08-11-2007, 11:04 AM
Okay, so... you lucky American gamers (and annoyingly some non-Metroid) fans get Metroid Prime 3 in a few weeks. So in honor of such an amazing franchise I shall be posting a couple of reviews of previous entries into the series.
So where to begin, Metroid Prime marked the revival of the Metroid franchise on Nintendo’s flailing console, Nintendo Gamecube. The Metroid series itself had been quiet and Samus had not appeared since way back in 1993, the year of Super Metroid and many had seemingly forgotten about her. Except her fans, who were pleased to see the announcement of Metroid Prime being worked on by a developer called Retro Studios. No one knew quite what to expect, especially when they announced it would be a First-Person Adventure game. But luckily all our hopes were met and exceeded and we were graced with one of the greatest games in the history of gaming. But don’t believe me? Well, read the review for some justification.
You are greeted with a shot of space and a voice over, at first glance it doesn’t seem special but this is only beginning. The visuals strike you as soon as the game begins, and you can tell whilst playing it that this game will go down on the record as one of the best looking Gamecube games ever created. And in terms of visuals, the game itself provides you with a large variety of environments to really show off its style and quality. From your first introduction mission on a desolate Space Station to your exploration of the mysterious Phazon Mines there will always be something that stands out. There are many nice little features that make all the difference to the game itself, for example: when Samus enters the water you are met with a new aquatic environment but upon leaving the water you can see it washing off your screen. It’s not a big feature, but it is just a nice extra detail.
The environments literally bring you into the game, the flaming depths of Magmoor Caverns, the icy wins of Phendrana Drifts, the ruined wreckage of the Space Station that crash-landed on Tallon IV; every environment brings something to the game. One of the biggest advantages of this is that it will make exploring the various areas an experience that you’ll enjoy. This makes backtracking an enjoyable process, revisiting a location and opening a new path to another area that stands out with Metroid Prime’s exceptional graphics.
Gameplay is always important in Metroid games, mostly due to a lot of the time you’ll find yourself revisiting areas a few times to unlock new areas or collect new power-ups.
The combat in this Metroid gem is what was one of the gaming world’s biggest concerns, for as long as the franchise existed (three previous games) it has dealt only with 2D environments. Which made the combat pretty straight forward, jump, shoot, jump, duck, shoot, ect. Bringing the game into three dimensions obviously meant that this had to change, and change it did. Its this part of the game that usually leads people to somewhat mistakenly add this game into the FPS genre. Basically, you are given the option to lock onto targets and this allows you to constantly keep your target on-screen and enables you to fire rapidly without worrying about losing the enemy. Remembering of course that once a somewhat large gap is created between you and the enemy causes the lock to break off and you’ll have to lock on once again.
Throughout the game Samus will collect and utilise many different visors and beam weapons, and in order to allow relative ease of use during battle a workable method must be worked out. And the chosen method is successful, for example you’ll reach a point in the game where you are fighting enemies that can only be beaten by certain beams. So when your fighting multiple ones you need to be able to jump between beam weapons seamlessly, by using the C-stick you can easily jump from one weapon to another. Besides the brief pause to change the beam it is a very quick process that won’t leave you open for a substantial amount of time. Which is good because sometimes the action comes thick and fast in this game a lot of the time.
A sub section of the combat in the gameplay is definitely boss battles. Now I would have rounded this off in the same write up but I believe they are so well done that they deserve a section of their own. Sure the enemies are of regular size, but upon first entering a boss fight one thing will become apparent: these guys mean business. The bosses are massive and incredibly fun to meet in combat. Your very first true boss experience comes in the form of a massive mutated flower called Flaaghra; to defeat this boss it involves a simple yet cool mechanic. Basically you lock onto Flaaghra and side-dash around hitting the mirror panels so that the sun no longer powers it, once it is down for the count its time to go into Morph Ball mode roll down a short passage and at the end is a bomb slot, so you know what to do. Rinse and repeat (as is typical in boss fights) but you watch out, this plant won’t go down without a fight. It’ll utilise its massive blades on its arms, projectile blasts, and it’ll occasionally slam down into the ground blocking one direction (either left or right). And if you take too long it will knock the mirrors back down, forcing to you to do another round. It might not sound exhilarating, but in a gaming world of boring, bland boss fights, it’s refreshing.
Music. Metroid music. Always a strong point of a Metroid game, and this game doesn’t disappoint. Kenji Yamamoto steps up to the plate and delivers us one hell of a Metroid soundtrack. The techno-like style of music used really suits the game and all music used is used at appropriate moments during the game. Not only that but we are treated to new Metroid material, most games simply recycle themes but a lot of the work here is new. The only obvious standout is the theme of Ridley that obviously would remain unchanged because you shouldn’t mess with a character theme, it would not make sense. A few standout tracks include “Tallon IV Overworld 2” and “Phendrana Drifts”, the boss battle music gets the adrenaline pumping as well. Check it out if you get the chance.
With so many different areas featured in the game, it also requires an expansive soundscape to properly represent so many varied places. The sound of rain pattering against your visor is a nice touch, the metallic clank of Samus’ feet on the metal floors of the Phazon Mines. Overall the ambience provided by the games soundscape is exceptional.
Picking up the Gamecube controller for your first 3D Metroid experience, a bit concerned how it will all end up? Have no fear Retro Studios is here. The layout of buttons is somehow well suited for what you’ll be doing. Remember I mentioned locking onto your opponents? Well, you’ll be using the L-button for that, and its in just the right place as you can easily still use the joystick at the same time, same goes for using the R-button to manually look around the area you will of course be unable to lock on like this. Luckily should you need to, by merely switching over and holding down the L-button you will easily lock on automatically. A lot of the fighting will revolve around the convenience of the L-button.
So you’ve played through the single player mode, which should take roughly 15 hours or more, and what do you do now? Well, you have a few options. You can start a fresh game and choose to play through the entire game again on “Hard” mode, which is more of a challenge that would first be apparent to you. Boss’s become much harder which will become more noticeable as the game progresses. Not your style? Well then keep your eyes peeled as you play because there are 49 Missile Expansions, 14 Energy Tanks, 4 Power Bomb Expansions to collect, all hidden all across the many regions of Tallon IV. Still not enough? There are a ton of creatures to scan for your log-book, plenty of logs and lores to scan to give you full back story regarding the Chozo, Samus, Space Pirates, Ridley and even the mysterious study of Metroids.
So, in closing all that can be said about Metroid Prime is that it is utterly amazing and every Nintendo fan should try it. Whether you’re a Metroid veteran or just a Gamecube owner looking for something to play on the wretched cube then this game is for you. Of course if you’re too stubborn to accept that Metroid needed to advance or can’t handle a bit of backtracking in a game, then you’ll probably give this game a miss. Which will be your own problem.
And for those of you new to Metroid in the Wii generation, check this game out. You’ll appreciate the back story on the whole Phazon situation to you and also show you the birth of the infamous Dark Samus.
If you like games with stunning visuals, great gameplay, impressive music and fluent controls then this is the game for you.
Metroid Prime forever.
Pros
+Samus is back for good.
+Breath-taking environments.
+An exceptional soundtrack
+Plenty of objects to scan
+Numerous Missile Expansions and Energy Tanks littered through the regions
+Ridley returns
Cons
-Sometimes backtracking can be tedious.
-Enemies not too intelligent.
-Omega Pirate is a b*tch to beat.
The scores.
Story: 8.5/10
-A lone bounty hunter has crash landed on a mysterious planet which was orbited by a Space Pirate infested Space Station, something bad is going down.
Visuals: 9/10
-Amazing visuals for Gamecube days, I would have given it higher but I’ve left room for Metroid Prime 2.
Gameplay: 8.5/10
-Combat is fun and the exploring is enjoyable.
Controls: 8.5/10
-Easy to pick up controls with fluent functions for convenient combat options.
Audio: 9.5/10
-Catchy tunes courtesy of Kenji Yamamoto and Kouichi Kyuma, the sound effects of the game and landscape are also top-notch.
Replay Value: 9/10
-A lot to do. Finished it? Try Hard Mode? Not enough, try collecting all the missile expansions, energy tank expansions, scan all the creatures, scan all the log books, ect. A lot.
Overall: 9.5/10
-My favourite Gamecube game and a triumphant return for Nintendo’s favourite female hero. Wins on every level.
Review by LemonManX
A "LMX" Review
So where to begin, Metroid Prime marked the revival of the Metroid franchise on Nintendo’s flailing console, Nintendo Gamecube. The Metroid series itself had been quiet and Samus had not appeared since way back in 1993, the year of Super Metroid and many had seemingly forgotten about her. Except her fans, who were pleased to see the announcement of Metroid Prime being worked on by a developer called Retro Studios. No one knew quite what to expect, especially when they announced it would be a First-Person Adventure game. But luckily all our hopes were met and exceeded and we were graced with one of the greatest games in the history of gaming. But don’t believe me? Well, read the review for some justification.
You are greeted with a shot of space and a voice over, at first glance it doesn’t seem special but this is only beginning. The visuals strike you as soon as the game begins, and you can tell whilst playing it that this game will go down on the record as one of the best looking Gamecube games ever created. And in terms of visuals, the game itself provides you with a large variety of environments to really show off its style and quality. From your first introduction mission on a desolate Space Station to your exploration of the mysterious Phazon Mines there will always be something that stands out. There are many nice little features that make all the difference to the game itself, for example: when Samus enters the water you are met with a new aquatic environment but upon leaving the water you can see it washing off your screen. It’s not a big feature, but it is just a nice extra detail.
The rain never ends on Tallon IV, amazing when seen in motion.
The environments literally bring you into the game, the flaming depths of Magmoor Caverns, the icy wins of Phendrana Drifts, the ruined wreckage of the Space Station that crash-landed on Tallon IV; every environment brings something to the game. One of the biggest advantages of this is that it will make exploring the various areas an experience that you’ll enjoy. This makes backtracking an enjoyable process, revisiting a location and opening a new path to another area that stands out with Metroid Prime’s exceptional graphics.
Gameplay is always important in Metroid games, mostly due to a lot of the time you’ll find yourself revisiting areas a few times to unlock new areas or collect new power-ups.
The combat in this Metroid gem is what was one of the gaming world’s biggest concerns, for as long as the franchise existed (three previous games) it has dealt only with 2D environments. Which made the combat pretty straight forward, jump, shoot, jump, duck, shoot, ect. Bringing the game into three dimensions obviously meant that this had to change, and change it did. Its this part of the game that usually leads people to somewhat mistakenly add this game into the FPS genre. Basically, you are given the option to lock onto targets and this allows you to constantly keep your target on-screen and enables you to fire rapidly without worrying about losing the enemy. Remembering of course that once a somewhat large gap is created between you and the enemy causes the lock to break off and you’ll have to lock on once again.
Space Pirate is in your sights, unleash the Wave Beam rape.
Throughout the game Samus will collect and utilise many different visors and beam weapons, and in order to allow relative ease of use during battle a workable method must be worked out. And the chosen method is successful, for example you’ll reach a point in the game where you are fighting enemies that can only be beaten by certain beams. So when your fighting multiple ones you need to be able to jump between beam weapons seamlessly, by using the C-stick you can easily jump from one weapon to another. Besides the brief pause to change the beam it is a very quick process that won’t leave you open for a substantial amount of time. Which is good because sometimes the action comes thick and fast in this game a lot of the time.
A sub section of the combat in the gameplay is definitely boss battles. Now I would have rounded this off in the same write up but I believe they are so well done that they deserve a section of their own. Sure the enemies are of regular size, but upon first entering a boss fight one thing will become apparent: these guys mean business. The bosses are massive and incredibly fun to meet in combat. Your very first true boss experience comes in the form of a massive mutated flower called Flaaghra; to defeat this boss it involves a simple yet cool mechanic. Basically you lock onto Flaaghra and side-dash around hitting the mirror panels so that the sun no longer powers it, once it is down for the count its time to go into Morph Ball mode roll down a short passage and at the end is a bomb slot, so you know what to do. Rinse and repeat (as is typical in boss fights) but you watch out, this plant won’t go down without a fight. It’ll utilise its massive blades on its arms, projectile blasts, and it’ll occasionally slam down into the ground blocking one direction (either left or right). And if you take too long it will knock the mirrors back down, forcing to you to do another round. It might not sound exhilarating, but in a gaming world of boring, bland boss fights, it’s refreshing.
Someone needs to try a different fertiliser, Flaaghra looks a bit out of control.
Music. Metroid music. Always a strong point of a Metroid game, and this game doesn’t disappoint. Kenji Yamamoto steps up to the plate and delivers us one hell of a Metroid soundtrack. The techno-like style of music used really suits the game and all music used is used at appropriate moments during the game. Not only that but we are treated to new Metroid material, most games simply recycle themes but a lot of the work here is new. The only obvious standout is the theme of Ridley that obviously would remain unchanged because you shouldn’t mess with a character theme, it would not make sense. A few standout tracks include “Tallon IV Overworld 2” and “Phendrana Drifts”, the boss battle music gets the adrenaline pumping as well. Check it out if you get the chance.
With so many different areas featured in the game, it also requires an expansive soundscape to properly represent so many varied places. The sound of rain pattering against your visor is a nice touch, the metallic clank of Samus’ feet on the metal floors of the Phazon Mines. Overall the ambience provided by the games soundscape is exceptional.
Picking up the Gamecube controller for your first 3D Metroid experience, a bit concerned how it will all end up? Have no fear Retro Studios is here. The layout of buttons is somehow well suited for what you’ll be doing. Remember I mentioned locking onto your opponents? Well, you’ll be using the L-button for that, and its in just the right place as you can easily still use the joystick at the same time, same goes for using the R-button to manually look around the area you will of course be unable to lock on like this. Luckily should you need to, by merely switching over and holding down the L-button you will easily lock on automatically. A lot of the fighting will revolve around the convenience of the L-button.
Samus impresses a nearby Zoomer with her Gravity Suit Morph Ball mode with Spider Ball upgrade. Smexy.
So you’ve played through the single player mode, which should take roughly 15 hours or more, and what do you do now? Well, you have a few options. You can start a fresh game and choose to play through the entire game again on “Hard” mode, which is more of a challenge that would first be apparent to you. Boss’s become much harder which will become more noticeable as the game progresses. Not your style? Well then keep your eyes peeled as you play because there are 49 Missile Expansions, 14 Energy Tanks, 4 Power Bomb Expansions to collect, all hidden all across the many regions of Tallon IV. Still not enough? There are a ton of creatures to scan for your log-book, plenty of logs and lores to scan to give you full back story regarding the Chozo, Samus, Space Pirates, Ridley and even the mysterious study of Metroids.
So, in closing all that can be said about Metroid Prime is that it is utterly amazing and every Nintendo fan should try it. Whether you’re a Metroid veteran or just a Gamecube owner looking for something to play on the wretched cube then this game is for you. Of course if you’re too stubborn to accept that Metroid needed to advance or can’t handle a bit of backtracking in a game, then you’ll probably give this game a miss. Which will be your own problem.
And for those of you new to Metroid in the Wii generation, check this game out. You’ll appreciate the back story on the whole Phazon situation to you and also show you the birth of the infamous Dark Samus.
If you like games with stunning visuals, great gameplay, impressive music and fluent controls then this is the game for you.
Metroid Prime forever.
Phendrana Drifts, going to be hard to get across there though. If the Chozo’s are so advanced, why not give Samus a jetpack?
Pros
+Samus is back for good.
+Breath-taking environments.
+An exceptional soundtrack
+Plenty of objects to scan
+Numerous Missile Expansions and Energy Tanks littered through the regions
+Ridley returns
Cons
-Sometimes backtracking can be tedious.
-Enemies not too intelligent.
-Omega Pirate is a b*tch to beat.
The scores.
Story: 8.5/10
-A lone bounty hunter has crash landed on a mysterious planet which was orbited by a Space Pirate infested Space Station, something bad is going down.
Visuals: 9/10
-Amazing visuals for Gamecube days, I would have given it higher but I’ve left room for Metroid Prime 2.
Gameplay: 8.5/10
-Combat is fun and the exploring is enjoyable.
Controls: 8.5/10
-Easy to pick up controls with fluent functions for convenient combat options.
Audio: 9.5/10
-Catchy tunes courtesy of Kenji Yamamoto and Kouichi Kyuma, the sound effects of the game and landscape are also top-notch.
Replay Value: 9/10
-A lot to do. Finished it? Try Hard Mode? Not enough, try collecting all the missile expansions, energy tank expansions, scan all the creatures, scan all the log books, ect. A lot.
Overall: 9.5/10
-My favourite Gamecube game and a triumphant return for Nintendo’s favourite female hero. Wins on every level.
Review by LemonManX
) but its still a great game, cant wait for the review on MP2: Echoes 
