Metroid Prime Trilogy Review

By Kristan Reed Published 8 September, 2009

Series of the decade?

Version tested: Wii

Looking back, perhaps the most galling aspect of the GameCube's relative failure was that two of the best games of the past decade never reached a wider audience. Anyone who experienced Retro Studios' twin masterpieces, Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, will know that both of them deserved to be hailed alongside the very biggest brands in gaming.

Simply put, both games excelled at everything they did. The challenge was greater, the design more intelligent and imaginative, with intricate, varied and fully-realised worlds alive with lavish detail and absorbing atmosphere. How these shooter-adventures weren't multi-million-selling worldwide hits has always been a source of personal frustration. Even hardcore gamers seemed reluctant to give them a try.

The 2007 release of the series' conclusion, Corruption, provided some comfort but also a few niggles. The revamped Wii controls were tailor-made for the first-person shooting. At the time, we noted that the lock-on free-aiming system "gives a degree of fluid, accurate control that's far and away the most intuitive, satisfying system anyone's come up with on a console."

The idea that Nintendo and Retro might some day go back and apply these control enhancements to the first two Metroid Prime titles seemed almost too good to be true. The New Play Control reissues we've seen lately gave us hope that it could happen, but to throw all three titles onto a compilation package was beyond our wildest dreams. Not since Super Mario All Stars in the SNES era has Nintendo taken an opportunity to unite one of its great series in such an irresistible way.

Better yet, Retro hasn't thrown the package together without love. It has retooled the controls for the two GameCube episodes, added a full 16:9 widescreen mode, improved some of the texturing, and even rebalanced the games to answer the barrage of complaints about some of the howlingly unfair difficulty spikes which many will ruefully recall - especially from the repeatedly spiteful Echoes.

'Metroid Prime Trilogy' Screenshot 1

The purple people eaters out in force.

As a result, we're presented with a definitive collection which will not only appeal to those who missed out, but offer a tantalising opportunity for fans of the series to experience enhanced versions of some standout, must-own classics.

This generously-priced collection also presents a long-overdue opportunity to put the series in some sort of context. Released over a five-year period between the end of 2002 and 2007, the Prime games brought Metroid into that select club of game series which successfully negotiated the notoriously tricky transition from 2D to 3D. Retro not only managed it, but did so with breathtaking style.

When Metroid Prime made its debut in October 2002, fans were quick to jump on anyone daring to call it a first-person shooter. That was a little overzealous, looking back, but it's certainly fair to say that it's a multi-faceted title that involves a whole lot more than shooting aliens in the face. By retaining all the elements which made the original Metroids so revered, it fused platforming and puzzling with intense combat, while retaining the intricate game-world design that rewarded patient exploration.

'Metroid Prime Trilogy' Screenshot 2

Corruption was the best-looking of the three, but not necessarily the best.

It also kept upgrading at its core. Additional weapons and components would gradually allow the power-suited space-heroine Samus to take on new challenges, explore areas previously off-limits, and generally beef up her abilities across the course of the adventure.

The Metroid Prime games made fighting boss monsters a major event, and the generous rewards always felt appropriate after such memorable and taxing encounters. Often screen-filling, generally challenging, and imaginative in design, some of the key encounters (especially in the fearsome dark/light world of Echoes) became some of my own personal favourite boss encounters in videogames history. Driven by the chillingly insistent soundtrack, they were the sort of games that forced you, at such frantic moments, to press pause and furiously shake the strain out of your hands.

They could be real pad-bouncers, too. The murderously unnecessary requirement to restart boss encounters at the most recent save point would sometimes mean a lengthy trudge across the map to even reach the boss' location, never mind replay the damned thing. The chief flaw in the games, this unfortunate throwback to old-school game design remains in all three Metroid Prime titles, and still has the capacity to inspire the kind of red mist you maybe thought you'd grown out of. Losing maybe an hour of patient progress because you've neglected to save, and then stumbled unprepared across a boss is a cruel and - these days - unusual punishment.

Nevertheless, the improvements to both Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes are worth celebrating. The slick controls, combined with lock-on free aiming, make them a joy to play - and in some senses, slightly easier.

The originals' curious decision to forgo the standard twin-stick console control system in first-person mode meant that players had to hold down the right shoulder button to look around. These days, you simply point the remote to aim, and move around with the nunchuk, turning by pointing at the sides of the screen. Combined with the ability to easily lock on to a target with Z, and dash-evade by tapping B, it's a system which feels as precise as you'd hope without being ache-inducing. Factor in the rebalancing of some of the more insanely difficult enemies, and you end up with games which stay on the right side of challenging.

A few improvements that made Corruption feel more refined have not made the transition to either Metroid Prime or its sequel, however. Most obviously, the expanded on-screen mini-map that made navigating the sprawling environments in Corruption so much easier hasn't been retrofitted to 1 or 2.

But even without refinement, I would still rate both GameCube Primes ahead of the series' concluding part. Corruption suffered for the simple reason that Retro had started to run out of ideas. If it felt contrived having to find all of Samus' gear in Echoes, having to do it yet again the third time around was stretching the formula. With hindsight, it was the excellent controls which helped us tolerate the repetition, but playing them back-to-back now, Corruption can't help but feel stale by comparison. An over-reliance on novelty motion controls creeps into the game, and the boss design also suffers, with certain elements contrived as a means to show off the controller - while the addition of voiceovers to the NPCs jarred with the Metroid atmosphere.

'Metroid Prime Trilogy' Screenshot 2

Of all the GameCube ports on the Wii, the Metroid Prime titles benefit the most.

What's surprising about the first two Metroid Prime games is how little they've aged technically. While it can be horrifying to go back to games from a previous generation on bigger, sharper screens, Retro's titles still stand out for their visual opulence. With fantastic world design and a varied selection of imaginative creatures populating the various worlds, the satisfaction to derive from discovery and exploration is immense. And with widescreen support and a modicum of texture improvement in evidence, you'll still find yourself enchanted by some of the most well-realised game-worlds ever created.

Unlike so many linear action adventures, these are environments you'll get to know intimately, thanks to the ever-present need to revisit them to scour previously inaccessible areas for secrets, upgrades, or simply to make progress. The requirement to continually criss-cross environments in Metroid Prime games might seem a cheap way to pad them out, but it's actually part of their enduring appeal.

The way the games drip-feed their narrative is also contrary to tradition. Equipped with a scan visor, you'll need to scan everything to find out anything at all about the story: dead bodies, equipment, adversaries, the works. To begin with it feels a bit unnecessary, but again, once you're immersed, it can become a curious compulsion. You learn so much more about the world and its inhabitants this way, and after a while you actually find yourself caring more too. Somewhere along the line, the Metroid Primes transcend from mere action games to beautifully-crafted works of interactive science-fiction.

Laid end-to-end, you're looking at maybe as much as 100 hours of top-quality entertainment in Metroid Prime Trilogy. Although it's hardly been spoken of as a high-priority release by Nintendo, this could well be the finest single product it has released for the Wii. For all its quirks, Metroid Prime remains a landmark action series, and as such, owning it ought to be mandatory.

9 / 10

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Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (89) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • cianchristopher #1 2 years ago

    Twin masterpieces? I thought the first one was a masterpiece, the second one wasn't, though! It was good, but gave me that "Halo 2" feeling.

  • MeBrains #2 2 years ago

    I have corruption and enjoy it, but apparently not as much as being so eager to finish it...

    yet since it is not the best in series but still is quite damn good, Trilogy looks like something I should acquire.

  • telboy007 #3 2 years ago

    I loved these games, absolute genius they were.

  • Retroid #4 2 years ago

    Metroid Prime is one of my favourite games ever. It was excellent in pretty much everything it did and had an atmosphere second to none. Fantastic game.

  • skillian #5 2 years ago

    Couldn't afford a third screenshot?

  • login_name #6 2 years ago

    Metroid Prime is one of my favourite games ever. It was excellent in pretty much everything it did and had an atmosphere second to none. Fantastic game.

    Couldn't agree more. Loved every minute of it.

  • jamhead #7 2 years ago

    "Laid end-to-end, you're looking at maybe as much as 100 hours of top-quality entertainment in Metroid Prime Trilogy"

    I am sorely tempted... but 100 hours is just too much gaming time for me to get into my life these days (at least, not without it being at the expense of every other game that comes out in the next 4-6 months) and I hate starting good games then not having the time to finish them.

    I hate even more when you go back to a game you have left for a few months and you don't have any idea what's going on from where you left off and would be forced to start from scratch (for example, Twighlight Princess that is now gathering dust under my telly)

  • Blerk #8 2 years ago

    The first game was excellent aside from the final few hours (Gods, did I hate Meta-Ridley). The second one, however... that annoyed me so much that I never actually completed it. And as a result I didn't bother to even try the third one.

    Was 3 better than 2?

  • StooMonster #9 2 years ago

    Out in teh interwebs there are reports that move from 4:3 ratio to 16:9 means certain FX have been crippled in Wii version, whereas others say the lighting effects are more sophisticated than compared to GameCube version.

    We need a Digital Foundry comparison to get to the bottom of this controversy.

  • Ninja_Tino #10 2 years ago

    I agree that the first one is the best but I thought that 3 was quite a bit better than 2. It was just a lot more fun and collecting all my old gear doesn't really bother me. I simply see it as being a necessary part of the Metroid formula.

    @Jamhead 100 hours is undoubtedly an absolute maximum of play time. On average, I would say each game will take between 10 - 15 hours for a first timer. So don't worry, you could easily start and finish each game.

  • viper_h #11 2 years ago

    Yep, have to say Prime is up there with the best games ever, and it really hasn't dated much at all.

    Prime 2 was a bit of a letdown because of the ammo system, and I didn't like the dark world, but it was still good.

    3... well. Pssht. Oh, and I felt the motion controls were overrated.

    This compilation is great and for someone who never owned the games I'd recommend it as a must-have! But I already own all three Prime games, and I'm reluctant to shell out another £30 for 3 games I already own with inferior controls.

    Oh well, I can always "acquire" it.

    Edit: One visual effect gone from Prime 1 because of this port is the heat-haze that comes off the Arm Cannon when you've been firing for a while. No big deal, but it was a nice touch, and I'm not sure why it would be missing.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/09 @ 12:13

  • Sonic_D #12 2 years ago

    Never got to complete the first Prime for various reasons, therfore never played Echoes, but I did complete Corruption. I'll be playing this fo' sure.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/09 @ 12:00

  • Grayvern #13 2 years ago

    The thing is I don't care for the Corruption controls anyway. And unless they change more than just graphics there's no point adding it to the original 2 because I think there may only be 2 enemies capable of breaking lock in those games.

    Quite apart from the fact that I no longer have my Wii plugged in because the lack of aa was bad on my 20" tv and physically painful on my 40" tv. (If I ever get round to buying a 26"-32" old SD maybe but to be honest that wouldn't do my back any favours)
    I would rather have less advanced graphics but better AA.

    (Prime 2 was marked down for not changing anything over Prime 1)

  • Tomo #14 2 years ago

    I really never got on with the first one, so sadly this is all lost on me :/

    Would love to get this and love it, but sadly I doubt I will. Hum.

  • krudster #15 2 years ago

    Never understood the attitude towards Echoes. For me it was one of my favourite games of the decade.

  • dcangel #16 2 years ago

    Metroid Prime was what sold me on the Gamecube and it's a decision I've never regretted. One of the best reimaginings of a franchise ever, and one of the best games ever in its own right. Love it to death.

  • Blerk #17 2 years ago

    I found Echoes cripplingly old-fashioned in places - unfair for the sake of being unfair, especially with the positioning of and time between save points. The controls were pretty much at their limits with the first game and for me it just got too much in the second one - specifically the dodge/jump being on the same button. I got stuck on some boss or other that I couldn't beat because of controller nightmare and the save point was a good ten minutes away so I had to keep repeating the same bit over and over every time I wanted to retry the boss battle. So in the end I just quit. :-(
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/09 @ 13:02

  • Santino #18 2 years ago

    possibly my fave series ever, loving my play-through of the original again. still looks incredible, even moreso now in 480p and widescreen. I love the controls as they make it easier to look around the environments as you explore.

    edit: echoes rocks, and has some of the best boss battles in all of gaming.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/09 @ 12:25

  • RedSparrows #19 2 years ago

    If I had a Wii I'd get this first.

    Or I'd get a GC back and get Mp1/2 again and relive the glory days of that unfairly maligned console :((((

  • krudster #20 2 years ago

    I agree the pre-boss lack of save point is idiotic, but the boss fights themselves in Echoes were just amazing.

  • RedSparrows #21 2 years ago

    'Edit: One visual effect gone from Prime 1 because of this port is the heat-haze that comes off the Arm Cannon when you've been firing for a while. No big deal, but it was a nice touch, and I'm not sure why it would be missing.'

    I think it's cos the heat effect was an overlaid graphical effect, independent of the gun's texture. If the gun moves loads with Wii-aiming, it'd look awful, as it can't dynamically alter itself in relation to the gun. As it's effectively a texture.

  • secombe #22 2 years ago

    I am sorely tempted... but 100 hours is just too much gaming time for me to get into my life these days

    I'm glad I'm not the only one, upon reading 100hrs I switched off completely.That would take me a year easily, assuming I still played other games occasionally. I never even completed Mario Galaxy, as much as I love playing on it.

    It's ironic, but now I'm approaching 30, have a house, family etc etc, I find myself playing games that are very, very similar to those that I was playing when I was 10 on my Atari 7800 etc. Something like GeoDefence on the iPhone is pretty much perfectly pitched at me these days.

  • Gaol #23 2 years ago

    There was a serious drop in quality over this trilogy.

    #1 was one of my favourite Gamecube games. Terrific atmosphere and a good mix of gameplay elements.

    I missed 2 but bought 3 on the cheap for Wii. I never finished it, seemed a lot of backtracking, uninspired story elements, unintuitive button placement and frustrating bosses.

  • DFawkes #24 2 years ago

    I do love the Metroid series. I've only just picked up Super Metroid for the first time, and having it with these 3 excellent games is fantastic. Good for people that only just came to the series on Wii with Metroid Prime 3 and didn't want to have to fork out for Cube controllers and Memeory Cards too to play the first 2.

  • muscleblade #25 2 years ago

    The last boss in Metroid Prime was epic. I cant recall that i had a hard time beating it though. Also Meta Ripley is one of the best bossfights ever imo.

  • Blerk #26 2 years ago

    I agree the pre-boss lack of save point is idiotic, but the boss fights themselves in Echoes were just amazing.

    I always used to dread them - they were just irritations in the way of the exploring and puzzling. I think I'd have enjoyed both games a lot more without them, tbh.

  • Darren #27 2 years ago

    Personally I didn't find that Corruption's Wiimote controls added anything to the gameplay experience, it was just a different method of control that was neither better nor worst for the most part.

    I can't see this admittedly superb package doing much to entice the casual gamer to it as it is very much a game made for the core gamer and won't most of those have already played the earlier GameCube and Wii titles? Certainly I have and much as I'm desperate to play decent new games on my Wii, this isn't what I was hoping for.

    I hope it does well if only to prove that good games can have deservedly good sales but me thinks this will be cruelly ignored by the masses just as Okami, Mercury Meltdown Revolution, Zak & Wikk and numerous other games were.

  • jimboton #28 2 years ago

    Great games. Nice review.

    We better enjoy these to the fullest cause they are likely to be the last of their kind.

    If there's ever another Prime, or any other Metroid for that matter I bet they 'll decide to ruin it with gps navigation, map indicators for every exit, "secret" upgrade or item and some means to give away the solution to any obstacle or puzzle in your path before you're even aware there is one, just like Epic did on Shadow Complex..

  • pinebear #29 2 years ago

    Read all about it, Metroid Wii in betterthanhalo shocker!

  • kinky_mong #30 2 years ago

    Loved all 3 Metroid Prime games although they did get slightly worse over each sequel. I don't really think the boss battles were really as unfair as has been stated, they were all just about learning the patterns and wearing them down (although the boost ball boss in Echoes was stupidly difficult for no reason).

  • millerlfc #31 2 years ago

    Loved Metroid Prime, not sure why I never got round to Echoes. Just too busy I guess. If I ever get round to buying a Wii this trilogy may very well be my first purchase.

    Strangely I didn't find Metroid Prime that hard, and I'm definitely not a pro gamer. I died a few times but never got repeatedly stuck.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/09 @ 13:26

  • FooAtari #32 2 years ago

    Tried to like the Prime games but it didn't work out. I just got bored :/

  • JetSetWilly #33 2 years ago

    I enjoyed Corruption more than Echoes. I thought the latter's pace was too stilted until right at the very end of the game and some of the boss fights, Chykka in particular, seemed too drawn out and unforgiving for the sake of it.

    All in all it sounds like a nice package, but I would have liked the choice to pickup Prime on its own as in Japan because it's the only one I'd really want to play again.

  • OrgasmicMutton #34 2 years ago

    I enjoyed Corruption and am looking forward to playing the earlier titles. Unfortunately I just don't have the time to sink into one epic adventure at the moment (hence why there's an unplayed copy of the only 3D Zelda I haven't completed, namely Wind Waker, lying unplayed despite my love of the series) let alone 2.

    I'll definitely pick this up at some point though. I love the Metroid style of gradually finding the abilities to further explore past areas, that kind of gameplay has inspired some other great games (Aquaria springs to mind).

  • OldK1ngCole #35 2 years ago

    Also Meta Ripley is one of the best bossfights ever imo.

    And one of the hardest imo. Truly an epic game though and one of my fondest memorys in 30 ish years as a gamer.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/09 @ 13:45

  • hello_fi #36 2 years ago

    So whilst adding the new controls, have they actually made any of these games playable yet or are they still utterly terrible?

  • OldK1ngCole #37 2 years ago

    So whilst adding the new controls, have they actually made any of these games playable yet or are they still utterly terrible?

    Burn the heretic.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/09 @ 13:49

  • Byblos1 #38 2 years ago

    I thought 3 was the best, though I collected almost all of the batteries (?) along the way and so wasn't faced with what was supposedly a slog to go back and collect them at the end.

    I also enjoyed the first one, but I got lost after not playing the second for a few weeks and gave up.

  • Paulie_P #39 2 years ago

    I agree about all these epic games. I struggle to find the time to play them. I barely have a chance to complete them before the next epic game comes along. It got so bad that I made a program to randomly tell me what game to play each day and I've started completing games again.

    Thing is though, I still lose out on the multiplayer because I don't have the time to put the ridiculous hours in to get half decent at them!

  • Burkey123 #40 2 years ago

    @ hello_fi

    Just piss off, seriously.

    Anyway, I'm currently playing through the first one. It really is one of the greatest games ever. Never played Echoes so looking forward to it.

  • sneetch #41 2 years ago

    @muscleblade
    The last boss in Metroid Prime was epic. I cant recall that i had a hard time beating it though. Also Meta Ripley is one of the best bossfights ever imo.

    I found Meta-Ripley in Prime annoying in the extreme, then again I was up the walls at work at the time so I could only play the game for an hour here or there so maybe I forgot the "how to do it" bit between sessions or just never got the fight, either way, after wiping several times I ended up just shelving the game and leaving it unfinished for years. Only actually completed it just before Corruption was released.

    Great package, great games. The first is far and away the best (apart from the whole final bosses bit, IMO).

  • sneetch #42 2 years ago

    @jimboton
    If there's ever another Prime, or any other Metroid for that matter I bet they 'll decide to ruin it with gps navigation, map indicators for every exit, "secret" upgrade or item and some means to give away the solution to any obstacle or puzzle in your path before you're even aware there is one, just like Epic did on Shadow Complex..

    You mean exactly what you have in Prime then? It has all of those features already.

    And you may have missed it but there is another Metroid in the works: http://ww w.eurogamer.net/game/metroid-ot...

  • iago71 #43 2 years ago

    @ hello_fi

    "So whilst adding the new controls, have they actually made any of these games playable yet or are they still utterly terrible? "

    In what way would you say these games are utterly terrible? Im intrigued to hear a decent argument from you. Though I strongly suspect you have nothing to say on this.

  • swissorc #44 2 years ago

    Anyone who hasn't played them give them a go rent if nothing else they are great original and trust when I say they still look better than good on my 42" flat screen ignore what the HD crowd bash about

  • Santino #45 2 years ago

    "Sites like Kotaku and others are reporting that the textures and graphics have been downgraded for the wii version of the first two games. :( I think i will stick to my GC versions
    The water and particle effects have been scaled back / removed completely so the wii can run it :( "

    textures haven't been downgraded at all, they've been improved actually. the water rippling effect is missing but it was never particularly great anyway so it's not a big deal at all. The effects missing on the weapons during prime 1 is unfortunate as the little details lke that are great, but in all honesty i forget about it during my playthrough. Prime 2 has all of the effects the cube version had, including the haze from the gun heating up from prolonged firing.

  • Beek4257 #46 2 years ago

    Fired up the GC last night for a go on Prime just to refresh my memory.
    I have to say the art-direction was and is still absolutely stellar, even more so in hindsight. 7 years old, last gen and a jaw-dropper.

    Kudos to Retroid.

  • JeroenZM #47 2 years ago

    I was extremely lucky and beat Meta Ridley on my first try in Prime 1. Incidentally, that made the fight all the more legendary in my memory.

  • lolife.se #48 2 years ago

    Speaking of GameCube games... Where is my Eternal Darkness sequel?

  • Kami #49 2 years ago

    Absolutely, shame about the end but the first title will always have a special place in my heart.

    *feels vindicated*

  • OldK1ngCole #50 2 years ago

    Speaking of GameCube games... Where is my Eternal Darkness sequel?

    I would love to see this too. It's another epic title, full of new ideas, great atmosphere and a fantastic story, released on the Gamecube that just wasn't noticed by the masses because the hardware wasn't "Cool". Unfortunately, I can't see a sequel ever happening as Silicon Knights the Devs of Eternal Darkness are no longer owned by Nintendo. Shame really because since Nintendo sold them their output has been mediocre at best.

    PS. Did you finish it with all three "Alignments". The ending upon finishing with the final "Alignment" really was a cracking twist.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/09 @ 16:16

  • Sonic_D #51 2 years ago

    Eternal Darkness was a brilliant game, I was reminded of it recently while playing Batman: AA thanks to the Scarecrow bits (esp the last one). Shame there was never a sequel as I found it to be a much better game than Resident Evil. Plus the surround sound was awesome, esp when casting spells.

  • OldK1ngCole #52 2 years ago

    Eternal Darkness was a brilliant game, I was reminded of it recently while playing Batman: AA thanks to the Scarecrow bits (esp the last one).

    Totally agree, thought the same thing myself. The insanity effects were quality. I wonder if Rocksteady (Batman Devs) are fans of Eternal Darkness too.

    edit : Just remembered the first time my head fell off (in game) whilst playing Eternal Darkness, man that freaked me out, as did walking into a room with no doors & cockroaches crawling up the inside of my TV screen. I wish more Devs of survival horrors (one of my favourite genres) had the balls to try new things like this, rather than just sticking to the tried and tested ideas.
    Edited by 2 at 08/09/09 @ 16:27

  • octavedoctor #53 2 years ago

    Gah I just picked up Corruption on the cheap... but then I'm skint and can't afford even the XBLA games I want atm...

    I played both Prime and Echoes to the very end.. and loved every minute until the final boss battles... so I've completed neither of them, I'm tempted to ask for this for Chrimbo if they're a tad easier.

    If you're at all into Sci Fi, Adventure games, etc never played these games and have a Wii, I don't think you could go wrong with this little collection

  • sneetch #54 2 years ago

    @OldK1ngCole
    Eternal Darkness was a brilliant game, I was reminded of it recently while playing Batman: AA thanks to the Scarecrow bits (esp the last one).

    Totally agree, thought the same thing myself. The insanity effects were quality. I wonder if Rocksteady (Batman Devs) are fans of Eternal Darkness too.

    Me too, they were excellent although the bit where your console "fries" itself is a terrible thing to do to a 360 owner ;)

    I'd love to see Silicon Knights bring out an Eternal Darkness 2... mind you I don't know who actually holds the rights to that game, them or Nintendo.

  • CaptainTrips #55 2 years ago

    Super Metroid was probably my favourite 16-bit game (along with perhaps Zelda: LttP), and I remember being astounded at how well Retro transferred almost every aspect of the Metroid series to 3D for the first Prime game. I think to this day I would still consider the first Prime to have the best level design of any 3D adventure game.

    I played the 2nd one briefly, but never got the chance to finish it due to studies, and also never got round to picking the third one up. Time to dust off the Wii - an absolute "Must-buy" for me. So far at the end of this year we have this, Professor Layton and the upcoming re-issues of GoW 1 and 2... it's gonna be a busy winter. :)
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/09 @ 17:10

  • smelly #56 2 years ago

    "The water and particle effects have been scaled back / removed completely so the wii can run it :( "


    [sarcasm]
    Yes i'm sure the wii with it's more memory and high clock speeds needs to have graphical features cut back to get a cube game running .. and it's nothing at all to do with the developers deciding to replace them with something different for asthetic reasons
    [/sarcasm]


    Honestly.. the amount of retarded bullsht spouted about the wii on forums is quite legendary...


    Edited by 1 at 08/09/09 @ 17:25

  • jimboton #57 2 years ago

    @sneetch

    I don't think so. The Prime games don't offer nearly the same amount of hand holding as Shadow Complex. Shadow Complex basically leaves nothing for the player to figure out, even getting 100% is just a matter of dutifully checking every '?' on the map once you have all the power ups, absolutely no ingenuity required or puzzles to solve. For me that's the reason why it wasn't as enjoyable as it may have been.

    Yes I know there is another Prime project going on in Tecmo. Forgive my pessimism but given the ultra accessibility trend in game design these days I doubt that it is going to be very heavy in traditional Metroid puzzle/exploration gameplay..

  • Lemming81 #58 2 years ago

    "It also kept upgrading at its core. Additional weapons and components would gradually allow the power-suited space-heroine Samus to take on new challenges, explore areas previously off-limits, and generally beef up her abilities across the course of the adventure."

    As much as I enjoy Nintendo's first party titles, doesn't this description remind you of another? Just replace 'Samus' with 'Link'

  • Malek86 #59 2 years ago

    Not a fan of 3D Metroids. Prime 1 felt way too slow when compared to the 2D ones. Now to be completely honest, it's not that I really love 2D Metroids either. Fusion was too easy and straightforward, and Zero Mission was good but felt like dejavù after playing Super.

    Overall, Metroid is a series i don't care much about, except for Super, which easily sits among my favorite games of all times. Weird, uh?

    ... oh, fine, I'll admit, i still bought this one. I guess I'm just a sucker for a good deal.

  • The12thMonkey #60 2 years ago

    I honestly don't care that I'm going to be paying again, to buy copies of three games I already own (and have completed all of them).... because the MP trilogy - though they did get progressively, if only slightly, less impressive on each iteration - is about as pure an experience as action gaming ever got, for me.

    This thread has already commended everything I was going to commend about the series. I still have my sub-10 hour (9 hours 37 minutes, if i remember correctly) 100% final score on MP 1 kicking around on memory card. Hope I can manage something similar in Wii :D

  • andromeda #61 2 years ago

    "Corruption was the best-looking of the three, but not necessarily the best."

    Utter bollocks

    Did u actualy play them through??

    the first one was easily the best looking
    Phendrana drifts, Chozo ruins....

    Also Prime had the best score of any game to date, even betters most movie scores.

  • smelly #62 2 years ago

    I never played the 2nd.. I thought the first one was better than the 3rd one - but I didnt like the first ones controls, and got so stuck on the "near end" flying bad guy that i never finished it (presuming it'll be easier with better controls).

    i'm gonna be picking this up. Based on the 2 games i've played, in terms of value for money alone - this should be a 10 score.

    Certainly more interesting/varied than certain other trilogy games set in space where you shoot things. :-)

  • Sharzam #63 2 years ago

    I really liked the first althpurgh i didnt get around to completing it simply as so big and maps complicated that if take a break for a month come back to it and didnt have a clue where to go. I tried echoes but i just didnt like it the whole changing from light and dark didnt fit well for me. Corruption on the other hand i completed and was a blast but the first is probably the better game, then sold the wii as was nothing else i wanted. I put my prime games on ebay at the same time also, this was last year and they sold for £5 each with 3 being £15.

    So basically great series, but what with wii playing GC games nativly not much point in getting this trilogy as can get the orginals for peanuts.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/09 @ 19:05

  • JayKwon #64 2 years ago

    I'm really looking forward to this. Loved both the Metroid Prime games on the Gamecube! However, unlike most, I liked Echoes in favour of Prime 1. I though Echoes had more tension and had a nice difficulty curve, whereas Prime 1 was a bit to easy. Never played Corruption though, so this package will be a solid investment. New controls for the GQ's masterpieces and Corruption! I have 'borrow' my brother's wii though:+).

    Metroid Prime is one of my favourite series of all time, and this is a good excuse to get back at it:).

  • smelly #65 2 years ago

    "So basically great series, but what with wii playing GC games nativly not much point in getting this trilogy as can get the orginals for peanuts."


    Hmm.. maybe.. But this DOES have widescreen support, improved textures, added effects, and the ability to carry stuff from one game onto the other.

    Also the first games controls weren't as intuitive as using the wiimote in the 3rd one. So the new controls are a definate plus too (i hate playing shooters on dual sticks)

  • ravmania #66 2 years ago

    Prime 1 has to be in my top 5 of all time. Can't believe the series didn't feature in the game of the decade list. Better than GTA, if not as influential.

  • ILOVEU #67 2 years ago

    Why does the Metroid Prime series get so much love? I remember buying this on my Gamecube and was gobsmacked-by how mildly above average it was. All the gaming press hyped it up as a Halo beater, now I'm no fan of Halo but it just wasn't. Half-Life 2 on the PC pissed all over it and yet the games mags still waffle on about it like its a legend. Boy the press aren't biased towards Nintendo are they? I'm sorry but if anybody else made these games they'd have been 7 out 10 max. Oh and the boss fights you lot are hyping up were dreadful. Most of them were easy and the ones that weren't were only hard because the games controls just weren't fast enough.

    I remember playing this and thinking my god this is just a really bad rip off of that old Saturn game Exhumed (now there's a true unappreciated classic that got forgotten). I'm sure at this stage fans of the Metroid's will try and counter by proclaiming this Exhumed game they've never heard of, or more importantly played and therefore aren't qualified to pass judgement on, must have been a rip off of Nintendo's original 2D Metroids so it still Metroid was the true source and inspiration. I would say half right, as Exhumed was programed by some ex Nintendo USA programmers. This is pure speculation but it wouldn't suprise me if some of them ended up at Retro Studios and had a hand in programing Metroid Prime such is the similiarity of the two games.

    However the old Saturn game was just way more inventive the MP. MP's problem is its sadled with trying to recreate the 2D Metroids weapons and features and for me some of them just didn't work in 3D. Exhumed had totally original weapons and ideas of doing things. The ultimate power up in Exhumed was to be able to fly. That might sound crazy but it worked, you 1st did the levels and foot, getting various power ups to access further into the game a la MP but when you got the flight power up near the end you realised that the levels and been designed with flight it mind as well as. I thought that really was genuis level design myself. What does Metroid Prime offer in contrast; Rocket Boots that help you jump a little higher. Yawn. Also before anyones says "it was on the Saturn so I bet the graphics were crap" it was actually visually stunning for time, the Saturn version actually had better graphics than the fairly nice looking PS1 version!

    The reason I'm Exhuming Exhumed from its sad lonely grave is to ram home that the MP series was nothing special, groundbreaking or unique at all. It had all been done before and done better. When I see people proclaiming it was revolutionary I just laugh, all it shows it you haven't played many other games have you?

  • Sharzam #68 2 years ago

    I dont think many say MP is revoultionary at all, but what it is is a well refined series with a compliation of ideas. Sure item collecting is in many games, sure exploring a sprawling planet is in other games, and yes back tracking is in some and not to mention the many many games with random space (bounty) hunter with funky suit.

    However what MP does is do all the various things very well, which is why its so loved i cant comment on exumed as i have no played it.

  • figaro7 #69 2 years ago

    One of the best series of the decade for sure and the wiis orange box! Loved all 3!

  • Climhazzard #70 2 years ago

    Metroid Prime was pretty much the best game of the last generation in every way possible. The second outing i didnt enjoy as much and the third didnt interest me all that much. The first outing is a total classic in my eyes. I dont think there has been a game so far this generation that has beat it.

  • FooAtari #71 2 years ago

    Metroid is boring and strictly for nerds only.

    And posting on a game forum isn't...

  • davearnie #72 2 years ago

    Em not a game soo far this generation to beat it? Lmao, maybe if the only console you own is a Wii.

    Xbox 360 - Halo 3, Gears of War 2 both own it

    PS3 - Killzone 2

    Oh and multiformat games, how about Call of Duty games for a start or even better example BIOSHOCK!

    But yea your right nothing this gen comes close lol

  • cobaltfram #73 2 years ago

    I love how Metroid Prime did Bioshock's audio logs before Bioshock, in a way (though of course, System Shock 2 had already done it.)

  • smelly #74 2 years ago

    >Metroid is boring and strictly for nerds only.

    Maybe you should stick to playing casual games for mainstream audiences - like halo

  • smelly #75 2 years ago

    >Xbox 360 - Halo 3, Gears of War 2 both own it
    >PS3 - Killzone 2

    You've not played metroid have you? Otherwise you wouldnt just immediately presume it's a standard run of the mill shooter like those 3 are.

  • Scimarad #76 2 years ago

    I always felt that I needed about 3 hands to play Metroid Prime. I liked the game but I absolutely hated the controls...

  • FooAtari #77 2 years ago

    You've not played metroid have you? Otherwise you wouldnt just immediately presume it's a standard run of the mill shooter like those 3 are.

    While I am no Metroid fan, run of the mill is exactly how I would describe those games. Halo 2 and Gears 2 are OK. KZ2 average at at best. I would say CoD is probably better than most, but I'm fed up of the CoD franchise now. Too many games in too few years.

  • robson_wii #78 2 years ago

    It's funny reading some of the comments above as I had terrible difficulty defeating Meta Ridley in MP1 first time through and remember getting RSI from the controller before working out where I was going wrong. Totally satisfied when I managed to defeat him :) MP2 or MP3 never had the same feeling of satisfaction when taking out a boss as it never took as long or never seemed as difficult. Maybe the rinse and repeat with the bosses in 2 and 3 was less effective. Still great games though. Would like to see MP1 and 2 in wide screen as it always felt claustrophobic with 4x3 so might pick this up.

    +1 for Eternal Darkness follow up as well

  • andromeda #79 2 years ago

    last!

    Game of the last generation.

    And this one.

  • sneetch #80 2 years ago

    @robson_wii
    It's funny reading some of the comments above as I had terrible difficulty defeating Meta Ridley in MP1 first time through and remember getting RSI from the controller before working out where I was going wrong. Totally satisfied when I managed to defeat him :)

    I went to youtube in the end, watched a video of someone absolutely pwning him in 1 or 2 minutes, realised how shite I was at Metroid then proceeded to kick the living crap out of Ripley. :)

    @jimboton
    You're probably right, the level of "hand holding" in Metroid Prime was perfect IMO: it only dropped hints after you'd been wandering around for ages and even then it was phrased as a sensor anomaly or energy spike or seismic disturbance or some other plausible hint (and you can turn that off, I believe) but I've been more or less led by the nose in a lot of games recently, there's a happy medium that a lot of developers are missing (probably because it's simply impossible to suit everyone).

    I think a hint button is a good way of handling that, if you're stuck go to the hint section and it'll help you out otherwise it stays out of your way.

    As for the next game I reckon it may be more "Metroid Gaiden": a relatively linear run through a level with a boss at the end, I'm looking forward to it but I hope it's more than that (in fairness they say it'll still be adventure based). I like the way these games (games like Zelda and Metroid) work, I'd like to see differences, twists, new ideas but at the same time I'd like them to leave the basic components the same.

    Damn, I'm going to go pick this up today I think. They captured the Metroid style perfectly with the first Prime IMHO and the other two are excellent games although they pale next to it.

    I was amazed at the ability of that piece of music that plays when you exit your ship to bring back the connection to the earlier games to me.

  • Daryoon #81 2 years ago

    See, I love that there's no quick-restart-where-died were option. That sort of thing really saps the tension away. Running into a boss or tough enemy, KNOWING you haven't saved for half an hour (or would need to do that difficult section again if you die) just ADDS to the battle. There's actual risk.

    With the modern super-forgiving way of letting you restart right before the boss (or even in the middle of the battle if it's got multiple forms/stages) takes away that sense of "oh shit, I HAVE to beat this NOW" because you know death only hurts your gamer-pride.

  • sneetch #82 2 years ago

    @smelly
    Xbox 360 - Halo 3, Gears of War 2 both own it
    PS3 - Killzone 2

    You've not played metroid have you? Otherwise you wouldnt just immediately presume it's a standard run of the mill shooter like those 3 are.

    I have to say I completely agree with you there, Smelly.

    I like those games a whole lot (well, GOW 1 not 2, haven't played 2 yet) I think they're excellent, very well crafted, incredibly slick but, yep, they're pretty standard, run of the mill shooters.

    Then again, nearly every FPS is bog-basic; few of them even attempt to innovate in any way (apart, of course, from the cover mechanism it's normally just technical improvements to lighting and particles and so on). I like how developers are trying to make them more plot/script oriented, but your average FPS is pretty linear and plays like an action movie would (if you get my drift). I like that, it's good for "switch brain to off" gaming which, after a long day, is all I want at times but Metroid offers far, far more than that.

    Edit: just clarifying
    Edited by 2 at 09/09/09 @ 12:45

  • Canyarion #83 2 years ago

    Great deal.

    Which sucks for me, because I'm trying to sell the original Metroid Prime games. They're hardly worth anything! I'm lucky I sold MP3 for €19.

  • SG #84 2 years ago

    ^ I'm glad I didn't sell my originals. I like to keep them cos they still have title screens, menus and the little graphical touches. So with them and my US metal tin I have a true Metroid Prime collection. :)

    cianchristopher
    08/09/09 @ 11:39

    Twin masterpieces? I thought the first one was a masterpiece, the second one wasn't, though! It was good, but gave me that "Halo 2" feeling.

    It’s weird, I thought that at first – they used skins from a lot of enemies from MP1 and the weapons operated very similarly to the first game.

    But a while back after playing through both games again I appreciated how much more MP2 added; there were the extra moves, the whole twin world scenarios, the expansion on the Space Pirate’s phazon operations, better bosses (Quadraxis – hello? Spider ball Guardian, genius) and a bigger quest overall. I love them both equally. Well, all 3 in fact. They each have better bits and pieces than the others.

    MeBrains
    08/09/09 @ 11:40

    I have corruption and enjoy it, but apparently not as much as being so eager to finish it...

    yet since it is not the best in series but still is quite damn good, Trilogy looks like something I should acquire.

    If you didn't get them first time round time for Christ's sakes man get them now! They may be ports but I don't think it's too much to say that these are arguably the best games available for Wii!

    secombe
    08/09/09 @ 12:29

    “I am sorely tempted... but 100 hours is just too much gaming time for me to get into my life these days”

    I'm glad I'm not the only one, upon reading 100hrs I switched off completely.That would take me a year easily, assuming I still played other games occasionally. I never even completed Mario Galaxy, as much as I love playing on it.

    But independently each game wil take you 10 hours, maybe a tad more. 100 is for all 3, 100%ing them and going thru on hard mode afterwards too.

    smelly
    08/09/09 @ 19:54
    "So basically great series, but what with wii playing GC games nativly not much point in getting this trilogy as can get the orginals for peanuts."


    Hmm.. maybe.. But this DOES have widescreen support, improved textures, added effects, and the ability to carry stuff from one game onto the other.

    Uh… whut?

  • Mr.DNA #85 2 years ago

    The original Metroid Prime is perhaps my favourite game of all time. I don't think that any other game has had me so completely absorbed and entertained from beginning to end. Everything about it was absolutely first class.

  • malloc #86 2 years ago

    These were good games, although they did slightly deteriorate after the first one. That said they took a few risks with the 3rd one and fair play to them, they just about paid off. It was a shame that the multiplayer deathmatch on Echoes didn't really take off and was a bit of a tack on, but well done to Retro for asking wha tthe gaming public wanted and then giving it a try.

    All that being aside, I really hope that Retro have been working on other game(s) in the last couple of years since Corruption, and not just gluing the Prime triology together into one Wii game that about 10 people are going to play. Surely they're too talented and important to be doing that?

  • harrisimo #87 2 years ago

    Played first two hours of this again at the weekend. It still totally rocks.

  • robson_wii #88 2 years ago

    @harrisimo: I picked the trilogy up at the weekend and played a few hours of MP1 as well and you are right. The atmosphere is spot on and some of the level design is fantastic. New controls make it much better as well. I hope MP2 seems better next time round...

    Carrying stuff from one game to another sounds interesting but not tried it yet...

  • harrisimo #89 2 years ago

    A good way in to MP1 now, with quite a few upgrades collected, and areas explored, and I'm absolutely loving it all over again. I'd forgotten so many of the brilliant design touches that make it such a joy to experience. On a new 40'' wide-screen TV using a component cable, and with the new wii remote controls, this is like revisiting an amazing holiday, but this time with a hot chick in tow so it's even more memorable and fun than how you remember.

    I can't think of any other games I'd actually want to play through all over again. But this one has me just as gripped second-time around. It's a lovingly crafted work of genius.