Metroid Prime

1001 Video Games

The GameCube version of Metroid Prime appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Development

Nintendo gave the development of Metroid Prime to the U.S. based Retro Studios in part due to the fact that the Metroid series, while being incredibly popular in the United States, has never sold as well in Japan.

Retro Studios also worked on a role-playing game for GameCube called Raven Blade of which a video was shown during E3 2001. However, in late 2001, it was announced that the game was canceled by Nintendo so that focus would be more on Metroid Prime. As a result, an unspecified amount of workers were laid off.

Manual

The manual has an amusing problem. Like in many of the Nintendo manuals, there is a lined page for the player's own notes, but the page has light lines on a very dark background. This makes most pen marks practically invisible, so the page is almost useless for its intended purpose (this applies to the Finnish/Swedish original release manual, at least).

Metroid Fusion

After finishing Metroid Fusion on the GBA, and linking up to a GameCube: * A new suit will be available * It will be possible to play the original Metroid on the GameCube

References

Kraid, from Metroid, was originally intended to make an appearance in Metroid Prime as a boss and was modeled and skinned by Gene Kohler for that purpose. However, time constraints prevented it from being included in the final version of the game. Though the beta version displays him inside Phazon Mines, according to Kohler, he was in fact replaced by the Omega Pirate. Kraid is referenced, however, in Metroid Prime. One of the tanks in the Space Pirate's base suggests that one of the Pirate's experiments is to recreate the creature. Body parts in the vat appear to be Kraid's. Of note is the head, since it appears to be covered by a metal dome in the picture.

Screw Attack

While many of Samus' signature moves are present in Metroid Prime, the infamous screw attack is strangely missing. Fans speculate that this is due to difficulties meshing it with the first-person perspective of the game. The screw attack does appear in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.

Awards

• 4Players
  • 2003 – Best Console Action Game of the Year (GameCube)
• Electronic Gaming Monthly
  • February 2006 (Issue #200) - #52 in the "Greatest Games of Their Time" list
• GameSpy
  • 2002 – Game of the Year
  • 2002 – GameCube Game of the Year
  • 2002 – GameCube Game of the Year (Readers' Choice)
  • 2002 – Best Music of the Year (GameCube)
• Golden Joystick Awards
  • 2003 - Runner up as GameCube Game of the Year (after The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker)

Information also contributed by ~~, Mark Ennis, Steve Thompson, Tiago Jacques, and WWWWolf .