A few years ago, Shigeru Miyamoto asked in a press conference if they would like to see a Metroid game on the N64. However, Nintendo never presented a Metroid game on the N64... maybe because they ran out of time, or because there were other important projects or who knows. But now... a Metroid game has been confirmed for the Nintendo Gamecube. 

Samus is back...Metroid is back!!! The first time we saw Metroid for the Gamecube was at Spaceworld 2000. The video was short, not more than 10 seconds of FMV from the game, but it was really good. A few months later, at the E3 2001, much more information on Metroid was shown, including the name, Metroid Prime. 

The word Prime means first, so everyone suppose that this game will be a prequel to the first game for the NES. All the Metroid games have been on a 2D environment, since Metroid to Super Metroid for the SNES. But now it looks like Metroid Prime will have full 3D environments just like Zelda Ocarina of Time. Some rumors said that this game might be a First Person Shooter, however, I can say that Metroid Prime will be a third-person game instead of a FPS... nothing confirmed though. 

At this point, we don’t know anything about the story of the game. It might take place on Planet SR-388 or on Planet Zebes. Since it might be a prequel, the setting might possibly be Planet Zebes. This game will feature huge monsters. If you were impressed with Ridley (Norfair´s boss), just wait til you see the Gamecube version of this creature. Metroid Prime will use the power of the Gamecube to make outstanding and detailed creatures. Just look at some images and check the monsters, they look big and sweet. 

Unfortunately, no gameplay was shown yet, but the game looks to be dark and scary. If Metroid is a FPS, you might have this type of view for shooting certain weapon that zooms in. Personally, I think the game will have a shooting style like the one of Jet Force Gemini. 

The graphics are just truly amazing. The details on bosses, the walls, the creatures, and Samus are really looking awesome. Metroid will use the power of the Gamecube to impress players, but if you can’t wait any longer.. check the videos available at N Gnereations. 

Metroid Prime is no longer a launch game, stay tuned to N Generations for more information on this game. 

Old Preview

     In 1999, IGN64 said that a new Metroid was being developed. Then In 2000 IGNcube said that the new Metroid would be shown in full-motion video (FMV) form at Spaceworld 2000; and further, that it is being developed by the new Nintendo second-party, Retro Studios. Sure enough, Nintendo showed a brief clip of the title in FMV form. It was a short but glorious 10 or so seconds. The auditorium at Spaceworld exploded with cheers and fanatical screams, for it was finally here. Metroid had returned. 

The story is unknown right now. What we do know is what has happened in the course of the last three Metroids. Those being the original Metroid (NES), Metroid II: Return of Samus (Game Boy), and Super Metroid (SNES). In a time and galaxy unbeknownst to us, space pirates plagued the deep of the universe, stealing and bartering illegal trade. The story of Metroid began when a group of intergalactic space pirates stumbled upon a life form from Planet SR-388. This entity was stolen after the pirates attacked a scientific research laboratory secluded deep in the galaxy. Little did the pirates know that this alien form -- which the scientists named a "Metroid" -- was responsible for the total destruction of SR-388's civilization. 

Camera Angle - Everyone remembers how good Metriod, and Super Metriod was in 2-D. But now you can experience Metriod in 3-D! Many are worried the game will lose its flare with the move into 3-D, but then again many said the same thing about Zelda. With that in mind, Retro Studios should be taking a lot of notes from Zelda: The Ocarina of Time. There's really only two solutions to a stable camera in 3-D: first-person perspective or third-person with a "Z-lock" method like Zelda pioneered. Clearly the latter should be the solution for this new 3-D Metroid game. About 99% of the fans of Metroid – the ones demanding to have the game remade – would scream bloody murder if Metroid was turned into a first-person shooter. Just to let everyone know, Metroid is not a first-person shooter! The game has always, in part, revolved around seeing the mysterious bounty hunter and wondering what's inside the suit. There's no way a first-person shooter Metroid could do the franchise justice. Also the camera control should be really smooth, but when you are jumping from platform to another, its a whole different issue.

Bosses - Metroid has always had many mini-bosses and bosses. One of the highlights of spending your time wandering around and finding power-ups is running into this intimidating large boss. The mere fact that a comparably small character could beat such a huge monstrosity made you feel powerful. The fact is, though, there's so much that made these 2-D games great and with the translation into 3-D there has to be some sacrifices, but there will also be some huge advantages. Gamecube is an ultra-powerful machine and its well suited to handle nearly anything the development team comes up with.