"Not quite as good as the first, but good nonetheless"

Metroid Prime can easily be called one of the key games for the Nintendo Gamecube. Super Smash Bros Melee takes the title if the key game but Metroid Prime would probably be number 2. The original was a masterpiece, successfully taking the Metroid series into 3D. It also successfully turned it into a first person shooter/adventure from the formerly side scrolling platformer it was. And during all this, it kept true to Metroid's roots. Exploration, huge epic boss battles, neat items, everything that made Metroid and Super Metroid great. Metroid Prime 2 takes the story of Metroid Prime and further enhances it, making it longer and more drawn out then it would seem in Metroid Prime. While the game mechanics haven't changed, Metroid Prime 2 seems to feel different. It has sort of lost some of that Metroid feel that Metroid Prime held onto so well. However, despite that, it is still a great game, one of the best on the 'Cube.

Graphics 10/10
Obviously compared to modern consoles like the PS3 and 360 it isn't as good but when it came out, it beat just about everything, including it's predecessor, Metroid Prime. The environments look beautiful and fully detailed, with small blades of grass growing out of cracks in the temple ruins. The water and plant life in the bog is so natural looking and like in Metroid Prime, the water splashes on your visor when you jump into and out of the water. Metroid Prime 2 took all the great graphics of Metroid Prime and seemed to enhance them. Slightly, but it still enhanced them.

Story 9/10
The story starts rather simple; however it evolves as you explore Aether. A Galactic Federation frigate has disappeared while chasing a Space Pirate vessel entering Aether. Samus is sent to investigate as all contact with the frigate has been lost. I won't go on past that so I don't spoil anything but there are other elements that make the story better.

The thing that really makes this game stand out is that Retro Studios, like in the first Metroid Prime, basically created their own little world. There are logs scattered across Aether that tell the tale of the Luminoth an alien species that inhabit the planet, much like the Chozo logs in the first Metroid Prime. There are logs of the Space Pirates doings on Aether and you learn much of the story through their logs early in the game as they reveal many things including your main enemy. And there's more. Not everything has a log entry but you can scan and read computer screen in the Space Pirate labs that have no bearing on the storyline but are still fun to read. Every enemy has a log entry and some are quite in-depth for a dinky little enemy that takes only a few shots to kill. Even major bosses have log entries not only telling you their weaknesses and strengths but also their history or how they were created. The amount of little details that went into this game is amazing, and most are irrelevant and easily could have been skipped but I commend Retro Studios for adding these little details. The only reason it is 9 and not 10 is because the real story will make little sense if you beat the first Metroid Prime, but never saw the 100% ending.

Gameplay 8/10
Now, there are two thoughts on this. Some people believe that the gameplay should have been switched up from the first Metroid Prime more then it was while some believe that Metroid Prime was so genius that it shouldn't be touched at all. Retro Studios did modify it slightly but it plays almost identically to Metroid Prime. The only major differences are the ammo system and the dark world, neither I was particularly keen on.

The Dark World is a mirror copy of Aether, it has basically the same rooms (with some minor modifications like the removal of certain rooms), it has "dark" versions of all the enemies and it is covered in a constant poisonous atmosphere. The only way to dodge this poisonous atmosphere is to hide in bubbles created by the Luminoth. However, the bubbles are not connected requiring you to traverse the poisonous atmosphere to get from bubble to bubble. The atmosphere obviously drains your health and even though the bubbles recharge it, the bubbles recharge you health at about 1 unit per second, while the atmosphere damages you at about 30 units per second, and that's not counting damage from enemies. Early in the game the Dark World is a real pain. Eventually you find upgrades to your suit. One makes the atmosphere drain at about 1 unit per second and the second makes you immune to the effects of the atmosphere, but the second suit is obviously late in the game, in fact, it's supposed to be the last item you acquire. This makes the dark world not too fun, it's mostly running from bubble to bubble then actual exploring and enemy fighting which is what Metroid should be about. Thus, the Dark World take some of the Metroid feel from this game.

The Ammo System was the other major difference; it also wasn't a change for the better. Never before in a Metroid game was your beam's ammo a problem, sure the Missiles and Power Bombs had ammo, but you didn't use them as much. One of the best parts of any Metroid game was the different beams you could acquire and use to your hearts content. If you have ever played Super Metroid, imagine how much that game would suck if the Wave Beam, Ice Beam, Spazer and Plasma Beams had ammo and you had to often stick to your Power Beam during the game. That is what the ammo system does to Metroid Prime 2. There are four beams and 2 types of ammo. The basic, weak Power Beam which is unlimited, the Dark Beam which shockingly takes 1 piece of Dark ammo to use, the Light Beam which, also shockingly, takes 1 piece of Light ammo to use and the Annihilator Beam which sounds awesome, and is, takes one of each. The Beam/Missile combo's for the Dark, Light and Annihilator beams take 30 of the respective ammo to fire. Your max is 250. You acquire both the Light and Dark beams early in the game but they are almost useless until you find a few Ammo Expansions as you need to save them for door that require them or enemies that just take to long to be handled with the Power Beam. To top this all off, the Light and Dark Beams are nothing new. They act just like powered down versions of the Plasma and Ice Beams in Metroid Prime. Thankfully enough the Annihilator Beam is a brand new weapon that doesn't mimic anything (though it does feature a weak tracking system like the Wave Beam in Metroid Prime).

There was also one other minor detail that Metroid Prime had that this doesn't. It is very hard (or maybe impossible?) to skip sections, another thing Metroid is famous for. Super Metroid veterans were constantly finding thing that didn't have to be done or ways to skip things to finish the game at a faster time. Metroid fans did the same for Metroid Prime. Unfortunately it doesn't seem you can do that with this game, it is much more linear then previous titles, not allowing for much section skipping by manipulating glitches and the surrounding environment.

The gameplay is still great; there are just those two things that make it slightly worse then Metroid Prime.

Sound and Music 10/10
The sounds and music are still excellent, just like they should be in a Metroid game. The music is excellent and all the sounds work very well. Most of the sounds are similar to Metroid Prime, and there's no complaint about that. The music however is all new, and all great. All the songs fit the atmosphere and feel well and are pleasant to listen to. And for those Super Metroid veterans, there is a Brinstar (Maridia area) remix.

Controls 10/10
The controls are excellent. They work the same as Metroid Prime's brilliant control scheme but because of that there will still be the people who refuse to play because it doesn't have dual-analog like Halo. Well, they're just missing out on a great game.

Replayability 7/10
Unfortunately, it doesn't have as much replayability. You'll most certainly play through the game a few times, but since it is more linear then Metroid Prime and since the Dark World can be so aggravating at times (as well as a certain couple mini-bosses who shall remain nameless for the sake of spoilers) you'll probably rather go back to Metroid Prime once you've gotten all the items and scans.

You do however unlock a hard mode upon completion of the main game, so you'll definitely have 2 playthroughs for sure.

Pros:
Good story with tons of minor details
Great graphics
Great soundtrack
Good atmosphere
Other then the Dark World it has good gameplay

Cons:
Not as good replay value as previous Metroid games
Dark World extremely tedious at times
Two very annoying mini-bosses
Very linear

Rent or Buy
This game is still worth a purchase, but you may want to rent it first to see how you like the Dark World, I know that it would turn some people, Metroid fans or not, off this game. However, if you can live with the Dark World, it is definitely worth the purchase, and it should be pretty cheep since the Wii and 360 are so huge now.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/11/08

Game Release: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (US, 11/15/04)