Metroid Prime: Hunters Review
From LoveToKnow VideoGames
The first game many experienced on the DS was the pack-in title Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt. This short demo was essentially a training mission to let gamers get a feel for controlling characters with the stylus and touch screen. The demo promised a full game at some point, and the idea of another 3D Metroid title was enough to grab our attention. After a delay from the original fall of 2005 release, Nintendo re-worked the game to be compatible with its Wi-Fi connection, allowing for multiplayer battles against players from around the world. And thank Zeus they did, because it makes Metroid Prime: Hunters a must-have DS game.
The Overview
The storyline of Metroid Prime: Hunters puts Samus on a mission to a mysterious part of space known as the Alimbic system. Strange telepathic messages have been intercepted that suggest a powerful weapon is here. Samus is immediately dispatched to locate the weapon and secure it before it falls into sinister hands.
But shortly after she lands, Samus realizes there's trouble brewing. Bounty hunters from nearby worlds have also decoded the messages and are here gathering artifacts in an effort to unlock the secret weapon. Samus must hunt the hunters and travel across several different worlds to maintain order in the Alimbic system.
Two Games in One
Metroid Prime: Hunters is really two games in one: the single player adventure and multiplayer battles. The adventure mode is much like other Metroid titles that have Samus stranded on a world to battle enemies and seek out power-ups throughout the planet's environments. A key difference in Metroid Prime: Hunters is the sense of freedom brought on by the very non-linear storyline. Rather than hunt items on one planet, Samus must travel across several planets to find artifacts and hunt down her prey. The best part is you choose when to go to these planets, leading to an enormously open-ended experience.
Multiplayer in Metroid Prime: Hunters is simply astonishing. Using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection free online service, anyone with a DS and wireless internet access can battle other players around the world. Choose any of the six bounty hunters and fight in true first person shooter style in over 20 different maps! The intensity and adrenaline felt in this game is unmatched on the DS and a perfect complement to the solo adventure.
Graphics, Controls and More
The graphics in Metroid Prime: Hunters are mind blowing. Nintendo really spent some time polishing this game to a refined finish. The environments are well-rendered and surprisingly detailed for the DS. Samus and the bounty hunters have detailed animations, and small touches like glowing eyes or shining armor make them leap into reality.
The issue of controlling a 3D game with a stylus and face buttons isn't one to be ignored. There are four different control styles available: a touch screen mode and a face-buttons-only mode, one each for lefties and righties. Despite the control options there is still a fairly steep learning curve before you get really comfortable with moving in a 3D world. Once you do, however, it's like second nature.
Yummy
In the end, Metroid Prime: Hunters is a big game stuffed into a small package. Master it on your own, then take your bounty hunting skills on Nintendo's Wi-Fi service to prove them to the world. It's enough action and suspense for Metroid fans and newbies alike.
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