*DISCLAIMER: This review will focus largely on the "Metroid Prime Trilogy" as a collection. Game quality will be taken into account at least a little bit, but I'll largely focus on the value of the combined collection. If you're interested in reading my reviews of the individual games, you can find those on my profile.*
In 2008 (or 2009 in America), Nintendo announced the "New Play Control!" line, a selection of GameCube titles remastered for the Wii with the addition of the new console's motion controls. It was a short-lived brand, but it included titles like "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat," "Mario Power Tennis," and the "Pikmin" games (though "Pikmin 2" got its Wii release three years late, and without the "New Play Control!" label on it). Oh, and "Chibi-Robo!" saw a release in Japan...not here, though. Guess we don't care about him enough. Anyway, while Japan had gotten ports of the first two "Metroid Prime" games for the Wii, we here in America received these re-releases in the form of the "Metroid Prime Trilogy," a collection featuring all three of the games touched up with many of the improvements made in "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption." It was a great idea, and might I say, it's probably the definitive way to experience this great set of games.
"Metroid Prime Trilogy" on its own is most likely worth a purchase thanks to the overall quality of the three games in the package, but as a remaster collection, it does even more than a typical collection should. It takes the three games and completely overhauls the control scheme to fit with the Wii, but it's honestly great that it does: "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption" absolutely nailed the motion controls, to the point where it proved motion was not just a gimmick, and translating that control style to the other two games feels seamless. In some ways, it might even make the games feel even better than the original versions. The visual design remains as smooth as ever, and I also appreciate that the game added some features to make the gameplay a bit more accessible, such as the hint system and the ability to turn off the Lock-On Free Aim feature for easier shooting. Also, the game features a vast array of bonuses included in this collection to unlock, giving you plenty of reason to replay the games and earn the credits to unlock content.
I...honestly can't think of much to criticize with this collection. I know I didn't give each individual game a 10/10 in my reviews of them, but that won't stop me from giving this collection such a score because, judging it as a remaster collection, it does everything such a collection should do and then some: keeps the spirit of the original games, touches them up in smart ways, and adds a ton of bonus content. What more could you want?
Overall, "Metroid Prime Trilogy" might honestly be the best remaster collection I've ever played. Beyond the excellent quality of the games themselves, this does more than any remaster collection should reasonably do, overhauling the games in a very smart way while adding plenty of bonuses to keep fans satisfied. It feels like the definitive way to experience this trilogy, and if you can find it for a good price, give it a go. Plus, we've probably still got seven years to go until Nintendo is ready to release "Metroid Prime 4" so...spend that time with this incredible package of fantastic games.
Final rating: 10 out of 10 "Fantastic"