Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Immersive"

The Metroid series is an entity all its own. At the time of the original game's release on the Nintendo console more than two decades ago, it was an experience that wasn't quite like anything else. The fusion of exploration and action platforming was a new concept; foreign to impressionable gamers who were used to the linearity of most other titles. Yet, the game that bucked a trend found itself on the receiving end of an innovative facelift with the Metroid Prime Trilogy-giving the storied franchise a first-person shooter makeover. It caused a bit of an uproar among its dedicated fan base, but all in all, this unorthodox marriage of two completely different game genres eventually caught on and the games were enormous financial successes. Now, all three games; Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2 Echoes and Metroid Prime 3 Corruption can be fully enjoyed in all their intergalactic glory on one disc. Metroid Prime Trilogy gives you the complete Metroid Prime experience; made all the more better with the inclusion of some neat new features and bonuses that extend across the entire three-game catalog.

The Trilogy chronicles the adventures of Samus Aran---bounty hunter extraordinaire---and her dealings with a highly-corruptible, omniscient, mysterious entity known as Phazon. It is quite the engaging story as it primarily focuses on Samus' origins, her battles against enemies old and new, and an insidious dark element that binds her from within---giving her abilities and powers beyond even her own understanding. She hardly says a word, but you'll be one with her struggles as the unprecedented first-person view has you literally seeing the galaxy through her highly-sophisticated helmet visor. It was a great change from the traditional formula, but in many respects, it works extremely well. And, incredible as it is for one Wii disc to hold three complete Metroid Prime games in all their entirety, you get a pretty sizeable bang for your buck. What's even more enticing is the fact that both the original Prime and Echoes have undergone an impressive widescreen treatment in addition to full support of the Wii Remote and Nunchuck; essentially sharing the same control scheme as Corruption. Also, the difficulty in Echoes has been toned down a tad, making it more manageable and easier to bear this time around. These features breathe new life in a familiar experience and, for the most part, it all meshes together earnestly. Anybody that has had issues with targeting enemies in the GameCube games should have no such problems just simply pointing the remote and going trigger-happy (within reason, of course, despite having unlimited ammunition), and there is even a lock-on button for easier precision shooting against erratically moving targets. Sometimes, the Wii Remote can become a bit of a problem when you need to turn corners or navigate tricky platforming situations, but it's far from game-breaking. Those accustomed to Corruption's controls will feel right at home with the remastered GameCube counterparts. Trilogy also incorporates the Medal award system (first introduced in Corruption) for both Prime and Echoes, meaning if you've played the latter games capriciously and earned everything there is to earn, you can do so all over again and get Medals to spend on everything from conceptual artwork, music, and some neat ingame bonuses for all three games. The multiplayer mode in Echoes has also made the transition, but unfortunately, it is for that game only and there is no option to play over Nintendo Wi-Fi. To its credit, local split screen handles fairly well, but four players using the Wii Remote for intense sessions might prove difficult seeing how its framework is designed to cater towards the GameCube control scheme (which, unfortunately, cannot be used here).

Graphically, all three games look quite nice. Compared to Corruption (a game built entirely around the capabilities of the Wii hardware) Prime and Echoes hold their own despite some unfortunate blemishes like the loss of some graphical effects, but the inclusion of bloom lighting (an impressive 'glowing effect' used in many computer games) is an added visual plus. Shorter load times streamline the experience further, keeping the action consistent. And the environments themselves have never looked more immersive.

Apart from everything else, all of the games in the Trilogy are as you remember, but technically speaking, they're a fresh new experience. Anyone reading this who just happens to be a fan of the Prime games have absolutely no excuse not to own this priceless collection of three great Metroid games that not only redefined a beloved franchise, but also video games in general. Because Nintendo has ceased production of new copies, it has now been elevated to 'collector's item' status, so if you're a fan on the fence, get off it and find this game while you still can. For everyone else, this is a wonderful opportunity to catch up on the Prime story arc and immerse yourself in three of the finest games ever crafted on this or any console.