When Super Mario 64 released back in 1996 on the N64 it helped bring classic 2D franchises into the 3D realm. One aspect that has always bothered me is that when Nintendo took Mario into 3D they basically made an adventure game out of an action game. I, like many other gamers, loved Mario 64 and Mario Sunshine, but part of me always hoped Nintendo could find a way to put the non-stop action back into the game. Flash forward to now. Metroid Prime has hit retailers and my biggest fear was that Nintendo would lose the Metroid magic by taking the series into 3D. Upon playing through the game I am more than relieved to report that Nintendo and Retro Studios have successfully created what is essentially Super Metroid in 3D.

Metroid Prime mixes established enemies and items with new locations and uses for Samus’s abilities. The game focuses on the action, but even more so on the exploration aspects that Metroid is so famous for. Upon landing on Tallon IV, you are immediately presented with an environment that is both gorgeous to look at as well as full of places to explore. Of course the catch is that many of the areas you want to explore aren’t quite ready to be traversed until Samus obtains the essential power-up to do so. It’s at this point, near the very beginning of the game that you will begin to realize just how brilliant the level design is. The amount of time that must have went into creating this living, breathing world, and for it all to eventually make sense is astounding. Throughout the game you will be teased with a door that you can’t quite reach or a room that shows up on your map, but you have no idea how to get there. Even more amazing is the feeling of accomplishment you get when you figure out one of the hundreds of secrets littered throughout the game. It’s fun to explore every nook and cranny, to use your visor to scan the environments for clues, and to simply mess around with the morph ball to try and reach that ever-elusive missile upgrade.

With the move to 3D, great care was taken to give the player a sense of truly taking on the role of Samus. This meant there couldn’t be any obtrusive camera angles and that there couldn’t be a pause in the action when things really heat up. To achieve these goals the game is presented in a 1st person mode during most of the game, with the notable exception being when you roll into the ball. Your view is through Samus’s visor, a clever and unique way to further immerse the gamer in her boots. Now, most players are familiar with first person shooters like Golden Eye or Doom. The key difference between those games and Metroid Prime is that Prime focuses on exploring the numerous areas and obtaining new items instead of being level or mission based. This creates a rather big game in which you will be constantly backtracking to areas previously visited, and becoming rather familiar with those places. In fact, it’s refreshing to see a game with so much diversity displayed in each area of the game.

You will begin to know this world. You will remember which door goes where and how far it is to the next save point. Of course, if you forget you can always pull up the map, which I must say is the best map ever conceived for a game like this. You will never get lost in this game thanks to the time and effort that went into creating the mapping system. At first it seems a little confusing because the map itself is presented in 3D. After a few hours into the game you’ll begin to realize how important the map becomes and how fantastic it truly is. You’ll save time and energy by constantly looking at the map, and if you really study the maps you may even find secret rooms by zooming into chambers you’ve visited and noticing strange areas.

Metroid Prime has the best graphics I’ve ever seen in a console game. Yes, I own all 3 next generation systems and I know that the Xbox has more power in the graphics department. However, if you have a progressive scan television you will discover that this game is simply gorgeous. The frame rate is nearly always at 60 fps, which goes a long way in helping achieve the “in the helmet” psyche of being Samus. The game truly shines in the detail department. I’ve never before played a 3D game that has so many little details in every single room. Think about it for a minute. Have you ever played a game like this where nearly every single location, every single room has its own nuance? For example, in the Chozo Ruins, one of the first areas you will visit in the game, the first section shows a pillar half destroyed with a couple more deteriorating. In one corner of the room you will notice a pile of bricks that have fallen off a structure. In another corner you’ll see half of a steel pipe sticking out of the wall. Small steps lead up to another door. Passing through that door you are enveloped in sunlight, half blocked by the tall walls. There’s a massive tree growing into the brick wall with its branches reaching outward. In this area there’s a breeze that kicks up the sand creating a mini dust storm around Samus’s feet. Further inspection of the environment shows wires sticking out one corner of the area and when you look up you’ll see the clouds slowly crawling by with birds flying about. Of course, if you’re a true gamer you’ll take aim at the birds just to see if you can actually hit them with your gun, smiling upon realizing that you can. Moving about this area and climbing the crumbling platforms you will then be blinded by the setting sun. Moving a little closer to the wall you will notice a shiny round object. As you approach it you will see Samus’s reflection in the metallic globe. Little touches and details abound in every area. I simply can’t believe all of the intricacies shown and in an exploration game it’s even more refreshing to see so much time went into creating some great eye-candy. It’s as if every single room was hand drawn to create a living world.

So, the scenery looks great, but what really seals the deal are the special effects. They abound throughout the game. Walk through some steam and Samus’s visor will have condensation build up. Look up at the rainy sky and little water droplets will stream down the screen. Get too close to a bright light source and you’ll get a glimpse of the reflection of Samus’s face in the visor. Lighting effects are everywhere, from environmental hazards to those that Samus creates herself. One of the innovative twists of the morph ball is that it emits an eerie glow, allowing you to successfully navigate the area and explore for secrets. I can’t count how many times I stopped in awe just to look around at the surroundings. The artwork is simply beautiful to look at and never becomes old hat. Each new area you explore will amaze just like the one before. I haven’t had this feeling of wonderment in a game since the first time I played Ocarina of Time on the N64, so maybe that will put it into perspective for some of you.

Luckily for us, the same people who worked on Super Metroid’s music also composed Metroid Prime’s soundtrack. From the beginning to the end, the music never disappoints. There are some truly moving tracks, like Phendrana Drifts and Magmoor Caverns. Fans of the series will be happy to hear some of the great classic music return, but it’s the new compositions that set the mood perfectly. The battle music that plays when you’re fighting a boss or some other difficult enemies really does a great job of getting your heart pumping. Sound effects are equally impressive and you’ll want to die at least once to hear Samus’s ear-piercing death scream. For those of you with surround sound the game is presented in Dolby Pro Logic II.

Probably the most controversial aspect of Metroid Prime is its control scheme. Instead of adopting normal first person shooter controls, Retro and Nintendo decided to break the mold and offer up something different. The control stick will move Samus forward and backward as well as turn her left and right. The “L” button allows her to lock on to enemies, ala Zelda, and when used with the control stick she can strafe left and right. The “R” button allows Samus to look around. The “C” stick is used to change weapons. At first the control scheme seems a bit strange, but after an hour or so I didn’t have any complaints. It becomes vital later in the game to change weapons on the fly, which is probably why they mapped that function to the “C” stick. The other buttons work great as well. “B” jumps, “A” fires the weapon, “Y” fires missiles, and “X” morphs into the ball (after you’ve obtained that power-up early in the game). Overall I found the control scheme to be quite intuitive and not a hindrance one bit. Your mileage may vary depending how reliant you are of past games. One nice feature is that you can inverse the control stick while looking so down is up and up is down.

Metroid Prime is chock full of secrets. Most of the story comes from scanning different objects and reading about the Chozo and the Space Pirates. This explains many things in the Metroid games and is also essential to solving many puzzles. If you link Metroid Fusion (GBA) and Prime together after you’ve beaten them you will unlock even more secrets, like the original Metroid game. Most gamers won’t have an overly difficult time with Metroid Prime, as long as you take your time and explore the areas instead of rushing through them you should discover the majority of the items on your own. I highly suggest not buying a strategy guide with this game unless you have some good self-control from looking at it. Playing this game with a strategy guide by your side defeats the purpose of buying the game. The satisfaction of finding the items, using them where needed, and discovering all the locations and wonders on your own is such a large part of enjoying this game that it could possibly have a bad impact on you liking Metroid Prime.

Metroid Prime is the best game to hit the GameCube, and the best game to hit any system in the past few years. No game has captivated me more or been more fun than Metroid Prime in a very long time. Not since Ocarina of Time have I been this impressed with a game. It’s so rare that a game this good comes out that it would be a shame for anyone to overlook it. If you have a Cube, buy this game. If you don’t have a Cube, buy one for this game. Metroid Prime gets my highest recommendation.