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MecurySteam, the studio who worked with Nintendo on 3DS’ Metroid: Samus Returns, the remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus, has really hit it out of the park with Metroid Dread on Switch. But, given the studio’s debut with the series — which launched soon after one of the most popular and well-known Metroid fan games, Another Metroid 2 Remake (Project AM2R) — it’s only natural that the creator of that game has something to say on the topic of Samus’ latest all-new adventure.
In a recent episode of the KIWI TALKZ podcast, DoctorM64 — now a programmer at Ori & the Will of the Wisps developer Moon Studios — talked about the difficulties of making AMR2, the influence of Metroid Zero Mission and how that influenced the trajectory of the project, Skippy the Robot, and more.
However, when it comes to Metroid Dread, DoctorM64 focused attention on the E.M.M.I. encounters and has a few conflicting thoughts about how these sinister robots fit into a Metroid game.
Here’s some edited excerpts of what he had to say:
“I’m not entirely sure if the E.M.M.I.s were something that would make sense in Metroid. The concept is amazing, right? But if you mix something like survival horror with a huge monster that can one hit kill you, you need to feel vulnerable. Think of the first couple of Resident Evils with tank controls and very limited ammo and you stun a couple of zombies, you shot them, but your health is very limited, you’re feeling that tension, that dread.
But suddenly if you’re a space hunter that can leap around and jump and have very manoeuvrable moves and you happen to be able to wall jump and run super fast, that changes the dynamic a lot. Suddenly the monster has to move at the same pace as you and suddenly the fail state is faster to achieve. So in a run of Resident Evil or any other survival horror you take a couple of minutes to explore and you see the monster and you try with your very limited resources and mobility to escape and hide and be tactical about your choices. You have time to think and act right.
But since Samus is so snappy and the actual E.M.M.I.s have to be snappier than her to compensate, you don’t have those Metal Gear moments of you know stealth and taking action. You’re pretty much reacting to things, so it’s a very cat-and-mouse thing that happens so quickly that for once it’s distinct and unique but it’s also kind of annoying in my humble opinion.”
It should be said that DoctorM64 is full of praise, too, as he gushes about Samus’ agility, which astounded us too. The whole chat is an excellent insight into the creative process behind AM2R, and the creator’s thoughts on all things Metroid and Metroidvania, so we highly recommend you give it a watch. You can listen to him discuss Metroid Dread specifically in the video below:
In our review of Metroid Dread, we said of the E.M.M.I. encounters: “There was definite potential for it to be a little frustrating, but the tense face-offs and encounters you have with E.M.M.I. robots are standout moments in the game.”
How do you feel about the E.M.M.I. encounters in the game? Let us know in the comments!
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