| Well, I finally got 100% on normal mode (and got a better ending), which ended up taking me about ten and a half hours, and now I've also started a new game on hard mode. I'm about 35 minutes into the game, currently saved in the Kraid area after beating that acid worm thing, and it's turning out to be a good challenge. I can really see why they make you beat it on normal mode before being able to play hard mode. You really need to already know where all the hidden powerups are, because each one is only half strength. That means Energy Tanks only let you hold 50 more energy instead of 100, Missile Tanks only let you hold 2 more Missiles instead of 5, and I'm assuming Super Missile and Power Bomb Tanks are only going to add 1 more to the amount you can hold instead of 2. Also, I think enemies do more damage and take more shots to kill, but I'm not sure; it could just be I'm used to the super-powerful Plasma Beam and Gravity Suit so it seems like things take and do more damage.
I've come close to dying a few times already, and I haven't even fought one of the main bosses yet. I'm expecting Kraid to be a really tough fight now, because I can almost guarantee I'm going to run out of Missiles about half way through the fight. But hey, it really isn't much harder than Metroid Fusion so far, so I'll pull through even if it does take me a couple tries. And the game is definitely just as fun as the first time through because of the increased difficulty. Even though I know where everything is and how to beat all the bosses, I still have to really fight to stay alive.
Overall, I'm pleased with hard mode so far--it's added more of a challenge than I thought it would. (I must have had a really funny look on my face when I picked up the first Missile Tank and saw it only gave me 2. I was definitely not expecting the powerups to be changed at all, just the strength of the monsters). The more I play Zero Mission, the more my respect for it grows, after my original feeling of disappointment. | |
