N +

Retro Studios has done marvelous work with the first two Metroid Prime games, so we all knew that they would do wonders with the Wii installment. I wasn't anticipating what I found. The visuals are impeccable, and the attention to detail is amazing. Every room was so visually pleasing I wanted to just stop and look around. But I couldn't of course, as I was under fire from Space Pirates or the local enemy.

Which leads us to the gameplay, specifically the battle movements. If there was ever gameplay perfection it is known as Metroid Prime 3. The use of the Wiimote is mastered so effectively that it seems very natural as you are firing on a Space Pirate who just jumped behind a crate. Grappling is so much fun with it. You actually whip the nunchuck like you are grappling onto something. The rumble fits in so well with the surroundings as well. The whole experience is more than you could ask for in a first-person shooter. Sometimes though, the controls are a bit too sensitive, such as when I need to pull levers and such. But I don't know if that's just a problem that I have. Anyone else?

The storyline seems a little too familiar, although I'm sure that's just because it is the 3rd part of a trilogy. Samus meets with the Galactic Federation on a space cruiser, and during the meeting she must help fend off a space pirate attack with the help of three other bounty hunters, Ghor, Rundas and Gandrayda. Then they must travel to the planet Norion to activate a series of shields to prevent anymore attacks. However, during their mission a Leviathan Seed heads toward the planet. The hunters rush for the control room, where Dark Samus ambushes them and knocks them out. As Samus falls unconscious, she hits the laser button, destroying the Seed. She awakes a month later, to learn that she has been corrupted with Phazon, as have the other hunters. She is given a suit add-on that can control the Phazon, allowing her to go into Hyper Mode. She must then travel to 3 different worlds, destroying the Leviathan Seeds that have landed on them, and then make her way to the final battle against Dark Samus.

It seems dull to me, like there isn't must driving the story, and there is a portion of the game where you must backtrack quite a bit. This makes it boring, and to be honest I nearly stopped playing due to the sheer repetition. However, due to the seemingly lack of a driven story, the gameplay and fight scenarios are made all the better. The WiiConnect24 options are rather enjoyable too, as you scan things in-game, or defeat certain enemies you get different 'points'. you can use these points to purchase artwork, soundtracks, etc. from the options menu. You can even collect Friend Vouchers, which you can send to other people. If you receive some, you can use them to purchase extra-awesome items, such as bumper stickers for Samus' ship, or a Bobble head of your Mii to put on the ship's dashboard!

Overall, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is an amazing game that you need to buy if you own a Wii. If not, you are missing out on one of my personal top 10 games of all time. but more on that another time. Go out and buy Metroid!

N+ Summary

Game: Metroid prime 3: Corruption
Developed by: Retro Studios
Genre: First Person Shooter
Players: 1
Release Date: NA: August 27, 2007 | PAL: October 26, 2007 | JP: TBA 2007 | AU: November 8, 2007
Rating: ESRB: T | OFLC: M | PEGI: 12 | CERO: B (12)
Supports WFC: No
Video available: N+ Video Vault

N+ Points

N+ Best use of gameplay yet seen on the Wii console
N+ Amazing graphics
N+ Easy learning curve, customizable controls

N- Points

N- Somewhat weak storyline
N- Unnecessary backtracking
N- Controls sometimes too sensitive