Introduction:

Whether you are into the Metroid series or not, this is definitely a game worth buying. A first person shooter with the elements of an adventure thrown in makes this great for many gamers. If you thought the game was going to be great when you played the demo then the finished product will blow your mind.


Story:

An ancient race became extinct long ago. Now Samus Aran and six other bounty hunters all race to the planetary system to collect the treasure left behind (Octoliths) which will unlock the secrets of this race and give them the Ultimate Power.

Gameplay:

The gameplay is excellent. There is 4 different control types to choose from. One uses the touch screen to look around, the other uses buttons. The other 2 are the same, just reversed for left handed players. The sensitivity can be adjusted to your liking too. Aiming and moving is easy. The only problem is jumping between small platforms. Because it is at a first person point-of-view you cannot see if your feet are going to land on the platform. Aside from this, it is great for any gamer. The missions are a good length too, which isn't always good on a portable because many people will use five minutes of free time to play, but this is solved by portals at certain checkpoints that bring you back to the save point. The only disappointment was the fact that all 8 bosses (not including the final boss) were just the same 2 enemies with more movement and weapons too make it more difficult.

I give the gameplay: 9/10

Graphics:

These are by far the best graphics I have seen on the DS so far, there is a ton of detail. They even added a shiny, glossy texture to the Morph Ball. Everything doesn't look polygonal like games on the N64.

I give the graphics: 10/10

Sound:

The sound in this game is great. When you enter a room where you get into a fight with something the music will change dramatically from a calm state to a much faster paced one. The sound effects go very well with the game.

I give the sound: 8/10

Replayability:

This game is not as long as a console game, but for a portable, is really long. So if you finish, you probably won't remember everything in the game, which makes it great to replay. There is also wifi and multiplayer which adds to how much you want to play. The adventure also has an enemy list and an object list that you must fill by scanning things. This can give an extra thing to do for people who like to see 100% complete on their game file.

I give the replayability: 9/10

Challenge:

This game is really challenging. It combines the smarts you need to solve puzzles with aiming and shooting skills. There are levels that become complex mazes and levels that give you little time to do anything but run and shoot.

I give the challenge: 8.5/10

Frustration:

At times the game can be frustrating. You can't see if your feet are going to land on small platforms, and sometimes you will walk into a room that is filled with so many enemies that respawn you are in utter confusion. Some of the mazes that you get stuck in can be extremely aggravating if you need to go back and save your game. Also, if you get in a guardian battle in a room, then accidentally exit the wrong door, you will have to fight again to get back through.

I give the frustration: 7/10

Value:

This game is one of the best portable adventure games yet. It is worth more than the price. You'll get hours of fun just from multiplayer alone.

I give the value: 10/10

Wifi

The wifi feature is done much better than Mario Kart DS. The graphics and frame rate don't change much on wifi. You can ask people you play against to be a rival, if they agree, they will be just like a friend except you can't use the chat features. On friends and rivals mode you can choose different types of games, including survival and capture the flag. You can chat with friends using the touch screen or talk to them using the microphone. Sometimes it is hard to understand people though.

I give the wifi: 9.5/10

Overall:

This is a great adventure/first person shooter game and can appeal to fans of both. It is far greater than I expected it to be when I first heard about it.

I give Metroid Prime Hunters: 9/10

Conclusion:

Don't let the demo be the deciding factor in buying this game. The graphics have improved greatly since they made that and it only scratches the surface of what you can do in the full version. I highly recommend this game to anybody.

Written By: Mr. X
Date Submitted: April 30th, 2006

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