Metroid Prime

It oozes with so much addictiveness that the storyline plays second fiddle and reminds you of a time when gameplay was an integral part of gaming. Put simply, this is one of the best games I have played in a long, long time. [Grade = A+]

The graphics are stunning, especially some of the effects on your visor. From steam fogging it and forming condensation, to water running off of it, there are a lot of cool visual effects. The morph ball transition is seamless and gorgeous.

The sense of being Samus is really found in the details. With just the right flash of light or glare against the visor, a thin, hazy reflection of Samus can be seen against the inner glass. It's quite cool... A fantastic, top-notch effort.

The best game to hit any system in the past few years. No game has captivated me more or been more fun than Metroid Prime in a very long time.

From the very beginning of your adventure, to the final confrontation against Metroid Prime itself, you will be enthralled and enraptured.

As if they dissected "Super Metroid", added a dimension, and put it back together again with slick graphics. [Feb 2003, p.96]

There are a million and one awe-inspiring moments saturated with detail waiting to be uncovered in Metroid Prime. Each new area is like an art exhibit.

Whether you're negotiating platforms (made simple thanks to a camera that pans down) or involved in the final climatic battle with Metroid Prime, you always feel as if you're at one with the game. And surely that's what gaming's all about, isn't it?

There's only really one flaw in the game - the fact it has to end.

Metroid Prime stands up not only as the most original, diverse and simply awe-inspiring game on the Gamecube, but as one of the five best videogames I have ever played.

Metroid Prime's strengths are so overwhelmingly impressive that its minor faults quickly become an afterthought. It's quite simply a remarkable game, and a stunning achievement.

It's incredible how it has stayed so true to its predecessors, yet has made the transition to a new-generation platform so fluidly. [Dec 2002, p.210]

Perfect: from the Latin "perfectus"; entirely without fault or defect (flawless); satisfying all requirements; corresponding to an ideal standard or abstract concept; lacking in no essential detail... Add Metroid Prime to that definition.

Metroid Prime without a doubt has become my favorite game on the GameCube, and thus far my favorite game out of this generation of gaming. My favorite game ever is "Ocarina of Time" and Metroid Prime has come mighty close to being as outstanding as that masterpiece.

The visuals are untouchable, the gameplay is tight, and the mood is hauntingly captivating. It is simply mind-blowing on so many different levels. [Jan 2003, p.184]

A shining example of how a classic videogame series can be vividly reborn. While taking an enormous amount of liberties with the original concept, it manages to zero-in on the spirit of the Metroid series and hit a resounding bull's-eye.

The real star here is the Visor. Someone at Retro is a true visionary (no pun intended), as the Visor makes Metroid Prime more than just a 3D Metroid game.

Definitely one of the greatest games of this year, for any console. Its superbly crafted atmosphere, genius level layout, stunning graphics, and overall euphoric game play all add up to one terrific title.

Looks as good if not better than the most cutting-edge PC games available. It's got a unique, cool as ice visual style and a soundtrack that should be winning awards. Most importantly, the gameplay is so finely tuned and tweaked as to be a sublime experience in and of itself.

The rare total package of excellent music and sound, awe-inspiring graphics, incredible gameplay, and an epic story, mixed in with an unparalleled atmosphere that draws you into the character and quest like almost no other game...with at least 25 hours of gameplay and great unlockables to boot, you'll be behind the Visor for quite a chunk of time.

When the only real complaint that can't be debated is the lack of a widescreen option for those with the means, you know you have a real winner.

The gaming experience you will have playing Metroid Prime absolutely breathtaking. I find myself finding new ways to praise this game every single day.

Although some may find the controls to be unfamiliar, once mastered, they work flawlessly.

Judge this magnificent game on its own merits, allow it to burrow into your sense of wonder like the best games do, and you might just proclaim that you've played one of the best games of the year. [Dec 2002, p.24]

The gameplay mechanics, alien creatures, futuristic weapons and sparse, yet dangerous environments add to the overall experience - giving players one of the most absorbing FPS games ever made.

This is not the Metroid you may remember, but this is the best game to come along on any platform in a long time.

From the amazingly polished gameplay design to the gorgeous visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, Metroid Prime is unquestionably a must-have masterpiece and a show horse that all forthcoming adventure titles will be judged by.

My new favorite game.

A rare example of a complete game. Most titles lack in one aspect or another, but Prime pulls its weight in just about every part of a game you can imagine.

I have to say that the graphics displayed are the best I have seen on the GameCube, and better than most games I have seen on any platform. The environments are massive with every little detail textured to look realistic.

No, the game isn't perfect, with some minor graphical draw-backs and game-length issues, but it is as close as you can get to a perfect game without being perfect. Overall Metroid Prime is the perfect example of what a game should be. Graphically, sound-wise, gameplay-wise it is just spectacular.

Rain falling and bouncing off your gun, a blast of steam fogs your visor and leaves condensation on it, a bright flash of light lets you see your own reflection in the visor. These are just a few of the many effects that make Metroid Prime stand out above its peers. I nearly wet myself the first time I fired my weapon rapidly and noticed that heat waves came out of the barrel.

It's not just one of the single most atmospheric games ever created, but it's also quite simply one of the best.

Metroid Prime is 100% Metroid. It may not seem like it at first, but believe me, it is.

Stunningly-stupendous, amazingly-brilliant.

Roughly twice as long as any Metroid game to date. The in-game clock doesn't count time spent scanning, looking at the map and replaying areas after dying, which would actually make the game three or four times longer than any Metroid game.

Every time you sit down with Metroid Prime the experience is always entirely different thanks to the ever-expanding environment and numerous enhancements that you'll consistently come across.

While hardcore FPS fans might be a little put off early with the amount of exploring that has to be done, those prepared to put in some serious hours will be constantly enthralled as the puzzles unravel. A visual and sonic masterpiece, MP is destined to go down as one of the best computer games of all time.

It mixes strategy, platformer, shoot-em-up, puzzler and everything else to deliver to you, the gamer, possibly the best game ever created.

One of the best all-around games ever made.

One of the greatest games of all time. Bravo.

The learning curve is pure genius... A perfect game in almost every way.

Difficult to categorise but impossible not to love. Metroid Prime is simply a fabulous gaming experience and the best on the Cube. [GamesMaster]

One of the finest games I've ever played. I'm still reeling from how incredible my experience with the game was.

Everything is perfectly detailed and brought to life, and the design is simply breathtaking. On the elevator rides, you can just look at Samus's Suit in all its glory with awe.

This game is one of the best 2D to 3D translations I've seen from Nintendo, since "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time."

From utter blasphemy to unadulterated praise, my time with Metroid Prime stimulated a whirlwind of emotions. [Jan 2003, p.98]

Buy this game or you might as well consider yourself a non-video game fan. Congratulations, Retro Studios. You lived up to the task of meeting the master.

The kind of game that proves that maturity and creativity can still go hand in hand.

An absolute masterpiece. It takes gaming to a whole new level, will last you a long time, and is an absolute must for any Nintendo fan, or anyone remotely interested in gaming.

A true gaming masterpiece. It is the type of game that reminds you why it was you first started playing games and manages to keep you both enthralled and amused from start to finish.

Despite minor qualms with the controls and the bosses, the game truly is a masterpiece and is one of the best ever in my mind.

Game of the year on the Gamecube, hands down.

The kinda game that reminds you why Nintendo really does make them the best.

The unique gameplay is so wonderfully put together, never had I had so much fun playing a video game. The gorgeous graphics and the awe-inspiring music just add to the experience.

Prime is an excellent single-player game that successfully follows the classic Metroid formula while modernizing the graphics, atmosphere, and non-linear style.

Sony should bring out a shockproof casing for the PS2 after this release, 'cause every PS2 owner will want to boot their machine in loathing frustration having seen Metroid on the Cube.

The first person controls work well for the most part, but we just can't ignore a few control issues that crop up at the worst possible time.

It looks fantastic, it plays fantastic (the best usage of the GameCube controller to date), it sounds fantastic, and darn it, it is just fun to play.

One of the best console games of the year.

When I first started playing Metroid Prime, I was at a loss for words. The one thing that kept running through my head was "wow."

Warning! This exclusive sci-fi epic's mind-melting action and puzzles may sizzle your brain. But the tricky controls could put some off.

Although the game's save-point system is fine in principle, the points themselves are often well hidden, and almost impossible to find without a guide of some sort. This means that players will often end up completely missing one, and having to adventure for some time without banking any of their progress.

A great game but it just lacks that killer instinct.

While Prime's graphics lack a little polish and flair and the controls never really become second-nature, the game itself simply rules.

Few games have so much gameplay, let alone provide a setting and atmosphere that tell a captivating story. That said, Metroid Prime is an acquired taste.

It's almost like "Myst" in the way you are dropped onto a planet with little to no information about where to go or what to do... Grade-A material from start to finish.

It's filled with over-the-top battle sequences, spectacular visual effects - and a pretty weak plot. [22 Nov 2002, p.85]