GENRE
	First-Person Adventure
	DEVELOPER
	Retro Studios
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	unknown
	WII EXCLUSIVE
	only-gcn
	EXPECTED RELEASE DATE
	November 15, 2004
	BUY NOW AT

It’s been pretty apparent lately that Nintendo hasn’t had many blockbuster games for the GameCube. But with their announcement of some pretty fun and impressive software along with the unveiling of the DS, I believe 2004 is going to be the year Nintendo finally claws their way back up to the number one spot and takes back their more than deserved title as top dog. One such game that I myself have been looking forward to is Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. This next installment in the Metroid franchise is a sequel to the original Metroid Prime and by the looks of it, the game seems to be quite impressive.

media

impressions

I for one am pretty impressed with the plot to the game; I don’t think any other Metroid title has had such a compelling lay out of events thus far. The basic story line of the game takes place on a planet called Aether. Our beloved intergalactic bounty hunter, Samus Aran, was called to this planet to rescue a Galactic Federation trooper squad, but when she arrives there she finds herself getting involved in a conflict that has been going on for many, many years. It involves a tragic event that had taken place some time in the past and resulted in the splitting up of the planet Aether into two worlds, a dark world inhabited by the Ing, and a light world, inhabited by the Luminoth. These two peoples are fighting for dominant control over the planet and have been doing so for quite some time before Samus’s arrival. She is asked by the Luminoth to help them defeat the Ing and restore peace to their planet.

The graphics in the game are just as stunning as they were in the first Prime, and then some. Retro Studios has done a very nice job, and by the looks of it the new graphic techniques they’re using seem to be working out very nicely. They have added new touches to the larger environments with indirect texturing which helps to bring them to life more so than the first Prime. The new graphical effects that the weapons posses are very impressive and the enemies seem to have had a lot of detail put into them. Overall, I believe that this game is going to give Bungie Software (Halo’s developer) a run for their money.

The two new weapons Retro Studios has shown off thus far, the Light Beam and the Dark Beam, sound and look impressive. The Light Beam is used to vanquish dark enemies, turn various things on, and help plants grow faster. The Dark Beam is the complete opposite; it’s used against light enemies, turns things off, and wilts plants. Both of these two weapons run on ammunition, but they’re not too dependent on it and I don’t think it’ll be too noticeable.

Along with the weapons there will be more 3rd person aspects to the game, which means more Morph Ball activities. On top of that, the Spider Ball is going to be able to stick to new, more complex surfaces such as spheres. Samus can also jump from one sphere to the next, which I think will be ok but I’m not sure how it will be incorporated into the game. Also there’s an exciting new multiplayer mode that’s going to make Metroid fans jump for joy! Four Samus’s going head to head with an arsenal of new weapons, Morph Ball fighting, and complete mayhem. I’m excited.

The Screw Attack also makes a reaperance and this time it looks BRILLIANT. Now you will be able to reach areas the Grapple Beam couldn't before and on top of that, you can use it to jump up two adjascent walls, much like you could in Super Smash Bros. Melee. With fantastic effects and a great physics engine backing it up, this is going to be one cool move.

word on the street

Metroid Prime was a very nicely done game that got many people excited and it seems that its sequel is doing just the same. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes has many people on the edge of their seats waiting and searching every day just on the off chance they come across a little tid-bit of released or uncovered information. The price of the game at its release will be the standard $49.99, as was the first Prime. The excitement is building around this game more and more every day. People who have played the original Prime as well as newcomers to the franchise (or just newcomers to Retro Studios’ Prime games) are really excited about this one. Retro Studios won Rookie Developer of the Year in 2002 for their work on Metroid Prime, so people have the right to be excited about a fairly hyped sequel.

press release notes

"In this highly anticipated sequel to Metroid Prime, become the bounty hunter behind the visor once more and travel to a planet torn into light and darkness. Hunted by a mysterious entity and a warring race called the Ing, Samus Aran must explore the light and dark worlds of this doomed planet to discover secrets and augment her suit's weapons and abilities.”

“And now, for the first time in the history of the celebrated Metroid franchise, up to four players can battle each other as they search for weapons, grapple across ceilings, and turn into Morph Balls to make their escapes.”

overall

In my own opinion, this game is going to kick some ass, but we’ll just have to wait until that faithful day (November 15) when the game is released just to find out how good it really is. It looks as if Retro Studios has done it again with some amazing visuals, fantastic weapons/utilities, unbelievable environments, and an interesting story line that that will keep you more compelled into the game than the original Metroid Prime. I myself am really looking forward to another Metroid masterpiece from Retro Studios, just as any other self-respecting Metroid fan should be.