Reviewed by CL on 6/19/2004
It is quite possible that Metroid Prime is my favorite game of all time. There are so many reasons why this game is great that I probably can't fit them all in this review, but on this page, I'm going to try and convince you that if you don't have this game yet, you need to send me $149.99 cash to buy my copy of the game.
To get started, this is a game that redefines what the best of the best is. If this was the only game available for Gamecube, I would still have bought the system and been completely happy. It is both a mix of amazing 3D graphics and special effects and old school retro gaming. The sights and sounds constantly remind the player of how the old school Metroid used to be while pushing the Gamecube's graphics engine to the max.
Retro Studios didn't simply wow the player with tons of special effects, but there is an obvious polish to the game, you can even see Samus' reflection on her faceplate when you fire a charged blast.
But the number 1 reason why this game is so great is because there is a true sense of exploration here. The Metroid Prime world is enormous with a million things to see and do. It even feels even bigger because most of it is not accessible until you recover an item which is usually located somewhere else. This is a similar type of gameplay that was pioneered by the original Metroid and improved upon in Super Metroid. It's pretty safe to say that they have perfected this in Metroid Prime. In some games, this feels like a cheap way to make the game longer, but not in Metroid Prime.
In closing, this is most likely the best videogame that I have played. It gets a 100% rating from me because it could not conceivably be improved in any meaningful way and will be sure to become a classic, so jump on the bandwagon and get your copy today.
