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All right, I finished the second Metroid Prime game earlier today. Kinda hard to believe that this game was released in 2004 during the height of my senior year at high school. I fell in love with this game because of lot of elements of Metroid that were done right and refined to highly-polished level and I am still in love with it even with Wii-control. I can say that Metroid Prime 2 had earned the best kind of benefits from Wii-control, even more than what Metroid Prime 1 benefits along with few of welcomed changes.



GRAPHIC

Gritty and realistic and original. The art direction that wowed everyone in the first game was taken to unforeseen next level of unbelievably realistic alien design. Luminoth culture is rich in detail everywhere you go and each areas really take advantage of Gamecube hardware, pushing the design to eat up lot of graphical horsepower and the game never disappoint. It easy to see why Metroid Prime 3 used this game as foundations for the world's awesome art direction. However, I felt that Prime 2 have the best art direction because of the whole game being unified into one world. It really easy to become swallowed into the glorious paraside that is Aether with many of its areas teeming with life and architectures.

Also, the animations are still realistic and fluid, the beasts moves as they should, and their appearances suited the environment and world, making Aether unique and different than Tallon IV, Bryyo, Elysia, Pirate Homeworld, and Phaaze. The graphical effects also returned, some with new bloom effect that give the world slightly more depth for the best. I don't understand what the gripes with Dark Aether from many. Sure it really purple and dark and difficult to survive, but that's the point. Even if Dark Aether's design is slightly weaker than Aether and Phaaze stole lot of graphical power, it still stood the test of time as desolated deadly world that provide the challenge that's unique to this Metroid game.

9.6/10



SOUND

For Metroid Prime soundtracks... think Super Metroid soundtracks on steroid and ecstasy and heroin with full musical and choir tunes. This ranks bit higher than Metroid Prime 1's soundtrack because of memorable theme of Temple Ground, Torvus Bog, and Sanctuary Fortress following by scores of excellent ambients from both light and dark worlds.

For sounds and sound effects... just as great as Metroid Prime 1, which is also just as awesome.

10/10



PLOT

Just like Prime 1, the plot is both simple and complex and it is totally depending on how the player experiences the game. Lores, enemies' data, pirates logs, testaments, and more, all waiting to be scanned and read by you... if you so wish. If not, the game will never punish you for it and that's the great thing.

You would be happy to hear that there's absolutely no revisions of any kinds to any of scans and logs and dialogues, keeping the plot entirely intact. This fact made me glad greatly because of my initial disappointment with Metroid Prime 1's revisions to lores and scans. However, the lores and scans didn't quite holds lot of wow factor to Prime 1's because the first game have mystical poetic and heavy scientific tones to their words, but Prime 2's texts are still enjoyably serviceable and heavy in data and information.

9.8/10



GAMEPLAY

So... this game got overhauled in term of gameplay with Wiimote function and controls, just like Prime 1. YAY!

But still no Grapple Lasso and niffy interface function from MP3. AAWWW...

Yet the Metroid Prime 1 and 2 were never meant to have those kind of gesture-based interface in first place and the gameplay remain largely intact. YAY!

Yeah, I still didin't really miss Grapple Lasso and other interface such as pressing button, turning cranks, pumping, and lifting levers. Metroid Prime 2 does have unique experience that differs from MP1 and MP3. In my opinion, MP2 benefits the most from Wii-control and as result, this game played better than what MP1 could have hoped for.

Enemies hard to hit? Nope, thanks to their slightly slower pacing than blazing fast enemies from first title, allowing your pointer function to easily blasting away.

Bosses easier now? YES! Well, only few of them. Boost Ball and Spider Ball guardians are thankfully tweaked to be easier in term of damages it gave you. No more deadly damages that end your life too quick! Their attacks pattern haven't changed, so they still give lot of challenge without any frustration.

New areas? Yes and they're better! No more ice, fire, or elemental area. You get desert, bog, wasteland, and technological areas and they're just as rich and diverse as MP1 is. Also, they're filled with more secrets and puzzles than you could ask for! biggrin

Oh no! Backtracking! Oh yes, backtracking. It just as good as first game, which is already perfect and is still perfect in this game.

Also, many of bosses (including some fan favorites) are now easier to battles against because of Wii-control that allow lot of freedom that original MP2 from Cube couldn't offer. As result, the boss battles feel better and natural, making your victory oh so sweet and utter defeat causing lot of agony. Emperor Ing? Dark Samus? Quadraxis? Still kick a**.

Except for the final final boss at the end... still sucks. At least it easier cause of Wii-control.

9.6/10



FINAL THOUGHT

Back in summer of 2004, I was in first ever all-time hype because of huge attention and success hat Prime 1 had earned and hearing the sequel being on it way got me excited like never before. When I first played it, Metroid fever ran through me again and never let go. I was stoked by how brilliant this game is, just like how I was blown away by Prime 1. Delightfully, the game still stand the test of time even after 5 years and I still find myself gleefully blasting away Space Pirates and Ings. This proved that Retro Studio definitely know how to craft a brilliant Metroid game and that MP1 isn't a fluke.

Sadly, there's bit of familiarity in MP2 because the fundamental 3D Metroid didn't changed a lot despite the experience being totally unique. This would change in MP3 where its original control wowed people all over again. Personally, MP2 will always remain my favorite because of unique art direction, addictive soundtrack, richly organic areas, and fun challenging bosses.

Part two of masterful Prime Trilogy... completed!



Final Score
9.6/10



next stop... Metroid Prime 3. Gonna be a nice ending to the trilogy.