Video Game Review: Metroid Prime(Wii)

*Note that this review is for the Nintendo Wii version found in the Metroid Prime Trilogy set. Once i have given individual reviews for all three games in the set I will review the package as a whole. Also I could not find images for the Wii version so game play screenshots are from the GameCube version. Just wanted to clear that up!

***Spoilers Ahead!***

The Metroid series has become one of my favorite Nintendo franchises of all time and Metroid Prime is one of the best and most innovative entries the series has to offer! Originally released in 2002 for the GameCube, Metroid prime revolutionized the entire franchise with its excellent controls, fun combat, amazing graphics, and immersive and atmospheric 3D environments! Now the new control scheme for the Nintendo Wii makes an already amazing game even better!

The story takes place shortly after the original Metroid on the NES. After defeating Mother Brain and the Space Pirate presence on Zebes, intergalactic bounty hunter, Samus Aran, receives a distress signal from the Space Pirate frigate Orpheon in orbit around the planet Tallon IV. On board she discovers an insidious plot by the space pirates to create super soldiers and war beasts using a new and deadly substance called Phazon from Tallon IV. Samus's mission will take her from the derelict corridors of the Orpheon, to the diverse and dangerfilled landscapes of Tallon IV all the while battling vicious Space Pirates, energy hungry Metroids, and vicious challenging bosses!

Samus Aran

Like other Metroid games before it, Metroid Prime features dozens upon dozens of upgrades littered throughout Tallon IV. Finding each and every single one is a fun and lengthy challenge in its own right as all upgrades prove useful to completing the game. Some upgrades increase your health and missile count such as the Energy Tanks and Missile Expansions. Others grant Samus new suits with special abilities like the Gravity Suit and Phazon Suit. The best thing about Metroid Prime however is how it transitioned the sense of exploration in mysterious and atmospheric alien environments from past Metroid titles into 3D. Tallon IV is a vast world littered with nooks and crannies to explore, ancient ruins to traverse, and deadly creatures to battle. Combat is another great thing about Metroid Prime, made better with the new Wii controls. The old GameCube controllers were never made for first-person action games but using the new motion controls to just point and shoot makes combat MUCH more manageable! The basic creatures you encounter, like Beetles, offer nothing more than a distraction from exploration and puzzle solving. It's when you are fighting the Space Pirates and the amazing bosses that the combat truly shines! Pirates come with varied weapons and gear of there own and often require various different weapons and visors to defeat, but can display some pretty cunning tactics to keep you on your toes. Bosses offer an even bigger challenge as they are just as much puzzles as they are boss fights. You need the right equipment to find each boss's weak spot and hit it with the right weapon to cause sufficient damage. These battles never come across as unfair or TOO difficult but present a great challenge for true Matroid fans, especially the powerful Meta Ridely and the Metroid Prime itself(these two are the most challenging bosses in the game)! 

Meta Ridley(still an awesome boss)

Metroid Prime Final Form

Metroid Prime's way of presenting the story and the world is also interesting. While there are still cutscenes, most of the plot can be deciphered by scanning ancient text in Chozo ruins, or from computer consoles inside Space Pirate bases. Each entry into your logbook offers insight into the history of the ancient Chozo, Tallon IV, Metroids, Space Pirates, Phazon and Samus herself. Finding all these data entries, as well as scanning all enemies and bosses to get 100% completion on the logbook also adds extra incentive to explore as completing the logbook(as well as finding all weapons and upgrades) helps to unlock additional scenes for the ending! There is just too much fun to be had in this game! :D

Metroid Prime is one of the greatest games of all time and is certainly one of the best(and innovative) entries in this storied franchise! Experiencing this outstanding game is made even better with the new and improved motion controls for the Nintendo Wii! DO not miss out on this amazing game!

Metroid Prime(Wii) score: 10/10

-----FanBoy