Explain Your Username

[super_etecoon]

Mine is pretty obvious for a Super Metroid fan, but to those who don’t know I’ll give some context:

In Super Metroid you find yourself stuck in a very tall shaft that at first seems like a soft lock and if you used the save room before you get to this shaft it actually is a hard lock, meaning you’re stuck down here forever and all your progress is lost and you’d have to start a new game file.

But in this tall shaft you are not alone: there are three somewhat annoying imps who basically laugh at your plight, and then jump, jump, jump their happy way out of the shaft. It really seems like they are mocking your inability to do what they do.

But they aren’t. They are actually very cheekily showing you how to wall jump. You have to study their movements and once you figure it out even just a few well timed wall jumps will release you from this prison.

I wish more games trusted the gamer to “figure it out” more. So many games go for complete accessibility and basically hold your hand throughout. Even Metroid Prime has the “Hint System” on as a default.

So my screen name is an homage to the idea of figuring things out on your own, the confusion and fear when you think you’ll never figure something out, and the joy you feel after it “clicks” and you finally get it.

Oh, and the technique these little imps teach you leads you to discover so many shortcuts in the game that you inadvertently become a speed runner without even knowing you are.