Nintendo just announced the return of Samus Aran in their new title, Metroid Ravenous, to widespread fanfare. The famed intergalactic bounty hunter is the focus of a slew of titles, now including Metroid Ravenous, that all see Aran landing on a foreign alien planet. The new release has got me thinking a lot about how the franchise began, and where it has ended up.
While they differ in scale and even dimension, these games generally follow the same formula despite the ever-changing gaming landscape. One mechanic in particular pertains to pretty much every game in the franchise, save for a few, and has defined Aran’s struggle for survival. The common theme? Physical amnesia, a very important tool utilized for progression that aims to remind players that all-powerful beings, like Aran, have their limits, at least at first.
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The concept of physical amnesia is most popular in the Metroid series, but can be found in other titles such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and God of War 2 and 3. In short, the idea is that an all-powerful character is faced with a scenario early on in gameplay that strips him or her of their powers, rendering them weak and without support.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
As in many of Aran’s stories, she lands on an alien planet sans most of her powerful suit upgrades, like the grapple beam or morph ball. Equipped only with a basic blaster, the bounty hunter must explore this new world, briefed on a mission about a distress signal or threat of Space Pirates. This not only offers a perfect opportunity for power scaling, but also gets players invested in Aran’s well-being and success.
The concept of physical amnesia is most popular in the Metroid series, but can be found in other titles such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and God of War 2 and 3.
Metroid from 1986, Super Metroid, Metroid: Zero Mission, and Metroid Dread are just a few titles in the series that begin this way. It’s a scary concept. To be stripped of all that makes you powerful, leaving you vulnerable in a world unexplored and inhabited by dangerous creatures. It sets the scene for the struggles Aran will face down the line, blocking players’ paths, making it impossible to tackle certain areas or enemies without upgrades.
Metroid Fusion does a fantastic job of utilizing physical amnesia. It quickly becomes the center of her story in this game when, on planet SR388, Samus is infected by a dangerous organism called an X Parasite. The pesky parasite physically bonds with the organic parts of Aran’s Power Suit, and surgeons must surgically remove large portions of the suit to save her life. Stripped down to the basics and without much hope, Aran must traverse the Biologic Space Laboratory research station orbiting planet SR388.
Aran is equipped with her wits, a small blaster, and a blue and yellow Fusion Suit that doesn’t grant her any powers beyond absorbing parasites. For the next few hours of gameplay, players’ lives are boiled down to creeping through vents, hoping and praying they won’t be found by a horde of Space Pirates, or worse, Aran’s parasitic clone SA-X. Players must be strategic to find their way out of this mess by locating suit upgrades for protection.
Without upgrades, it’s pretty much impossible to face off with enemies and bosses, since stripped-down versions of Samus’ suits, aka the Zero or Fusion Suits, are extremely weak. Players can’t even enter some rooms in specific Metroid titles without upgrades, extending to places like Norfair or Planet Zebes due to the intense heat or cold. This makes these upgrades essential for progression. Scaling platforms, exploring hidden areas, and taking on boss battles also all require upgrades to your bare-bones suit. These upgrades, from the missile launcher and charge beam to the morph ball, are scattered throughout the map, encouraging exploration and perseverance if players want to get Aran out alive.
In short, physical amnesia is a genius mechanic that presents players with an impossible task—further progress and upgrade your suit or die. This isn’t some optional suggestion the game makes to keep the game interesting, a la Dead Space or No Man’s Sky. It is utilized to drive the narrative uniquely, while creating meaningful progression and power scaling that pays off. It’s truly a satisfying thing. After struggling to acquire the necessary upgrades, I tend to feel intensely powerful. Nothing feels sweeter than blowing up Space Pirates, Metroids, or common enemies after having battled for so long without dealing much damage.
How This Mechanic Has Continued to Work Since 1986
As mentioned, physical amnesia shows up in almost every Metroid title, save for a select few that opted for another direction. The progression tool is an important part of Metroid‘s DNA, giving the game high stakes and something players will care about. Whether for tradition’s sake or to add depth to the narrative, this mechanic is crucial to the success of Metroid games, including Metroid Ravenous.
Physical amnesia is a genius mechanic that presents players with an impossible task—further progress and upgrade your suit or die.
It seems Nintendo is gearing up for another power amnesia storyline in Metroid Ravenous, with Aran crash-landing once again after being ambushed by a gang of five mysterious space ninjas. While her powers are gone once again, players shouldn’t despair. Thanks to her Metroid-imbued DNA, Aran has the power to literally devour her foes and drain their energy in order to stay alive. It’s a fresh take on the physical amnesia tradition, creating a frightening power dynamic that doesn’t keep Aran down for long.
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Metroid‘s continuous use of this progression tool never feels boring or overplayed. Rather, it makes the games feel familiar. Players immediately know what they’re getting into if they’ve played the other titles in the series. The key is to redefine the stipulations of her struggle just a bit, changing circumstances to leave her powerless, but not a damsel in distress. In Metroid Dread, the precursor to Metroid Ravenous, Aran must evade terrifying and nearly invincible E.M.M.I. robots with a standard arm cannon and basic melee counter thanks to an ambush from the illusive Raven Beak. In Metroid: Zero Mission, Aran’s Power Suit is destroyed after her ship is shot down by Space Pirates while she escapes planet Zebes. Each game utilizes the same progression tool, but under different situations.
Games in the franchise that do not feature physical amnesia, like Metroid: Other M or Metroid II: Return of Samus, often come off as one-note or misplaced. They feel disjointed and unlike the other entries. Being slightly formulaic certainly hasn’t stopped Metroid. The franchise is one of Nintendo’s most popular and longest-running, and will continue to be if physical amnesia is continually used.
Metroid Ravenous is set to release on January 2027 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2.
