Game Debate #86: Metroid Prime

[Reed Rothchild | 9,583]

[Gloves | 11,830]

Never played it. 

[TDIRunner | 2,771]

I started the game once years ago.  It was more of a test of the game I had rather than an attempt at a playthrough.  It didn't really grab me the way I thought it would.  When Metroid Prime was first announced, I was excited for the idea of a FPS Metroid game, but now that I'm older, I would rather just stick with the 2D games.  

While the game itself didn't grab me, I don't consider my playtime enough to properly rate it, and I would still like to give it a legit try sometime, but I have a feeling that playing the game will just make me want to pickup any of the 2D games instead.  

[ifightdragons | 234]

It's probably one of the more overrated games I have played. It has its moments.

[cj_robot | 546]

This game was awesome. It really feels like a proper 3D Metroid-style game, rather than some generic FPS. The controls take a bit to get used to, but otherwise the game plays great. On top of that, the visuals, atmosphere, and sound design are all top notch. Honestly, I would rather play more Metroid games like this than any more side-scrolling ones.

9/10

 

[MegaMan52 | 2,460]

9/10 

It is a masterpiece.

The visuals are still impressive, the entire soundtrack fits almost perfectly, the original Metroid and the Fusion Suit are nice extras, and the gameplay is still fun, Only things preventing me from giving it a 10 are that the framerate can drop a fair bit here and there (expected in a game with large environments, huge enemies, and explosions) and that earlier copies of the game can occasionally freeze (not an issue in later copies). Also, the Japanese and European versions are noticeably more polished than the American version (though a few of the changes in those versions are in NA version 1.2).

The GameCube version still holds up after almost 20 years. It looks good running in Progressive Scan (using a GameCube, not a Wii) on my HDTV, and sounds great through my Soundbar and Subwoofer. Also, I appreciate the Screen Stretch option (it's nice to play the game without any bars on the sides of the screen).

Oh, and the sequel is underrated.

Edited January 28, 2022 by MegaMan52

[Estil | 1,265]

My dearly departed Uncle Jerry got me that and Super Mario Sunshine for Christmas back in 2002.  Yes I was blown away by how realistic things looked in Prime...IIRC wasn't the GC actually capable of making graphics almost as good as Xbox?

Now if I can just find where I stashed that bobblehead...

Edited January 28, 2022 by Estil

[NostalgicMachine | 246]

I've only ever played through and completed it once (was back in approximately early 2005), and I absolutely loved it at the time. I give it a solid 8/10.

[RH | 4,966]

1 hour ago, TDIRunner said:

I started the game once years ago.  It was more of a test of the game I had rather than an attempt at a playthrough.  It didn't really grab me the way I thought it would.  When Metroid Prime was first announced, I was excited for the idea of a FPS Metroid game, but now that I'm older, I would rather just stick with the 2D games.  

While the game itself didn't grab me, I don't consider my playtime enough to properly rate it, and I would still like to give it a legit try sometime, but I have a feeling that playing the game will just make me want to pickup any of the 2D games instead.  

My experience was quite the same.  I bought it near launch, liked it, but I think that's when I took a major job change and basically stopped gaming much.  I've since booted this game 1-2 times since 2005 and played maybe 30 minutes.

I do want to play it but I just never get engaged in it enough to really get into it. I can, however, get engaged by the 2D Metroids and find myself playing many of those for days.

[DarkTone | 988]

8/10. 

[DefaultGen | 5,432]

Top 10 game of all time, the best Metroid game, and one of the best ever 2D to 3D transitions. Every other indie game is a clone of Super Metroid but nothing is like Metroid Prime. I remember being so skeptical before it came out that Nintendo was just jumping on the popularity of FPS as if it was going to be an Unreal game. 

[rdrunner | 422]

8/10 - Loved the first half of the game, hated the second half with all the space pirate fights.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

20 hours ago, Gloves said:

Never played it. 

I haven't either, but it looks promising.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

10/10. One of my all-time favorites.

When the game first released, I was enthralled and couldn't put it down. It felt so incredibly atmospheric and I really enjoyed the focus on exploration.

I'm not sure how it would hold up now for new players, but the concept of a big budget Metroidvania was still relatively novel at the time of release. I was never a big Metroid fan before Prime and I'm still not after (even Metroid Dread feels a bit stale to me with it's archaic design decisions), but Prime really hit the sweet spot for me. So many good memories.

Edited January 29, 2022 by DoctorEncore

[spacepup | 2,412]

I gave this a 9.

Not everyone liked this new direction for Metroid.  However, I thought that it was, much like Super Mario 64, an absolutely fantastic transition from 2D to 3D.  I remember being concerned about how that was going to work out, but then being blown away when actually playing the game.  For me personally, it still felt like "metroid."  

It is obviously much more, I'll say... complicated? playing Metroid in a 3d space, but I think they really captured the vibe well, and I have extremely fond memories, especially my first playthrough of the game.  

It isn't for everyone, but I find this game fantastic and highly recommend it, especially to Metroid fans, and especially if you have an open mind for exploring in a world in new and different ways.

[Tanooki | 4,952]

Since I was assuming you put the vote to the Gamecube one I gave it an 8, if I could have scored the Trilogy one though I'd give it a 9.

 

All said though the game is drop dead gorgeous, just very very amazingly well done start to end.  Varied terrains, lots of interesting things to see, and re-see as you loop back around areas as you proceed in unlocking more spaces and special gear/talents to hit new heights.  The visuals wow, but so is the audio a that itself is like on another tier between the atmospheric sounds and effects, and the seamless music that really suits the mood by the space you're in.  Never seems to skip a beat no matter how large or small an area or creature(s) can be in those areas either.  My only gripe about the game as if I haven't voiced it enough in the last 10 years between here and the old site, poor use of the controller hampering gameplay against specific smarter (space pirates largely) targets.  Such waste of the c-stick on visors that could have been a pause mechanic.  That's is the only reason I'm giving it a point lower on the GC vs the Wii Trilogy.

[Kguillemette | 1,547]

Don't care much for FPS. I've only ever played when testing it out.

[Link | 2,727]

I was turned off by the idea of FPS in the series when it first came out. I bought it used at Gamestop a few years later. Couldn't get into it. I still kept it because it looks and sounds great. I decided to check it out last year and I like it. They did a great job bringing the atmosphere, exploration/backtracking, and upgrade  aspects into 3D. I got stuck on the Phenandra (snow region) boss, so I didn't finish the game, but that's not unusual for me. I give it 8.

[Estil | 1,265]

Pretty much at the very start it would've been amazing if they did Super Metroid and/or Metroid 1+2 with Prime style graphics.

[Tanooki | 4,952]

8 hours ago, Link said:

I was turned off by the idea of FPS in the series when it first came out. I bought it used at Gamestop a few years later. Couldn't get into it. I still kept it because it looks and sounds great. I decided to check it out last year and I like it. They did a great job bringing the atmosphere, exploration/backtracking, and upgrade  aspects into 3D. I got stuck on the Phenandra (snow region) boss, so I didn't finish the game, but that's not unusual for me. I give it 8.

I can relate, only to the idea of the FPS being strange, and then bailing on the game too, I just tolerated it until the omega pirate.  That's when it really hit me how broken the controls are in relation to how you have to stop, button kung fu while getting SHOT (button press to stop walking, then aiming, then another button to lock your target) to then fire and have it track while they can do it immediately.  Shitty design over visors I mentioned, which is why I said the Trilogy version is the better game...it plays well...evenly.  I never touched #2 due to this, other than the Fusion tour ages ago when it rolled into town.

[JamesRobot | 5,825]

I'm in the Never played it, never will category for pretty much anything Gamecube.  I was on the Sony bandwagon during this era.  Maybe a passing interest but I'm not going out of my way to play it. 

[CMR | 522]

I gave it an 8 overall.  Because of the controls, I give the GC version a 6 and the Wii version 9.

[Jono1874 | 144]

10/10. My second favorite game of all time. (Link to the Past is the first)

I had grown tired of games spoonfeeding me story and when I realized that this game forces you to piece together exactly what happened to Talon IV on your own it I really appreciated it. I loved how you could scan basically every living thing on the planet, and I loved feeling like a Terminator while I wiped out tons and tons of space pirates after having just hacked one of their computers and finding out that they are absolutely terrified of me.

Edited January 31, 2022 by Jono1874

[OptOut | 8,892]

Metroid Prime is NOT an FPS!!! 

It's a first-person adventure game, the core gameplay experience is centered on EXPLORATION and environmental puzzle solving, the shooting is not the primary focus of the game!

Twenty years later and people STILL don't seem to understand this. Personally, I think it's the best Metroid game, although the sequel Echoes is actually even better in many ways.

I gave it a 9.

 

[Link | 2,727]

6 hours ago, OptOut said:

Metroid Prime is NOT an FPS!!! 

It's a first-person adventure game, the core gameplay experience is centered on EXPLORATION and environmental puzzle solving, the shooting is not the primary focus of the game!

Twenty years later and people STILL don't seem to understand this. Personally, I think it's the best Metroid game, although the sequel Echoes is actually even better in many ways.

I gave it a 9.

 

It is first-person perspective, though, and you shoot. It's just a shorthand. Exploration is a component in most FPS titles, and pure, non-shooty FP adventure is not a genre with many examples.