Game Info Name: Metroid Prime review Category: Action Developer: Retro Studios Publisher: Nintendo Players: 1 Score 9.9 Screenshots

Graphics
What’s NOT to say here? Retro has outdone themselves and in an incredibly detailed way. The graphics in Metroid Prime once again set standards for all other GC games and maybe even games in general. The 3D polygon geometry in this game is so complex and so damn detailed that it makes me wonder if they were the least bit holding back. The game just absolutely SCREAMS Metroid, as it well should. The little details such as raindrops on Samus’s visor and arm cannon really bring the realism to an entirely new level. And what’s even better is that all the level design is actually realistically portrayed. In past Metroid games and many other platformers, you would see just a floating platform there; it can just defy gravity for no particular reason. Well Retro has actually given these a reason to fly when they actually HAVE anti-gravity packs on them! Snow falling from the sky, chunks of wreckage floating in the water, bubbling lava pits, the numerous visor effects, and tons more are all done flawlessly. And the game NEVER drops below 60fps! Even though the game’s textures at times are not quite up to par with the ones in Star Fox Adventures, I’m not complaining, and you won’t be either.

Sound
Again, what’s a Metroid game without a beautifully ambient soundtrack? Kenji Yamamoto, the composer of Super Metroid as well as Metroid Fusion has put together a wonderful soundtrack that adds so much more to Prime’s experience. Remixed versions of old tunes, such as NES Metroid’s Brinstar theme as well as Lower Norfair from Super Metroid make comebacks and just sound wonderful. My personal favorite is the music in the wrecked frigate ship, which you will just have to play and hear it for yourself. Why Retro didn’t include a Sound Test in this game is beyond me, but I am definitely buying a soundtrack. There are a few voice clips in there when Samus takes some damage which of course makes you feel even more that you ARE Samus Aran. Every single enemy makes a different growl, squeal, screech, grunt, or what have you and of course it’s all coming at you in Dolby Pro Logic II. If you don’t have this setup at home, I highly recommend you find a way to play this game with headphones. It is a completely different experience.

Gameplay
Well this is where it all matters, isn’t it? The leap (more like a skydive) to a first person perspective is amazingly fitting for Metroid. I believe that even if the game did have the option to go into a 3rd person perspective as well as a 1st person, then you still would really play most of the game in 1st person. The game pulls off the “feel” of a Metroid game extremely well, and makes me proud of all the guys at Retro for doing such a great job. The game is completely focused on exploration and collecting power-ups, just like all the other Metroids. Puzzles are everywhere, and don’t come by as being too difficult at times, but are still intelligently made. Suprisingly, there is quite a bit of platforming in this game, and the jumping is very fine-tuned to make it so you can make all of the jumps, first time. In fac