The first-person action of the “Metroid Prime” series fits within the motion-sensitive control scheme of Nintendo's Wii system more snugly than Samus Aran squeezes into a tunnel in morph ball form.
In “Metroid Prime 3: Corruption,” players must point the Wiimote at the screen to target enemies and finish them off by frenetically pressing the ‘A' button. This arcade-like control is the crux of “Corruption's” game play, and it couldn't be stronger.
Players can acquaint themselves with the game's point-and-shoot system during its introductory level, in which Samus boards a Galactic Federation cruiser only to learn that the Space Pirates are at it once more. Led by Samus' doppleganger, Dark Samus, they are infecting the Federation's organic super computers with a virus and attacking planets with the glowing blue poison Phazon. Samus must work with three other bounty hunters to stop the Pirates, but not before she is corrupted by Phazon herself.
The substance empowers Samus with beam shots that can eliminate enemies with greater ease than her standard arm cannon. Players can choose when to tap this power by entering a state called “Hyper Mode,” but the cost is half a tank of energy and lingering in Hyper Mode past its limit can kill Samus.
Her mission in “Corruption” consists of the same skillful mixture of firefights and tight maneuvering that made “Metroid Prime” such a success. Samus' encounter with the armored dragon Meta Ridley encapsulates this mix.
The evil Space Pirate enforcer traps Samus with its talons as she navigates an elaborate network of tunnels in morph ball form. The ensuing fight requires precise dodging of the dragon's fiery breath and well-timed bomb-laying near its beak in order to break out of the small tunnel section.
After evading Meta Ridley in morph ball form, an upright Samus and the fearsome Meta Ridley continue to fight in free-fall down a steep chasm. While dodging debris with the nunchuk analog stick, the player must point their beam shots at Ridley's mouth and charged claws to defeat the dragon.
The nunchuk stick guides Samus back and forth and allows her to strafe while working through the game, but the Wiimote must be turned from side to side to twist her around on an axis or tilt her up and down.
Learning to integrate the two control inputs may be a challenge, but most players should master this scheme by the time the heavy action starts.
The nunchuk can also be waved forward to grab hold of a grapple point on the ceiling, wreckage blocking Samus' path or an enemy's shield.
By pulling the controller back in a swift motion, Samus can remove that wreckage and rip away those shields.
Players must also pull, twist and push the Wiimote to operate devices and point and press it to dial numeric keypads. For the first time in the “Metroid” series, they can also sit in the cockpit of Samus' ship and engage thrusters or speak on the radio with a point of the Wiimote.
The new control scheme works wonderfully in service of the same upgrade-seeking and nonlinear play as previous “Metroid” games.
Samus must acquire missile-launching, grappling and other abilities in order to open up new areas of her environments to exploration.
The marvelous graphics of prior “Prime” installments on the GameCube get an upgrade on the more powerful Wii. Each of Samus' three fellow bounty hunters dazzles the eye, particularly the translucent purple-skinned shapeshifter Gandrayda and the rocky blue Rundas.
And although it is the source of the “Corruption,” the luminescent blue Phazon is a lovely substance to look at.
Staff writer David Wilcox reviews video games for The Citizen. He can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
“Metroid Prime 3:
Corruption”
Score: 98 out of 100
Parental rating: Teen for animated blood and violence
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Features: 1 player
Life span: Twenty hours
The final boss: “Corruption” revolutionizes the first-person shooter with controls that pull the player into the remarkable action now standard for the “Metroid Prime” series.
Players can acquaint themselves with the game's point-and-shoot system during its introductory level, in which Samus boards a Galactic Federation cruiser only to learn that the Space Pirates are at it once more. Led by Samus' doppleganger, Dark Samus, they are infecting the Federation's organic super computers with a virus and attacking planets with the glowing blue poison Phazon. Samus must work with three other bounty hunters to stop the Pirates, but not before she is corrupted by Phazon herself.
The substance empowers Samus with beam shots that can eliminate enemies with greater ease than her standard arm cannon. Players can choose when to tap this power by entering a state called “Hyper Mode,” but the cost is half a tank of energy and lingering in Hyper Mode past its limit can kill Samus.
Her mission in “Corruption” consists of the same skillful mixture of firefights and tight maneuvering that made “Metroid Prime” such a success. Samus' encounter with the armored dragon Meta Ridley encapsulates this mix.
The evil Space Pirate enforcer traps Samus with its talons as she navigates an elaborate network of tunnels in morph ball form. The ensuing fight requires precise dodging of the dragon's fiery breath and well-timed bomb-laying near its beak in order to break out of the small tunnel section.
After evading Meta Ridley in morph ball form, an upright Samus and the fearsome Meta Ridley continue to fight in free-fall down a steep chasm. While dodging debris with the nunchuk analog stick, the player must point their beam shots at Ridley's mouth and charged claws to defeat the dragon.
The nunchuk stick guides Samus back and forth and allows her to strafe while working through the game, but the Wiimote must be turned from side to side to twist her around on an axis or tilt her up and down.
Learning to integrate the two control inputs may be a challenge, but most players should master this scheme by the time the heavy action starts.
The nunchuk can also be waved forward to grab hold of a grapple point on the ceiling, wreckage blocking Samus' path or an enemy's shield.
By pulling the controller back in a swift motion, Samus can remove that wreckage and rip away those shields.
Players must also pull, twist and push the Wiimote to operate devices and point and press it to dial numeric keypads. For the first time in the “Metroid” series, they can also sit in the cockpit of Samus' ship and engage thrusters or speak on the radio with a point of the Wiimote.
The new control scheme works wonderfully in service of the same upgrade-seeking and nonlinear play as previous “Metroid” games.
Samus must acquire missile-launching, grappling and other abilities in order to open up new areas of her environments to exploration.
The marvelous graphics of prior “Prime” installments on the GameCube get an upgrade on the more powerful Wii. Each of Samus' three fellow bounty hunters dazzles the eye, particularly the translucent purple-skinned shapeshifter Gandrayda and the rocky blue Rundas.
And although it is the source of the “Corruption,” the luminescent blue Phazon is a lovely substance to look at.
Staff writer David Wilcox reviews video games for The Citizen. He can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
“Metroid Prime 3:
Corruption”
Score: 98 out of 100
Parental rating: Teen for animated blood and violence
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Features: 1 player
Life span: Twenty hours
The final boss: “Corruption” revolutionizes the first-person shooter with controls that pull the player into the remarkable action now standard for the “Metroid Prime” series.
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