Nintendo’s games were all about saving the princess from the bad guy. Nintendo then developed a new idea. Use a Bounty Hunter and discover power-ups for your suit to become a superior space warrior. One catch, the Bounty Hunter is a woman! There’s only one game that fits this description, and that answer is Metroid. The Metroid series has been gone for over eight years. Gamers all over the world were disappointed when they heard the news that Metroid 64 was cancelled. However, they still got a chance to see their favorite Space Warrior in full 3D on Super Smash Bros. Nintendo bought a little game development house in Texas called Retro Studios and decided to see what the company can do with a big title name such as Metroid. After years of hard work, Metroid Prime has finally finished development and was launched on the GameCube’s 1st year anniversary. The game begins when Samus receives note of disturbances in a far off galaxy. With her Arm Cannon in hand, Samus explores the site and scans items to learn vital information as to what’s going on. Each area had its obstacles, so Samus took advantage and used such abilities as the Morph Ball to roll into tiny areas, the Missile to break big barriers, and the Charge Shot for even more destruction. She received some damage along the way but was luckily enough to find a room that removed all harm from her. She then entered a huge room which contained a giant parasite being conducted by an experiment. The Parasite Queen woke up and launched at Samus with brute force, but Samus was just too smart. After scanning her enemy and finding her weak spot, Samus destroyed the Queen. Doing so led to a horrid meltdown and the space colony was going to self-destruct. Samus used all the abilities she had and destroyed enemies along the way. It wasn’t long before she was caught in the explosion and lost some major parts to her Power Suit. Her starship lands on what seems like an abandoned planet filled with areas of High Toxins, Tallon IV. Can Samus find all her gear and uncover all the secrets that Tallon IV holds? Metroid Prime doesn’t really have any particular place in the Metroid Timeline. It’s arguably the first, but it’s to be said that Prime is its own franchise in anyway possible. Though the game looks a lot like a traditional First Person Shooter, it has more exploration and info gathering then it does actual combat. Retro did wonders making Prime original to the series, and veterans of the series will find a lot of familiar items and some new upgrades to Samus’s Power Suit. Along with the original items come original enemies and brand new enemies to the mix. All of which Samus can destroy in alternate ways, finding more effective ways to destroy them as she goes on. The gameplay involved in the game is very unique compared to most adventure games. Metroid Prime makes the First Person perspective a totally new experience with the exploration. The first area in which you made Samus go through gives you a feel on what to expect when you continue on with the game, much like a test to see if you’re worthy. The object of the game is to get to the final boss by going through areas you couldn’t normally get to by collecting necessary update your Power Suit. Armed with only a basic Power Suit and basic Arm Cannon, Samus begins her mission in the beautiful scapes of Tallon Overworld and starts off in the desert like Chozo Ruins. To add to the realism that you’re in the eyes of Samus Aran, Retro has put up a distinct amount of information on your visor. It includes your current Beam Weapon, your Life Capacity, what visor you’re using, a map of your current location, and your Missile capacity. To perfect the realism that you’re in, the smallest details can be noticed. For example, surfacing above the water will let tiny droplets spill from Samus’s Visor, or going through a smoky area will have the visor foggy. It’s amazing how much effort Retro Studios put in an already great game. Once you learn the Basics to your Power Suit, you’re going to have to learn how to use it perfectly. Tapping the A Button will allow Samus to shoot a ball of energy. The B Button can be used to make Samus jump. On original First Person Shooters, jumping is horrible. But Metroid is nothing but jumping and shooting, so Retro has made the jumping work in the game very well. The R Button will let Samus aim her Arm Cannon at a specific spot; this is mainly used for looking around. The Z button brings forth a detailed Map of Tallon IV. Using the C-Stick, Samus can switch whichever Cannon she’s using. Pressing any direction on the Control Pad will allow Samus to switch into a different visor. To use these functions, Samus must find the necessary builds of Equipment scattered throughout Tallon IV. You wouldn’t have a gun if you weren’t going to use it. So Metroid Prime has given Samus superior abilities to her enemies, and it’s all up to her to use her weapons effectively. If an enemy is close, holding the L button will make Samus lock-on to that target. This is what makes the game different from most FPS’s, they usually have no Auto-Aim. From there, Samus can just blast away the aliens with no problem. While locked on, Samus can strafe from left to right by just simply tilting the Control Stick in the direction that you want strafe. You can use a dash strafe by quickly tapping the B Button while strafing. Sometimes, enemies can only be destroyed using a Special Visor or Cannon, so try as many combinations as you can in order to emerge out of the fray successfully. When low on energy, you can use a Save Station to save your game and replenish your health. They’re usually located near areas in which you obtained a new item. With this great game come beautiful visuals. Nintendo worked hard with Retro to make Metroid Prime the most enjoyable experience this generation. Everything is perfectly detailed and brought to life, and the design is simply breathtaking. On the elevator rides, you can just look at Samus’s Suit in all its glory with awe. Metroid Prime is perfect in the graphics department. Retro Studios and Nintendo managed to re-create a lot of the original Metroid music into some extreme techno. You can jam to the opening theme, or get a feel for the game when walking around the valleys in the Tallon Overworld. Retro gets it right by making the music have some sort of lonely feeling while you’re exploring the many depths of Tallon IV. Overall, Metroid Prime probably has one of the best soundtracks in all of gaming, and it’s a shame than Nintendo never created a CD for the game. Blasting away metal raiders with your Arm Cannon also has realistic sounds that keep the gamer focused on what he or she is doing in the game. From the sound of water to huge explosions, Metroid Prime’s sound is close to, if not, perfect. Aside from the main game, there are a lot of extras that come within it. Scanning is a necessity if you want to unlock a few image galleries, and to unlock the first, you must scan 50% of the log book. There are 2 additional image galleries in the game, but it’s best to leave them unmentioned. Metroid Prime also takes advantage of the GCN-GBA Game Link Cable. If you’ve beaten Metroid Prime on the GBA, you can connect it to Metroid Prime and play the original Metroid that was originally on the NES. It’s a great game to play if you need more Metroid after beating Fusion. However, if you do it the other way around, you’ll have the ability to use Samus’s Fusion suit in Metroid Prime. There’s nothing really exciting about this since Samus’s original Varia suit looks much better than the Fusion one, but it’s still a nice extra to the game. Metroid Prime is the first 3D Metroid game, and it’s a very welcome addition to the franchise. It’s the probably the best game on 2002 for the GameCube and is well worth the $50. If you don’t have a GameCube, Metroid Prime is also worth getting one. Not to mention the fact that the game only uses 1 block of memory… It’s a great experience for those old and new to the Metroid series, and Retro has proved that anything is possible. It’s totally original, and it should take the average gamer at least 24 hours to complete the game the first time through. Beating the game will unlock a “Hard Mode”, and it’s not a lie. The main difference between Normal and Hard is that your enemies have much more defense, and they’re more aggressive. If you didn’t get a perfect percentage, you can still play the game again and obtain the items that influence the percentage. In the end, Metroid Prime is arguably the best game on the GameCube right now and should influence both young and old gamers. This is one of the games on the “Buy a GCN get a Game FREE deal”, so this is probably the one you want if you don’t want Zelda or the GBA Player.
This game surprised the hell out of me. I’ll admit that I was one of those who scoffed the instant I learned that the new Metroid would be first-person. A Metroid first person shooter? That can’t be done. There’s no way ... Read Full Review
Metroid started out as a side scrolling adventure. Now Retro studios and Nintendo have changed the side scrolling legend to an awesome game in Metroid Prime. The game isn’t a side scrolling shooter. Retro studios ... Read Full Review
