Metroid Prime Pinball

"Metroid + Pinball = A great game... with a few flaws"

GamePlay:

Metroid Prime Pinball's gameplay is very akin to the gameplay elements in Metroid Prime for the Nintendo Gamecube. The modes include “multi-mission” and “single-mission.” In multi-mission, the goal is to collect all 12 Chozo Artifacts and return them to the Artifact Temple. In Metroid Prime, that is one of the key objectives of the whole game. In order to get the “Artifacts” in Metroid Prime Pinball, you must reach certain milestones or objectives within a single game. These objectives range from beating a mini-game, such as Metroid Mania, to beating a boss battle. The mini-games are different from table to table; the only disappointment is that all of the mini-games are quite similar. The frequent objective in each mini-game is to simply destroy the enemy.

Not all mini-games, however, are about destroying the enemy; very few are different, such as the “wall-jump.” Once you beat a mini-game, the next time you play it, it advances to the level “2” (and then level 3 upon beating level 2). The mini-game level determines the difficulty, as expected. Another appealing mini-game that spices-up the game is the Combat Mode. If you activate combat, you get to get out of Morph Ball mode (the mode you normally play pinball with) and turn to the normal mode, as shown below on the bottom screen. In this mode, you simply shoot out of an auto-fire beam at the enemy until you win.

Another disappointment is the limited amount of pinball tables. You start out with two normal pinball tables: Tallon Overworld and Pirate Frigate. Both of the tables (and the other tables) are areas in Metroid Prime which again contributes to the parallel elements of the two games. Both tables are gorgeously designed. Tallon Overworld has many details such as trees, waterfalls, and rain which appears at random times. Pirate Frigate looks very polished to the point where Fuse Game's effort to make a beautiful pinball table shows. As beautiful as both look, there are only 6 tables in all, four of which are only boss arenas, which is disappointing. Another thing Fuse Games did that annoyed me is added a seventh pinball field, but only allowed you to play it in wireless mode. That pinball table is Magmoor Caverns (another area in Metroid Prime)Magmoor Caverns looks a little plain, but it would have been a welcome addition to the multi-mission mode nonetheless.

There are four boss arenas in Metroid Prime Pinball. The first pinball table takes place in Phendrana Drifts, second takes place in the Phazon Mines, third in the Artifact Temple and finally the final boss fight taking place in the well-known Impact Crater. The four bosses in each arena are the same bosses you saw in Metroid Prime in each respective area. Though it is satisfying that they included bosses people are familiar with, veterans of Metroid Prime may be a bit disappointed by the lack of original boss encounters. You also get a weapon in the first two boss battles which you get to keep if you defeat the boss successfully. People that beat Metroid Prime will also be familiar with the weapons that Fuse decided to include. Overall, the gameplay here is solid. The elements within the game is either a love or hate thing. Some people will be disappointed by the lack of originality and some may be perfectly fine with it, veterans or not.

Controls:

The controls in Metroid Prime Pinball are very easy to learn and get into. They are as simple as they can be. The “L” button moves the left flipper while the “R” button obviously moves the right flipper. You can also use the d-pad to move the flippers or the “A” button, but most will settle with the simple “L & R” control scheme. The tilt feature in Metroid Prime Pinball is very innovative. As you may have expected, it is controlled by the touch screen. You simply swish your finger in the direction you wish to “tilt” the table. This helps Metroid Prime Pinball act as a real pinball machine making it very realistic indeed. As convenient as it may sound, it may sometimes take a bit too long to tilt the table in time to save your ball since you must take your finger off of the buttons and move it to the screen. A small drawback but can potentially cost the whole game.
The physics in Metroid Prime Pinball are phenomenal. The game feels very realistic in terms of physics; Adrian Barritt (the game's project director) stated he worked hard on the physics to make the game as good as possible. Adrian's effort shows and shines at the same time.

Graphics:

The graphics of the pinball tables are pre-rendered. The tables capture the essence of the actual areas in Metroid Prime. From the waterfall of Tallon Overworld, to the Artifact statues in the Artifact Temple, Fuse games exceeded expectations of how a pinball game can mimic the real areas of a 3D game. The graphics could have had a bit more polish or shine to them, but they look excellent nonetheless.

Sound:

Anyone who played previous Metroid games will recognize the sound right from the title screen. The game uses the same sound as previous Metroid games. Though to some it may be a dissatisfaction, most of the music was re-mixed to make a fresh musical score true to the Metroid series. Even the boss fights feature the same music as their Metroid Prime boss battle music counterparts. The sound matches each area with precision. Phendrana Drifts (a snowy pinball arena) has that “snowy” area feeling to it. Same goes to Tallon Overworld, an area which represents nature and peace. The music goes along with each area just fine, something any Metroid game always exceeded at. The boss battles have a tenacious feeling to them while keeping their original theme intact. For example, the Phendrana Drifts boss fight has a “tenacious” feeling to it while keeping the snowy feeling intact. The Metroid Series always boasted some good ear candy and Metroid Prime Pinball keeps that tradition going.

Replay/lasting appeal:

The lasting appeal in Metroid Prime Pinball can vary from gamer to gamer. It ultimately depends of the players' love for pinball. If you want to beat the multi-mission and be done with it, that's up to you. Some may want to go back and attempt to get a high score for their own self-satisfaction. It all depends on the gamer, some may get sick of it right away while some may be entertained for weeks; there is no set amount of appeal time with this game, it all depends on how long it arouses you. The official Metroid Prime Pinball website will soon be hosting a leader board which is something that will help many pinball-weary players ready for some competition. Look for that sometime in January.

Closing Comments:

In conclusion, Metroid Prime Pinball is a must have for any Metroid fan since it stays true to the Metroid series. If you like pinball and Metroid, then Metroid Prime Pinball is a game that may just be for you. With the new leader board coming, it's a great way to show-off your pinball skills. Overall, Metroid Prime Pinball strays from the ordinary and successfully blends into a new genre all in a great way. With the included rumble pack, your $35 will be a $35 well spent.

The scores:

Sound – 10/10 The sound in this game is fabulous, probably one of the better specs.

Gameplay: 8.5/10 Metroid Prime Pinball successfully shows that Metroid and pinball can go together quite well.

Control: 10/10 The controls are simple and easy to learn with no real flaws. The physics also contribute to the precise control you have over the game.

Graphics: 7.5/10 Nice, but defiantly not pushing the DS to the limit at all.

Lasting appeal: After awhile, your Metroid-pinball craze will eventually wear down; it ultimately varies from gamer to gamer.

Average: 8.5/10 (not an average)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/18/06