Metroid Prime

b]November 08, 2002 -[/b] IGNcube finally got a chance to take the complete version of Metroid Prime for a spin. No more incomplete demos that only give you a glimpse of what the 2D-series-gone-3D has to offer. No more guessing. We could barely pull ourselves away from the game, even after completing it, because our jaw was still dragging heavily behind us like an anchor to a vessel. If you ever needed a reason to buy a GameCube or to justify your purchase of it, this is it.

Following, editors Fran Mirabella (IGNcube), David Smith (IGNPS2), and Dave Zdyrko (ex-IGNPS2) offer up their impressions of Metroid Prime -- spoiler free.


Fran Mirabella, IGNcube
When we got a hold of Metroid Prime, I polled around the office to see who might be interested in checking it out with me. Unexpectedly, David Smith who isn't exactly your largest GameCube supporter was all too willing to join in the hunt for evil, and likewise I remember that former IGNPS2 editor, also Smith's roommate and a good friend of mine, Dave Z. is a huge Metroid fanatic. So, we all decided we would engage in the Retro Studios developed goodness together. A part of me also wanted to do this because I'm a little out of control when it comes to the franchise. That is to say, I've got the collectibles, I know Samus Aran is 6'3" and 198 lbs., and my favorite game of all-time, when I'm forced to choose, is Super Metroid. In a way, having Smith and Zdyrko around was a good way to keep me in check, because on the one hand I was likely to be overcritical, but also I might get a little too excited about the smallest accomplishments. With this system of checks and balances in order, we got to work.

The game kicks off very much like the store demos that are available now. Above Tallon IV, Samus Aran explores a devastated Space Station and finds that the Space Pirates have been up to no good again. Sure enough, Samus ends up parking her ship under the cover of rain on the uncharted Tallon IV. What Metroid fans will be happy to hear is that Aran begins with absolutely nothing. We won't spoil the details, but by the time you arrive on Tallon IV the only thing you have is your blaster. You cannot roll into a ball, charge your blast, shoot missiles, or anything of the sort. For me, this put an indescribably huge smile on my face. It was the first big sign that Retro Studios and Nintendo had not forgotten what the series was about -- exploration and the thrill of being rewarded for it.

It didn't take long before I got the feeling of Super Metroid all over again. As we tried to navigate the 3D worlds we found there was access to much more than you might expect. We managed to push our way into Magmoor Caverns, a very hot place, without the Varia Suit. This was all at the beginning of the game, and it felt just like old times to have to hightail it back to a cooler area and make the mental note that we could return at a later time. There were many corners of the huge world that desired to be explored, and as we did just that we found that the to-do list became exceedingly large; ice patches blocked access to energy tanks, platforms were too high to reach, and ball passages were littered everywhere. Example: I'm in the Phendrana Drifts, the ice area, and I see a sheet of ice blocking a hole that leads downward. After scanning it, you realize it must be melted. It was a very long time before I returned to explore that pathway. This is one example of at least 100. You see so much -- grappling hooks, magnetic ball tracks, ice beam doors, etc, etc. -- that you realize you must return to later. Indeed, this is no shallow and flawed attempt to create the Metroid universe. In my mind, it is more perfect and faithful to the original 2D games than I could have possibly every imagined.



Furthermore, in terms of pure gameplay design I found myself in awe at how much attention to detail there was. The gameplay is incredibly varied -- more than any Metroid before it. Retro Studios throws an incredible amount of cleverly designed platforming stages at you in addition to puzzles and action sequences. If there's one thing that is consistent and extremely well done throughout the entire game it is the pacing. You are rewarded at every corner. It may be something as simple as completing a 2D-esque ball puzzle carved into a wall or using one of the visors to reveal something you never thought was there, but there is always something. I can't stress how rewarding Metroid Prime is to play.

It offers up an incredibly detailed and cleverly conceived gameplay experience that radiates with the kind of polish that Nintendo coats its Legend of Zelda series with. Even the much-debated controls work wonderfully. Many don't know how to label Prime: first-person shooter or first-person adventure. I've come to accept that you can call it whatever you want, but this is Metroid brought into 3D. If you want to call it a first-person shooter, though, don't go trying to pick apart the controls. There is no dual analog movement for very good reasons. Platforming, for starters, would be extremely complicated trying to use dual analog. With the installed control system, platforming is easily the best it has ever been in first-person perspective. Somehow there is an incredible amount of platforming required, and it never falters.

On the technical side of things, too, there is a lot to fall in love with. Metroid Prime's engine is perhaps the most stunning I've seen on GameCube. Like the gameplay design, the foundation that supports it is very, very polished. Load times are nearly non-existent as you travel from world to world. It's just like the previous Metroids. Loading is hidden behind the opening of doors and traveling down elevators. Regarding the latter, the load times are still very transparent. Furthermore, the art direction is stunning, jaw-dropping, fantastic, extravagant, lavish, and every other positive adjective you can think of. The worlds look organic with totally unique architecture that will absolutely blow your mind. It's a completely believable sci-fi environment, and the art direction plays a huge part in that.



It's the same for the sound design, featured in Dolby Pro Logic II. The music, composed by Kenji Yamamoto who did the Super Metroid soundtrack, is once again pure genius. The atmosphere fits in almost every instance and there are an innumerable amount of audio cues that affect you. It's the same for the sound effects, many of which can be attributed to a fellow who actually works at Dolby. It's top-notch work all around, and you're not going to believe it even after you've seen and heard it.

We'll have the full review for you soon, but feel free to do yourself a favor and pre-order this game immediately. It is that good and offers up around 30 hours of true, unrepeated gameplay time from start to finish. That doesn't even include all the extras and secrets you can find.

Let me leave you with the most uttered word whilst playing Metroid Prime: "Wow!"

David Smith, IGNPS2
Metroid Prime is most impressive in that it is exactly what I did not think it could be -- a good Metroid game. Like everyone else, when I first heard that it would play out in first-person view, I expected that it might be a good game, or even a great game, but it wouldn't be a Metroid game. In fact, however, that's exactly what it is, a proper heir to the series in every way.

Prime looks, feels, and sounds Metroid, while at the same time expanding the series with the more complex movement and combat that the 3D presentation allows. The atmosphere has that same feeling of solitude, granted by the gorgeous alien environments, their inhuman inhabitants, and an effectively restrained ambient soundtrack. Combat presents an entirely new challenge, though, and the controls allow you to effectively meet that challenge without becoming frustrated. Moving without an immediately-available strafe command is a little odd at first, but using the lock-on system quickly becomes second nature. There's a touch of Half-Life in the more intense action encounters, with similarly impressive opponent AI, but the game still never crosses the line from "adventure" to "shooter." That's appropriate, since too many complex shootouts would get in the way of the heart of the game, exploring the massive world.

Progression is designed and paced like the classic Metroids. Advancement from area to area and through the ever-increasing inventory of new items is handled with a fine understanding of how to simultaneously tease and reward the player -- each time you grab a new weapon or tool, you'll instantly think back to places where you can go and use it. Movement, again, is slightly limited by the absence of instant strafe controls, but oddly enough that doesn't become much of a problem. The environments are designed so that point A and point B are usually linked by a straightforward route. Other areas of control design take up any imaginable slack, too -- Prime has almost uncannily good first-person jumping controls. It's definitely a platforming-intensive experience, with plenty of the tall vertical areas that also appeared in the 2D Metroids, but jumping never becomes the kind of hassle it was in Turok and the like. After a while, I actually sat back and wondered why the game wasn't making me angry. Normally, a first-person game with this much jumping would have inspired at least one broken controller. The double-jump controls, combined with smart platform placement and design, make for a frustration-free platforming experience.



It's a meaty game, much longer than I'd expected. More than 20 hours added up to barely 50% on the completion meter. While those hours were occupied by some backtracking, that's always been part of the Metroid experience, and the difficulty ramps up neatly so that there's always a bit of challenge presented. The cool stuff keeps coming even late in the game, too -- every weapon, item, and suit upgrade brings with it some kind of impressive new visual. Just wait until you see the Sonny Crockett Ferrari...

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be here to balance Fran's opinion, because in practice, I'll just throw the fulcrum even farther over. Metroid Prime is a very strong contender for best of the year, and the first game that's made me take the GameCube seriously. Well, no, I did think Kinnikuman was pretty cool, but that was something that impressed me merely in passing, rather than grabbing my attention entirely. Metroid Prime is definitely an attention-grabber, and one that you'll want to grab in turn later this month.


Dave Z, ex-IGNPS2
Even though Super Metroid for the Super NES ranked as one of my top five favorite videogames of all time, Metroid Prime had never really made it onto my Most Wanted radar for a variety of reasons. None of which having to do with the fact that I had been an IGNPS2 editor at the time.

First and foremost, I honestly had no faith in Retro's ability to do a
3D sequel to a 2D masterpiece that it had no hand in creating.
Furthermore, while I understood that Nintendo was successful in bringing its Mario and Zelda franchises into the 3rd dimension, I didn't think the transition would be as smooth with the more action-oriented Metroid franchise -- especially after finding out that it would be played from a first-person perspective.

As a fan of all the Metroid games on the Super NES and NES, I was honestly more appalled by the idea that at new first-person perspective Metroid would be released on GameCube than excited. I wholeheartedly felt that the series, more so than any other, should remain in the 2D realm. Consequently, I had become resigned to the fact that "Metroid Prime might turn out to be a good, or even a possibly great, game, but it would NEVER be Metroid."

Boy, was I wrong. After getting the chance to take part in a complete play-through of the main storyline of Metroid Prime, which took more than 20 hours and about four different brains working in tandem, I can, with a smile, admit that my negativity towards this game was completely unwarranted. Retro Studios deserves much props and our undying gratitude for doing what thought to be impossible -- successfully bringing the Metroid franchise into the third-dimension. What's more, Retro has not only created a game that is deserving of the Metroid name, but it has crafted a sure-to-be masterpiece that even rivals the greatness of Super Metroid. Quite frankly, Metroid Prime is Super Metroid in 3D. And for those of you that have never played the work of genius that is Super Metroid, this means that Metroid Prime is damn good.

Worried about all of the platform jumping sequences that are a staple in the classic Metroid formula? You can stop all that worrying right now. The platform jumping in Metroid Prime is handled flawlessly, easily surpassing every other attempt that has been done in a first-person game. In fact, I'd go as far to say that the jumping is as effortless, fluid and precise as it is in most 2D games. You'll miss jumps here and there, but it rarely will be an issue of control or poor camera work.

I could go on forever about what's good about this game, but I figure it might be easier to go ahead and point out the two problems I had with it. First, during one of the boss fights the camera can be a nuisance when you go into your ball form. Second, there's this one particularly difficult stretch in between save points that didn't seem all that well balanced in comparison to what led up to and followed it. That's it. Those are my only complaints about Metroid Prime.



It's about as polished as a game could be and is clearly one of the "prime" candidates for Game of the Year. In fact, I'd go as far to say that it's a game that's worth buying a GameCube for and it's a title that may one day crack my personal list of top five games of all time.

Word of advice to those that plan on picking it up -- do NOT use a strategy guide and do NOT cheat in any way. This is an adventure game that rewards you for trying new things out and exploring. Cheating and getting help will only cheapen the experience.


Quelle: IGN


Quelle: gamemasters Forum

Das klingt doch mehr als vielversprechend!!!!
Alle sind überzeugt das es ein würdiger Nachfolger(ja mehr noch) ist.
Tolle Grafik, geniale Atmo(mehrfach erwähnt), rund um ein tolles Game.

"Game of the Year???"(Vorschlag aller 3) Lassen wir uns überraschen.

Einzige "Kritikpunkte" sind die Steuerung, wenn mans als Kritik bezeichnen kann. Es gibt keine typische EGOshooter-Steuerung...
Aber bei den (gut ausbalancierten) Jumpeinlagen wär die wohl auch fehl am Platz. Anderer Punkt die Rücksetzpunkte sind wohl nicht optimal...(wer will schon sterben!!!! )...

Ich freu mich riesig drauf... vor allem auf das typische Metroidflair, welches ja offensichtlich mehr als gut "portiert" wurde.

wenn das game hält was es verspricht bekommen wir ein echtes highlight.

[url=http://gamespot.com/gamespot/filters/products/0,11114,447244,00.html]Metroid Prime @ Gamespot[/URL]

Laut Gamespot eines der (wenn nicht DAS) beste GC-Spiel.
Wertung: 9.7 von 10
Obwohl ich eigentlich nicht gerade ein Freund des GC bin...
Ich lass mich überraschen!

Suche günstigen GC mit Metroid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wir haben einen neuen Gläubiger! So das auch er erleuchtet wurde...:-D
Kauf dir dann auch gleich Metroid Fusion und den GBA player dazu(wenn der denn kommt)

PS:Tja vielleicht gilt dann ja noch Shiros Angebot! GC+Metroid....

PPS:Wär n kleiner Sieg für mich, wenn du deinen Cube vor meiner XBOX kaufst.... :schwelg:

Original von xTra
die zockens übrigens heute auf Giga wenn ichs richtig mitbekommen hab..

Arsch!!! ich weiss!!! Hab das aber hier nicht....
Will nicht extra zu meinen Eltern fahren nur wegen Metroid...
obwohl...

Und er fährt.

Original von Corpsegrinder
Und er fährt.

Hab immerhin mein Bond bei dir liegen lassen... Kann ich dann gleich mit abholen.... ICH LIEBE DIESES GAME....auch wenn ich die Fahrsequenzen schrottig finde(trotz NfS-team...) Viel zu Linear....

Hab jetzt gestern Metroid auf GIGA gesehen....
Hat mir echt zugesagt. Haben mal wenigstens ordentlich gespielt... manchmal glaubt man ja echt die hätten igentwelche spastischen Anfälle. Waren ja auch einigermassen informiert.... Bis auf Metroid betonung und RIDLEY nicht Ripley... ist zwar Hommage an Alien aber an den Rigiseur RIDLEY SCOTT!!! x-(
Aber naja alles in allem gute Presentation... Das mit dem beschlagenem Visir wusst ich noch gar nicht.... tolles Gimmik
97% Durchschnittwertung in USA.
Tja da haben wir dann jawohl dann doch Spiel des Jahres...Schade für Splinter Cell

Schon cool das sich jetzt die GIGA-PCler(meckern ja andauernt gg Konsolen) sich jetzt nur deshalb n CUBE kaufen... Dann muss es ja echt überzeugend sein... =D
Tja und CORPSEGRINDER auch noch...

PAH xtra ist ein Weichei, der zockt es gar nicht mehr. Beneidet lieber mich, denn ich zocks immer noch

Hey! habt doch beide Metroid Fusion durch oder? Checkt mal DAS =D

Dank im Vorraus....

oh man, das sah echt geil aus was die da gezeigt haben =) aber leider nur den einen abschnitt des palneten, aber morgen zeigen sieh´s ja nochmal, vielleicht sieht man da dann mehr