It was hard for me to get into the first Metroid game, but this version was great!
Ridley time! The giant dragon monster has taken a metroid and flown off with it. Samus lands in a new world to find Ridley and eliminate the metroid threat. Nowhere in the game is there any presence of other life forms other than the enemy, but the number of the creatures keeps you on you toes.
Throughout the game, you gain upgrades that help through your journey, from different plasma blasters to missles to bombs to space jump boots to new suits that protect against different environments. Along the way, there are save stations, missle rechargers and energy refreshers.
The different sections of the game became the formula which all future Metroid games have adapted. With environments that include extreme heat, abandoned bases, and flooded lands, Samus has to use all of her upgrades to make it through.
The major downfall with the game is the story. There is little reference to the actual story throughout the game, but you get trapped in the fun of the adventure that you forget about it.
I love this game!