From the Butlerniverse

Tonight, I finally continue the Metroid reviews with the first chronological entry in the Metroid Prime subseries.

Game Title: Metroid Prime

Platform Reviewed: Nintendo Wii

Also Available: Gamecube

Created by: Retro Studios (developer), Nintendo (publisher)

Story: Metroid Prime is set after the events of the original Metroid. It kicks off the Metroid Prime Trilogy (and the tie-in Nintendo DS games, Metroid Prime: Hunters and Metroid Prime Pinball). Samus Aran receives a distress signal from a Space Pirate vessel, which is essentially in the midst of a civil war. They have been experimenting on their own, creating super soldiers, in a sense. Now, the ship is heavily damaged. Samus goes aboard and battles parasites, only to find herself injured (and her suit diminished back to square one, typical of Metroid games) before following Meta Ridley (her foe from Metroid in cybernetic form) down to the nearby planet Tallon IV. There, she discovers that the pirates are experimenting with an energy called Phazon. She battles through hordes of pirates and creatures, eventually battling the enhanced pirates and Meta Ridley, before heading down to an impact crater, formerly sealed by the Chozo and guarded by their spirits, where she discovers Metroid Prime, a Phazon-enhanced (or perhaps Phazon-born) creature that must be destroyed to save the planet from its Phazon corruption (and to end the Phazon experiment by the piratse).

Gameplay: First, let me say this: At one time, I picked up Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii and found myself wanting to play the first two, so I scrounged around for them on Ebay and in used game stores. I found the third game’s Wii controls so much better than the restrictive Gamecube controls for the other two (along with the restrictive aspect ratio on the GC, as compared to the Wii). I eventually gave up on MP1 and MP2, then sold them for a decent profit. I later watched as a friend finished MP3 while I had no time to play due to work obligations, and once I saw how it ended, I also stopped playing MP3 (because, eh, I’d seen it all already, if not experienced it), so I sold that one off too.

When Metroid Prime Trilogy arrived for the Wii (featuring Metroid Prime 3 in its normal Wii format, plus Wii-enhanced versions of Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes with controls like MP3 and widescreen support). I had heard good things about these new versions of MP1 and MP2 when released in Japan as part of Nintendo’s New Play Control series. I decided it was time to dive in headfirst. I even went so far as to collect all of the other Metroid games that I’d never played much (which meant every game except Metroid II: Return of Samus). I played all of those first, then began Metroid Prime, only to stop playing for months while various obligations took up my time and other games took my interest.

Thus, I have finally went full-bore into finishing Metroid Prime, finally completing it today with 100% item completion in just under 14 hours. (Yeah, it’s long, though not RPG long.)

That all being said . . .

The Metroid Prime games are hailed as “First Person Adventures” (FPA) instead of “First Person Shooters” (FPS). This was the first Metroid game to move into first person, 3D gaming, rather than side scrolling 2D.

Samus’ moves (new and old), include: multiple beam weapons (Power; Wave; Ice; and Plasma, each of which can build up a larger blast with the Charge Beam feature); missiles; Morph Ball mode (with bombs, power bombs; spider ball, and boost ball features); space jump boots (double-jumping, but no Screw Attack this time); four visors (regular; scanning; thermal; and X-ray); four suits (regular; Varia; Gravity; and Phazon); and the Grapple Beam that allows her to swing on an energy tether. Samus can also combine a charged shot with her missile ammunition to create combo weapons, including Super Missiles (Power Beam); Wavebuster (Wave Beam); Ice Spreader (Ice Beam); and Flamethrower (Plasma Beam).

From a control standpoint, the Wii version is definitely an upgrade from the Gamecube. Jumping is handled with the B button (right hand trigger). Firing the beam weapons is handled with the A button (right hand thumb), while the missiles are fired with down on the directional pad (right hand thumb, forward of A button). Menus are accessed via 1 and 2 buttons (lower on the top surface of the Wii remote), while holding the – or + buttons will allow you to easily point to a particular segment of the screen to quickly switch visors or beam weapons (or a quick tap will default to the regular visor or Power Beam). Aiming is handled with the Wii remote’s pointer, as you move crosshairs on the screen, which also turns Samus. Forward, backward, and strafing movements are handled with the analog stick (left hand thumb), while C (upper left hand trigger) activates and deactivates Morph Ball mode (wherein bombs are dropped with A and power bombs are dropped with down on the directional pad, while boosting is handled with B and spider ball gripping is handled with Z). The Z button (lower right hand trigger) locks on or activates the Grapple Beam when pointing at a grapple point. While in Scan Visor mode, Z also scans targeted objects.

The Verdict: This is a classic Metroid game in terms of gathering power-ups and exploring a huge world, while entering the 3D realm. With Wii controls in place, it  makes for a great experience, even if I’m horrible at 3D, first person platforming with the space jump ability. I was able to get through the game in 14 hours, while getting every single item that counts toward your finishing percent (and the unveiling of different endings).

If you have a Wii, Metroid Prime is a good pick in GC format (if you care for those controls), but with its inclusion on Metroid Prime Trilogy, along with the other two Metroid Prime games, I would consider that collected edition an absolute “must buy.”

With that being said, let me provide a word of warning: Nintendo has apparently ceased production on Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Wii. It was apparently a limited run item. If you find a copy, buy it! Even if you don’t plan to play for a long while, get that sucker. If you don’t, you may end up regretting it now that it is out of print and will either become very hard to find or very expensive to purchase. Save yourself the self-flagellation later. Get it now.

Grades: A- (because I am grading it against Metroid Prime 3: Corruption due to the gameplay similarities)

A great start to a great trilogy, even with the backtracking involved in earning a 100% ending.

Note: It will be a long while before the next entry in this review series. Metroid: Other M will not be released until later this year, and I own (but have not completed) the other three games in this review series: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes; Metroid Prime 3: Corruption; and Super Metroid. I will soon begin playing Metroid Prime 2 on the Metroid Prime Trilogy game disc, but I have a feeling that it will be slow going, given that God of War III arrives very soon, and most of my free time that isn’t video game stress relief is being used to work on my novella.