The successful Metroid Prime series has hit the Nintendo DS after delays and the addition of an online mode. Ok, so the reviews a little late, but the question still begs to be answered, how does it stack up to its excellent predecessors on the Gamecube?
[u]Prime Goes Portable[/u] This is the third game in the Metroid Prime series, but however is a slight spin off from Metroid Prime 1 and 2. The “Hunters” part of the name originates from the other 6 bounty hunters that Samus Aran meets on her travels. Firstly, one main thing you notice about this handheld rendition of Metroid is the downgrade in graphics compared to the Gamecube versions of the game. That’s not to say that the graphics are poor however, they are extremely impressive for the Nintendo DS and it has a very similar graphics style to the Metroid Prime games on the Gamecube. You notice the impressive graphics as soon as you turn the game on and you are treated to a movie introducing all the different hunters. The main “flaw” with the visuals is the blocky textures when up close to some objects and scenery, but this isn’t too much of a problem and doesn’t upset the gameplay.   There is an obvious graphical difference, but still, Hunters is impressive for the DS [u]Confusing Controls? [/u] On the DS demo of Metroid Prime “First Hunt”, there were 5 control methods to choose from, 4 of these made it into the actual game. These are “Duel Hand Mode” where you use both hands on the buttons to control Samus, and there is “Stylus Mode” where using the Stylus on the touch screen is used to make Samus look, in a similar fashion to a Keyboard and Mouse set up. Both modes come in a slight variation for Left Handed Players. Both control modes work, but neither particularly well which is unfortunate. The Duel Hand Mode feels clumsy and isn’t as smooth as you would like it to be, Stylus Mode is better, but even when using the DS lite, it can cause fatigue on your hands after playing the game for a short while. This is a shame for a game which I feel I can’t play for extended periods of time because of the controls - but being optimistic - they DO work and the Stylus Mode is fluid and accurate, while you can hold out. [u]Single Player[/u] The single player mode is another area that feels slightly rushed. Excuse me for comparing it to the Gamecube games, but in comparison, the levels seem fed-ex like, they don’t have enough variation and the enemies don’t always seem as epic as you would like them to be. Much of the single player involves finding the other hunters and killing them, before progressing through the semi-linear levels. Now, although im picking on all the poorer points, I’m not trying to say that the single player mode is bad. It’s a fun, and challenging, but strictly while it lasts as it is nowhere near as long as the single player on either of the Gamecube versions.   [u]Multiplayer Modes[/u] Let’s move onto the part of the game where you are really going to spend most of your time, the Multiplayer mode. You can play single cart link up mode with up to four players and only one of you needs to have a copy of the game. It doesn’t limit levels that you can choose from but however, the players without the game can only play as Samus herself, whereas if you have a copy of the game, you can play as any hunter that you have unlocked playing the single player mode, out of 7 possible hunters. The significance of this is that every single hunter has its own special weapons, unique interface and alternate form which make the multiplayer modes a real treat to play and discuss tactics, which characters are better for what level or modes and so on. Straight away you can tell they have really focused on making each hunter unique and mostly all balanced; and it works very well, easily making the multiplayer the most in depth part of the game. There are loads of different levels to choose from, as well as 7 different modes of game to choose from. These are: • Battle: A standard free-for-all which pitches all four hunters against each other. • Survival: A melee where each hunter has a set amount of lives, last one standing wins. • Bounty: Fight for possession of the octolith and then deliver it to the drop point. • Defender: King of the Hill style game, where possessing an area increases points. • Prime Hunter: Gain the coveted enhanced powers of the prime hunter and keep them for the longest amount of time to win. • Capture: Capture the flag style game in teams. • Nodes: Find and secure the node rings and earn points while they are under your control. All game modes offer quite a bit of variation and different enough to feel unique and offer different challenges and tactics.   Alternate forms like Samus's morph ball are more evident in Hunters. [u]Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection[/u] This is the reason that Hunters was delayed for, the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection mode, but was it worth the delay? When you go onto the Wi-Fi mode you are presented with two main options, Find Game or Friends and Rivals Mode. The Find Game mode works in a similar way to the Mario Kart DS “auto match up mode” which we all know and love… It randomly picks three more opponents from your area or worldwide and you can choose to play against people of similar rank or any rank. You all pick your characters and then you vote for a level between you, one with the most votes wins or if it’s a tie, a random choice from your choices. It works well and once you have found all your opponents, its fast and easy, lag free in my experience and extremely fun to play. The main disadvantage of this mode however is that you can only play the standard battle mode when picking random opponents. When you choose the Friends and Rivals mode, you can only play against people who you have added in friends, but if you have enough mates, or rivals as it may be, then this mode is far superior. To add a friend, exchange your friend code with them, to add a rival, at the aftermath of a game, when it shows the results screen, it will give you the option to add each player as a rival. If they agree then they will be added to your friend list and you will be added to theirs. Simple. In this mode, you can create a game or join a game in a lobby style system. You can also chat to people using a touch screen keyboard and you can use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) to chat to other player while the game is being set up. However you cannot chat while the game is in progress, it shows Nintendo is experimenting with voice chat and it works well although it’s simple. In this mode, all of the different game types are available to play and it’s the most in depth and feature packed online mode on the DS yet, although it still only allows four players at a time. There is also a Rival Radar which is similar to the Bark Mode on Nintendogs. If you put your DS on the rival radar and then close it and go to town or wherever, hope someone else has had the same idea and when someone else walks past you who also has their DS on rival radar, they will automatically be added to your rival list and you can play against them next time you are both online. While a novel idea, whether this will get much use is debatable unless you live in a very big city and leave it on all the time. [u]Closing Comment and Rating[/u] Metroid Prime Hunters may not be the AAA title that it was hyped to be, but is very enjoyable from start to end, the Wi-Fi mode is always excellent fun and single/multi cart multiplayer can be a blast with friends. Shows that the FPS genre can work on the DS, but still needs a little fine tuning before it becomes a must have title. Visuals/Graphics – 9/10 – Easily some of the best graphics I have seen on the DS. Fully 3D environments, crisp animations and a consistent frame rate throughout. Sound – 8/10 – Nice music and sound effects. Nothing overly special but impressive for the DS, enjoyable and atmospheric. Mastery – 7/10 – Clever use of the touch screen and D-Pad to replicate a “Mouse and Keyboard” style set up, but tiresome on the hands if playing for extended periods of time. Lifespan – 7/10 – You’ll come back to play the Wi-Fi modes if nothing else, shame that the one player is a little short however. Overall Score - 8.5/10 |
