Leah rented the third Metroid game last night. We didn't get around to playing it though, because we both felt really crappy. Not sure what was going on, but we both woke up feeling better this morning. So, while I made blue berry muffins Leah fired up her Wii and started playing. Now before I go any further, I have to admit that I never did get into the "Prime" games on the Gamecube. Sure, they seemed well made...but from a graphical and control aspect they seemed a little poor. Then there is the HALO factor. I like HALO (a lot). The Prime games were always compared to HALO, however this is pretty unfair. Sure, both are first-person games, but HALO is a shooter. Plain and simple. The Prime games continued the proud Metroid tradition of adventure/exploration above wave after wave of baddies.
I like wave after wave of baddies more I guess, because I found the Prime games boring. What with their "scan-every-item-you-see" game play mechanic, and rather flaccid story telling. Then there was the control. Metroid Prime 2: Echos came with a (really crappy) multi-player...and Leah kicked my ass a lot because I could never get the one joy-stick control scheme down (sorry, after using two analogy sticks for the past 7 years I can't go back to Nintendo 64 style controls).
Anyway, I watched Leah play Corruption, and it looked damn cool. For one thing, Nintendo has FINALLY decided to use voice-overs instead of making you READ everything. This shocked me, even the latest Zelda had to be read...Then there are the graphics, which, while not as good as say GEARS OF WAR--are the finest on the Wii to date. The lighting effects are amazing, and the art style/art work is incredible and helps mask/make up for the Wii's graphical handicap. But the big story, is of course the controls. You use the nunchuk and Wii-mote. The nunchuk stick moves Samus, while the Wii-mote is used to look/aim. Like when the new Zelda game came out, I was dying to try the controls out. So, when Leah came to a slow part in the game I asked her if I could run around. I wasn't wowed initially. Then I started my own save file (after I took her to work). You really don't appreciate how good these controls are until you get yourself into a fire-fight. The Wii-mote is 1000 more accurate than any console control device being used in first-person shooters.
I noticed that Leah was having a bit of trouble aiming, but I(being a more advanced gamer) had zero problems jumping right into the fray. So far I'm only 5% into the game, but I've already had some AMAZING boss fights. One in particular struck me as awesome. I was in a room that resembled something out of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK's Cloud City. I was trying to switch on a large power generator, when a HUGE leathery bird-beast came out of the ceiling and attacked me. We both ended up falling down a long (really long) metal chute. The boss fight occurs AS YOU ARE FALLING. That's right! As you are both in free fall you have to fight this ferocious beast. It's snapping at you, firing a weird laser out it's mouth. Sometimes it grabs you in one of it's claws and you have to break free. A few times it tried to grab the sides of the tunnel to slow it's fall--when I shot it's hands it shrieked and let go, tumbling head over feet. This fight, and this fight alone impressed me more than anything. In fact, it's the best "gaming moment" I've had all year. Why, oh why can't more developers take a page out of Nintendo's play book? Games should be easy to get into and have fantastic/dramatic moments EARLY and OFTEN. Metroid Prime 3 does this over and over.
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