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Why is the Metroid Prime trilogy so critically acclaimed?

The feeling arriving Talon V, looking to the sky and see the raindrops on samsu helmet, thats truly a wonderful experience, a good exploration, optional combat and great optional zones game.

Prime 2 just redefined what Prime 1 did, and Prime 3 was a good closing to the phazon saga.

Prime may feel outsated and probably slow if you play it right now, you are supposed to take your time to explore and scan everything you see rather than fighting enemies all the time.
 
The first Prime game is perfection.

Prime 2 is great but not as good as the first game minus the Light Suit (the best Samus suit design)

Prime 3 was not as good as the first two but still a good game to finish the trilogy.

Overall the Prime games were very well crafted. The exploration, gameplay, lore, music and atmosphere are all top of the line.
 

SaitoH

Member
I still remember Prime being released around the same time as Sands of Time. Such an incredible game, though oddly I didn't care for the Prime 2 or 3.

Also recall the GAF arguments about whether Prime was an FPS, or a First Person Adventure game. I was on team First Person Adventure, though it never stuck. :D
 

kiunchbb

www.dictionary.com
Back in the days a lot of 2d franchise tried to convert to 3d, but failed miserably. There's was a lot of skepticism when a FPS Metroid was first announced, but Retro went ahead and surprised everyone.
 
Also recall the GAF arguments about whether Prime was an FPS, or a First Person Adventure game. I was on team First Person Adventure, though it never stuck. :D

I always saw "First-Person Adventure" as more of a marketing thing to differentiate it. Like, when I think FPA something more like Myst comes to mind. In Prime your gun is always on screen, you frequently blast enemies/crates/doors/whatever else gets in your way, and your arsenal grows over the course of the game. I'd call it a shooter, albeit one with frequent puzzle elements and unconventional level design for the genre. There's a lot of shootin', and that's OK.
 

KingBroly

Banned
It's a Trilogy where each game is standalone unlike every other Trilogy out there. You don't need to play all 3 games to enjoy the entire thing.
 

Dremorak

Banned
The first one is amazing, 10/10. Second one was okay, but was a real struggle to finish.
Third one introduced my favourite FPS on console controls. Feels so good. Also the game itself is waaaaay better than 2.
 

zma1013

Member
A brand new studio making a 1st person 3D sequel to one of the most highly regarded and respected 2D platformer/adventure games ever created seemed like certain disaster. Surely, we all thought, that it should never have worked. Somehow Retro studios delivered a game worthy of the legacy of Super Metroid and brought us a truly timeless classic and an amazingly unique experience that can't be found anywhere else.

Amazing level design, great boss battles and diversity of enemies, extremely effective immersive atmosphere, stellar soundtrack, a simple-yet-effective solution for 1st person environmental platforming, cutting edge graphics, and an incredible art style that has helped the game visuals hold up extremely well over time.

It earns its praise for all of those reasons and more.
 
It's a Trilogy where each game is standalone unlike every other Trilogy out there. You don't need to play all 3 games to enjoy the entire thing.

Story-wise, sure, though I'd heavily advise against jumping into Echoes first. Corruption was a big step down in difficulty, but Prime 1 + Echoes are linked together as a clear progression of challenge. Playing Echoes without first grasping the (simpler) logic of Prime is asking for trouble imo.

And that's part of why Echoes is great. Fans of Prime 1 don't need to wade through hours and hours of low difficulty designed to ease newcomers into the series. The challenge ramps up pretty quickly.

Do you think the new one will be 60fps? I believe the older ones were.

They were, and 4 damn well better be.
 
I always saw "First-Person Adventure" as more of a marketing thing to differentiate it. Like, when I think FPA something more like Myst comes to mind. In Prime your gun is always on screen, you frequently blast enemies/crates/doors/whatever else gets in your way, and your arsenal grows over the course of the game. I'd call it a shooter, albeit one with frequent puzzle elements and unconventional level design for the genre. There's a lot of shootin', and that's OK.

But if I take that point of view I can't dismiss every other shooter as shallow games for sheeple!

The Metroid Prime Trilogy might be some of the best 3 games ever released in succession. I adore the games, and the only line of games that are just as good are the Ace Combat games on PS2 and the Uncharted releases on PS3. Hope we get another trinity of games that are just as amazing.
 

IceMarker

Member
One of the best parts about the Prime series is they were designed so well overall, they have barely shown any age, besides the technical side of graphics of course.

The exploration, gameplay, and atmosphere of the entire classic Metroid and Metroid Prime series will live on for generations to come.
 

UraMallas

Member
Amazing world building.
Narrative driven through exploration and play.
Spectacular music.
Great level design.
Unparalleled art direction.

MP1 is one of the greatest games ever made.

The other two are not too shabby either

Exactly true. I've never played a game before or since that knocks it out of the park across the board like you've mentioned.
 
I remember being way more excited for Fusion. Everyone was very weary of Prime because you had this new studio nobody had really heard of being given the reigns to make Metroid's step into 3D, and they were doing it as a first person shooter of all things. To say Prime smashed all expectations would be an understatement. Alongside Melee, Metroid Prime was the most compelling reason to own a Gamecube. Echoes and Corruption would never quite live up to the standards of the first game, but they're both excellent games in their own right.
 

Vanadium

Member
You're lost in space, so to speak. The games aren't without flaws, but by the end, you feel like you have mastered a world and lived to tell a tale.
 

Mark1

Member
My friend is playing Metroid Prime for the first time tonight. No experience with it online or through impressions.

He is a video game developer. And is in love with the game so far - everything about it has impressed him.
From its level design to play style. Just wants to keep playing it. Has experienced no other game like it before.

We've just gone into Magmoor Caverns.

His only comment was the visor system. Was glad to make it less visible to look around more. Wants to see a sequel done via VR.
 

Mael

Member
Story-wise, sure, though I'd heavily advise against jumping into Echoes first. Corruption was a big step down in difficulty, but Prime 1 + Echoes are linked together as a clear progression of challenge. Playing Echoes without first grasping the (simpler) logic of Prime is asking for trouble imo.

And that's part of why Echoes is great. Fans of Prime 1 don't need to wade through hours and hours of low difficulty designed to ease newcomers into the series. The challenge ramps up pretty quickly.

Actually 2 is way harder in Normal mode, in Veteran 3 is busting balls left and right!
The 1st planetary boss is harder than Prime 2's last boss!

They were, and 4 damn well better be.
Preach!
My friend is playing Metroid Prime for the first time tonight. No experience with it online or through impressions.

He is a video game developer. And is in love with the game so far - everything about it has impressed him.
From its level design to play style. Just wants to keep playing it. Has experienced no other game like it before.

We've just gone into Magmoor Caverns.

His only comment was the visor system. Was glad to make it less visible to look around more. Wants to see a sequel done via VR.

you can change the setting to make the HUD invisible, opaque and various inbetweens.
Make for real different experiences from the claustrophobic to a more sightseeing tour...
I usually never say this but I hear that some found a way to play the game in VR... Don't ask me how I have no idea.
 

Aldric

Member
I always saw "First-Person Adventure" as more of a marketing thing to differentiate it. Like, when I think FPA something more like Myst comes to mind. In Prime your gun is always on screen, you frequently blast enemies/crates/doors/whatever else gets in your way, and your arsenal grows over the course of the game. I'd call it a shooter, albeit one with frequent puzzle elements and unconventional level design for the genre. There's a lot of shootin', and that's OK.

lt's not an FPS the same way Super Metroid isn't a Contra or Metal Slug like run and gun. lt's an action adventure game but most importantly it's a Metroid game.
 

Mark1

Member
you can change the setting to make the HUD invisible, opaque and various inbetweens.
Make for real different experiences from the claustrophobic to a more sightseeing tour...
I usually never say this but I hear that some found a way to play the game in VR... Don't ask me how I have no idea.
Aye we worked around it to only have the health bar appear on the screen. Made everything a lot easier to spot in the environment.
 

Mael

Member
Aye we worked around it to only have the health bar appear on the screen. Made everything a lot easier to spot in the environment.

I played the entirety of Zelda with minimal HUD when I realized it made the game way more beautiful and the experience way more authentic (no more playing only with the minimap and having to learn the area!).
But for Prime games, i can't play without seeing the interior of the helmet, feels naked and it makes sense with the reflections you catch from time to time.
You have much to look forward to, kinda envy your friend discovering the ins and outs of the game...
 
I have good and bad news

7b587a72e277df010afcaef64efcdbd1.jpg
Can't be that bad, can it?



Metroid Prime 1 is simply an amazing game. Echoes, imo, does what MP1 already did but better. 3 is not as good as Echoes but it's still a fucking beast of a game.

Love this trilogy so much.
 
Actually 2 is way harder in Normal mode, in Veteran 3 is busting balls left and right!
The 1st planetary boss is harder than Prime 2's last boss!

I was referring more to navigation (wasn't clear, my bad), but you're right that combat in 3 gets super challenging on higher difficulties.
 

Fbh

Member
Amazing level design, solid gameplay and great visuals (aside from resolution they hold up pretty nicely). Also I think no one expected that a dev would be able to translate Metroid from a 2D game to a first person 3D game so well.

I had my issues with all 3 of them (3 in particular) and I don't consider the first prime to be perfect as others do.
But they are really solid games and some of the best FPS out there
 

Mael

Member
I was asking because of this


And this game has negative reviews around users. Never played it.

Ahahahahahah,
You are so very lucky.
I'll be nice and just say that you're better off ignoring this ever existed.
It is the reason why everyone thought Metroid was dead since 2010.
 
Ahahahahahah,
You are so very lucky.
I'll be nice and just say that you're better off ignoring this ever existed.
It is the reason why everyone thought Metroid was dead since 2010.
I was actually thinking on buying it used.


Damnit, because I need some new Metroid.
 

Mael

Member
I was actually thinking on buying it used.


Damnit, because I need some new Metroid.

Literally anything is better than doing this.
Buy NintendoLand and play Metroid Blast is a closer experience to Metroid.
Track down a NES mini for Metroid 1.
Literally anything is better.
Forget this existed and just ignore this ever happened.
I'm not joking, it's a bad game and an even worse Metroid game.
If the only thing you like in Metroid is the enemy design of Super Metroid and Samus moving fast, maybe you'll think there's some redeeming qualities here and there.
The games are great but does anyone dislike how the world you explore makes no sense? In that it would appear that no one but you, with your unique abilities, could ever explore it. I'm probably missing something in the lore that explains it. It has been a long time since I've played it.

Prime 3 is the only offender here doing that.
Prime 1 takes place in a lost Chozo planet so old artifact being there makes sense.
Prime 2 makes some sense in the same way as you really regain your stolen gear and the area you traverse are equally well made so that it's not literally just "made for Samus™".

Prime 1 is really great like that, nothing is really just there for Samus to solve. It's just small holes where critters live and stuffs.
 

T-0800

Member
The games are great but does anyone dislike how the world you explore makes no sense? In that it would appear that no one but you, with your unique abilities, could ever explore it. I'm probably missing something in the lore that explains it. It has been a long time since I've played it.
 

sfried

Member
I just started playing through the Prime trilogy for the first time and this was the thing that has stood out the most for me. The level of immersion is better than most games today even. It makes exploring the world so much more engaging and meaningful.

I can't believe i've slept on these games for so long.

379ch.gif


I'd say Metroid Prime 1, in particular, definitively nailed the feel of Metroid, right down to the claustrophobic atmosphere of the Orpheon Space Frigate, to the desolate, but meloncholy Phendrana Drifts, to the boss battles that kick your ass, and the constant feeling of danger and dread of a hostile environment. Those feelings start to deminish once you introduce other races and the presence of the Galactic Federation into the mix.

Edit: Also, the music.
 

VDenter

Banned
Literally anything is better than doing this.
Buy NintendoLand and play Metroid Blast is a closer experience to Metroid.
Track down a NES mini for Metroid 1.
Literally anything is better.
Forget this existed and just ignore this ever happened.

Lets not get crazy anything is better except buying and playing Federation Force. At least Other M kind of resembles a decent game if you squint long enough. Some might even appreciate the ambition even if it did fall completely flat.
 

Leeroy605

Member
These games still hold up today? Got prime for the GameCube and loved it when it came out, never finished it though.

Worth playing via dolphin? Think I know where my disc is... How does it look on a 4k screen?
 

Mael

Member
Lets not get crazy anything is better except buying and playing Federation Force. At least Other M kind of resembles a decent game if you squint long enough. Some might even appreciate the ambition even if it did fall completely flat.

At least Federation Force doesn't bill itself as anything but a spinoff.
It's unobstructive you can ignore whatever the hell happens there, it doesn't change the way the other Metroid games interact among themselves and certainly doesn't retcon Metroid games because "fuck them I didn't work on them" like Iga did for a while in Castlevania.
Heck what I played of Federation Force is actually better than the shitfest they sold me full price.
Heck even full price FF is less expensive at launch.
There is nothing decent about Other M, it's a shitty game bearing the corpse of a franchise it attempted to murder.
There is also no ambition whatsoever inside the game, its very design betrays that.

Give it a try and decide for yourself, it's very cheap.

If you go into it with an open mind and a willingness to experience something new, you may be surprised.

Or if you have very low standards...
 

Haines

Banned
The first prime is just absolutely incredibly well made.

Haven't tried the second and the 3rd I only got halfway and wasn't feeling it as much.
 

Firemind

Member
The first prime is just absolutely incredibly well made.

Haven't tried the second and the 3rd I only got halfway and wasn't feeling it as much.
I think by the time 3 got released, it looks absolutely dated. MP1 was technically groundbreaking at the time. I'm hoping Nintendo is giving 4 a decent sized budget. It won't be as groundbreaking as the first time, but at least it will look good.
 

Tobor

Member
Metroid Prime was my first Metroid game ever and I loved it. So it didn't have to do with the 2D>3D transition.

It might be when you tried to play it though. In 2002 the resolution, graphics, and even controls were bleeding edge for the industry. Today though the visuals and especially controls don't hold up all that well to modern first person games, probably because you're used to dual analog controls for every first person game. Playing it in 2002 was a mind-blowing experience though.

That said, I don't think updating the games to have dual analog controls would really even work all that well. They were kinda designed with the lock-on mechanic in mind.

I have to assume you didn't have an Xbox and Halo back then. Dual analog was already THE standard. Other games I was playing around then used dual analog as well, as they should have.

Trying to play Metroid Prime was an exercise in frustration by comparison. I loved the art style and the visuals, but that control scheme was a disaster.
 

Mokujin

Member
It's a sci-fi Zelda like game in first person with extremely good exploration, puzzles and difficoulty level (something that most Zelda games lack).

So they are awesome.
 
I have to assume you didn't have an Xbox and Halo back then. Dual analog was already THE standard. Other games I was playing around then used dual analog as well, as they should have.

Trying to play Metroid Prime was an exercise in frustration by comparison. I loved the art style and the visuals, but that control scheme was a disaster.

I had an Xbox and had already played Halo (and was blown away by it). When I played Prime I never for once wished it had a dual analog control scheme. The lock on system is perfect for Metroid. It's not a first person shooter.
 

Neff

Member
Good to know you're recommending Federation Force too.

I'm not, because I haven't played it, therefore I can't vouch for its good qualities (if it has any).

However I have played through Metroid Other M several times and thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the majority of Metroid games.

When I played Prime I never for once wished it had a dual analog control scheme. The lock on system is perfect for Metroid. It's not a first person shooter.

Same, I'd been playing GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark with dual stick setups for years when Metroid Prime hit, and it felt absolutely fine.
 

Mael

Member
I had an Xbox and had already played Halo (and was blown away by it). When I played Prime I never for once wished it had a dual analog control scheme. The lock on system is perfect for Metroid. It's not a first person shooter.

It's been mentioned before but C-stick sucked on the cube so it's not really good for intensive uses.
Maybe if you added a button or had sticks that clicked you could make a point for a dual analog control scheme but as it is on the cube controller it's the best possible setup.
 

Spinluck

Member
I can't lie, I've only beaten the first one, and have tried the others and have failed to finish them. They were still pretty solid from what I've played, but the first one is without a doubt one of the best games ever made. Might be the first FPS campaign I've ever beaten lol.

Having two GOAT tier games in both 2d and 3d is pretty awesome (Super Metriod).
 
It's been mentioned before but C-stick sucked on the cube so it's not really good for intensive uses.
Maybe if you added a button or had sticks that clicked you could make a point for a dual analog control scheme but as it is on the cube controller it's the best possible setup.
Yeah the C-stick was a bit flimsy to say the least. But even if it had a controller like the original Xbox I'm not sure I would prefer a dual analog set up. I imagine the entire design of enemy/boss encounters would be significantly altered to something similar to Prime 3. Prime's unique control scheme is one of my favourite things about it.
 

Tobor

Member
It's been mentioned before but C-stick sucked on the cube so it's not really good for intensive uses.
Maybe if you added a button or had sticks that clicked you could make a point for a dual analog control scheme but as it is on the cube controller it's the best possible setup.

I played FPS's on the Cube with dual analog and it was fine. Not as good as a proper right stick of course, but at least it was playable for me, unlike Metroid Prime, which I never finished due to the controls.

Didn't the Wii version add dual analog through aiming the Wiimote?
 
Give it a try and decide for yourself, it's very cheap.

If you go into it with an open mind and a willingness to experience something new, you may be surprised.
Ok, I'll do it.


It might be wise to play it before replaying the Prime trilogy, I guess.
 
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