Metroid Prime
I�m going to make this review short. [O.K., fine. That didn't happen. So sue me] Simply because I need to make my reviews shorter in general, and because it�s sort of silly to drone on and on about just how good Metroid Prime is. Because it really is an excellent game. A must-have sort of thing, if you know what I mean.
If you aren�t familiar with the series (which is unlikely, to say the least), then I�ll give a quick overview of the plot. You are Samus Aran, a bounty hunter renowned across the galaxy. Samus has had numerous run-ins with the Space Pirates � a race of overly aggressive and wholly unlikable aliens bent on domination over everything � as well as a colored history with a race of aliens known as Metroids � noted for their capacity to drain the life force out of their prey during their feeding process. What makes Samus unique is that she is outfitted with an incredibly powerful power suit, which allows her to perform super-human feats of pure awesomeness such as double jumping and morphing into a bal about a foot in diameter. She also has a large array of weapons, including missiles; bombs; ice, plasma, power, and wave beams; and beam-missile combos. She is a one-woman army, and a favourite hero among video game fans.
In this installment, we join Samus boarding a seemingly derelict Space Pirate Frigate above the surface of Tallon IV. This area serves as a wonderful little introduction to the game and helps the player get used to the controls. After this, Samus lands on the surface of Tallon IV, where her adventure really begins. This game is really about exploration, and is as much a platforming game as it is a first person shooter, staying as true as possible to the games roots on the NES and SNES while still upgrading to the world of 3-D flawlessly � a feat that Nintendo and Retro Studios must be commended on. As you explore the surface of Tallon IV, you will quickly discover yet another sinister Space Pirate plot is under way, once again putting the whole galaxy at risk. It is up to you, as Samus, to save the day yet again. Unfortunately, in a somewhat convenient explosion that occurred earlier on the Space Frigate (convenient for the Space Pirates and programmers, not so much for you), Samus has lost most of her power suit�s niftier features, and must go traipsing around Tallon IV�s five or so realms finding all of the missing parts.
I use the word �must� very loosely, since it is possible to finish the game even after skipping many items. In your first run-through of the game you will want to follow the standard sequence of collecting power-ups, but you may just find yourself compelled to play through the game many more times to collect items in daring new sequences, or perhaps to chance a low percentage run-thru. Maybe you are curious to see how fast you can finish the game, or maybe you will want to spend your time collecting all the items and scans in the game in order to earn a 100% rating at the end and a special ending. Or you may want to try any of these challenges on the hard mode that is unlocked after you beat the game the first time. What I�m getting at, if you haven�t noticed, is the immense level of replay value in this game. The good people at Retro Studios did a tremendous job of giving the game excellent replay value, much like Metroid Prime�s predecessor on the SNES, Super Metroid. For more information concerning things like advanced moves, skipping items, low percent run-thrus, and for videos of nifty maneuvers, you can go here. You will also find there the striking realization that you are a pathetic n00b when it comes to Metroid Prime.
Since I said that I�d keep this review short, I�ll skip raving about the video and sound in this game. It�s a given that the graphics will be superb, and the soundtrack by Kenji Yamamoto (the same guy behind Super Metroid) is memorable and haunting from the get-go. And I think that�s all I need to say about that.
Other than the fact that the learning curve for the controls is a wee bit steep, I can�t think of any complaints about this game. Sure, there�s no multiplayer, but if you play the game for 5 minutes, you�ll understand why.
...It�s because the game kicks ass as it is right now.
And that�s all I have to say about that.
BY THE NUMBERS:
SOUND: 10 -- The music is creepy in all the right places and the sound effects range from pleasantly ambient to extra spooky. Excellent work in this category on all accounts.
GRAPHICS: 9.5 -- Samus�s visor displays all the information you need to know efficiently, and the thermal and X-Ray visors just look really freaking cool. The graphics are beautiful and take full advantage of the Gamecube�s power.
GAMEPLAY: 9 -- The only real complaint is that the controls are a bit tricky at first, but once you get used to them, handling Samus is the easiest thing in the world.
REPLAY VALUE: 10 -- As I mentioned above, there are tons of different ways to approach this game. Once you play through once, you�ll want to unlock all the secrets you can, find out your best time, and find the lowest percent completion you can beat the game with. And then do it all again on hard mode.
MISSING THE MAP SCAN: 1 -- Miss one damn scan and you�re screwed. But as a consolation, now you have a good excuse to play through the game again.
OVERALL: 10 -- Nintendo and Retro Studios have taken an excellent new look at the way FPS can be done with Metroid Prime. Samus has adjusted to 3-D perfectly.
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