Sound:  
Again, Metroid’s sound is yet another strong point. The background music is kind of techno-ish, but isn’t grating like a lot of techno I tend to hear at certain clubs. It fits into the game very well, and, truth be told, you probably won’t even hear the music most of the time, you’ll be so focused on the action at hand. When you do happen to listen to it, the music is actually pretty decent.

The sound effects are definitely where Metroid jumps back into true greatness. Each enemy sounds unique, and the environmental noises are well done. Some of the bosses will absolutely blow you out of your seat as they roar around after you. As you mosey on through the boards, you’ll definitely feel as if you are deep within a volcanic area of an alien planet as you listen to the sounds going on around you. It definitely maintains the atmosphere, and is another strong point in a game of many, many strong points.

Gameplay:  
To those who have played a Metroid game before, you know the drill. You are a lone warrior set against a hostile world and enemies, while you attempt to figure out and stop a nefarious scheme. In this case, it is the Space Pirates plan to abuse the Phazon element found on the planet of Tallon IV.

After a short opening intro board, you’ll be set down on the planet with little besides your trusty blaster arm to help you. Throughout the course of the game, you’ll find power-ups which will enhance you abilities, and allow you to access new areas, where you will likely gain more power-ups, which will let you get to that place you saw before, but couldn’t get to, etc, etc… The main focus of the game is definitely exploration. You will end up scouring all the areas from top to bottom in an effort to find every last item and power up. It is definitely the same premise as the previous Metroid games, and despite an entirely new look, it feels exactly like the previous games. The jumping in particular is very well done, and that is a huge key in maintaining the feel of the series, which is very reliant on jumping.

The actual play itself is rock solid. Samus glides around Tallon IV, blasting enemies, locating power-ups, and solving the occasional puzzle. As you progress, you’ll gain new items, from the space jump, to super bombs, to various new visors. You’ll gain a thermal visor and an X-ray visor, to go with your regular combat visor and scan visor that you start with. As with the Metroid games of old, you’ll get a sense of accomplishment with each new item you obtain, and the knowledge that you can now reach previously unattainable areas with your newfound power. It keeps the focus squarely on exploration, where it should be in a Metroid game.

The other main change from typical FPS gameplay is the morph ball. This is another holdover feature from the rest of the Metroid games, and is implemented perfectly. By hitting X, Samus rolls into her ball form, and you get a 3rd person perspective of the ball’s movement. You can lay bombs or super bombs (when you acquire each) and even use the spider ball (also, when acquired). This was a big key feature that fans of the series wanted to see carried over well, and I can safely say, as a huge fan of the series, that it is brought through beautifully.

The great gameplay is what has made Metroid a premiere series over the last 15 years. Prime takes it, adds a third dimension to it, and pulls it off flawlessly. The feel of the games is held tight, while adding incredible graphics to the mix. From the jumping aspects, to the morph ball, to the variety of weapons and gadgets, Metroid Prime takes the strongest points of all the previous Metroid games, rolls them all into one game, and puts forward the best Metroid game to date.

Control:
Prime is a different kind of animal in the control department from most recent FPS games. Rather than a 2 stick move/look system, Prime uses a lock on feature as its primary targeting feature. So, here’s a brief run-down on the buttons. The control stick is to move forward, backward, and turn left or right. The C stick switches among the different beam weapons. L is the lock-on targeting button, is used to scan objects when using the scan visor, and is the Grappling Beam button when that is obtained. R is held down to look around and manually aim. Z brings up the map screen, and X switches Samus into and out of her morph ball mode. B is the jump button and performs a sideways dash when locked on to an enemy. Y is used to fire missiles, and A is the primary fire button.

FPS veterans may complain about the control scheme, but it really is the only way I could see it being done. The one-stick movement scheme works perfectly for the style of game, which involves a ton of jumping. If you needed to adjust your position with two sticks while in mid-jump, and then attempt to recover for perhaps a second Space Jump, it would be an incredible headache, and quite frustrating. The game isn’t focused on fast twitch style shooting, which is what the two-stick scheme is more fitted to. The lock on button allows for enough flexibility in targeting for you to get by without having to be incredibly precise in your aiming at all times. The lock on also makes sense in the sense that Samus has a highly technologically advance suit of armor, and it seems appropriate that she would have an enhanced targeting system built into it.

To sum up, the control scheme is different, but completely fitting to the style of game. The scheme may seem a little different after playing a game like Timesplitters 2, but it definitely grows on you after a short amount of time, and fits the game perfectly.

Multiplayer:
Sadly, Samus is a one-woman gang.

OVERALL:
Best Gamecube game of 2002. That is easily the title bestowed on Metroid Prime in my book. That is definitely something that becomes even more impressive when you consider that 2002 featured a brand new Mario game and a new Starfox game as well. Despite the greatness of both of those games, Metroid jumps out in front and never looks back. Every aspect of the game just radiates of polish, and is a true masterpiece. Retro Studios jumps into the pool of talent, and immediately lands in the deep end without a hitch. Nintendo has again used its eye for talent to dig up, and in this case, pretty much create, a great team of developers. If this game is any indicator, (and it is indeed the ONLY indicator) then Nintendo has another ace up their sleeve in Retro Studios. Metroid Prime is a truly revolutionary game in a field of games which has seemed a bit stagnant of late. Simply a great game.

 

The Lowdown on  Metroid Prime Aesthetics: Awesome Control: Very Good Gameplay: Awesome Multiplayer: Sound: Awesome Innovation: 6/6 Lasting Appeal: 5/6 Overall: Awesome! "Top of the Genre"