As far as the single player mode goes, it’s of average length but engaging. The levels are few, but in classic Metroid fashion there’s some backtracking to be done that opens up new areas and harder challenges. And for what you lack in visors you get in guns – many different weapons are available to you to help solve puzzles and defeat monsters, and it’s a simple case of sliding the stylus across the touch screen to switch your arsenal. With a horde of information to scan as well, along with the classic suit upgrades that adorn every Metroid game, you’ll want to explore and adventure each stage rather than blast through them.
There are bosses aplenty too, with various other ‘Hunters’ featuring as mini bosses. The hunters will have similar skills to Samus, such as an alternative form of morph ball and missile capability. This is because once you defeat them you can play as them in the multiplayer mode – originally the concept for the entire game (you might remember the ‘First Hunt’ demo didn’t provide much for a solo mode and just concentrated on multiplayer aspects). It’s satisfying to know that Nintendo went back to fix the solo mode, but it’s the multiplayer mode that really brings you back to the game even once you beat it.
A single card download can allow up to four people to play against each other in a few arenas, while multi-card play allows each player to choose their own character. There’s a range of multiplayer modes to play aside from a standard deathmatch, including a survival mode, a ‘capture the flag’ style mode and a ‘Prime Hunter’ mode where the person who makes the first kill has to be defeated to pass the title on.
The Nintendo WiFi connection is compatible with Metroid Prime Hunters too, and provides an excellent worldwide bout. We suffered no lag when playing against people online, be they random people, friends or foes. You can make friends (or rivals) by playing a standard battle against people worldwide, then adding them to your rivals list. Friends have to be established by registering their code onto your game card, but friends and rivals can essentially mean the same thing.
Once you’re done playing a straight deathmatch, you can rally up your online pals and set up any of the multiplayer modes available, making for an experience akin to Halo 2, only without the (usually American) teenage idiots calling you a person of the homosexual persuasion every ten seconds. Friends can be messaged or even engaged in voice chat before and after matches, so the online experience is really evolving for the Nintendo DS. At first glance, to those spoilt on XBOX Live the lack of voice and messaging may be a drawback, but in all honesty the privacy feature works well and allows you to play online in peace and still have a good time.
SPOnG Score: A
It has been a year and a bit since we last saw it, but it has been worth the wait. Nintendo DS owners should seek this game for the immense online features and the intuitive control method. It takes some getting used to, but once you get into the swing of things you really begin to appreciate using the touchscreen to aim wherever you want. If this is the shape of first person shooters to come, then bring on the gun totin’.
