Gamers Evolved

When Metroid Prime first came out on Nintendo people became big fans and saw just how great Nintendo revolutionized playing in the sci-fi realm. Now Metroid Prime 3 has arrived and we are expecting nothing short of praise from this acclaimed game.

The Galactic Federation’s Base Sector Zero is under attack by Space Pirates. Samus must boot up the generator to restore the defense systems. But at the end of her path, someone awful is waiting for her. The war initiated by Dark Samus and the Space Pirates rages across many planets as they attempt to corrupt each with Phazon seeds.

Players use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to explore alien landscapes, hunt for weapons and information, and destroy the seeds. Saving the planets from Corruption isn’t enough, though. Eventually, players must take down Samus’ mortal enemy, Dark Samus. Besides using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers to pull off amazing feats like aiming and blasting in midair or at a full run, players also will have an array of different weapons at their disposal.

Retro Studios have implemented the Wii’s motion controls into the game and delivered the kind of first-person shooter experience on a console that can actually rival the accuracy of a mouse and keyboard for PC games. But as superb as the can’t-miss gameplay is, and it is superb, let there be no doubt, it sadly exposes shortcomings throughout Corruption and can’t quite cover up an extremely derivative story, occasionally weak visuals, and some stale level design. That doesn’t make Corruption a bad game; in fact, it’s one of the strongest titles yet for the Wii. But at the same time, Corruption does little different that the previous two Metroid Prime titles besides its fantastic control scheme. It’s the kind of game that you’ll enjoy while you’re playing but wonder, once it’s finished, why it couldn’t have fulfilled all of its potential.

Corruption’s use of the Wii Remote and Nunchuck is as good, if not better, than Resident Evil 4. The targeting is smooth and precise; the designers wisely chose the Wii Remote’s A button for firing Samus’ canon rather than the B trigger button underneath the controller (which controls jumps). The A button is easier to use than the B button because you’re using your thumb instead of the index finger and can hold the Wii more steadily. In this regard, Corruption outdoes Resident Evil 4. Another great addition is the Grapple ability, which players control using the Wii Nunchuk. Samus’ grapple lasso comes in handy in a number of situations, from interacting with different types of machinery to swinging across chasms and disarming Space Pirates.

One of the gameplay additions that people enjoyed the most was Samus’ new Command Visor, which allows players to control her gunship and select targets for remote bombing runs. But perhaps the most important additions are the Hypermode and Phazon meter. Samus is outfitted with a Phazon Enhancement Device (PED) that gives players the option to enter Hypermode for a limited time to access enhanced firepower and abilities. All in all it is one of the best games that Wii has released.