Metroid Prime 2: Completed

21 hours and 78% scanned. What a head trip.

Super Metroid was really my first taste of Metroid. It was like playing The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, but with twice the complexity and back tracking. Metroid Prime was the same way, but in 3-D. Metroid Prime 2, as is true in most same-console sequels, was almost like the developers wanted to get their moneys worth out of the engine programming.

The graphics were superb (especially on a LDC television) and the sounds were very emmersive, but none of the problems were cleared up. The hand cramping lock on aiming is used so much in the game, you have to start getting finger rub downs after an hour of playing like some some professional athlete. And God forbid you get to fight someone your own size. Bosses, grand feats of programming and construction, tower stories above you and the sensitive spot is always in the same place: up. Running strafing circles around a boss, looking up and getting hit once resets your view. So you have to release all your buttons, click R to move the view, click and hold L to lock on, then start moving and shooting again. Now imagine doing that fifty times. And then doing it all again because there is no way your beating a boss the first time around.

But Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was a fantastic game. But I'm glad it's over. And not sweet-smell-of-accomplishment glad.