Metroid Prime Trilogy (Wii) Review

Throughout all three games the player assumes the role of heroine Samus Aran, a bounty hunter adopted by the technologically-advanced Chozo race, who trained her and gave her the power suit in the hope that she would one day be the saviour of the cosmos. Over the course of the trilogy, there is constant threat from a substance called Phazon which is seemingly being spread by the titular Metroid Prime. It's Samus' job to eradicate it, and Metroid Prime, for good.

Taking place behind Samus' visor in first person perspective, the player explores the lush worlds of Tallon IV, Aether, and a plethora of planets in the final game. The gameplay in all three titles focuses on exploring these exotic lands in order to gain power-ups in order to advance to the next area to save the worlds from ultimate destruction. Whilst choosing exploration over all-out action may not sound like the most exciting strategy, the way the whole thing is presented makes it so much more. More often than not, the player will be faced with a puzzle to solve before they can move on. These will usually require some, or all, of Samus' abilities to pass, such as transforming into Morph Ball mode or using various visors to see objects which are hidden out of plain view.

Of course, that's not the only aspect to the games; though action is not the be-all and end-all of Metroid Prime, it does play a significant role. The player is constantly thrown head first into rooms full of life, and not the nice fluffy kind. The majority of creatures encountered prove to be a hostile (and tough) threat to Samus, who must first scan the creature to discover its weak points so that she might ultimately take it down. Every so often you'll come across a point where the game launches a jaw-droppingly huge boss upon you; again, you must target their weak spots, usually with newly acquired equipment (e.g. different visors). Alternately, puzzles may need to be completed in order to expose its weakness. Gameplay throughout remains brilliant, though Metroid Prime 2's pace slips a little due to to much time spent within its overly tedious dark world, which players must venture into to bypass areas that they cannot traverse through in Aether's light form. It does well to shake up the play a little, but it pales in comparison to the beautifully crafted Aether.

There are also many expansions cleverly hidden along the way to increase health, missiles and energy beam combos. These must all be swept up if the player wishes to achieve the 100% endings - thus unlocking cutscenes offering small insights into 'possible' future titles - which adds a little longevity. Metroid Prime is a very solitary, story-centric experience, and the basic story is apparent as each title is played through; however, there is a deeper back-story to each game that the player must piece together themselves. This can be achieved from scanning lore and various other artifacts that are hidden around the worlds, and they give insights as to why such an area is how it is, or what happened to civilisations that previously lived on the now desolate and hostile planets that you are exploring.

Nintendo have left Metroid Prime 2's multiplayer intact so that you can play split-screen death matches against your mates. It may not be the best mode in the world, but it does have a slightly hectic feel to it with four people dodging and rolling in all directions to take each other out with Power Bombs and other power-ups. Sadly, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection has not been exploited for battling people over the web, which would have been a nice inclusion to change the pace of play and offer a real competitive edge. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is, however, used to exchange friend badges which are acquired in-game - but only with people on your friends list that own a copy of the game. You can use these badges to 'purchase' artwork, music, dioramas and other trinkets.

With Wii controls, moving about and shooting feels much more natural than it did on the GameCube, thanks to the ability to aim freely whilst taking on a multitude of foes. The GameCube versions forced you to stop in your tracks to aim when not using lock-on targeting, which left the player very vulnerable in sticky situations. Being able to move and aim gives the game a fluidity that its predecessors lacked and, in turn, it has also made the game slightly easier. Whereas before you ended up rooted in one spot while aiming, trying desperately to hit a boss' weak point while it spewed a torrent of pain at you, now you are able to dodge around and still take them down as you move - far more efficient. The Wii hardware gives some little boosts to the series in other areas too. While previously the game didn't feature any loading screens, players would often be stuck at doors waiting for the area beyond to load. In Trilogy this 'flaw' is seemingly nonexistent, with doors opening instantly as soon as they are approached. The whole series now plays in the 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio and with Wii's ability to output at 480p, the image looks much sharper than the GameCube versions. You would hardly believe that Metroid Prime 1 and 2 were released in 2001 and 2004 respectively.

The environments are true masterpieces. From first gazing upon Phendrana's icy expanse to wandering around the technically advanced Sanctuary Fortress, every area is beautifully crafted, and nothing in the world feels out of place. Even though the character models remain unchanged from launch they still look brilliant, Samus looks as sharp as ever, and the enemies look just as threatening. The amount of attention to detail is superb; from the decals on Samus' cannon changing between beams, to the visor catching condensation when passing open vents, it immerses the player further into the experience. The graphics really shine through with true quality that the majority of games custom built for Wii struggle to match. Despite Metroid Prime being nine years old, it barely seems to have aged at all. What really sets the whole game off, however, is the musical score which runs from start to finish. It suits each area perfectly and sets the mood both for boss fights and calm exploration, keeping the player chugging along until the end. It may not have you whistling along, but it's very far from bad.

No matter whether you have played the Metroid Prime games before, were put off by the controls, or you are completely new to the series, this title is definitely worth a purchase. With all three of Retro Studios' masterpieces on one disk, each lasting between 10 and 15 hours, there is plenty to keep players occupied for a long time. Already very solid games separately, together on one disk the whole Metroid Prime experience comes to life and is boosted by the Wii’s control mechanic, making all three games a dream to play. As soon as you step behind Samus' visor you will feel immersed in a game that constantly delivers on all front. From discovering new lands and hidden areas that you never thought existed, to finally defeating that pesky boss that has had you stumped for ages allowing you to progress that bit further, to worlds filled with different dangers and enemies that make you strive for survival, it all feels inexplicably complete. All of this adds up to one of the best first person adventure games that can be found anywhere, and by far the best one on Wii.