What story elements do you want to see in the next Metroid?

One Retcon that might make Other M seem better is:

Adam was losing his mind - he knew more about the GF's corruption than Samus, and his investigations had left him a hair's breadth away from losing his position. Adam was a man who believed firmly in working within the system to do good, but his entire life could turn out to be meaningless.

Samus realised what's happening to the man who was like a father to her, and started freaking out in an effort to keep him calm. She's... not very good at it though; eventually her worst fears come to pass and he commits suicide by Metroid.

The Adam AI wasn't tampered with for added loyalty, it was just the end result of his mental breakdown, until Samus accidentally induced a What Have I Done/My Greatest Second Chance moment.

edited 12th Mar '13 7:09:54 PM by Prime32

Well, the Super Metroid was still in a Metroid's initial, larval form, despite being fricking huge, as demonstrated by Metroid II. Still calling it "the baby" would work out.

I tend to consider Zero Mission non-canon, though if Sakamoto were contradicting himself... hmm...

The Zebesian Space Pirates could be similar to the Orcs and other dark creatures of Lord Of The Rings, capable of undertaking complex assignments, but without a fundamental, driving force behind them, go inert, or at least mindless.

As a side-breed, bred by Mother Brain specifically to be her perfect army, as the Space Pirate Organization's R&D department (though much of this is my headcanon to resolve the conflicts between the R&D1/Retro Metroids)

I'll have to respectfully disagree on Zero Mission, even if only because I liked that game.

And what's to say the Zebesians aren't hopped up on drugs (or, more likely, had brain tampering) making them half-shock trooper and half-Battle Droid? Or under some sort of influence really? *imagines the tale of Samus destroying this influence and causing a massive Pirate Heel–Face Turn*

I'm going back to the original topic, and following on my previous post, with this link to some ideas I had awhile ago. Most of them are outdated, but there's really only one mechanic that's kept itself alive in my head all this time anyway. (It's really more gameplay, but it influences the plot. Samus loses her items yet again!...almost. She can still use them.

The plot element that most needs to come back are the Chozo and Samus's relationship with them.

grumble grumble closest thing to a father figure grumble grumble

Some pretty good ideas there.

One ironic thing i just thought of is how the American-made Metroid games portray the Federation as at least trustworthy, while the Japanese-made ones are all up on conspiracy stuff.

This might sound stupid, but I'd like to see some of the hunters from, well, Prime Hunters come back. Namely Weavel, although I'd be fine with Sylux and Spire as well. (I usually played as Trace in the multiplayer, but his backstory isn't interesting enough to have him brought back. Although maybe they could have Kriken as enemies.)

I'd like for the series' story to simply continue after Fusion.

Specifics please. I'm still trying to hammer it out.

Personally, I'd like to see a Metroid taken to its absolute logical extreme, with an older Samus that is heavily disfigured, constantly vomiting, Ax-Crazy beyond belief and unable to survive without her suit due to the mutantions she has gone through.

edited 16th Apr '13 3:59:04 AM by TAPETRVE

I have a challenge to Nintendo. In Metroid Dread, create a storyline in which Samus gets breast cancer. Imagine the drama of a vulnerable Samus Aran still persisting on her wordly adventures despite her illness. It needs fleshing out, no pun intended, but I guarantee the gaming world would be shocked, stunned, and moved by the effort to make Samus' character even more meaningful.

edited 16th Apr '13 4:03:00 AM by Glowsquid

And then it'd draw controversy that'll make people look at us funny again.

If they did that, it would almost certainly be for the shock value rather than in any supposedly intended deeper meaning.

Why don't we just turn Samus into a female Old Snake while we're at it?

I'd rather have her falling apart and going on one last mission, personally.

Breast cancer? Really? Do we really need a shocking, heartfelt breast cancer storyline in a series full of Eldritch Abominations, space dragons, evil pirates, bird people and super-powered bodysuits?

And why breast cancer in particular? Why not thyroid cancer, or a brain tumor, or even colon cancer? Why breast cancer specifically?

Someone missed the joke

It would of been nice of him to pothole that, at least.

@Ax-Crazy Samus: Given she doesn't have anyone to turn to for help, I wouldn't be surprised if she hit that point. It'd be ironic, given her monologue about how the SA-X is herself, but mindless and destructive. Though you'd think the Chozo had trained her to be mentally strong, as well...

I have a question. If a game were made where someone other than Samus is the hero, yet it still contains story elements from other games and/or Metroidvania-style gameplay, how would you feel?

Fusion was a great analogue to amputation (removal of large portions of the Power Suit), maybe something akin to physical therapy for the next time around? Samus has to relearn all of her old techniques and motions, growing back to her former level of strength.

I'd love to see Retro Studios do that. But it would have to be another IP.

edited 16th Apr '13 1:26:03 PM by Thunderchin

@135: That idea is truly perfect. If Nintendo does not get behind this amazing new storyline angle of Metroid madness, they are STUPID! Yes, I know, it's insulting, but it's also the truth.

[insert slowbeef and Diabetus cracking up here]

edited 16th Apr '13 2:09:53 PM by ShadowHog

@133, specifically, i liked your idea about the story being as large as you make it, that the more lore you acquire, the more overt exposition, or outright plot-points, are introduced. If you learn about the history of some ruins, you fight the thing that made them ruins, whereas you otherwise would not have to.

Oh.

Combine that with some variable sequence (basically, ascended sequence breaking) where the plot changes depending on what order you take which plot points in (read: which scans and NPC's you partake in). Make some of them harder than others, and we've got some "Good Ending" and "Speed Run" built in. :)

Didn't Zero Mission already have intentional sequence breaking? (i.e. Ridley before Kraid, early Super Missiles, or the missile passageway to get the Screw Attack before fighting Ridley)

Yeah, but that game's intentional sequence breaking didn't affect the plot.

This version does.