In 1986 Nintendo released “Metroid” for the Nintendo Entertainment System, a
game that concentrated equally on exploration and shooting wicked space
pirates. In 2002 Retro Studios, an unknown developer from Austin, Texas,
released its highly praised debut “Metroid Prime” on Nintendo’s GameCube. In
2004 Retro released “Metroid Prime 2: Echoes,” which has proved to be an
amazing sequel and one of the best games that GameCube has to offer.
“Echoes” finds the player once again in the armor of Samus Aran, an
interstellar bounty hunter. This time around Samus has been contracted to
find out what happened to a group of soldiers who abruptly lost
communication with the Federation. On her way to the surface of Aether, the
planet where the soldiers are suspected to be, Samus’ ship is damaged in the
planet’s atmosphere. The game begins with Samus stranded in a canyon with
few instructions on how to proceed. Samus soon finds the world of Aether in
the midst of civil war between the wise Luminoth and the evil Ing, who
reside in an alternate version of the planet known as Dark Aether. Players
will find themselves transported between the two worlds throughout the game, a la Nintendo’s classic “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.” To add to
Samus’ troubles, her arch-enemies, the space pirates, have found their way
to Aether, as has an evil version of Samus herself.
Ostensibly “Metroid Prime 2: Echoes” is a standard first-person shooter. The
player begins with a blaster, missiles and little else. In actuality, combat
plays a minor role in the game. There is a wide variety of enemies, but they
are rarely very challenging. At most, players may find themselves
inconvenienced by the occasional adversary, especially if they are
unprepared. However, the game offers so many ways to dispatch enemies, and
the enemies drop so much ammo and health that these occasions are rare.
Combat generally consists of pulling a trigger to lock on to an enemy and
tapping A until the target stops moving. This is not to say that all combat
in “Echoes” is button mashing; boss battles in the game are much harder and
often more rewarding.
The majority of time playing “Echoes” is spent exploring the vast
environments of the dichotomous Aethers, solving puzzles, finding out what
new areas are open after acquiring a new gadget and finding clues as to what
happened to Aether as well as the missing soldiers. Retro has done a great
job of creating gorgeous environs. Each area looks distinct and is
painstakingly designed. Light Aether feels alive; there are waterfalls,
rugged cliff faces and ancient bogs. Dark Aether looks like a warped version
of its brother. It is enshrouded in darkness with few sources of light that
act as protection from the world?s dark denizens. Traveling outside the
light damages Samus and leaves her vulnerable to enemies.
“Echoes” is one of the best-looking games on the GameCube. Environments are
free of jagged lines and glitches and the character models are smooth and
realistic. Players see the world through Samus’ helmet. When she comes out
of a lake water roles off her visor; when there is an explosion too close to
her face we see her eyes in the reflection of the glass. Little effects like
these immerse players in the game.
“Echoes” does have a few weak points. It would be nice if players could go
into third person view when dealing with jumping puzzles. At times it is
hard to tell where the character is in relation to where she is supposed to
land. The game offers little guidance as to where the player is to go next.
At times this is a rewarding aspect because players feel as if they have
truly discovered something. There are also times where players will begin
cursing because they have no idea where they are supposed to go. “Echoes”
controls can also become a source of grumbling; through most of the game
they feel intuitive, but during times when players are forced to act quickly
they may find themselves doing everything they don’t want to do. “Echoes” is
also the first “Metroid” game that has a multiplayer mode, and it shows. The
multiplayer mode is nowhere near the quality of recent first-person shooters
such as “Halo 2” or “Killzone.” The biggest thing holding “Echoes’”
multiplayer back is the control scheme: Players have no control over their
Y-axis unless they are standing still, and targeting an enemy is as easy as
pulling a trigger to lock on; frequently battles are decided by who can tap
A the fastest.
“Metroid Prime 2” offers a great single player mode and players will find
themselves engrossed in the game for hours. It has a few problems but is at
the very least worth an extended rental.

Andrew McCollum is a freelance reporter for the Oregon Daily Emerald