E3 Preview: Metroid Prime 3

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Rondus: No scan info.


Comments: We only see him during cutscenes, but he can ride a trail of ice, shoot ice to freeze enemies, and he's incredibly cool. We don't know what's up with him, but he's definitely very eager to help Samus.

Shield Pirate Trooper: Battle shield is indestructible. Take it away to expose unit to fire.

Comments: These were, by far, the most satisfying enemies to kill because when they died you felt like you completely obliterated their sense of confidence before the end came.

Space Pirate A.T.C.: Well-armored transport. Forward vent is vulnerable.


Comments: I don't recall Samus ever battling an actual ship on her own before, so I thought this enemy was pretty interesting. Of course, it's just a transport and Samus can only handle one (when more show up Rondus shows up to help her out), but it's a cool fight nonetheless and shows how desperate the space pirates are getting.


Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was one of the most impressive games I played on the show floor this year. I'm a big fan of games that use the first-person perspective and I was pleased immensely with how well Metroid implemented the Wii Remote's functionality to create a better first-person experience. As I played, I felt far more immersed into the franchise than ever before. I felt like I was in the power suit, using it to its fullest, and I believe that's what Retro had hoped to accomplish.

Of course, the demo also left me with many questions. For one, why were some of these control decisions made? A (the button on top of the Wii Remote) is used to fire Samus' beam weapon instead of the B trigger, which makes Samus jump. It's not something I can't get used to, but it still seems an odd decision. Furthermore, using down on the d-pad as the missile launcher works, but does not feel too great. However, given that there wasn't really another button for Retro to use for it when designing the game I'm inclined to forgive them. It does, however, make me wonder if turning the remote on its side would be a better means to initiate missile launcher mode, much like how turning the remote on its side in Red Steel allows you to hold a weapon "gangsta' style."


There's another d-pad-related concern, however. If missiles are reserved for the down button on the d-pad then that leaves only three other d-pad directions to use for the visors. Given that there are four visors I'm wondering exactly how things are going to work when it comes to selecting them. Perhaps the command visor (which is used to control Samus' ship) is only used at specific times in the game? I would find this to be disappointing if so, but this is all speculation on my part and shouldn't even be a fear for anyone anticipating the game as Retro is a very competent developer and will no doubt find a solution to these issues.

All in all, the game feels incredibly polished for an incomplete product. The morph ball sequences are just as fun as they were on the GameCube, and the environments feel more detailed to me (though relatively the same size based on the demo). The morph ball puzzle featured in the demo was incredibly long and awesome, though still comprised mainly of mechanics introduced in the previous Primes. With all the new features being added on top of what feels like an excellent Metroid sequel, you can definitely say that I'm picking this one up on launch day. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption will be an event to remember, no doubt about that.