Metroid Prime

The Good
Very seldom can you trust superlatives in a game review. Surely, you can't believe that Metroid Prime is so incredibly good that it's possibly the finest game ever made for any system. I was skeptical, too. Well, believe it, because Metroid Prime is quite simply a modern-day masterpiece. The graphics are astounding, and the level design is pure genius. There are a great deal of clever tricks to be performed, and a nice array of secret areas. And for those (like me) who were skeptical of the transition to 3D, be assured that the game doesn't lose any of that classic Metroid gameplay, and in fact gains something in the addition of the third dimension. After playing Prime, you'll swear the series was born to be in 3D. Topping off all the goodness is the polish of the game. Retro Studios went the extra mile to add a bunch of subtle effects that add to the atmosphere, making this one of the most immersive games ever.

The Bad
There's not much to dislike, but if I had to really stretch, I'd say two things are kind of downers: 1) it's sometimes difficult to aim at enemies way above or below you, and 2) there is a lot of backtracking. These complaints are minor as 1) the battles are easy and 2) there is so much eye candy and new areas to explore that backtracking hardly seems like a chore.

The Bottom Line
This is classic 2D Metroid brought into the third dimension. It's amazing, it's detailed, it's exciting, and it's a very lengthy adventure. This is an absolute must-have.

The Good
The graphics..... AMAZING!!!!!!! Nothing compares except maybe Rouge Leader. If you walk under a waterfall, your visor will get water on it and drip. If you are in a hot enviornment, the visor will steam up. The weapons and visors look cool and it's fun scanning all the diffrent stuff. The first level also is terrific and fun to play.

The Bad
The gameplay. The controls are frustrating (like alot of other things in this game...) You'll destroy your controler the 50th time you fall down a cliff while trying to jump in FIRST PERSON!!! The power-ups make the game harder instead of easier as you go along. Instead of going through diffrent levels, you are dropped in an ENORMOUS enviornment. It's not so bad the first few hours, but after you get finished with the treasure hunt for diffrent power-downs, the enviornment will become very large. There are at least six enormous sections in the game. Each new power-down let's you get through a new door in a completely diffrent sections. So, you go through the same place over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over etc. This wouldn't be so terrible if enemies didn't respawn. After fighting to get to a new area, you just fight the same guys again when you come back after you get x to use with y to do z etc. This creates alot of frustration when for instance you get x. "Gee", you say, now I can get through door y. Getting through door y(after fighting the same guys you fought 50 times before) You unlock the door. You continue for an hour until you reach a seeming dead end. "You need z" a text message on the screen tells you. Now you get to go back, find z, and come back through the same enemies and obstacles you beat before and do the same jumping puzzles etc. After it took me 30 min just to get to the door you just spent an hour getting the needed power-down to open it, I quit the game and have never played it since. The prize for repeating the same levels and enemies 1000 times should be a refund for the money you just wasted. In the end, despite it's incredible graphics and music, repetition is what makes this game a frustrating and overall unenjoyable game experience.

The Bottom Line
Playing this is like reading a book where you have to read the all the other pages you've read before 50 times before you get to the new page.

The Good
Everything about this game is so good it makes you forget about anything you could think of wrong with it. The sound, graphics, game play, and controls are all excellently done.

The Bad
That I can't play it 24/7 without having to go to the bathroom or go eat or sleep...

The Bottom Line
This is the game you look for to come out once every consoles generation, and you know there won't be another one like it for that particular game platform unless they make a sequel for it. This game is so good that you can't put it down until then end, and when you do finally finish it, you find yourself going back through it to see if you can find anything you may have missed or any secrets that may be contained in it.

The game play is immersive and entertaining, and the way the story is presented to you is wonderfully done in a "search for the clues" type manner so that you never get bored doing only one thing all the time.

The graphics are seamless, the sound is perfect, the controls are right one que. Everything about this game begs for it to be a part of you gamecube library, so don't miss it and get it as soon as you can!!!