Genre: First Person
Platform: GameCube
Developer: Retro Studios
Rating: T
Metroid fans, rejoice! Samus has made her leap into 3-D, and what a glorious leap it is! This Review will be rated on a scale of 1-10.
Story: 10
I must say, the people who developed this game did an excellent job with the story. It starts off pretty simple, but as you progress through the game, things start to show up that give hints as to what's really going on.
The story starts with intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran homing in on a distress beacon from a derelict spacecraft. It turns out it is a vessel being used by evil, power-hungry creatures called Space Pirates for secret experiments. They have been using a strange toxic substance from a nearby planet called Tallon IV to create horrible mutations. Well, the mutations have gone haywire, and when you arrive, everybody's been half-eaten and nice stuff like that.
You end up fighting a giant mutant Parasite Queen, and the ship begins to self-destruct. While trying to get out, you meet Samus' old nemesis, Ridley, who breaks out of the ship. Also on the way out, a blast damages your Power Suit, disabling all of your items and abilities, save for the Power Beam, and stripping you down to your most basic suit. Once you get out, you track Ridley to Tallon IV and land to recover your items, stop the Pirates, and figure out what's been going on.
Graphics: 9
I must say, these are some of the best graphics from any video game I've ever played. From the smallest parasite to the largest Omega Pirate, it's all eye candy. The whole game is viewed from behind Samus' visor, so you really get a feel for the game. When you walk under a waterfall, a cool mist fogs up your visor. When you shoot a swarm of tiny scarabs at point blank range, globs of blue slime splatter across your viewscreen.
The only real complaint I have in the graphics department is that sometimes when you look at something really close-up, you can see those nasty pixels. But you'd really have to be right up against something to notice. And besides, you'll usually be too busy blasting various aliens' brains out to care.
Sound: 10
The sound effects really blow me away. Everything sounds incredibly realistic, from the screeches of charging Beetles to the deep, guttural growls of Space Pirates. I must admit, it really does scare me when I'm walking down a dark hall and all of a sudden I hear the loud, haunting screech of an invisible Chozo Ghost. There are also nice little sounds most people don't even notice, like the pitter-patter of raindrops falling on your suit.
There aren't any spoken words throughout the entire course of the game, but you can hear some vocal effects, mainly Samus' grunts when you take a hit or fall from a tall height.
Music: 8 1/2
The music sounds really good in this game. Most of the music is designed to set a mood for a certain area, like soft, melodic piano tunes in the icy Phendrana Drifts and creepy techno music when you're infiltrating the Space Pirates' main research labs. There are one or two catchy tunes here and there. An especially nice music touch is a remix of the theme song from the original Metroid in the Tallon Overworld level.
Characters: 7
Can't really say much here, since Samus is pretty much the only main character, with the possible exception of (Meta) Ridley and the final boss. There are tons of enemies, and they all fit with the appropriate location (i.e., the Chozo Ruins having mainly giant bugs and Chozo Ghosts). Some of the enemies are fun to fight, but most can be annoying and/or frustrating.
Controls: 8
Every button has a function, including the C-Stick and D-Pad, which can seem a little overwhelming for beginners. However, you will probably get used to them after a while.
Tapping the A button causes Samus to fire her beam weapon. Hold down A to charge up your weapon, and release to fire a charged beam shot (after you recover Charge Beam). Also, while you are charging for a charged shot, you can push Y to launch a beam/Missile combination (available after you recover beam combo for each different weapon). Every weapon has a different beam/Missile combo, so collect them all!
The B button causes Samus to jump. Jumping to small platforms can be tricky due to the first-person view, but you'll eventually get the hang of it. Also, after you recover the Space Jump Boots, you can push B to jump, then B again while in the air to double jump.
The Y button fires Missiles, which can be used to destroy blast shields and weak materials, and can be used as a powerful attack. You have a limited number of Missiles, however, and can raise this limit by collecting Missile Expansions (see Items/Pickups section for more info). The Missile Launcher must be recovered in order to use Missiles, however (it's the first item you unlock).
The X button turns you into a Morph Ball, which will allow you to roll through small passages. While in Morph Ball, the controls change. Press A to set a Morph Ball bomb, which can blast through weak walls, activate machines when placed in a Morph Ball slot, or launch the Morph Ball into the air a short ways. Press B to charge the Boost Ball, which gives you a short burst of speed. The longer you charge it, the longer your boost will last. Use the Boost Ball to boost up to various sides of half-pipe structures. Pressing the Y button will set off a Power Bomb, which can be used to destroy materials made of brinstone or shake off an attached Metroid. Once you've recovered the Spider Ball, you'll be able to attach to magnetic rails by pressing the R button. This will come in handy for reaching inaccessible places or pickups. Pressing the X button will then return you to normal form.
Pressing the Z button will access the map screen, which can come in handy if you get lost. During the game, little bits of information will appear on the map, which will give you hints as to where you should go next.
If you hold down the R button, you can use the control stick to manually look around you.
Pressing the L button will lock on to any enemy in your view. If there are no enemy targets, it will lock on to a certain direction, allowing you to strafe around a set point. Also, once you have recovered the Grapple Beam, you can press L when near a grapple point to latch on and swing across large gaps.
The C-Stick is used to change weapons. Pressing up on the C-Stick switches to Power Beam, while pressing right activates Wave Beam, pressing down activates the Ice Beam, and pressing left changes to Plasma Beam.
The D-Pad alternates your visor setting. Up is Combat/Default Visor, left is Scan Visor, down is Thermal Visor , and right is X-Ray Visor.
Gameplay: 9
The gameplay of Metroid Prime is astounding. Some people were afraid of the developers, Retro Studios, putting Metroid into the first-person perspective, thinking it would be just a shooter. However, this game is much more than a shooting game. It is also a platformer with jumping areas. It even has a third-person element, the Morph Ball, which is actually a whole different style of gameplay, and very fun. Kudos to Retro for their amazing work at bringing Metroid into 3D.
Difficulty: 8
The game's difficulty level is suiting, as it starts off easily enough and slowly gets harder. The game itself is kind of hard, as it is not just a first-person shooter. However, you do get used to it quickly. Once you've mastered the different techniques like the Space Jump and Morph Ball, you should get through well. The levels are vast, the bosses are tough, and almost every enemy requires its own unique strategy to be defeated. Another thing adding to the difficulty is finding pickups, like Energy Tanks and Missile Expansions. Almost all of them are well-hidden, and some are very difficult to reach. Trust me, if you don't have at least eight energy tanks, you'll have one hard time trying to beat the final boss. The game is challenging, but fun.
Items/Pickups: 8
There are many items that can be recovered to boost your energy or ammunition. You'll need as many as you can get if you wish to ensure your success at ridding the stench of evil from Tallon IV. Most pickups can be easy to get, but some are well-hidden and can present quite a challenge to gain. Try to get as many as you can. If you get 100%, you just might unlock something special...
Levels: 10
The levels in this game are magnificent. Tallon Overworld is full of lush greenery, and the rain effects really give the feeling of a lush rainforest. The Chozo Ruins are full of crumbling rocks and rotted plants, yet its various chambers really give the feeling that this was once a magnificent city, its structures woven into the natural surroundings. I could go on and on about how realistic the levels are, and how they actually make you feel as though you're on an alien world.
Secrets: 10
There are quite a few secrets that can be unlocked. These are what really make it worthwhile to scan as many objects as you can, and collect every pickup in the game. If you beat the game 100% (all pickups acquired), you will unlock a special cinema sequence, and Hard Mode. There may be more secrets in store as well...
Replayability: 9
Metroid Prime is a very long game, and could keep you playing for several weeks. The special unlockables will really make you want to go back and try to collect any pickups you may have missed, and once you've beaten it you may feel pressed to try your skills at Hard Mode. All in all, this is a game you'll probably be coming back to.
Fun Factor!: 10
This is a long and challenging game, yet very fun, and with its many different game play elements it will entertain anyone who is a fan of jumping games, shooting games, or Metroid games. It'll probably entertain just about anyone who likes video games. And with all the secrets and pickups, you'll be playing a long time.
Recommendation:
Get this game! If you have a GameCube, you've got to get it. If you don't, get one, and get Metroid Prime.
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