In Games

I watched a 100% speed run for Metroid where the player collects all the items. And now I wonder: Is this game actually beatable without knowing anything in advance? There were so many passages where the player had to bomb through walls that look solid or through the ground and these situations are in no way intuitive. So, if I just have the game and the manual and no other knowledge and if I don't have luck in finding out by chance that you can walk through certain walls, is it possible to find all the items and to beat the game withough playing it for one year? Is it possible to find everything by just remembering where I went and by using all the doors or is it required to somewhere go through walls? Except of course for this hidden path:


Since it is already shown in the manual that there's a way down:


So, is it possible to finish the game without help and the luck to find out where to travel through walls and without studying the game for years?

But of course it's possible. I did it when I was young. Alot of it just comes from experimenting, and starting from the beginning after you die. I always did that because it sucks to be in a tough area, then dying, then starting off with 30 energy. So yeah, it does take a couple of weeks to a month to learn it all, but nowhere near a year... unless you play it once every two weeks or something.

Sure, the "tough" areas are possible with a little practice. But I was more referring to the riddle parts, and less to the action. That means: Is it necssary to find hidden paths, i.e. do you have to have the luck to find an invisible hole in some of the 1000 walls or do you also reach every part of the maze by going through all of the visible doors? So, are these walls that you can go through (you know, these organic walls in, I think it was Brinstar, that look like bubbles) just shortcuts or are they necessary to find everything?

Some of them are necessary to find every item, I'm pretty sure. I haven't played it in awhile, but I think some of those hidden areas don't dump out to another area (i.e. only accessible that one way). Honestly, I can't remember, but I'm almost positive.

I think I will try the game on an emulator and a map, just to see if all ways are findable when I really play it.

Here is the Metroid map if you need it:

I played and beat Metroid last year and didn't have too many major problems. I think there was only one part where I couldn't figure out what to do next and had to seek help. I think you just have to do a lot of exploration and try out differrent stuff. Metroid is part of that classic era of games like Legend of Zelda where you got thrown it at the deep end and have to try and figure things out. I like it.

@greatmightypoo:
Thanks, but I have an official NES guide book from Nintendo that contains the whole map. Quite helpful and more handy than the PNG file.

Yes, I tried it out yesterday (with map and emulator saving) and I think it is possible, but you generally have to know that you can go through certains walls. If you don't know it, you can get stuck quite easily.

i think knowing that you have to equip some certain item and crouch in a corner for a few seconds in Castlevania II is more of an "impossible" thing to know your first time through.

although Metroid is a bit different.

Haha yeah you're right, Castlevania II wins the "how the hell was I supposed to know to do that!?" prize.

Yeah, Castlevania II is terrible. Has anyone ever finshed the game without help?

Yes, and when it was new, also. I already knew that the crouch thing made certain flashing money bags appear in the first Castlevania, so it just stood to reason that it would be implemented somewhere in the sequel.
It did take a week or so to figure that part out, though. And some of the townspeoples' false clues did not help.

Yeah, I beat it way back when. It was all a matter of trial and error, kinda like what ToddVania said. I remember feeling like there was more to do in the game because there were parts that looked suspicious haha Great game : )

i beat it along time ago too.

i also beat Metroid a few years back...but i knew about some of the walls.