Playing with Nintendo’s first 2D Metroid game in 19 years.
OLED Switch. The most notable feature in Nintendo‘s latest Switch model is the seven-inch OLED screen, which gives games with brighter colors and higher contrast. Also, it has a new kickstand that’s more useful and adaptable than the one found on the standard Switch. What’s a new launch without a great application? I had the chance to experience the initial 90 minutes in Metroid Dread and, not just does it look like it’s worth the 19-year delay for a sequel Metroid Fusion; however, it could also be an excellent display for Nintendo’s brand OLED Switch.
Dreads coming to the Switch on October 8, 2021, the exact day of Nintendo’s most recent version of the tablet console hybrid. I’m excited to play plenty of games using the OLED screen; however, Dread locked is exceptionally unique. The sci-fi universe is more vivid (and terrifying) when you have a display that can provide more dark blacks. The fine details of the 2D-meets-3D scenes stand out due to the screen technology and the new enemies.
Nintendo claims that the updated $349.99 OLED-touting Switch model isn’t any faster than the traditional Switch and the Switch Lite. At the same time, I could easily see graphical flaws on my first unit, which I purchased in early 2017; these flaws weren’t as evident with the vast improvement in image quality this OLED screen provides. The screen is still 720p; however, I was surprised by the difference that I anticipated. Due to the increase, in contrast, the text on the screen was slightly easier to read, and the overall appearance of the graphics was superior to what I would expect from the Switch’s old chipset.
The game, I tried using a handheld device. However, I did briefly test my new kickstand. It can smoothly rotate between approximately 80-90 degrees, making it much easier to determine your preferred angle when playing tabletop mode, for instance, if you’re playing on an airplane. The new model has many features; it’s that the days of the kickstand falling off in normal usage (whether to support the console or simply to get access to your microSD slot) are over. The latest kickstand can hide the microSD slot; however, you’re not looking for it as often because this Switch OLED console comes with 64 G.B. of storage instead of the 32 G.B. quantity that was the default in earlier Switch consoles.
Nintendo suggested I play using Dreadthrough with the improved speakers on this Switch which were clear and loud enough to listen to at a reasonably loud press conference. They’re probably not going to be as good as other headsets. However, they were more adept at creating a sound bubble in which I felt as though I was within.
NINTENDO HASN’T LOST ITS STEP IN MAKING STELLAR METROID GAMES
Whatever your feelings about the improvements made to the OLED Switch, it is an actual Switch when you play it. It’s also important to note that it feels like an actual Metroid game. The story begins immediately following the events of Fusion, and after brief recaps of previous events, Dreaddrops players right into the action. Within the first fifteen minutes, you’ll get chased by E.M.M.I robots. They are quick, powerful adversaries designed to hunt and take down Samus. It’s a terrifying experience similar to encountering SA-X, Samus’ deadly counterparts found in Metroid Fusion. However, instead of ensuring destruction, Dread sometimes grants Samus the ability to against the opponent with an E.M.M.I to escape. It’s thrilling and tense. The E.M.M.I robots are confined to restricted areas of the map. They’re surrounded by bizarre doors made of floating cubes (seen in the picture up above). However, you’ll need to overcome them to progress through the game. There’s also an array of new types of enemies as well as bosses.
Dread also takes no time to introduce you to new techniques and heavy weapons that can assist you with the task. From the beginning, Samus can slide under areas that previously required a Morph Ball by tapping the left trigger. Similar to Metroid Samus Returned to the 3DS (Nintendo also developed with Mercury Steam, Dread’s Studio Mercury Steam), the melee counter returns. If an opponent’s eyes light up before an attack, you’ll be able to hit X to stun them and take a hit that is easy to. Even this simple option in the first game gave you some most cinematic encounters I’ve ever seen in a Metroid game, two-dimensional or not.
Metroid Dread has plenty of similarities with its predecessors. Each part of the game comes with plenty of places you can access and cannot because of the limitations of your suit. There are map downloads, save rooms, health and missile recharge stations, and a host of hidden treasures within the terrain. However, going through the everyday routines, such as stopping in the save room or interfacing with Chozo statues that hand out upgrades for suit suits, isn’t as long as that was previously in other games. Samus can dash, and the interactions are quick and intense, assisted by a solid performance that never would dip below sixty frames per second.
The game’s signature challenge is still there. However, it’s much more enjoyable in the I played parts because save points are spaced only two minutes between. This is fantastic, considering the portability of the Switch, which means that you could have to schedule a quick game on the go. Additionally, the division of challenges and rewards within Dread seems perfectly balanced so that it won’t frighten novice players or be too simple for veteran players who have returned.
Based on what I was capable of playing, Metroid Dread is a joy to play, and unlike what I had imagined, an experience that was delayed for more than ten years would feel. While concern remains about Metroid Prime 4, which was revived when it was still in development at the beginning of 2019, I was able to play Dread served to remind me that Nintendo continues to be a leader in the production of top-quality Metroid games.
