Metroid Prime Wii: An Appreciation

In 2001 Nintendo showed the world the next chapter in the Metroid series of games. Titled Metroid Prime, the game was initially much maligned by the majority of gaming publications. The graphics were dated, even by Nintendo 64 standards and the game play had been seen before, relying on a basic First Person Shooter model. The negative reception seemed to motivate the designers, Retro Studios, into action. It’s a good job they were, as they ended up creating one of the best games for the Nintendo Gamecube console. When it was released in 2003 the game received high praise, scoring very highly in reviews and evidently has stood the test of time by often frequenting the top 10 of 'best games of all time' features in various publications.

The complete overhaul of the game, first seen in 2001, required the intervention of the legendary game designer, Shiguru Miyamoto. He identified the problems and thanks to his helping hand the game moved away from the generic first person shooter tag it initially received. The final article branched out into many genres and quality was not hindered as a result. The game successfully combined the genres of first person shooter, puzzle solving, platforming and exploration. Taking the role of series protagonist, Samus Aran on the secluded and uninhabited (save for a few beasties) planet of Tallon IV you are encouraged to explore as much as possible, with the game often rewarding you for your curiosity by handing out a weapon or suit upgrade. This design, combined with the eerie music and high end graphics act as an incentive to become more involved with the game. Further innovation in design is the implementation of the scanning feature, which when used, provides the story for the game, meaning cut scenes were eliminated.

Although the game underperformed in terms of sales, it acted as a forbearer to two excellent sequels, Metriod Prime 2: Echoes (Nintendo Gamecube) and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Nintendo Wii). Recently the three games have been re-released as Metroid Prime Trilogy on the Nintendo Wii. Making use of the unique motion controller to great effect and giving the games a new lease of life, at the same time creating one of the best value experiences on the Nintendo Wii console.

by Ben Packham: 23-10-2009 10:06:44

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