Game Theory: The Metroid Morph Ball is LAME!
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- čas přidán 7. 06. 2024
- This week on Game Theory: Metroid is known for great power-ups, but its most famous has to be the morph ball. So how does Samus fit into such a tiny space? We're looking at Metroid, Super Metroid, and Metroid Prime to get the definitive answer, and let me tell you, it has nothing to do with Samus being in her sexy Zero Suit.
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*me lying on the ground.*
MatPat: "Hope you're comfortable..."
Me:"Yes actually I am, I've never lain on this part of the floor before and it seems quite comfortable-"
MatPat:"...with your sexuality."
Me:"Sorry, what?!"
lol
RainbowFox Reed SAME
omg u talk to matpat to???????? IM NOT ALONE! STILL CRAZY, BUT NOT ALONE!
RainbowFox Reed #Triggered!!!
How about no?
In my head I read my math homework in MattPatt's voice
I should do that it might help
That would probably extremely distract me since I would go into fangirl mode and loose all focus...yeah...
Ryleigh Lott I used to do that with Bill Nye's voice.
Ryleigh Lott I'm gonna start doing that!
Rylie Buttermuffins me too
I always imagined it was like a gyroscope. Samus is not spinning at all, she is just curled up inside and the ball is spinning around her. That's how she can see where she is going and doesn't get dizzy. I also think the ball is more practical than crawling because it moves much faster and in later games she gets spring ball which lets her jump in ball form. but I dunno...the metroid prime animation shows her body spinning so maybe i'm just dumb.
although I think my gyroscope theory is more plausible.
find it funny how you decide to comment your own theory on a theory from 3 years ago
Some people just discovered this channel :D
you realize samus is female
FeMaiden
Kayden McCallum didn't you notice the female pronouns
There is an advantage to the Morph Ball: It's ridiculously fun to use, especially in the 3D games.
+Lord Bricks
When Nintendo finally gets around to making another side-scroller Metroid, I'd really like to see them implement roll physics into the morph ball.
Ha that's true lol
Also, from a logical perspective, it may not be entirely about shrinking size to a minimum, but also about maintaining a decent speed while doing so.
Except in the fight in Prime 2 against the spider ball guardian
This why im playing Sonic, 06 i mean
When he said anyone could do the morphball, i jumped out of bed rolled around the floor curled up into a ball and screamed "I CAN BE MORPHBALL"
well then you have serious problems ;)
To throw it out there, the morphball is supposed to provide FAST access to small areas. In Zero Mission, she can clearly crawl quite easily through those morphball tunnels, but the issue is how slow it is.
*When Metroid Prime was under development by Retro Studios, Shigeru Miyamoto told them that if they could not figure out a way to implement the morph ball function into the game, then they should cancel the game entirely.* If Shigeru Miyamoto believes that the morph ball function is such an essential aspect to Metroid, then that's enough to prove that the morph ball is indeed not LAME.
The Morph Ball is literally what makes Metroid different from other Nintendo games after all
It just meant not impressive lol not like “bad”
@@Kevintendo If the Morph Ball was lame and uninteresting, how do you explain what the comment said? Exactly, it still applies, the Morph Ball isn't lame, it's interesting
yeah, she could just crawl....except she has 2 HUGE shoulder pauldron things. she probably has to go in doorways sideways, no way would they fit into a small crevice
I love Metroid but I've always thought that her shoulders were exceptionally large. kinda dumb looking imo
If MMOs have taught me anything those pads are an accurate depiction of her strength
The shoulders are the walls of the ball.....
Frank Myers well they added it in metroid 2 because the gameboy at the time didn't have color it was just gray so they need something to differentiate the base suit with the varia suit so they gave the varia suit the bulkier design and it pretty much just stuck with it ever since then.
Anthony Madden technical limitations
Who saw the Millisecond appearence of Gaijin Goombah?
In the beginning with BALLS?
I saw it
DieHardPikmin I saw it
DieHardPikmin I saw it
DieHardPikmin I saw it
Yup.
Kinda surprised you didn't say anything about the space pirate logs from Metroid Prime where they tried to reverse engineer the morphball and ended up breaking practically every bone in their test subjects' bodies. Clearly, there's more to the ball that just tucking your limbs in.
And didn't the morph ball allow you to roll through tunnels a lot faster? And plant bombs AND SUPER bombs? And didn't an ability allow you to crawl up certain textured walls?
***** The original spiderball allowed you to climb ANY wall, actually. It appeared in Metroid 2. But yes, in the 3D games, it was limited to 'magnetic' surfaces
That makes it even MORE useful. Wow. He got a lot of stuff wrong on this theory.
well, he was approaching it more from the side of "How can she fit inside that?' Which he answered: Easily.
In terms of how useful the thing is, I'd argue that when her suit upgrades make it so that her shoulders are gigantic (seriously, they almost seem to be the halves of the morph ball in the 3D games) it is the ONLY way to move in tight spaces. Of course the spider ball and boost ball upgrades also allow for a lot of mobility/puzzle solving as well.
Pioneer1111 The title of this episode is the morph ball is lame which mean he basically stated that the morph ball has some disabilities so this episode is based on her morph ball not being useful just saying xD
Where my "I knew the formula for the volume of a sphere long before tenth grade" squad at?
here
Rachel Fajardo yup
Rachel Fajardo what about her suit?
Rachel Fajardo yup
Rachel Fajardo Well I'm 11 and I'm doing trig. #humblebrag
Admit it, we all want to see Zero Suit crawl through tight spaces on all fours.
(Que angry responses)
Edit: To those of you saying it already happened.
Thank you for the angry responses.
+Valdemire Kreshnov ME TOO!
+Valdemire Kreshnov ME TOO!
+Valdemire Kreshnov so true >.
oooohhhh
+Valdemire Kreshnov ???
You don't exactly want to be crawling on your stomach in one direction unable to see what's behind you on an alien planet full of hostile creatures you know next to nothing about. The morphball allows more efficient movement, and awareness of your surroundings while making it easier to change directions and maneuver onto higher grounds or in general move, as moving as a sphere is more efficient energy-wise than moving with your legs.
Morph ball does not suck as you claim it does.
*****
Fact of the matter is she is able to quickly and effectively navigate narrow spaces without having to turn around, or being unable to due to the limitations of human anatomy.
Cerus Serenade
But... while rolling at that speed Samus shouldn't even be able to know what she's doing, she would just see the room she's in moving around her too fast to even realize where she is. Plus, she shouldn't be able to stand up when she goes back to her "normal" form for some seconds.
KoriKeiji
I would imagine her genetics and the science behind the morph ball would explain way most of those problems.
Yes, I'm aware of a cop out, but it's still a legitimate answer.
Though it tends to be annoying (spider guardian, mogenar and ghor)
***** It's definitely gyroscopic and it probably assembles some sort of a display to see in front and some sort of a boost to stand up
Well, you have to think though, would you want to crawl on all fours with those big ass shoulder pads and an arm cannon? Especially since the alternative lets you move faster through said areas and can deploy what is essentially a minature nuke? And also, the morph ball allows you to rapidly change directions and has the ability to attack in said direction whereas crawling would leave you vulnerable to attacks from behind.
I love me some miniature nukes.....
or suprise butt seks
danny125867 hmm, especially with that zero suit lol
i guess suppressing the explosion is the only point to it. and even that could be ran away from.
i agree
it's not how she can fit in the morph ball I've always wondered how she controls it and not throw up
+CaptainROXAS
Well, she never eats on a mission. That's one reason right there.
Metroid prime is a fist person game...
*FIRST PERSON*
Samus' backstory is that she was adopted by a race of super-intelligent bird-people who completely changed her genetic makeup and turned her into a top warrior capable of materialising a battle-suit from within herself. I think the logistics of the morph ball are hardly an issue when you take all of that into account.
I think it's more like a gyroscope where her shoulders cover her body and spin, while her body is just tucked up inside. That could be how she can see where she's going and not throw up.
Her power suit is genetically connected with her.
MatPat: "--were diving straight into * something* balls."
Me: *snort* *giggling* balls...
Samus is taller than me.
Samus stands eye to eye with me, man.
[does extremely irelavant action]
/)
DashieSparkle kill the ponies
That's in suit
Samus has got boobs.
I don't usually do this, but i feel like i have to say something regarding this video.
I'm not going to question the references or mathematics used in the video, i think they're all solid and yes, many of us can fit into a morph ball sized space, but i think with a title like "the metroid morph ball is LAME" you have to discuss its other useful and cool aspects other than just its height reducing capabilities.
I agree, the primary function of the morph ball is to make it so samus can access smaller areas. But even in the first game, the ball has other functions, such as gaining access to the bomb ability which is crucial for exploring. Going past the first game into the prime series the morph ball has many, MANY more useful and cool applications.
I dont know about you, but if i ever tried to roll around as fast as samus does in the prime games, especially with the boost ball upgrade, id probably break my back and neck. The point is the morph ball is meant to enhance samus's MOBILITY, not just reduce her size. This design choice is evident throughout the prime series, acquiring upgrades like the spider ball: gaining the ability to climb walls and travel over magnetic rails, and the aforementioned boost ball allowing her to move MUCH faster than just walking around.
To me, the point of the morph ball was never to allow samus access to places she couldn't fit. Just look at the added mission at the end of metroid: zero mission. Zero suit samus can easily crawl around through places she could only previously access with the morph ball, but at a significantly lower speed, which makes getting away from the pursuing space pirates harder to get away from. In this regard, the morph ball is meant to enhance MOVEMENT, not size.
In conclusion, with a title like that, you really have to consider everything it does for it to be considered lame. To me, a hardcore fan of the series, i can easily see the benefits of the upgrade beyond just the ones discussed in this video. The morph ball is NOT lame, but this video makes it seem like it is. Long story short, look past just whats on the outside next time.
/End Rant
That.... Is actually a very valid and good point. Good job.
And plus, many people forget that she is also fitting the Power Suit into the hole as well, and it makes turning corners in a tunnel much easier!
Lucas Tuckwood keep in mind zss moves faster than than power suit samus so imagine how long and boring crawling through crevices in metroid would be or that the ball can jump unlike a crawling samus
Drej9 That's exactly what I was thinking.
Not to mention that while it is big, it is very interesting from a technical view:
You got this giant suit with big shoulders, space jump boots, weapon arm, shield and so on and somehow all of that manages to transform into a nearly perfectly round ball.
So "lame" is definitely the wrong word.
I never saw the morph ball's primary purose as a way to fit in small spaces. I saw it as something the Chozo designed to help Samus interface with technology. The morph ball, her weapons, her visor, and even the cuff of her arm cannon, all seem to interface with Chozo tech and some sort of intergalactic standard for tech. No Windows vs Mac on alien worlds. The Chozo were all like "Aw Samus, it's not your fault you're a filthy human. Here's some tools for getting around on your own without dying."
Its a specially designed suit made for Samus. Shes able to use the morph ball because she has Chozo dna.
Been watching older theories and that opening hit me like a truck
Want to really impress us? Explain how she doesn't get super dizzy and come out of morph ball mode all wobbly :D
Gyroscope
I think the morph ball's purpose is just to travel more easily around tunnels or vents or anything. It would be easier to roll than crawl, don't you think?
Worth mentioning that the Morph Ball power up may be to accommodate for Samus' suit. Those shoulder pauldrons seem too large to have their presence explained away by putting your head between your knees, not to mention the facts that a) the morph ball is perfectly spherical and b) a curled-up human is not
Irl a lot of guys would look weird next to Samus because she's so tall
Especially Little Mac.
Nkl
+Alex Cheung
She really dwarfs that scientist she shakes hands with at the beginning of Super Metroid.
I'm half Asian, how could I fix this XD
+Alex Cheung increase your self-esteem, whelp.
This one is easy to prove wrong!!!
Simply
When crawling on your belly through a tiny space, you have very little maneuverability. This would leave Samus defenseless from a foe crawling behind her, or many foes coming from the front in a narrow shaft or anywhere she would require to be down that low. (Bow chika wow wow)
When transformed into an omnidirectional superball what can lay bombs down and move up walls with upgrades you can easily obtain, Samus does not have to worry about leaving that fine rear undefended, or taking it to the face while crawling around. While using the ball, she has full view of her surroundings, has a means to defend from an attack in any direction, and can easy roll away in any direction she might need to if she is cornered by a foe.
she can see outside the ball
wesley wright
?
wesley wright Naturally. It'd be impossible for her to maneuver in all directions if she didn't have some sort of external censory feed.
but how ?
I want to say continuity, but that would not make any sense.
so I'll just say "Your mom".
you're also forgetting that she needs to fit her armour in there as well. so that reduces the volume she can fit into drastically cause of certain parts of the armour being more thick then the others.
TheEternalNight not really as i can see you not a metroid fan at all in as far as i know every game samus is able to "summon" her armor on will
Watch the video again, there is a cutscene that shows CLEARLY what happens
Gnoggin did a video about that
I know Gnoggin did a video on it, and It's wrong because of what I just said. There is a cutscene where you see samus go inside the morph ball
+Mr Fresh Sauce that isn't every metroid morph ball. That is probably a more advanced model
10th grade geometry? I did Spheres in 7th grade!
ScareZCrow87 same!
I did them at the end of 5th and in 6th
I'm IN 10th grade geometry
hi granddad
i did it in 5th
like a boss
Damn I miss old game theory
Oh yes the morphball is lame. Let just ignore the fact that the morphball is way faster than crawling. Oh and the fact that the bombs she places while in the morphball are used to help her bounce up while the ball protects her from the explosions damage. Ya looks like pretty good armor to me.
Did you even watch the video?
Bubbamcbubbs
If your talk to me please look at 3:26
_roll roll roll _*_vomit_*_ roll roll roll_
Bubbamcbubbs MatPat said the morphball is "unimpressive." Yea, the morphball is actually amazing, not including the tricks and goals you can achieve with it.
Why does she need to be ball to drop the bombs?
I could be an asshat? New windows have opened for me.
*guffaws*
Well could you please get up and close them? It's getting drafty in here.
Cody Hines Yes, I probably should. Winter and everything.
This is the earliest video I can remember watching from the game theorist. Glad to have been part of the ride.
OH MY GOD I REMEMBER THE TOASTER MICROPHONE.
"They're like the offspring of a bendy-straw and a limp noodle." That has got to be my favourite line ever.
Wouldn't Morph Ball movement be the faster way of moving through smaller spaces though? Certainly faster than crawling.
I love every single one of your intros, they are awesome
Your video quality is so much better and your jokes to, you have grown so much :o
Well, the Morph Ball Bombs, Power Bomb, Spider Ball, Boost Ball and Hyper Ball can only be used in Morph Ball mode, so the Morph isn't really useless.
If we're going with theories, then let's just take a look at Samus' armors shoulder pads. Seeing how bulky those things are, and having that "booster" or jet packet on her back, even though the Power Suit doesn't add much to her height, it does add to her overall size. Just getting down and crawling into some spaces seems to be impossible with her Power Suit on. The Morph Ball isn't incredible for letting Samus herself become the size of a ball, but the Power Suit! It is a powerful item that lets Samus crawl through those small places without having to tak away her suit off (or what? You expect her to take off her Gravity Suit inside a volcano to crawl through a small opening to reach that Missile Tank?).
Not to mention her Morph Ball also is faster than actual crawling, specially taking in consideration the Speed Booster, it also lets her reach places she wouldn't be able to normally with her acrobatic skills alone. The Morph Ball also has weapons of its own, never leaving her vulnerable even on that spheric form where she doesn't have access to her arm cannon, so it isn't lame at all!
O.O
Defend much?
Fallon Dreamheart Perhaps. But I think it's worth mentioning all that before saying the Morph Ball is lame.
Dude this whole video is fucking lame in my opinion. I like this channel, but here I feel like he almost intentionally rejected applying logic to why a ball would be more efficient with a huge ass bulky suit on makes me think he really wasn't taking this seriously. I thought this would be a vid on the plausibility of the morph ball form, which happened to be more than plausible, but then he went off on a tangent about how this is "lame" and somehow inefficient and a result of poor programming. I'm not valiantly defending the game, just noting a lack of trying to show how it makes sense and more so plain personal criticism. Lets see some of the worlds best gymnasts go as fast as the ball while crawling.
nickshorty I have watched about 10 videos of his channel after I watched this one, and I really don't understand why he would change his "analyze every perspective" way of doing this kind of theory to a one-sided view.
Pretty well said. I also agree that the Morph Ball is actually a pretty critical tool for Samus. Even if it isn't really THAT small (and earnestly, I don't think Nintendo's tried to make it a secret that it is), it DOES allow her to enter such places with greater mobility and protection. Crawling while in the armor would be slow and leave her vulnerable to being crushed pretty easily. Rolling, on the other hand, offers speed, 360 degree mobility, armored defense, and access to weapons and tools that would not be available otherwise. All things considered, even if Samus really is just curled up in there like that, it's a highly effective way to improve mobility without abandoning the armor - which is especially important when you consider that she is often using it in hazardous environments. Hostile atmospheres, volcanic caverns, submerged in sub-zero lakes, poisonous gasses, and even the vacuum of space, there are very -real- reasons why you wouldn't want to be crawling around without the defenses the morph ball offers.
That aside, I personally have held to a couple additional theories. One is that is even present in this video, and I'm rather disappointed Mat didn't take the time to examine, even though he actually mentioned it earlier. At 3:28 in the video, we see her take the form of the Morph Ball in Metroid Prime. While technically it could be argued that the form is larger then in some of the side scrollers, it's use and functionality are identical. But there's also something about this particular form of the morph ball, and I think a few of the others in Prime, that is unique - there is a gap around the perimeter that allows you to see inside. And what do you see?
Energy.
Very deliberate design choice allows the player to see at about whatever angle they want that Samus does, in fact, appear to enter an energy state within the ball, probably to avoid mangling her body during the transition. Something I'm rather disappointed he doesn't examine, though I suppose he thought it would be more amusing to 'disarm the mystery' of the morph ball. Well, this does bring new questions to light, however. How does she control it? What is her perception? If she WAS physically inside, how does she not get nausea, since it's would involve far more inertia and torque in some of it's uses then even the Screw Attack typically seems to apply. How does she perceive her surroundings and control the ball from an energy state?
Well, if you dig around in Metroid lore enough, it's stated that the Chozo as a people reached the absolute pinnacle of technology. And having done so, chose to adopt a peaceful approach to the universe, and withdraw into spiritual practices. (Supposedly there was a small sect of violent cousins called the Torzio that broke away, but this hasn't been touched on since the bomb sub-boss in Super Metroid for some reason...) They had the technology to convert matter into energy, and even transfer consciousness, and they even seem to have put some of this to use in some of their spiritual exploration over the ages. So it stands to reason that when Samus chose the profession of warrior/protector/guardian, she not only chose a path that had become neglected by their people, but one that would have involved just as much training of her in both mental and martial arts. A sharp mind is necessary for a truly effective warrior. But their schooling would take this further then mere space marine training. I firmly believe that Samus would actually be a very difficult target to attack if one were to attempt to assault through some form of telepathy or mind probing, but also would be capable of some of the mental feats of her adoptive race.
If you doubt this, the proof of this can ALSO be found in Metroid Prime - read the logs, and consider the remaining shadows of the Chozo Guardians on Talon Prime, you see from their logs that they had actually entered a transcendental state. What does that mean? Astral projection. And to the point where they no longer even required their physical bodies. As such, they were at peace, and found profound understanding in the world. But that changed when the Phazon Meteor impacted their peaceful utopia. From their records, we can see that they were brought rather jarringly to be forced to deal with the threat that had come to their world, and that not only that, but the effects of the Phazon and it's radiation was eroding their minds. While they still had their faculties, they struggled to create the temple at the Meteor Crater to contain the horrible alien contaminant within. But they were only partially successful, as while the meteor and the creature within it were contained, the poison of Phazon itself was slowly able to seep out into the world and continue the spread of it's poison - albeit at a greatly reduced rate. By the time Samus has arrived, what is left of the former guardians of the world, one of the few cases where there are, in a sense, living remnants of the adoptive family she once knew, are instead deranged specters of what was, attacking indiscriminately. The state of this former Chozo civilization must have been painful to witness, really.
As for her, I think this means that the 3rd Person Camera you use while in morph ball form isn't just a game mechanic... it's actually more or less how she perceives herself in this state. Her body is contained as energy, and the system is designed to be receptive to the commands of her mind. And her actual perspective is an out-of-body experience, allowing her examine her surroundings and respond without becoming nauseously disoriented.
Between the energy state and the mental control of the morph ball, it stands to reason that this is every bit why there exists in the Space Pirate base rather amusing logs that detail their rather amusing failed attempts to reproduce the Morph Ball for their own uses. Unable to understand what makes it possible, they instead end up violently mangling a number of Pirate 'volunteers', and abandon attempts to copy the technology in favor of trying to replicate her weapons.
pretty much the only reason they would keep it around is rolling around in a ball is far faster then crawling around on your hands and knees... very few people enjoy crawling around.
I was just thinking that...
I only know Daniel Browning Smith from Stan Lee's "Super Humans". Man, I miss Stan Lee. Rest in peace. We will all miss you.
Pros & Cons of the Morph Ball & crawling:
*Morph Ball Pros:*
• Faster
• More useful (climb magnetic walls, use bombs easily, and others)
• Easier to escape
*Cons:*
• Extremely minimal increase in size
*Zero Suit Pros:*
• Enemies will get... distracted
*Zero Suit Cons:*
• The player will get distracted
• Slower
• Harder - if not impossible - to use Bombs, Spider Ball and others
• Much more difficult to maneuver and escape
• Not possible to activate Morph Switches
The morph ball isn't pointless. Imagine trying to crawl on your stomach in a suit of armor, it'd be slow and clunky. Metroid games had to be fast-paced, so that worked out in the end. Plus, imagine where Samus's bombs would come from if she didn't have the morph ball.
gnial lekb I always figured the bombs were actually an energy projection stemming from the folded-up version of Samus' gun. This is why they are infinite (just like the basic shots are) and why the suit can only deploy three at once.
James Deakin Good one!
I'm pretty sure that you could roll faster in a morph ball than crawling prone...
Sure, but atleast you can see instead of going straight into danger..
Derpmarok It also has the distinct advantage of not making you want to vomit.
Derpmarok She can see while she is in the morph ball... Also she can use those abilities to climb certain surfaces (which I will admit a perfect "U" surface would be hard to find in a dead, civilization world) and she can use a morph ball boost which could help her dodge attacks from a giant alien creature for example, while is a smaller target than standing upright.
I understand that what the theory he is talking about and that the morph ball is a dumb thing from gaming's past but it could be used in the future for robots to auto repairing massive spacecraft or fixing wires or cords through out the small spaces so there is more space within the ship needed to support a network of human lives.
Also I love Samus so that could be a reason I am defending this point also. lol
the ball's primary purpose is to reach hard to reach areas, and not to "roll around fast". Your argument is invalid.
Arvind Subramanian To dodge incoming attacks is invalid in the future?
It actually IS impresive because it allows samus to see well while she roles, encases her in a second coat of armor coming out of her original power suit, and it allows her to constantly roll. She CAN use morph ball without a powerup, but she'd wouldn't roll nearly as much, and it would just be samus crouched into a ball instead of an actual ball.
This is the greatest intro of them all. The classic running through names
Also the morph ball has bombs.
You're wrong.
This is not how the morph ball works. The entire interior of the morph ball is mechanical. When Samus morphs into it, her biological information (along with the suit) is stored within a computer inside the ball. When she morphs back out of the ball, the machine converts the digital information into atoms that re-arrange into the suit with Samus inside of it. This is similar to the Composer in Halo 4, except it can reverse the process also. Nintendo also released a diagram that shows the interior of the ball. Chozo tech is the shit.
which is actually stated in one of the prime games, i believe in a pirate log of them trying to imitate the tech... and failing hilariously
You're thinking of a Pokeball.
John MacTroll Nope, I read the scans, instruction manuals, back-story, and promotional stuff.. A Pokeball actually works very differently
David Stewart Yeah that was in Prime in the Phazon Mines around the time when you get the powah bomb. I loved reading the pirate logs in those games. They were uaully pretty funny.
"METROIDS ARE NOT PETS! DO NOT FEED THE METROIDS!" Ahahhaa! Stupid pirates!
Muffin Man I wasn't serious, it was a joke XD
I'm commenting here to remind myself this was the first new video of yours that showed up in my subscription feed and it's been a long ride
Going back to old videos. Years later. It's nice.
Morph Ball is still useful! In all the 3D games...
-It moves faster, assuming level ground or, even better, a downhill slope.
-Bomb jumps. Especially double bomb jumps.
-How else would Samus activate those doodads that only activate when you put a morph ball bomb in them?
-Boost ball!
-Jealousy! One of the pirate scans from Metroid Prime the First (At least, I think it was the first) detailed how they were trying to duplicate Samus's technology. While it mentioned success with her beam weapons, it also mentioned several hideous failures trying to duplicate morph ball tech.
-I know I'm missing SOMETHING...
***** Its called the Spider Ball, but yeah.
that awkward moment when I'm doing my homework and watching game theory at the same time.
Mat is right though. I feel like I learn more when I watch Game Theory than in school, and it's fun enough for me to do in my free time.
the real question is how can samus navigate her environment inside a metal ball?
how does she see where she's going?
why dosent she get disorientated by the constant spinning?
magic.
This is alien technology
Peepachu Pat
ya, but how?
Madsquid994 it could have like some crazy camera thing that rotates on a gyrosphere on a certain part of the ball and she herself could be in a gyrosphere so she is always in the same position. I like gyrospheres...
Peepachu Pat
ya, but its made of metal, how are you supposed to see through it?
Jesus the sound quality improvement of the vids are completely great
Samus might squeeze into MORE places by crawling but the morph ball allows her to squeeze into places and travels faster than crawling. Also the morph ball can do MANY more things than crawling or climbing. Think of spiderball from MP3 Corruption. She can climb through morph ball spaces. (Even though she can climb you forgeting the fact she only has one arm in her suit.) so basically
If samus wanted to climb it isnt possible so the spider ball cam around and turned that around. And lets also not forget the boost ball.(also from MP3 corruption) if she wanted to crawl through gaps it would take FOREVER to do so especially due to how long most of the tunnels are. The boost ball came around and made it seem like the tunnels arent that long but trust me THEY ARE. Even in 8-bit samus you could imagine how fast she would crawl compared to rolling. And dont get me started on the fact that her suit is fucking huge and makes it impossible to get through the gaps for morph ball(The spiked shoulder pads has a huge affect to that.) if she got on her hands and knees crawling through those gaps she would not fit or most likely get stuck. And if you play metroid you would know that she never has time to take off her suit.
Actually, Both the spider AND the boost are from many more games before those. For example, I believe super metroid had a Spider Ball that allowed you to crawl... Anywhere.
Micheal Morris You're thinking Metroid 2, but yes. Boost ball though, that's a Prime original.
yay a comment not distorted by g+
being in ball form would potentially allow her to move faster than crawling.
A video explaining all of her suits and weapons is much needed.
Samus is 6'3"?! Fascinating, she's only a few inches shorter than me, and weighs 30lbs more... to the gym then.
I think Samus' morph ball isn't as useless as the video makes it seems. Yes, she could army crawl or crouch walk through those same spaces. But, she couldn't likely do it as quickly as rolling. Also, if army crawling or crouch walking through a small space she would be more vulnerable to attack. A round constantly rotating surface is harder to do damage to the a laid out body inching it's way through a duct.
This exactly. She might be able to fit in more places by crawling, but the morph ball is much quicker and more convenient.
I love how GameTheory has stayed just as cringy as its begginings, but with less swearing
Old game theory videos are so unhinged I love it
I was about tò comment that
DANGIT I WANTED TO DO MY HOMEWORK!!!!! But homework is just a theory, A GAM.... Wait nooooooooo!!!!!!
Your username is just a theory. A GAME THEORY!
HellomynameisRyanfirstoutindeedgooglelikesmesomuchtheybotheredmeuntilmynamewasthislong That name is so f*****g epic!
Such theory Many thought Much Bewbs
Legend of Zelda logic, Locked doors are considered abnormal.... XD
Those animated drawings of Samus were way to adorable!
Dread: say that again with a straight face. I triple dog dare you.
she goes faster by rolling than crawling, I'd say it's cool to be able to do that
Wow... you actually have a pretty good point.
But does the morph ball just roll because of momentum or is it like a gyroscope?
and she can lay bombs easier
Since you can give yourself a boost, if I remember correctly, in metroid prime, it gave me a theory. If you look at the morph ball, it has sort of vents, and I'm pretty sure that they're actually propulsors.
I'm actually procrastinating on homework by watching these though. Thanks Game Theory. You help me to justify my otherwise widely considered irresponsible actions :)
Lmao
Oh my god a Medabots reference. Matt I love you.
Dude, that intro got me, LOL.
The morphball is like Dr. Who's TARDIS... bigger on the inside. The "morph", as in metamorphosis, gives hint to its nature. It creates a field between her enormous shoulder pads, a field in which space is bent to encapsulate Samus' body into a tiny area. No contortion or sudden discomfort required; it is the product of absurd sci-fi technology.
...or simply retro-gaming BS. ;-P
BS is exactly what it is, only because the very definition of sci-fi requires a bit of 'informed BS.'
Isaac McHale There's a difference between "informed BS" and completely made up for convenience/laziness.
So, what you're saying is her morph ball is transcendentally dimensional?
If you have seen how the Doctor describes his TARDIS, then you know what I mean.
If you have not, then basically... well, imagine this:
You take a small box, and you place it on the ground. You then take a bigger box, and place it several feet away. What if you had access to the bigger box, and used the small box to enter it? The small box would seem bigger on the inside, right?
That's how the TARDIS works. Basically, the police box 'exterior' is only a doorway to another dimension, in which the 'interior' of the TARDIS lies. You use the exterior 'small box' doors to enter the interior, 'big box'. There's no 'bending space' to fit the interior inside the exterior. This is because the interior is not actually 'in' the exterior. It's only linked to it.
Understand? Good, cause it's nothing like that at all.
Well that's cool, too
And once again people forget that a character standing up straight will have a different pixel height than say if they were crouched or in a stance that shortens their original pixel height.
So... what's the point of your comment?
ToonLinkHox That people seem to forget that you get shorter when you crouch is what I'm trying to say.
ToonLinkHox thats he is wrong
12345F12345 The obvious was my point.
12345F12345 People get shorter when they crouch. Making the pixel height less.
Gotta love that Metroid background music
hey game theorys.. just ROLL with it..
Bra ra ra
Ba dum, tch
That pun was very well ROUNDED
Ian Najor are you gonna put him in the PUNitentery or the PUNgeon
Kitty cupcake1 that is a PUNY joke
Higher mobility in every way is an argument for the Morph ball in my opinion. With Boost ball even more so. She can achieve speed higher than by normally running and this can be done in cramped spaces. Also the Spider Ball upgrade allows her to move even in vertical space and on the roof. While this could probably be achieved with some other magnetic device, it would probably be pretty hard to use if trying to crawl vertically inside a wall at the same time.
I agree. Plus: how else would the bomb power-up work? And it's plain cool lookin'!... anyone? No? Ok... :(
thanks, you saved me the writting. i was going to bring the same things up!
damn he talked all lot
You remember that the Spider Ball required magnetic railing, right?
Camoflauged Killer Well yeah, but it would be quite hard to make use of that rail (which someone conveniently placed there) with any other equipment than a ball shaped form.
wouldent spinning in a ball be faster than crawling though?
ik this video is old but I really appreciate you matpat props to you
circles have the most volume out of any shape
did anyone notice in the intro of this video with the morph balls on the floor for a split second in the bottom right corner gaijin goomba can be seen
yeah
The morph ball would still be faster then crawling.
4 year anniversary of this episode. Hurrah!
Omg I forgot why I loved old game theory the bad puns and the old animation I love it
I love the intro! Great music and animation! :D
morph ball can place bombs, and use its spinning power to generate power that she can release to activate energy and eletricity needed mechanisms, also the morph ball can be used to quickly and silently move without even getting noticed because its a ball.....what noise does a ball do when it rolls? nothin!
Ever been to a bowling alley?
Kyrul i used samus to get a strike
i was just about to get off my chair when he stated mocking me
Actually the really impressive aspect of her morph ball is that she doesn't seem to get really dizzy or nauseous from all the rolling! Perhaps she has adapted to doing overtime. Also may be her suit informs her of her current direction so she actually knows where she is rolling to. A holographic GPS she can see while rolling or something along those lines
In MP3 she ran from aliens in a tight space she could crawl through BUT,if she had done that she would have died because crawling lacks speed and the alien bugs were fast.Only the ball could keep up
That is the one real defense of the morph ball I have seen today.
Martin Mcintosh
Also when she is in the morph ball she can drop multiple concussive blasts that protect her from a 360 degree angle, compared to crawling on her stomach, from which she can only protect herself from the front...
TheEsoterist if your talking defense crawling would actually be better in her situations.
for starters the morph ball bomb has a delay to it and has a small blast radius. any smart enemy would move out the way. and because the bomb has such a short radius she's most likely going to be using it at close range, at that distance between her and her enemy she's more likely to get hit. meanwhile her normal form has been shown to be an excellent close range fighter.even if she's crawling her training still gives her great physical strength, she still has her arm canon, and her radar pretty much tells her where enemies are. the morph ball itself is best suited for either running away or dropping power bombs if she needs fire power. and even then her speed booster is even faster and weapons like the omega cannon and phazon beam are more effective than the power bomb anyways.
in the morph balls defense though its literally the only weapon she has for metroids that are already latched onto her.
It's for mobility, defense, and tight places. still it's faster rolling through a tunnel then crawling. ;3
Not to mention it can stick to walls in later games
Marquis Yarosh Not just the later games, she could do so in Metroid 2 (even though the Prime series chronologically came first).
you make me do physical exercise and then laugh at me. what type of a monster are you.
To fit in the original ball, i dont need to do much, just fold my legs.
I might have agreed with you if it hadn't been for that Pirate Log from metroid prime where the pirates tried to copy the morph ball and mangled their test subject
5:47
Oh yeah I remember that. I laugh out loud at that one lol.
John MacTroll I don't get it?
Loved that log. It was horribly sadistic.
***** I know this already read the comment I was talking about.
No logical benefits to the morph ball...?
Like you know, the vastly increased speed and maneuverability that make it way more practical and efficient that crawling around?
Careful, dude! If you keep that up, he won't be able to talk about things in the smuggest and smarmiest voice he possibly can!
matpat, even thout you called me dum , you're still my favorit
i always just thought she was like that guy who could fit through a tennis racket
This is only two cents on the matter of justifying the ball remaining; I noticed Samus never really 'falls down' persay, her suit doesn't allow for normal range of motion. When looking at all her varying suits, the Shin-Guards particularly seem to be in the way and her arm guards are also very bulky in many of them - not to Mention that she has that huge gun instead of a working arm. Even in smash brothers, when damage is taken her legs remain extended or she is in her mid-air somersault (similar to just being in the ball shape) or in the ball morph itself. Once in a somersault, you can't exactly just continue momentum and it doesn't really appear her suite is made for 'crawling'. It's a pretty BA suit but there are always limitations to technology and the morph ball upgrade allows her to be smaller and maintain momentum. Maybe? Maybe. Just saying.
Also worth mentioning- Sure she fits easily enough into the morph ball. However, the suit itself is pretty massive. Just look at the span of the shoulders with the Varia Suit! You would not be able to fit into an air shaft with the suit, so perhaps the real benefit of the morph ball is being able to fit into a (admittedly large-ish) space without having to remove the suit.
Spider ball was the SHIT in Metroid 2. Don't chu be dissin' Spider Ball. And Jump Ball.
"Samus' BAAWLLS"
gotta love BabyPat
Lol I was on the toilet and he said get out of your chair and crouch into a ball so I did lol
Did anyone else se Gaijins head in the intro on the right side of the screen?
Yep I did
Fantastic video, as per usual (for game theory, that is.)
Could one argue that maybe the morph ball isn't for the benefit of Samus but rather for the bulkiness of her suit? I can't imagine it would be easy crawling into tight spaces with that gun arm getting in the way, so maybe the purpose of that morphball is used to get around the suit's clunky design to favor a smoother, sleeker, faster way of getting through those tight spaces?
Respect points for Rundas’s theme in the video
Well you know she is alot faster rolling then crawling :I