When comparing Metroid vs Donkey Kong, the Slant community recommends Metroid for most people. In the question“What are the best and the most revolutionary games of all time?” Metroid is ranked 14th while Donkey Kong is ranked 56th. The most important reason people chose Metroid is:
Metroid paved the way for using not only sound and graphics, but level design as an element of atmosphere in games. Its deep, dark, winding tunnels with cleverly hidden passages and non-linear gameplay, together with its foreboding soundtrack and sound effects create a desolate feeling of loneliness akin to the cinematography of the film "Alien".
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Pros
Pro Atmospheric sound and graphics
Metroid paved the way for using not only sound and graphics, but level design as an element of atmosphere in games. Its deep, dark, winding tunnels with cleverly hidden passages and non-linear gameplay, together with its foreboding soundtrack and sound effects create a desolate feeling of loneliness akin to the cinematography of the film "Alien".
Pro Created a new sub-genre (Metroidvania)
Because of their atmospheric design and non-linear gameplay, Metroid and Castlevania have forged their own sub-genre, original enough to bear their names - Metroidvania.
Pro Encouraged speed running
Metroid's innovation doesn't stop there - Metroid was one of the first games to not only cater to, but encourage speed running, a concept ultimately popularized by one of its sequels, Super Metroid.
Pro Challenged players' assumptions
Metroid uses this mechanic to go step further - upon being completed in under a certain amount of time, it breaks players assumptions and defies gender stereotypes in revealing that the hero they've been playing as is actually a heroine.
Pro Still competitive more than 30 years later
Players still compete for high scores in tournaments and casual competition. The game is streamed daily on Twitch by people striving to beat their own PB or reach a high score goal.
Cons
Con You have to play in one sitting
No saves, passwords, or retries if you get a game over.
Con Very optimized world record
There is very little room to improve the world record, and the MAME record is close to the theoretical maximum. Getting a new world record would require not just skill but also a great deal of luck.