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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Metroid Prime

Universal acclaim
Based on 70 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 309 votes
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Game Info
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Retro Studios
Genre(s): Adventure
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: November 18, 2002
Summary
[Metacritic's 2002 GameCube Game of the Year] Metroid Prime is a first-person adventure game. Players control a capable bounty hunter named Samus Aran who must blast through horribly mutated creatures populating a planet called Tallon IV. [Nintendo]
Also On Metacritic
GAMES: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central Game Revolution IGN Insider Guide
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
AceGamez
Metroid Prime stands up not only as the most original, diverse and simply awe-inspiring game on the Gamecube, but as one of the five best videogames I have ever played.
Read Full Review >GameCritics
A shining example of how a classic videogame series can be vividly reborn. While taking an enormous amount of liberties with the original concept, it manages to zero-in on the spirit of the Metroid series and hit a resounding bull's-eye.
Read Full Review >NTSC-uk
From the very beginning of your adventure, to the final confrontation against Metroid Prime itself, you will be enthralled and enraptured.
Read Full Review >Cinescape
The graphics are stunning, especially some of the effects on your visor. From steam fogging it and forming condensation, to water running off of it, there are a lot of cool visual effects. The morph ball transition is seamless and gorgeous.
Read Full Review >NintendoWorldReport
The real star here is the Visor. Someone at Retro is a true visionary (no pun intended), as the Visor makes Metroid Prime more than just a 3D Metroid game.
Read Full Review >Game Revolution
The sense of being Samus is really found in the details. With just the right flash of light or glare against the visor, a thin, hazy reflection of Samus can be seen against the inner glass. It's quite cool... A fantastic, top-notch effort.
Read Full Review >Armchair Empire
Perfect: from the Latin "perfectus"; entirely without fault or defect (flawless); satisfying all requirements; corresponding to an ideal standard or abstract concept; lacking in no essential detail... Add Metroid Prime to that definition.
Read Full Review >Nintendo Power
It's incredible how it has stayed so true to its predecessors, yet has made the transition to a new-generation platform so fluidly. [Dec 2002, p.210]
Kombo
The gaming experience you will have playing Metroid Prime absolutely breathtaking. I find myself finding new ways to praise this game every single day.
Read Full Review >eToychest
This is not the Metroid you may remember, but this is the best game to come along on any platform in a long time.
Read Full Review >Gaming Age
The best game to hit any system in the past few years. No game has captivated me more or been more fun than Metroid Prime in a very long time.
Read Full Review >GamingWorld X
Definitely one of the greatest games of this year, for any console. Its superbly crafted atmosphere, genius level layout, stunning graphics, and overall euphoric game play all add up to one terrific title.
Read Full Review >Nintendophiles
Metroid Prime without a doubt has become my favorite game on the GameCube, and thus far my favorite game out of this generation of gaming. My favorite game ever is "Ocarina of Time" and Metroid Prime has come mighty close to being as outstanding as that masterpiece.
Read Full Review >Into Liquid Sky
It oozes with so much addictiveness that the storyline plays second fiddle and reminds you of a time when gameplay was an integral part of gaming. Put simply, this is one of the best games I have played in a long, long time. [Grade = A+]
Read Full Review >Gamestyle
Whether you’re negotiating platforms (made simple thanks to a camera that pans down) or involved in the final climatic battle with Metroid Prime, you always feel as if you’re at one with the game. And surely that’s what gaming’s all about, isn’t it?
Read Full Review >G4 TV
Although some may find the controls to be unfamiliar, once mastered, they work flawlessly.
Read Full Review >Electronic Gaming Monthly
The visuals are untouchable, the gameplay is tight, and the mood is hauntingly captivating. It is simply mind-blowing on so many different levels. [Jan 2003, p.184]
Eurogamer
There are a million and one awe-inspiring moments saturated with detail waiting to be uncovered in Metroid Prime. Each new area is like an art exhibit.
Read Full Review >DailyGame
When the only real complaint that can’t be debated is the lack of a widescreen option for those with the means, you know you have a real winner.
Read Full Review >GameNow
It doesn't matter if you've never played a Metroid game before - Prime will kick your ass and unrelentingly own you. [A+; Jan 2003, p.62]
DarkStation
Metroid Prime's strengths are so overwhelmingly impressive that its minor faults quickly become an afterthought. It's quite simply a remarkable game, and a stunning achievement.
Read Full Review >Game Chronicles
Looks as good if not better than the most cutting-edge PC games available. It's got a unique, cool as ice visual style and a soundtrack that should be winning awards. Most importantly, the gameplay is so finely tuned and tweaked as to be a sublime experience in and of itself.
Read Full Review >Gamenikki
The rare total package of excellent music and sound, awe-inspiring graphics, incredible gameplay, and an epic story, mixed in with an unparalleled atmosphere that draws you into the character and quest like almost no other game...with at least 25 hours of gameplay and great unlockables to boot, you'll be behind the Visor for quite a chunk of time.
Read Full Review >Cheat Code Central
The gameplay mechanics, alien creatures, futuristic weapons and sparse, yet dangerous environments add to the overall experience - giving players one of the most absorbing FPS games ever made.
GMR Magazine
As if they dissected "Super Metroid", added a dimension, and put it back together again with slick graphics. [Feb 2003, p.96]
Play Magazine
Judge this magnificent game on its own merits, allow it to burrow into your sense of wonder like the best games do, and you might just proclaim that you've played one of the best games of the year. [Dec 2002, p.24]
Gaming Nexus
Rain falling and bouncing off your gun, a blast of steam fogs your visor and leaves condensation on it, a bright flash of light lets you see your own reflection in the visor. These are just a few of the many effects that make Metroid Prime stand out above its peers. I nearly wet myself the first time I fired my weapon rapidly and noticed that heat waves came out of the barrel.
Read Full Review >Next Level Gaming
I have to say that the graphics displayed are the best I have seen on the GameCube, and better than most games I have seen on any platform. The environments are massive with every little detail textured to look realistic.
Read Full Review >netjak
A rare example of a complete game. Most titles lack in one aspect or another, but Prime pulls its weight in just about every part of a game you can imagine.
Read Full Review >Nintendo Insider
No, the game isn’t perfect, with some minor graphical draw-backs and game-length issues, but it is as close as you can get to a perfect game without being perfect. Overall Metroid Prime is the perfect example of what a game should be. Graphically, sound-wise, gameplay-wise it is just spectacular.
Read Full Review >IGN
From the amazingly polished gameplay design to the gorgeous visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, Metroid Prime is unquestionably a must-have masterpiece and a show horse that all forthcoming adventure titles will be judged by.
Read Full Review >GameZone
Metroid Prime is 100% Metroid. It may not seem like it at first, but believe me, it is.
Read Full Review >GameBiz
While hardcore FPS fans might be a little put off early with the amount of exploring that has to be done, those prepared to put in some serious hours will be constantly enthralled as the puzzles unravel. A visual and sonic masterpiece, MP is destined to go down as one of the best computer games of all time.
Read Full Review >Worth Playing
Every time you sit down with Metroid Prime the experience is always entirely different thanks to the ever-expanding environment and numerous enhancements that you'll consistently come across.
Read Full Review >GamerWeb Nintendo
Roughly twice as long as any Metroid game to date. The in-game clock doesn’t count time spent scanning, looking at the map and replaying areas after dying, which would actually make the game three or four times longer than any Metroid game.
Read Full Review >GameCube Europe
It mixes strategy, platformer, shoot-em-up, puzzler and everything else to deliver to you, the gamer, possibly the best game ever created.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
It's not just one of the single most atmospheric games ever created, but it's also quite simply one of the best.
Read Full Review >GameSpy
One of the finest games I've ever played. I'm still reeling from how incredible my experience with the game was.
Read Full Review >Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)
Difficult to categorise but impossible not to love. Metroid Prime is simply a fabulous gaming experience and the best on the Cube. [GamesMaster]
Read Full Review >TotalGames.net
The learning curve is pure genius... A perfect game in almost every way.
Read Full Review >Inside Gamer Online
Everything is perfectly detailed and brought to life, and the design is simply breathtaking. On the elevator rides, you can just look at Samus’s Suit in all its glory with awe.
Read Full Review >XGP Gaming
This game is one of the best 2D to 3D translations I've seen from Nintendo, since "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time."
Read Full Review >Gamers Europe
A true gaming masterpiece. It is the type of game that reminds you why it was you first started playing games and manages to keep you both enthralled and amused from start to finish.
Read Full Review >PGNx Media
Buy this game or you might as well consider yourself a non-video game fan. Congratulations, Retro Studios. You lived up to the task of meeting the master.
Read Full Review >Console Gameworld
The kind of game that proves that maturity and creativity can still go hand in hand.
Read Full Review >Game Informer
From utter blasphemy to unadulterated praise, my time with Metroid Prime stimulated a whirlwind of emotions. [Jan 2003, p.98]
Game Power Australia
An absolute masterpiece. It takes gaming to a whole new level, will last you a long time, and is an absolute must for any Nintendo fan, or anyone remotely interested in gaming.
Read Full Review >Gamer's Pulse
Despite minor qualms with the controls and the bosses, the game truly is a masterpiece and is one of the best ever in my mind.
Read Full Review >N-Insanity
The unique gameplay is so wonderfully put together, never had I had so much fun playing a video game. The gorgeous graphics and the awe-inspiring music just add to the experience.
Read Full Review >AtomicGamer
Prime is an excellent single-player game that successfully follows the classic Metroid formula while modernizing the graphics, atmosphere, and non-linear style.
Read Full Review >Gaming Illustrated
The kinda game that reminds you why Nintendo really does make them the best.
Read Full Review >Gamer.tv
Sony should bring out a shockproof casing for the PS2 after this release, 'cause every PS2 owner will want to boot their machine in loathing frustration having seen Metroid on the Cube.
Read Full Review >XenGamers
The first person controls work well for the most part, but we just can't ignore a few control issues that crop up at the worst possible time.
Read Full Review >Computer and Video Games
Warning! This exclusive sci-fi epic's mind-melting action and puzzles may sizzle your brain. But the tricky controls could put some off.
Read Full Review >All Game Guide
It's almost like "Myst" in the way you are dropped onto a planet with little to no information about where to go or what to do... Grade-A material from start to finish.
Read Full Review >GamerFeed
It looks fantastic, it plays fantastic (the best usage of the GameCube controller to date), it sounds fantastic, and darn it, it is just fun to play.
Read Full Review >GamePro
While Prime’s graphics lack a little polish and flair and the controls never really become second-nature, the game itself simply rules.
Read Full Review >VideoGamesLife
Although the game’s save-point system is fine in principle, the points themselves are often well hidden, and almost impossible to find without a guide of some sort. This means that players will often end up completely missing one, and having to adventure for some time without banking any of their progress.
Read Full Review >Gamer's Hell
When I first started playing Metroid Prime, I was at a loss for words. The one thing that kept running through my head was "wow."
Read Full Review >Yahoo! Games
Few games have so much gameplay, let alone provide a setting and atmosphere that tell a captivating story. That said, Metroid Prime is an acquired taste.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
It's filled with over-the-top battle sequences, spectacular visual effects - and a pretty weak plot. [22 Nov 2002, p.85]
Electric Playground
While Metroid Prime engages on no level other than gameplay, that gameplay is so perfectly tuned and refined, so continuously evolving and clever that you'll keep playing and playing, even when you're frustrated, even when you're honestly just a little bored with the back-tracking, and even though you don't care about the character or story.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 309 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Joe Bob gave it a10:
This game is great. The amazing gameplay, graphics, atmospheres, puzzles, bosses, and music more than make up for any other flaws. To all you morons giving this game reviews of 0 because you think it's "an average FPS" or "not as good as Halo", you have to remember that it's not like most FPS's. It's a Metroid game, and that means exploration and puzzles.
Mark E gave it a10:
So many children on this website, thinking Halo is the be all and end all of gaming. Metroid Prime is perfection, it brought the 2D formula to the next level with astounding results. I can play this game again and again.
Paul W gave it a9:
Although Resident Evil 4 (which I have just now added a comment for) and Metroid Prime share some similarities in fierce encounters with enemies, Metroid Prime is much the better game (in fact I rate the Resient Evil remake above RE4). Like the superb Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Metroid Prime starts you off in the thick of it and then gradually builds back up into action, both games allowing a great sense of a capacity for exploration, something generally lacking from Resident Evil 4's more cheap and gory thrills. With its lock on shooting style, Metroid Prime satisfies those looking for an arcade-style experience in a deep adventure. One particular highlight is entering the beautiful snow covered Phenandra Drifts which, like very other level, hides a labyrinth-like Alice in Wonderland series of tunnels and pathways. The music in this game is perfect- alternatively beautiful and subtle or strident and scary. The backtracking is understandable though sometimes results in a huge journey back to a previous point however the control system, which I found otherwise brilliant, makes one the later bosses too tough. Still, this is a lot better than Metroid Prime: Echoes.
Kik B gave it a9:
Metroid Prime is indeed a masterpiece. The idea of a 3D Metroid game may have seemed like a bad idea at first but thankfully it wasn't. The story seemed somewhat complext to me at first until I played more of the other Metroid games. The controls are very good with a lock on system which most First-person games do not have because those are proper First-person-shooters where as Metroid Prime and it's two sequels are first-person-adventures. The boss battles are also very enjoyable, and the landscapes and level designs in Metroid Prime are breathtaking. Those are what I thought made Metroid Prime so excellent besides the way it was revoulotionary for a 2D side scrolling series to become a FPA. The landscapes were just beautiful. I would give Metroid Prime a perfect score, however it was very very close to being perfect. There were at least two flaws which are minior and basically just me nit picking. I know it's not worth mentioning but I see reviewing as pointing out the good and bad even if it's just nit picking. The one flaw I had with Metroid Prime was some of the load times. The loading screen when you enter an elevator to go to a different location. I think they could've done better work on that. Then there was these doors that wouldn't open for a few seconds even after you shot them. Of course those doors are a lot worse in Metroid Prime 3. So I do not give perfect scores away, but Metroid Prime was very very close to being perfect in my opinion. Those load times are all that held it back. But I still see it as an incredible game. 98/100
DivineStorm gave it a10:
Truly a masterpiece!! I am a metroid fan and this game is besides super metroid my favourite metroid game!! The graphics, sound and gameplay are INCREDIBLE!!!!!! Its like you are samus in the game!! and this game is definitily the best of the prime trilogy!! There are lots of secret areas that you can explore and you collect chozo artifacts to gain access to impact crater where you fight against the final boss: Metroid prime. Also Kraid was originally going to be in the game as a boss, but is replaced by Omega pirate because of time restraints. Still THE best game ever on the gamecube and will keep you entertaining for months or even years to come!
Hunter E gave it a10:
Best game for the Gamecube, one of the best games of all time. No kidding, go get it right now. Similar to games you know, but very unique and very well-crafted. Play it alone for the mood and in a dim room so you can see all the pretty details packed onto the screen.
Shayne V gave it a9:
People need to stop comparing this game to others games like Splinter Cell, Grand Theft Auto, and Halo. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE. This game is completely different then those types of games. Stop comparing it to other games. Its a great game so give it a try. Yes its true that some people wont like it but at least give it a try. Or you could go back to playing your crappy Halo.
