Metroid Prime Pinball

"Have a ball."

I've said before that the original Metroid Prime is my favorite game of this generation, and three years later, even after such fantastic titles as Star Wars: KOTOR, Resident Evil 4 and God of War, I stand by that statement. But let's forget about that, because the game I'm about to talk about has nothing to do with Metroid Prime. In all seriousness, Metroid Prime Pinball is in some ways an amazingly cool experience that will act as a must-buy to any and all Prime fans, because every bit of heart, spirit and soul from the amazing GameCube adventure is pumped into this pint-sized DS cart. The look of the game is distinct, and brings back a lot of great memories.

So now Metroid is with Mario, Kirby and Pokemon as one of those Nintendo franchises that has been crafted its own pinball spin-off (I'm still waiting for Pikmin Pinball – that would so kick ass). And I believe that this one offers more success than the other entries in the line of Nintendo-themed pinball games, as not only does this perfectly nail the look and feel of its home game perfectly, it actually factors in some gameplay elements that almost make MPP seem like “more than just a pinball game”. MPP has collectibles, firefights, boss battles, weapons, and many other feature that feel standard for any game but would seem out-of-place on a pinball table. That is, until you actually start playing, at which point everything fits together so perfectly.

If I have to explain how pinball works, get off of this website – you're not wanted here. I'm assuming that's not the case, so I'll skip the basics. As you would guess, the actual silver ball that would act as the center point for any pinball title has been replace by Samus, all rolled up in her trademark Morph Ball mode. The flippers are controlled with the DS's two shoulder buttons, and most tables have more than one set of flippers. The ball physics are pretty realistic-feeling, so whenever you lose a ball, there's a good chance that it's strictly your fault. Enemies (ranging from Space Pirates and Metroids to beetles and parasites) sometimes crowd the tables and can even in some cases attack the ball, resulting in lost health (losing all of your health means losing a ball, so be careful). You can even attack back by dropping bombs. MPP can become downright psychotic at times with the number of things going on at once.

But the main attraction of this package is the implementation of the Metroid Prime universe. Before I bought this game, I thought the game would be based more entirely on the Metroid franchise as a whole, but no – the game is specifically modeled around the original Prime (in fact, Prime is starting to seem like an entirely different franchise from other Metroid games, with two GameCube games, a portable Hunters spin-off, and now this). MPP doesn't even really have anything to do with Echoes (aside from the title theme) – this pinball game is the little brother of the first GameCube Prime adventure. The tables are all based around the different worlds of that game. You'll start off with only the Pirate Frigate and Tallon Overworld levels, and unlock more from there, from Phendrana Drifts right down to the Impact Crater. All of the enemies, power-ups, collectibles, and so forth are ripped right out of Prime.

What surprised me about MPP is that the game's one-player mode was structured to mimic that of the original game, and I'd have to credit them with doing a pretty good job of it. You'll start off one of two levels, at which point you'll be tasked with collect twelve Artifacts (just like the real Prime). You'll collect these Artifacts by completing various mini-games and bonus modes that are unlocked by completing tricky tasks (i.e., hitting the ball into a certain slot, chamber, switch, etc.). Upon collecting enough Artifacts from one table, you'll be given the opportunity to warp to a different table of your choice. In order to advance, you've got to collect at least one Artifact from every table so you can't weasel your way out of playing through one of your least-favorite tables or anything like that. No cheap stuff here.

What was interesting to me was how diverse the ways of collecting these Artifacts were. In some levels, you can unlock a brief mode in which you must pound all on-screen enemies with your ball before the time runs out. This can be really hectic when many of one enemy type are littering the screen – for example, in the Pirate Frigate, parasites will roam about the table and you must constantly be changing the direction of your ball to trample them. There are even some missions in which Samus will stop in one place, unroll to her standard human form, and unleash Power Beam hell upon several waves of enemies – and it can be pretty tough to constantly be protecting yourself as Shriekbats flutter in from every direction. Some levels even have a cool wall-jumping mini-game in which you must hit the two shoulder buttons with precise timing to get to an Artifact that's at the top of two walls. There are many ways to score Artifacts and this aspect gives MPP's single-player mode some freedom, which is always welcome.

But one of my favorite aspects of MPP (as well as one that might make hardcore pinball fans cringe) was the selection of boss battles. And they, like everything else about this game, they're taken straight from the GCN original. For example, in the Phazon Mines level, you'll have to take on the Omega Pirate, an enormous monster of a boss who repeatedly pounds on the ground to create shockwaves. Some of the single-player tables are centered around a single boss character that you must defeat in order to score an Artifact and move on. Although it seems like a dumb idea for a pinball game, it's actually pretty fun to repeatedly beat a baddie over the head with your pinball, and the physics even play into the game a bit – if a boss doesn't get hit hard enough, he won't take damage. You can drop bombs and even occasionally use an all-annihilating Power Bomb, which damages all on-screen enemies. You can even uncurl and fire a few missiles at your bosses! It's pretty sweet.

Aside from having a reasonably tough single-player mode (called a “Multi Mission”), there's also what's called a “Single Mission,” which is simply a free-play mode. You can play on any of the tables you've unlocked in Multi Mission (there are six total), and you can go for either high scores or the best times, depending on which table you're using. My only real complaint about this is the shortage of traditional, score-based pinball tables, as there are only two tables that actually have you playing long rounds for high scores. The other four are simply based around beating a boss within a certain time limit, which usually takes only a minute or two. Although the bosses were pretty cool in the Multi Mission mode, they're kind of a problem simply because the tables they're in are so simple. I would have loved a full-fledged Phendrana Drifts table, but instead I get this small, simple, no-frills table that's really just a sitting point for the table's boss (Drifts was my favorite environment in Prime, so that's why I'm complaining). At least the two real pinball tables are fun a full of crazy doodads that you'd expect in a quality pinball title. I just fell as if some of the Prime environments are underutilized. Imagine implementing the Phazon Mines crane into the game…

One thing I can see pinball fans complaining about, though, is damage. It's not a bad idea and in fact raises the level of tension that's constantly hanging in the game, but your ability to take damage makes this pinball title drastically different than just about any other pinball title before it. The idea, of course, is that if you take eight hits from enemies on the table, you die and therefore lose a ball, as if it had fallen in between the two flippers. While it's not necessarily difficult to keep yourself alive for the majority of the game, some enemy attacks (like the Space Pirates' homing missiles and the Omega Pirate's shockwaves) are near-impossible to avoid, often resulting in enemy cheap shots. Also, this can occasionally increase the difficulty of the game to near ridiculous status, especially in Single Mission mode, in which boss fights only supply you with one ball. I mean, I may just suck at pinball games, but one ball is simply not enough to beat the Impact Crater.

What I'm happy about, though, is that they didn't try and get all innovative with the system design. The developers wisely chose not to completely change the way pinball is played for the sake of the DS's touch screen, and to me, that's a good thing. Innovation is great and there's plenty of it on DS. But MPP is a pure pinball experience without goofy touch-screen physics. In fact, the only time the touch screen is even used in this game is to tilt the table, and that's really only for the hardcore pinball fanatics who see it as an integral part of the game, anyway. The touch screen isn't even incorporated into the menu systems! That's a first for DS games. On the other hand, MPP makes use of the DS's two screens quite nicely. In pretty much every other game I've played on the system, the action all takes place on one screen while the other screen displays info or a map – helpful stuff, but nothing vital. Here, the appropriately vertically styled tables are extended across both screens so there's no awkward scrolling or switchovers. To top it off, the game includes a cool noisy-but-cool rumble pack that goes into the GBA game slot and rumbles as the ball bounces around on screen. It's the full package.

And while MPP is made up entirely of pre-rendered pinball tables and 2D sprites, that doesn't change the fact that it all looks terrific. These guys perfectly nailed the look of the game it's based on, with each table filled with details that give them a shocking resemblance to worlds they're crafted upon. Tallon Overworld is filled with dense foliage, while the Pirate Frigate looks robotic and mechanical, and filled with flashing lights. The enemies all look identical to their 3D GCN counterparts, and some of the bosses look almost as frightening as they did when you were looking at them through Samus's visor. Sound is near-perfect as well, with all the effects and enemy screeches sounding one hundred percent authentic, despite the fact that they're usually washed out by the rumble pack. I also really liked the inclusion of many classic songs, and while the soundtrack is mostly terrific, they really butchered original Prime menu theme (which is one of my favorite videogame tracks of all time), and when I'm playing through the Phendrana Drifts table, I'd like to be listening to the beautiful Phendrana Drifts theme, not the somewhat uninspired Thardus boss music. Nevertheless, solid presentation all around.

Pros

+ Metroid on the DS… as a pinball game.
+ Metroid Prime atmosphere perfectly implemented into pinball.
+ Crazy, frantic, hectic pinball action.
+ A cool single-player mode structured after the original game.
+ No silly DS gimmicks to be found, just pure pinball action.
+ Lots of interesting mini-games and great boss battles.
+ Nice multiplayer game.
+ Terrific 2D visuals and a (mostly) sweet soundtrack.
+ A rumble pack is included!

Cons

- The game may be too hard for some people.
- Boss battles and shooting mini-games make this feel less like a pinball game.
- Some Prime environments (like Phendrana Drifts) are underutilized…
- …While Chozo Ruins is absent?! Imagine Flaahgra as a boss… Drool…
- Shortage of touch screen features may frustrate innovation geeks.
- A few questionable music choices.

Overall: 8/10

Metroid Prime Pinball is such a cool experience to any fan of the original Metroid Prime that I can see myself recommending this game as a must-buy to any and all of those people. The idea of having what is essentially (almost) a handheld version of Prime is a dream come true, and it's actually a very solid pinball experience, even if it does occasionally stray a bit too far beyond the standard pinball formula. Plus, it's suited well for just about any type of gaming situation. The single-player mode could last you for hours if you're really, really good, while its selection of one-game tables makes for a terrific pick-up-and-play experience. While there are better games for DS, none of them are called Metroid Prime Pinball, and few will get the mileage.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/07/05