It's about time a metroid game got a sexy metal case for the most bad ass armor clad character in all of gaming

The original Metroid Prime is in my top 5 favorite games of all-time...I absolutely loved it.

@Waquan: Fusion didn't just hold your hand and tell you where to go. It literally locked the doors so you could only go where it wanted you to go. I'll admit that the only Metroid games that really approach non-linearity are either version of the first Metroid, but the others at least keep the illusion of non-linearity by allowing you to generally go where ever you want. Sure, you're locked out from certain areas by necessary item enhancements (further pushed in the Prime games by beam-specific doors), but it still lets you visit older areas or at least let you get a little lost (generally at least giving you the opportunity to get a missile expansion to reward your exploratory side). It gives those games an open-feel, in sharp contrasts to Fusions forced events (that game is practically level-based).

On the subject of story, I feel the opposite you do. Fusion's story is vastly overrated. Samus goes from a quietly pained woman with a stalwart determination for justice to a whiny, past-obsessed crybaby in one scene (the "Adam is your computer" reveal). I'm not going to pretend that "it was better before" is something everyone feels. Maybe a lot of people couldn't relate to Samus's non-speaking roles in the other Metroid games (non-speaking in the sense that if she did speak it was simply to set up backstory). But I could. That's how I like her. Action's speak louder than words and I knew who she was simply through what I had seen of her life and her decisions by playing the games. I didn't need the developers to tell me who she was (especially since I don't like what they did with her (and apparently continue to want to do with her with M:OM).

The first Prime is amazing. It gives more insight into the history of the Chozo, The Space Pirates Society, and even Samus than any other Metroid related story (even the Manga is nothing compared (although I dislike that story as much as Fusion's, to be honest). It's your choice to decide how much you want to know about what happened on this beautiful, slowly-deteriorating planet. If you don't care you can stop the bad guys and win the game. If you care, you'll be taken through every single important event in this planet's history. It's masterfully done.

The Second and Third Prime games don't do as good a job, admittedly. Mostly because the focus is taken off the interesting, affecting characters in the universe (Chozo, Pirates, Samus), and instead used on the characters that are important for that game (Luminoth=Prime 2, Hunters/Various Societies=Prime 3). Although, having played through them recently on a whim, they're actually pretty good as one-shot stories.

What do you mean by Nostalgia-based? Only the beginnings of Prime 1 and 3 recreate any part of older Metroid games (exploring a ship, encountering Ridley early) and those parts are wholly original in execution. No areas are repeated, No bosses except Ridley and an Aurora Unit are reused from older games. The music is mostly original (peppered with some nostalgia tracks, but they're good remixes, used in the appropriate places, and are treats to hear). I don't know what you're getting at here.

Nice debating with you. Hope to see you post here again (we'll use it as a private forum if you want).

P.S. I think we can both agree that a Metroid V on the DS or VC would be awesome.

P.P.S. Team Ninja isn't really developing M:OM. They are the construction workers: They do the actual physical work of building, but they do it off a plan. The Achitect in this analogy is the remains of RD&1. They went to Team Ninja because of there limited experience with 3D (and also Retro is tired of Metroid). Although, you are right that a more "classic" Metroid is still being made (though I don't know how you can consider what looks like a 3D Beat-Em-Up Metroid more classic than an FPS/Adventure Metroid).

@Waquan: I don't think you're nostalgia argument holds. Prime has beams and lock methods and enemies similar to older games in the series. So what? It's part of a series. Fusion has that too. Many older enemies appear in those games (Ridley in Prime, Arachnus and Omega Metroid in Fusion, Pirates in both), they have older beams (in fact, the only new beam in Fusion is the Wide Beam and that's a takeoff of the Spazer Beam. Otherwise, it has the older beams and uses them the same way. Prime may have the older beams, but it completely changes the ways you use them (i.e. Electric Wave, Fiery Plasma), and the lock methods are hardly something someone remembers fondly (nostalgia) and simply a gameplay necessity (plus, Fusion has the lock doors (1,2,3, and 4) so it isn't much different). When you make a game in the same series you'll always have elements pop up from older games (even Final Fantasy, which has no continuity between the various games (barring sequels) has nostalgia with it's reused spells, enemies, and music), otherwise how is it a series?

You are being unfair to Prime by claiming that reviewers mostly liked it because of nostalgia since Fusion has plenty of that too (was the final battle where you have to get dropped down to 1 HP and before death are saved by a previously hostile enemy reminiscent of anything?). May I remind you that (in America) Fusion and Prime were released at the same time (November 18, 2002 (I didn't look up Wiki for that). They had a new 2D Metroid on their hands (which is highly rated (I really doubt any of them held the fact that it is on a portable system against it) and they still rated Metroid Prime highly. They had no reason to nostalgically rate it high since they already had a new 2D Metroid on there hands which they could get nostalgic for. Prime was wholly original (while still having the Metroid Feel) and was generally liked because of it.

If Metroid Prime is a takeoff of 1 and Super, I'd argue that Fusion is a takeoff of II. Several enemies appear from that game (Hornoad, Arachnus, Omega Metroid), it's story is primarily driven by the events in that game (no more Metroids=Too much X), and it's even set directly above SR388. It's a little hypocritical to claim that Prime is nostalgia-biased when Fusion has plenty of Nostalgia as well (as my many examples have shown).

Oh, and I love Mega Man 9.

@FistfulOAwesome
Hmmm, well, I wasn't really arguing that Fusion wasn't subject to nostalgia bias, as I'm certain it WAS (to an extent,anyway). But, let's face it, the Gamecube had some pretty snazzy graphical capabilities, which Prime clearly took advantage of. Fusion was 2D, great visuals for a handheld but nothing in comparison to Prime (as far as the technical aspects go though), which likely spurred Prime a bit further than Fusion than it should've. Prime was not only a nostalgic experience (to, again, an extent), but a technically impressive experience as well.

@FistfulOAwesome
Alright, you're on there. I have to say that I'm bent out on this particular argument. Until next time!

Looks amazing. Never got to beat MP or MP2 only MP3. I'm so getting this. Still that is sexy boxart...