GameCube: Metroid Prime
September 9, 2009 - 5:01 pm - Posted by Sean R.
The original Metroid was an NES classic, and Super Metroid (1994) is considered by some to be the best game for the Super Nintendo. Both featured top-notch platform shooting in creepy, desolate space environments. Transitioning such a popular series to the third dimension turned out to be a monumental challenge.
Originally intended to be a first-person shooter for the N64, the project was plagued with controversy, endless delays, and development team changes.
All things considered, it’s surprising that Metroid Prime turned out this good! Not only does Prime capture the distinctive flavor of the series, but you’ll need to search high and low for a more polished video game.
The razor-sharp visuals, fluid frame rate, and intelligently crafted stages are astonishing at times. It’s amazing the level of detail they can squeeze onto one of those tiny GameCube disks.
Mysterious sci-fi music and Alien-inspired corridors make you feel claustrophobic and paranoid. Despite adopting a first-person point-of-view, Metroid Prime’s gameplay remains faithful to the series.
Long-time fans will be giddy as schoolgirls as they behold awesome 3D renditions of bosses they battled in the previous Metroid adventures. Even some stages call to mind the old games, like the timed escape sequence in the very beginning.
A few original elements have been added to spice up the action, including visual devices called “visors” that allow you to scan objects, see in the dark, and even see through walls. You’ll need to morph into a ball to squeeze through narrow openings, and the game wisely switches to a third-person view for this. You check your position by rotating 3D map, which is a lot of fun to manipulate.
Metroid Prime’s clever puzzles are far more thoughtful that the standard pull-the-switch stuff. You can only save your progress at specific locations, but these tend to be well placed.
The controls are somewhat unconventional, and this has been a sticking point for many gamers. There’s no strafe control (unless you’re locked on), and that can be problematic.
Overall quality and playability of Metroid Prime for the GameCube is more than enough to win over any skeptics. if you don’t own a GameCube, you can also play it on the Nintendo Wii.