Analysing- METROID: ZERO MISSION

Metroid: Zero Mission is an action-adventure, platforming game released by Nintendo on February 9, 2004

The game starts off teaching the player through exploration. The run, jump, and shoot mechanics are basic, as the Gameboy Advance for which it was released had as many buttons as the original NES. Knowing the controls, while easy to figure out, only scratches the surface, as you upgrade more and more as you progress through the game. These upgrades usually require specific button combinations like a lot of games, but what makes this game such a good platformer, is that directly after each upgrade, you are put into a space for you to practice and get to know your new upgrade. Sometimes, the game put you into a situation where you have no choice but to learn to use your new abilities, and the best example of this would have to be when you acquire the MorphBall upgrade in the very first stage of the game.

The game starts you off in the center of the scene, showing both a right and left path. Most gamers will quickly realize they need to go right, but the left path appears just as vast and enticing. Even if players do not go left on the first go, they will soon realize that the cannot progress much farther in the game, and they need to go back to find what they missed. Once they do go left, they find a path too small for the player underneath a rock formation, and a staircase formation to go over to the other side. After you go over it, a few enemies await, and a large and inviting red sphere awaits atop a pedestal. After you touch it and receive the MorphBall upgrade, you quickly realize that you cannot leave this space by simply climbing over the rock like before. The game now forces you to learn one of the most crucial movement mechanics in the game. This continues throughout the game where you need to destroy specific bricks with specific ammunitions.

Level 1 Layout