Although its single player portion is a little weak, it makes up for it with outstanding multiplayer.
Although it sounds like a blast, it isn’t as fun as it set’s out to be.
It’s a little slow, not gameplay-wise, but it takes a while to get done what you need to get done. The level textures and atmospheres seem repetitive after a while, and eventually will bore you after long periods of game time. Sure shooting stuff is fun and all, and using 7 different beams makes it all the more fun, but after you beat the game, there’s not much more you can do unless your willing to start over and do it all again.
The graphics of this game, (save bland level design) are awesome, and the full 3D environments make it look all the better. It never slows down, and it’s probably one of the smoothest DS games I’ve ever played.
The multiplayer portion makes this game shine. Not only can you play local wireless with a single game card, and multiple game cards, you can also use Nintendo’s free wifi services to play online. If you know someone who has this game and wants to play over Nintendo wifi, you will have to utilize Nintendo’s friend code system, you give your code to your friend and he or she gives you theirs, and you can play together online anytime, and not only that, you can also tell when your friend is online. The multiplayer arenas are truly amazing. They take places of the single player game, and turn them into arenas. Some small, some big, some enormous. The online also supports matches against random enemies, which are capable of becoming your rivals, and if they agree to become your rivals their name will pop up on your rival list which is located next to your friend list, and has more or less the same features. In multiplayer you can choose from 7 different bounty hunters, who all have different abilities, so choose wisely, and the fun will never end.
The all-around gameplay of this game is fun, fast, and slick. The controls use the touch screen to look around, choose your weapon and transform you into the trademark morph ball. It may seem complicated at first, and your hands will probably lock up after a while, but once you get used to this amazingly odd control scheme, it will in fact seem smooth and faster then most FPS games on the market. Unlike the previous installments of the series, Metroid Prime: Hunters doesn’t have a lock-on system, but if you can destroy your enemy without it, why bother complaining? The graphics of this game occasionally lag online, but not often enough for someone to lose interest.
The sound of this game isn’t quite as good as all the other Metroid games, but still manages to get the job done. It still has the space-age music, the subtle tunes when you’re looking around, and the big bangs when you fire the missiles, but it seems watered down to me. The game’s replay value is very high, not cause of its single player mode, but because of its ranking-based multiplayer mode. As you win matches, you achieve ranking points, which more or less show off your skill to other gamers online and off.
If you’re a Metroid fan, I say get this game immediately, because it’s easily one of the best ever. The single player may not be the best, but it’s still fun, as long as you’re willing to play it, and multiplayers usually always fun, so even if your not a Metroid fan, and are just looking for a good FPS game, go for this one, and although it has it’s downfalls, and does things a bit differently, it still does it right. ~gunman357~