Tag Archives: Samus

Metroid Prime: Throwing in the Towel and Final Thoughts

Image by Flickr user Umesh Bansal (CC)
Image by Flickr user Umesh Bansal (CC)

A little less than a year ago, I made a promise to myself to beat Metroid Prime, a game that had long been shamefully lingering in my backlog. At first, it was “All Systems GO!” I conquered the Pirate Frigate and the Parasite Queen. I bravely explored the Chozo Ruins and put an end to Flaahgra. I beat the heat of Magmoor Caverns and found solace in the Phenandra Drifts. I had a terribly rocky time with Thardus but came out on top. I found the crashed frigate and carefully crept through the Phazon Mines. The Omega Pirate was nearly my undoing, but once I remember the difference between the X-Ray Visor and the Thermal Visor, the Omega Pirate was no match. I rambled through the Impact Crater and met Meta Ridley undaunted.

The time I spent with the game, though fragmented, was filled with purpose. But by the time I finally faced off with the Metroid Prime this past February, I was tired, and I was tired of continually losing to this formidable foe. I then questioned my future with the game, and put it on the backburner for awhile.

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Stories are the Keys

Image by Flickr User: Charles Williams (cc)

It’s been an odd year in gaming for me.  Despite all the new games that have come out this year, I’ve often found myself drawn to the senior ranks of my collection. Mirror’s Edge, Final Fantasy VII, KotOR 2, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, etc., somehow they’ve all wound up being much more interesting prospects for my game time than just about everything that’s come out this year so far.  At first I thought it was just a severe case of gamer nostalgia (after all, being back in the day really was awesome Am-I-right?), but that just didn’t feel like a good answer. It took playing Destiny to bring the problem into clear focus: there just wasn’t enough story to be had in many of the newer I played games this year.
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Metroid Prime, IT’S GO TIME! (And this time, I’m serious.)

Image by Flickr user courtney johnston
Image by Flickr user courtney johnston

It seems the right combination of inspiration and timing have struck in the midst of my gaming life. At the beginning of this month, my colleague Hatm0nster wrote Finishing Final Fantasy VII, in which he discussed who determined he was to complete this classic game. After reading, it made me think of how I, too, never finished FFVII, and that maybe it was high time I get around to it as well! But as much as my incomplete FFVII venture bugs me, that feeling is nothing compared to the deep disappointment I carry concerning Metroid Prime.

Long story short, with nothing less than immense thrill and glee, I picked up Metroid Prime when it was released. I choked on and fought through my dislike of first-person perspective gaming to carry on with Samus and her adventures on Tallon IV. It felt like it took me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to reach just the first boss. Continue reading Metroid Prime, IT’S GO TIME! (And this time, I’m serious.)

Resonance: Rundas Battle

Image from Flickr User:  PseudoGil
Image from Flickr User: PseudoGil

The Metroid games are quite rich in memorable themes, so much so in fact that we could spend the next several months of this series analyzing them. Perhaps we will, but for now let’s start with “VS. Rundas” from Metroid Prime 3.  To begin, please take a minute to listen to the theme. Think about the tones and themes you’re hearing in the song; about the emotions and thoughts it elicits. What do you hear in this piece, what situations come to mind? Take your time.
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