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One of the Greats

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: December 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I've played the old Metroid and I thought that was challenging and fun. I've played the new Metroid and I thought it was the greatest thing. It's challenging but you find new things all throughout the game. The graphics are the best I've seen on any game and all the equipment that you get is awesome. If you are looking for a Christmas gift or if you have some extra money to blow, I would definitely get this game. No questions asked.

The Most Atmospheric Game Ever Created

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: December 31, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Nintendo-finally once again do you have my confidence in your skill as game makers. Metroid Prime, their newest (and possibly greatest) success delves the gamer into richly detailed worlds, thrusts them into combat with battle-hardened alien species, and most importantly, creates an atmosphere of complete isolation and scope on the vast planet of Tallon IV.

To address the issue of the First Person Perspective, this game is being assailed from all anti-Nintendo fans as having horrible controls for being a First Person Shooter (FPS). TO them I say that the game obviosuly is NOT a FPS. The controls are specifically designed to eliminate any thought of the game being FPS related. For that is not what Metroid is about, Metorid is not about blasting wave after wave of mindless enemy foes. No, Metroid is an experience, one based on exploration and discovery with many secrets to be delved upon and many areas to be searched through. The lock-on mode during combat makes enemies no problem to defeat, for the fighting is NOT THE FOCUS.

With that aside, Metroid Prime can easily nab the coveted title of Game of the Year, and the title of Best Metroid game to date.
From the opening titles, to the closing battles with Meta-Ridley and Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime does nothing other than keep your adrenaline running on all four cylinders, and your brain working on overload. This said, not only does Metroid Prime provides the joy and wonder of exploration, it features tons of puzzles that will almost have you banging your head against the wall in frustration. But don't let this keep you from buying this game, for there is always a way out. The plus-side to the puzzle-solving is that Samus will have a full array of powerful and intricate weapons systems, reanging from the simple power beam to an explosive missile charge combo, all compactly contained in Samus's arm cannon.

However, the element I personally enjoy about this game is that of isolation, and the feeling of atmosphere that you get from being immersed in this game. For that is what happens, you don't play this game, you become immersed in the experience and feel as if you are really exploring the vast world of Tallon IV.
As you progress, you begin to realize also that you are the ONLY form of human life on this planet. You are completely and utterly alone as you make new discoveries and defeat new creatures. You begin to really feel the atmosphere of the game as you realize thi, yet also gives an interesting and exhilarating feel as if you are pioneering on a new frontier, being the first to see every magnificent detail on this planet for the first time.

In all, Metroid Prime triumphs with skill and passion, from the exploits of discovering a richly detailed and complex world, to the darkness and heroism of the violent battles, it has something to offer to gamers of all ages and all types. Metroid Prime is not only one of the most atmospheric games ever created; it is quite simply one of the best.

Aside from a few minor flaws, Metroid Prime is a must-own

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: January 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you are a fan of the original Metroid series, then there is absolutely no reason you should hesitate about buying this game. If not, the creative gameplay and controls will keep you busy for hours.

First off, I'd like to say that the graphics on this game push the GameCube to its limits. The textures and colors in some areas are a bit bland, but because it looks so real, that doesn't matter. The ultimate realism of the Metroid world are surrealistic. You probably will spend about 20 minutes oogling over the graphics before gameplay. The snazzy startup menu background will really pull you into the game as well. The music in Metroid Prime has been perfected to fit the atmosphere of the world. No matter where you are, the must is what you would expect. The must is a mix of ambient calming music (when you are in a calm place) and can range to haunting and creepy while fighting enemies. The controls are where the game falls short. They are placed in the only possible setup that they could be, but often times when I am in combat and try to switch weapons, the game takes a second to register and I have to force it down repeatedly which during this time I loose some health. Another thing that can be annoying is jumping and shooting at the same time. You are likely to let go of your charged up shot while jumping. The gameplay is somewhat linear but not quite. You explore through rooms and usually you will get a hint of where to go next. This hint will show up on your map. So you must continue through rooms to eventually get to your destination, where a special item is usually hidden. Also hidden throughout the worlds are special powerups and upgrades. They are usually hidden in some rooms and sometimes cannot be accesed until the correct weapon is gained later on in the game (you can travel back and forth between major areas). The biggest major flaw of the game is the platform jumping. Because it's in first person, you often cannot judge when jumping whether or not you are above a platform. If you miss, you will probably land somewhere that will deal you a lot of damage. If you are used to this type of game, then this should not be too hard for you. When you land on the planet, you can explore the area that you are in, which appear on the map as polygonal shapes that represent the room that you are standing in (if you were in an octagonal shaped room it would appear that way on the map). Zooming out, you would find that each of these rooms, now represented in a honeycomb like fashion, is part of an area. The bosses are not too hard. Only two or three are actually hard and mostly because of how annoying they are. The overall difficulty of the game is modertate-hard and will take an average gamer between 7 and 25 hours to complete.

Metroid Prime stands out as one of the best released GameCube games ever. Anyone who is a fan of First Person Shooters (FPS) should definetly consider this game. If you liked this then you will probably like Metroid Fusion for the Game Boy Advance.

Unbelievable!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: January 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I was completely blown away by this game. Firstly, the graphics are astronomical. Not only to the environments look real, but you really interact with them. For example, when you come out of water, water residue streams down your helmet. Secondly, the controls are very easy to use and it takes no time at all for them to become second nature. The game itself can be summed up in one word: Wow! The game is huge, with worlds that are massively complicated and hardly any loading time between them. The enemies are tough and very difficult to beat. As a video game fanatic, I have never seen an enemy hide on the ceiling and attack me when my back is turned. All in all, this is, in my opinion, the best game ever and a definite must-get. The only drawback is that it is single player, but hey, I'm not complaining.

Tough, Smart, Beautiful (and Frustrating)

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: October 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Metroid Prime is a huge achievement, justifiably praised. It's beautiful to look at, and for those who like a great Sci-Fi environment (lovingly rendered in almost photographic-quality), as well as having a taste for First-person-shooters (FPSes) you'll have a great time.

With that said, I am in a total minority here, but I just didn't love this game. I wanted too -- I couldn't wait to play! But I'm also definitely an adventure gamer, and not a FPS gamer at heart, so maybe that's why (for those of you screaming, "It's really an adventure game" I have to disagree -- I've played Halo, and this is definitely an FPS, although with a few adventure/scenery touches here and there).

But it's a gorgeous game and certainly worthwhile to many seeking a great game -- so, just in case it helps, here's my list of pros and cons to help those of you on the fence:

THE GOOD:

* The Heroine and Story -- It's intricate, cool, and intelligently presented -- and with a kick-butt heroine in Samus. There's a haunting quality to the atmosphere of this game -- you really get a sense of entering another world. And the story -- which you glean bit by bit, by scanning your environment, prepares you for a heroic destiny.

* The Beautiful Visuals -- This game is gorgeous to look at, and it's obvious that the makers created every aspect with a lot of care. Look up and watch the raindrops plop onto Samus's visor. Or run through a room of steam and watch the inside of your facemask bead up realistically. Each plant and animal is lovingly rendered, and each world -- from desert ruins to lush jungles, ghostly underwater environments, lava pits, and ice caps, is lovingly and gorgeously presented.

* Gameplay and environment -- There's a massive world to explore here, and much fun to be had. And learning to use Samus's many tools is surprisingly seamless (although it does get complex by the end). It's rich, fascinating, and really intelligent -- easily a game spanning dozens of hours for all but the fastest gamers (especially if you go after every additional module or weapon enhancement).

OK, now, THE BAD:

* The endless freaking RETRACING -- The world in Metroid Prime is beautiful, thank goodness, because you will be looking at it over and over again, as you retrace your steps to go back and forth for this or that item, task, or save station.

* The Save Station Format -- The spaces between save stations -- especially as the game progresses and the stakes go up -- seem to increase. They are often really hard to find, and located only after hours (yes, hours) of really tough fights, enemies, bosses, mini-bosses, you name it. I actually spent HOURS trying to get to the next save station in the Phazon Mines, and the game nearly had me throwing things after my seventh failed attempt to reach the next save station (I kept dying right before the door after over an hour of tough fighting, thanks to the diabolical invisible robot sentry on top of zillions of tough enemies).

* The constantly respawning enemies -- I can't tell you how tired I got of walking out of a room, walking back in, and having to face the same stupid enemies I just defeated all over again. Worse yet, as the game progresses, and you defeat more bosses, those same bosses also "respawn" in all those old areas you've already been to, so that you are constantly refighting enemies you already beat (and they get tougher and tougher and tougher). While others posting here say it's "just a few rooms," that's not really accurate -- the respawning applies to almost all rooms, with the exception of a few minor cubbyholes or corridors.

This took a lot of fun out of the game for me, felt repetitive, frustrating, and mean-spirited, and frankly just seemed like a transparent way for the game creators to add some mileage and playing-time to the game. I hated this. (And wait til you meet those annoying Chozo Ghosts -- who pop up over, and over, and over, and over again in rooms you must revisit -- sigh.)

* The controls -- they're superb, but also pretty complex (and in the heat of battle, finding, "oh, shoot, I swiveled the controller left-for-the-heat_weapon-when-I-meant-to-go-right-for-my-wave-weapon--!" etc can get pretty tiresome. By the end of the game, you'll use every single stick or button on your controller. In some battles, you're so busy switching visors, and switching beam types, while also trying to strafe, jump and look up (in an unusually clunky aspect of the gameplay, Samus cannot simply "look up" even at a towering enemy, so this also means that locking onto these enemies is sometimes a real challenge as well).

* The increasingly difficult boss battles -- At first, I really enjoyed the bosses in Metroid Prime, because they were hard but not impossible -- they took smarts as well as just mashing the old A button, really refreshing. But just after the halfway point, they begin to get so difficult they aren't fun. It took me an entire day to beat Thardus, the boulder-boss, for instance -- an incredibly frustrating boss to beat.

Also -- another major point of annoyance for me here is that so many of the bigger boss battles are essentially the same: Hit the creature/pirate etc with some specialized weapon, or wearing some specialized visor to that level, then do it over and over and over and over again. The boss loses a "piece" of armor, of rock, or of health -- and then you do it all over again. And again. With the boss getting quicker or nastier or tougher all the while. Until the boss is dead. I'm sorry, but this got really old with me. (I got all the way near the end of the game a few days ago, to the Omega Pirate Boss, before I quit after half a dozen attempts and very little forward success. I just wasn't having fun anymore. And because of the nature of the game, naturally if I ever go back to try to finish, I'll have to replay that whole final section all over again.)

My hope here isn't so much that people listen to my gripes, but that maybe they'll help you figure out if you'll enjoy the game or not. If you are more of an adventure gamer than a combat player, someone who enjoys story, character interaction, with less emphasis on battles, you might try renting Metroid Prime to see if it clicks.

But if you like the FPS viewpoint, lots of smart nimble battling, with the occasional stop for breath in a beautiful if rather lonely universe, then this game is definitely for you.

The Samus legacy continues...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 15
Date: August 13, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Samus Aran, heroin of the first three Metroid games in the series. It seems like she destoryed the Metroid enemy but...did she? In No.2, she just almost killed the entire Metroid population but a few survived. Samus thought she'd rid the world of the pesky little devils but now, it's time to take care of the little buggers once more. The last game was one the Super Nintendo system and was a total bust in Japan but the sales here sky-rocketed! The reason no new metroid game came out was because of the Japanese public. But we clamored for another new Metroid. Many people were upset of Samus getting put into first-person view! Notice I didn't say shooter because this game is so far from that genre, it shouldn't be disposed because of it's first-person view. But, it looks like the game was made to be put into a 3-D universe. It looks another classic game of the Metroid series is going to strike the 'Cube...

Too much like work

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 11 / 18
Date: February 13, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you are looking for a fun "escape" for a while look somewhere else - Metroid Prime is too much like work. As many have written the graphics are excellent. However gameplay is monotonous and, particularly near the end, boss fights become too difficult.

The game involves exploration of the "vast world" of Talon IV. However, literally and figurately this translates into being stuck in a hole, rut, ravine, arena, canyon, cave or tunnel somewhere. In terms of gameplay: go to hole A, shoot your arm cannon 5 or 10 times, then go to rut B and do the same thing with (perhaps) different looking critters. Acquiring new gadets like the spider ball or grappling beam doesn't change this fundamental pattern. There is never a point in the game from which you gain a panaromic view of the surroundings. There is no point, for example, to which you can climb to gain a view of the Chozo Ruins from the Phendrana Drifts or vice versa. There is always some sort of wall looming above you. This is, you could say, a downer. In this respect the "vast world" of Talon IV can quickly feel like a confining prison (excellent graphics notwithstanding).

One issue that several people have remarked on is how long it takes to look around. Glancing down to see where your feet are before jumping from one ledge to another is a slow procedure. After a while you get the hang of guestimating where your feet are. However there are many holes in which you are forced to make a great many jumps to work your way up. If you miss and fall you have to repeat the process. Unless you enjoy monotony this is pretty tedious.

Some of the boss fights can also get old fast. If you lose you must work your way back from the last "save station," perhaps jumping up a series of ledges and fighting off the same old group of nuisance foes, in order to reach the boss again. The actual battle may go on for a very long time and entail a great deal of shooting, rolling, running, jumping, charging weapons, changing visors, alternating weapons, etc. All of this requires constant rapid pressing of numerous buttons in many combinations - a recipe for calloused aching fingers at best or tendonitis at worst. Most players will lose against the tougher bosses quite a few times.

Games need to be challenging to be fun. However if the challenges lack variety and are too difficult games can become tiresome and annoying. Combine the several overly difficult boss fights with the endless jumping around in tunnels and ravines and you have a recipe for tedium.

Best Game I ever played, period.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I am a huge Metroid fan and I've played all the Metroids dating back from the original. The transition of Metroid into 3-D was done perfectly, keeping all the history and atmosphere of the game. I found games like Tomb Raider too dark and it was annoying because it was so hard to see, but in Metroid the dark scenes are very comfortable to maneuver in. I am usually not very good at first person shooter types, but I was shocked at how surprisingly intuitive the controls were; you use every pad and button on the whole gamecube controller, and it was totally effortless!

I felt everything was done perfectly except the jumping. Once you get used to it, it's no problem at all, but you can't really see where you're going when you jump.
One person complained the game was far too linear, but I found to be just as expansive as Zelda or any other nintendo 3-D game. You can easily get lost and wander around the huge world, the only linear thing about it is the hint mode, which can be turned off.

This is the kind of game where it is so good you would play it over again. In fact, I just beat it again a couple days ago even though I bought it last year. I have Zelda: windwaker, and Soul Calibur II, and Super Mario Sunshine, but Metroid Prime... man, it is unbelievable...

One of my favorite games of all time

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: April 17, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I got Metroid Prime several years back for Christmas. If I may be so blunt, the first level was a turn-off to me. I died over and over again, and sadly, I put the game away on my shelf...

Until several months later, when I whipped it back out and decided it was time to take my strategy to the next level and try and master this game. I made it past the first world, and became engrossed in the game's story and style of gameplay.

The thing that people must understand about this game is that it is challenging beyond imagination. You'll find yourself tearing out your hair at some points, and at other times you'll be fleeing from giant ice beasts that punish you for infiltrating their nest. This game's action has no limits. The first level was so hard to me because I was never used to this type of difficulty in a game; first levels of video games tend to be easy as pie, right? That doesn't happen with Metroid Prime. The game always challenges the player to no end, forcing you to bring out your true amount of skill. That is one of the factors that makes this game an excellent one.

Metroid Prime is a game that acts as a radar; it really shows you how good you are at games. It is not one of those games where you aimlessly and carelessly shoot at enemies to win. Heck no...Metroid Prime is a game based on enemy patterns, timing, and realizing where the foe's weak points are. This game reveals to you your level of skill, like a long and hard test of bravery. And it took me a long time to complete this test. The final boss is one of my favorite in video game history; it took me about eight tries to beat it. And the feeling after I won was one word: exhilarating.

This was the first Metroid game I ever played. It's also the most difficult one I've ever played, aside from the original Metroid. But now I'll get into detail about what makes the game excellent.

I've pretty much covered difficulty. Now the story: Samus Aran has received a distress call from a Space Pirate Frigate; it seems that some specimens have broken loose. And that's all I'm going to say; if you want to hear more in terms of plot, play the game or read the manual.

Graphics: amazing. Every boss is extremely detailed. The environments look very natural. You can see mountains, jungles, snow-covered lands, etc. It's like you're in a virtual game.

Sound effects: Blew me away completely. There is a particular boss I remember that uses a shockwave-type attack with the most distinct sound: it sounds as if static electricity is spreading over a metal surface.

Music: in the main world, there is peaceful music. In boss fights, there is a unique track per boss. Boss music tends to elevate a sense of excitement in the player while playing; imagine fighting a tough boss with fast-paced music. It really raises the adrenaline.

Gameplay: the game is extremely long, with many puzzles and dozens of different creatures to encounter. I love exploring the vast environments in Metroid Prime. Seeing lava serpents (called "Magmoors") pop out all of a sudden is so cool. There are upgrades to collect, enemy data files to add to your log book, and strange artifacts to collect that show the path to the final stage.

My conclusion: one of my favorite games of all time, even better than the Halo series, in my opinion. It takes a serious amount of commitment to face the final boss and win. It takes a lot of commitment to even get to that point. But for beginners, let me tell you this: the first level seems tough and long, but once you complete that part, you will be thrown into an amazing world full of boss fights that make you shout with happiness once you kill them. And who knows...you might unlock something really freaking cool when you beat the game. *HINT HINT*

A must own for any gamer

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: January 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

"Metroid Prime." What is it that makes this game so great? Is it the graphics? No. Graphics alone don't make a great game. Is it the sound, or the game play, or the level design, or the overall emensity? None of these things defines a great game in and of itself, but all of them come together in "Metroid Prime" to fit pefectly into place and form what is the essential game play experience of the last five years for me. Now I realize that people have their preferences as far as games are concerned. Yes I played "Super Metroid" on the Super NES back when it was new, and I liked it. At the time I thought is was great. The truth is, "Metroid Prime" capitalizes on the things its predecessor did so well, and then puts it to shame. I haven't been this enraptured with a video game since playing the original "Thief" on the PC several years ago. These games have little in common outside of the fact that both of them really made me feel that I was the main character more than any other games ever have. The world to explore is huge, the bosses and enemies are smart and challenging, and the game is addictive as any can be. I actually enjoyed it so much that while I progressed, a small part of me was sad that I was that much closer to the end.

The bottom line is, if you own a GameCube, you owe it to yourself to own this game. It is the best available for the system. If you don't own a GameCube, I will not try to convince Microsoft and Sony faithful to convert, but if any Nintendo game can rightfully tempt customer loyalty, "Metroid Prime" is the one.

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