(Disclaimer: The author of this review is not responsible for any mental anguish, disgust, or blinding rage this review brings to certain Newmoanyeah writers who have been previously subjected to frequent and brutal poundings in N64 Super Smash Brothers by the main character of this game. Furthermore, the author, who is also the proud owner of Super Smash Brothers Melee for Gamecube, reserves the right to pound on them all again with said character in his new game. Now, on with the review.)

Anatomy of a Video Game System
When Nintendo first began its Gamecube design, it had a fundamental design question to address: To DVD or not to DVD. Both the PS2 and the X-Box use regular-sized disks and are compatible with DVDs. The folks at Nintendo however, in order to prevent copyright infringement through DVD burning, decided to go with a smaller (and very cool looking) mini-disk design that made the Gamecube an exclusive game-playing system. Nintendo banked on the fact that people (including suckers like myself) who really loved playing games would buy the system in order to play the titles that Nintendo held exclusive rights to regardless of the systems deficiencies in playing other media. Metroid is one of those video game franchises that draws players in and transcends time and systems alike.

Great Characters
Nintendo currently has three series of games that are always on the top of the best seller lists: Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon. All of these games have three things in common:

1. Gameplay
   Great controls. Great concept. Great replay value. All of these games not only hook you from the moment you pop them in the machine but they keep you coming back for more even after you finished the game

2. Great Characters
   Mario, Peach, Link, Zelda, Ash, Pikachu - not only are all of these guys a lot of fun to play but their games actually take the time to invest in their personalities as well. Speaking of which…

3. Great Storylines
   The reason you care about the characters personalities is because, in general, they all take part in fun storylines that make you care about the outcome.

Metroid misses this group by a hair - it never seemed to get the same amount of publicity that the above guys got and it didn't get an N64 game either. However, it stacks up well in the major categories and Nintendo delivered a solid offering for the Gamecube.

The Story
The basic plot of Metroid games is fairly straightforward: Samus Aran, an interstellar bounty hunter, is out to eradicate the evil Space Pirates (who look like giant, black Lobstermen with lasers on their heads) and prevent them from taking over the universe. The Pirates are continuing their experiments on the Metroids, famous energy-eating lifeforms who have the potential to provide the universe with an unlimited energy supply. If the agents from The Matrix ever got their hands on one of these critters they could just scrap all their time-consuming human farming and strap in one of these alien blobs.

This time Samus tracks the pirates to the mysterious planet of Tallon IV which holds the secret to both the Pirates new plan and Samus herself…

The Review
Games are rated in five categories on a scale of 1-5 giving a maximum composite score of 25.

1. Design
   Metroid Prime deviates from the usual Metroid formula as Nintendo decided to make the game a first person shooter. Many gamers were worried that this change would dilute down the character and storyline, turning the game into Half-Life in space. Boy, were they wrong! The game unfolds just like any other Metroid game with Samus exploring a vast world with many distinct areas, each of which has a haunting score that reflects the atmosphere of the region. Tallon IV is an enormous world - you can literally spend a half hour just trying to get to a particular area. Fortunately, the designers created a handy-dandy 3D map of the entire game that fills up as Samus explores the planet. It's easy to navigate and fun to browse as it grows and you explore.

   As in other Metroid games, Samus explores the planet and gains power-ups that slowly give her access to new realms and abilities. Many of the old favorites are here, including the Morph Ball, Ice Beam, Wave Beam, and Space Boots. In addition, Space Pirate Boss, Ridley makes a spectacular appearance right from the beginning.

   The game is fun and challenging from start to finish. The only problem with the format is that jumping is sometimes difficult since you can't always see where you're going. This really is a nitpick however -- Metroid Prime is solid. 4.5/5

2. Graphics
   Metroid is one of the most beautiful games I've ever seen. The world of Tallon IV literally seems real - from the lush, jungle-like Overworld to the snowy drifts of Phenadra. The graphics are very smooth and even come with settings for HDTV and widescreen. When Samus receives a particularly vicious hit, you see a reflection of her eyes in her visor, one of the most incredible effects I've ever seen in a game. With graphics this good, you wonder when the movie's coming out. 5/5

3. Controls
   The Metroid controls can be a bit difficult to master at first. Literally every button on the controller is needed and they're configured as best they can given the circumstances. Still, there is nothing more frustrating than trying to shoot a missile and hitting the morph ball button next to it instead. Once you're used to it, however, you can slaughter Space Pirates with impunity as you smoothly glide around the planet. 4/5

4. Storyline
   Never has a Metroid game had such a detailed storyline, told in increments as Samus scans various Space Pirate logs and Tallon IV ruins with her visor. You get to piece the story together as you explore and collect the various pieces of lore. Some are fairly amusing too, especially some of the details on failed Pirate experiments in which they were trying to replicate Samus' morph ball. Bwah, hah, hah. 4/5

5. Replay Value
   Once you beat the game, you can go back and play the game again on "Hard Mode" which should only be attempted if you have a serious handle on the controls. A far more compelling reason to return to the game, however, are the various endings - previous Metroid games had better endings depending on how long it took you to complete. Metroid Prime has a different system based on your "game percentage" - a composite score of how many items, (including all 50 missile expansions), bits of lore, and creatures you've scanned. If you get a 100%, you get to see great, satisfying ending that really puts a cap on a fantastic game. Regardless, this one's a keeper. 5/5