What Are You Playing This Weekend? (22nd June)

I’m not playing much this weekend. For starters, I have to conduct inventory Saturday and Sunday at my job. On top of that, I’m a manager so it’s going to be a long and stressful couple of days/nights. Furthermore, there aren’t any games really holding my attention. Earlier this week, however, I got the platinum trophy for Tomb Raider Legend. It was a pretty solid game, with clever puzzles to acquire the gold rewards. I’m glad I finally got to play it.

As for what I’m trying to earnestly play right now, it’s Metroid Zero Mission — the remake of the first game in the series. The latest Nintendo Direct had me quite excited for the console, with Metroid Prime 4, despite being seven-years-old, so I decided to turn on my Switch for the first time in over six months.

I actually never finished this game as a kid on the GBA, so it’s basically a new experience for me. It’s quite sublime. I’ve beaten Kraid, acquired the Ice Beam, an ability to hang from ledges, and an “unknown” item because it isn’t compatible with my current suit.

I love this about Metroid games — the sense of discovery. You are never truly lost. Ever. There may be instances where you feel utterly lost, but if you pay close enough attention to your surroundings the answer will open up. There is a certain level of interactivity that requires you to use every tool at your disposal, along with using the entire map as your playground. You don’t see this often with modern games. And it’s so satisfying to hear the music that follows after getting a new item, similar to the jingle that plays when opening up a chest in The Legend of Zelda. Sometimes, Nintendo just does it best.