There's a special place in the gaming Pantheon for the Metroid series. Samus Aran's journey from 8-bit bounty hunter to the star of one of the greatest SNES games ever, Super Metroid was grand, but remarkably brief. Samus really only starred in three Metroid games, even after the release of the N64. Aside from appearing in the Super Smash Bros. games, Samus's popularity as one of gaming's most legendary heroines began to wane in the late 90's and early 2000's. Then came Retro Studios, an up-and-coming studio that took on a challenge unlike any other. They aimed to take Metroid and put it in 3-D. But not just any 3-D; first-person 3-D. That's a challenge that could've been disastrous. But under the name Metroid Prime, Retro Studios' project exploded onto the scene in 2002. Did it bring…

…sorry. I can't hide it anymore. Metroid Prime is the best Gamecube game in history.

Samus Aran returns in Metroid Prime after a space frigate is under attack in the reaches of the Tallon IV system. Samus discovers more than just some experiments on the frigate, ultimately losing her abilities after a close encounter with an old enemy. After discovering a Space Pirate uprising on the nearby Tallon IV homeworld (which also happens to be the home planet of the Chozo people, Samus's adoptive tribe), the bounty huntress exploring the overworld in search of new experiments, abilities, and answers to the Space Pirate secrets. While the storyline isn't huge, it's mostly told through scans using the Scan Visor. Pirate Data, Chozo Lore, Research Data, and more are scattered throughout the planet. The storyline is impressively deep, but it never defeats one of Metroid Prime's greatest atmospheric strengths: the isolation. Samus is the only human on the planet and having such cryptic storytelling only serves to amplify that idea. It's a haunting feeling that just makes the secrets that more tantalizing, especially the Chozo Lore, which tells of bigger things than a simple cutscene can offer. A cinematic spectacle, Metroid Prime nails a storytelling mechanism that secures and rewards investigation, only making the haunting tale of the Chozo and Space Pirate battles more appealing to the player.

Metroid Prime immediately gets you into the action after you start the game, introducing the unique, but tight control setup. While dual-analog aiming may be the standard for many console shooters these days, the lock-on/strafe system in Metroid Prime adds dimension to the gameplay. Samus's aiming sight locks on to an enemy or object using the L button with shooting accomplished by pressing the A button. B lets Samus jump, and combining the jump command with a lock-on lets Samus strafe around a target. This system is fluid and fast, and while some may say that it makes combat too easy, that's hardly the case. A unique factor of the Metroid series in general has always been Samus's compact mode of terrain transport, the Morph Ball. Pressing the X button lets Samus go into a third-person mode, and the Control Stick lets Samus roll around the environment. Metroid Prime's unique controls may sound overly-obscure, but they make for an absolutely awesome experience, especially once you dive deeper and deeper into the immense world of Tallon IV.

Though Samus loses a great deal of her abilities at the start, you collect more and more throughout the course of the game. Usually through solving puzzles or tackling bigger and badder enemies, new weapons, suits, and abilities appear at a refreshing pace. The reward is fantastic; after defeating one of the many behemoth creatures that exist on the Tallon IV planet, the sense of accomplishment is huge. The boss fights specifically are intricate and challenging, even with the presumably easier lock-on system. There's always some trick or puzzle that demands solving, and the gargantuan creatures that challenge Samus only serve to make the adventure epic and tremendous.

But the combat is, interestingly enough, a minor part of Metroid Prime. The gist of a majority of the game is the exploration. Fortunately, the Scan Visor lets Samus scan environmental objects or enemies to learn more about how they function or their weaknesses. This streamlines exploration considerably and makes the puzzles a bit easier to tackle, but the challenging and thought-provoking environmental puzzles are simply superb, setting Metroid Prime apart from other first-person games. Being able to investigate through the Chozo Ruins' isolated environment will no doubt leave you in shock and awe. Even once you've defeated the final boss, there's plenty left to do, like finding secret Missile Expansions and pickups, scanning for 100% completion, or simply returning to the Metroid Prime world for a speed run. But what makes Metroid Prime so captivating is its integration of so many gameplay ideas into a fluid and enthralling adventure. No piece feels forgotten, with the end result being what is hands-down one of the best games in its generation and a landmark title even after the Gamecube's legacy faded.

The presentation in Metroid Prime, in a nutshell, pushes the system to its farthest limits. Immediately after seeing Samus Aran leap from her space cruiser to an abandoned space frigate, you'll be floored. The textures are some of the most realistic seen on the system. The subtle details like water droplets on Samus's visor or the visor effects themselves nail the immersion factor in ways that many games have attempted to replicate, but never have duplicated. Metroid Prime's first-person perspective adds a new viewpoint. We've seen shooters before, but the exploratory factor really lets the player see the excellence in the detail of the Metroid universe. It's these slower moments that show off the visual presentation at its best. The moments when you can stop and see the world in its beauty are what make Metroid Prime transcendent, not just good-looking. The excellent collection of musical tracks seal the deal in the audio department; whether it's the thunderous drum sounds of Magmoor Caverns or the isolated performances in Phendrana Drifts, you won't find a single mismatched piece in the superb audio design. Sound effects are fantastic and impacting; creatures growl and snarl, weapon effects zap and echo. The presentation in Metroid Prime cannot be praised enough. This is as close to total immersion that you'll ever see in a video game. Period.

Pros
+ Stellar presentation delivers an immense sense of immersion
+ First-person exploration throws plenty of engaging twists to puzzle-solving
+ Controls feel tight and well-fit for the gameplay
+ Plenty of hidden bonuses
+ Keeps the Metroid-esque gameplay in tact, regardless of the dimension count

Cons
- Good luck finding a better title on Gamecube…

The Gamecube had plenty of great titles, but Metroid Prime transcends them all. From the moment that Samus leaps onto the abandoned space frigate, you know something memorable has happened. Everything in the game is spot-on. The shooting is action-packed, the exploration is undeniably stellar, the atmosphere is simply second-to-none, the puzzles are unique and clever, the bosses are epic, and the game is lengthy and comprehensive. Metroid Prime is the best Gamecube game, hands-down, defining multiple genres and earning its place in gaming history. We all thought that, deep down inside, Metroid Prime would drive the franchise into the ground, ultimately destroying the series with cumbersome controls and unfulfilled promises. We couldn't be more wrong. Retro Studios accomplished what many thought couldn't be done; they made Metroid in 3-D (first-person even!) without compromising any of the franchise's gameplay staples, along with adding interesting and fulfilling new elements that set new limits to what a game can be. If you own a Gamecube (or the Gamecube-game compatible Wii system) this should be in your collection; it's as simple as that. From start to finish, Metroid Prime will keep you captivated, leave you enthralled, and offer one hell of an adventure that simply cannot be missed. Tallon IV beckons and it's time to answer the call.