Written By Shaun McCracken
Let's put the silly questions aside. Why should we ask if Metroid Prime was
"worth the wait"? Why should we ask if it's any good or if it's faithful to
the series. It's obviously the best Gamecube game to date, and serves as the
Gamecube's "GoldenEye" in the way that it totally changes how we play games in
years to come. It's Nintendo's flagship title, and yet it WASN'T even
developed by Nintendo! Retro Studios, which I believe was made up of ex-
Acclaim developers behind the Turok series, as well as other developers hired
for the job was behind this masterful piece of work. But the development was
fairly controversioal in the video game world to say the least.
The project started back in 2001, and things headed off to a bumpy start.
Nintendo and Retro seemed to have a conflict of interests at first, and from
that point, it seemed like Metroid Prime was doomed. Then Nintendo's biggest
asset, the creator behing Mario and Zelda, Shigeru Miyamoto (I hope I didn't
buthcer the spelling) stepped in to provide some guidance. As soon as Retro
was back on track, they decided to do something completley radical with the
game design, place it into a first-person perspective. This set off waves in
the gaming community. Some hated the idea, while others embraced the concept.
But the one question every Metroid fan asked is "can Metroid work in a first-
person perspective"? We waited eight years for a new Metroid game, and the
last thing we wanted was a suprise.
But you know what? The first-perspective works! It gives you the feeling of
being Samus Aran rather than just controlling her through the world. It also
avoids any camera issues that plauge many third-person platforming games such
as Super Mario 64, Sonic Adventure and even Zelda at times. It allows for fast
action, quick thinking and immersion of another world. But Metroid Prime can't
really be classified as a first-person shooter like 007 Nightfire, Time
Splitters 2 or Turok Evolution. It's deeper and requires heavy exploration,
and at it's core, it's a platform adventure that leaps straight from 2D to 3D
without any comprimises. Whatever you can classify it as, Metroid Prime is a
stunning example of how a video game should be, and marks as the best leap
from 2D to 3D in a long time.
So about the game. Metroid Prime is not a sequel, even though it does
follow Super Metroid in terms of release date. Metroid Prime takes place
between the first Metroid and Super Metroid, much like how George Lucas finds
a way to make up a new chapter in the Star Wars series without having to go
ahead of time. I guess it could be called a "prequel", but that term really
sucks when you use it around Metroid Prime. Samus returns to a space station
due to a distress signal. Something isn't right, as the whole place destructs
minutes after she arrives. She goes to investigate a planet called Tallon IV,
a once peaceful and beatiful planet full of forests and wildlife. It's also
where the Chozo ended up after being stranded many years ago. But something is
going on there. Wildlife has mutated and things have become radioactive. It
turns out that the planet was hit by a meteor which was contaminated with a
substance called Phazon. As she moves along, she discovers that something evil
is at work, and she is not the only one there.
The structure of the game is very similar to Super Metroid, except a LOT
bigger. You go from ruins to magma pools with ice and mines in between.
Elevators connect each area to each other for fairly easy access of the
planet. Along the way, you'll collect the power ups you know and love, such as
the Morph Ball and the Wave Beam as well as some new things such as the Plasma
Beam and missile combos that work with your beams. And like in previous
Metroids, you need a certain beam or missile to open specific doors. A brand
new element that only works in a first-person perspective is the visors. Samus
has three different visors; the Scan Visor, which allows you to translate wall
engravings, Pirate Data and scan enemy weak spots. It's very handy, and is
used often. The second visor is the Thermal Visor, which can detect certain
enemies that generate heat and find electrical workings that are hidden. It's
also useful in really dark places. The third visor is the X-Ray Visor which
can find hidden rooms, platforms and enemies. The visor brings a whole new
dimention to the game, it's like nothing you've ever played before.
The graphics stand as a high point for the Gamecube and really goes
toe-to-toe with the X-Box. The game runs at a near-flawless 60 frames-per-
second with a ton of detail and effects. It really puts down games that
weren't capable of this feat (such as Turok Evolution) and shows how far you
can push the boundaries of a system. If this is a second-generation game, what
could be on the horizon? The biggest gripes are that 1) the game tends to be
really dark sometimes, and 2) the game doesn't have bump-mapping and the
textures aren't as nice up close. And about the textures, they really fool the
eye. From distances, the textures do look bump-mapped, but up close, they tend
to be a bit grainy. But this is one hell of a nice looking game and serves as
a feast for any gamer's eyes.
The sound is just as good. It runs on Dolby Pro Logic II, but even without
it, it still sounds really good. Who says you need DVD? The music ranges from
remixed Metroid songs from the past to new compositions to atmospheric music.
And some of that atmospheric music really gets under your skin. The sound that
plays through the lower part of the Phazon Mines creeped me out as much as the
soundtrack of Silent Hill 2. I was suprised on how much sound played a role in
this game. The effects are great, with loud explosions, the sound of your
footsteps, the waterfalls and rain to the individual sounds of each enemy. A
soundtrack done right with the right amount of nostalgia for anyone who has
ever played a Metroid game.
The gameplay is pretty solid. Unlike other first-person games, the control
here isn't complicated. Turok Evolution was a mess, and the 007 Gamecube games
had too much to remember. But here, movement is tight, and the buttons are
pretty easy to remember. The main firing button is A, and the missile is the Y
button. You jump with B, roll into the ball with X, grapple with L and target
with R. Lock-on targeting makes shooting easier by just pressing L. Beam
changes are easy, just a light flick of the C-Stick changes your beam. You
have no idea how easy this is, it's almost second nature. The only problem I
had with the design is with the jumping. Like Turok Evolution, I misjudge
where the platforms are and missed many jumps. At least here the control is
easier and only requires one stick to move instead of two. The game design
relies heavily on exploration, rather than mindless shooting. And this is not
the easiest Metroid game you'll ever play, or for any game. I've already put
in almost 25 hours into the game, plus a coulpe of hours not logged in the
game as a result of me losing and picking up where I left off. And the bosses
get harder and harder. Even one of the first bosses is quite tricky. Almost
each boss is unique in the way you'll have to defeat it. There is no simple
way, and it will take a few tries to get it right. Metroid Prime is a learning
experience, after all.
The presentation of Metroid Prime is one of the best presentations I've
seen in a long time. I'm really impressed with the interface Retro designed
for the title and during the game. It really fits in with what Metroid is
about. Metroid Prime also has some goodies for those who have a GBA, Metroid
Fusion and a GBA to GCN link cable (I need to get one). If you beat Fusion
(which was pretty easy to do), you can play the original Metroid on your GCN,
plus you can save your progress to your memory card! No more passwords! And if
you pass Prime, connet your GBA with Fusion to get the Fusion suit. It doesn't
change anything, it's merley cosmetic, but it's a feature, right?
Finally, I have to applaud Retro for no load times. A game this big without
any loading screens is a technical feat. While there is a delay in the opening
of some doors (which probably means the game is loding), it doesn't lock up
and there are no breaks in gameplay. There is no way this could have been done
on the PS2, which is notorious for some lengthy load times.
For any gamer out there, Metroid Prime is a must to play. It's the best
reason to own a Gamecube, and the best example of how you can have a great
gaming experience on a machine that has no gimmicks such as a DVD player or a
hard drive. It's hardcore gameplay that remembers that games don't need movies
or other things to make it interesting. Metroid Prime is a great investment,
and you'll probably play it more than once. I know I will!
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Metroid Prime
