That Time I Lost All My Progress In 'Metroid Prime' BaD#15

On 02/19/2015 at 10:22 PM by asrealasitgets

As much as I love the Metroid Prime series, it still has that older game design with no automatic checkpoint saves, but instead requires you to seek out save stations and manually save all your progress. This hasn't been too much of a problem, but the other night I got through a sunken freighter and discovered another section of the planet and I didn't bump into any save points anywhere, so a few bad encounters with enemies and I lost my progress which included a health update, ammo upgrade and special abilities and now I have to do it all again.

I appreciate challenges in games and the loss of progress is mainly my fault for not seeking out save points before progressing after updates, but I'm really glad contemporary games have checkpoints, well mostly anyway, that lets you keep exploring without fear. I think Alien Isolation was the last game I played that is guilty of this, as well as some older GTA game I started playing. More checkpoints please. It doesn't hurt the challenge in any way, it just respectes the players time. Now I have to go through two whole sections of Metrid Prime again to get back to where I left off. Luckily the game is still visually interesting and the sound design is just amazing.

Joaquim Mira Media Manager

02/19/2015 at 10:43 PM

It's alright. The more times you play the Metroid Prime games the quicker you go through areas. I can't say the same thing about an RPG/SRPG though.

asrealasitgets

02/19/2015 at 10:57 PM

I wouldn't have died either if I hadn't been playing for so long and got lazy with the combat. It's an area where enemies show up everywhere and requires specific colored ammo to kill. I got lazy shifting ammo, and then suddenly Samus let out a scream before a heroic death. ;_;

02/20/2015 at 12:25 AM

I can't wait to see what you think of Echoes haha. Enemies, and the environment are out to get you.

Super Step Contributing Writer

02/20/2015 at 01:21 AM

Echoes and its damn "dark world" crap. I loved both, but God that got annoying.

Last of Us has me kind of torn on checkpoints. On the one hand, I'm grateful I don't have to start a whole section over. On the other, it makes things more of an annoyance than a "OMG" situation.

xDarthKiLLx

02/19/2015 at 11:07 PM

I stay away from Metroid. Just not my thing.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

02/19/2015 at 11:49 PM

Ouch. I was really pissed with The VAnishing of Ethan Carter which has a terrible, terrible save system. I wish more games would, like you said, respect that we are busy, busy people these days.

Cary Woodham

02/20/2015 at 07:24 AM

Yeah,that save system was definitely a reminant of save systems of the past. It was pretty annoying when I got on an elevator in that game and the game froze up and I had to start over from my last save. That's the only problem I had, though, luckily.

C.S.3590SquadLeader

02/20/2015 at 11:48 AM

That happened to me too. Got to the point where I was afraid to get on certain elevators because it felt like they caused the game to crash almost every time I used them.

Jamie Alston Staff Writer

02/20/2015 at 01:16 PM

Dude, I've had that happen to me once or twice while playing Metroid Prime. Since then, I always save ASAP after gaining new sutff or beforeafter defeating bosses. Best way to fly.

02/20/2015 at 02:18 PM

I've since gone back and replayed through that area and the save station was right in my face. A testament to the games interesting stage layouts. Clever girl!

02/20/2015 at 02:40 PM

You get props for the Jurassic Park reference.

Alex-C25

02/20/2015 at 06:14 PM

Like Joaquim said, once you get used to the layout and discover enough of the map to locate the save stations, it's a lot easier to travel and save. That said, I had experienced moments of restarting from afar.

jgusw

02/20/2015 at 08:39 PM

Metroid Prime 1 is the only Metroid game I finished. It was a lot of fun. Working from save point to save point is an important thing to do when there are no automatic saves or the choice to save at anytime you want. It makes you plan ahead before venturing out. It's responsible and not as fun.

02/20/2015 at 09:03 PM

To be fair, the game also gets a bit more challenging towards the end, when you start using all your upgrades and abilities and such, like you gotta go into xray vision with purple ammo cannon, then shift to reg visor and have yellow ammo cannon, back and forth. There was also this half-pipe room full of poison and you have to do that rolliepollie move to get up to a door, etc.

PixlBit