791: Metroid x 40: The Successors
Summary
Retronauts hosts Jeremy Parrish, Diamond Fight, and Critical Kate conclude their Metroid 40th anniversary discussion by exploring the franchise's origins. They analyze how Donkey Kong and the Famicom Disk System enabled Metroid’s development, highlighting key creators like Hiroyuki Imaichi and Yoshio Sakamoto. The episode also covers the game’s unique non-linear design, its impact on early speedrunning culture, and the cultural resonance of Samus Aran’s identity reveal.
Topics discussed
Intro and the promise of no more Metroid talk
Nintendo's history from cards to Donkey Kong
Metroid's development, Disk System, and saving
Nintendo Power, marketing, and the Samus reveal
Metroid's legacy and the 'Metroidvania' genre
Successors: Kirby, Mario, and Zelda influences
Early influences: Relics, Air Fortress, and Castlevania
Symphony of the Night and the Metroidvania RPG
Modern classics: Metroid Prime and Hollow Knight
Metroid: Samus Returns, Axiom Verge, and outro
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