alttp is always constantly being talked about in reference to super metroid, both being action adventure games in which you explore an open world, slowly unlocking items and keys to open up more and more of the map unlocking more and more dangerous areas, in a way that's very fun and interesting. i love super metroid to death, but alttp doesn't scratch the same itch.

obviously, super metroid had an extra 3 years of polish, learning lessons taught not just by alttp, but by itself from metroid II, released the same year as alttp.

i won't lie, the light world dungeons and exploring the light world exclusively was very fun, everything was fresh, the world was fresh, that fun dwindled over time in the dark world, where all there was to do was dungeon after dungeon after dungeon... super metroid lets you off in a similar way, but i think the fact that super metroid blocks off a lot more of the map via item restriction then alttp makes exploring more fun, since you don't have to tread through the entire game to find an object of interest, just a small portion. and i'd argue it makes it more rewarding.

some of the design later on was pretty frustrating and tedious, the game doesn't do difficulty too well? like, the fucking boss 1 rematch in ganon's tower is harder than ganon, save for the random ass required item for the ganon fight that's not needed anywhere else in the game.

i still enjoyed my time with it, it's incredibly interesting how much of this game's dna seeps into the general zeitgeist of game design, but a lot more was learned post alttp. it's just not my cuppa joe.

utterly insane what a couple years of foresight and a couple years of polish will do for a game franchise as static and formulaic as "mega man". shovel knight isn't just a love letter to megaman, although it has it's dna written all over it. it's a love letter to every game made before the 3d era of games. covered in campy dialogue, beautiful animations, incredibly tight and fluid level design, and a story simple enough yet absolutely brutal in it's climax, with the music and presentation and implied story going on?!??! it's truly a beautiful game, and is pretty easy to see why it had so much impact on the indie scene at the time.

i'm truly tempted to give it my rare 5/5 of approval, i remember in middle school playing the FUCK out of this game, but i played treasure trove, not shovel of hope exclusively. this shit alters your brain chemistry