If you're desperate for more LENGTHY video CONTENT - you're in luck. I've just posted a new video covering the entire ONIMUSHA SERIES. It's a lengthy exploration of one of the great lost franchises and how it almost destroyed the company that made it. Enjoy! - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bOB5ac-ImKjOimg.htmlsi

Back when I was a tiny child, I'd watch my dad play LoZ, Metroid etc. When super Metroid came out, my dad was stuck on Kraid. It was the first time he handed me the controller and was like "you try." I remember beating him on the first try and my dad never questioned anytime I wanted to buy a new video game. He knew his daughter was a serious gamer and even though I'm almost 40, he bought me Metroid Dread, LoZ: TotK, and SMB Wonder. Super Metroid will always just have that special place in my heart and I'm so glad I found this video to see the evolution of the games from then to now. Time to binge the rest of your videos!

I find it amaizing how a franchise like Metroid can be such an important landmark on videogame history, influencing so much of the industry, and yet also be kinda niche, never reaching Mario and Zelda heights.

Something I really respect about these videos is how seriously they take every game they talk about, even something like Metroid pinball, which helped me understand it better and see why it’s an interesting part of the series

When I see a documentary-styled video that is 1+ hours long, I hope to see no unnecessary filler and this fantastic video does not waste your time. Every moment is meaningful and informative. Glad to see more videos bringing to light Metroid’s legacy.

Just wanted to say, I’ve been consuming KZfaq video game essays for years now. Nobody else comes close to your objectivity and completeness of covering any one game let alone a franchise. So on behalf of everyone interested in game preservation and/or history, thank you sir. You deserve substantially more views and subscribers.

When my dad died a couple years ago, I inherited his truck that I had ridden in many times as a child. I sent it off to a friend to get detailed, and behold, he discovered a copy of Zero Mission under the seat that I had gotten when I was around 10 I’m now 28, but I got to play that long forgotten game. It drips with nostalgia from days of childhood gone by.

1:07:02 The frame where Samus looks up at The Baby attack Mother Brain so as to save her life is such elegant storytelling. Samus, who has with singular focus, traversed an entire hostile alien planet, now finds herself distracted for the first time. She performs a subtle movement completely outside of the control of the player. She sees her Baby save her. We, the player, do not look up. She does. It’s love, fear, appreciation, and awe all in the reorganization of a few pixels.

The biggest takeaway from this review is that Kensuke Tanabe is just like Ridley: He never fails to return and wreak havoc.

I played Metroid 2 when I was 10 years old back in 1991. I love that game, a couple years ago I found the cartridge in my parents basement. I had never finished the game because I got stuck because there was no internet. I fired up the game, and my game save was still there. I am happy to say I successfully completed the game 32 years later

I still maintain that Metroid is the one Nintendo IP with the most potential for a cinematic venture. There’s so much actual continuity to draw from and avenues left unexplored

Fun Fact Phantoon is the soul of the Original Mother Brain.

I love Metroid 2. I’ll never forget the dread I felt when I was down to one Metroid, then I went through the tunnel under the egg and the Metroid counter suddenly rolled back up to like 11. That ending is so beautiful too

YES. This is unironically one of my highlights this year. Looked forward to this for months.

Metroid prime was my first GameCube game. To this day it has one of the best soundtracks of any game I've ever played. It gives it such a distinct scifi identity. Each area has such incredible themes, but the main menu music is a banger for all time.

A detail I find REALLY cool that I never see people point out: While Samus gets brand new Aeon abilities in Metroid Dread, Raven Beak seems to be repping the Aeon abilities from Samus Returns. His whole fist phase gimmick is the Lightning Armor, we're draining his Aeon in order to hit him directly. Second phase, while he's flying, he uses the Beam Burst to fire those gatling gun-like shots. It can be inferred that his zipping around isn't necessarily him just using Phase Shift, but Phase Drift! Especially those attacks where he attacks from corner-to-corner, I think he's actually slowing down time on his end, we're just seeing what Phase Drift looks like when it's used against us. So not only do we finally get to fight a Chozo, we're seeing the intended full function of the Varia Suit in combat AND technically getting to fight our own Samus Returns loadout. Without cheaply making us fight the SA-X again, we still get the satisfaction of fighting one of Samus's previous powersets. Probably my favorite boss in the series, full stop.

I'm so thankful to learn the names behind some of these incredible franchises. It's easily the best part of all of your work in my opinion. The individuals that helped create these stories and franchises should be not be forgotten

God I love Dread's ending. So much room for theorizing in such a short scene. Here's a comment I found on Vinesauce's Dread finale that some of you may find interesting as an alternate theory: I choose to believe with the very very end with Quiet Robe X that what happened was genuinely like... the X have the ability to think critically and act self-sacrificingly in the name of their greater collective. We saw that in Fusion when they were willing to blow up the BSL Research Ship by overheating the Sector 3 reactor. They also inherit the memories of anything they absorb. That's how they knew how to do the thing with the reactor, that's how more than one can actually use the power suit functionalities stolen from you to be the SA-X and all. So the X that infected Quiet Robe knew everything he had told you earlier, that the Metroids were weapons used by the Thoha clan of Chozo, and that your genetic makeup was the one thing keeping you under control. It knew Quiet Robe was a Thoha. It also absolutely recognized that at this point, you were such a ragingly out-of-control organism that you could literally destroy and absorb X on physical contact with one's stolen shape-- Literally if you just walk into any of the enemies in the escape sequence you just eat them automatically. So at the very end with the Quiet Robe X in your ship, I don't think that was necessarily 'Quiet Robe is so strong and cool that he is the one person who can be sentient as an X'. That flies in the face of everything we know from Fusion. I think, genuinely, that was an X removing the greatest galactic threat to its species, by letting you absorb Quiet Robe's Thoha genes, thus bringing you back to genetic equilibrium, taking your Metroid Suit from you. It was very convenient for Samus, yes, but in the greater scheme of things, this was a very optimistic X thinking 'maybe if I sacrifice myself, there will be other X out there someday that can at least stand a chance against this freak accident of nature'. This ending is so minimalist but it's so fucking cool the way it all comes together.

Every remake should contain the original. I think this should be an industry standard. The original work should be honored.

Your commentary on Tanabe was a clear, structured throughline in Metroid's decline and fall. I actually lol'd at Federation Force being pinned on "the unknowable mind of Tanabe." As always, great video!

I appreciate that you're actually willing to say "Yes there are redeeming qualities, but Metroid M is a bad installment and game." FAR too many video essayists pussyfoot around actually having a substantial opinion on something, and coming genuine conclusions other than "Yes it has bad things but it also has good things too". Not everything is underrated or overhated. Some things are just bad.

Thank you for calling out the health pools of Ridley and Metroid Prime in Prime one, they feel endless

VERY excited to watch this!

Gotta say, I seldom find videos so long that also contain genuine insight about their subjects like this Metroid Retrospective did. Subscribed.

Me: oh look he released another retrospective. I'll watch it over the next few days. Also me: watches it in one day. 😂

I can't believe the level of quality and effort you put into to your videos. I just absolutely love them!

Gosh I remember your Castlevania retrospective from last year. What a dang masterpiece. I'm so glad you're getting to the other half of Metroidvania now!! Love your stuff man!!

This is the FIRST TIME I've heard about region differences in other M's script I'm shocked.

I'm always so astounded by the quality and comprehensiveness of your videos. The scripting, the editing, your voice and delivery. You must work incredibly hard to make these videos happen and I'm so grateful for it. It might take me several days to get to the end of this video but I know I'll enjoy every second!

This and the Castlevania retrospective are two of my absolute favorites videos within the last few years of anything I've seen on KZfaq. Keep up the great content.....and if you ever do a Resident Evil retrospective my brain might explode lol.

I absolutely adore your channel and gotta point out how much having these long form videos is not only entertaining and informative but having a whole series be contained in a single retrospective you get an idea for its progression in both a granular AND a wide view. Much appreciation for all the work that goes into these.

Just wanted to say I scrolled down to see how serious you were about replying to comments and clearly it’s not an empty gesture. I’m sure part of that comes from real passion for the subject, but another part is a respect for your viewers that really comes across. Brands, businesses and content creators spend countless hours and dollars trying to figure out how to manufacture the rapport that creates. You’re out here doing it for real. That alone makes me sure that your content is and will continue to be high quality (though your previous catalogue already assured me of that) and that success on this or any platform is virtually guaranteed.

You my friend, deserve SO much commendation for the effort you put in these videos.

You are without a doubt one of the best channels on KZfaq. The effort and detail put into videos like this one is second to none and deserves every single second I and everyone else puts into watching them. Please continue the amazing work and I look forward to watching the Metroid retrospective many times over as I have your previous works!

Man, what a video. Huge props to the objectivity, breadth of information and entertainment value stuffed into a "mere" six hours, this is like a compilation of everything you‘d ever want to know about the history of Metroid, albeit the game series, not the world of the series (though there’s plenty of that in here as well). Thank you for making this!

Can’t even imagine how much research went into this. Super awesome job. Also 2:17:16 “Fresh paint of coat” 😂

You know, I love it when I'm doing work around the house and can't figure out just what it is that I'm going to watch for a longer stretch. Over and over again, I find myself circling back to your lengthy retrospectives as a kind of background-noise while I get things done, so it was an absolute delight to see this video updated less than an hour ago.

This may sound like a weird compliment, but your editing was fantastic. So many videos say one thing while the visuals don’t match at all. Thank you for saying mario and showing mario on screen, sooo many get this simple thing wrong.

After watching this video over the past couple of days its insane to look back at Metroid as a series and the journey its had. Hopefully one day it can break out more into the main stream media and truly be one of the best.

Metroid is my favorite franchise ever. I've grown up with this series. I remember as a child, I use to have recurring nightmares about the SA-X appearing in my bedroom and I could never finish the game until I was a teenager. This series means so much to me, so I really want you to take it to heart when I tell you that this is by far the best retrospective of the series I've ever watched. I'd even go as far as to say that your writing is some of the best on this platform. This is the first time in almost 20 years that I've watched a 6 hour long video. Absolutely fantastic work! This was a JOY to watch and listen to!

For the first time, I was able to start playing through the games for the first time in preparation for the new series. I'm about finished with Dread for the 2D games, and Metroid Prime has been a blast. Keep up the good work, man, you're one of the best retrospective writers around. Between you and Noah Gervais, there's no shortage of awesome historical deep dives to dig in to.

I sat down and played the OG Metroid 2 a few months ago and was blown away by how good it was. Especially for its time and hardware

I still think most of the criticisms I've seen of the Ridley scene in Other M are a bit on the harsh side. The PTSD reaction didn't feel too out of place because Other M happens right after Samus blows up Zebes, which effectively kills Ridley for good. The horror that has been following her for her whole life is finally put down, but I think seeing him reappear yet again after a definitive killing blow would've shaken anyone. That being said, the *severity* of her reaction was way over the top.

Insanely well put together. I thought to use the video as 2nd monitor content while playing other games but it quickly moved to any time slots where I only watched the video. Superb and an inspiration to all us other video creators out there.

Metroid Prime and subsequently Fusion were my first entries in the series, and I hadn't even asked for Prime. I got it along with a Gamecube and a few other games for Christmas one year, and was surprised but gave it a try anyway. I ended up playing it nigh exclusively for quite a long time and became a huge fan of the series as a result. This retrospective will bring back a lot of nostalgia, and I'm glad you took the time to finally cover this series. ^_^

Oh Hell yes! A deep dive of every game of one of my favorite series! Always down for that

Okay, let me just acknowledge and commend the monumental achievement that is this video🤯 It's magnificently well put together, and I loved every second of it❤

Your videos really are something special man. I rarely see other people treat a retrospective as you do. It isn't just the game itself, it's the background and inspirations behind each installment. You Panzer Dragoon one in particular I think fondly on.

The quality of your videos are phenomenal and you should be extremely proud of your work. After watching all of them at least once fully, they turn into a playlist of sleep aid material for me. The cadence of your voice is perfect for the content and there is nothing better than nerding out listening and drifting to sleep. Please keep them coming!

Your Castlevania retrospective has been my go-to longform video this past year for everything from long road trips and walks to falling asleep. It's one of my all-time favorite video game franchises and I'm always shocked by just how much you put into it. However, there are quite a few Castlevania games that I could never get into, so I found myself skipping around during my many re-listens. _Metroid,_ on the other hand, is a franchise where even the bad games are still fascinating to me in their own right. So seeing you put the same love and care into dissecting my _number one_ favorite video game series of all time is nothing short of an early Christmas miracle. I hope you know just how many people appreciate what you do here, man. Thanks and keep up the stellar work.

Praise. You nailed it with this one. Thanks for taking the time to make this thorough dive

I've been sick with the flu all week. I stumbled across this video and your channel while looking up some Super Metroid speedruns to pass the time. I've spent a few days finishing it between naps and fever spells, and I just finished watching this afternoon. Your video is articulate, informative, and entertaining, and I appreciate that you took some time to inject your own opinions into the discussion. I didn't always agree - but that's part of the fun! Thank you for taking the time to make this. It was a pleasure to watch.

Man that development of the first game is insane. I don’t know how Nintendo thrived so much by doing stuff like that.

My man with the multi hour long review of one of the best franchises from my youth. Been waiting for it, and though I’m just getting started, I know it won’t disappoint

Just finished the vid, and let me say congratulations on completing such a well pieced-together project! All the hard work definitely paid off (as usual). Your analyses are insightful and nuanced, and your knack for building a narrative thread in each of these lengthy retrospectives does not go unappreciated. The “story” of how the development of each game leads to the next keeps it engaging the whole way through. I’m already looking forward to your next project!

FANTASTIC WORK! This was a wonderful retrospective. I feel like any company other than Nintendo would have given up on Samus. Dread is a phenomenal game, and I felt such an accomplishment when I finally beat Raven Beak! Prime Remastered is great Can’t wait for Prime 4 and the follow up to Dread!

About half an hour in and another fantastic video. Your Castlevania video brought me to your channel initially and you are still doing fantastic work. You deserve a million+ subs like right now.

1:00:50 something that wasn't mentioned here (it could be mentioned in the next couple of minutes) is that the super missles do dmg equal to 5 regular missles, and when below 40 HP you can use the power bombs to do what's called a 'crystal flash' to recover a good chunk of HP. I forgot the buttons you need to hold down to do a CF, but it's like 90% of the buttons lol. all of this on top of opening different colored doors :)

Sorry for bad english (no native). I was recomended by a friend because im a Castlevania maniac. When i entered in your channel and see the lenght of the videos i said "Its so long must be boring". Watch all Castlevania and in my option is the best castlevania video i ever seen. After Castlevania e see the Metroid (bigger) and watched even i not a big fan of the series. It has perfect. Not boring, very informative, well passed, well written and made with love. I subscribe and now this is my favorite channel about games in YT. Gonna watch all your videos and i hope you continued with this marvelous work. Maybe a Zelda retrospective one day? Big hug from Brazil

Thank you for this video, I’ve watched it for the past couple of days and as a huge Metroid fan seeing the love put in this retrospective is very nice :)

Definitely get excited to see a new 6 hour ifinishedavideogame post every time, thank you for all the work

This channel genuinely deserves at least a million subs

No hyperbole: this is undoubtably the best retrospective and video essay I've ever watched on KZfaq. Just an amazingly in depth, well paced, exceptionally edited masterclass. Your effort most certaintly paid off!

it's my sleepover i get to pick the movie.

Whatever the current generation says about Metroid 1....As a kid playing it was one of the most unique and lasting gaming experiences I have had. It was magical and left a deep impression on me. It imprinted a love for Metroidvanias for life. In my 40's now.

Can't wait to watch this in parts! Your narration really does remind me of TV shows and radio shows in the best way possible. Hope you have a peaceful and relaxing rest of the year.

Incredible retrospective. A lot of work went into this. Underrated as many of the Metroid games themselves. A golden gem.

The perfect mix of informative stimuli (to keep my brain busy) and your soothing voice (to relax).

I'm only halfway through my personal playthrough of this series. I'm excited to regularly check in with this over the next few months while I complete the rest of the games. I always love to hear your thoughts and your coverage on the context of a game's release!

I’ve been waiting for this video for months. It may take me a minute, but I will get through all six hours of this, just like I have with all your other videos.

I've become addicted to your content. Finishing a video bums me out because they're so well done and entertaining, but then I'm like "oh yea there's several hours worth of content I haven't watched yet." Keep it up and stay strong king! 👍

You know when you try to convince your friend to watch a KZfaq channel and you always send them a link to new videos, and they always respond with "bro I'm not watching a 3 hour KZfaq video", to which you respond with "just treat it like a show and watch it in 15-30 min increments." Then you get nowhere. Then, one day, that same KZfaq channel puts out a video covering their favorite topic. Then, all of a sudden, that video is priority number one!! Thanks for making cool content.

This and the castlevania video are a Big inspiration for me to one Day get into these type of long form game retrospectives keep up the amazing work

I think my favorite thing about these videoes is how it helps recontextualizes the series as a whole. The section on Fusion was particularly refreshing to hear, as I remember alot of the conversation around that game being somewhat negative back in the day due to its radical (at the time) changes to the formula. Great video as always, mate.

Wow, what a huge and long video, but also one of the most detailed and informative retrospectives I've ever seen on Metroid. I enjoyed every single minute. Thank you very much for that!

Holy cow, six hours! Im ready for it, lets go!

Bro...fantastic, gripping, exciting video as always. One problem! You unlocked a core memory by mentioning Vexx and you referenced Onimusha. I need a long-form video over Onimusha now and (hopefully) a short one-off for Vexx!!! Fantastic work, my friend. A unique and in-depth overview of one of the most unique IPs of all time, be proud!

Metroid has always been one of my favorite series, and one of few where I can remember more or less exactly where I was both physically and in life when I played each installment. - Getting confused as a 5-year old trying to work out how to progress in the first game which we got when we bought an NES from a family acquaintance. - Picking up Return of Samus from a used-game store while out travelling with my dad and playing it on the train until it got too dark to properly see the screen. - Being blown away by Super Metroid at my grandparents' place after they had helped us find a used SNES with a bunch of games. - Rushing home on my lunch break while working in a store as part of the school-mandated work experience program to sneak in a few minutes of Metroid Prime. - Sitting on the couch playing Fusion, quietly freaking out at the first sight of the SA-X (some creepy eyes still freak me out to this day) but unable to stop playing. - Bringing my GBA to school in 8th grade to play Zero Mission during recess (hoping people would notice and think that the game, and by extension I, was cool). - Dark winter weekend mornings playing Prime 2 on my 12" TV while listening to a music chart countdown show on the radio. - Playing Prime 3 in my university dorm room just a few months after moving away from home. - Treating myself to Samus Returns after moving to my first proper solo apartment which my girlfriend had helped me find. - Ending my workday early (the perks of being a freelancer!) to track down a copy of Dread on release day and playing as much as possible before we had to leave to vist my fiance's parents (the Switch tagged along, you can't go cold turkey on a new Metroid game). Listening to this brought back so many memories and really reminded me of how special this series has been to me over the years, regardless of what stage of my life I have been in at the time. Thank you for an excellent video and great analysis, you have well and truly done the series justice!

It’s a bittersweet feeling finishing every video you make. I keep wanting more and the wait sometimes can feel too long but the end result is always worth it. Thank you for making this year’s of night shifts at work a lot more bearable and thank you for the hours of well researched content. Can’t wait for the next one!

In my opinion, you do a wonderful job with these longer retrospectives, and the quality does not suffer with the longer video length.

This was six pure hours of bliss. Masterfully crafted, excellent info. Thanks for making this!

Standing ovation. Fantastic. Wonderful. Stupendous. Simply marvelous. I want all of my friends to watch this video. It explains absolutely everything I’ve loved about this series since I played the first game when it originally came out. There’s so much about Metroid that just can’t be explained in words but you have done the impossible ever so eloquently. Kudos. Aplomb. Love.

This channel is seriously underrated, I LOVE your style and just IMMACULATE pacing. thank you for all your effort.

5:32:35 - I definitely dread those things. I have to admit I still have not finished Dread. Part of it was I'd dedicated to streaming it, but the other part is I stopped right outside of the purple one, E.M.M.I.-06WB and every time I start to think about playing the first thing I think is, "Oh god, I've gotta start by going through the EMMI zone again." I don't know why I'm so freaked out. The checkpoints are generous. I will lose almost 0 progress if I die. But the damn things just stress me out so much everytime I'm in their area. DX And I've loved all my sessions playing it. but clearly these sections really bother me if I'd rather keep procrastinating about finishing the game rather than dealing with one again.

Crist that 6 hours shot by. Thought there was going to be about 3 hours of looking back and nope had it playing in the background the entire time. Great work, well scripted and reasoned arguments for and against games. Just finished a full playthrough of the full number series. My favourite game series of all time, they are brilliant games. I still get lost in super every time and still love too. Well done sir.

Thank you for videos like these, amazing!

Just wanted to mention this video helped me a lot with coping with the anxiety of my upcoming college semester. Thanks IFAV!

I love the fact you can save the friendly creatures in Super Metroid. If you blow open a wall for them to get out, as Samus's ship is leaving Zebes you get to see a light shoot from Zebes to the right, as they escape before it explodes also.

I love Metroid and Metoidvanias in general. Thanks for giving me something to listen to at work, love your stuff as always

My goodness, this was a fantastic watch, I had to break it up over several days, but I really appreciate the perspective you bring to the different games. It really helps me appreciate things that I wouldn't have thought of in each of them, thank you so much!

Thank you for creating these videos. They are incredibly informative and well made.

Man, I loved this so much. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. I also had a bit of a laugh as I finished samus returns and thought the end credit scene was hinting at a Metroid Fusion remake. Did not realize that it was to lead into Dread. Really need to get around to playing it.

what a fantastic video! I watched the whole thing over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially loved how the commentator focused on the strengths of each game rather than pick apart the bad ones. It felt very balanced and fair to every game, and I even learned a bunch of new trivia!

This is amazing, one of the best documentaries I have ever seen on Metroid.

Great deep dive into the series, very much on the level of your Castlevania work. It's especially informative for someone like me, who skipped many of the latter games but knew and loved the series from its first games.

The severity of how underground this channel is, hurts my soul. You deserve so much more support and love from KZfaq. I love this channel. Thank you for such great content Mr. Finished.

I've never played any Metroid games. But Samus Aran might be my favorite video game character now

Aside one or two facts, I heard everything there is to hear about this series, and yet I never get tired of it, that’s how good Metroid is. Great video, it was a very entertaining watch 👍

5:14:26 you really can't underestimate it, Ridley getting into smash was what ended up with me being a Metroid fan

This was such a damn good retrospective. From roughing beginnings, the highest of peaks, the lowest of lows, and a bright new revival. It's really nice to see one of these retrospectives have a happy ending for a change. I've always been a fan of the Metroid Prime series, but after marathoning the 2D games along with Dread, I'm now a full-on Metroid fan. You did this series great justice. I sincerely hope Metroid Prime 4 turns out well.