Gaming Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion

[Dragonballzman]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i]
[B][color=#808080]Get as MANY missile upgrades as you can, because you'll need them. Later in the game, you consume missiles at a much more rapid rate (you'll see why) [/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

Missile Combos, right? :whoops:

[James]

[color=#808080]Missile Combos? o_O

I'm talking about those Super Missiles (I think that's what they're called). I don't want to spoil it for you though, if you don't yet have the ability.[/color]

[Syk3]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i]
[B][color=#808080]*nods* Yep. Thardus is that large rocky bastard.

I think it took me three tries to kill him. Which, in retrospect, isn't much (considering the heightened difficulty). However, at the time the battles were all quite long. He physically takes a while to kill, even if you can avoid dying.

My recommendation for dealing with Thardus is to have [i]plenty[/i] of missiles. Get as MANY missile upgrades as you can, because you'll need them. Later in the game, you consume missiles at a much more rapid rate (you'll see why) and Thardus really only responds to missiles (you can hurt him with regular beam weaponry, but it takes [i]ages[/i]).[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]
Yes, that rock guy deffinitly was the first time that it really became hard for me. I couldn't believe it when I didn't beat him the first time. o_O I mean, on each boss it seems to be difficult, but I always managed through on the first time before this.

I'm pretty sure that at the time I faced him, I had plenty of missiles. However, I'm always afraid to use them up, since I'll have to go search for one of those missile reload stations. In otherwords...yes, I used the regular yellow beam. -.- It took me the first time I played him to figure out what i needed to do, and kind of improve on firing. The second time..woah, you should have seen how fast I was firing that blaster (I still have that skill, too ;)).

I ended up beating him on the second time; just barely.

Another hard boss was the Omega Space Pirate. I don't know how many times it took me...three or four...but it was just [i]so[/i] hard. [spoiler]The way you had to keep changing your weopons when those mini-bosses came to attack you was very difficult. It was a lot easier for me when I realized I had to do a super missle on the guy when he was invisible over the purple lava stuff. I had been using regular missles before that.[/spoiler]

The difficulty is just perfect in this game though. It makes you really try, but the battles arn't quite impossible.

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]I learned a trick to beating Thardus a while ago, actually, that makes it so you don't even have to switch to the Thermal Visor. What you do, is, [spoiler]go into the Morph Ball when he rolls up and starts rolling after you, and drop Bombs as you roll. When Thardus rolls over them, the Bombs will blow off a section of rock, revealing a weak section. Then you just have to shoot the vulnerable part until you destroy it, then repeat the process.[/spoiler]

Actually, I had to fight Flaagra twice in order to beat it, but I beat Thardus the first time. I was unloading Super Missiles on that sucker like there was no tomorrow, heh.

And about not wanting to use missiles, I had that problem at first. I was used to Super Metroid, where you only really [i]need[/i] missiles for bosses and mini-bosses, and where you can usually only hit bosses with missiles. It's not like that in Prime, though. You can hit everything with your normal beams, so missiles aren't quite as crucial. Still, though, if you're fighting a boss or mini-boss, you should just unload everything you've got. Don't hold back, because the boss sure isn't going to be holding back at all. As I've learned while playing Metroid Fusion, where you seem to take a lot more damage than in other games in the series, it's better to use a few missiles, even on normal enemies, than to get hit.

Oh, and James, missile combos (or beam combos, whichever name you prefer) are attacks that combine beams with missiles. The Super Missile is the combo for the Power Beam, where you charge up a Power Beam shot and then tap the Y button, which uses five missiles along with the charged Power Beam shot to make a Super Missile. There's a missile combo for each of the four beams. I love the one for the Plasma Beam, heh. It's great for clearing roomfuls of enemies.[/color]

[James]

[color=#808080]Ahh yes, now I remember. I've just gotten the Gravity Suit...so, I really have no idea how far I am overall.

But what can I say; I'm absolutely loving this game. It still feels as fresh and interesting as it did in the beginning.

And it seems like each level just keeps expanding in new ways...it's very interesting and it's always exciting to explore a new area. ^_^

"Metroid Prime 2" is fast approaching the top of my list for most wanted games...after Mario 128, that is. ~_^[/color]

[SS5 Gogeta]

I'm at the part where you fight Meta Ridley, [spoiler]I died after his wings burned off[/spoiler]. Anyway, the more I play the more I realize that the control scheme actually gives you more manuevaring options than the standard FPS controls. I can't ever imagine fighting Thardus or Meta Ridley with the standard FPS controls. I hope they keep them in the next Metroid game.

[James]

[color=#808080]Well, I might as well provide a little update.

I've just gotten the Plasma Beam. And I'm still really adoring Metroid Prime. I love the puzzle in the room just before the Plasma Beam -- it's very cool and a lot of fun. Climbing around the wall as a Spider Ball (with all the gaps and stuff) can be very hairraising at times. lol[/color]

[SS5 Gogeta]

I finally beat Metroid Prime. I probably tried about 10 times before beating him and I barely beat him with like 37 energy left. Now im going to try to beat the game on normal in under 5 hours wish me luck. ^_^

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Heh, when I finally beat Metroid Prime I too only had about 50 energy left. . . . Of course, I also beat it on my first try. :toothy:

The real challenge, though, is beating it in under 5 hours [i]and[/i] collecting 100% of the items and log book entries. A couple months after MP was released, Nintendo Power had an Arena challenge to see who could beat the game in the shortest amount of time with the highest percentage. The winner had a time of 3:58, with 100%. Second place was a whole hour behind, coming in at 5:03, also with 100%.

I dunno about other people, but I think that's just insane. I don't see how you could possibly do everything in MP in that short of a time. I'd think just having to go around collecting all the items would take too long. :cross:[/color]

[Brasil]

So, the other day I had the urge to adventure through Phendrana Drifts in Metroid Prime.

I booted the game up last night. Metroid Prime is very yummy. I had forgotten how great it is. It took me a few minutes to re-adjust to the controls, but man, when I got into my Metroid Groove Thang, it was like buttah.

The game feels so natural once you get into it, and stepping out into the opening areas of Phendrana Drifts is just as wonderful, if not more wonderful, than when I played Metroid Prime for the first time last year.

Metroid Prime holds true to a wise adage: Good gaming never dies.

[Semjaza]

Definitely one of my favorite games ever. Not many developers ever put in the amount of polish this game has. It's even more surprising considering that this is Retro's first game as a team. I am really looking forward to the next in the series from them.

[Shinmaru]

It's worth mentioning that I still haven't beat the game. lol

The game is definitely a modern classic (and I don't throw that term around lightly, heh) that people will be talking about for ages. One of the few games that I have just about no problem with...I see few flaws to speak of. Graphics are amazing, music and sound is usual amazing Metroid quality, controls are fantastic, game is amazingly fun, etc.

I shall now play Metroid Prime today. Whee.

[OtakuSennen]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Shinmaru [/i]
[B]It's worth mentioning that I still haven't beat the game. lol[/b][/quote]
[color=midnightblue]Not that it matters, but nor have I. And this is one of those games I don't just give up on. [/color]
[quote][b]I shall now play Metroid Prime today. Whee. [/b][/QUOTE]
[color=midnightblue]Hey, I've been replaying it for a month already and do I get any praise? No.
___
But, yes, Metroid Prime is very yummy, delicious, tasty, and other such things.

It was actually the first Metroid game I have ever played, and from what I had heard about the series I had high expectations about it. I must say that it exceeded my expectations. The depth, the cutscenes, and all of the Chozo Lore and Pirate Data... It created a subplot (Or a sort of appendix) to Metroid Prime. Good stuff, that.

And the graphics were amazing as well. The textures on walls and doors really didn't look that great close up, though. That was probably my only problem with the game. When they had a bird's eye view of Samus in Tallon Overworld, showing a close-up of the leaves and branches high above our hero's head.. Ugh, that killed me.

I got rather close to beating the game, but apparently I missed one of the Chozo Artifacts, thus not letting me fight Ridley. Hours upon hours I spent trying to locate the final artifact, but to no avail. I have since then been rebuilding my data in a different file and going over the things I missed.

This is one of those games that Gamecube will most likely be remembered for in about twenty years when people like us are reviewing once next-generation game consoles of yore.[/color]

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]I beat Metroid Prime a few weeks after it was released. I've been thinking about playing through again on Hard Mode, though.

I still can't believe Retro Studios actually pulled it off, though. I mean, when I first played it, it didn't feel like a FPS. It just felt like a Metroid game... Seriously, for the first couple hours of playing, I was comparing it to Super Metroid. It still blows my mind that they were able to translate the Metroid series into 3D so smoothly, and with a first person perspective no less.

Really, the biggest complaints I have with the game are a few little control issues. I would have found it helpful to be able to turn faster, and also be able to look around faster with the R button. It was annoying how it slowed down the farther you looked up, but it didn't actually matter too often. I found the targeting system to work very well.

Oh yeah, and about those Chozo Artifacts, be sure and go back to the Impact Crater temple every so often while collecting them. The more of them you get, the more clues to finding others you can get by scanning the obelisks. And once you get the clues, it's pretty easy to track down the Artifacts. All you have to do is look at the name of rooms on the map and that usually gives it away.[/color]

[James]

[color=#707875]I'm still on the Omega Pirate in MP. I haven't played in a couple of months, at the very least.

Still, the PAL version is automatically on "Hard" difficulty. No Easy for us. Bleh. It kinda sucks, but I'm surprised that I managed to get this far I guess.

In any case, I adore Metroid Prime. It's a gorgeous game. Absolutely stunning aesthetic design...incredibly intelligent level design and a perfect learning curve. Metroid Prime is one game that [i]every[/i] gamer should own, so that they truly know what a "digital masterpiece" really is.[/color]

[Brasil]

I remember when I first got Metroid Prime...it was back last year at Christmas. I spent most of Christmas day playing it, lol. I couldn't tear myself away. :D

I found that Metroid Prime is a "3 AM game," in that you start playing at say, 11 PM, and don't realize it's now 3 AM. That happened to me pretty much all through my Winter break last year. Way cool. ^_^

The only texture I found a bit weak was Samus' reflection in Chozo Ruins, near the first Save Point. There's a little silver disc thing embedded in the wall and the reflection is not that good...almost looks like something out of Duke Nukem 64. But, it's not anything important, as it's one tiny, obscure detail in one tiny room in one medium-sized area, which is only a part of the massive world that is Tallon IV.

It annoys me though, that I still haven't seen the true ending, simply because I missed [i]one[/i] Missile Upgrade...and I have no idea which one I missed.

But, that's actually good, because that gives me a reason to start an entirely new game on another file, meaning a full 13 hour Metroid Prime experience.

[Shinmaru]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by PoisonTongue [/i]
[B]I remember when I first got Metroid Prime...it was back last year at Christmas. I spent most of Christmas day playing it, lol. I couldn't tear myself away. :D [/B][/QUOTE]

That's when I got it, too. It's almost been an entire year that I've had Metroid Prime and I still haven't beat it - now [i]that's[/i] replay value! :p

The most likely reason why I haven't beat the darn thing yet, is because this was part of a glorious few months of gaming for me when I got a ton of games (Metroid Prime, Super Mario Sunshine, Wind Waker and Skies of Arcadia: Legends). That's a ton of gaming, heh. The well has been pretty dry since then, though, so I've been playing through these games more lately; when I have no homework to do, at least. -__-;

[otakukev]

Hmmm...I don't quite remember when I got Metroid Prime. It might've been Christmas. In any case, it was my brothers', so I would have to ask him whenever I wanted to play it. *sighs* Yet, I beat it a long time ago, started it on hard mode determined to get all the missile expansions and health tanks, and promptly stopped playing for no apparent reason. Now I am considering starting to play again.

Also, my bro has started playing again. It's rather fun to watch him fight Metroid Prime again and again, and yet still die. Very refreshing :p

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]I never got the best ending either, and now I can't on my current save file. The first time I fought Flaagra I was sure to scan it, but then I died. And when I fought it again, the time that I beat it, I forgot to scan it again. So I know I can't get 100% on that save file. Heck, I haven't even found all of the Chozo Lore entries, and I've looked [i]everywhere.[/i] I'm thinking maybe there are secrets not on the map that I haven't found.

I hate being able to miss things so that you just can't get everything, though. I think you should be able to go back after beating the game and get anything that you missed. It was like that in the other Metroid games. Heck, in Metroid Fusion, it would even tell you the number of Energy Tanks, Missile Expansions, and Power Bomb Expansions in each area after you beat the game to help you collect everything.[/color]

[Brasil]

Des, I'm not sure, but isn't the percentage complete only reliant on items collected? Like, the 51 missile upgrades, the beam weapons and upgrades, Morph Ball, Spider Ball, etc. I thought the scanning was just for obsessive compulsives who needed to have that entire menu full?

I totally agree with you about the items found part, too. It helped me a lot in Metroid Fusion when I was searching for the last remaining missile upgrades. But, I don't know, though...

One of the greatest differences between Prime and Fusion was that Prime was totally immersive. It never separated you from itself. For some reason, an incorporation of XX/XX Energy Tanks found seems like it would pull the player out of Prime, rather than draw them in.

I suppose, since Fusion is side-scrolling, you're automatically put outside the character, and having the XX/XX doesn't detract from the gameplay.

::shrugs:: I don't know. Hopefully I made some semblance of sense, lol. Lots of people here in the Campus Center computer lab.

[Shinmaru]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by PoisonTongue [/i]
[B]Des, I'm not sure, but isn't the percentage complete only reliant on items collected? Like, the 51 missile upgrades, the beam weapons and upgrades, Morph Ball, Spider Ball, etc. I thought the scanning was just for obsessive compulsives who needed to have that entire menu full? [/B][/QUOTE]

I'm fairly certain that you have to scan just about everything (enemies, bosses, etc.) in the game to achieve the best ending, as well. Although, you'd have to be obsessive compulsive to get the best ending, anyway. :p

[Brasil]

::is obsessive compulsive::
::should easily get the true ending in Metroid Prime, then:: :p

Upon hearing that, Shin, word of wisdom to [i]all[/i] Metroid Prime players, get a scan of the Ice Shriekbat ASAP. They're only in one area of Phendrana Drifts, and never re-appear after a certain point in the game...[spoiler]I believe after you defeat Thardus[/spoiler].

I applaud Retro not only for making a brilliant game, but for also punishing gamers who go through haphazardly...one misstep, one swarm of Ice Shriekbats careening into you, and the true ending becomes unattainable.

Now that is hardcore, which is a very nice feature because Prime indeed feels like old school, hardcore gaming, with a perfect difficulty level (that is to say, very difficult in many spots), tight controls, and unbelievably intense gameplay.

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Yeah, Log Book entries also go towards your completion percentage, as well as item collection. At least time doesn't have anything to do with what ending you get in this one, though. That would be insane, trying to get 100% [i]and[/i] complete it in only a few hours like you have to do in Fusion. (I'm not even trying for the best ending in Fusion -- the best I've been able to do is about five hours while getting 100%, and you need to do it in under two).

And yeah, it does make it harder and seem like an old, classic game, but it still pisses me off that it's so easy to miss certain things. (Though of course, that sort of thing pisses me off in the old games, too). I mean, really, how hard would it have been to put in little secret areas with computers that you could scan to get the info for bosses and other enemies that you only get one chance to scan? It would even make sense, since the Space Pirates had to have been documenting the planet's wildlife and these monsters they were creating.

As it is, it's pretty much impossible to get 100% on your first time through unless you're using a walkthrough. All it takes is one little time of "shoot first, scan later," and you're screwed. That's what I was thinking for some enemies (like those Ice Shriekbats). It's a Metroid game -- the enemies [i]always[/i] come back, right? All those damn Space Pirates always come back whenever you leave the room, but no, the normal enemies like to change/disappear halfway through the game.

Oh yeah, and another thing to watch out for while scanning is a Hunter Metroid. I believe only one appears in the entire game, in one of those caverns in Phendrana Drifts past Thardus' chamber. (I think the room's name is Hunter Cave or something like that). I don't remember ever seeing any others in the game, except possibly during the end boss fight. I can't remember clearly if there were different kinds of Metroids during that fight, though, since I was too busy blasting the boss. :cross:[/color]

[SS5 Gogeta]

I think you see more of them when getting towards the Omega Pirate. Though im not too sure.

I beat it once and tried to beat it again under 5:00 but I'm fighting Ridley at 5:30 so I haven't played it since. Though I'm glad that Retro Studios managed to incorporate some humour into it such as shutting down the force field and having the metroids suck the life out of the space pirates. Truely a classic moment ^_^.

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Heheh, yeah, I loved doing that. I was laughing maniacally as I watched the Space Pirates writhe. Payback time for all the Metroids you have to deal with, heh.

And actually, you may be right... I think I do remember seeing one or two Hunter Metroids in the caverns before the Omega Pirate, but I don't think those come back after you kill them the first time, either. I went back and forth through there a few times after I first went through and beat the Omega Pirate and I don't remember there ever being any Hunter Metroids after that first time through the area.

Oh, and I went and dug up the Metroid Prime Arena challenge from an old issue of Nintendo Power. The goal was to have the lowest time with the highest completion percentage. The first place time is insane...

Metroid Prime: Best Finishing Time (Volume 164)
Shay O'Neil, New Mexico.........3:58 - 100%
Teepu Khan, California............5:03 - 100%
Michael Williams, California......5:33 - 100%
David Leferink, Ontario...........5:57 - 100%
JJ Hendricks, Colorado............5:59 - 100%[/color]