Acid for Blood

My copy of the Metroid in Moton fan-made DVD from Samus.co.uk arrived last night. I have to admit, that whilst I am a huge Metroid fan, I am not incredibly immersed in the fandom. I don't write fanfic. I don't draw fan art. I don't run a Metroid web site. I don't actively participate in Metroid fandom communities. I don't feel the need to perfect my Metroid game techniques enough to even try to get all the endings. I just really like playing the games, I really like the Metroid story, and I really like Samus as a character.

I do appreciate that there are Metroid fans who are more hardcore than I am. They use their talents to create great things, such as remixed music, for other fans to enjoy. Or they compile scads of useful information for reference. Or they foster and sustain communities.

One of the results of such spirit and passion is Metroid in Motion, a DVD that collects world record speed runs, sequence breaks, television adverts, and other goodies from the series -- from Metroid (1986) up to Metroid: Zero Mission (2004).

While I admit to not being a super hardcore, frothing at the mouth, rabid fan of Metroid, I am still a big enough fan to watch recordings of speeds runs from the Metroid games. Of course, unless you've played the games, what one sees in a speed run might not necessarily be all that impressive. One might not appreciate how awesome it is to, for example, watch someone collect 100% of all items in the game and complete it in under an hour. One might not view with interest, the triggering of glitches, bugs, or "secret worlds" in-game, or to see the apparent ease and rapidity with which someone else (whom one doesn't even know) can dispatch the enemies.

It's a nicely compiled DVD. Its coverage of the games is fairly comprehensive, though it doesn't include anything from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. From a fan's point-of-view, this DVD is great. It's cool to see just how skilled some of these people are. I never did beat the original Metroid; too bloody hard for me. I love the games, but I never claimed to be good at them, so it's nice that I can watch these recordings and see how it's done. I'm quite happy with this DVD, and I salute all the super hardcore Metroid fans that made such an effort possible. Cheers to you lot; you rule.