Indivisible - Sprite based Metroidvania from Skullgirls team

[Obscura]

As someone who bought that "Player's Choice" edition as a kid shortly after it was released, I can say with certainty that Super Metroid was very well regarded at the time -- most everyone I knew considered it one of the three best games on the system (the other candidates were Mega Man X and Super Mario Kart).

[Obiwanshinobi]

I read (somewhere online) that Super Metroid wasn't particulary successful in Japan (and the franchise has never been much revered there).

[iconoclast]

I just played through the PS4 demo a couple times. The battle system is decent, but I think it would be better if it weren't turn-based, ie. your characters' bars were always refilling, even during your attacks. That would add more strategy to the game, because you'd have to figure out combos that optimize the use of your meter. As it is, it seems like you just wait for your bars to fill and mash through your attacks. Are there certain combos that build more super meter or do more damage that I'm not aware of (the tutorials never mentioned anything like that IIRC)? It'd be great if they could add that kind of depth to the game.

[Squire Grooktook]

I just played through the PS4 demo a couple times. The battle system is decent, but I think it would be better if it weren't turn-based, ie. your characters' bars were always refilling, even during your attacks. That would add more strategy to the game, because you'd have to figure out combos that optimize the use of your meter. As it is, it seems like you just wait for your bars to fill and mash through your attacks. Are there certain combos that build more super meter or do more damage that I'm not aware of (the tutorials never mentioned anything like that IIRC)? It'd be great if they could add that kind of depth to the game.

Yes combos build more meter, while some attacks delay the enemy turn, and some cause your next turn to come sooner.

Also keep in mind this is a prototype, not a demo. There's a ton of mechanics (many in line with what you said) that aren't implemented yet.

[copy-paster]

Super Metroid was very well regarded at the time -- most everyone I knew considered it one of the three best games on the system

Personally, SM definitely my least fave Metroid games. No it's not sucks, Nintendo had a good job make one of the most "dark and atmospheric" game, and has some cool power-ups. But for me the flaws still go, some of the level design is quite weak and bore me quickly, controls is kinda frustrating though. I haven't beat this game and my progress is around 70%, so I didn't have much review here. Yeah the game has best review in most gaming sites but I don't want follow the mainstream trends. No matter how much a game has positive review, if the game is bad/worst in my thought and yes it is.

[Squire Grooktook]

level design is quite weak and some of them bore me quickl

The level design is mostly the same, though generally better, then the rest of the franchise. It actually has some smart enemy/platform placement, which puts it a league above the Castlevania-Metroidvania's which often amount to rectangular rooms full of enemies. I'd say that if you don't like SM's level design, you simply don't like sub-genre, period.

Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission are arguably tighter and faster paced, but they're also much more linear. I'd say SM has the best map design of the franchise, in that there's a multitude of paths to go down and places to explore, without devolving into totally mindless wandering.

controls is kinda frustrating though.

SM probably has the deepest controls of the franchise. Learning to master the wall jump and other abilities gives the game room for speed and finsse that's absent from the rest of the series.

[copy-paster]

Nice correction mate, I forgot to refer "some of them" are "quite weak" (ughh my bad) and yes the rest are just amazing and atmospheric, for the controls maybe it's just mine. Still I don't say this game sucks, it's like "good, and somewhat bad".

Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission are arguably tighter and faster paced

These two are my favorite in the series, not only has fathomed controls, the presentation, level design, and power-ups are obviously the best and more enjoyable.

[Squire Grooktook]

obviously the best and more enjoyable.

Disagree, and certainly not "obvious". Personally I'd rank Zero Mission second best. It's lack of exploration (or at least the much more limited scope of its exploration) puts in an awkward middleground of "not quite an action game but not quite an adventure game". Controls are tight but I'd personally say there's a higher skill ceiling for deft manuevering in SM.

Metroid Fusion though, I honestly find a bit tedious. Half of the bosses are kind of throwaway, the game is more linear then Zero Mission, and it kinda just goes on forever. I rarely replay that one.

[BulletMagnet]

Apparently Indiegogo will allow the game a 20-day extension if it hits 900K...which it just did. Still a long shot, but nice to see it got this far.

[Squire Grooktook]

I was in despair yesterday, but 600k in 20 days actually doesn't sound so bad considering they just raised 400k in the span of 3-4 days. It's still iffy, but I think we just got a real match.

[Immryr]

I'm sure the ps4 demo and being mentioned on game trailers gave it a decent shot in the arm. let's hope it's enough.

[BulletMagnet]

They should announce Justin Wong as the next guest character.

[BulletMagnet]

Campaign has snuck past 1 mil, and Zone (yes, that Zone) has even gotten in on spreading the word (link is SFW, but a bit loud).

[MathU]

I read (somewhere online) that Super Metroid wasn't particulary successful in Japan (and the franchise has never been much revered there).

How successful does a game need to be to be considered "particularly successful"? Super Metroid wasn't quite a million-seller in Japan like the original Metroid was, but it still sold more there than anywhere else in the world (something like 700K copies). The less-than-stellar North American sales (570K) can be largely attributed to releasing the game around the same time as Donkey Kong Country.

This dumb idea going around that "Japanese people just don't like Metroid" needs to stop already. Fusion and Zero Mission sold like crap because they were very lazy. The Prime games didn't sell too hot because of a general a distaste for Western stuff, especially FPSs.

I think the fact that many of the earliest Super Metroid ROMhacks were Japanese-made says a lot. Maybe if Nintendo would put some actual effort into a 2D Metroid again they'd be all over it.

[Obiwanshinobi]

The Prime games didn't sell too hot because of a general a distaste for Western stuff, especially FPSs.

As the Japan-exclusive Ultima Underworld PSX remake proved, surely.

[BulletMagnet]

I don't know much about social media, but apparently there's something called a "thunderclap" going on for those that do and want to keep the campaign in the spotlight.

[munchiaz]

i wasn't even aware this game was a thing until today. I watched the indiegogo trailer and thought it looked outstanding. Made a thread for it on pcefx, and neo-geo. Will be trying out the prototype later today, and putting forth some monies

[options]

seen bits of this here and there, but just now watched the actual Indiegogo vid. ...and this looks damn good/fun. never backed anything before, but I might dive in for this.

[munchiaz]

I played the prototype on ps4 yesterday, and backed the game. The game play is really awesome, and Theres a lot that can be done with the combat system. Looking forward to future updates on this one

[drunkninja24]

Glad to see this picking up for the last few days. Pretty optimistic they'll get their funding now. I chipped in $30 during the rush to get the extension. Excited to see how they expand their prototype to a full game.

[Shepardus]

Lab Zero just hit their $1.5m funding goal a little while ago! Glad to see them finally reach it, they certainly deserve the success. Even though the prototype didn't really click with me when I tried it, I'm looking forward to seeing how the game develops.

[BulletMagnet]

Wowzers, they did it - they were still about 200K away just the other day, musta been a notable surge to put them over the top so quickly. Good to see them pull through, and eager to see how the final game turns out - the hype is certainly off the charts for the moment, heh.

[BulletMagnet]

Campaign's over, they even managed to make their first stretch goal and barely missed the second: now to wait and see what comes out of it all.

[BulletMagnet]

Seems they've scratched up enough post-campaign cash to pass the second stretch goal for an animated intro; next one is full voice acting if they can get a bit over 2 mil.