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[olimario]

I had totally knocked this game off of my radar until viewing this video.
The controls seem to be perfect and I love the lack of lock on. Suprisingly the graphics get the job done, too.
I now can't wait for the full single player title.

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/action/dsmetroidprimehunters/media.html
(second from the bottom)

 

[Kon Tiki]

Was posted last night. The game gives me hope for more FPS on Nintendoods. Activision said they have something big for Nintendoods, Doom? Quake? Call of Duty? Bring 'em on.

 

[olimario]

from Gabe

I think the best game at the summit today was Metroid Hunters. It's funny because coming out of E3 I felt like Metroid Hunters was the weakest thing they showed. They've really polished it though and now it's a solid FPS on a portable system, something that I don't think has ever been done before. The combination Stylus and D-Pd control actually reproduces the feeling of a mouse and keyboard really well. The game has all kinds of different control options to satisfy just about anyone but the default setup is the one I found most comfortable. You use your thumb on the D-Pad like WASD with your index finger on the shoulder button to fire. You use the stylus on the bottom screen to look around and double tap it to jump. In just a few minutes I was pulling off classic FPS maneuvers like jumping, spinning around and shooting Tycho in the fucking face.

I played a couple four player death match games and I gotta say, they were pretty damn cool. Getting into a multiplayer game was a breeze thanks to the built in wireless networking capabilities of the DS. Someone at the table would simply create a game and it would show up in the multiplayer menu on the rest of the units at the table. Joining a game was essentially instantaneous and once we were all in, the host would start the game. Down on the bottom screen you have a large map and icons for switching into ball mode and selecting weapons. You use the stylus over the map portion of the screen and tapping the icon for missiles or ball mode is quick and easy.

from Tycho

Metroid Prime: Hunters, a subset of which will be bundled with the system at launch, is one of the coolest things they have to show at the event. This, the game that was essentially Exhibit A whenever I tried to dash someone's hopes for the system. There are now many ways to configure your input, which as you'll recall was a huge sticking point - now, the action itself resides in the top screen, and in the control scheme I use the left shoulder button fires and the d-pad controls movement. That makes the touch screen a fairly intuitive form of analog control. Gabe and I set up a couple wireless games and enjoyed it a great deal more than we expected to.

 

[Grubdog]

WOW

Holy shit, that looks fucking awesome! I can't believe how smooth everything is, and the controls DO work, even better than Metroid Prime on GC it looks like!

 

[king zell]

wow indeed!

this game runs so smoothly.. and the CG lloks cool

not to mention the music

I can't wait

 

[SantaC]

1+ for Metroid Prime Hunters. Too bad it wasn't a launch game

 

[dark10x]

OK, so around the 40 second mark...

traditionally, and historically even, Metroid games have focused primarily on multiplayer and adventure

Where did that comment come from?

 

[clipunderground]

After watching that video, I have to say, I'm fucking sold. Control looks very precise! Runs smooth and fast too! WOOT!

 

[jarrod]

See, why couldn't they put this much effort into Ridge Racer DS? :/

 

[SantaC]

OK, so around the 40 second mark...



Where did that comment come from?

wtf? I bet the e3 demo of echoes was his first metroid game.

 

[Kon Tiki]

OK, so around the 40 second mark...



Where did that comment come from?

Meant to say 'single' player. He works for NST, can not expect a perfect speach.

 

[Mama Smurf]

I hate to be redundant, but pretty much all I can say is it looks extremely smooth and the controls look...well, perfect, which is almost unbelievable given reactions to the E3 demo.

Jumping looks good too, something which is important of course in a Metroid game. I hope they actually put some sense of exploration in the single player games, I know the focus of this title is combat, but I'd still like some.

Also, it seems like the demo is built into the hardware like Pictochat.

 

[Hooker]

Wow, I never expected it to look this good.



I knew I was going to buy a DS someday, it may very well be launch now

 

[Kon Tiki]

It is packed in with the hardware. As in in the same box.

This is not a standard Metroid game, it is the Quake Arena/ Unreal Tournament of Metroid games. I even seen it called Metroid Tournament on a Japanese site.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Damn the wireless networking sounds great, man i hope this thing takes off....Imagine playing super mario kart on the train against a total stranger. Fucking sweet....Give me quake, street fighter, virtua fighter, fzero, 2 player co op games...oh man the possibilities are endless.

 

[dark10x]

It looks amazing for the hardware. Very impressed...

The game, on the other hand...not so much...

It really seems like all he was doing was going from room to room shooting the same enemies over and over again. Each room was rather small and simple from a design standpoint. It just seems like a simplified FPS to me, not a Metroid game (which he openly admits). There is at least a little platforming present, which gives me hope that they will use plenty of it. I would also like to see some really creative morph ball puzzles, as the controls seem excellent for that (the little maze is a start, I suppose)...

The music quality is also quite disappointing. I was hoping Nintendo would get on the ball this time (they really could care less about sound, it seems).

Also, the way he talks, you really get the impression that he knows very little about the actual series. I noticed that he slammed the controls in Prime as well, almost as if it were the fault of the pad itself.

Still, the game LOOKS very very good. At 60 fps, I'd say it stands above most anything on the N64 and hints at what could be coming down the pipe. Also, the control scheme seems to work very well and would allow for some very smooth camera adjustment in a number of games.

 

[Jonnyboy117]

Looks nice, control is cool...

...but how is this a Metroid game? This is exactly what everyone feared would happen with Prime on GameCube. They've turned it into a straight shooter. I know this is just a demo, but every indication is that this game will be set up like Quake III, where even the single-player mode is just a clone of the real meat, multiplayer. Show me the adventure elements. Show me the upgrades. Show me some real Metroid gameplay, and I'll be satisfied. Until then, this is Quake with morph ball races.

 

[MattCoz]

but how is this a Metroid game?

It's not a Metroid game in the traditional sense, that's for sure. This will be a fun spin-off game, but I certainly hope they don't make a habit out of this. R&D1 better be hard at work on a real Metroid game for DS.

 

[dark10x]

Looks nice, control is cool...

...but how is this a Metroid game? This is exactly what everyone feared would happen with Prime on GameCube. They've turned it into a straight shooter. I know this is just a demo, but every indication is that this game will be set up like Quake III, where even the single-player mode is just a clone of the real meat, multiplayer. Show me the adventure elements. Show me the upgrades. Show me some real Metroid gameplay, and I'll be satisfied. Until then, this is Quake with morph ball races.

Ha, that's right. This is EXACTLY what people were afraid Prime would be...

Thank goodness that Retro did not disappoint...

 

[Mama Smurf]

It looks amazing for the hardware. Very impressed...

The game, on the other hand...not so much...

It really seems like all he was doing was going from room to room shooting the same enemies over and over again. Each room was rather small and simple from a design standpoint. It just seems like a simplified FPS to me, not a Metroid game (which he openly admits). There is at least a little platforming present, which gives me hope that they will use plenty of it. I would also like to see some really creative morph ball puzzles, as the controls seem excellent for that (the little maze is a start, I suppose)...

The music quality is also quite disappointing. I was hoping Nintendo would get on the ball this time (they really could care less about sound, it seems).

Also, the way he talks, you really get the impression that he knows very little about the actual series. I noticed that he slammed the controls in Prime as well, almost as if it were the fault of the pad itself.

Still, the game LOOKS very very good. At 60 fps, I'd say it stands above most anything on the N64 and hints at what could be coming down the pipe. Also, the control scheme seems to work very well and would allow for some very smooth camera adjustment in a number of games.

I don't think it's much of a Metroid game (it might be a good game, just not a Metroid one), but I can't see how you came to the conclusion that he didn't know much about the series. i was thinking the very opposite.

As for the simplicity, this is the very first training mission of the game he's showing off. It's no surprise they come off as cannon fodder. And even within just one mission they got harder, starting to disappear when you approach, so I'm sure it'll just progress from there in later levels. Same goes for morphball puzzles and platforming.

At the very least this is a good indicator that we'll have some really good FPSs on the system, whether Metroid turns out to be one or not.

 

[MaddenNFL64]

I really don't mind Nintendo & NST using the Metroid franchise in this manner. It's a novel approach, and shooting stuff is fun .

I just hope it's a one time thing. You know, to get the DS rolling along, and letting the devs know that FPS's can be made on this thing.

 

[Trevelyon]

mmm!? can anyone tell me why ever since I installed the SP 2 & upgraded to WMP 10, that every WMP stream crashes both Firefox & IE? I've re-installed 10 twice & rolled back to series 9, but still... every time my browsers crash.

 

[Hooker]

I don't mind either, it's fucking free so no one should complain!



It's not like they're banking on it's good name... *cough* Metal Gear Acid *cough*

 

[SantaC]

Wasn’t samus a bounty hunter in her first comic strip? I remember that she got a mission from the galaxian federation or something to collect valuables and bring it back.

 

[MattCoz]

I don't mind either, it's fucking free so no one should complain!

The demo is free, the game isn't.

 

[Mama Smurf]

She was a bounty hunter then, and she's been one ever since.

 

[Hooker]

It's a fullblown game now?!



Hmm, wasn't aware of that. I thought the one packaged with the DS was the game they showed on that video

 

[SantaC]

She was a bounty hunter then, and she's been one ever since.

yeah I just mean that if she does missions like in this game it would reflect the original strip of metroid. I like the adventure parts better, but I am sure i can like this game too.

 

[Meier]

Jesus, this is a HUGE improvement from E3. Can't wait to try this bad boy out again -- the controls made it just about unplayable there.

 

[Jonnyboy117]

It's cool if they're doing a game that actually has her playing like a bounty hunter. But bounty hunters don't enter tournaments and kill each other for sport. They hunt. Bounties. For money. As an intergalactic bounty hunter, that would include a lot of spaceship chases and some detective work on the ground, in addition to a lot of actual hunting. Now that would be a cool spinoff for the Metroid series.

 

[Littleberu]

Hmm, wasn't aware of that. I thought the one packaged with the DS was the game they showed on that video

It is.

 

[Deg]

Hunters should be great.

 

[Gorgie]

Really good video. Kudos to Gamespot for the excellent DS coverage.

If I understand correctly, the game is built into the DS, not a seperate cart?

The game does look cool, and multiplayer really looks fun, I'm hoping 4 isn't the maximum amount of people per game. The controls really have impressed me, but the game itself looks very 'meat and potatoes'. I mean, as far as it's been shown, you only have two weapons, power beam and missiles.

I'm hoping they really mix it up for the full game. Maybe power ups in levels like cloak (all power ups having on/off settings of course) and maybe some low grav levels, maybe even instagib. It sure does look like Metroid Tournament, so might as well run with it.

I'm hoping the real Metroid Game is still 2D on the DS. I wouldn't want the franchise to abandon its trademark gameplay, as no game has matched it. Castlevania being close.

 

[Littleberu]

If I understand correctly, the game is built into the DS, not a seperate cart?

The demo of the game. Which is what you saw in the video.

Oh, and remember : Metroid Prime : Hunters, is more like Metal Gear Solid VR Mission than Metroid Prime. It's a series of virtual levels that Samus trains in. The game is obviously developped as a multiplayer game first, and a single player game after.

 

[dark10x]

It's a fullblown game now?!



Hmm, wasn't aware of that. I thought the one packaged with the DS was the game they showed on that video

What on earth gave you that idea?

 

[Gorgie]

The demo of the game. Which is what you saw in the video.

Oh, and remember : Metroid Prime : Hunters, is more like Metal Gear Solid VR Mission than Metroid Prime. It's a series of virtual levels that Samus trains in. The game is obviously developped as a multiplayer game first, and a single player game after.

I thought the demo was on its own cart, being that the DS carts are cheaper to manufacture.

 

[Makura]

I posted this at TXB on July 30th:

You could technically use the stylus to do "mouse" look like in FPS couldn't you?

I was thinking one could use the stylus on the touch screen to control the direction of the camera in the top screen. The D-Pad would do the basic walk movement, and you could fire with the shoulder button.

 

[Mama Smurf]

What they showed is what we're getting with the DS. There's just a full blown game too.

 

[MattCoz]

I thought the one packaged with the DS was the game they showed on that video

Umm... yeah, it is, that's the demo.

I posted this at TXB on July 30th:

I'm pretty sure most of us had this idea.

 

[Jonnyboy117]

Let's clear all this up:

First Hunt is a demo version of the full Metroid Prime Hunters game. First Hunt is what is shown on the GameSpot video. That's what comes included with the DS. It is packed in on its own Game Card, not built into the hardware like PictoChat.

The full Metroid Prime Hunters game comes out next year. It will be similar to First Hunt but with more multiplayer levels and some kind of substantial single-player mode, but very little is known about what will be added. It will be sold separately as a full game, of course.

 

[Littleberu]

What on earth gave you that idea?

The game showed at the event really is MP : Hunters First Hunt. The guys even say : "So that's Metroid Prime Hunters First Hunt" a the end of the video.

 

[Mama Smurf]

It is packed in on its own Game Card, not built into the hardware like PictoChat.

It really didn't sound like that from what he said. I wish I had a quote, but I'd have to watch it through again to get one.

 

[Killthee]

It really didn't sound like that from what he said. I wish I had a quote, but I'd have to watch it through again to get one.

15 seconds in the video he says:

"its a demo thats actually going to be included in the hardware at launch"

 

[snapty00]

Are you sure he wasn't just mistaken? I know I read somewhere a few days ago that PictoChat was in the actual hardware while the Metroid demo was on a cartridge, and to me, that makes more sense, anyway.

 

[Hooker]

Thanks Jonnyboy



(and you too LittleBeru -x-)

 

[Mama Smurf]

15 seconds in the video he says:

"its a demo thats actually going to be included in the hardware at launch"

Thank you. Of course, he could mean in the hardware packaging, though that would be phrasing it strangely.

I really haven't heard confirmation either way.

 

[clipunderground]

See what one simple word mistake can cause?! lol

"its a demo thats actually going to be included in the hardware at launch"

I have a feeling what he meant was:

"its a demo thats actually going to be included with the hardware at launch"

 

[Rahul]

How about someone just call NoA and ask?

 

[Soul4ger]

Not sure if it was confirmed or not, but wasn't there rumbling at some point that the one player game would be mission-based, and would have Samus going after individual bounties every level, with some classic Metroid bosses appearing?

 

[MattCoz]

Not sure if it was confirmed or not, but wasn't there rumbling at some point that the one player game would be mission-based, and would have Samus going after individual bounties every level, with some classic Metroid bosses appearing at points?

Not sure about classic bosses, but I know in an interview someone was asked if a Metroid game would ever focus on bounty hunting and they answered by saying that Hunters would or something. I don't remember who it was or what the exact quote was.