Samus Aran, one of the original female video game leads, is once again the star in this installment in the Metroid series. She finds herself once again tracking the space pirates and attempting to foil their experiments on an empty, once-inhabited planet.
The overall structure of the game involves exploring the planet on which the game takes place, Tallon IV, and searching for upgrades and artifacts, often fighting a boss first. It makes for a fun game, as much about exploring as it is about battling, but it also means spending a lot of time jogging from one end of the map to another, previously explored part of the map to enter an area that was once inaccessible. By the end of the game you'll probably yearn for some sort of teleportation feature as I did.
Gameplay can be awkward, which is the norm with console first-person shooters. No matter how smoothe the controls are, I always end up feeling like I'm driving a fat kid. However, Samus's responsivity during jumping and her auto-targeting make for a smoother ride than most, and makes taking down most of the critters she faces a breeze.
The visuals and audio are both stunning. The world of Tallon IV really comes alive, and if you're anything like me you'll appreciate the small details in the game - Samus's faceplate fogging up when she walks through a steamy area, or the occasional reflection of Samus's face in her visor when there's a bright flash of light. The music features remakes of Metroid classics, and are extremely well-done.
The game is mostly easy, with several of the boss fights presenting a challenge. The scavenger hunt for items can be extremely frustrating sometimes if you're like me and are resistant to looking up online FAQs.
Overall, it was a great game. You'll most likely play it through once and have a Hell of a time. There's very little replay value apart from replaying the game on "Hard Mode" or striving to unlock more of the games art galleries. GameCube owners will want to check this out.
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