Metroid Prime (GC)
Move over boys, Samus is back in business.
By Suzie Vee

PLATFORM: GameCube

PUBLISHER: Nintendo

DEVELOPER: Retro Studios

GENRE: Action/Adventure

ESRB: Teen

SCORE:

If you go back to the very roots of modern console gaming, you’ll find a certain butt-kicking gal at the epicenter of retro cool. In the heyday of Nintendo’s original NES system, a game called Metroid was one of the standout franchise hits, taking its place along the Marios and Zeldas of the world.

By now, everyone and their grandmother knows that the big secret at the end of the original Metroid was that your character, Samus, removes her armor and reveals an – at the time -- shocking gender secret. Remember, this was way before Jill Valentine or Lara Croft. The biggest female star in gaming at this time was probably the oft-kidnapped Princess Toadstool from the Super Mario Bros. series.

A legion of pre-teen boys got their first taste of grrl power, and so, most likely, did a few proto game gals. During the ‘90s, there were a handful of sequels and re-hashed Game Boy versions, but nothing terribly new was going on in the Metroid universe.

Cut to the present day. With every ‘80s legend from Castle Wolfenstein to Dragon’s Lair getting a next-gen makeover, it was only a matter of time before Samus got another chance at the spotlight.

After spending seemingly years in development, the GameCube has scored another high-profile exclusive title with Metroid Prime. Taking its first steps away from the traditional side-scolling 2D action of the classic Metroid games, Metroid Prime is a great example of how to update a classic game franchise.

And gamers everywhere seem to agree. Metroid Prime has won more than a few Game-of-the-Year titles, and has garnered more great reviews than just about any title we’ve ever seen.

Metroid Prime most closely resembles a first-person shooter. But you won’t find the controls to be very combat-friendly. One of the only things that bugged us about the game is the somewhat awkward controls. Instead of using the right stick as a free-look, like pretty much every other first-person console game, in Metroid Prime, you have to hold down a shoulder button and use the right stick, normally used for movement, to look around.

This can make aiming difficult, even with the help of a generous auto-aim, and makes just looking around a bit of a chore. Additionally, your visor/HUD takes up a lot of screen real estate, and you’re always switching between different visor views. One for scanning, one for combat, etc.

That being said, once you do get used to the somewhat non-conventional controls, you’ll find a lot to like about Metroid Prime. Most of the game takes place on an alien planet, and there you’ll wander through seamless levels and areas, fighting bosses, exploring unique environments and finding various power-ups to improve your firepower.

The emphasis is pretty evenly mixed between combat and exploration. And often, just as you get used to one, you’ll be hit with a big dose of the other. If nothing else, the game keeps you on your toes.

Despite the huge environments, you’ll end up doing a good deal of backtracking as you gain new abilities and are able to access doors and areas you couldn’t get to before. Unfortunately, once you clear out an area of enemies, they usually re-spawn when you come back through. You’ll especially spend a lot of time backtracking to save rooms. These can be few and far between, and if you meet an unhappy fate while exploring, you could easily have to replay large portions of the game.

One of classic Metroid’s coolest parts has made the leap to the new game – Samus’ morph ball mode. Like in the original Metroid, you can turn yourself into a small whirring ball and zoom all over in a third-person view. It’s great fun, and has a very responsive feel. Rolling around in ball form is almost more fun than the rest of the game.

As you go, you’ll be able to scan tons of items and creatures, and if you’re inclined to do a little reading, the game’s plot will slowly take shape. Good thing, too, since you’re mostly left on your on to figure out where to go next. You might find occasional bits where you’re not sure what you’re supposed to be doing, but if you keep wandering around, you’ll usually stumble across the correct path.

Girl gamers of all stripes should get a kick out of Samus and her high-tech exploits. Even better, unlike say, the girls of DOA, she’s always sensibly dressed in a giant suit of armor.