"Its like the planet was made for samus" i mean, yeah. Tallon 4 was. The chozo saw visions of her avenging their terrible demise to visions hundreds of years later, so they prepared things only she could access and tested her. Is it still pulpy? Yeah But i think people refer to visual and art design when they talk about immersion, which is sadly not really touched upon here. But thats ok! I think the video was really well done and brings out a lot of the good and bad points peoply dont talk about often. Here's hoping 4 will come out before beserk ends

Fun fact: The difficulty in the trilogy is nerfed from the original GC versions.

You seem to attribute world building with immersion which is misleading. Immersion is subjective, and I feel like the usage of the word when it comes to video games, has spanned several connotations with it. The “immersion” the Metroid series has to offer involves tone, atmosphere, exploration, and progression which the MP series certainly has and many others along with it. For example, two of my favorite games, dark souls and silent hill 2, can both be immersive without exploring its world building. As for your actual critique of MP 1 and 2s world building, I would say it’s incredibly misguided. Most of the areas in the first two games are dilapidated ghosts of their former selves (which is much more charming than the space bases of the third for me), meaning that there is room for interpretation, which is far more interesting, in my opinion, than having it being explicitly told. It’s like you’re an archeologist uncovering what was once lost, piecing together the cultural and practical usage of the area (although the spin ball ramps and luminoth height disparity with the rest of the world is inexcusable even though the doors are just masking loading screens). Your main complaint was that the world felt designed for Samus, which is true, but what’s equally true is that your upgrades were found on that planet, meaning this technology was readily available during its prime so of course it’ll be implemented throughout the world. When you say something didnt make sense, I was trying to make sense of it anyway. For example, you mentioned the spider ball tracks in sanctuary. My interpretation is that those spider ball tracks were a more energy efficient resource transportation system for unmanned drones leading to and from sanctuary to other sections of the world but is now broken down to the state you found it in, while the central bridge in that set piece was for larger items and luminoth commute. If that kind of thing doesn’t interest you, then the logbook and the scanning mechanic explicitly tells you about the area and lore and trust me there is more than enough to indulge in there. I can understand if the game isn’t for you, many of my friends can’t enjoy it with the same vigor as myself, but portraying that particular opinion to a larger audience as a “critique” undercuts what people who do enjoy these games have experienced and might even drive away potential fans.

I wish I had a dollar for every time I said “yeah totally, but I like that” while watching this

Man, this was awesome. Eloquent and intelligently written, as always! Can’t remember the last time I heard a video game essay use the word “verisimilitude” lol

"Presumably it's brainless because you don't do bomb slot puzzles" had me rolling hahaha

"Every fight turns into enter Hyper Mode and blast them" damn it I wasn't looking to have DMC 2 flashbacks today.

“Combat was easy” Well of course, I noticed the flying Pirates hit you for like 3 damage, when they are supposed to do way more. Then I remembered the Wii version defaults to an easier mode than what was on GameCube. I’m not saying you would have died if you played the normal difficulty, but you’d probably feel more pressure.

Eyyy, now this I can get behind.

I honestly don't know why Prime 3 gets so much shit, the reasons you stated is why it's basically my favorite of the trilogy: it still has the exploration the series is known for but with a reworked combat with much better enemy AI that actually test your aiming skill and attack way more often. I agree combat outside bosses was kinda a chore in 1 & 2, specially in the second one because of it's ammo that was used more at opening doors that shooting enemies. Not to mention Prime 3 had the strongest environments. Prime 1 did the classic Forest, Ice, Lava, Water levels and Prime 2 while all the levels was a more _integrated_ aesthetic it kinda blend with each other from time to time, specially in the dark world. Not that these approaches were bad, I just liked Prime 3 more _out there_ locations.

If you read the lore you’d discover that the chozo did actually build their world with Samus in mind. They prophesied their demise and her arrival to heal the world so they prepared the way for her.

Talon 4 in prime 1 is similar to Zebes in the fact that they’re both Chozo planets. In prime 1 some scans talk about the prophecy of light, which predicts the story events of the game. Going by this prophecy and the fact Samus is on Talon 4 aswell as seeing that the Chozo made her armour, it makes sense that there are specific parts of the world that are designed with Samus’s Chozo armour in mind.

That Ridley shaft fight in Corruption was the fucking shit

If you ask me, Metroid is a exploration-based adventure game 1st, a platformer 2nd, and an action game/shooter a close 3rd, Which is why it's weird to me when people call Metroid Prime a FPS or compare it to Halo. Combat in Metroid is usually not a lot more than an obstacle to platforming, and platforming is little more than an obstacle to exploration. Think of Mario, Mega Man, Sonic, Crash Bandicoot, etcetera. The primary goal is to traverse the environment on a route from Point A to Point B, and the enemies and combat systems in their games are secondary. Not much more than an obstacle to jumping on platforms. That's Metroid, except the one difference is that you get to pick the point A and point B. That whole getting lost and not knowing where to go is what I play Metroidvanias for. It's my jam! The sense of discovery, and memorizing/optimizing the route on subsequent playthroughs is something I personally thrive on! But I get that it is actually a really niche genre that may not be what everyone else looks for in a game, particularly if they are initially interested in a game because it's in 1st person and you have a gun. That's why Prime 3's structure and being told where to go is unsatisfying to me, because that's not what I came here to play Metroid for. And the Atmosphere to me has never really been about the believability, but rather the mood. No, I don't think that these places are realistic, could actually exist, or are even cohesive all the time. But I'm immersed in it nonetheless because the world has a character. A living, breathing, mysterious vibe. Maybe slightly game-y, but I'm playing a game, and I'm wiggling a Wiimote around like a dumbass, so whatever. That isn't to say Prime 1 and 2 aren't flawed, and that you don't bring up valid points. Rather, I'm agreeing with the statement that maybe Metroid games aren't exactly your brand. And that's fine.

While I can't say I agree on a macro level with your critique, some of the micro complaints do ring especially true to me: - The McGuffin hunts are not that appealing to me, I wiki them and move on. - Some of the areas (like Magmoor Caverns and Phazon Mines in MP1) are WAYY too linear and pace-breaking, Magmoor is especially egregious because you have to traverse it SO MANY TIMES if you don't know what you're doing. - The mid-game-ish backtrack in MP2 is nonsensical and aggravating as hell. - Prime 1 is a bit too guilty of cramming varied (and at times unoriginal, IMO) locales close together. - Although I rank 3 lower than both 1 and 2, some people are way to fixated on rejecting some of its "streamlined" components. Also, I can't say for sure, but I think it would have been better if you had played 1 and 2 with the legacy lock-on method, I personally found it much more manageable.

Be honest, Prime would NEVER in a million years work on N64

I Apprrciate you understand that it "isn't for" you. I would add, "immersion" is not a single line of gradiance. "Immersive sims" can be decidedly less immersive for some. Eg, you seem to be most immersed by combat mechanics.

hyper mode is "oh no the enemy injected me with STEROIDS"

I'm a big fan of 2D Metroid, but I think there's room for a good 3D "Metroid" game that isn't true to "Metroid" if that makes any sense. I'd rather play a good game than one that's faithful to something else

I just feel like I need to mention that your criticism of the first game being "made for Samus" it was a planet inhabited by the aliens that created the technology Samus uses so yeah...

I hope the other two Prime games get HD Remastered someday.

You basically only talked about combat which is the least important mechanic in the game as it was in the 2d games.

Me, a metroid prime fanatic, after watching this video: "Yeah, that's pretty much it." But the gameplay of 1 and 2 just speaks to me man, and like you said when they improve the combat, they REALLY improve it. Shame that they blended the beams together in 3, I didn't like that. Another defense is that ALL enemies in 1 and 2 have a weakness that makes it so you can take them down in about 5 seconds. If you need to need to use some missiles, then you do it, it's not like the damn things are rare anyway.

Actually the world feels like it was made for samus, because it was. The chozo placed all the needed artifacts, doors and enemies in order to test Samus if she is the one who will destroy phazon. If you sit down and read the logs you will see that they knew she would come, they were able to vaguely see the future. The pirates on the other Hand are the only not intended beings on the planet. Hence why the Phazon Mines don’t have your typical “intended” world design

I feel like immersion is really the wrong word to use to describe the appeal of the Prime games. To be honest, it's not even something I'd use to describe the appeal of immersive Sims, though their appeal is very different than Metroid's. To me, the appeal of Prime is its Mood and the sense it gives you of slowly uncovering a world and a map. To be honest, I like Prime for the same reason Dark Souls 1 is my favorite SoulsBourne: while the easier teleportation of later Souls games respected your time more, it also reduced the feeling of Mastery over the space and the sense of isolation and interiority within the avatar. To me Prime 1 and 2 have a similar appeal, an appeal which is lost in 3. I still like 3 well enough, but while it definitely fixes some of the more plain and boring elements of the first two games, as you pointed out, it also completely abandons the solitary, uninterrupted vibe of the originals. It feels like Prime 3 fixes issues that were obscured by its predecessors mood, but by also removing that mood it draws attention to its weakest elements, namely the combat and the pulpy plot. Again, Prime 3 is absolutely not a bad game, but to me it doesn't do what I want a Prime game to do.

This is more "Critiquing the combat of Metroid Prime Trilogy" and nothing about what these games really is (not Halo) like level design, exploration, backtracking, power ups, ambience and music.

Hey, as a huge fan of the Metroid series and Prime, I think you make quite a few valid points. Backtracking can be a slog and could be remedied somewhat with a more tightly designed world (as Dark Souls shows is possible), and combat isn't a particular strength. One of the only things I disagree with is your comment on the storytelling of Prime 1 specifically (since I don't remember the stories of the other two too well). Prime's storytelling is rooted heavily in its environments and text from glyphs and hacked terminals. Like the Souls series, the plot is thin, but there's a lot there for the player to discover for themselves if they wish to do so, and even some interesting thematic narratives show themselves. For example, comparing the Chozo's philosophy, architecture, and relation to/treatment of nature compared to the Space Pirates yields some interesting insights. I'd also argue the game sets up a parallel between the Space Pirates and phazon as invasive, power-hungry, corrupting forces. And the game integrates a lot of this into its world with foreshadowing and a gradual progression. Honestly, I still find its world-building execution (at least these aspects of it) impressive, even by today's standards.

You know the amo drops in metroid echos works if you use dark you get light and you use light and get dark sou you never run out of amo

Hell yeah, this series on the Gamecube was my childhood bro!

you played trilogy on normal lmao, that's easy mode; Veteran is the original games' difficulty

I'll give you one thing, I've been a big metroid fan most of my life, and even I hated the artifact hunts

Fair criticism but a small point that I feel matters: if you played "normal" on Prime trilogy, you didn't actually play normal. The prime trilogy version actually created a new much easier difficulty for Prime 1 and 2 called "normal," and renamed the original normal to "hard".

If Echoes repeated the same puzzle more than a couple of times you would call it repetitive, so there's really no way out of that one

I feel where you're coming from, but I love Prime 1 and 2. I didn't feel like any of your points of critique were invalid, but for me they were very minor things that didn't effect my enjoyment of the games. I love the atmosphere and that whole Metroidvania gameplay loop. Prime 3, I think is stuck in an awkward place where it isn't doing the Metroid thing as well as its predecessors, but it's not doing the action thing as well as its contemporaries. Still, it's really great at points. GFS Valhalla is easily the most immersive and atmospheric location in the whole Pime series, and it isn't even close IMO.

Metroid is a pretty niche series It’s all about exploration and non linearity, it’s not heavy on story or action Combat is more about satisfyingly blasting enemies into bits of meat than being super engaging like Halo Don’t blame you for not jiving with it, it ain’t for everyone and I commend you for recognizing that

I think Mark Brown and KingK compare 3 to halo is because of 2's sales numbers. 2 didn't sell well because of the hype of halo 2. So 3 takes inspiration from halo and takes some elements from it

The ammo gimmick is pretty cool. If you're running out of a type of beam, just destroy something/somebody with the opposite beam and in turn you get the ammo for the first beam. Pretty easy stuff, but still cool.

"Rooms are void of fights" -Part of the world building. Space pirates are only in areas they have business in(shipments,labs,landing zones,patrolling, headquaters,etc) All the wildlife is acting in self defense/territorial. It's not COD. Not everything has to be a shooting at you.

I just remember these games (the first 2 anyway) being something different for me when they came out. Yeah as an adult there were certain things you have to overlook in order to make the worlds more believable but as a kid I never noticed. Between how it felt and looked it pulled me in. I agree with your points but to be honest I still love these games.

Did this guy just call the ammo in Echoes “scarce” lmao

These games are masterpeices. The first one came out 01-02, the graphics look so real for a gamecube game it isnt even funny. Rain hitting your visor and reflection of samus' eyes when you shoot a wall too close to you... and all the lore. The plot is what you make of it. How much you scan is how much you understand the plot of the games.

I get the hesitation to want to criticize acclaimed games, people take stuff too personally, but then on the other side of that, so much of a review shouldn't be potshots at what other people like followed by your own defensiveness by liking the entry that from your perspective gets the most flack (highly debatable if 2 or 3 are seen as the worst Primes).

I love all three of the Prime games. Sure, they're all quite different, but I think every one of them has something it's great at, and I think they're all fun to play, even if in different ways. That being said, I do prefer the style and direction of Prime 1 and 2 and hope that 4 will be going into a similar direction - with maybe a few elements of 3 thrown into the mix. This may be weird to grasp for a lot of people, but I - and I think many other Metroid fans as well - actually like the back-tracking in the Prime games and even consider it an integral part of the experience. At least in the case of Prime 1 I think that way. The world is just small and interconnected enough that it's fast enough to traverse for my taste, and yet being built this way kinda makes it feel more immersive and real to me. I don't consider it a flaw, but rather an integral part of the experience, which is also why I liked Prime 3's smaller, independent areas considerably less. They were certainly more convenient, but also no longer felt like parts of a larger world to me. I do think that Prime 2 didn't manage this quite as well as the first game, though. The areas in it feel less interconnected and you often have to traverse through the central "hub" area to get to your destination, which kinda feels low-effort. I think it's a good example for showing that enjoyable back-tracking is difficult to get right. For me personally, Prime 1 was perfect in this regard, whereas 2 was a bit too much and 3 was too little. I also think when Metroid fans talk about liking the immersion or lore in Metroid Prime, they usually don't necessarily mean that the worlds feel "realistic" or have a complex narrative or anything like that. I think they're referring precisely to what I just tried to (but kinda failed to) describe. Back-tracking is definitely a part of that. Traversing from one area to another in Prime 1 can certainly take some time and (depending on your play style) be kinda uneventful, but doing it makes us feel grounded in the game, as if we were actually a part of it's world. It doesn't matter to us that morph ball tunnels or boost mechanisms don't make sense at all for a pirate base or a human society, it only matters that this kind of world makes sense to us, the player, and that it's something that is fun for us to traverse and that we can get lost in. Playing a Metroid game, I've never once stopped myself to think "well, having a bomb-activated mechanism here really doesn't make much sense", but I've very often stopped myself to think something like "wow, this is cool, getting the Gravity Suit opened up this new pathway for me, which acts as shortcut to the beginning at lets me traverse the world much quicker". It's a feeling I never got in the third game. In there, it was pretty much just "alright, done with this area, now back to the ship and on to the next one". Another important aspect for me in terms of immersion is isolation. Something that I feel the first game did best. Playing it feels like being alone on this alien planet, because, well, you kinda are. It was a very thrilling feeling to me and it made me feel alive. Prime 2 had a bit less of that, because there were now Luminoth besides you, and Prime 3 even less, because there were other hunters, NPCs and even a helper AI that regularly talked to you. It never really felt as though you were on your own. To me, that was precisely one of the defining features of Metroid Prime, though. Based on everything I've said so far, you can probably guess that Prime 1 is my favorite of the three games, but as I said, I think every one of them is great in their own right. Prime 2, in my opinion, feels the most depressing and has the darkest atmosphere. Exploration in Prime 1 could feel intense because of that feeling of isolation and also because of certain enemies that popped up in the second half of the game (I will never not be afraid of the Chozo ghosts and the music that accompanies them). Exploration in Prime 2, on the other hand, felt intense simply because the dark world was so immensely dangerous and felt so uncomfortable. Even after acquiring the Light Suit, I never really got a sense of security, because soon afterwards, dark Metroids started roaming the planet. As for Prime 3, what I really loved about that game were the narrative and how epic everything felt. I know that some people would probably rather not have voice acting in a Metroid game, but I personally think it was great and worked very well here, and while the narrative and gameplay structure kinda took away from the feeling of isolation, it was nice to feel like a part of something bigger for once and to experience aspects of the world that weren't focussed entirely on Samus. Having a difficult time putting my thoughts into words, but I hope it's somewhat understandable and relateable why I like each individual game the way I do. I really have no idea where Prime 4 could be going from here, but I'm almost certain that no matter how it turns out, it won't be able to please everyone. Personally, I would love to see back-tracking and a bigger, interconnected world again, but I know very well that some people just aren't into that at all, and that's perfectly valid. Though I guess the real question remains: why the heck isn't there a Prime Trilogy remaster on the Switch yet?!? Come on, Nintendo! You know damn well what we want.

So, Metroid is my favorite series with Metroid Prime being arguably my favorite game of all time. That said, I really appreciated this video and how it made me think about why I love those games. For me, it comes down to a few things: atmosphere, progression, and immersion. I will fully admit that part of why I find the games so immersive is that things being "video game-y" has never bothered me. Is it objectively weird that so many different planets and species use technology that seems to fit Samus and Samus alone? Yeah, I guess. But I've never really thought of it that way. I always saw it as Samus's abilities let her interact with the varied technology she encountered. It never bothered me, and still doesn't, that that might not make perfect sense because it makes gameplay sense. Metroid is more about game mechanics creating worlds and challenges that realistic world-building that gameplay inhabits. Part of the immersion experience is almost certainly linked to the time you played these games. At launch, they (especially Prime 1) were graphical juggernauts that pushed their respective systems to their limits. Having things like falling rain drip down Samus's visor or seeing a brief reflection of her face when using the charge shot were amazing for the time, and the first time I ever really felt like I was experiencing a game world as the character instead of just a player playing a game. Whether or not the environments in the game made total sense, they were all consistent and the world felt interconnected in a way I'd never seen before. The scan visor giving lore and data on every little thing in the environment made the world feel real and deep to me. I've never been more immersed in a game than the first time I played Prime 1, and I would kill to relive that experience. I respect your opinions, and I think you make a lot of valid points, but I do disagree with a lot of it. And that's OK. These games were made for me, and it's OK that they weren't your cup of tea. Also, Prime 3's gameplay rocks, screw hating on it for being a better shooter.

You've got an interesting perspective. GMTK and KingK are more familiar with 2D Metroid than they are modern shooters, and you're very much the reverse which is why y'all's opinions clash. I feel like if you came at the Prime games from the perspective of "really enjoying Super Metroid and Zero Mission" you might understand why Retro was working with a very different set of standards when developing these. But, your interpretation is just as valid - games don't exist in a vacuum, and modern retrospectives have merit.

Man I really think you should do God of War soon. Then Dad of Boy as a separate vid, they're pretty good

Takes a shot everytime he says "combat".

Hey now, that part about the Metroids not being pets or target practice, the dumbass who tried to shoot at a metroid and got put in a coma, and their somewhat monotone staff reports are kinda funny given that they're supposed to be scary edgy space pirates. Then again, I really love and appreciate dry humor so I'm guessing Bashy here doesn't.

Ammo isn't as scarce as you seem to have thought. Shoot a crate with one beam, you get 20 of the opposite ammo. Ammo pickups are everywhere if you know how to get them. That said, you shouldn't just need to know, the game should have told you

metroid prime 2 is rewarding to revisit because you can do everything more efficiently, but it does assume you want the extra stuff and strongly hints when you are intended to take a break from the main quest and explore. For me it paid off and I love it. but I will say, the point of the ammo was to just create tension. You usually wont have full ammo but you usually wont run out unless you try. I am always frugal in any video game, so I didnt realize how much breathing room I had until the second playthrough.

I believe youtube needed this review

I still have not completed the first one, though I have the trilogy on Wii U. I did play Hunters multiplayer a whole lot, though, lol... I prefer the 2D games.

normal?! come on, you talk about how halo is hard on heroic but mock Metroid for being easy on normal?

The thing that chiches Prime 3 as being the weakest in the series for me isn't necessarily the lack of isolation and focus on combat (though that's part of it and I'll get back to the latter in a minute), but more in level design and balance. The areas are large loops with little in the way of transition point between them, each makes going through them pretty cool the first time with their epic action set pieces and whatnot, but a slog later in the game when you're trying to get from point to point because it takes so long to get anywhere even with the fast travel system. Prime 1 and especially 2 were designed with a lot of small loops and shortcuts that made navigation much more efficient. It's like they took the worst designed area of Prime 1, the Phazon Mines, and made that every area. My other problem extends from the combat focus, though not the combat focus itself. In fact, I welcome a bigger focus on combat in theory. My problem is that hypermode is so overpowered that it ruins the balance of the system. Due to its existence enemies are incredibly bullet spongy, but they die quickly from hypermode which makes the combat either tedious or boring. Which is an issue when it's the core focus of the game. I think if they'd expanded on Prime 2's system where every enemy has weaknesses and you have to balance managing resources with using the best tool for the job would make for a more engaging system. I did like the incorporation of grapple beam into combat, though.

18:10 “let me guess, corruption is his favorite”

4:35 was a very accurate reaction from all of us. i laughed a bit more than i should've.

your reasons for not liking this game is the same reason why i think most of the japanese audience doesn't like Metroid Prime.

Don't let Nintendo own you. Wish I was told that when I was in middle school.

My main problem with prime 3, is it's too easy to be fun on veteran, and on hypermode they had to overcompensate for hypermode, they made it so brutally hard that, no longer felt like it was my fault for dying (even 100% it), and became less fun than it being too easy, and this is coming from a guy who plays the other 2 on hypermode just fine

I will never understand this weird thing in nerd culture of "Metroid is a big brain boy sci fi game" when the main character has a gun arm that she received from giant space chickens. It's pulp sci fi that's afraid to be pulp sci fi. I love you for pointing that out. I wonder if the big brain boys ever considered Elite: Dangerous. Docking in a space port wrong in that game gets you killed.

Your voice sounds like Static Shocks white friend from that CW cartoon

"Don't let Nintendo own you." Brave words.

These were some great takes. Like I feel like you've honed into a lot of the issues with the metroidvania genre that a lot of avid fans of the genre deny, or don't realize. I think you were really on point with the whole rewarding replaying the game a lot, and that's why a lot of people gloss over all the problems, because they're often unknowingly editing their own experience by bypassing more of the boring flawed stuff because of the knowledge that comes from replaying it so much. They lose touch with the first main experience of the game, and it warps their view on the actual design, making a lot of people think it's some magical perfect experience even though there are things that could be improved on.

14:16 I used to do the same, as I always do with limited ammo on games (one has to wonder how I even manage to play a Fire Emblem game), but after my first playthrough, I just started using more ammo and found out the game is very well balanced in terms of resupplying you. Just pay attention to what weapon you're using to kill enemies and destroy crates and you'll have plenty of ammo to deal with any threat on your way even without getting any ammo expansion. Just think of them as missiles - I never run out of missiles when I have more than 50.

I'm a devoted fan of all things Metroid and adore all 3 Prime games. This has been a very interesting but thought out review that opposes many similar view points other youtubers have had. I can respect the "not all games are meant for me" approach because I to feel that way about games. I still love the games but I think you made good cases why the games might not be for everyone and gave good defense points to Prime 3. I'll be sure to check out some more of your videos.

How dare you. Anyway I'm starting the video now

As a huge fan of MP3 this is such a refreshing take on the Metroid Prime Trilogy. So many points you make are just so true and were initial criticisms I had when I first played MP1. I revisited the series with MP3 several years later and really fell in love with it for the reasons you mentioned. In fact, the initial criticisms weakened over time for me, I was able to ignore them much better and had a great time with MP1 and MP2. Nowdays I believe MP2 is my favorite. But your review makes me really curious how MP3 feels like for me now, because I always found it better than MP1 and it could possibly knock MP2 off the throne again.

Man, this is one of my favorite videos that you've done. Excellent from start to finish!

You ran into a massive issue I imagine alot of players did playing Metroid Prime Trilogy first. It's that Nintendo LIES about the difficulty. There's now normal, veteran, and hypermode difficulties. Except "veteran" is actually the original game's difficulty, with "normal" being the new casual/easy mode. Even with veteran mode, the simplified control scheme makes the first 2 games much easier since they weren't designed with that in mind. Though I am surprised you stuck with the Wave Beam in MP1 despite being all over MP3's Hyper Mode. It does the least damage of all beams, even the power beam, but makes fights easier with it's homing properties and stun. It's the game's defensive "safe" beam that just drags things out. Not sure why you wouldn't just spam super missiles or the ice-missile combo instead since they toss missiles at you like candy and you can easily justify health risks with normal/veteran mode's health pool.

but you’re rarely forced to fight: shows footage of the chozo ghosts man, fuck retro for that one. there are tons of rooms when i’m replaying that game that i go ‘fuck fu- oh wait they aren’t triggered yet’

The first prime game is not difficult, but I think teh reason you find it particularly easy is, that in the Wii version (for some reason) they changed the difficulte setting. Veteran on the Wii is Normal on the GC and Normal on the Wii is a new added easy mode. Wish I knew that before I startet on Normal :)

While it's clear that KBash has a different set of priorities in a game like Metroid Prime than its fans, I understand both sides to the Corruption argument because of this argumentation. As a fan of the series, Corruption is a shining example of sanding down the edges of a flawed, niche product in the name of greater mass appeal. Metroid Prime and Echoes are decidedly lacking in the action department in many ways, that is true. However, the trade-off is the nearly impeccable mood and vibe of both Tallon IV and Aether. The environmental storytelling (scan logs and level details) add so much beyond simple lore because of how they relate to the levels themselves. That's the appeal of two-thirds of this trilogy: unmatched exploratory vibes. They're mechanically less demanding than their 2D counterparts, but they manage to be just as engaging to a similar audience because of the clunk and weirdness of it all. Prime 3, then, is the game for everyone else. That's fine in and of itself, but it's a lie to say it's true to the series core appeal. The story is pulpy and off the wall, but removing the mood from it makes it decidedly not Metroid anymore. By segmenting levels and emphasizing ship travel, the vibe is killed in favor of campy action that feels at-odds with the core themes of the series. I enjoy Prime 3, don't get me wrong, but the comparisons to Halo aren't based in mechanical complexity, they're based on marketability. Compounding that with it being pushed to be a Wii launch title marketed as the evolution of the FPS, and that's why the comparison exists. At the end of the day, it's better for both fans and critics that videos like these exist, even if I found myself irrationally frustrated by KBash not intrinsically understanding why I like the thing I like and fixating on everything else lmao. Maybe Prime 4 will successfully balance its mood with its mechanics in a satisfying way for both KBash and myself. I can only hope.

The problem with Metroid Prime 3 is that I LOATHED the motion controls. For some reason my controller almost never worked for me which broke my immersion and fun pretty damn thoroughly, especially since it’s so required in it.

First coherent 'contrarian' review I've heard on one of my favorite series. Can't say I agree with most of your points (especially the complaints about the artifacts in MP1, since you can grab nearly all of them on the first pass), but I respect your opinion/take regardless, these games definitely aren't for everyone.

Disagree with you a lot of your exploration points and world-building points however what I want to focus on here is your combat points for corruption I believe you're correct there the combat was more engaging and more fun in Metroid Prime 3 it could have used a little more of that in the future games instead of being something to progress it could be a strong pillar to stand on

"I wish my brain could enjoy what people have fun with"yeah i fell that.

But have you considered if Samus had swappable heads?

Yeah. These games were made for people like me. When my friend got the tutorial thing for the scan system he groaned "well that's a Ryan thjng"

Interestingly enough, I somehow am less excited for Prime 4 now that I finished the Prime Trilogy.

Unless you're playing in Novice Mode, there's no way you can damage sponge your way through battles or avoid enemies. You have to dodge and shoot with accuracy.

MP3 was actually my first Metroid game and I really enjoyed it! It opened the door for me playing other Metroid games as a result. While Super Metroid is my favorite these days, MP3 will always be held highly to me. Plus, I also hated MP2 safe zones in the dark world since I stopped moving after every small encounter to heal, thanks for confirming I'm not crazy!

i liked this video! i love the trilogy a non normal amount for the reasons you disliked it, but i still got where you were coming from and made me think about the games from a different point of view you also presented everything in a fun way!! like you were critical but you didn't bash the game unfairly, you just talked about your personal experience instead of trying to be too objective and that was refreshing too i liked this a lot!!

I find all your points entirely valid on a subjective level, but I also feel you disingenuously tried to disguise them as objective design critique. It's quite simple: you prefer less adventure with your action and the video didn't need 30 minutes for that. Prime is obviously flawed , but it made enormous strides in the 3D space of world structuring back in the early 2000's. Anyone who wants to praise the first Dark Souls, for example, for its world interconnectedness needs to look back on the original Metroid Prime and appreciate the seeds it planted. Looking back on it now though in your style, digging for reasons it doesn't meet your tastes in 2020, was low hanging fruit. In any case, it has brought you good fortunes with the KZfaq algorithm, so congratulations. "Ultimately, however, the like/dislike ratio's gonna be like 10% or more" Wow, so brave! It's almost like it's a social media strategy or something.

"Its fine for Talon IV if we accept the Chozo, who inhabited the planet and who's technology Samus uses, use morphball tracks, bomb slots, whatever to traverse their planet. The Chozo will be used for maximum world building convenience going forward, having apparently visited everybody and shared everything." -Whispers- *Because they did.* They are the cause for a lot of the Metroid universe's problems INCLUDING creating the Metroids themselves and even interfering so horribly with other races that it lead to the Space Pirates attacking the colony Samus was in, which lead to her parents being killed which lead to the Chozo going "Well we kinda did this so...lets raise this kid as a warrior". The Chozo DID go to Aether as well, and yes....very likely went to Bryyo and Elysia. I simultaneously would like to point out that the original Metroid games had Chozo influence, hence for the powerups to Samus' suit being available, doors needing to be shot, etc.... SO yes, its convenient to use the Chozo as the world building mcguffins that they are........but they have been established as interloping bird wizards. They legit thought themselves responsible for solving the universes problems........so........it works

Anyone emulating the prime trilogy, there's a mod makes the game more designed for mouse and keyboard. With the reticle staying in the middle and you can still move the camera, instead of moving the cursor to the edges of the screen to move the camera

huch Samus is a chozo herself and has a armor from the chozo. Talon 4 is a Planet where the Chozo lived, so of course the Planet is made for her

Props to you for not pronouncing the word “niche” like “nitch”

Thats just like saying that the soul games doesnt have good lore just because its not in your face

My favorit still is metroid fusion, one of the best and scariest gba games ever

Is it weird I can agree with a lot of your points on the first 2 games... but i still bloody love these games? They aren't perfect, and the end game artifact hunts are dumb, especially in 2, but there is so much merit to these games not touched on in this video as well, and when you said the allure of that merit "Is lost on me while I'm playing.", that is opposite of true for many, so are we "Doing fun wrong."? Absolutely not, is your point, and its a good one! I think 3 just has such a different game-feel and makes it feel starkly different from the other 2. As much as 3 my 3'rd favourite, because it lacks certain things 1 and 2 had, and adds motion gimmicks and hypermode as inadequate compensation, Skytown is beautiful! Plus, the combat took steps forward... so bring me back multiple beam types again. I LOVE your idea for a ricochet beam. Maybe even a tether beam that attaches enemies together and to objects? Proximity mines to encourage positioning in battle as a key focus; aimed with Wiimote or Gyro to stick on walls and such? And yes, ALL Enemies need to do considerably more damage, so dying is a real risk. All great ideas for Prime 4.

Every single video I’ve seen on this topic has just gushed over these games, I personally love them but I’m glad to see someone with a unique perspective

Man, no kidding, this video really isn't for the fans. I feel like my heart was just ripped out I guess I get that this game isn't for everyone, and I think it really depends on playstyle. Exploration is a big part of it as well as atmosphere. I fight everything. Idk I won't try to argue. I agree about the artifacts tho, they're kind of a pace killer at the end

this is a real weird video to watch as someone who likes Corruption the most out of a trilogy that i really love as a whole

The atmosphere is superb in prime 1 and 2, the atmosphere is the reason i play metroid. Prime 3 on the other hand does everything it can at every opportunity to rip you out of the experience.

About the five missiles more that aren't worth exploration... That's not the point of them. Of course five more missiles aren't going to really matter, but the sense of reward they give that matters: if you were to have a trip out of curiosity and find yourself with something in your hands afterwards you'll be much more satisfied than finding nothing. Furthermore more while those 5 missiles may seem inconsequential, they kind of aren't. If you already knew that in this game everything could've been found laying on the ground in front of you where would you find the push to explore in an exploration game? Not saying you wouldn't find anything, cause there's plenty of cool stuff to see and interact with in this game, but you would lose something more that really didn't hurt. If anything once you find your fourth or fifth missile expansion thanks to exploration you'll now have 20/25 missiles more which could make a difference in a hard boss battle, particularly so if you take into account the super useful bonus beams. And if you feel like you're satisfied as you are there's nobody stopping you to just stay on the main path and keep on going with the story. Seriously, I really can't find an issue with this.

Bro if you think combat is easy on the wii, play it on dolphin emulator with mouse and keyboard at 100 fps and a high fov you feel god like

I appreciate the surprising Prime 3 luv

While there are some really good critiques here, particularly how combat and story are way more important to these games than people want to admit...The constant railing of "worldbuilding bad" is borderline disingenuous. People falsely conflate "realism" and "immersion" all the time. Immersion is not how close to reality something is; its how a game sells you on its own internal logic. I know you clearly said it didnt sell you, but i feel you forced yourself to be dissapointed because you had the mindset of real=immersion. Surreal level design can still be immersive and i think Prime blends those adjectives better than any other game. Everything is so decayed by time that it feels unreal but one can believe it was once a believable location. The details in the art design, the music, the visual storyteling and more fill these dead worlds with culture that makes them feel alive while maintaining a classic video gamey feel. THAT is why Metroid is seen as immersive. Not arbitrary realism.

I love this video. I love the first game, and Prime 2 is one of my favorite games of all time, but I totally agree with almost everything you had to say about the third game. Way too many Metroid fans write off Corruption for really petty reasons imo.

I discovered this video a few days ago and really enjoyed it as a designer and even as a Metroid fan. I find the critique to be very thoughtful and reasonable. I then went on to marathon most of your content so far. So enjoy my sub.