Sign up for the FREE Tell Membership and receive benefits that include the digital edition of Tell Magazine sent straight to your inbox, product giveaways, coupons and much more!
Sign up for the FREE Tell Membership and receive benefits that include the digital edition of Tell Magazine sent straight to your inbox, product giveaways, coupons and much more!
From the Trauma Center operating table to the depths of space we continue our quest for Wii franchises that’ll launch new gamers into the so-called realm of hardcore.
Here’s another series I got into very late in the game but, as you’ll read below, my ignorance of its awesomeness may have been a good thing.
Metroid is one of those rare games that has grown comfortably with the times. Originally a 2D side-scrolling action/shooter, the latest games have been outstanding entries in the 3D first-person shooter genre. Although I’d played some Metroid Prime on the Game Cube, I didn’t get into it as much as I should have. It wasn’t until a coworker let me borrow Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii that I came to appreciate the majesty that is Metroid. We’ll say it was the WiiMote. Since switching to 3D, the games have always been hampered by somewhat cumbersome controls. Freed from this limitation by the WiiMote/Nunchuck combo, Metroid suddenly performed the way its protagonist—bounty hunter Samus Aran—is portrayed: quick, fluid, and natural.
The Metroid games mainly consist of exploration, puzzle solving and fighting. The balance is fair but be prepared for plenty of backtracking. From the beginning, you’ll be presented with places you can’t yet go until you’ve unlocked another feature of your suit. I often spent 5 to 10 minutes trying to reach a certain area, only to later learn I just didn’t have the capability yet. So, it’s all the way back there with my new capabilities to find that what was hidden there really wasn’t worth the trip. But, who cares? Just about every other element of the Metroid games is fantastic. Level design, graphics, puzzles, boss battles…oh, the boss battles. Be prepared for some doozies. The intensity and variety will have your adrenaline pumping, and although they’re quite difficult, they’re not insurmountable.
Is it hardcore?
It’s as hardcore as you’re going to get on the Wii. The puzzles and the fighting will both present quite a challenge but it’s rare that you can’t get past them with a little thought and practice (and perhaps a walkthrough). There were a few boss battles that took me over half-a-dozen attempts to complete but, nearly every time, it was just a matter of figuring out what the game wanted me to do to win. Once I had that down, I could breeze past them. Usually. Metroid is very much a twitch game, so those making the leap from The Sims 3 or Boom Blox are in for quite a surprise. When you finally defeat the boss that’s been giving you trouble, or when you finally complete the game, you’ll get the sense of reward that keeps hardcore gamers coming back to titles such as this (and creates legions of dedicated fans).
How deep does it go?
Not very, but at least they’ve made it easy. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was the first for the Wii, while Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes were (and can still be found) for the Game Cube. No point in hunting them down, though. Next week, Nintendo will release Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Wii, which includes all three games in one package. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is what it is, while Prime and Prime 2: Echoes have both been upgraded to widescreen and will offer full support for the WiiMote and Nunchuck controls. You’re getting three of the best titles ever made for the Game Cube and Wii for only US$50. If you don’t want to risk $50 on three games you may not like, you can probably find Corruption much cheaper now on its own. Understand, though, that when you realize you love it, you’ll just be buying it again in the Trilogy package and your save games for the stand-alone Corruption won’t work with the Trilogy Corruption.
In addition to the Trilogy, Metroid: Other M will be coming to the Wii in 2010. If you’ve got a DS, you can also pick up Metroid Prime Hunters and Metroid Prime Pinball. The original DS and DS Lite, with the GBA slot, can accommodate a few Metroid GBA games, as well, which can usually be found at used video game resellers for around $10 each.
Next Up: Even if you’ve never played a single moment of it, you knew this next series was going to appear on this list. But at number two? Why?
Top Five Hardcore Wii Franchises:
Series Introduction
#5: Fire Emblem
#4: Trauma Center
#3: Metroid
#2: The Legend of Zelda
#1: Resident Evil
Read [Trauma Center] Read [Metroid]
Related Posts