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Metroid Prime Trilogy |OT|

stuminus3

Member
What an absolute treat this package is.

You can tell, when you're as excited to play through three games you've already played to completion before, the difference between a good game and one that you'll tell your grandchildren about. Especially when you're me, and rarely finish games.

I've been hooked on XBLA games all summer so I forgot how much Wii controls can actually add to a well tuned experience. MP1 with Wii controls is heaven. Feels so natural, too. I like how easy it is to wave your pointer around the room like a flashlight to pick up on where scans are now, too... makes it a little less laborious.
 

soldat7

Member
Agent Unknown said:
Wow, I'm gonna try turning off the HUD for awhile.

The HUD (at least in Prime) is terrible. Turning it off was the best decision I've made this week since chosing the Classic Italian over the Roast Beef and Cheddar at Quiznos.

Got a little frustrated with Phendrana Drifts (boost ball, backtrack to ship for jump boots, back to snow land, huh?), but still, what a game. I worry about the levels spiraling out of control for me, though. I'm about 15% done and the levels can be very confusing (where was that track again? I know I saw a ledge I can get to now...Where do I go next?....).
 

OMG Aero

Member
soldat7 said:
The HUD (at least in Prime) is terrible. Turning it off was the best decision I've made this week since chosing the Classic Italian over the Roast Beef and Cheddar at Quiznos.
Doesn't turning off the HUD bring up the problem of not knowing how much health and missile ammo you have?
 

soldat7

Member
OMG Aero said:
Doesn't turning off the HUD bring up the problem of not knowing how much health and missile ammo you have?

Yes, but I made the mistake of starting the game on Normal, so it's actually hard to die. ;)

If I need it, I adjust the slider temporarily in the menu.
 

Echoes

Member
Agent Unknown said:
Anybody gotten to Meta Ridley in Prime 1 yet (to confirm if his stomp attack is still in)?
I read somewhere in the thread a confirmation that it's still here.

Just reached Phendrana Drifts. Still my favorite area in any Metroid game. The atmosphere is simply unparalleled.
 
The elevator cutscenes in Prime 1 are stretched 4:3, it's really irritating how fat Samus looks (although the extra length on the already-long Plasma gun is funny). How do they mess that up? They were already 16:9!

Also, my friend noticed that when you charge up the Ice Beam, your gun doesn't ice up, although it still makes the sound. Boo.

I know this stuff is nit-picking, and far outweighed by the superb pointer controls and other improvements, but I don't think it's so much to ask for there to be no downgrades in a compilation. Removing the gun icing up is just weird.
 

neoism

Member
soldat7 said:
The HUD (at least in Prime) is terrible. Turning it off was the best decision I've made this week since chosing the Classic Italian over the Roast Beef and Cheddar at Quiznos.

Got a little frustrated with Phendrana Drifts (boost ball, backtrack to ship for jump boots, back to snow land, huh?), but still, what a game. I worry about the levels spiraling out of control for me, though. I'm about 15% done and the levels can be very confusing (where was that track again? I know I saw a ledge I can get to now...Where do I go next?....).
If you think about it though, it's the same game play as the 2D versions, it just takes longer in 3D to get from place to place! I know what you mean though!
 

soldat7

Member
neoism said:
If you think about it though, it's the same game play as the 2D versions, it just takes longer in 3D to get from place to place! I know what you mean though!

I think this is the core problem for me: I don't like the feeling of not knowing where to go next in a game. The blue line in Dead Space or the sword illumination of Shadow of the Colossus were perfect solutions for me. Consulting a FAQ feels like cheating, but sadly I have to do this from time to time with certain games else I run the risk of putting them down and not picking them back up.

The GBA Metroids, on the other hand, were amazing experiences for me because I was allowed just the right amount of exploration without feeling lost. I have Super Metroid on VC so one day, I will finish it. I haven't become TOO frustrated with Prime yet, and I won't let myself be; I'll simply consult a FAQ. ;)
 
Leondexter said:
The elevator cutscenes in Prime 1 are stretched 4:3, it's really irritating how fat Samus looks (although the extra length on the already-long Plasma gun is funny). How do they mess that up? They were already 16:9!

Also, my friend noticed that when you charge up the Ice Beam, your gun doesn't ice up, although it still makes the sound. Boo.

I know this stuff is nit-picking, and far outweighed by the superb pointer controls and other improvements, but I don't think it's so much to ask for there to be no downgrades in a compilation. Removing the gun icing up is just weird.
I always feel real disappointed reading stuff like this in remakes/ports :( sometimes the small details are some of the best.
 

JSnake

Member
Leondexter said:
I know this stuff is nit-picking, and far outweighed by the superb pointer controls and other improvements, but I don't think it's so much to ask for there to be no downgrades in a compilation. Removing the gun icing up is just weird.

Perhaps it would be too much bloom for the engine to handle? If you'll notice, the ice in the gun already emits some bloom so ice all over the gun would produce a lot of bloom
 

Johnas

Member
Just posting to echo the sentiments of others here slightly disappointed in the small changes made to the trilogy.

I still haven't bought this (but I plan on it) but those touches will be definitely missed. I would never consider selling the originals anyway.
 

The Hermit

Member
soldat7 said:
I think this is the core problem for me: I don't like the feeling of not knowing where to go next in a game. The blue line in Dead Space or the sword illumination of Shadow of the Colossus were perfect solutions for me. Consulting a FAQ feels like cheating, but sadly I have to do this from time to time with certain games else I run the risk of putting them down and not picking them back up.

The GBA Metroids, on the other hand, were amazing experiences for me because I was allowed just the right amount of exploration without feeling lost. I have Super Metroid on VC so one day, I will finish it. I haven't become TOO frustrated with Prime yet, and I won't let myself be; I'll simply consult a FAQ. ;)

Is you "hint" option on?
Whenever I am lost, I turn it on to locate the area I need to explore more... I still feel like I am cheating though :/
 
Shalashaska161 said:
It's there. :D

franknclayton1.gif
 

soldat7

Member
Baiano19 said:
Is you "hint" option on?
Whenever I am lost, I turn it on to locate the area I need to explore more... I still feel like I am cheating though :/

Shoot, it's not. Thanks!

And I now understand the love for Phendrana Drifts. Holy crap.
 
Definitely anticipating the Omega Pirate battle, man that thing was scary!

Speaking of bosses, it's disappointing that Magmoor didn't have a boss. It's still a great area to play through, but I remember scanning the pirate log in the lava station which said "Be sure to report magma predator activity to security" and I thought "o_O Giant lava dragon battle laterz!!!" only to be bummed out later that it was only referring to the smaller ones.
 

Koodo

Banned
Tathanen said:
In the original NTSC Prime there were references to Metroid Prime battling with the Space Pirates, and assimilating many of their weapons. This has since been retconned out of existence; the new canon (starting with the PAL release and reappearing in all versions of the trilogy) is that neither the Chozo nor Pirates ever have any firsthand experience with Prime. In fact, the Chozo only seal away the Leviathan (the Worm), and have no idea Prime exists. Probably because Prime DIDN'T exist then. When the pirates set up shop (thus bringing Metroids to the planet for the first time) one of their Metroids is attracted to the Leviathan to be its guardian (like what happens in Prime 3), consumes huge amounts of Phazon (eventually consuming the majority of the Leviathan itself), and becomes Prime. The new Pirate scans only say that they recently noticed that there was a lifeform growing within the crater, and that they'd be able to see what it was when they finally break in there.

Except Metroid Prime's log says it is the producer of Phazon, so logically it would have arrived with the asteroid. Also, considering that the Chozo sealed the Impact Crater, preventing the Pirates from breaking in, it seems unlikely that a Metroid managed to bypass the seal and get inside.

By the way, I can confirm the heat wave effect has not been totally removed from the first Prime. However, 1.) it doesn't occur consistently, and 2.) as soon as you move the gun, it goes away.

I never managed to produce the freezing effect from the Ice Beam though, so that one was indeed completely scrapped. No comments on the X-ray effects, as I always forgot to check that one out. ;3
 

Tathanen

Get Inside Her!
Koodo said:
Except Metroid Prime's log says it is the producer of Phazon, so logically it would have arrived with the asteroid. Also, considering that the Chozo sealed the Impact Crater and the Pirates couldn't even breach it, I would say it's unlikely that a Metroid managed to get inside.

I'm not too concerned about the phazon production. If the Metroid consumed the leviathan, it likely gained its phazon-producing abilities. It can't have arrived with the asteroid as Metroids would have had to be on Phaaze long before Dark Samus discovered the planet and brought the pirates there. Metroids don't just live on random planets, especially ones totally unknown to the Chozo, the Pirates, or the Federation, the only ones with Metroids in their employ. The ONLY reasonable way they could be on that planet is if Dark Samus (or her Pirate minions) brought them. She can't have brought herSELF there, now could she!

Also, you'd think that Dark Samus wouldn't have to "discover" her origin planet.

How a Metroid would get into the crater is indeed a question that doesn't really have an answer, though. Maybe the Leviathan called it in somehow, maybe it consumed a bunch of Phazon from outside the crater (the logs say they couldn't stop it from infecting a fair part of the planet beyond their barrier) and said consumption gave it the ability to enter the crater. Maybe the Chozo had Metroids with them for some reason, even though their whole purpose on Tallon IV was to eschew their technology. Who knows!
 

boiled goose

good with gravy
soldat7 said:
I think this is the core problem for me: I don't like the feeling of not knowing where to go next in a game. The blue line in Dead Space or the sword illumination of Shadow of the Colossus were perfect solutions for me. Consulting a FAQ feels like cheating, but sadly I have to do this from time to time with certain games else I run the risk of putting them down and not picking them back up.

The GBA Metroids, on the other hand, were amazing experiences for me because I was allowed just the right amount of exploration without feeling lost. I have Super Metroid on VC so one day, I will finish it. I haven't become TOO frustrated with Prime yet, and I won't let myself be; I'll simply consult a FAQ. ;)


you sir have become a casual gamer....

enjoy MP, one of my favorite games ever. I am an exploration whore. ;)
 

beef3483

Member
soldat7 said:
I think this is the core problem for me: I don't like the feeling of not knowing where to go next in a game. The blue line in Dead Space or the sword illumination of Shadow of the Colossus were perfect solutions for me. Consulting a FAQ feels like cheating, but sadly I have to do this from time to time with certain games else I run the risk of putting them down and not picking them back up.

The GBA Metroids, on the other hand, were amazing experiences for me because I was allowed just the right amount of exploration without feeling lost. I have Super Metroid on VC so one day, I will finish it. I haven't become TOO frustrated with Prime yet, and I won't let myself be; I'll simply consult a FAQ. ;)

This is why I like the 3D ones better. 2D maps seem too simple for me. I like the emphasis on 3D visualization.

Not only that, if you think about it, it's something that could actually be beneficial to real life.
 
neoism said:
If you think about it though, it's the same game play as the 2D versions, it just takes longer in 3D to get from place to place! I know what you mean though!
This is my major hang-up with this series... All of the good stuff is there, just with more clutter (3D movement). Well, that and the worst motion sickness I've ever experienced from a game.
 
It still took some time in the old games to get from area to area. I like that in Prime it takes longer, gives the game a sense of scope and of being on a real journey.
 

Tathanen

Get Inside Her!
Beat Prime 1 (fuck you Ridley, my only death), just started up Prime 2. I can already tell this made the transition smoother, the menus and cinemas don't feel as stretched and messed with to fit the widescreen, everything feels more naturally put together. I'm also reminded of how friggin amazing the scan-management system was in this game, with each scan placed in a category with up to like four additional subcategories within it, each with its own percentage tracking, and all displayed as you scan it. You could go back through your logs and tell EXACTLY what kinds of things you were missing, and figure out where to find them. Being reminded of this makes me kind of surprised that Prime 3 eschewed such a well organized system. At least we get the powerup map notations in 3 from the observatory.

I gotta say though it was a little weird to see the visor selection and scan-visor interface exactly matching the new one in Prime 1. I mean it's not a surprise I guess but I'm so used to everything else in the interface changing between these two games, it's kind of bizarre to notice the things that were added identically to both of them in the Trilogy.
 

Meesh

Member
ConsumerSquare said:
This is my major hang-up with this series... All of the good stuff is there, just with more clutter (3D movement). Well, that and the worst motion sickness I've ever experienced from a game.
Well, it's not as though we have shit-tonnes of goodmotion games to compare though. IMHO pointer controls on Prime make navigating so much easier, especially when engaging bosses, it's the game that was always meant to be. I think the stretching is a bit of a nit pick, but justifiably so, this should be the definitive version so it's mildly annoying. For me, the extra clutter add to the atmosphere, an expansive world...but...the elevator scenes are getting old, lol. Still love this game to teeny tiny bits though. Never did play MP2, I hope it's sex.
 

Osuwari

Member
Tathanen said:
Beat Prime 1 (fuck you Ridley, my only death), just started up Prime 2. I can already tell this made the transition smoother, the menus and cinemas don't feel as stretched and messed with to fit the widescreen, everything feels more naturally put together. I'm also reminded of how friggin amazing the scan-management system was in this game, with each scan placed in a category with up to like four additional subcategories within it, each with its own percentage tracking, and all displayed as you scan it. You could go back through your logs and tell EXACTLY what kinds of things you were missing, and figure out where to find them. Being reminded of this makes me kind of surprised that Prime 3 eschewed such a well organized system. At least we get the powerup map notations in 3 from the observatory.

I gotta say though it was a little weird to see the visor selection and scan-visor interface exactly matching the new one in Prime 1. I mean it's not a surprise I guess but I'm so used to everything else in the interface changing between these two games, it's kind of bizarre to notice the things that were added identically to both of them in the Trilogy.

mp2's cutscenes were made in 16:9 with black bars on GC. that's why it looks fine in the trilogy.
i was also disappointed to see mp2's menu system gone from mp3. that system was so good at telling you where missing scans were without some unnecessary scrolling.
 
I finally got my copy in the mail. Unfortunately the instruction manual already had a little tear in the cover when I opened it. Amazon also shipped the poster folded instead of rolled in a tube. Bummer. Nice packaging otherwise.

So I'm up to Flaahgra (on pause right now actually), and I just encountered a pretty major glitch. I took down the first two bomb slots without any issue, and started knocking back the solar discs as usual. I hit all three and nothing happened. Confused, I let Flaahgra bat them down again and tried again. Nothing. I went through this process several times to make sure I wasn't just missing something, but it doesn't seem to be knocking the boss down or activating the bomb slots. Has anyone else encountered this?
 

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
Tathanen said:
Metroids don't just live on random planets, especially ones totally unknown to the Chozo, the Pirates, or the Federation, the only ones with Metroids in their employ. The ONLY reasonable way they could be on that planet is if Dark Samus (or her Pirate minions) brought them. She can't have brought herSELF there, now could she!

You're forgetting something.

Phaaze is sentient. It's a living planet. It could have discovered the metroids and then used phazon to evolve/morph them, which would explain why the metroids in the prime series differ so much from their natural living cycle.
 

DDayton

(more a nerd than a geek)
Wait --- is ANYBODY playing Metroid Prime 3 enough on this to earn the Screen Shot tool, which SHOULD work with MP and MP2 as well?

I just need to find a GAFfer who can swap Friend Tokens... screen shots of MP would be nice.
 

upandaway

Member
Oh man, what? You're already starting to trade things?

Chill out people. I need someone to trade with a month or two from now when I can finally play it.
 

dkeane

Member
First time I'm playing through Prime 1 (Played both 2 + 3) I'm loving it.
Just made it to Phenandra drifts last night. Beautiful setting.
 

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
OMG Aero said:
Doesn't turning off the HUD bring up the problem of not knowing how much health and missile ammo you have?
See, this is one complaint I have with the Trilogy (as well as MP2 and 3). The original Prime allowed you to disable the HUD and helmet while still displaying your health. They removed that in Prime 2 and it has never returned...
 

Tathanen

Get Inside Her!
ZealousD said:
You're forgetting something.

Phaaze is sentient. It's a living planet. It could have discovered the metroids and then used phazon to evolve/morph them, which would explain why the metroids in the prime series differ so much from their natural living cycle.

Well the series of events still doesn't really make sense that way. First off, Phaaze is a LONG way away. So far away that the only way anyone managed to get to it, or anything manages to leave from it, is via leviathan-spawned wormholes. I'm not sure how it would go about "discovering" the Metroids, as all it does is send out one-way death-meteors that crash into planets and have no way of getting back. Especially since the Metroids are only in very specific sectors of space--sectors that the Federation, Chozo, and Pirates are all familiar with, and thus wouldn't go molested by Leviathans without them (and us, the gamers) being aware of it.

Even that is largely irrelevant, though, if you consider the timeline of things. If I'm not mistaken, the Chozo are documented as only being in the early cultivation phases of creating the Metroids while Samus is living with them on Zebes. Metroids are not an ancient species, they were created during Samus's lifespan. The Leviathan that hit Tallon IV hit the planet "decades" before Samus arrived. Metroids weren't around then in any kind of capacity to have been on Phaaze. One had to have eked its way into the crater at some point between the collision and the events of the game proper, most likely during the pirate occupation of the planet.
 

jorgeton

Member
Finished MP1 this weekend after a two day marathon. I finished with 72% of items and 55% of scans. My question is this: Should I go back and try to get 100% or move on to Prime 2. Does netting 100% of items and scans give you anything like a new ending sequence or a new suit?
 

Princess Skittles

Prince's's 'Skittle's
jorgeton said:
Finished MP1 this weekend after a two day marathon. I finished with 72% of items and 55% of scans. My question is this: Should I go back and try to get 100% or move on to Prime 2. Does netting 100% of items and scans give you anything like a new ending sequence or a new suit?
Yes.
 

Brandon F

Well congratulations! You got yourself caught!
ConsumerSquare said:
This is my major hang-up with this series... All of the good stuff is there, just with more clutter (3D movement). Well, that and the worst motion sickness I've ever experienced from a game.

Clearly you haven't played Marathon Durandal on 360....
 
ConsumerSquare said:
Well, that and the worst motion sickness I've ever experienced from a game.
Actually, the MP series are the only games that give me motion sickness...and I don't even know the reason.
 
GrotesqueBeauty said:
I finally got my copy in the mail. Unfortunately the instruction manual already had a little tear in the cover when I opened it. Amazon also shipped the poster folded instead of rolled in a tube. Bummer. Nice packaging otherwise.

I got my copy exchanged, and none too soon: when I opened it up to show the clerk, the spine started to fall apart. =O

My new copy is glorious, but there is a little tear in the manual cover. I attribute that to the thick manual, which actually covers all 3 games in full colour, as opposed to being trilingual.
 
Lone_Prodigy said:
I attribute that to the thick manual, which actually covers all 3 games in full colour, as opposed to being trilingual.

Which is a damn beautiful thing! I really dislike the barely have any thing in them manuals because they have to have English, Spanish, and French in them.
 
My copy arrived today, soooo excited to play MP1 again! :D :D :D Its been too long my old friend, oh man I love this game.

Quick question, which way round was Jump and Fire on MP3? (the buttons) I can't remember, honestly can't figure out which way round I want it.

And can't decide how much of the visor/helmet I want visible, man having all these options can be tough! :lol Love you Retro.

Love you Samus. <3
 

Nabs

Member
ConsumerSquare said:
This is my major hang-up with this series... All of the good stuff is there, just with more clutter (3D movement). Well, that and the worst motion sickness I've ever experienced from a game.

turn off hud lag
 

soldat7

Member
ConsumerSquare said:
This is my major hang-up with this series... All of the good stuff is there, just with more clutter (3D movement). Well, that and the worst motion sickness I've ever experienced from a game.

I turned off the HUD completely and my motion sickness went away. Also, the game doesn't feel as cramped or as cluttered to me now.
 
Leondexter said:
The elevator cutscenes in Prime 1 are stretched 4:3, it's really irritating how fat Samus looks (although the extra length on the already-long Plasma gun is funny). How do they mess that up? They were already 16:9!

Also, my friend noticed that when you charge up the Ice Beam, your gun doesn't ice up, although it still makes the sound. Boo.

I know this stuff is nit-picking, and far outweighed by the superb pointer controls and other improvements, but I don't think it's so much to ask for there to be no downgrades in a compilation. Removing the gun icing up is just weird.
Yeah a lot of the charging beam effects have been taken out in the first Prime. Even with the regular power beam (don't know if this has been brought op already). Something looked off when I first charged up on the frigate and then realized that the light effect was missing from the gun. Kind of sucks, but not a deal breaker. I just remember being in awe of it when I played it all those years ago.
 

y2dvd

Member
Agent Unknown said:
Definitely anticipating the Omega Pirate battle, man that thing was scary!

Wow this boss was intense for me. It took me forever to figure out how to beat him. By then, I was literally down to around 25 hp and came all the way back from that.
I would jump over his slam shock then unload a charge wave beam and follow up with a missle. What's the best way to beat him?

3 hours of sleep and at work. So I'm going on 5 hrs of sleep in 2 days. This game is keeping me up too easily! @_@
 
y2dvd said:
Wow this boss was intense for me. It took me forever to figure out how to beat him. By then, I was literally down to around 25 hp and came all the way back from that.
I would jump over his slam shock then unload a charge wave beam and follow up with a missle. What's the best way to beat him?

3 hours of sleep and at work. So I'm going on 5 hrs of sleep in 2 days. This game is keeping me up too easily! @_@
I'm not sure if this also works on hard difficulty, but I had great success with powerbombing him to take off like half of his armor (in the GC version). The plasma beam seems to work pretty well, too. A video walkthrough I came across a while ago suggested to only take out the beam troopers when necessary and to evade them until they're killed by his shockwaves which seemed to work pretty well for me. Also, the best way to do the most damage to him while he's invisible seems to be getting a few charged shots in and then nailing him with a Super Missile.

By the way, soldat7, if you have hints on, the game will actually tell you where to go on the map if you wander around too long. It's still somewhat subtle, though.
 
magicalsoundshower said:
I'm not sure if this also works on hard difficulty, but I had great success with powerbombing him to take off like half of his armor (in the GC version). The plasma beam seems to work pretty well, too. A video walkthrough I came across a while ago suggested to only take out the beam troopers when necessary and to evade them until they're killed by his shockwaves which seemed to work pretty well for me. Also, the best way to do the most damage to him while he's invisible seems to be getting a few charged shots in and then nailing him with a Super Missile.

I always used the Ice Spreader, I think it did more damage than a Super Missile. On Hypermode, I thought the Omega Pirate was the toughest part, the rest of the game wasn't that hard.
 
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