GENRE
	Adventure
	DEVELOPER
	Retro Studios
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	yes
	WII EXCLUSIVE
	only-gcn
	EXPECTED RELEASE DATE
	November 18, 2002
	BUY NOW AT

Nearly a decade has crawled by since the latest adventure of the indomitable Samus Aran graced Nintendo’s 16-bit wonder machine. Super Metroid, regarded by many to be one of the finest games ever crafted, yet strangely overlooked by the Japanese, marked a curious disappearance of the beloved franchise. Were it not for the Super Smash Bros. titles, nascent gamers would be completely ignorant of the intriguing, inspiring, dark tale of Samus and the Metroids.

All this is about to change; a wall of curious neglect will be shattered by a mighty rebirth on the GameCube in the form of Metroid Prime. The series that redefined gender roles in gaming, proved that Nintendo’s titles aren’t all limited by plot, and earned a pedestal in the collective consciousness of the community is poised to again challenge the way games are played.

While the title would lead one to believe that this installment is a prequel, in fact Metroid Prime occurs after the SNES epic. Super Metroid concludes with the apparent extinction of the title organisms when Zebes is destroyed, yet one specimen survives in a fragment of the planet. It finds its way to the world of Tallon IV, which, judging from concept artwork, is host to a bevy of fierce mechanical entities.

New Media

Hands-on Impressions
Blocky text reminiscent of the game’s SNES predecessor stands out against a stylized, foreboding intro as the Metroid Prime demo begins. The new adventure starts gently with a brief tutorial of Samus’ abilities before she delves into a derelict ship.

Most notable of Samus’ skills is the initially questionable ability to use her visor to scan the environment and enemies. Scanning requires several button presses, but yields valuable information critical to progression through the game or to enhance the plot. Samus must scan various panels to unlock doors or disable shields, and can investigate the corpses of Space Pirates littering the ship.

The armored warrior is better equipped than when she began her previous quests. The Morph Ball, bombs, missiles, grappling beam, and more are available from the start. The Morph Ball, in which Samus tucks into her trademark spherical form to careen through tunnels, is particularly useful and graphically amazing, casting blue ambient lighting on the walls. One clever demo puzzle involves a combination of scanning and using the Morph Ball to unlock a series of gates.

An initial hallway lacks gravity, debris drifting lazily by as Samus charges forth. Haunting music and the general silence of the ship establish a brilliantly familiar Metroid essence only a few minutes into the game. While the controls take several minutes to master, the scheme is well-planned and players shouldn’t have to guess at keys mid-battle.

Immaculate art direction and design imbue the corridors and chambers of the vessel with bright orange holograms and blue lights glowing softly against Samus’ suit. Sparks spout from severed cables as bodies inexplicably litter the floor, casualties of atrocities unseen. Several enemies rise again before being splattered by Samus’ blaster: after receiving a charged shot that distorts and ripples the visuals of the background as it flies through the air.

The action is rapid and tense, relic sentry guns and resurrected pirates raining fire on the seasoned bounty hunter as she explores architectural marvels. Samus eventually discovers a disturbing surprise in the form of the Parasite Queen, a massive arthropod-alien only partially contained within a force field. The key to defeating this foul nemesis is just one of many well-implemented puzzles in the demo alone.

The death of the beast triggers a self-destruct sequence that cements the elusive Metroid atmosphere. The heroine dashes through intricately detailed, albeit destroyed, labs to escape the complex, as monsters burst free to impede her flight. Several insectoid creature swarms, numbering in the dozens, erupt from tunnels ahead of Samus, leaving viridian slime on her visor when crushed. The climax of the escape lies in the reintroduction of the grappling beam, completing the exhilarating sequence.

Word on the Street
Retro Studios’ first project, Metroid Prime was plagued from inception by negative press from within, but the overwhelmingly positive response at E3 is enough to eradicate past doubts. A front-runner for “Game of E3”, the new Metroid has done the impossible: captured the essence of the series despite a drastic departure from traditional side-scrolling gameplay. Displayed on more screens than perhaps all of Nintendo’s other offerings, its creators seem to be as pleased with the product as are nostalgic gamers clamoring for further tales of Samus.

From the Horse’s Mouth