opposed to hidden behind Samus' body, as would happen in the third person. Another thing on the powerups is that the new perspective suits (arguably) the best powerup in the game, the grappling-hook, down to a "T". And so many people have stated that it would not work anymore because of viewpoint. However, I think that's rubbish. If you had Samus onscreen, it would be a lot harder to aim where you wanted. Look at Legend Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. The only way to use the hook-shot effectively to reach new areas is to use the First Person Mode! So how will it not work in the next Metroid, is what I would like to know.
Lastly, one of the major advantages of the 1st person perspective is that it allows for truly majestic sights to be in the game. Take a look at any truly great game when they are trying to convey a huge scale, or the epic proportions of a boss. What do they do? Drop down to around the hero/heroine's height and look from there, that's what. This is because it lets you see the environment as it would be were you there, not from a cloud over the protagonists body. The 1st person also allows for in-level mini-scenes (like those seen in Half-Life) to be enacted usefully. Say you're running through a spacestation in Metroid 4 and there's a room to your left with an open door. Something can be seen moving there. If you look in, you see the ship's doctor fending off a Metroid with a scalpel. This would work really well in the first person. However with a third person view, unless you manipulated the camera with the same level of skill a fly has of missing the swatter, then you're going to miss the majority of what goes on. If you've played Half-Life you'll know what I mean. It would not work in the 3rd person.
Disadvantages
As I see it there are two real disadvantages to bringing the Metroid series to us on the Cube as a FPS. Both of these resolve around fairly crucial gameplay elements.
First off, there is the whole issue of how to control a character in the first person while pulling off complex jumps, which are a trademark of the Metroid series. FPS' are notorious for being excruciatingly hard to control if precision jumping is called for. You only have to play the original Turok for the N64 to see this, and it really spoils games in this genre unless they try to avoid it. Another good example of how platform elements can ruin parts of a game is Half-Life. I thought the game was brilliant. That was, till I got to the alien levels. It needed stupidly hard jumps to be completed, and the inaccurate nature of the FPS in this respect meant I went to many an early grave before I sold the game in disgust. When the character is visible onscreen, it is a lot easier to judge distances. This is why you don't see any FPS platformers. And as such, I cannot see how Metroid could work with the screw kicks, wall jumps etc unless it is with a third person camera.
Another thing which many Metroid fans hold above all things is the Ball Morph ability of Samus. And you can see why. It allows for such great structures with their narrow tunnels and hidden passageways that can only be accessed after you get that ability. Trouble is, unless you use a third person camera, there is no way of conveying the fact that Samus is rolling, as opposed to crouching really low. Because if you were to do this accurately in the first person, everyone would throw up as the screen would rotate continually. And the last thing Retro want to do is to have people turning their Gamecubes a greener shade of brown.
Solutions
What really annoys me about the current mood of anger against this game and this decision, is that no-one outside of Nintendo and Retro has actually seen a screenshot, let alone played the game. This could be the single greatest game ever created; we just don't know. Also, many state categorically that Nintendo are idiots for this. I would argue the fact that these people are not actually developers in the vast majority. If they knew so much about game design, why aren't they employed to make the next Metroid? Do you really think Nintendo made that decision just to annoy most of their fans? No; they made that choice so as to protect the interests of said fans by making sure the game is a good as it can be while also remaining true to our beloved prequels. So this section is for me to illustrate how I think the main disadvantage of the format choice can be overcome.
Ok the issue of how to make those crucial jumps is a real thorn in the side for the game, if it sticks to being a tried and tested FPS. So what I propose is a 3rd person mode which could be toggled by pressing and holding the Z-trigger. The animation probably explains it better than I can here, but I'll try my best. Say you're running down a claustrophobic, dank corridor. You see towards the end that it widens out and that there is a drop, with large girders hung offset from where the roof used to be by thick cables. Before you get to the area, you press down the Z-trigger. Holding it down as you run, the camera stops, and Samus runs semitransparent at first, through it and out a certain distance. The camera then resumes movement. Wham-bam, thanks you Retro, platforming problems solved. This means that you have the best of both worlds, the sweet and accurate aiming of an FPS and the sure-footedness of a 3rd person platformer. Were this mode included it wouldmean that die-hard fans couldn't really have any objections at the FPS genre choice.
Secondly, and though it is not a crucial element, it remains one of the most popular, the Ball Morph. How do we do that in the 1st person? Well, it can be dealt with similarly to the first solution. When you want to roll, you tap down on the D-pad. The camera then drops down low,again stops momentarily and then a rolling Samus bowls through it. Again, a simple solution to a nagging problem.
Lastly, as I grow tired of hearing fans stating that this is impossible, I would like to propose that climbing vertical walls and wall jumping is not impossible in a FPS, at least not on the Gamecube. The way I can see this working is if the camera stick is used to its true potential. If you jump onto a wall, you can use the camera stick to look, effectively, over your shoulder, as well as up and down. The analogue stick continues to be used for direction as you climb. Lets say you then want to wall jump across to a small alcove you can see on the other side of what you are climbing. You simply set it in your sights with the camera stick, and press the jump button. Samus then jumps across o the other side, with nary a worry at all.
All I am trying to say, is keep an open mind, and don't write this game off. When games become legends, everyone obviously has very strong opinions on them. Hark back to the SNES days, when purists called Mario Kart blasphemous, and now look at what people say of the game. Nintendo will not allow this game to leave the floors of Retro until they feel it is up to the standards of the series, so be calm. Keep the flames away, at least until you've seen screens and listened to someone who has played the game. Prove yourselves supporters of Nintendo, not supporters of regression and aggression.
This is where this editorial comes in. I have no doubt that the game will be brilliant. However, what I would like to do is to examine what the advantages and disadvantages for the series are caused by this choice of perspective, in the hope of placating people. I will also offer what I see as the best solutions to the disadvantages. First of all, we should consider one of the most important features of previous Metroid games, the combat. Perhaps the greatest experience on any Nintendo console has been taking on the games' hordes of aliens, and of course, the bosses. The switch to the third dimension presents a large amount of problems though that are not an issue in 2D. Primary amongst these is the difficulty in aiming. If there are a number of enemies on screen at once, moving rapidly (as you would expect in a Metroid game), then it is very hard to aim. Unless that is, you use a first person perspective. It is then possible to shoot down aliens, planes, coconuts, whatever with ease and precision.
Just look at anyone who plays PD or Goldeneye. It is no hassle for them to strafe round an enemy, aiming up and firing, all at the same time. If the game is in the third person however, this is next to impossible to implement without using an auto-aim system (Sin and Punishment) or an aiming mode activated by a button (Jet Force Gemini). And if you think about it, would a bounty hunter, like Ms. Aran, rely on an aiming device for the simplest of shoots? Or have to stop to pop a bug nearby? The answer is no; one of the most important advantages that this perspective will bring to Metroid is its accuracy and fluidity of combat, which is in the spirit of the series.
Another advantage posed by this new choice of perspective is similar to the last one, in regards to weapons and powerups. Many have cursed this perspective saying that it would not retain the element of enjoyment caused by upgrading your armor, getting a new weapon etc. However if you think, about it, only the armor changes would be well represented by the 3rd person view. In that type of game, the weapons and such are low detail, as the game has to cope with the player animation and model as well. However if we are looking through Samus' eyes, loads of attention can be lavished upon the weaponry. Believe me, you'll appreciate getting the Ice Beam in Metroid 4 a heck of a lot more when you see it in its full glory, with pipes and venting gas, as opposed to hidden behind Samus' body, as would happen in the third person. Another thing on the powerups is that the new perspective suits (arguably) the best powerup in the game, the grappling-hook, down to a "T". And so many people have stated that it would not work anymore because of viewpoint. However, I think that's rubbish. If you had Samus onscreen, it would be a lot harder to aim where you wanted. Look at Legend Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. The only way to use the hook-shot effectively to reach new areas is to use the First Person Mode! So how will it not work in the next Metroid, is what I would like to know.
Lastly, one of the major advantages of the 1st person perspective is that it allows for truly majestic sights to be in the game. Take a look at any truly great game when they are trying to convey a huge scale, or the epic proportions of a boss. What do they do? Drop down to around the hero/heroine's height and look from there, that's what. This is because it lets you see the environment as it would be were you there, not from a cloud over the protagonists body. The 1st person also allows for in-level mini-scenes (like those seen in Half-Life) to be enacted usefully. Say you're running through a spacestation in Metroid 4 and there's a room to your left with an open door. Something can be seen moving there. If you look in, you see the ship's doctor fending off a Metroid with a scalpel. This would work really well in the first person. However with a third person view, unless you manipulated the camera with the same level of skill a fly has of missing the swatter, then you're going to miss the majority of what goes on. If you've played Half-Life you'll know what I mean. It would not work in the 3rd person.
Disadvantages
As I see it there are two real disadvantages to bringing the Metroid series to us on the Cube as a FPS. Both of these resolve around fairly crucial gameplay elements.
First off, there is the whole issue of how to control a character in the first person while pulling off complex jumps, which are a trademark of the Metroid series. FPS' are notorious for being excruciatingly hard to control if precision jumping is called for. You only have to play the original Turok for the N64 to see this, and it really spoils games in this genre unless they try to avoid it. Another good example of how platform elements can ruin parts of a game is Half-Life. I thought the game was brilliant. That was, till I got to the alien levels. It needed stupidly hard jumps to be completed, and the inaccurate nature of the FPS in this respect meant I went to many an early grave before I sold the game in disgust. When the character is visible onscreen, it is a lot easier to judge distances. This is why you don't see any FPS platformers. And as such, I cannot see how Metroid could work with the screw kicks, wall jumps etc unless it is with a third person camera.
Another thing which many Metroid fans hold above all things is the Ball Morph ability of Samus. And you can see why. It allows for such great structures with their narrow tunnels and hidden passageways that can only be accessed after you get that ability. Trouble is, unless you use a third person camera, there is no way of conveying the fact that Samus is rolling, as opposed to crouching really low. Because if you were to do this accurately in the first person, everyone would throw up as the screen would rotate continually. And the last thing Retro want to do is to have people turning their Gamecubes a greener shade of brown.
Solutions
What really annoys me about the current mood of anger against this game and this decision, is that no-one outside of Nintendo and Retro has actually seen a screenshot, let alone played the game. This could be the single greatest game ever created; we just don't know. Also, many state categorically that Nintendo are idiots for this. I would argue the fact that these people are not actually developers in the vast majority. If they knew so much about game design, why aren't they employed to make the next Metroid? Do you really think Nintendo made that decision just to annoy most of their fans? No; they made that choice so as to protect the interests of said fans by making sure the game is a good as it can be while also remaining true to our beloved prequels. So this section is for me to illustrate how I think the main disadvantage of the format choice can be overcome.
Ok the issue of how to make those crucial jumps is a real thorn in the side for the game, if it sticks to being a tried and tested FPS. So what I propose is a 3rd person mode which could be toggled by pressing and holding the Z-trigger. The animation probably explains it better than I can here, but I'll try my best. Say you're running down a claustrophobic, dank corridor. You see towards the end that it widens out and that there is a drop, with large girders hung offset from where the roof used to be by thick cables. Before you get to the area, you press down the Z-trigger. Holding it down as you run, the camera stops, and Samus runs semitransparent at first, through it and out a certain distance. The camera then resumes movement. Wham-bam, thanks you Retro, platforming problems solved. This means that you have the best of both worlds, the sweet and accurate aiming of an FPS and the sure-footedness of a 3rd person platformer. Were this mode included it wouldmean that die-hard fans couldn't really have any objections at the FPS genre choice.
Secondly, and though it is not a crucial element, it remains one of the most popular, the Ball Morph. How do we do that in the 1st person? Well, it can be dealt with similarly to the first solution. When you want to roll, you tap down on the D-pad. The camera then drops down low,again stops momentarily and then a rolling Samus bowls through it. Again, a simple solution to a nagging problem.
Lastly, as I grow tired of hearing fans stating that this is impossible, I would like to propose that climbing vertical walls and wall jumping is not impossible in a FPS, at least not on the Gamecube. The way I can see this working is if the camera stick is used to its true potential. If you jump onto a wall, you can use the camera stick to look, effectively, over your shoulder, as well as up and down. The analogue stick continues to be used for direction as you climb. Lets say you then want to wall jump across to a small alcove you can see on the other side of what you are climbing. You simply set it in your sights with the camera stick, and press the jump button. Samus then jumps across o the other side, with nary a worry at all.
All I am trying to say, is keep an open mind, and don't write this game off. When games become legends, everyone obviously has very strong opinions on them. Hark back to the SNES days, when purists called Mario Kart blasphemous, and now look at what people say of the game. Nintendo will not allow this game to leave the floors of Retro until they feel it is up to the standards of the series, so be calm. Keep the flames away, at least until you've seen screens and listened to someone who has played the game. Prove yourselves supporters of Nintendo, not supporters of regression and aggression.
So, it has been announced by Retro Studios that the next installment in the wildly popular Metroid series is to be an FPS. Yeah, you heard right, a First Person Shooter, like Quake, or Doom. All over the globe, the Nintendo gaming community is alight with seemingly unbridled anger at this decision, which came from NCL as they thought the original third-person perspective was not doing justice to the series. More so than anywhere else, the web and its gaming forums are groaning under the strain of all the complaints.
This is where this editorial comes in. I have no doubt that the game will be brilliant. However, what I would like to do is to examine what the advantages and disadvantages for the series are caused by this choice of perspective, in the hope of placating people. I will also offer what I see as the best solutions to the disadvantages. First of all, we should consider one of the most important features of previous Metroid games, the combat. Perhaps the greatest experience on any Nintendo console has been taking on the games' hordes of aliens, and of course, the bosses. The switch to the third dimension presents a large amount of problems though that are not an issue in 2D. Primary amongst these is the difficulty in aiming. If there are a number of enemies on screen at once, moving rapidly (as you would expect in a Metroid game), then it is very hard to aim. Unless that is, you use a first person perspective. It is then possible to shoot down aliens, planes, coconuts, whatever with ease and precision.
Just look at anyone who plays PD or Goldeneye. It is no hassle for them to strafe round an enemy, aiming up and firing, all at the same time. If the game is in the third person however, this is next to impossible to implement without using an auto-aim system (Sin and Punishment) or an aiming mode activated by a button (Jet Force Gemini). And if you think about it, would a bounty hunter, like Ms. Aran, rely on an aiming device for the simplest of shoots? Or have to stop to pop a bug nearby? The answer is no; one of the most important advantages that this perspective will bring to Metroid is its accuracy and fluidity of combat, which is in the spirit of the series.
Another advantage posed by this new choice of perspective is similar to the last one, in regards to weapons and powerups. Many have cursed this perspective saying that it would not retain the element of enjoyment caused by upgrading your armor, getting a new weapon etc. However if you think, about it, only the armor changes would be well represented by the 3rd person view. In that type of game, the weapons and such are low detail, as the game has to cope with the player animation and model as well. However if we are looking through Samus' eyes, loads of attention can be lavished upon the weaponry. Believe me, you'll appreciate getting the Ice Beam in Metroid 4 a heck of a lot more when you see it in its full glory, with pipes and venting gas, as opposed to hidden behind Samus' body, as would happen in the third person. Another thing on the powerups is that the new perspective suits (arguably) the best powerup in the game, the grappling-hook, down to a "T". And so many people have stated that it would not work anymore because of viewpoint. However, I think that's rubbish. If you had Samus onscreen, it would be a lot harder to aim where you wanted. Look at Legend Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. The only way to use the hook-shot effectively to reach new areas is to use the First Person Mode! So how will it not work in the next Metroid, is what I would like to know.
Lastly, one of the major advantages of the 1st person perspective is that it allows for truly majestic sights to be in the game. Take a look at any truly great game when they are trying to convey a huge scale, or the epic proportions of a boss. What do they do? Drop down to around the hero/heroine's height and look from there, that's what. This is because it lets you see the environment as it would be were you there, not from a cloud over the protagonists body. The 1st person also allows for in-level mini-scenes (like those seen in Half-Life) to be enacted usefully. Say you're running through a spacestation in Metroid 4 and there's a room to your left with an open door. Something can be seen moving there. If you look in, you see the ship's doctor fending off a Metroid with a scalpel. This would work really well in the first person. However with a third person view, unless you manipulated the camera with the same level of skill a fly has of missing the swatter, then you're going to miss the majority of what goes on. If you've played Half-Life you'll know what I mean. It would not work in the 3rd person.
Disadvantages
As I see it there are two real disadvantages to bringing the Metroid series to us on the Cube as a FPS. Both of these resolve around fairly crucial gameplay elements.
First off, there is the whole issue of how to control a character in the first person while pulling off complex jumps, which are a trademark of the Metroid series. FPS' are notorious for being excruciatingly hard to control if precision jumping is called for. You only have to play the original Turok for the N64 to see this, and it really spoils games in this genre unless they try to avoid it. Another good example of how platform elements can ruin parts of a game is Half-Life. I thought the game was brilliant. That was, till I got to the alien levels. It needed stupidly hard jumps to be completed, and the inaccurate nature of the FPS in this respect meant I went to many an early grave before I sold the game in disgust. When the character is visible onscreen, it is a lot easier to judge distances. This is why you don't see any FPS platformers. And as such, I cannot see how Metroid could work with the screw kicks, wall jumps etc unless it is with a third person camera.
Another thing which many Metroid fans hold above all things is the Ball Morph ability of Samus. And you can see why. It allows for such great structures with their narrow tunnels and hidden passageways that can only be accessed after you get that ability. Trouble is, unless you use a third person camera, there is no way of conveying the fact that Samus is rolling, as opposed to crouching really low. Because if you were to do this accurately in the first person, everyone would throw up as the screen would rotate continually. And the last thing Retro want to do is to have people turning their Gamecubes a greener shade of brown.
Solutions
What really annoys me about the current mood of anger against this game and this decision, is that no-one outside of Nintendo and Retro has actually seen a screenshot, let alone played the game. This could be the single greatest game ever created; we just don't know. Also, many state categorically that Nintendo are idiots for this. I would argue the fact that these people are not actually developers in the vast majority. If they knew so much about game design, why aren't they employed to make the next Metroid? Do you really think Nintendo made that decision just to annoy most of their fans? No; they made that choice so as to protect the interests of said fans by making sure the game is a good as it can be while also remaining true to our beloved prequels. So this section is for me to illustrate how I think the main disadvantage of the format choice can be overcome.
Ok the issue of how to make those crucial jumps is a real thorn in the side for the game, if it sticks to being a tried and tested FPS. So what I propose is a 3rd person mode which could be toggled by pressing and holding the Z-trigger. The animation probably explains it better than I can here, but I'll try my best. Say you're running down a claustrophobic, dank corridor. You see towards the end that it widens out and that there is a drop, with large girders hung offset from where the roof used to be by thick cables. Before you get to the area, you press down the Z-trigger. Holding it down as you run, the camera stops, and Samus runs semitransparent at first, through it and out a certain distance. The camera then resumes movement. Wham-bam, thanks you Retro, platforming problems solved. This means that you have the best of both worlds, the sweet and accurate aiming of an FPS and the sure-footedness of a 3rd person platformer. Were this mode included it wouldmean that die-hard fans couldn't really have any objections at the FPS genre choice.
Secondly, and though it is not a crucial element, it remains one of the most popular, the Ball Morph. How do we do that in the 1st person? Well, it can be dealt with similarly to the first solution. When you want to roll, you tap down on the D-pad. The camera then drops down low,again stops momentarily and then a rolling Samus bowls through it. Again, a simple solution to a nagging problem.
Lastly, as I grow tired of hearing fans stating that this is impossible, I would like to propose that climbing vertical walls and wall jumping is not impossible in a FPS, at least not on the Gamecube. The way I can see this working is if the camera stick is used to its true potential. If you jump onto a wall, you can use the camera stick to look, effectively, over your shoulder, as well as up and down. The analogue stick continues to be used for direction as you climb. Lets say you then want to wall jump across to a small alcove you can see on the other side of what you are climbing. You simply set it in your sights with the camera stick, and press the jump button. Samus then jumps across o the other side, with nary a worry at all.
All I am trying to say, is keep an open mind, and don't write this game off. When games become legends, everyone obviously has very strong opinions on them. Hark back to the SNES days, when purists called Mario Kart blasphemous, and now look at what people say of the game. Nintendo will not allow this game to leave the floors of Retro until they feel it is up to the standards of the series, so be calm. Keep the flames away, at least until you've seen screens and listened to someone who has played the game. Prove yourselves supporters of Nintendo, not supporters of regression and aggression.
This is where this editorial comes in. I have no doubt that the game will be brilliant. However, what I would like to do is to examine what the advantages and disadvantages for the series are caused by this choice of perspective, in the hope of placating people. I will also offer what I see as the best solutions to the disadvantages. First of all, we should consider one of the most important features of previous Metroid games, the combat. Perhaps the greatest experience on any Nintendo console has been taking on the games' hordes of aliens, and of course, the bosses. The switch to the third dimension presents a large amount of problems though that are not an issue in 2D. Primary amongst these is the difficulty in aiming. If there are a number of enemies on screen at once, moving rapidly (as you would expect in a Metroid game), then it is very hard to aim. Unless that is, you use a first person perspective. It is then possible to shoot down aliens, planes, coconuts, whatever with ease and precision.
Just look at anyone who plays PD or Goldeneye. It is no hassle for them to strafe round an enemy, aiming up and firing, all at the same time. If the game is in the third person however, this is next to impossible to implement without using an auto-aim system (Sin and Punishment) or an aiming mode activated by a button (Jet Force Gemini). And if you think about it, would a bounty hunter, like Ms. Aran, rely on an aiming device for the simplest of shoots? Or have to stop to pop a bug nearby? The answer is no; one of the most important advantages that this perspective will bring to Metroid is its accuracy and fluidity of combat, which is in the spirit of the series.
Another advantage posed by this new choice of perspective is similar to the last one, in regards to weapons and powerups. Many have cursed this perspective saying that it would not retain the element of enjoyment caused by upgrading your armor, getting a new weapon etc. However if you think, about it, only the armor changes would be well represented by the 3rd person view. In that type of game, the weapons and such are low detail, as the game has to cope with the player animation and model as well. However if we are looking through Samus' eyes, loads of attention can be lavished upon the weaponry. Believe me, you'll appreciate getting the Ice Beam in Metroid 4 a heck of a lot more when you see it in its full glory, with pipes and venting gas, as opposed to hidden behind Samus' body, as would happen in the third person. Another thing on the powerups is that the new perspective suits (arguably) the best powerup in the game, the grappling-hook, down to a "T". And so many people have stated that it would not work anymore because of viewpoint. However, I think that's rubbish. If you had Samus onscreen, it would be a lot harder to aim where you wanted. Look at Legend Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. The only way to use the hook-shot effectively to reach new areas is to use the First Person Mode! So how will it not work in the next Metroid, is what I would like to know.
Lastly, one of the major advantages of the 1st person perspective is that it allows for truly majestic sights to be in the game. Take a look at any truly great game when they are trying to convey a huge scale, or the epic proportions of a boss. What do they do? Drop down to around the hero/heroine's height and look from there, that's what. This is because it lets you see the environment as it would be were you there, not from a cloud over the protagonists body. The 1st person also allows for in-level mini-scenes (like those seen in Half-Life) to be enacted usefully. Say you're running through a spacestation in Metroid 4 and there's a room to your left with an open door. Something can be seen moving there. If you look in, you see the ship's doctor fending off a Metroid with a scalpel. This would work really well in the first person. However with a third person view, unless you manipulated the camera with the same level of skill a fly has of missing the swatter, then you're going to miss the majority of what goes on. If you've played Half-Life you'll know what I mean. It would not work in the 3rd person.
Disadvantages
As I see it there are two real disadvantages to bringing the Metroid series to us on the Cube as a FPS. Both of these resolve around fairly crucial gameplay elements.
First off, there is the whole issue of how to control a character in the first person while pulling off complex jumps, which are a trademark of the Metroid series. FPS' are notorious for being excruciatingly hard to control if precision jumping is called for. You only have to play the original Turok for the N64 to see this, and it really spoils games in this genre unless they try to avoid it. Another good example of how platform elements can ruin parts of a game is Half-Life. I thought the game was brilliant. That was, till I got to the alien levels. It needed stupidly hard jumps to be completed, and the inaccurate nature of the FPS in this respect meant I went to many an early grave before I sold the game in disgust. When the character is visible onscreen, it is a lot easier to judge distances. This is why you don't see any FPS platformers. And as such, I cannot see how Metroid could work with the screw kicks, wall jumps etc unless it is with a third person camera.
Another thing which many Metroid fans hold above all things is the Ball Morph ability of Samus. And you can see why. It allows for such great structures with their narrow tunnels and hidden passageways that can only be accessed after you get that ability. Trouble is, unless you use a third person camera, there is no way of conveying the fact that Samus is rolling, as opposed to crouching really low. Because if you were to do this accurately in the first person, everyone would throw up as the screen would rotate continually. And the last thing Retro want to do is to have people turning their Gamecubes a greener shade of brown.
Solutions
What really annoys me about the current mood of anger against this game and this decision, is that no-one outside of Nintendo and Retro has actually seen a screenshot, let alone played the game. This could be the single greatest game ever created; we just don't know. Also, many state categorically that Nintendo are idiots for this. I would argue the fact that these people are not actually developers in the vast majority. If they knew so much about game design, why aren't they employed to make the next Metroid? Do you really think Nintendo made that decision just to annoy most of their fans? No; they made that choice so as to protect the interests of said fans by making sure the game is a good as it can be while also remaining true to our beloved prequels. So this section is for me to illustrate how I think the main disadvantage of the format choice can be overcome.
Ok the issue of how to make those crucial jumps is a real thorn in the side for the game, if it sticks to being a tried and tested FPS. So what I propose is a 3rd person mode which could be toggled by pressing and holding the Z-trigger. The animation probably explains it better than I can here, but I'll try my best. Say you're running down a claustrophobic, dank corridor. You see towards the end that it widens out and that there is a drop, with large girders hung offset from where the roof used to be by thick cables. Before you get to the area, you press down the Z-trigger. Holding it down as you run, the camera stops, and Samus runs semitransparent at first, through it and out a certain distance. The camera then resumes movement. Wham-bam, thanks you Retro, platforming problems solved. This means that you have the best of both worlds, the sweet and accurate aiming of an FPS and the sure-footedness of a 3rd person platformer. Were this mode included it wouldmean that die-hard fans couldn't really have any objections at the FPS genre choice.
Secondly, and though it is not a crucial element, it remains one of the most popular, the Ball Morph. How do we do that in the 1st person? Well, it can be dealt with similarly to the first solution. When you want to roll, you tap down on the D-pad. The camera then drops down low,again stops momentarily and then a rolling Samus bowls through it. Again, a simple solution to a nagging problem.
Lastly, as I grow tired of hearing fans stating that this is impossible, I would like to propose that climbing vertical walls and wall jumping is not impossible in a FPS, at least not on the Gamecube. The way I can see this working is if the camera stick is used to its true potential. If you jump onto a wall, you can use the camera stick to look, effectively, over your shoulder, as well as up and down. The analogue stick continues to be used for direction as you climb. Lets say you then want to wall jump across to a small alcove you can see on the other side of what you are climbing. You simply set it in your sights with the camera stick, and press the jump button. Samus then jumps across o the other side, with nary a worry at all.
All I am trying to say, is keep an open mind, and don't write this game off. When games become legends, everyone obviously has very strong opinions on them. Hark back to the SNES days, when purists called Mario Kart blasphemous, and now look at what people say of the game. Nintendo will not allow this game to leave the floors of Retro until they feel it is up to the standards of the series, so be calm. Keep the flames away, at least until you've seen screens and listened to someone who has played the game. Prove yourselves supporters of Nintendo, not supporters of regression and aggression.