Metroid Prime

bob82274 · « **on:** 6 Jan 2003, 05:18 am »

jqp will probably be taking more xbox stuff but as I have access to GameCube and PS2 I'll be talking bout those too.

I'm one of those Nintendo fan boys. Gotta have every system that they make even if the hardware isn't the best. Don't get me wrong I enjoy Xbox and PS2 but to me they just don't have games of the same caliber (halo and GTA excluded). A perfect example is Metroid Prime. I picked this up just the other day and I have been hooked. Mix a FPS with Zelda and you'll get the idea. There is a reason why this has been named Game of the Year by several publications.

I never had the chance to play any of the other Metroids for any extended period of time so coming into this I wasn't really sure what to expect. I knew that there were going to be some puzzles and that I would be having to look for stuff but would it be tedious (like myst) or fun (like Zelda). To my delight it has been a lot of fun. The puzzles make it feel less like a FPS and more like an adventure game. Don't let this confuse you though as there is plenty of shooting.

The shooting system is devised so that you can lock onto enemies, shoot them and dodge their attacks. Sounds simple but can take a little while to get good at. Another factor of the shooting is that there are different weapons that you can shoot. However this is done differently than most other FPS. You start out with your most basic cannon and that’s all. Soon though you can fire a limited amount of missiles, charge up your cannon, fire different kinds of beams, and even do combos. There are other things that you can do too such as rolling up into the morph ball. A lot of fun I must say.

Even better than the superb gameplay are the graphics. Huge boards that stretch forever. Nice textures too. But life is in the details and that’s where this shines. If you step over a steam vent your visor fogs up. When you get out of water it drips off. Look through a sheet of ice and its wavy like you would expect it to be. My only complaint is that it can be a bit dark. I have been playing in the family room and unfortunately during the day a lot of light is let in. It can make it difficult to see where you are going. Also it is progressive scan capable (not full HD though).

Then there is the sound. Most of my complaints lie within the GameCubes own limits. It has never had digital out so all that has been available is DPLII. Even then the games that have it have been far and few between. This though has it so it should be fine. I'll have to determine that when I get back to Raleigh later this week. If you haven't heard something that was designed with DPLII in mind then you need to check it out. It is amazing what they can get out of two channels. Rogue Leader had it and it was like having DD.

If you have a Cube then I say this is a must have. If you have the extra money then it might be worth picking up a used cube and getting this game. So much fun. My final comment is that this doesn't have multiplayer. A little bit of a disappointment but a great game none the less.

So until Zelda comes out in March I will be playing this and GTA: Vice City.

edit: Spelling

bubba966 · « **Reply #1 on:** 6 Jan 2003, 06:09 am »

Quote from: bob82274

Then there is the sound. Most of my complaints lie within the GameCubes own limits. It has never had digital out so all that has been available is DPLII.

Not 100% correct... http://www.ncsx.com/ncs123101/gcq.htm

Someday (when I'm employed again) I'll have one of those bad boys. The 'cube doesn't get any cooler than that.

I'll have to try M Prime at some point. But the $ just isn't available for it at the moment.

Though I should probably be playing the newer 'cube games I've got. Unfortunately I'm not liking RE Zero & Super Monkey Ball 2 as well as RE & SMB. I will say that SMB 2 has some much more interesting playing fields on it than SMB did. But I'm not finding it nearly as addictive as SMB was.

And Bob, why've you not played the original Metroid?

It's time to go old school for you. I put some serious hours in on that sucker back in the day. Though I never played it much after I beat it on one try from start to finish w/out dieing. If you want a real challenge give that a shot.

And an old NES, Metroid, & a NES Advantage shouldn't cost all that much anymore. Hell, it's probably less than half the $ you have to drop on M Prime...

bob82274 · « **Reply #2 on:** 7 Jan 2003, 04:21 am »

Ah yes I had forgot about the Japanese only Panasonic Version of the Cube. As for the original ones I was a little too young to even realize what was going on (I can fight in a war but I can't buy a round of drinks

) Good news is that if I can find someone with a completed version of the gamboyadvance metriod then I can get the original metroid on the cube.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #3 on:** 7 Jan 2003, 07:35 am »

I don't really see the point of digital out on a special 'Cube if the games don't support surround. Sure, you have better D/As in your HT/gaming rig, but it won't touch the Dolby Digital sound of Halo (one of the finest games ever made, IMO) or MechAssault.

It's amazing how much better games are in DD. You can hear the enemies behind and around you, and you can use that to keep track of the action. Just an amazing improvement.

Sorry to hear you're still oow, Brian. Hope things are going okay. I've been there, and unfortunately the toy budget is the first thing to dry up. At least I know you have a bad ass system and hundreds upon hundreds of movies to keep you occupied in the meantime!

bubba966 · « **Reply #4 on:** 7 Jan 2003, 10:19 am »

Yeah Rob, I'm still sucking by on unejoyment.

And you're right, I do have a few movies lying around that I should be watching. And I got a new digital from Wayne for my LDP last week. I should start using it. Hell I should be using my new LDP more often than I am. But I don't want to wear it out prematurly as I don't have the $4k to buy a new one...

Bob, I'm only a few years older than you are. The NES shoulda still been going strong when you were old enough to have a controller welded to your hand.

Anyway play it on your 'cube or pick up a NES. Either way it kicks ass. And there's plenty of other good reasons to pick up a NES besides Metroid. Blaster Master, Batman, most anything else Sunsoft released, Kid Icarus, and so on. And if you ever do get a chance to play the old school Metroid, see if you can beat it without codes, dieing, stopping...

bubba966 · « **Reply #5 on:** 24 Jan 2003, 07:37 am »

Borrowed Prime from my Step-Bro this week along with Halo. Haven't tried Prime yet, been too busy with Halo.

And I need to figure out how to hook up both the 'box & 'cube on Component Video at the same time. Do I run them both into the same input with Y adapters? Or hook up a cheap switchbox of sorts?

Something tells me the Y adapters is the better idea...