Metroid Prime
As always, Mr. Driggs brings us another insightful sideways look at a great game. In this case, the game in question is Metroid Prime. As you may have inferred from the link graphic and post title. I’m sorry, that’s the best I can offer. Look, the article itself is clever and intelligent and highly readable, so the stupid front page link to it doesn’t have to be, alright?
See also: GameSpite Quarterly 2 table of contents.
6 thoughts on “GameSpite Quarterly 2, #36: Metroid Prime”
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Before anyone else has a chance to complain about it, I’m just going to say that it’s kind of great that you used a cosplayer for the article header.
“am I the only person who finds it oddly creepy that you spend the first two-thirds of most Metroid games decimating the planet’s ecosystem before the space pirates and metroids show up?”
Nah, it usually doesn’t matter. In Super Metroid, for instance (uhh… spoilers), the planet blows up at the end, so it really doesn’t matter what the ecosystem’s like by that point. In Prime, we’re told that left unchecked, the Phazon will leave the planet barren within about 20 years, so you’re really doing the place a favor.
“That’s what makes Metroid Prime special. It gives you the freedom to reach beyond what the developers intended and the feeling of freedom developed by a well-crafted action-adventure. Few games do either. Prime does both with style.”
Unless you count Retro aggressively locking out as many sequence-breaks as they could each time the game was released in a different region or as a Greatest Hits title. Then it only really does the one.
You could have titled it Metroid'(Calculus joke).
I’m playing the Trilogy Wii-make now and rediscovering how much backtracking is involved in the prescribed sequence. As a game that you play once or twice, the Wii version is definitely better. But the replay value of the original – the aspect that put it over the top to become my Favorite 3D Game Ever – is gone. I’m honestly not sure what to think about that.
One of the greatest games of all time. It’s about as good as a 3-D Metroid can get. It’s just a shame that some people forget how great the game is in light of the disappointing (well, the general consensus says as much; I think all three are incredible, with Prime certainly being the best) sequels.
Christmas was bliss that year on the Gamecube. Much like when I received SM as a kid, I did nothing but play it until I found every last secret.
Retro had better be up to something.