We store cookies, you can get more info from our privacy policy.
GC

North America

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

by Daniel Bloodworth - May 25, 2004, 12:25 am EDT

Full details on both the single-player and multiplayer modes shown at E3.

The Metroid Prime 2 demo on display at E3 this year shows off both the single-player and multiplayer facets of the game. The single player portion shows Samus en route to rescue a group of Federation Troopers from the planet Aether, but as she approaches, you can tell something isn't quite right. Her ship encounters difficulty in the atmosphere, and she nearly crash-lands. As it turns out, the planet is the subject of a trans-dimensional anomaly that has both a dark and a light version competing for existence in the same space.

The game feels much like the original, with the main differences being in the new beams and scan visor. The new graphic interface for the scan visor allows you to see important items more easily. The look is similar to the targeting mode in the GameCube Rogue Squadron games. Items you need to scan to progress are highlighted in red, while other items that merely provide info on the story or environment are in blue. The new interface really allows you to get a good overview of what can be scanned more quickly.

The new dark and light beams are currently available by default in the demo, but you'll likely need to hunt them down in the final game. Their real advantages come out in the context of the light and dark worlds. In general though, the dark beam has a slower shot, and the light beam can shoot a shotgun-like prism of projectiles if you charge it. The light beam is also necessary to advance in the dark world by shooting floating lights that expand to protect you from the deadly dark matter.

The enemies being shown are fairly difficult. The creatures in the light world seem to be variants of the typical Space Pirates found in Metroid Prime. They can be tough with your standard beam, but turn out to be pretty easy if you switch over to the dark beam. Not only are they quick, but there is one point where a couple of them mount a pair of powerful laser cannons that you’ll need to take out before moving on.

On the dark side, we have our first run in with the Ing. These nebulous creatures first appear as untouchable blobs of dark matter, tracing along the walls, eventually solidifying into forms with a bright multi-colored “face" that shoots projectiles. The light beam is better suited for fighting the Ing of course, but the battle still takes some time, and you’ll find yourself jumping from one protective bubble to the next as the Ing move about the room.

As you travel through Light Aether, you’ll come across log entries mentioning Phazon, Dark Aether, and more troubles breeding and training the Metroids caged nearby (and feeding on one of their trainers). You’ll also catch a few brief glimpses of the mysterious Dark Samus, but the pesky security locks keep you from following her too soon.

The single-player demo culminates with a one-on-one showdown with Dark Samus after she absorbs a large store of Phazon. The long and intense battle requires you to make a quick dodges as the floating Dark Samus blasts out numerous projectiles, sends structures crashing down above you, and blasts across the room like a meteor. When you defeat her, her body disintegrates into points of dark matter, falling throughout the room, but surely this isn’t the end of her...

Multiplayer

There are two forms of multiplayer in the E3 Metroid Prime 2 demo: deathmatch and bounty mode, both of which are set to a five minute time limit. The familiar deathmatch mode is won by getting the most kills before time runs out. Bounty mode, on the other hand, is conquered by collecting the most bounty coins. Every time you shoot another player in bounty mode, coins are dropped, and you’ll need to rush to pick them up. If you completely run out of energy, you’ll find yourself left with zero coins when you re-spawn. The result is that while deathmatch is focused on getting the most kills, bounty mode focuses on surviving longer, encouraging you to disengage from battles to search out health and power-ups more.

Winning conditions aside, both game types are fairly similar to standard FPS action, but with the controls, power-ups, and level designs unique to Metroid and a number of new additions to liven things up.

While FPS fans may cringe at the thought of lock-on, it actually doesn’t make one-on-one encounters a walk in the park. Samus takes more of a beating than other FPS combatants and can use the morph ball to make a quick escape. Without the instant-kill head shots from most FPS games, the gameplay becomes more of a matter of out-maneuvering your opponent than precision aiming.

There is only one multiplayer level available, but it features plenty of morph-ball specific structures, including tight air ducts, morph ball cannons that shoot you from one end of the stage to the other, and even a spider ball wall.

In addition to weapons straight from the single-player game like super missiles and power bombs, there are some special status power-ups that give you temporary advantages for about thirty seconds or so. Some of the self-explanatory status changes include Invisible Mode, Unlimited Ammo, Major Damage, and Hard to Kill. Then there’s Hacking Mode which lets you use the scan visor to infect an opponent’s power suit with a virus that can damage them or disable functions like missiles. And finally, the E3 favorite: Death Ball, which allows you to roll around as an electrically charged harbinger of instant doom.

Although it’s fun for the short-term, honestly, it feels like Metroid Prime multiplayer is going to need some more weapons, options, and gameplay modes before it can become a multiplayer classic like Mario Kart or Smash Bros. Here’s to hoping that what we’ve seen so far only scratches the surface.

Share + Bookmark





Metroid Prime 2: Dark Echoes Box Art

Genre Adventure
Developer Retro Studios
Players1 - 4

Worldwide Releases

na: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Release Nov 15, 2004
PublisherNintendo
RatingTeen
jpn: Metroid Prime 2: Dark Echoes
Release May 26, 2005
PublisherNintendo
Rating12+
eu: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Release Nov 26, 2004
PublisherNintendo
Rating12+
aus: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Release Dec 02, 2004
PublisherNintendo
RatingMature (15+)
Got a news tip? Send it in!
Advertisement
Advertisement