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[Verger]

Let me amend what I meant: It's SO cinematic! ……. for a Metroid game.

And allow me to amend. I really wish developers would follow this style of being "Cinematic" for games instead of going all-out with super expensive and overlong cutscenes which often come at the expense of gameplay. Corruptions take on cinematic gameplay is something to be strived for.

It's just a shame that many panned the game for trying this style. I heard so many saying "oh, they tried to emulate Halo too much!"

I mean, come on, maybe there was some inspiration there, but I think they still stuck true to being Metroid.


I could only hope that if Retro made a MP4 that they'd build off of the wonderful work they did in Echoes and Corruption.

EDIT: I hate how simple the energy tanks are to get in Corruption, at least the first 4.

I forgot to mention that was one of the things that made Echoes so challenging. Unlike Prime 1 and Corruption, the Energy Tanks in Echoes were not at all easy to get or find quickly. Many of them were hidden behind those crazy Spider Ball tracks or other puzzles which required more advanced equipment like the Visors and such. Where as in Prime 1 and Corruption you can get E-Tanks fairly easily on your normal progression routes.

 

[Magnet_Man]

EDIT: I hate how simple the energy tanks are to get in Corruption, at least the first 4.

They're kinda required to use the main gameplay gimmick...You have to have some or the game couldn't be completed.

Speaking of Prime 3, I just got to the Xenoresearch Labs and I totally forgot that

Spoiler

a Pirate husk is braced against the entrance, so when you open the door the first thing you hear is it dissolve into dust. That sound comes through really good through headphones and scared the SHIT outta me!

So I get the Seeker Missiles and ready myself for the trip back when I also forgot that

Spoiler

the Metroids get their own theme.

Elysia for best planet.

 

[Beren the Empty-Handed]

I've decided to play through this bad boy again.

Got to Flaaghra in MP. Man this game is awesome. For whatever reason I remember what to do most of the time, so I'm kind of sailing through it, but I like just sitting back and admiring everything. Chozo Ruins looks SO GOOD. At several points I just stopped what I was doing to take it all in. It really feels like a dead alien world.

Goddamn, Retro.

 

[zma1013]

And allow me to amend. I really wish developers would follow this style of being "Cinematic" for games instead of going all-out with super expensive and overlong cutscenes which often come at the expense of gameplay. Corruptions take on cinematic gameplay is something to be strived for.

It's just a shame that many panned the game for trying this style. I heard so many saying "oh, they tried to emulate Halo too much!"

I mean, come on, maybe there was some inspiration there, but I think they still stuck true to being Metroid.

Metroid feeling is one of isolation and Corruption

Spoiler

simply went with the path that you are in the middle of a big war for the universe and you're talking to military commanders and saving troops and fighting with Hunter buddies and all that. Sure, it's still got lonely parts, but compared to every other Metroid game before it, it's got way more parts in it where you're with a bunch of other people. It lost its particular style of atmosphere and traded it for a type that's a bit more common and doesn't really do it particularly well.

 

[marc^o^]

It really feels like a dead alien world.

I've always praised Prime's atmosphere, but you say it better. It does feel like a credible, dead alien world.

 

[TheMoon]

Getting the wii u on my bday the 19th, this will probably be the first thing I play aside from some smash.

Can't wait!

Does the wii u output in 1080p or 720?

But you do realize MP Trilogy is a Wii game and thus only outputs in 480p, right?

 

[flowsnake]

But you do realize MP Trilogy is a Wii game and thus only outputs in 480p, right?

The console isn't upscaling it? That doesn't seem right.

 

[Ulysses 31]

But you do realize MP Trilogy is a Wii game and thus only outputs in 480p, right?

The Wii U upscales it to 1080p still.

 

[TheMoon]

The console isn't upscaling it? That doesn't seem right.

People don't get what this means though. Which is why there so much outrage all the time. It doesn't render the game at 1080p. The upscaling means almost nothing to the naked eye. What people think they mean when they say "upscaling" most of the time is rendering the game natively at a higher resolution than initially intended. Which is not what's going on. Which is why I said you're still looking at 480p Wii games because that's how it all works and not to expect magic fairy dust to turn it into Dolphin-looking 1080p.

 

[grandwizard]

Question regarding an enemy I just came across in the Phazon Mines:

Spoiler

In the room where you get the power bomb I just fought an enemy that was flying and invisible and I had to basically track it with the regular arm cannon and eventually it went down. I was wondering if I did something wrong and if I was supposed to find some other way to kill it or expose it to be lock-on-able. The thermal vision visor wasn't showing it either. The reason I ask is because this first game definitely seems balanced around using the lock on since it was originally made for the GC controller and not the Wii Remote pointer but I can't see how that would have been fun to do without having a free pointer, unless I messed something up and there is a way to expose it to lock-on.

 

[Wreck-It Ralph]

Question regarding an enemy I just came across in the Phazon Mines:

Spoiler

In the room where you get the power bomb I just fought an enemy that was flying and invisible and I had to basically track it with the regular arm cannon and eventually it went down. I was wondering if I did something wrong and if I was supposed to find some other way to kill it or expose it to be lock-on-able. The thermal vision visor wasn't showing it either. The reason I ask is because this first game definitely seems balanced around using the lock on since it was originally made for the GC controller and not the Wii Remote pointer but I can't see how that would have been fun to do without having a free pointer, unless I messed something up and there is a way to expose it to lock-on.

Nope, that's what you're supposed to do. It was definitely a weird part, especially in the original.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Wow, I had forgotten just HOW cinematic Corruption is. It's such a different change of pace, especially after playing Prime and Echoes in a row. Not that it's necessarily better or worse. I do appreciate it its commitment to this epic feel that this really is the finale of this chapter.

Echoes felt SO isolated, more so than Prime and even with U-Mos, that this is very huge change of pace.

It's amazing actually. There is probably what... A total ten minutes of cutscenes throughout a 15-20 hour game? Most of the cinematics happen during gameplay. And it's not in the way that Valve does it either, where you can move around while story elements happen but can't actually progress in any way during that time.

Spoiler

For example, in the beginning of the game, after the pirates attack, you are making your way to your ship. You end up having to tunnel through a morph ball passage. Above the tunnel you are making your way through, you see the Hunters doing battle with the Space Pirates. Later, on Norion, you are making your way to a generator, only to see Ridley fly by and a trooper yell "What the hell is that!?"

It doesn't take control away from you, it only lasts a few seconds, but these moments make strong impressions on you, and often foreshadow what is to come. Two of the best moments happened on Elysia, with the ship status updates. At first you are like "hmmm." After a few more times you begin to realize what's happening. And then you can see what's going down through the window and you are like oh hellllll no. And then you proceed to walk down a long hallway while you prepare for your battle with Ghor. And the other moment is when you walk into the Xenoresearch area and you see the Metroids in their holding cells and you're just like "Oh, fuck!" You spend the next couple minutes just walking past a shit load of them knowing all hell is going to break loose. Cue the power failure, lights go out, creepy music starts. Again, control is never taken away from you yet the game is able to convey these strong story points to you and in a very short period of time, yet still manages to feel (forgive the cliches) epic and cinematic.

I was very happy with the shakeup of the different elements in Corruption, and how "cinematic" it was was a big part of it. Of course Retro would go onto implement similar cinematic and story elements into their DKCR games without the use of cutscenes and without taking away player control. If only more developers would use this approach I would be very happy.

Did anybody else appreciate the jump in graphics from 1,2 to 3 a little bit more this time? Corruption seems to use different graphical effects that make it stand out compared to the earlier games. I finished mp2 and started mp3 right away.

Also, my my, metroid prime 2 is so satisfying to complete.

Well, it was made on slightly stronger hardware. It also helps that it has the best art direction in the series, and even of all time.

 

[Pachimari]

I just started this up for the very first time ever. Started with Metroid Prime 1 of course and I really like the controls so far. The art and story doesn't do much for me yet, and I might have calibrated my Wii remote wrong. Am I supposed to do that in the Wii U menu? And not within the game right?

 

[JimboJones]

I just started this up for the very first time ever. Started with Metroid Prime 1 of course and I really like the controls so far. The art and story doesn't do much for me yet, and I might have calibrated my Wii remote wrong. Am I supposed to do that in the Wii U menu? And not within the game right?

You can calibrate the pointer in the WiiU system settings, helps if there are other IR sources affecting your wiimote.
There should be other controls options in game, most people recommend the "advanced" option.

 

[Dusk Soldier]

Question regarding an enemy I just came across in the Phazon Mines:

Spoiler

In the room where you get the power bomb I just fought an enemy that was flying and invisible and I had to basically track it with the regular arm cannon and eventually it went down. I was wondering if I did something wrong and if I was supposed to find some other way to kill it or expose it to be lock-on-able. The thermal vision visor wasn't showing it either. The reason I ask is because this first game definitely seems balanced around using the lock on since it was originally made for the GC controller and not the Wii Remote pointer but I can't see how that would have been fun to do without having a free pointer, unless I messed something up and there is a way to expose it to lock-on.

The wave buster can auto target enemies, that's what you would have had to use to beat this guy, however most players wouldn't have found it on the first play through, since it's not needed to beat the game.

 

[SephCast]

I have 4 artifacts to go. Loving this game (MP1). Every time I start, I can't stop playing, but I know I have to.


How many energy tanks you guys think I need to beat the final boss? I've got about 8-9?

 

[toadsworth]

I have 4 artifacts to go. Loving this game (MP1). Every time I start, I can't stop playing, but I know I have to.


How many energy tanks you guys think I need to beat the final boss? I've got about 8-9?

Should be ok, the attacks are fairly easy to read and dodge.

 

[Micken]

I will most definitely be buying the eShop version the next time I play through the trilogy... Some of the doors in MP3 are unfathomably long waits...

 

[dLMN8R]

I remembered one of my favorite subtle design aspects during the Metroid Prime 1 final boss fight.

Spoiler

I love how during the first phases of Metroid Prime when you need to roll in morph bull underneath her, Samus will automatically do a 180 to face her once you're on the other side. Even without locking back on. Super smart and convenient design.

 

[The Xtortionist]

I remembered one of my favorite subtle design aspects during the Metroid Prime 1 final boss fight.

Spoiler

I love how during the first phases of Metroid Prime when you need to roll in morph bull underneath her, Samus will automatically do a 180 to face her once you're on the other side. Even without locking back on. Super smart and convenient design.

If only Samus did the same

Spoiler

when exiting the temple access bomb slots in Echoes

 

[FloweryMarston]

i don't think i will be able to play prime 2 in the next few days, have some things to do, hopefully i find some time in the weekend =(.

 

[grandwizard]

Nope, that's what you're supposed to do. It was definitely a weird part, especially in the original.

The wave buster can auto target enemies, that's what you would have had to use to beat this guy, however most players wouldn't have found it on the first play through, since it's not needed to beat the game.

Ah, thanks guys.

 

[ivysaur12]

If only Samus did the same

Spoiler

when exiting the temple access bomb slots in Echoes

I thought the exact same thing EVERY DAMN TIME.

 

[flowsnake]

Well Spider Guardian is easy now, I'm not sure if it's just the jumping that helps or if it actually does less damage or something.

 

[The Xtortionist]

I thought the exact same thing EVERY DAMN TIME.

It's the little things that get me down about Echoes.

Spoiler

The energy controller cutscenes should be skippable on the first playthrough, dammit!

Well Spider Guardian is easy now, I'm not sure if it's just the jumping that helps or if it actually does less damage or something.

I believe he drops like 5 blue health pickups halfway through the fight now.

 

[TriangleOfCorruption]

I just finished downloading this at almost Playstation level slow speeds and got comfortable in preparation for a night of Metroid Prime, and holy shit is the Wii U install speed slow. How does this even happen?

 

[Pancakes R Us]

Well Spider Guardian is easy now, I'm not sure if it's just the jumping that helps or if it actually does less damage or something.

I've only played Corruption on the standalone Wii release and I just didn't find the spider that hard. I was prepared for the battle of my life given the comments I was seeing online.

 

[flowsnake]

I've only played Corruption on the standalone Wii release and I just didn't find the spider that hard. I was prepared for the battle of my life given the comments I was seeing online.

I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding you, but it's in Echoes.

 

[Pancakes R Us]

I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding you, but it's in Echoes.

My mistake, but yes, Echoes. I was definitely referring to the spiderball guardian. It wasn't as difficult as all of the comments led me to believe.

 

[Verger]

Spiderball Guardian was definitely easier. I don't think they changed the patterns of his movement, but for me the "jumping" you can do in ball form definitely made it much easier than trying to time the bombs to jump out of the way.


And again, The Sanctuary Fortress is just amazing. The Spider Ball tracks are so damn fun, like this one.

It's also the most complex area as you need every new special ability in order to get the Dark Temple Keys. As you need the Spider Ball, Echo Visor and Screw Attack in order to reach them.

 

[Kaiser_Glider]

I finished Prime 1 last week and went directly to Corruption, because I know Echoes needs my entire attention in order to get through it, and well let's just say I have a huge backlog and I would like to actually play them someday before I delve back into the best videogame series ever (Metroid), but sometimes you just can't prevent the pull these games have... and I'm replaying these games for like the 10th time like a fool before starting up a new game.

It's amazing how everytime you replay these games you notice new details you may have missed before. The Trilogy is, like, no words can even describe these games. Sorry, I rambled there.

 

[dLMN8R]

Honestly in my current play-through of Echoes it's not as convoluted as I remembered.

I'm only 3 hours in - just got the first three keys to unlock the Agon temple energy thingy - but I've been so thoroughly impressed with the level design.

The way it pulls you through the levels and minimizes backtracking - at least so far - is utterly masterful. In retrospect I can look at the overworld map (both light and dark world) and distinctly trace my path through the levels.

 

[PoweredBySoy]

Well. I basically picked up a WiiU last night for this trilogy (and a few other WiiU titles I suppose). I played Prime back in the day, but never got to play the other two.

Thanks for all the tips in the OP. I'm sure I'll be back with questions.

Downloading now....

 

[Verger]

Honestly in my current play-through of Echoes it's not as convoluted as I remembered.

I'm only 3 hours in - just got the first three keys to unlock the Agon temple energy thingy - but I've been so thoroughly impressed with the level design.

The way it pulls you through the levels and minimizes backtracking - at least so far - is utterly masterful. In retrospect I can look at the overworld map (both light and dark world) and distinctly trace my path through the levels.

There is a bit more backtracking later when you get to Torvus and then in particular in Sanctuary. But there are lots of transports that go in between the areas which you find when you upgrade.

In a way though, the Key hunts actually encourage exploration even more because it makes you look at the maps and check yourself to see if you've been through "that door" or that corresponding area in the Dark world.

 

[daedalius]

Are we ever going to get a sequel that will live up to the amazingness of most of the Prime games?

There is literally no other game I can think of like Prime.

 

[K' Dash]

Well. I basically picked up a WiiU last night for this trilogy (and a few other WiiU titles I suppose). I played Prime back in the day, but never got to play the other two.

Thanks for all the tips in the OP. I'm sure I'll be back with questions.

Downloading now....

Amazing, are you going to start with Prime?

 

[Verger]

I think jumping straight into Echoes after Prime helps a lot because you're already very used to the controls and gameplay and you are expecting things to be even more challenging and that's what the sequel was all about.

 

[Astral Dog]

And allow me to amend. I really wish developers would follow this style of being "Cinematic" for games instead of going all-out with super expensive and overlong cutscenes which often come at the expense of gameplay. Corruptions take on cinematic gameplay is something to be strived for.

It's just a shame that many panned the game for trying this style. I heard so many saying "oh, they tried to emulate Halo too much!"

I mean, come on, maybe there was some inspiration there, but I think they still stuck true to being Metroid.


I could only hope that if Retro made a MP4 that they'd build off of the wonderful work they did in Echoes and Corruption.


I forgot to mention that was one of the things that made Echoes so challenging. Unlike Prime 1 and Corruption, the Energy Tanks in Echoes were not at all easy to get or find quickly. Many of them were hidden behind those crazy Spider Ball tracks or other puzzles which required more advanced equipment like the Visors and such. Where as in Prime 1 and Corruption you can get E-Tanks fairly easily on your normal progression routes.

Echoes and Corruption are nothing alike. Its weird, Corruption is a well made game and the controls are good,but it was like, the game (after Hunters) were i thought Prime needed a little rest.

More linear level structure, voice acting, boring storyline ( i didn't care about the Space Pirates, Aurora Unit, Federation or Dark Samus on this game, only the Bounty Hunters) the worst Prime soundtrack imo (still really good, its Prime) locations were, well its varied but i thought Elysia and Pirate Homeworld got old quick, Phaaze was very good however, beautiful design.

Kinda like Metroid Prime 4 should not resemble Corruption that much, or even be called Prime 4, im not worried however, im sure Retro will surprise us, maybe add something from what they learned with Donkey Kong.

edit: lol the name for the pirate planet on the logbook, Urtraghus.i wont do that again.

 

[Wreck-It Ralph]

The fuck is Uurtagia?

 

[Marcus]

Echoes and Corruption are nothing alike. Its weird, Corruption is a well made game and the controls are good,but it was like, the game (after Hunters) were i thought Prime needed a little rest.

More linear level structure, voice acting, boring storyline ( i didn't care about the Space Pirates, Aurora Unit, Federation or Dark Samus on this game, only the Bounty Hunters) the worst Prime soundtrack imo (still really good, its Prime) locations were, well its varied but i thought Elysia and Uurtagia got old quick, Phaaze was very good however, beautiful design.

Kinda like Metroid Prime 4 should not resemble Corruption that much, or even be called Prime 4, im not worried however, im sure Retro will surprise us, maybe add something from what they learned with Donkey Kong.

uurtagia?

 

[Golnei]

The fuck is Uurtagia?

Urtraghus, filtered through autocorrect?

 

[Wreck-It Ralph]

I didn't even know the pirate homeworld had a name.

Huh.

I thought I knew everything about the Prime trilogy.

I am a fraud.

 

[The Xtortionist]

Spiderball Guardian was definitely easier. I don't think they changed the patterns of his movement, but for me the "jumping" you can do in ball form definitely made it much easier than trying to time the bombs to jump out of the way.


And again, The Sanctuary Fortress is just amazing. The Spider Ball tracks are so damn fun, like this one.

It's also the most complex area as you need every new special ability in order to get the Dark Temple Keys. As you need the Spider Ball, Echo Visor and Screw Attack in order to reach them.

One of the best rooms in the game for sure.

<3 <3 <3 Sanctuary Fortress. Forever may it reign.

 

[PoweredBySoy]

Amazing, are you going to start with Prime?

Oh yeah, I'll be back and do Prime again. I don't remember much about it.

 

[Verger]

More linear level structure, voice acting, boring storyline ( i didn't care about the Space Pirates, Aurora Unit, Federation or Dark Samus on this game, only the Bounty Hunters) the worst Prime soundtrack imo (still really good, its Prime) locations were, well its varied but i thought Elysia and Pirate Homeworld got old quick, Phaaze was very good however, beautiful design.

To each his own. I enjoyed those aspects a lot and wish they'd had delved into them more thoroughly. And I sure didn't think Elysia ever "got old".

 

[C.Olimar788]

Gotta say that Corruption is definitely the weakest of the Trilogy. It feels like a lot of things that they really nailed in Echoes were needless changed for Corruption - the logbook was amazing in Echoes with the basic summary and the extended version in the logbook alongside the 3D model to look at, but in Corruption they oversimplified the summary and nixed the model, putting it in its own screen for whatever reason. For the first time in the series, scanning feels tedious in Corruption. It doesn't feel like I'm getting interesting lore, it feels like I'm not getting anything interesting for most scans

Spoiler

with a notable exception being the Metroid room in the Space Pirate Homeworld

.

Plus it has the weakest set of items out of the three games - though the grapple upgrades are cool - and the non-boss soundtrack is really weak. Even being chatted at by a computer wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to reach aaaalllll the way down to 1 to go forward in text, if it didn't MAKE me view my map afterwards, and if it didn't lock me out of scanning when she was talking.

Also I reaaaaaally don't like the Hypermode mechanic, especially at it comes at the expense of the beam switching mechanic. And it would be nice if not every enemy was based on Phazon.

 

[Golnei]

Gotta say that Corruption is definitely the weakest of the Trilogy. It feels like a lot of things that they really nailed in Echoes were needless changed for Corruption - the logbook was amazing in Echoes with the basic summary and the extended version in the logbook alongside the 3D model to look at, but in Corruption they oversimplified the summary and nixed the model, putting it in its own screen for whatever reason. For the first time in the series, scanning feels tedious in Corruption. It doesn't feel like I'm getting interesting lore, it feels like I'm not getting anything interesting for most scans

Spoiler

with a notable exception being the Metroid room in the Space Pirate Homeworld

.

Plus it has the weakest set of items out of the three games - though the grapple upgrades are cool - and the non-boss soundtrack is really weak. Even being chatted at by a computer wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to reach aaaalllll the way down to 1 to go forward in text, if it didn't MAKE me view my map afterwards, and if it didn't lock me out of scanning when she was talking.

Also I reaaaaaally don't like the Hypermode mechanic, especially at it comes at the expense of the beam switching mechanic. And it would be nice if not every enemy was based on Phazon.

I still prefer Corruption to Echoes as a whole, but the lack of beam switching was a definite step down, and the scan logs did seem a little sparse in places aside from the specific planetary lore entries - seeing that they left an entire creation myth on the cutting room floor for Bryyo, I hope there wasn't all that much more worldbuilding excised during development.

Spoiler

I also will never be able to forgive the removal of the 'recording to logbook' voice.

And while the score was the weakest of the trilogy overall, it still had some notable tracks - Gandrayda, Omega Ridley and Rundas' themes are covered by your caveat, but the music for Skytown and the Bryyo Cliffside are on par with the better area themes of prior entries, and Phaaze's soundscape is probably the closest minimalistic amelodic ambiance comes to working in the series, easily surpassing the attempts made for Prime 2's Dark Aether and Agon Wastes.

 

[The Xtortionist]

One of my biggest complaints with Corruptions is how all the weapons feel pointless next to hypermode. Plasma Beam? Nova Beam? Nah breh, just pop an energy tank and waste everything instead.

 

[Wreck-It Ralph]

One of my biggest complaints with Corruptions is how all the weapons feel pointless next to hypermode. Plasma Beam? Nova Beam? Nah breh, just pop an energy tank and waste everything instead.

But you can

Spoiler

one hit kill some enemies, including a couple mini-bosses, with the Nova Beam + X-ray visor!

Also the Plasma and Nova beams sound awesome, even if they aren't as useful as hypermode.

 

[The Xtortionist]

But you can

Spoiler

one hit kill some enemies, including a couple mini-bosses, with the Nova Beam + X-ray visor!

Also the Plasma and Nova beams sound awesome, even if they aren't as useful as hypermode.

The sound in Corruption is a big step up in general. Even the power beam has some oomph behind it.