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This is a return to the adventures of bounty hunter Samus Aran. The game takes place on a new alien world, and it is the perfect game for kids to play with no real violence and lots of fun puzzles to solve along the way.
I have been a big fan of the Metroid game series since Super Metroid was released on the Super Nintendo in 1994. I enjoyed playing the original Metroid game on the NES and Metroid 2 on Gameboy, but these games were not that big and lacked many challenges for a gamer like me. The graphics were poor, and the worlds were not that impressive. But once Super Metroid came out with its high difficulty levels, amazing boss fights and the tough task of collecting everything, I was hooked. Most games deal with Samus Aran having to stop the plans of the space pirates and their leader Mother Brain, and the metroids always have a role to play in their plans. Metroid Prime was a big risk for Nintendo, it was going to be in 3D, something none of the games had done before. All the previous games were 2D side scrolling adventures, so it was hard to say if this new direction was a good or bad idea. But luckily, it became a smash hit, and the rest is history.
This time Samus Aran travels to Tallon 4, a planet that once had a giant meteor crash into it, and since this happened there is a weird substance called phazon that has many unknown properties. Samus’s old enemies the space pirates are on this world to test the limits of this power, and it is up to Samus to stop their evil plans. Along the way, she will have to traverse new enviroments and obtain new power ups like the phazon suit and the x-ray visor, and will come up against some real tough bosses. Why are the space pirates so interested in phazon? What dangers will she have to face in her quest? And who or what is Metroid Prime?
There are a few familiar enemies in this game, but there are also a lot of new foes that can be a real pain to beat. Samus has to explore new areas full of snow, lava, a poisonous swamp, and other dangerous locales to find out what happened to this planet. The space pirates are very powerful, and some of them can be a real force to be reckoned with. There are pirates who are invisible, those who fly with jet packs, and bosses that will be tough for gamers of all ages to conquer.
There are many times where you will come across a new area, but if you are lacking the needed power ups you will have to head back and return later. There are also many areas you cannot enter until you have the right blaster upgrade to open, like red doors can only be opened by the heat beam and white doors are only opened by the ice beam. Phazon is a new risk, if you touch it or fall into it you will get hurt bad and quickly lose a lot of life. Some of these new areas are massive, and it will take more than one trip to obtain what you need to move on in your journey. You also have the choice to either play the game in third person or first person, and either one makes the game a blast to play.
I really liked this game. The new areas, new enemies and the mysteries surrounding this planet altogether make it a must play for all fans of this series. Some of the boss battles are a real challenge, and some of the power ups you obtain can make an area you already think you explored fully become brand new right before your eyes. The graphics are amazing, and the controls are easy to master. The soundtrack works well in all of these locales, and the wildlife brings a real life feel to this adventure. This game has some interesting surprises in it that I won’t spoil here, but it is definitely worth playing. This game did so well that it spawned two sequels, and breathed new life into a once mediocre game series.
If you are a fan of the Metroid series, you must play this game. I you liked playing Super Metroid, this is a game worth giving a try. It is an amazing game, one that dads and their kids can play together. Give this game a chance, you will not regret it.