One of the best games of all time in history has come to the Gamecube.
You play as Samus, a bounty hunter with a cannon for an arm. She has a ton of gadgets at your disposal at the beginning of the game, you are nearly invincible. You receive a distress call from Orpheon, a Space Pirate ship, where the crew has been destroyed by the creatures they were trying to create. Samus soon destroys the parasite but realizes that the parasite destroyed the ship's core and has to run away. She soon is hit with a huge blast and looses all of her gadgets before entering her ship.
She lands on Tallon IV, which she finds that a meteor, filled with Phazon, crashed and destroyed the civilizations on the planet and Samus tries to find the twelve artifacts to enter the crater. The visuals in the game are fantastic. The planet has many different features. The planet consists of fiery caves, snowy ruins and rain forest areas. It looks truly amazing on the Gamecube.
The gameplay is a whole different story. This is where the game shines. Samus rebuilds her suit and acquires different weapons and skills. Soon you will be able to use a charge shot where you press the action button to watch Samus' cannon build up a huge attack. Then missiles are added to your arsenal and "missile expansions" (add the amount of missiles you are allowed to carry) are scattered around the planet. Samus' will be able to change into a perfect sphere and roll around into different areas that you would be able to enter. You can acquire different beams. At first you have the "Power Beam" which is the standard weapon. You will be able to use different beams to unlock different areas or kill enemies in easier shots. Metroid Prime also comes with a scanner where you can learn about the different types of machinery do. You can scan enemies to find their weaknesses and strengths. Basically everything can be scanned and you will be able to learn about the history of the planet. It is a truly fantastic part of the game.
OVERALL: Metroid Prime is a must have. From beautiful music to perfect gameplay, Metroid Prime is needed to be played. It is one of the greatest games ever played and receives my highest recommendation.