Obscure 2010 DSiWare Game Tops Metacritic User Ratings – GameTopic
Obscure 2010 DSiWare Game Tops Metacritic User Ratings - GameTopic
The Mysterious Rise of Metal Torrent: A Tale of Manipulated Scores
Last week, a curious Reddit user ventured into the depths of r/Nintendo with a bizarre question: “Why is an obscure DSiWare game called Metal Torrent the highest user-reviewed Nintendo game of all time?” As it turns out, this seemingly forgotten game has managed to surpass classics like Super Metroid and Pokemon SoulSilver in user ratings, despite its lackluster critical reception.
The Reddit community offered various theories to unravel this mystery. Some speculated that a group of meme-loving gamers had artificially inflated Metal Torrent’s scores through “meme-brigading.” Others proposed the existence of an underground cult following for this game. And of course, there were those who suggested that people just love free stuff, as Metal Torrent was, for many, a free game.
While the Nintendo subreddit dismissed these theories, they piqued my curiosity. What was behind Metal Torrent’s unexpected rise? The answer, it turns out, was far more peculiar than anyone could have imagined. In 2020, a disgruntled gamer, fueled by frustration with an entirely different game, took it upon themselves to manipulate the scores of multiple games on Metacritic. This anonymous gamer’s handiwork may have vanished from other games, but Metal Torrent still stands as a bizarre artifact and a reminder of how easily online score aggregators can be manipulated.
A Diamond in the Rough?
Metal Torrent, released in 2010, is a vertical scrolling shooter game available on the DSiWare platform. Developed by Arika, a studio known for its work on the Endless Ocean series and Tetris 99, Metal Torrent received a lukewarm review from us back in 2010. We described it as a game that delivered a “torrential downpour of bullets, but not of content.” Despite this, Metal Torrent managed to make its mark.
Since the discontinuation of Nintendo DS online support in 2014, Metal Torrent’s online leaderboards have been inactive. There has been no re-release or resurgence of interest in this game. It’s safe to say that Metal Torrent is just an ordinary shooter that doesn’t quite stand out. It’s hard to imagine how a game like this could rise to the top of any rankings, especially in a world where user ratings on Metacritic can be as fickle as a feather in the wind.
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But here’s where it gets interesting: Metal Torrent currently has 1,402 user ratings, with 1,339 of them positive. While this may seem like a reasonable average, considering the number of reviews, the strange part is that only 11 users took the time to leave comments. Nine of those comments were overwhelmingly negative, giving the game a 0 or 1 rating. Another user gave it a 5 simply because they felt the overall score was too high. The remaining comment was a shining gem of praise from a user named KuranushiShizue, who hailed Metal Torrent as a “brilliant lost hidden gem made by Nintendo.”
Clearly, something fishy is going on with Metal Torrent’s user score. Who is responsible for this strange phenomenon? To uncover the truth, I delved into the depths of the Internet, searching for any evidence of an invisible fan community that might explain this surge of adoration for a forgotten DSiWare shmup.
Investigation in the Age of Review Bombs
My journey started with the Wayback Machine, hoping to pinpoint when Metal Torrent rose to the top of Nintendo’s user-rating charts. The available archives were limited, but they provided some valuable clues. Prior to 2020, Metal Torrent wasn’t anywhere near the top of the charts. However, by August 2020, it had climbed above Super Metroid with its current score. A snapshot from February 2020 showed the game had 41 ratings and a user score of 8.6. But by November of the same year, it had amassed 823 ratings and a whopping 97 user score. Clearly, something extraordinary had occurred in mid-2020 that propelled Metal Torrent to unprecedented heights.
The question remained: What happened? Initially, I assumed it might be the result of a popular content creator’s influence. But after scouring Twitter, YouTube, and Reddit, I found no trace of any meaningful discussion or fan campaigns related to Metal Torrent. It seemed I had hit a dead end.
Just when I thought all hope was lost, a more likely explanation emerged. I recalled another incident earlier in 2020 where a game, AI: The Somnium Files, had been review bombed. The culprit turned out to be a user on the ResetEra forum known as “Krvavi Abadas.” In an astonishingly detailed post, they explained how they manipulated user scores on Metacritic and confessed to targeting AI: The Somnium Files. Astonishingly, Krvavi Abadas admitted to manipulating not only AI: The Somnium Files but also the scores of Crystar and Metal Torrent.
With this revelation, it became apparent that Metal Torrent’s rise was not the result of an organic fan community. Instead, it was the calculated work of a gamer determined to prove the manipulability of Metacritic’s score system. It was a grand experiment to demonstrate how easily obscure games could be transformed into the best or worst games of all time with just a few hours of manipulation.
Since then, AI: The Somnium Files has had its user score reset, but Crystar and Metal Torrent remain untouched. Both games continued to receive positive reviews without any context, indicating that either Krvavi Abadas continued their manipulation or that their actions inspired others to follow suit. There may be countless other games on Metacritic impacted by this underhanded tactic. Unfortunately, Metacritic declined to comment on these events.
The Perils of Trusting Aggregated Scores
User reviews, in any context, are a delicate matter. While they can provide a glimpse into what the gaming community thinks about a game, they can also be easily manipulated. Over the years, we have witnessed the rise of review bombing and its detrimental effects on games. Extremist groups have used this tactic to express their displeasure with certain content. Fortunately, platforms like Metacritic and Steam have taken steps to counter this type of manipulation.
But what Metal Torrent’s story teaches us is that individual manipulation is just as problematic. It highlights the need to approach aggregated scores with caution and rely more on reading individual reviews from critics and users. Taking the time to delve into the thoughts and opinions of others provides a much more accurate picture of a game’s true quality.
So, while Metal Torrent might appear to be the best Nintendo-published game according to user scores, it’s worth considering other gems like Super Metroid. As we navigate the gaming landscape, let us remember that numbers can deceive, and truly understanding a game requires us to look beyond the aggregates.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for GameTopic. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected].
