Reviews

    Metroid Prime was one of the most hyped games for Gamecube prior to launch.  The last game in the series, Super Metroid had been released in 1994 for Super NES, and Metroid Prime was the first game in the series in 3D, taking a new direction by becoming a first person shooter rather than a side scrolling game.  Many people questioned whether the new approach to the series would be successful, and Metroid Prime delivered on all fronts.

    The graphics in Metroid Prime are among the best graphics in any game on the system.  The world looks great and is incredibly detailed.  Many enemies and items can be on the screen at one time, including bosses that take up nearly

the entire screen, and the game still runs at an impressive rate of 60 frames per second.  Keeping with the first person perspective, that Samus is actually looking through her visor, sometimes an explosion will cause the player to see a reflection of Samus' face on the screen, indicating that the explosion is so bright that her face is reflecting off the inside of the visor.  Some enemies also cause interferance with Samus' suit, which causes static to appear on the visor, which is a nice touch.  The enemies are rendered just as well as the world is, making for a very nice setting for one of the best games on Gamecube.

    The sound in Metroid Prime is done very well.  The game features Dolby Pro Logic II meaning that with a connection to a surround sound system players can experience the game in full 5.1 surround sound.  With this enabled, players can hear enemies and attacks from all directions, which is very useful in a dark room or when a hidden enemy is attacking.  The background music is very plain, but it doesn't detract from the quality of the game or interfere with the gameplay experience in any way.

    The gameplay in Metroid Prime is outstanding.  The controls are set up very well and controlling Samus is never an issue in the game.  The world is also set up very well, and for the player who may become frustrated trying to figure out where to go next, the game features an optional hint system that tells the player where they should go next, but not what they should do once they are there.  The game has a nice difficulty level.  It's hard, and for some players it might be too hard, but for an experienced gamer the game is a nice challenge.  If the regular mode is too easy, after finishing the game hard mode is unlocked which is more difficult than the original game.  The only annoying part in the gameplay was the requirement of scanning virtually every enemy and object in the game in order to unlock extra features, but other than the parts of the game where you have to scan something to open a door (which really isn't annoying) it is optional anyways.

    The level design in Metroid Prime is well done.  There are four major areas in the game, the Chozo ruins, the Phazon mines, Magmoor Caverns, and Phendrana Drifts.  The Chozo ruins are the ruins of an ancient tribe on Tallon IV, the Chozo.  The level is complete with crumbling bricks and rusted metal, and gives the look that it was abandoned a long time ago.  None of the puzzles in this area are very difficult, as the main quest in this area is the first part of the game.  The Magmoor Caverns are a rocky area with a lot of magma.  Samus has to use the Morph Ball, Grappling hook, and a lot of jumping to avoid the magma.  The enemies here fit the level design, with dragons that rise out of the magma and attack.  Obviously the Ice Beam is very useful here, and can even be used to shut down some of the jets of fire that attack Samus in certain parts.  Phendrana Drifts is a more difficult area.  The world is icy and there are a lot of jumping puzzles that must be passed in order to get to where you need to go, and it is also the home of the Pirate Fortress, which is a very challenging area in the game.  The Phazon Mines area is the most difficult area in the game, with the most powerful enemies to fight, and less save points that allow Samus to heal herself.  One of the best aspects of the game's level design is that as Samus becomes more powerful the enemies in a particular area become more difficult.  The first time through, Samus might be fighting Scarabs and War Wasps, two of the easiest enemies in the game, while later on in the exact same area, Samus may run into Space Pirates or Chozo Ghosts, which are much more difficult to fight.  This keeps the game from getting boring by adding challenge to areas the player has already been to.

    Retro Studios took on the challenge of translating the Metroid series into a first person shooter head on and they succeeded with flying colors.  Metroid Prime is not only one of the best games available for Gamecube, but one of the best games available for any of the current generation of consoles.  The game will remain a true classic for many years to come.  If everything mentioned isn't enough, the game contains some extra features that are unlocked by connecting it with Metroid Fusion, the GBA Metroid game that was released around the same time.  If the player finishes Metroid Fusion, the original Metroid game for NES is unlocked for play on Gamecube.  If the player finishes Metroid Prime and connects the game to Metroid Fusion, the Fusion suit is unlocked in Metroid Prime, giving Samus a different look when the camera shows her.  Metroid Prime also features a hard mode after being completed for a true challenge, as well as multiple endings depending on how many of the game's upgrades have been found.  Metroid Prime is one of the cornerstone titles available for Gamecube, and will remain a classic for years.