Let's talk about Metroid Prime 2

[Spatial]

See, I enjoyed zapping those Sheegoths and Ice Beetles. Little buggers.

I can't wait for the sequel as I really enjoyed the first ( well, up until the last boss who just seemed to be an attempt to throw everything at you in a bid to make the game last a little longer - still it was all the more rewarding when I finally handed its arse to it on a plate ).

[Adam Stone]

tbh Jezzace, i felt the same way about the 2D Metroids and can appreciate how you feel about Metroid Prime. Plan and simple, it isnt for everyone. Please excuse the comparison, but im the same with Halo. Every time i've tried to get into it, ive failed to see the appeal and become quite bored and uninterested... but, similar to you, i shall continue to try. In all honesty though, if you've already tried around 3 times, maybe its just a matter of accepting it isnt for you...

Anyhoo... Hunt me down, burn me with a torch, put my remains on a stake with "owned" engraved in my forehead if you will, but Metroid Prime felt like the Metroid game the series had always wanted to be.

Although classics, the 2D games never really pulled me into the world like Prime can and does. I don?t believe this merely being due to the 2D against 3D engines either tbh, Links to the Past was perfectly able to engross me. But, as i feel that Ocarina Of Time is the principal of the Zelda series, Metroid Prime is the principal of the Metroid series.

Metroid Prime 2, appearing to borrow everything grand about the first and then some, may just change that. imo of course

[baad bwoy]

I liked the scanning gave a greater sense of interacting with the environment. And particularly liked the music and atmosphere of Phendrana Drifts, that is one of the best game levels I have ever encountered, felt strangely melancholic.

[TheShend]

There's brand new in game footage of this over at gametrailers.com.

The title screen intro look is as lush as the original Prime, the best title/menu screen in a game i've seen. Gameplay looks familiar yet new, with the fight at the end with i assume the Ing, having to stay within the light areas afforded to you by the crystal lamps as your suit doesn't have the augmentation againts the dark matter.

Music as well, instantly from the beginning there's brilliant music, i love it!

[broomey]

SPOILER




any idea who the samus looking character on the back of the current issue of edge is?

it doesent look at all like the phazon/dark samus

but more of a mass produced samus armour

[Stuart Smith]

I understand that conventional wisdom dictates sequels have to somehow innovate over their predcessors, but if MP2: Echoes simply delivered a fundamentally identical game but with a new storyline and new environments, I'd be more than happy, so engrossing did I find the first game. Endlessly atmospheric, extremely well paced and just always enjoyable to play through, it really is one of the best games I've ever played and the less the sequel deviates from the original formula the happier I'll be

[Adam Stone]

Agreed buddy. Thinking about it, it is quite extraordinary how Metroid Prime came to be this modern classic. After all the criticisms, troubles and misfortunes it received throughout its creation, it triumphed through holding its head up high? proudly.

Amazingly it never actually started out as a Metroid game but Nintendo seemed so impressed with what they saw they approached Retro with the offer of expanding one of their most beloved game franchises. From the word go there were concerns: Retro, a company not really particularly praiseworthy, to make the new Metroid? Right?.

Then the rumors started to fly around it was going to use a first person perspective, then magazines and ?people-in-the-know? were reporting how Retro was facing troubles in development ? games being canceled etc. It all looked very gloomy?

But somehow? through all the thick and thin, Metroid Prime turned out to be the beauty it is today? even receiving a 10/10 review from this very site. Funny how things turn out really.

Downloaded the trailer posted on the previous page and another 3min trailer this morning. Oooh? very nice indeed. Not much I haven?t seen previously but the quality was noticeably better.

I?ve had to order the Metroid Prime 2 demo disk. There was no question about it. Hopefully should receive it within the next week or so. Cant wait to experience a little Prime 2 to tease my taste buds.

[Square]

Mr Adam, your enthusiasm is infectious, Sir! Reading your comments has got me excited about this upcoming game. I played through the first game almost in one hit, and I can see the same thing happening with Echoes.

This, along with Devil May Cry, are my two most anticipated games.

[PeteJ]

The front-end for both Prime and Prime 2 are fantastic, I was really surprised when I saw the sequel running; couldn't believe they managed to top the awesome menu from Prime

Echo feels very similar to Prime, but slightly tweaked to make it easier to play. Graphics are not immediately a vast improvement, but there are loads of little touches that impress a great deal. I didn't get to play much of the single player, but it does feel just as good as the original.

I had a few games in multiplayer, but I wasn't impressed at all. It sucked, quite frankly. The only enjoyment came from having four players chasing each other when in ball mode, frantically trying to bomb each other. The action when in 'normal' mode is pretty pants because the controls do not lend themselves to deathmatch gameplay.
Having said that, Retro Studio's have shown that they are an incredibly talented bunch, and it wouldn't surprise me if they've improved the multiplayer a great deal.

So yeah, I shall be buying

[JammyD]

I loved Prime at the start, thought it couldn't get any better and then the backtracking kind of put me off towards the end. Respawning enemies + full on backtracking = bad ft: so I'll give this a miss.
Soundtrack should be good though.

[JibberX]

I was discussing Prime with a friend of mine last night.... and you really do have to commit to it not being a First Person Shoot, and it not being a Third Person Adventure, its both but its neither. Although we both agreed that Magmoor Caverns music really freaking grinds... oh and structurally its like a classic 2d game, but it does feel like the game dips after each boss, that sense of accomplishment is rewarded with the notion that you've got a shed load more to do, and that last area was for pussies.

[Adam Stone]

I received my demo disk today ? very pleased.

The Art Gallery, which is put together quite nicely indeed, is surprisingly impressive. As well as being fairly enjoyable to watch, it highlights the sheer artistic talent within Retro studios and surely illustrates why Nintendo were so impressed initially with their concept designs. I sadly didn?t unlock the final Art gallery in Prime (only 94% on hard, haven?t got the 100% yet) so this feature is most welcome indeed. Also has a few Prime 2? the last is particularly notable.

The demo itself is very promising? although a little on the short side. Though as demos go, is most welcome and warrants a contented purchase. The graphics aren?t hugely superior to Prime, however they are noticeably better with many new special effects that make the already believable worlds all the more appealing, believable and impressive. However the lift scene is greatly improved. Really quite noticeably so in fact.

The things that have got me more exciting though are the many ?preview? scenes while the (very impressive) menu is left for a few moments. These clips highlight some of the games new features such as the Multi-missile target (like Wind Waker?s Boomerang upgrade) and the wall jump ability. Oooh? it teases those anticipation taste buds

As mentioned, the demo itself is very promising. It was nice to test out the two new beams? each displaying their own new animations. The Dark Beam in particular is pretty damn cool. The dark matter oozes from the beam and even overflows as you charge. The Ings themselves look impressive? they morph back and forth in their ?ooze? like state, travel up and down walls, and explode in a satisfying fountain of dark matter. There are also a number of new details on Samus including a better beam-attack-charge (when you hold A)

There environments are as expected? featuring moths, organic plant life, spider webs, roots creating cracks in the rock etc. All very nice and promises a lot to come.

Im gonna play through again now, wasn?t able to scan everything last time (oh, and the scanning has been altered slightly. Scanned objects now are displayed in 3D, there are more stats, and a coloured code ? blue = not scanned. Green = scanned), and I want to test out the Light beam more this time.

Anyone else got this?

[TheShend]

Ugh, no fair!

Sounds like good fun? Speaking of which, whats the music like and SFX? Is it still as brill as Prime's. The demo vid over at gametrailers.com hinted at some truly nice atmospheric music.

There are also a number of new details on Samus including a better beam-attack-charge (when you hold A)

I loved how the world warped around the shot once it fired. Really nice effect. Is there still a nice overheat ripple effect off the gun nozzle after some strenuous action?

I can't wait for this, i'm getting all excited again. ^^.

[Adam Stone]

The music? aww? yep. The demo teasers that there will be more atmospheric, haunting and at times soothing music as found in Prime. Most of the tunes in the demo are the same or remixes of Prime?s but still a delight nonetheless. The menu music is different though, sounds pleasantly familiar, but yet different. If ya get me. *am currently listening to it now*

The only tune i wasnt too sure about was the new, remixed Pirate (oh, must add... the new design of these guys is 100% better) encounter track. Seemed a little too "gotta alter for the sake of it" to me. Still, only a slight complaint

The brief encounter with Dark Samus features some very nice music too

Sound effects seem fairly much the same, just with the odd bit of polish here and there, which is no doubt expected.

I know what you mean about the ?world warping? effect dude. Impressively Prime 2 takes these sorts of effects much further. That effect, for example, is improved with some sort of boiling appearing on the weapon and some pretty cool glowing effects, also a trial of multi coloured light follows the blast. The Dark Beam still impresses the most tho

The warp portal which transports you to the Dark world is pretty damn cool. Samus splits apart into hundreds of atoms and morphs into the warp. Looks a little like when Mario was sucked into the worlds in Sunshine.

Im getting all excited again typing about it. heh. But the potential revealed from this demo has definitely increased my excitement enormously. Roll on November!

edit: Oh? something else I noticed which made me smile (there were many of these moments but this one even more so) was a truly minute detail that disappointed me slightly in Prime...

If you keep Samus motionless for a few moments she performs a number of different animations ranging from simply moving here head side to side, placing her hands in front of her and clenching

The animation im talking about tho is when she presses buttons on her arm cannon. Tho this had the potential to be the most striking in Prime, it annoyed me because the buttons that appeared were completely out of place and look somewhat? pants (bright red, yellow buttons) Now though? this has changed! A small detail I know, but it shows that I mustn?t have been the only person who thought it

[Tychom]

Mine arrived on friday, Adam has pretty much covered everything. The dark world seems very interesting from the little shown in the demo, just keeping alive by lighting the beacons keeps you on your toes.

When you switch into the morph ball those moths you first come across after wasting the guys who teleport in will get attracted to your glow and follow you around, a great way to waste 5 minutes of your life