Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Retro Studios

Genre: Shooter/Adventure Release Date: Released

Price: 49.99 (EB games)

Metroid Prime 2 is the sequel of Metroid Prime , a game that received praise from gamers and critics alike with it's intriguing mix of classic FPS action and challenging puzzles set in beautifully detailed alien landscapes open for you to explore. The game starts like most other Metroid games, the intergalactic bounty hunter Samus gets a distress call from a Galactic Federation ship that crashed on the surface of planet Aether while hunting down Space Pirates. After accepting the contract from the GF, which instructed her that this was a search and rescue mission, she heads out. As Samus makes planet fall a strange anomaly damages her ship, marooning her as well. Samus explores the Galactic Federation base, learning the story of their demise. Further on in her explorations she learns the greater story of the war between the Luminoth, the light Aether inhabitants, and the Ing Horde, the evil creatures born of Dark Aether. Samus also discovers of how this war threatens to send both the planets into oblivion, with Herself, the Galactic Federation, and the Space Pirates in the middle of it all.

The interface of MP2 is much like it predecessor. It's button configuration the same, making it easy for previous players to jump right in. Most of the game will be played through the perspective of Samus's visor. The visor itself easily allows the player to see health, ammo, missiles, current visor setting and beam weapon. Moving Samus is likewise just as easy, allowing the player to run, jump, and strafe through environments without trouble.

Players also get to upgrade Samus's suit throughout the game. You get the basics, Morph Ball, Varia Suit, Power Beam, and Missiles as well as ammo expansions for consumable weapon ammo. New to MP2 are the light and dark beams, which operate on a new ammo system. This system is based on when you kill something with either beam you get ammo refills of it's opposite. (ex. kill Ing warrior with the light beam, you get dark ammo) Also the annihilator beam, a powerful mix of light and dark energy together, the screw attack, and the Dark and Light Suit, used by Samus to better withstand Dark Aether's toxic atmosphere. Many of Samus's weapons are used to solve puzzles or to gain access to new areas.

While most FPS titles are linear, Metroid Prime 2 breaks the mold with a structure that requires you to remember where you've been instead of firing and forgetting. There are some areas that are basically inaccessible early on in the game, but that open up to you when you transport to the Dark Aether world. While the solving the puzzles and killing the Ing creatures is hard enough, there's a lot more to the game than meets the eye. Unlocking the game's many areas and secrets will require you to travel between both Light and Dark Aether. Samus can switch between these worlds using special teleportation portals. This might seem like an easy way of expanding the size of the game world, but the parallel levels are different enough that most players shouldn't mind too much. Metroid Prime 2's pacing is excellent in the way it gradually opens up, allowing players to explore each level thoroughly while gradually ramping up the difficulty. The puzzle elements are excellent, but Samus will also have to spend a good amount of time fighting the enemy creatures. Her combat moves are straightforward, allowing you to aim and shoot at enemies easily. Samus can lock on to these targets and strafe while firing to increase her shot accuracy while lessening her vulnerability. She can also hold the gun manually to look around, this allows her to shoot at high altitude objects. These combat techniques are particularly useful when you're fighting boss creatures and need to scan them while fighting them at the same time. While the many smaller Ing creatures are relatively simple to kill, these foes usually attack in waves and are obviously more dangerous in groups. The boss battles, on the other hand, can become ridiculously intense, requiring a great deal of skill and some luck to complete. However, it pays to scan all the bosses(as this reveals weak points), and some will need to be scanned multiple times during the battles. For the most part, the gameplay unfolds at a good pace, and the enemies you face increase in difficulty at the same pace you gain upgrades and power-ups. Metroid Prime 2's balance is excellent, it should challenge veteran gamers at the later levels, but those new to the series should be able to enjoy themselves as well.

Metroid Prime 2's feature of having a Multiplayer mode is groundbreaking for the Metroid series. This is the first Metroid game to feature Multiplayer in the entire Metroid series. Multiplayer is smooth and identical to single player mode controls. However, Multiplayer is a bit less graphically detailed, giving the impression that Multiplayer was a second thought thing. There is a max of about six multiplayer levels all based on Tallon IV, which I thought was strange. You get most of the upgrades in multiplayer as you get in single player, and them some. Multiplayer specific weapons such as Death Ball, unlimited ammo, invincibility, suit computer hacking and more give you the edge needed to own your friends.

Despite its solid production values and addictive gameplay, a few minor problems keep Metroid Prime 2 from achieving the perfection it aspires to. While the idea of Light and Dark Parallel worlds works for the most part, I found myself spending a lot of time backtracking, which can be annoying. The other major problem comes in the game's placement of save points, they are set too far apart in some areas and further increases the amount of backtracking you'll do. While the addition of a multiplayer split screen mode is impressive, me and my friends found the small screens difficult to see, making it hard to follow the action. While these problems are significant, they aren't enough to seriously ruin the overall experience. Fans of the original Metroid Prime will find much to enjoy in this solid sequel. The gameplay mechanics and controls are excellent, making for an intuitive experience, while the new weapons and abilities keep things fresh. The game's intricate level design, vexing puzzles and structure means that players will be challenged throughout. Its unique scanning technique definitely sets it apart from other FPS titles, giving it a unique feel you won't find anywhere else. The enemies themselves pose quite a challenge, and the boss confrontations are as intense and difficult as anything in the first game. Additionally, the new light and dark mechanic makes an interesting addition to the series, adding challenge and depth to the experience.

They silenced the doubters last time around, and Retro Studios has once again done the Metroid name proud. This highly polished sequel offers an exceptional balance between puzzle and shooting elements that should keep players enthralled for many hours. Its exceptional depth, challenges, and balance makes Metroid Prime 2: Echoes one of the most satisfying and entertaining Gamecube titles to date. 9.5/10

Links:

http://www.metroid.com/main.htm

http://www.nintendo.com/home

http://www.retrostudios.com/