Been using my WiiU to play (and love) all the Nintendo classics that I missed over the years. Ive always been a huge fan of Ns handhelds, so my fondest memories of Metroid was Fusion.
This year I decided to rectify that, so I bought & played through most of Super Metroid. It was a really rad game, but Im not fond of felt a feeling aimless so I put it down after getting lost for some time. It may be blasphemy, but I loved Fusions linearity and the overwhelming threat of SA-X. I'm also a huge fan of the strong, non-sexualized female lead. Gaming needs wayyyyy more of these.
Despite my reservations about playing a first-person game (my least favorite gaming perspective) and an exploration-heavy game, I decided to give the Prime Trilogy a shot and WOAH. I am absolutely loving this:
The controls: At first I was a little wary of using the pointer as the reticule in an FPS. After messing with the control options a bit, I really found a sweet spot between free-aim and lock-on and now I fuckin love it. The reticule control and the HUD really adds another level of immersion.
The combat: Solid & tight. Im a little bit of a loose (arm) cannon but lock-on helps immensely. The boss fights are really where the combat shines.
The platforming: Love it! Ive just unlocked the double jump now and immediately everything has become so much more satisfying. After using the grapple hook once during the intro, I cant wait to get that upgrade.
The world: I cant remember the last time I felt willing to immerse myself in a game-world. Its a testament to the quality of the game that I will enter each room and slowly take it all in, exploring and scanning things to learn more about what happened. I hope the story pays off, because I am invested in the Chozo, the mysterious Phazon substance, the Space Pirates and learning just what happened to this planet **please, please, please avoid spoilers for the series**
The music: Brilliant. Perfect. When I hit the Chozo Ruins and that space-y, ethereal music kicked in I was totally on board. Working my way through Phendrena Drifts now and its like the best wintery music/level I played in a minute.
The hint system: OK, this is where it all comes together for me. This is really a huge part of the reason I love this game so much. I find it empowering to be able to lose myself in the world, exploring and unlocking things knowing that Ill never feel frustrated because the next objective will eventually pop up. Shit is brilliant and finds that perfect balance between a dumb arrow that points you directly to your next objective and an aimless world that forces the player to waste his or her time.
TLDR: THIS GAME ROCKS HOLY SHIT
**please, please, please avoid spoilers for the series**