Metroid Dread Special Edition?

[VideoGameCritic]

I decided to answer my own question by watching this unboxing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34xFPMtuFW0

I enjoyed watching because the guy was so pumped about everything in the box.
It's the art book that makes the box so big, and I have to admit it is a good looking book.

[Matchstick]

Personally I've never seen the allure of steel cases.

Agreed, though I have my own issues with them. Out here in Oregon, steelbook cases tend to rust! Keep in mind that many of us out this way don’t have AC, and a dehumidifier is considered a luxury in the rainy Winter months. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve seen steelbook cases at secondhand shops with specks of rust along the hinges, both inside and outside the case.

It also makes buying used cartridges tricky, as many older games I’ve bought locally over the years have had noticeable patches of rust on the contacts. EEEEEEEK!! Nothing a little steel wool and high-grade alcohol can’t fix, but still. Bare, exposed metal surfaces were just not meant for the Pacific Northwest environment!

Back to the good news, that art book is pretty classy, isn’t it? I wasn’t expecting it to be hardcover, nor was I expecting it to have artwork from each game in the series. I also wasn’t expecting the art cards to be holofoil. I’m seriously thinking of framing mine - they really do look that good in person.

For the extra $30, I think the special edition is totally worth it. Then again, I like the more art-focused bonuses like this set includes. I feel that art book, alone, could go for $30. Heck, even the box is nice, as it is also holofoil with an embossed, raised Samus graphic on the front.

It’s a shame people are scalping these, but I have a feeling Nintendo will keep printing them for a bit longer. At least, I hope that’s the case. I really do hope that everyone who wants one of these is able to track one down for themselves!

[newmodelarmy]

Anybody playing Metroid Dread? If so, what do ya think?

[Matchstick]

Anybody playing Metroid Dread? If so, what do ya think?

Herschie has a thread over in the Now Playing section. I’d check it out for the general consensus. Seems to be going over pretty well, though!

Myself, I've been chipping away at it over the past few nights, in between bouts of motion sickness. I'm not sure if it's directly related to the game or not, as I have felt a little "off" lately, anyway. Regardless, it's a fun game. It's fast, too - the maps look massive, but Samus covers so much ground so quickly that you rarely feel overwhelmed, or that you have to slog from one point to another.

It's also one of the rare games that my wife enjoys watching me play. I think it's because there aren't many lulls in the action. Whether you're being chased by security robots or tiptoeing through a super-heated set of rooms, you're always just hitting the ground running.

I've always thought that whether or not a game has "crowd appeal," and can entertain those who aren't even playing it, is a very important aspect of game design. In that respect, this one totally delivers.

[Matchstick]

Apologies for the double-post, but I wanted to share some oddities I noticed about the Special Edition in different regions.

When Dread was first announced, I, like many people, could not secure a pre-order for the Special Edition here in the US. I did, however, manage to secure a pre-order of the Japanese version from Amazon.co.jp. I did this as a fallback, and planned to cancel my pre-order of the Japanese version once I managed to get the US one locked up.

Welp, let's just say that didn't happen! My Japanese version actually shipped on the evening of October 8th (which would have been the 9th in Japan, the day of release) and I didn't check my e-mail before getting up and going out on the morning of the 9th to buy a Special Edition in the store.

The DHL guy showed up today with my package from Japan, and, well, now I have two different Metroid Dread Special Editions. My wife is not happy with my spending choices, but, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, I decided to open both sets and see what's inside the boxes.

Some observations:

The Japanese box is slightly taller and wider than the US one. Yes, it's even bigger than the already-too-big US version!!

The Japanese box is like a board game, with two halves that "lift off" from each other. The box is also the same thickness as a board game box, and feels very solid and sturdy. Conversely, the US box is very thin, like a standard video game box (N64, Game Boy, etc) and opens from the top and bottom like a standard game box.

The Japanese box has a soft matte finish. The US box is glossy, with a holofoil-style finish. Samus is raised and embossed on the US box, but not the Japanese one. The US box features text and logos on the back of the box, while the Japanese box has a plain, uncluttered image with no text. Both boxes feature the same art on the front and back.

The Japanese box says "Metroid Dread Special Edition" in plain text on the side, while the US box features the Metroid Dread logo, with no mention of the Special Edition.

In the Japanese box, you get a sealed copy of the game in a standard Switch case, in addition to the extra Steelbook case. The US box only has the Steelbook case with the game card inside. Both versions feature the same art on the inside and outside of the Steelbook case, but conversely to the outer box, the US version of the Steelbook case has a soft matte finish, while the Japanese one is glossy. The Japanese one also says "Metroid Dread" on the spine, while the US version of the Steelbook case is plain, with no text on the spine.

The Japanese box features a nice inner tray to hold all the goodies, printed in heavy black cardstock with some graphics and highlights on the sides. The US box features a plain cardboard tray (??) molded and embossed with some EMMI characters. It looks very, very cheap compared to the Japanese version.

The art cards and art book come sealed in plastic in the US box. They do not in the Japanese box - the cards come unsealed, while the art book is in a large Mylar sleeve. The US art book is hardcover, while the Japanese one is softcover. Both art books appear to have the same content. The art cards both have a paper sleeve to hold them, but feature slightly different art between the versions, with the US set opting for the pixel art from the original NES Metroid box while the Japanese set has a hand-drawn image of Samus taken from the Famicom Disk System art. The art for Metroid Fusion is slightly different, as well. The cards in both versions are the same heavy, holofoil cardstock, and are blank on the back.

Those are the main differences I could find. For my money, the Japanese set is much, much nicer quality, and displays better on the shelf due to its sturdier build and matte finish on the box. In fact, the only real edge I give to the US set is the inclusion of the hardcover art book.

Now I'm torn. I did not plan to buy both sets, and I don't plan on keeping both, either... but I never thought I would be so "meh" about the US version. The Japanese one is just of such higher quality when it comes to the build of the box and the overall presentation. While I think the US version is worth the asking price (especially if you want the art book) it's clear that the Japanese version received a bit more attention in the quality department. It's also nice to get the game card sealed inside the standard Switch case with the Japanese set - a curious omission from the US set, even if it is a bit redundant with the Steelbook.

For those interested in the Japanese edition, Amazon.co.jp currently has them in stock for the retail asking price. Shipped to the US, the total is 12,408 Yen, which works out to about $109 (tax free!). $19 more than the US version, but worth it, in my opinion. The Japanese version of the game also comes fully translated into English - just pop it in your Switch, and you're good to go.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B09 ... =UTF8&th=1

I think I'll be putting my US one on eBay in the next few days - the wife is making me choose. If anybody out there is looking for one - at a non-scalper price - feel free to PM me about it.

[Voor]

I’ve heard that expression about looking a gift horse in the mouth a few times, and still have no idea what it means.

[Matchstick]

I’ve heard that expression about looking a gift horse in the mouth... and still have no idea what it means.

Hah! That's how I've always felt about, "missing the forest for the trees." "See the big picture," now that I can understand. But once you start talking about horses and trees, yeah, you kind of lose me a little bit. Poor choice of words on my part, Voor

As a small update, I did sell my US Special Edition on eBay, though I held onto the game card. The person that bought it was happy to have just the set of extras and bonus goodies, so it was a win-win. I also sold just the Japanese game card from the Japanese Special Edition, so I am now left with the Japanese version of the set and the US version of the game. I like it that way. A lot. I feel like I really got the best of both worlds.

And now the Wife's not so mad at me for my spending. That's the ultimate win!