9 thoughts on “Mental crap

  1. ““Mental maps” were a huge reason why…Super Metroid were so well-received.”

    One quote: that’s all it takes. One quote to expose who very little you know (or rather, *remember*) about Super Metroid.

    I’ll always remember the day you said that mental maps played a role in how Super Metroid was “well-received”: it was the day that your credibility as a Metroid fan, and consequently, as a critic of Team Ninja’s efforts was shattered.

  2. Oh, and kudos for being the billionth person to act as if Metroid II wasn’t well-received (it outsold Super Metroid).

  3. Other M has seemingly turned out to be a perfect storm of bad decisions. D-pad control in 3d world, auto aiming, auto dodging, static first person view and a focus on story.

    Collaborating with Team Ninja might have been one of the worst decisions Nintendo has made with the franchise, and not because Team Ninja is bad but because too many good ideas were compromised.

    I don’t think this game will stop the decline of the franchise, but I’m interested to see how it turns out.

  4. “Other M has seemingly turned out to be a perfect storm of bad decisions. D-pad control in 3d world, auto aiming, auto dodging, static first person view and a focus on story.

    Collaborating with Team Ninja might have been one of the worst decisions Nintendo has made with the franchise, and not because Team Ninja is bad but because too many good ideas were compromised.”

    Indeed! Thank you for the coherent, well-argued comment.

  5. @Poochy: From the linked article:

    “The in-game map works as a crutch for players to refresh their own mental map. Wisely, R&D1 chose to segment the main map away from the core gameplay by virtue of the pause screen, only offering a mini-map of surrounding rooms while the player navigates Samus. In this way, where pausing to check the map disrupts the flow of gameplay, players are persuaded into relying upon their established mental map.

    Hey! Look at that! Context! And you didn’t bother to read the linked article! Surprise!

    Obviously I knew Super Metroid had a map, you twat.

  6. Obviously I knew Super Metroid had a map, you twat.

    And likewise I read the linked article, Twat Loftus. But I wasn’t commenting on the article, was I? I was commenting on what you said: that “mental maps” played a huge part in Super Metroid’s success. But anyone who has actually played Super Metroid recently and isn’t relying on their own ancient, decaying memories of the 90′s knows that’s BS. The map is a Start Button push away, and I’ve never heard of anyone who’d rather rely on their own mental map when they can pull a map screen up that quickly. I’ve never hesitated to rely on the map in Super Metroid when I’m lost, and I seriously doubt anyone else had either.

    Any “mental mapping” that goes on when the player plays the game is nowhere near the extent that the original game required you to do so. I’d go so far as to say that it’s difficult to get lost in Super Metroid—once you have that map data, you’re all set to go. All I see here is you trying to give the game credit where it isn’t due.

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