Metroid Prime 3

Intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran is back at it again, ready to kill more things and shoot more doors to open them.

Well, the Prime formula hasn't changed much, so if you thought that was awesome before, you'll probably think it's awesome again. But it's not all old business here. Behold the ability to navigate the world of MP3 with wiimote and nunchuck! After you fiddle with the settings a bit and get settled in, it just feels right. Point at your target, and bam-bam-bammo! You've eradicated yet another evil alien/robot/box, but with unprecedented precision, immersion, and the kind of glee you only get from pointing at something and destroying it. We all knew the Wii had potential for first-person bam-bam-bammo action, and well, here it is.

What also adds to the experience are prettier graphics. Everything just looks right. Or something. However, let's not kid ourselves, this is somewhere around the high-end of the original Xbox's level. If you were hoping for a drastic leap from Echoes, you're going to be disappointed. But with sharp art direction, and good usage of available resources, MP3 is still a nice game to look at - among the best for the Wii right now.

Oh, and hey! Voice acting! Used sparingly, but a welcome addition when it's there.

I'll be frank: I never really took to the first two Prime games, and the same problems that I had with them are still here. It just seems slow. Plodding around, going up and down elevators, the clank-clank-clank of Samus' power boots wandering aimlessly and accidentally off cliffs in hope of finding out where to go next.

I've always felt that something was lost in translation when Metroid made the jump to 3D - the tight, fast-paced, shooter/platformer jive that made Super Metroid more than a big barren world to sluggishly clank around in. But you know what? This is probably old-school bias talking. I just find the exploration and action in the 2D games far more satisfying. Take that as you will!

Now that my particular bias is established, I think you can guess what I think the game's main weakness is: it's pretty much the same thing again. That doesn't always have to be a flaw; while the Zelda series has had the same formula at heart for years, they all have a distinct visual and play flavour that sets them apart from each other. MP3 feels and sounds a little too familiar.

If you loved the first two, chances are, you're going to love this one. But for me, well, I enjoyed what I played of MP3. Then I lost interest and stopped playing. Yes, the controls make for a more intuitive and fun experience and the high production values give it a nice shiny coat. But if you don't count yourself a fan of the series, I doubt it'll be enough to convert you. It's essentially the same formula, with a pinch more personality.