“Integrity” is not a word usually associated with video games. The multi-billion dollar industry has seen generations of consoles come and go, and currently there are more franchises and sequels than ever.
There are more incarnations of “Street Fighter” than one could shake a stick at. Mario and Luigi have popped up everywhere (including the 1993 film “Super Mario Bros.”). But somehow the “Metroid” series of games has managed to avoid this bastardization.
The first “Metroid” video game was released in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, known today as the NES, or the “original Nintendo.” At the end of the side-scrolling, exploration-based game — which takes place on a planet called Zebes — the character of Samus Aran (a bounty hunter whom the player controls) is revealed to be female. While this is not uncommon for today’s games, back in the 1980s it was a rarity.
The first game was followed by a 1991 Game Boy sequel, “Metroid II: Return of Samus,” and by the 1994 Super NES installment “Super Metroid,” which was considered the most recent in the series until now. Samus, of course, has made two other video game appearances in the “Super Smash Brothers” fighting games released for the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube.
The most prominent of the new games in the series is “Metroid Prime,” released last November. The game has netted “game of the year” honors from both the prolific GameSpy.com and GameSpot. The latest installment is the most radical departure from the series yet — at first glance, it’s a first-person shooter. Yet describing the game in this way is deceiving. This is not merely a clone of a “Perfect Dark”-like game set in the Metroid universe. While “Metroid Prime” could have easily resulted in an unnecessary harnessing of console power, creating one more redundant 3-D game, Retro Studios developers have successfully created a game still that feels like Metroid.
Most conventions from the series remain intact — Samus uses weapon fire to open circular doors, she can still shrink into a morph ball, the creators kept the time-tested grappling hook, and there are familiar enemies (to those who are familiar with past games). And while there are some redundant aspects to this game — excessive use of Samus’ scanner is required — they are only disappointing if there’s an expectation of trigger-happiness.
The most immediately striking feature of the game is the intuitive movement. Compared to other first-person shooters I’ve experienced on the system (notably, the James Bond game series), the controls are incredibly well-designed, to the point that a new player doesn’t have to learn to move around the world of Tallon IV, he or she just moves.
Metroid’s graphics are top notch. For its genre, there is probably no better-looking console game today. Perhaps reflecting the spirit of the previous installments too much, the music can be quite grating. However, fans more keen on the games will probably get a kick out of this.
Those who prefer the more “classic” style of Metroid games have the option of playing the Game Boy Advance game “Metroid Fusion,” which was released concurrently with “Prime.” The two games can be used together, revealing secrets that will delight players — especially fans of series — further.
For all this history of “Metroid,” none of it is necessary to become immersed in the pretty, pretty colors and shining lights of “Metroid Prime.” If this is your first experience in the Metroid universe, it’s a good place to start.