A few weeks ago I was discussing the Metroid series with fellow backlogger Stan and another friend, Biron. It was agreed upon that the series had some great games, but Biron warned me that Prime: Hunters was a linear crapfest not worthy of my time. I was a little disheartened; after all, what makes the Metroid series so special is the great backtracking-infused level design and exploration. I started the game up shortly after with somewhat lowered expectations, and while the game is definitely my least favorite of the series, it still delivered what I wanted and was well worth the play. First, I don't get the "linear" criticism, world exploration in Prime: Hunters felt the same as always. The landscapes were a bit generic, but I feel like I can't criticize that too much considering the limitations of the system it was on. This time around, instead of searching far and wide for new abilities, the only items Samus searches for are 6 different gun types and 8 "octoliths," which are really just keys needed to unlock the final boss. Of course there are sub-searches and plenty of puzzles as well, but you're not going to find the double-jump or spider ball here. The controls were a bit difficult at first- movement and strafing with the D-pad, controlling the direction Samus is looking with the stylus, and shooting with the L-button. While I eventually got movement and jumping down fine, it always felt a little weird shooting with the left hand, especially during boss fights where hand cramps were almost guaranteed. That leads me to another small criticism- the bosses in most Metroid games are usually pretty creative, but the eight bosses here can really be boiled down to two different ones who get slightly more difficult as the game progresses. They were fun to fight, sure, but it's a bit of a letdown when you get to a boss and know exactly how to beat him already.The final boss was a pain in the ass, but that's to be expected here. So overall, the game is hardly perfect, but it never really got downright frustrating and should definitely be played by any Metroid fan.
January 24, 2010
Metroid Prime: Hunters
A few weeks ago I was discussing the Metroid series with fellow backlogger Stan and another friend, Biron. It was agreed upon that the series had some great games, but Biron warned me that Prime: Hunters was a linear crapfest not worthy of my time. I was a little disheartened; after all, what makes the Metroid series so special is the great backtracking-infused level design and exploration. I started the game up shortly after with somewhat lowered expectations, and while the game is definitely my least favorite of the series, it still delivered what I wanted and was well worth the play. First, I don't get the "linear" criticism, world exploration in Prime: Hunters felt the same as always. The landscapes were a bit generic, but I feel like I can't criticize that too much considering the limitations of the system it was on. This time around, instead of searching far and wide for new abilities, the only items Samus searches for are 6 different gun types and 8 "octoliths," which are really just keys needed to unlock the final boss. Of course there are sub-searches and plenty of puzzles as well, but you're not going to find the double-jump or spider ball here. The controls were a bit difficult at first- movement and strafing with the D-pad, controlling the direction Samus is looking with the stylus, and shooting with the L-button. While I eventually got movement and jumping down fine, it always felt a little weird shooting with the left hand, especially during boss fights where hand cramps were almost guaranteed. That leads me to another small criticism- the bosses in most Metroid games are usually pretty creative, but the eight bosses here can really be boiled down to two different ones who get slightly more difficult as the game progresses. They were fun to fight, sure, but it's a bit of a letdown when you get to a boss and know exactly how to beat him already.The final boss was a pain in the ass, but that's to be expected here. So overall, the game is hardly perfect, but it never really got downright frustrating and should definitely be played by any Metroid fan.
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