Metroid Prime: Hunters Monday Makeover At Kombo
March 30, 2010
Samus Aran's first-person shooter/adventures in the Metroid Prime sub-franchise went handheld back in 2006 with Metroid Prime: Hunters for the Nintendo DS, but I have to admit that the game didn't meet my expectations at all. I bought it at release on faith, but wasn't rewarded for my assumption that it would actually be enjoyable. I'm not the only one that feels there's room for improvement, as over at Kombo we have one of our roundtable discussions about how a potential sequel could be improved. Everyone has ideas about how to fix Hunters. Here's mine, for example:
I was completely disappointed with Metroid Prime Hunters, so a lot would have to change for the sequel if I were going to come back for a second round. The single-player adventure was much too frustrating for me, as I had problems mastering the controls when it came to aiming and shooting. I gave up early out of pure anger at being blasted apart from incoming fire that I couldn't locate quickly enough to retaliate again and again. As for the multiplayer, the online cheating runs rampant, making the game unenjoyable for those us who stay honest while competing. Winning or losing doesn't matter to me, but when opponents hide inside walls and never take any damage, playing the game becomes completely pointless. In order for me to buy into the sequel, I'd need the controls overhauled and better enforcement of cheat-proof multiplayer.
The game is still sitting on my DS game shelf with a lowly 4% completed. I just couldn't muster the patience to plug ahead with it. The next time that the Metroid franchise goes into the portable realm (hello, Nintendo 3DS) I'd really like to see it stick to its 2D roots. Keep the 3D action blockbusters for the Wii and beyond, please.