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Metroid Prime: Revisiting the Trilogy
- Thread starter DragonGirl
- Start date
Scalpel Knight
Member
Nice thread, your outlooks on the Metroid Prime series are very interesting to read. If you had one common complaint about the entire series what would it be?
BrokenSymmetry
Member
I agree with DragonGirl's admiration for MP1's introductory level. It's the best tutorial level in any game I played, simply because there's so much to investigate and look at.
The Hermit
Member
Awesome thread for an awesome trilogy.
Usually I always rate Mp1>Mp2>Mp3... but after reading this thread I realized they all have strong and unique qualities over each other, like the Bosses on Echoes and the seamless linearity in Corruption making the so feared backtracking unnoticed .
Nevertheless I still think that Metroid Prime is the game that had the most complete fell of a Metroid game, and that both Echoes and Corruption only had moments with that.
Usually I always rate Mp1>Mp2>Mp3... but after reading this thread I realized they all have strong and unique qualities over each other, like the Bosses on Echoes and the seamless linearity in Corruption making the so feared backtracking unnoticed .
Nevertheless I still think that Metroid Prime is the game that had the most complete fell of a Metroid game, and that both Echoes and Corruption only had moments with that.
DragonGirl
Member
Scalpel Knight said:
Common complaint? Well, the only thing I can think of that's common to all three games is...the fact that it takes place in First Person. As much as I love the trilogy, and all the really interesting things they did with the "through the visor" game play, I'd like to see a 3-D Metroid in the Third Person. I love Samus Aran's character design (her in armor design that is) and only getting to see her during cut scenes was certainly disappointing. Also, I feel that certain signature moves had to be left out or modified to satisfy the difficulties they'd present to a First Person controlled character: the spinning jump and Speed Booster come immediately to mind. Also, a lot of Samus notable acrobatics (from her 2D games) had to be curtailed.
I'd like to see a Third Person game, one that mixes open 3D worlds with closed 2D ones. They did this in the Prime games when Samus rolled into Morph Ball tunnels. You also see it working in Mario Galaxy. Most jumping based game play is just easier to control when the character is limited to a 2D track. I think this is a level design method that could greatly benefit 3D Metroid.
Grimm Fandango
Member
My favorite game of last gen.
Metroid Prime was definitely my favorite of the Prime trilogy. I don't know if it's because it was first or what. But the other two just couldn't live up to it, even with Corruption's awesome control scheme.
Metroid Prime was actually the first game that I played of last generation. Subsequently, it was the best game I played last-gen. Simply a great experience that everyone should experience.
Metroid Prime was actually the first game that I played of last generation. Subsequently, it was the best game I played last-gen. Simply a great experience that everyone should experience.
DeceitDecide
Member
Thread needs more shots of Sanctuary Fortress.
Version 3.0
Member
Excellent write-up, DragonGirl. It always warms my heart to see the Prime games get the respect they deserve. They were so lovingly crafted that they're prime examples of games as art. I see you've even left some of the haters speechless. Incredible.
DragonGirl
Member
Threi said:
I posted links to my image sources at the end of the Corruption post. I think the Chozo Temple art came from The Metroid Database, and yes, the original image is higher resolution.
I know some people are gonna want to attack me for grouping Metroid prime in this way, but the original Metroid Prime is my personal favorite FPS game of all time. Yes, I know some people already have the pitchforks ready for me saying it's FPS, but it is in first person and shooting is the primary game mechanic for all enemy encounters, so to me it's an FPS.
OK, with that out of the way, yes, it is my favorite FPS of all time, and although I'm not a huge fan or well versed on the genre I did enjoy Doom, Half Life 1&2 (Orange Box especially) and Bioshock and feel this game outclasses all of them in my world. Hell, as far as I'm concerned it easily is a tie with the almost religiously worshipped Super Metroid.
Excellent variety in designs, excellent use of new and previously standard Metroid staples, and a definite feeling of immersion and isolation in the game's world. I was very skeptical of Metroid's shift to first person when I first read about it, then I played this game and it just felt like the series had finally matured beyond the previous limits of the 2D realm and found it's calling just like Zelda had on the N64.
OK, with that out of the way, yes, it is my favorite FPS of all time, and although I'm not a huge fan or well versed on the genre I did enjoy Doom, Half Life 1&2 (Orange Box especially) and Bioshock and feel this game outclasses all of them in my world. Hell, as far as I'm concerned it easily is a tie with the almost religiously worshipped Super Metroid.
Excellent variety in designs, excellent use of new and previously standard Metroid staples, and a definite feeling of immersion and isolation in the game's world. I was very skeptical of Metroid's shift to first person when I first read about it, then I played this game and it just felt like the series had finally matured beyond the previous limits of the 2D realm and found it's calling just like Zelda had on the N64.
DragonGirl
Member
Tathanen said:
Aww, sorry about that. It was actually to GAF members that I promised this write up, but I felt more comfortable giving N-Sider the first posting to see if I needed to work out any bugs in my writing. Hey, you guys got the premier version! Plus, I can honesty say the N-Sider boards are superior in that they let me post the entire thing, with centered text and images, in a single post, without hiccups. Woo-hoo!
Death_Born
Banned
DragonGirl said:
The problem being that, if the game is in third person:
1) There would not be as much level detail, since you're far away from it.
2) Having to switch perspectives is annoying, so it would have to be entirely in third person
3) The only use would be to allow things like the Speed Booster, and Shinesparking would be next to impossible when you can't directly judge your jump height relative to the terrain.
4) First person increases realism since you're supposed to be looking at your visor, not a HUD in midair
DragonGirl
Member
Death_Born said:
1) Not necessarily
2) Which would be fine. The scanning could even still work as a "spot light" visual affect where Samus was looking (assuming Wii, where you are pointing with the Wiimote). I really think the pointer function can offer even greater benefit to third person shooting than it did to First Person.
3) Many more uses than speed boosting and shine sparking, I'm thinking the entire jumping mechanic of classic Metroids, and this is why I feel the merging of 2D movement planes with 3D would be so beneficial. Samus does not use all of her abilities all of the time, they come into play in appropriate environments. Well, in open environments where there is full 3D movement, her various acrobatic skills would not be called upon to advanced degrees. Let her walk through a door and the camera switches to a side view, just as it did with the Morph Ball tunnels in the Prime games. Here is an environment with her movement limited to 2D (or perhaps I should say pseudo 2D, basically her movement Depth is limited), with the environment set up to make maximum use of her acrobatic abilities. We know it works because it has been proven to work during the Morph Ball Segments of the Prime games and the segments of Mario Galaxy where the camera moves to a side view perspective.
4) I'm honestly not concerned with this aspect. I do not enjoy the Zelda series less because I'm not looking through Link's eyes. I also must note that I really am not a fan of playing in the First Person perspective. It was cool in the Prime games, but I like seeing my character.
PantherLotus
Professional Schmuck
^^ Crushed, that is fucking HOTT. I've never wanted to be a boot heel before.
DragonGirl
Member
blu said:
Thank you. It was actually hard to write as little as I did. I had help from some volunteer editors and cut a few chunks out to slim it down, it's still pretty massive eh?
Conrad Link
Member
Greatest series of last gen (ignoring Melee 
), everything about it is so wonderful. Playing MP1 for the first time will live on in my memories as a defining moment of gaming (like playing OoT first time etc).
Then they went and carried on the greatness to this gen with MP3, easily one of the best games out so far. A wonderfully polished epic that showed the Wii controls can be perfect when a competent development team are in charge.
That first boss fight was sooooooooooooo sweet, all the boss fights were really. The Metroid Prime series is the only one that rivals Zelda for zomg boss fights, its the only other series I get as excited for when one starts up, you know its gonna pwn.
And man the graphics are so good in MP3, you can keep your HD shit cause when I landed on the
I could have sworn I was playing in fucking 1080p on some graphical powerful. The art design in the MP series is unrivaled.
I remember unlocking the screen shot thing and just going round taking a million pictures of everything everywhere after I had finished it, then going to my Wii message board and seeing loads of letters there to sort through... then I discovered I couldn't email them to my PC (gah >_<) so I seriously took pictures of the TV with my digital camera of each shot and kept my favs on the Wii itself - good way to spend an afternoon. :lol
<3 Metroid Prime.
I can't wait to see what Retro come up with next, with all they went through they came out now one of the best studios around - well and truly deserving to be part of Nintendo, its no wonder they snapped them up completely.
), everything about it is so wonderful. Playing MP1 for the first time will live on in my memories as a defining moment of gaming (like playing OoT first time etc).Then they went and carried on the greatness to this gen with MP3, easily one of the best games out so far. A wonderfully polished epic that showed the Wii controls can be perfect when a competent development team are in charge.
That first boss fight was sooooooooooooo sweet, all the boss fights were really. The Metroid Prime series is the only one that rivals Zelda for zomg boss fights, its the only other series I get as excited for when one starts up, you know its gonna pwn.
And man the graphics are so good in MP3, you can keep your HD shit cause when I landed on the
destroyed space cruiser thing
I remember unlocking the screen shot thing and just going round taking a million pictures of everything everywhere after I had finished it, then going to my Wii message board and seeing loads of letters there to sort through... then I discovered I couldn't email them to my PC (gah >_<) so I seriously took pictures of the TV with my digital camera of each shot and kept my favs on the Wii itself - good way to spend an afternoon. :lol
<3 Metroid Prime.
I can't wait to see what Retro come up with next, with all they went through they came out now one of the best studios around - well and truly deserving to be part of Nintendo, its no wonder they snapped them up completely.
I remember when Prime was announced and Retro was making it. Both me and one of my friends (who is a huge Metroid fan) had our doubts about the game.
I was working at Wal-Mart at the time and I remember when we got the demo for our Gamecube. At one of my breaks, I put the disc in and played it and was totally amazed.
I still can't believe that Retro pulled it off.
Metroid Prime is one of my favorite video games of all time and got should have won game of the year over Splinter Cell.
I was working at Wal-Mart at the time and I remember when we got the demo for our Gamecube. At one of my breaks, I put the disc in and played it and was totally amazed.
I still can't believe that Retro pulled it off.
Metroid Prime is one of my favorite video games of all time and got should have won game of the year over Splinter Cell.
It's hard to keep track of all the great suits Samus wears throughout the series. Maybe if somebody can do quality captures/hunt down the artwork for each? I have the original Prime, I loved it, but I never played two and I don't own a Wii so no echoes for me either.
blu
Wants the largest console games publisher to avoid Nintendo's platforms.
not at all - i find it quite terse and to-the-point, knowing how much more could be said on the subject.DragonGirl said:
i particularly like how you pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses - some good analysis there, without being necessarily exhaustive.
MrTroubleMaker
Gold Member
nice post
DragonGirl
Member
JDSN said:
Yes! ::high fives all around:: Seriously, I strongly recommend playing them back to back (if that's not too much Metroid overload). I did for this write up and the three games have enough individual virtues that they compliment each other very well when played as a unit, like a three chapter book if you will.
pulga
Banned
Awesome posts, I tip my hat to you, good lady. You've got me aching to replay Prime 1, but I've got too big of a backlog to go through.
I'm not sure where I stand on my preferences regarding the trilogy, although Echoes is definitely my least favorite. Prime 1 and 3 are sex though. Prime 1 had the best locations, but I fell in love with the pinpoint shooting in Corruption.
And that is the best thing I've seen all day, Crushed. Where is it from?
I'm not sure where I stand on my preferences regarding the trilogy, although Echoes is definitely my least favorite. Prime 1 and 3 are sex though. Prime 1 had the best locations, but I fell in love with the pinpoint shooting in Corruption.
And that is the best thing I've seen all day, Crushed. Where is it from?
That was an awesome series of posts, and really deserves to be its own feature article on gaming news website like our very own gaming-age (or 1up) or something. I love how articulate/verbose/eloquent the writing was, and it really made me appreciate the Prime series more than I did.
I was never into the Metroid series to begin with, but I was certainly optimistic about the game before release, as it looked absolutely stunning in screenshots alone, but also because my gamecube library only had like 2 games. At the time of the game's release, I was in middleschool, and game's graphics were a testament to the GCN's power, sending me in awe. The only thing that really detracted from my enjoyment was not knowing what to do, and being horribly stuck. I ended up finally sitting through it, from beginning to end, early last year (with a 100% guide), and thoroughly enjoyed it, though I admit, using a guide did weaken my original sense of exploration that I once felt...
but yeah, best game on GCN by far.
I was never into the Metroid series to begin with, but I was certainly optimistic about the game before release, as it looked absolutely stunning in screenshots alone, but also because my gamecube library only had like 2 games. At the time of the game's release, I was in middleschool, and game's graphics were a testament to the GCN's power, sending me in awe. The only thing that really detracted from my enjoyment was not knowing what to do, and being horribly stuck. I ended up finally sitting through it, from beginning to end, early last year (with a 100% guide), and thoroughly enjoyed it, though I admit, using a guide did weaken my original sense of exploration that I once felt...
but yeah, best game on GCN by far.
perryfarrell
Member
Too long, bold plz
j/k
j/k
OliveJuice
Member
<3 Prime Trilogy. Mostly 1 & 3.
PantherLotus
Professional Schmuck
just wanted to say that the OP post is as close to a full critical review of a game that i've ever read. well done. i would like some thematic focus and how it reflects back on us as gamers, but that's my meta speaking.
Good show! I agree on many points.
The Samus we know now is really bad in my opinion. In the art of Metroid Prime there was an image of short haired woman that has since haunted me during my playthroughs.
The face in the end of the first Prime was a little disappointing, but I was glad they went for a more realistic look. The shock in the end of Echoes was pretty bad when the "Barbie doll" walked through the Luminoth to her ship. I whined about this back then and was afraid they would press Samus even more to fit the other Nintendo characters in the future. And well now we have the plastic D-cup Samus that makes an entry to SMBB. Infuriating but what can you do. Close your eyes during the endings I guess...
My favourite MP is Echoes followed by MP and Corruption. Echoes has that dark, isolated and even scary feel to it. The bosses are best in the series and I really dig the ammunition system. Dark/Light beams were powerful and I only used them for multiple enemies or very tough ones. Original Metroid Prime is an masterpiece, but I just feel for Echoes a bit more.
Corruption had many stupid flaws, but the sheer amount of fun was enough to justify it's existence. I didn't like the layer system for weapons, lack of super weapons, useless missiles, Hunters, cut-scenes, voice-acting, multiple planets, difficulty level (veteran) and the final boss. It should have been something much more challenging and surprising. Biggest flaw in corruption IMO.
The Samus we know now is really bad in my opinion. In the art of Metroid Prime there was an image of short haired woman that has since haunted me during my playthroughs.
The face in the end of the first Prime was a little disappointing, but I was glad they went for a more realistic look. The shock in the end of Echoes was pretty bad when the "Barbie doll" walked through the Luminoth to her ship. I whined about this back then and was afraid they would press Samus even more to fit the other Nintendo characters in the future. And well now we have the plastic D-cup Samus that makes an entry to SMBB. Infuriating but what can you do. Close your eyes during the endings I guess...
My favourite MP is Echoes followed by MP and Corruption. Echoes has that dark, isolated and even scary feel to it. The bosses are best in the series and I really dig the ammunition system. Dark/Light beams were powerful and I only used them for multiple enemies or very tough ones. Original Metroid Prime is an masterpiece, but I just feel for Echoes a bit more.
Corruption had many stupid flaws, but the sheer amount of fun was enough to justify it's existence. I didn't like the layer system for weapons, lack of super weapons, useless missiles, Hunters, cut-scenes, voice-acting, multiple planets, difficulty level (veteran) and the final boss. It should have been something much more challenging and surprising. Biggest flaw in corruption IMO.
linkboy said:
Seriously, Metroid Prime is probably one of the craziest success stories in the history of video games. Who knew that an unknown studio with a rough history could churn out one of the greatest video games of all time?
Mr. Pointy
Member
<3 Metroid Prime
Drinky Crow
Banned
crap, double-plus crap, and decent, respectively.
Magicpaint
Member
Amazing job. :O
It's always great to read threads like these, really shows how far ahead the series really is against anything out there. I honestly do not believe anything out there can surpass the original Prime for me. That was the one time where I really experienced pure gaming bliss. Metroid Prime embodies why I love videogames and the follow ups were equally great experiences.
It's always great to read threads like these, really shows how far ahead the series really is against anything out there. I honestly do not believe anything out there can surpass the original Prime for me. That was the one time where I really experienced pure gaming bliss. Metroid Prime embodies why I love videogames and the follow ups were equally great experiences.