I do know that NTSC consoles may appear in black and white if played on a PAL60 video system when using composite or S-video - not sure if that's a possible culprit, but if we're just talking NTSC on NTSC screens or PAL on PAL screens, then yeah it sounds like there is a problem. Unfortunately, it's tough to recommend a repair service because some of the best are so busy that I don't know if they're available, and it's actually been a while since I needed anything done, so I'm not sure who to recommend at the moment. I wish I could be more help, but I'm sure you can find some more info searching around the internet. Just be sure you see pictures of their work and check plenty of reviews to be sure they are trusted!

Well, you'll get some of my thoughts on the game in our annual "The Games We Played in 2021," but sadly both Coury and I don't have the most enthusiastic feelings on Metroid Dread. That's not to say we dislike it, but really just that we don't feel much of anything at all about it. It plays great and there's not much of anything wrong with it (although I thought the game's breezy friction-free flow made exploration a bit less involved than I'd like). There's nothing majorly wrong with it that the devs could've done anything to fix, but the problem is outside their control. The problem is me and the oversaturation of the genre.

Basically, the problem is that I still like Metroidvania-type games, but I'm also kinda burned out on them. There are sooo many "tributes" to Super Metroid and Symphony of the Night out there, and sometimes they'll resonate with me just right and other times I just feel like the world itself never made an impression. You look at something like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, which is a less impressive game than Metroid Dread for sure, and not as well-received, but something about it connected with me more than Metroid Dread. Maybe they could've been reversed for me if I'd played either of them a different week or a different month. I enjoyed playing Metroid Dread, but what I really live for in Metroid-style games is the feeling of getting to know the world and for whatever reason that just didn't happen for me this time. It's not gonna stop me from playing this type of game, because you never know when I WILL love it.

Oh, and as for rankings, I don't have a strong ranking of the Metroid games to be honest, but I do place Prime 1 in the first place spot. Not sure if that's controversial or not.

Thanks! Glad you like it.