PixlBit

To wrap up the week and put a bow on the fine work of JD, some of the staff have contributed their first encounter with the series and some unique memories of their experiences.

Matt R's Memories

Playing through Super Metroid on an emulator for the first time a few months before Metroid Prime came out was enough to send my anticipation soaring. My newfound love for the series turned out to be wholly justified: after years of furry animal platformers and pastel worlds, Metroid Prime was an epic breath of fresh air from Nintendo.

Learning about the story, indigenous creatures, and enemy weak points through the scan visor was a uniquely empowering experience. For the first time, the player could take the time to catalog nearly every bug, plant, and control panel for examination. In fact, much of the information was vital to proceed and gave clues to the game's many puzzling technological contraptions. Some of the scanned information was superfluous and just described the environment, but I appreciated the attention to detail. For me, reading text about the tragic Chozo civilization and the Space Pirates' involvement was highly motivating in a game otherwise completely bereft of story cutscenes or NPC interaction. It was the opposite of a mindless FPS.

Rookie in-house developer Retro Studios skillfully blended new gameplay elements with classic Metroid power-ups. They also set a high bar in ironing out the vast majority of technical issues that tend to crop up in a 3D game of this scope. For instance, the arm canon blasted away as fast as you could tap the fire button – without any slowdown in framerate. The switch to Morph Ball mode never disoriented the camera view, a rare achievement for any 3D game. Every room, hallway, and shrine was organically made to look as if it were designed for a purpose. Each step of the way, Retro acknowledged the single-analogue control limitation and adjusted enemy placement accordingly. And even with the many weapon and suit enhancements, the wide variety of enemies made self-preservation an increasingly difficult task. For me, being lost in a completely unfamiliar environment and figuring out where to go next represents the defining accomplishment that I'll always associate with Metroid Prime.

One day when other games of its time are uncovered and dusted off, Metroid Prime's great gameplay and production values will tower like a Chozo statue over the rest.