So many of my NES experiences are thanks to a Mom and Pop rental shop in small town Oklahoma. That shop has LONG since disappeared, but the memories they helped so many children make have lived on. Godzilla: Monster of Monsters, Bartman, the Hunt for Red October, and many more games found their way into my waiting hands thanks to that small store. But, one game stands out in my memory. A game that turned gravity itself into my weapon. 1991's Metal Storm. Metal Storm brings back countless memories of jumping up and down when I finished a new level as well as pulling the control hard enough to yank the NES completely off the TV stand in protest of a "cheap death". So, let's jump into the M-308 Gunner suit again and talk about a lesser known gem of the NES generation.
On the surface, Metal Storm looks like so many other games of the early 90's. It's a side scrolling run n' gun platformer where you take on the role of a mech soldier and wage a one-man war to stop a powerful space threat from destroying the Earth. Ya know, just a typical Friday night for your average gamer. But, Metal Storm takes it to a new level. The gameplay is so crisp and the controls perfectly tuned. The weapons at your disposal are few in number, but each upgrade has a substantial impact on your chances of victory. But, most importantly, you have control over the direction of gravity. 21 years before Gravity Rush would bend our minds around the awesome power of having control over gravity's pull, Metal Storm allowed us to swap the definition of up and down on a whim. The puzzles this mechanic allowed have stuck with me for over 30 years. I never beat Metal Storm as a child. But now, with my upgraded and advanced gaming skills...maybe...just maybe....I could finally conquer one of my oldest foes.
I picked out my gaming platform and loaded the game. The sight of the title screen brought back waves of nostalgia. But it was nothing compared to the music. Few 8-bit soundtracks hit me quite like the soundtrack to Metal Storm. From the moment the melody of Stage1-1 starts, I'm instantly transported back to the early 90's. Honestly, it's like magic. I power through Stage 1-1 and 1-2 as my old muscle memory starts to return. The first boss...I used the same technique I used as a child to fell this foe without taking a single hit. My confidence swelled as Stage 2-1 started. It's is a simple maze with easy deaths waiting for you if you lose focus. Then I hit a wall...Stage 2-2. A gravity puzzle of a map with floors and ceilings of spikes. I lose a few lives to easy mistakes, but finally achieve victory. Stage 3 has me running along a track on the wall as pod-cars rocket towards me. I have to tighten up my focus to get through. Metal Storm is a 1 hit death game, so any mistake could end in disaster. (Unless you have the armor power-up to buy an extra hit)
The game continues to punish me for my arrogance and reward me for creative problem solving and cautious progression. I finally reach levels I haven't seen before. Stage 4 locks me in a box as the background and enemies scroll by in different patterns. It has it's very challenging moments, but it reminds me of so many games I've played in more recent years. Stage 5 is similar to Stage 1, but cranked up to 11. There are many more obstacles and threats getting thrown my way. Stage 6 is my least favorite; an infinitely vertical scrolling platforming level with gravity activated barriers and spikes....I get the feeling there was a very angry programmer back in 1990 that was using this level to get even with someone in their life. Then came Stage 7....a full-on boss rush forcing me to beat all 6 bosses again...without being able to get new upgrades or take a single hit. No joke, I was sweating. If I died now, I would have to go back to the beginning of the game. I hadn't written down any passwords to jump forward if I failed. I wanted to achieve victory in one set of lives. With a monumental sigh, I defeat my final boss. On to Stage 8...
After the mental strain, careless deaths, gravity puzzle induced headache, and the boss rush as the cherry on top, I finally reach the final boss. I couldn't have been more disappointed. I beat the final Evil Computer System...by accident. I destroyed the weak points and marched forward like an unstoppable 80's action star. I expected a transformation or at least a second stage to the battle. Then the final cut scene started to play. I'd won. As the credits rolled, I realized, the boss rush was the final boss. Stage 8 was more of a ceremony than a final fight. I smiled and waited to see if there was some hidden message or artwork at the end of the credits. The MCU has trained me to wait and see. No secret or image appears. Just an ominous password slid onto the screen with the text, "TRY A GAME FOR EXPERTS"....there's a hard mode....All my struggles, deaths and victories had just been on the normal difficulty. I tilt my head back, let out a long breath and turn the system off. I had achieved what I set out to achieve. Expert Mode would have to wait for another day. For now, I am content.
Metal Storm is an amazing game from an era of precision and natural difficulty. It's a game that will punish you for reckless play, but none of the deaths you'll endure will ever be due to cheap programming. Every time I died, I knew exactly what I had done wrong and what I wanted to try next time to avoid the same outcome. It's the type of challenge I enjoy. No bullet sponge enemies, no instant death coming from off screen, no got'cha moments. Just a well tuned game that you have to learn and get good at in order to win. I love this game for it's gameplay, healthy difficulty, and for all the nostalgia it brings me. The M-308 Gunner character was my favorite mech for many years, and is probably a contributing factor in my enjoyment of the Gundam franchise. I highly recommend that anyone with the ability to, give Metal Storm for the NES a try. If you have the patience to learn it, you'll be very happy you did.
Check out my product reviews for some good options for exploring these retro gems.
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