Virtual Bounty Hunting Not Just for the Dogs

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Nintendo Wii is an exciting, exhilarating, and very well-made continuation of one of the most successful franchises in the industry. Playing the role of bounty hunter Samus Aran, players blast, freeze, jump, and roll their way across the galaxy, shooting up Space Pirates and hunting down rogue bounty hunters. If this sounds familiar, it is— players of previous Metroid games, especially those on the Nintendo GameCube, will feel right at home in this latest installment of the series.

The Wii version improves on almost every aspect of the game, making it ideal for players new to the series and for first-person shooters in general. With arguably the best graphics and sound the Wii has yet to offer, and an all-new control scheme that makes excellent use of the Wii’s motion sensing capabilities, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a milestone for the little white system that could.

The story line begins in the flagship G.F.S. Olympus, as Samus, in her classic orange Varia Suit, receives a briefing from Galactic Federation Admiral Dane that introduces her and three other colorful bounty hunters to the Aurora Unit (one of many organic Federation supercomputers that look like giant floating brains and talk like sexy robots). It turns out that the network of these AUs has been infected with a Space Pirate virus that, luckily, is easily cured. Unfortunately, however, the AUs are spread across Federation space and it is the bounty hunters’ job to deliver the vaccine to each as quickly as possible. Soon after the briefing, an attack on nearby planet Norion sends the bounty hunters into battle, which means Samus gets to shoot things for the first time ever on the Wii.

And how fun it is. With an in-helmet view complete with subtle eye reflections and a usable interface, aiming and shooting with the Wii remote is as intuitive as it gets. Players move Samus swiftly with the nunchuck’s joystick, while aiming with the remote to determine her direction. Locking on to targets is easy with the nunchuk’s Z-button and should be well-tread territory for anyone who has played the Wii’s The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. In fact, much of the game, from aiming to map size, from the puzzles to the ridiculously awesome weapon upgrades, easily evokes memories of Twilight Princess, making Metroid Prime 3 a sort of first-person Zelda in space.

Besides allowing players to relive their Duck Hunt days with the simple point-and-shoot remote configuration, Metroid makes use of the remote in some other entertaining, if simple ways. Locks and security panels often require players to pull out an object with the remote, twist it counterclockwise, and push it back into place. This type of interaction is sporadic and quick, but it breaks up the monotony of button-mashing and feels new. The best use of motion sensing, however, comes a bit later in the game, after Samus gets corrupted by Phazon, a powerful but dangerous radioactive energy, and obtains her handy grappling hook. With a raise of the nunchuck and a steady pull toward them, players can pull down wall panels, swing across chasms, and most importantly, tear enemies right out of the air. The motion is so fun to do, players may just find themselves getting into unnecessary, dangerous situations just to use it once or twice more.

After her corruption, Samus also receives her new, blue, PED Suit. This armor is designed to use the Phazon in Samus’ corrupt body to her advantage, allowing players to switch into Hyper Mode when in a crunch, unleashing a devastating, life-stealing Phazon blast. And she will most definitely need it as the best part of the game—its bosses—are sneaky and difficult. Each arrives with his or her own incredible strengths and largely protected weaknesses, and it’s up to Samus to figure out just how she can destroy them. Players will find themselves dodging ice blasts, reflecting shots, shooting in and out of Samus’ convenient ball form (a bit too convenient perhaps), and scrambling for health to charge the destructive Hyper Mode to show that boss just who’s boss.

All in all, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is hands-down one of the best titles out there for the new generation of consoles. The lack of multiplayer and online play, as well as the sometimes sparse in-game direction, definitely prevents it from being a blockbuster classic hit. Nevertheless, the game stands so well on its own and players will have such a good experience the first time around, it won’t matter that it’ll probably be their last.