Where Should I Start?

[Nicole]

Hey everyone. I'm in need of a recommendation for a new gaming series. I've heard nothing but praise for games like Metroid, Kingdom Hearts, and the Mario series. I've actually never played any of these.

So, what I'd like to know is which game would you recommend for me to start with? I'd like to try those three series, probably starting with Metroid. So, let me know what you think of these games, if I should get them, and which game within the series I should start with.

Aslo, if you can think of any other games that are pretty fun that you can get for Gamecube or Wii, I'm open to other suggestions. Thanks.

 

[Vincent]

Only Nintendo ey?
Well sir, you must pick up Donkey Kong Country Returns, The Conduit, Red Steel 2, No More Heroes, No More Heroes : Desperate Struggle, MadWorld, Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition, Pikmin: Wii Edition, The Metroid Prime Trilogy for Wii, Mario Kart, The Sims 3, Twilight Princess, of course, and uhh... I can't really think of any other good ones right now.

 

[Meego]

You've never played Mario?! Then I highly recommend it, it is very fun.

 

[Moldorm]

If we're only limited to the Wii and GC, I would recommend New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii, especially if you have someone to play with. In terms of classic stuff that you can buy from the Nintendo store (or whatever it is) I would recommend Super Metroid, which in my opinion is one of the greatest in the SNES library.

 

[ToonLink100]

I recommend playing mario first! Mario games are really awesome and fun!

 

[Beeker]

There are lots of good games on the Gamecube and Wii that you can play.
With the series you listed:

Metroid: I do not own it, but have played it, but if you can find the trilogy set for the Metroid Prime games, I would play that. It's a great deal and has three good games in one. Though if you can't find that, the first two Prime games are on GC and the third on Wii.

With Kingdom Hearts there are two I believe for the DS, but no home console ones except for the PS2.

And as for Mario games, there's a ton.
There's New Super Mario Bros Wii for multiplayer, various games on the virtual console(including the classics), and also the Super Mario Galaxy games. I recommend both the first and second games, they both have amazing level design and are really fun to play. For Gamecube there's Super Mario Sunshine which is unique but still fun.

As for other games, I think Vincent's list is pretty good, with DKC Returns, Resident Evil 4, and Mario Kart. Double Dash(GC) and the Wii version are really good. Can't think of too many now (I myself have probably missed out on some good ones XD) but I hope this list helps. =D

 

[Link1017]

I would say play Metroid first, but the problem is theres really no story behind it it just kinda starts off. You do find more out in the 3rd Metroid, but still. If i weere you and you was going to start with Metroid i would get the Metroid: Other M for wii. The game tells where Samus actually came from and eveything.

As for mario start with anything, its a great game fun to play has some humor in it you can't go wrong with Mario games. If you was gonna get a 3 deminsional Mario I would Start with the Super Mario Galaxy Games, there extremely fun and take awhile to beat.

I have tried Kingdom Hearts out many times and i just do not like this game and i would not reccomend it for anyone.

They said DKC is a great game ive never been a huge fan of Donkey Kong but its a great game.

As for the others that Vincent listed I have not played many of them but i have heard that Red Steel 2 is a really fun game.

 

[Fraxinus]

Definitely start with Mario. The gameplay is usually very simple and is rather addicting even though it seems the same every time. I've never tried Metroid, but I'd say you should try that one next. Never, ever play Kingdom Hearts. It may have praise, but it has the kind of praise Twilighters give to their beloved piece-of-crap of a novel. It's an excuse to twist Disney characters with anime-ish fail with a bit of role-playing. Unless you want that kind of game, I would not recommend it at all. (Not to be harsh, but I have no better way to express opinion. I respect all of you who love the series, I just could not get into that kind of stuffs.)

Just experiment a bit. Have fun... you know... go beyond your boundaries and stuffs.

 

[LolGames4U]

GASP no Mario??? *Faints* OK go! And get yourself some Mario games!
I've only played the first Metroid but my parents are letting me play the others over the summer. I'm familiar with all of them though and I recommend the series as well.

 

[Caeda]

Kingdom Hearts is a really good series, actually (in my opinion, of coarse). just because it has Disney characters in it doesn't mean that it is an epic fail of a game, and it does not have the same love Twilight fans give to their books. However, as others have said, there's not a game from that series for the Wii or gamecube, only for the DS, PSP, and PS2 and GBA. If you can play on any of those platforms and decide to play one of those games, I give you this warning: DO NOT start with 358/2 Days. The story will confuse you alot if you haven't played one of those games.

And are you serious? You've never played a Mario game? If so, play one ASAP! I would sugest playing Super Mario Galaxy (the first one) or Sunshine.

As for Metroid, I can't really say. I've only played Other M and Zero Mission.

 

[SuperGanondorf]

All three games in the Metroid Prime series (Hunters doesn't count. If you get a DS DO NOT get MPHunters) are incredible (well, 2 can be just painfully annoying at times, but it's usually fun). You can get lost in those games for hours at a time. The moody atmospheres and haunting music are beautiful and emotion-invoking. They really added more detail and attention to minor things in the Prime trilogy than I've ever seen in any other Nintendo franchise, even Zelda. Get them. Now. All 3. Corruption is the best one. I can't recommend the original Metroid, though, if you're considering Virtual Console games. Biggest waste of 500 Wii Points I've ever seen. It's boring, repetitive, and confusing. The Prime games are amazing and should be bought immediately,

Haven't played Kingdom Hearts, so I couldn't say.

Mario 64 is the best Mario game by miles. You can get it on Virtual console. Failing that, Super Mario Sunshine is the second best Mario game ever. Nothing beats those two titles in terms of sheer fun (screw Mario Galaxy, it's so overrated).

Another game I might recommend is Scaler. It's a little-known game for the GameCube. It's a combination of high-speed action-platformer and fighting game. It's one of the most fun games I've ever played, and it has a great (and hilarious) storyline to boot. And you can transform into certain enemy types. It's a truly great game. You should look into it.

 

[00steven]

I would get Super Mario Galaxy 2 or Super Mario 64 on the virtual console.

 

[David]

*Stares in unbelief and bewilderment at the lack of gaming SoL has actually done*

Play them in this order, and this order only.

Metroid: Metroid, Metroid 2, Super Metroid, Metroid Other M, Metroid Prime 1, MP 2, MP 3, and then Metroid Fusion.

Zelda: all of them, in any order you please.

Mario: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario RPG (one of the best. Plus, Square Soft made it, almost always a good sign), Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, New Super Mario Bros., New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Galaxy 2.
(All pretty good games. Especially Mario RPG and Mario 64 and Mario Sunshine)

Other: Smash Bros., Smash Bros. Melee, Smash Bros. Brawl, Every single Kirby ever made (this is a MUST. Kirby is wonderful. Especially Kirby 64), Pikmin (Wii), Pikmin 2 (GC), etc.

Kingdom Hearts: If you play these games, you HAVE to do them in this order, or else you won't get all of the awesome connections between the games. Birth By Sleep (PSP), Kingdom Hearts (PS2), Chain of Memories (GBA/PS2 (PS2 is the better one)), 358/2 Days (DS), and Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2). Re: Coded (DS) is optional, but very good as well.

Anyway, that's what I would do if I were as deprived as you. Have fun!

 

[00steven]

I agree with Hero of Music, Play as many as you can! The two I mentioned were just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Master Kokiri 9]

To be honest, I can't recommend anything since I don't know you, so instead I'll list the various points of each series.

I like to think of Metroid as a more advanced version of Zelda except you spend the whole game in one big superdungeon that branches out into smaller sub-dungeons. If you've played a recent Castlevania game and liked it, you should feel right at home with Metroid. After all, they don't call the gameplay style of those games Metroidvania for nothing. The downside is that it often involves a lot of backtracking and you'll probably get lost a lot, plus it has a lot of "How am I supposed to know this?!" moments. If you're looking for a good challenge with Metroidvania gameplay, then look no further than Metroid!

Kingdom Hearts I haven't played much of yet, but from what I can gather the gameplay is pretty similar to Final Fantasy XII. It's got an EXCELLENT story going on, and the characters are very great, although it gets a little tricky to follow if you don't play the games in timeline order. The gameplay is kinda stagnant though in that puzzles are far and few and the enemies really are just mostly cannon-fodder (you know, like a Turn Based RPG). Mechanics differ from game to game, but for the most part it's an action RPG that functions pretty much identically to a turn based RPG except with free combat and a "menu" you can access in the field to do various things like attack, use magic, and other things. It's a pretty good series if you play for a good story, but not so much if you're looking to just enjoy fun gameplay mechanics. Not to say that the gameplay is bad, it's just not outstanding.

And the humble Mario. My good sir, you should be ashamed that you've never played a Mario game. Mario tends to be a rather simple platformer game, and the story is usually just "rescue Princess Peach/Toadstool if you're playing a pre-N64 Mario game from Bowser". The old ones (basically everything before Super Mario 64, although your mileage may vary on the difficulty of SM64) and the most recent ones (New Super Mario Bros Wii and Galaxy 2) are very tough, while everything else tends to be more or less a cakewalk. There won't be many moments of "How am I supposed to know that?!" although they will occur. Just not as frequently as in a Metroid game. If you're just looking for a fun time, then Mario's the series you should get into first.