In 2002, after an eight year absence from the gaming scene, bounty hunter Samus Aran returned to a Nintendo home console gloriously with a game that is already considered one of the best ever, Metroid Prime. With Metroid Prime, rookie developer Retro Studios shocked Nintendo fans. No one believed that anyone other than the dead Gunpei Yokoi and his Metroid team at Intelligent Systems could faithfully bring Metroid into the third dimension, but along with the help of master game designer Shigeru Miyamoto Retro Studios accomplished what was once thought to be impossible. Metroid had been brought into 3D, and in game played with a first person perspective nonetheless.
Now, two years later, Retro Studios plans to shock Metroid fans and GameCube owners alike for a second time with a sequel to their blockbuster franchise title, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
Plot
Details about Echoes’ plot are pretty scarce. However, I tried my best to round up all the pieces of info that I could. And what I’ve discovered is that the Space Pirates have discovered that the planet Aether is a source of an incredible amount of Phazon energy and decided to invade and mine the planet for it. However, according to Nintendo and Retro Studios, the Space Pirates won’t play the same significant role that they had in the original Metroid Prime. No, the real conflict in Echoes revolves around Aether’s split into Light and Dark worlds; two worlds as one; two races at war. Aside from this, not much else is known other than the fact that during the game Samus is being hunted by a Phazon-created Dark Samus, just like in the Game Boy Advance’s Metroid Fusion.
Light and Dark Beams
In Metroid Prime 2, Samus is equipped with Light and Dark beams, weapons that will play an important role within the game. The beams themselves are limited to ammo, unlike all the non-missile beams in Metroid Prime, and they will be used to kill enemies of the opposite of color, similar to the blasters in Treasure’s Ikaruga for the GameCube. The beams will also feature different effects, when charged, on enemies, where the Light Beam produces a shotgun-like effect, and where the Dark Beam fires a type of liquid that freezes objects and enemies. In addition, the Light beam will cause things to grow, whereas the Dark will cause things to wither, thus making these beams a key tool in order to solve the game’s puzzles.
The Addition of Multiplayer
I once believed that the words “Metroid” and “multiplayer” were two words that should never coexist. Actually, I still believe that statement of mine, yet Retro Studios opted to include a multiplayer aspect in Echoes, and seeing how their single player effort has been proven to be more than worthy with the first game, I’m sure they’ll pump out something entertaining for MP2’s multiplayer aspect as well.
In the game’s multiplayer, the lock-on control scheme stays intact. No, Retro hasn’t ditched in support of a more favorable and traditional dual-analog first person shooter control scheme. When once asked why they haven’t changed it, Metroid designer Kensuke Tanabe replied with this following statement: “Because this is Metroid.” Anyway, players will have to lock onto opposing combatants to cause damage. However, if this locked-on target goes into Morph Ball form, the lock-on breaks and players will have to hold onto the R Trigger to manually aim at their opponent.
Speaking of the Morph Ball, it plays a heavy role within the game’s multiplayer aspect. In addition to opening up new areas and paths, the Morph Ball can be used as a weapon when using its Boost Ball technique, which charges up Samus in ball form, allowing her to speed up and spin up ramps (as seen in the original Metroid Prime). In addition to this Boost Ball attack, a pick-up will be available during multiplayer called Death Ball. Its function is unknown at the current time.
The Scanning Visor will also have a new function during multiplayer. When picking up the Hacker power-up during multiplayer, scanning enemy opponents will upload a virus into their armor. Doing so will have an effect on your opponent’s health, cause certain beams to become dysfunctional, and produce other effects of this nature. This element is expected to add plenty of strategy to the game’s multiplayer.
Finally, I’ll mention that the Grappling Beam will also be very useful during 4-player multiplayer bouts. It will allow for players to swing across gaps, evading enemy fire. Unlike the original MP, players will also be able to shoot power beams while using the Grappling Beam.
With all the cool uses of the Metroid franchise’s infamous upgrades and maneuvers, I wouldn’t be surprised if Echoes features one of the most enjoyable and innovative multiplayer experiences around. It’s a shame that neither LAN play nor online multiplayer is included, but it’s not like anyone expected the latter anyway.
Hands-On Impressions
Despite being the videogame fanatic that I am, I wasn’t lucky enough to attend this year’s E3 in L.A. this past May. As a result, I missed out on playing many titles in which I anticipated greatly, my most anticipated being Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. So, when Nintendo announced that they would be shipping a Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Bonus Disc, I was thrilled. However, after finally playing this same demo featured at E3 in May, you could say that I’m a bit disappointed. First let me say this… I do not believe that any Metroid game can be done justice with a playable demo, especially one that can be completed in less than ten minutes. It’s just not happening. Every Metroid game is about exploration, venturing into the unknown and then familiarizing yourself with the game’s massive world, which results the admiration of the title’s flawless design. Unfortunately, this demo doesn’t accomplish any of this and definitely won’t help attract players who have yet to experience a Metroid game.
When I first got control of Samus, Miss Aran has crashed landed onto the planet Aether. After going through a handful of empty rooms, tunnels, and down an elevator shaft, I soon found myself in an open area featuring Space Pirate technology and flames scattered throughout the area. Then POW! Three Space Pirates drop in and attempt to give me some trouble. After putting these three baddies to waste, two more Space Pirates appear, and after I fried those two, another two show up. However, this time, these two man turret-like machines and begin to fire green blasts towards Samus. While these Space Pirates look more evil than those featured in the original Metroid Prime, they’re easily dispatched. For the Metroid veteran, not a single one of these baddies should pose a challenge. With the use of the game’s lock-on targeting, Charge Beam blasts and some missile shots, these Space Pirates are easily taken care of.
After making past this area I entered a small room with a locked blast door. In classic Metroid fashion, you’ll have to use Samus’ Morph Ball and Morph Ball Bomb abilities to find a way out of the room and into the next. After easily finding a place to crawl through underneath this room’s floor, going through an organic tunnel then brings Samus into what seems to be a Space Pirate facility. While attempting to navigate myself through a primitive maze of twists and turns, with electric barriers posing an almost trivial threat, I found a missile upgrade and also got to view, from the over-the-top third person perspective used while in ball form, a Space Pirate research team traveling into a purple-ish portal.
Before I forget to mention, everything done in this room, up to this moment, had been in Morph Ball form, underneath the floor, thus resulting in Samus presence not being detected. However, after eventually finding my way to the ground level I was once again assaulted by a handful of Space Pirates. I began to scan Space Pirate logs spread across the room, getting an idea as to why the Space Pirates have come to planet Aether, which is for Phazon, nonetheless. Then after activating a small platform, I traveled to this room’s upper level in which I was once again “surprised” by two more Space Pirates.
Once, they were taken care of, the locks on one of the blast doors faded away. Once through the door, I was treated to a cutscene which shows the first in-game appearance of Dark Samus, a being which the Space Pirate logs refer to as “Dark Hunter.” Unfortunately, no battle ensues. Instead Dark Samus runs off to who knows where, leaving me a bit anxious, so to speak. After passing this area and into another room overlooking the room with the purple-ish portal, scanning a control station in this room activated the portal’s operational systems. Then, when back in the room with the portal, I stepped towards it, and once again I was treated to another cutscene that shows Samus being brought into Aether’s Dark World, which, for some reason, had reminded me of the Sliders Sci-Fi TV series from a few years back.
After observing the surroundings in this Dark World I noticed that I was being protected by a dome-like structure. Outside of this dome, I saw the dead bodies of Space Pirates, and stepping out of this dome resulted in my loss of health. What did this all mean? It meant that the atmosphere of Aether’s Dark World is harmful to Samus. Looking around I saw that other dome-like structures could be found, so I ran towards them. Noticing that my health was being replenished while standing in this safe area, I saw a ball of light off in the distance. Shooting it with Samus’ blaster resulted in the creation of another dome, or safe area. Eventually, after going from dome to dome, I made my way into another room with more of these dome-like safe areas and eventually I ran into two inhabitants of planet Aether’s Dark World, Warrior Ing.
While firing Light Beam blasts from inside these safe areas, I noticed that after taking a few hits, these Warrior Ing would transform into a water-like substance, floating around the area, before re-appearing in their spider-like form. A few more shots with the Light Beam and they were finished for good. After this, a white portal opened up, and stepping into it resulted in the demo’s end.
Upon the completion of the demo I was left wanting so much more. Too little of the game was shown to truly get me hyped as the eight year wait for Metroid Prime did. Well, of course that type of hype doesn’t happen every day, but Retro Studios and Nintendo seriously could’ve done a better job, I’m sure of it. All I’m asking is for a boss battle of sorts, or perhaps a run in with Dark Samus. Well, I’m sure that just like Metroid Prime’s original E3 demo, this part of the game is indeed the beginning of Echoes.
The Return of Classic Upgrades, Manuevers, and A Few New Ones
In Metroid Prime 2 the fan-favorite Screw Attack maneuver returns. The Screw Attack allows players to thrust Samus towards enemies and destroy them, seeing that, when the Screw Attack upgrade is equipped, Samus basically becomes a flying lightning bolt. From what can also be seen from video footage found in the playable demo is that Samus’ original Space Jump function also returns, which is essentially an ability that allows Samus to practically fly, scaling to unimaginable and jumping the furthest of distances. To my knowledge, both the Screw Attack and Space Jump are performed in the third-person perspective. Additionally, we’ve seen that a Morph Ball Cannon is found in the game, which allows Samus to be shot far distances when entering the mechanism in Morph Ball form.
Visual Upgrades and the Return of a Killer Soundtrack
What comes to me as disappointment is Echoes visual appearance. Don’t get me wrong, the game looks stunning. The textures are beautiful. Samus’ character model looks better than ever. And the game’s usage of particle effects is commendable. However, I do not feel as Retro Studios has made a large enough jump. The game looks all too similar to the original Metroid Prime. Yes, the original is still a beautiful game, but compared to upcoming games like GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, Resident Evil 4, and the jaw dropping Halo 2, Echoes isn’t as stunning as the hardcore GameCube fan would like. But then again, here’s hoping that when the title is released, its gameplay will overshadow all else.
Now, the soundtrack to the original Metroid Prime was the only part of the game created in Japan. If you ask me, the original game has one of the greatest soundtracks in gaming history. It’s moody, intense, and soothing. It’s almost magical in a sense, with everything fitting each of the game’s areas flawlessly. From listening to Echoes’ title track and in-game themes I can say that not only is it more of the same Metroid auditory goodness, but it may in fact be better.
Future Outlook
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is the sequel to one of the greatest games of our time, in what has to be one of the greatest game series of all time. What more is needed to be said? Okay, perhaps what needs to be said is that Echoes promises to be better than its predecessor in every way imaginable. If Retro Studios succeeds in doing so, I can’t see anything denying this game’s greatness.
See You Next Mission.
