Beautiful graphics and polished gameplay make this a must buy for the GameCube.
User Rating: 9.8 | Metroid Prime GC
The metroid series has always been one of Nintendo's strongest and most recognized series. Time and time again, they have gone to the well and come back with classics. This time around a new developer, Retro Studios, was given the reigns and asked to fill some big shoes. They certainly accomplished that and more, making the best game in the series to date. Metroid Prime departs from the classic third person view of the original series and adopts a first person perspective. However, this game is anything but a first person shooter. It plays more like a action/adventure game with a first person view. The game starts on a run down space station aboe the planet Talon IV. Samus comes almost fully equipped at the beginning, and the intro level serves as a tutorial showcasing her vairous weapons and abilities. After a boss battle and brief cutscene, the real fun begins as Samus lands on the planet Talon IV (though minus most of her equipment) and begins her investigation. The world itself consists of several large distinct areas. In longstanding metroid tradition, not all the areas are accesible at first. Each part of the world has a distinctive feel to it and is very well designed. Consisting of gorgeous graphical environments and populated by various detailed creatures, these levels truly showcase the graphical power of the gamecube. The sound is also of very high quality and sets the mood quite well. You really feel immersed in the world of Talon IV. The gameplay consists of a fair amount of combat, some platforming elements, and also a good deal of problem solving. Combat centers around a lock on system in which an enemy is targetted and then locked on to by a press of a button. When locked on, the player can still move and dodge by pressing the B button. While that technique is fairly simple, it is neccessary to learn for later boss battles. Samus's weapons consist of several types of power beams and missles. Certain beam/missle power ups can be used in combo and really pack a punch when used in the right situation. A little strategy can go a long way when deciding on the type of beam/missle to use against particular enemies. As the game progresses, Samus earns various upgrades to both her armament and combat suit. Certain upgrades are neccessary to progress the game, while others such as missles and energy tanks simply make Samus more formidable. This really gives the player a sense of accomplishment when these elements are found. As a reward, various parts of the map that were previously unaccessible become open as Samus finds upgrades such as the double jump, morph ball, boost ball, etc. Not all of these new areas are easy to access, and require some problem solving and dexterity on the part of the player. While the jumping puzzles tend to be rather straightforward, the boost ball/half pipe puzzles can be difficult and require thought, patience, and a fair amount of skill. As with any classic metroid game, there are the famous boss battles. These usually involve figuring out a strategy of attack or puzzle in order to defeat the boss. Simply charging right in will quickly lead the player to the reload screen. Regarding drawbacks, I really didn't find too many issues that bothered me. The main issues I had were backtracking, scanning, and the controls. However, none of these were that serious. As mentioned earlier, much of the map is not accessible in the beginning, but rather becomes open as you find upgrades. This requires the player to return to previously visited areas. At first, it's rather exciting and gives you a sense of accomplishment when entering new areas. However, towards the end of the game it gets a little tedious to backtrack across entire levels to access a far away small new area. Respawning monsters, including some boss type enemies, can add to that tedium. The scanning is done quite well at the beginning, and really serves as a way the player can learn about the history of Talon IV. However, it can become tedious in large areas or when trying to scan a boss enemy in the middle of a heated battle. Finally, I would have preferred dual analog controls, one for looking and one for moving. In Metroid Prime, you only look in the direction that you are moving. While adequate in most areas, it becomes a little annoying when walking around corners. You can't see whats about to hit you until you turn. It would be nice to move laterally while still looking ahead. Once locked on to an opponent, the character can strafe side to side, but you have to see that enemy before you can lock on. Again, these faults are rather minor and do little to take away from the solid gameplay. All in all, I found this to be one of the best console games I have played this generation. The gameplay, sound, and graphics come together to make an exceptional game experience. If you own a gamecube, then this game is an absolute must have. Enjoy.
