Helpful Metroid Prime 2: Echoes reviews for the GameCube

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

2004

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

from 386 members

Before the critically acclaimed Metroid Prime, intergalactic super-heroine Samus Aran was a character relatively unknown to the gaming masses. Super Metroid was a remarkable game, but it was sadly overlooked, laying the series to rest for almost a decade. Metroid Prime, however, gave the series a new lease of life as a first-person shooter that, despite a series of delays and set backs, was a resounding success. So much so in fact, that developer Retro got straight to work on a second GameCube release. It's been a long and arduous wait for many, but Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is finally finished and it's looking better than ever. The premise of Echoes, though hardly integral to the game as a whole, will be all too familiar to some, as Samus is called to answer yet another distress call on yet another dark and foreboding planet where she soon finds herself in the grip of a long-lasting conflict between good and evil. Run of the mill it is, but chances are you'll have forgotten the Echoes story within a few hours of play - the reason being that gameplay, as with the rest of the series, takes precedence over all. After being stripped of your super-hero abilities once again, you'll quickly learn that Echoes plays host to three well-known playing styles. First off is the player's need to explore. As it happens the seemingly natural game environment is fundamentally a series of locked doors in a maze-like world. You'll have to find items to get places, and with every newfound ability comes to opportunity to backtrack in search valuables you might have been unable to retrieve earlier on. That's the basic formula for all games in the Metroid series, and it's just as important in Echoes. Secondly, there's Samus' trademark 'morph ball' ability. Here, players can temporarily abandon the first-person view point in favour of a more traditional playing style that sees our protagonist using her familiar compact form to roll across rails, negotiate narrow passageways, boost up half pipes and even fire herself from cannons. It's nothing really new to long-time fans of the Nintendo franchise, but it's just as original and fun as it was all those years ago. Finally there's the element of combat, the greatest change to the series since Super Metroid, and it's here that the FPS side of Echoes begins to shine. Armed with missiles, power bombs and a selection of beam weapons, players will frequently find themselves doing battle with any number hostile creatures. Your foes aren't particularly smart, but they can deal a lot of damage and take just as much. Provided you make the effort to dodge enemy fire whenever you can, you'll most likely do just fine. Then there's the multi-player game, a first for the series made possible by its relatively new FPS approach and that accommodates split-screen gaming for up to four players. Deathmatch and Bounty Modes are on offer here, both of which employ different strategies and that can be tailored for the individual game. Deathmatch speaks for itself, with players able to set frag targets and time limits. Bounty mode, however, is a little different, with players competing for money instead of lives. Here, players must acquire as much cash as possible by dealing damage to their opponents in order to steal it from them. There's no denying the effort that Retro Studios put into Echoes. Metroid Prime 2 is a fine successor to the 2003 classic, bringing with it bigger worlds, improved visuals, new abilities and a satisfying multi-player game that takes the series to a new level.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes details

Format:	12 GameCube
Players:	1
Genres:	Adventure, Arcade/Platform, Shooter
Developers:	RETRO STUDIOS
Rental release:	26 Nov 2004

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Most helpful review Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

The day I committed A Crime

By Denise Stevens from Manchester, England , 31 Mar 2006

[Highly rated reviewer]

My son is 16 and only likes footie games I gave him this game to play and he would not look at it then I said put it on I'll give you a game because I hate footie games Well Metroid Prime Echoes has converted him he played for hours. He said good graphic and very exciting.
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Best Metroid Prime game yet!

By Megatron (7 reviews) from Glasgow , 01 Mar 2011

Metroid Prime 2 is fantastic and it is better than the first one in so many ways that i recommend you start with this rather than the first one if you are new to the series.

Everything is so well thought out which really adds to the atmosphere and feeling of being submerged in an alien world.

Firstly the visuals are amazing, i had so many 'wow awesome' moments from how rich the look of each different area was.

They have got really creative with the monsters too and they are very different for each area so you won't get tired of them like the endless space pirate and metroid fights in Metroid Prime 1. One of my favourite bosses ever is in this game too (Quadraxis) such an inventive fight!

The game is long at 30hours+ however there isn't much trekking back and forth which was something that tired me about MP1.

The new visor gun and movement systems you collect really enhance the adventure too and they are very well implemented in MP2, they look great, are fun to use and keep you on your toes.
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metroid destroyed

By arshid (136 reviews) from Woking , 26 Jan 2011

not worth to buy really if you want to rent then ok but its diffirent to the rest of the serious of metroid this is just a soot um up
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The day I committed A Crime

By Denise Stevens from Manchester, England , 31 Mar 2006

[Highly rated reviewer]

My son is 16 and only likes footie games I gave him this game to play and he would not look at it then I said put it on I'll give you a game because I hate footie games Well Metroid Prime Echoes has converted him he played for hours. He said good graphic and very exciting.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (4) Yes |
- No (3)
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