By Stewie Sutherland
There’s no arguing that one of the greatest titles on the classic Gamecube is and always will be Metroid Prime. An incredible first person shooter with lush 3D environments whilst still being true to its 2D exploring ancestors, it’s no wonder it became one of the highest selling games for Nintendo and its developers, Retro Studios. It’s no surprise either that they naturally made a sequel. Not as enjoyed as the original, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes took character Samus Aran to a world that was half untouched and pristine, and half so dark and poisonous that the very air was toxic. You couldn’t deny it was gripping and fun.
Years later, Retro made the finale to the Prime series, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii. Updated and expanded, the game had a smoother look and more story than most Metroid games usually had. It also introduced a new set of controls for use with the Wii: using the motion sensing in conjunction with standard 3D platforming movement, Metroid Prime 3 was a fairly good game on a new system. Those controls just took a fair bit of practise to get used to.
The Nintendo Wii has generally parted its users into two categories: gamers, whose libraries have a copy of Super Mario Galaxy, Zelda: Twilight Princess, Smash Bros. Brawl and maybe a tried and true copy of Metroid Prime, and new players, drawn to the machine’s range of fun, innovative motion sensor titles. The living room shelf that has a well-played copy of Wii Sports, Sports Resort, Wii Fit, Carnival Games etc. But Ghostbusters is that very rare title that can belong within both categories quite snuggly.
Martin Mulrooney
Guest/Previous
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