Believe it or not, the one machine
that used to dominate arcades way back when was the pinball machine. Even though
the pinball heyday was over by the time I was old enough to go to arcades with
my friends, I can still remember seeing various pinball machines in there, and
playing them from time to time. There is just something so addictive about them
that make players want to drop in their coins to see if they have what it takes
to obtain the highest score. Throughout the years various companies have
released pinball games on video-game consoles based on their popular franchises,
and now Metroid Prime is getting the same treatment. Read on to find out if you
can or cannot live without this game.
There are three main modes to this
game. The first one is Single Mission which allows players to obtain the highest
score possible on one table. Wireless mission lets you play with up to seven
friends on one table to see if they can get the highly score. The last one is
the real meat of the game and it is called Multi Mission. In here players will
help Samus collect various Artifacts, which open up new tables. In this mode
players will face various enemies and bosses, which makes this game have a real
Metroid feel to it. If you beat them you will unlock more tables to be used in
the other two game modes.
Unlike a lot of pinball games that
are on the market, Metroid Prime Pinball feels more like a real pinball game for
various reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that this game utilizes both
screens so there is no scrolling of the game when the ball is hit. If you hit it
to the top of the table, it will be there in an instant and you can see it clear
as day, instead of waiting for the game to scroll up so you can see what is
going on. This makes targeting various items easier and makes the game feel much
more like a real pinball game.
What makes this game so unique is
that since this game is taken off of the Metroid Prime franchise, players will
be seeing a lot of things that will remind them of the game. For instance many
of the table designs are taken from the game, which makes players feel at home
if they love the series. One of the best things about the game is all of the
unique mini games that this game offers. My favorites are Metroid Mania,
Shriekbat Shootout, and the Wall Jump. All of these mini games really help give
this pinball game more flare, which makes it more fun to play.
Players will notice the minute that
they open up the game box that there are two Game Cards in there, one is the
actual game and the other is a rumble pack. This freebee that the developers
included in the game gives players a better sensation of playing in the arcades
by feeling the various rumbles as the game lingers on. While the rumble isn’t as
powerful as I was imagining it to be, it really works out well. I cannot wait to
see what other developers will be able to do to take advantage of this rumble
pack. A new era of handheld gaming might be upon us just like the first time the
rumble pack was used in console gaming.
One thing that I really liked about
this game is how you “nudge” the table. To nudge the table players must rest a
finger close to the touch screen, and when they need to nudge it all they have
to do is move their finger in the direction they want on the screen. Even though
this took some practice and time to get used to it, this way is really inventive
and easy to use once you get the hang of it.
The developers did a really good job
with the graphics for Metroid Prime Pinball. The way that the game is split
between the two screens works really well, and makes it really fun to play.
There are various special effects that the developers put in this game that make
it look even better such as the various environmental effects. The environments
that you will be playing on will look reminiscent to players if you have even
played a Metroid game. Even though I wish there was more levels to play on, the
ones that the developers did include are awesome. One thing that I really liked
is that no matter how many Samus’ there were on the screen that the game never
slowed down and the action kept on going.
The sound for the game was also
really well done. If you have ever played any Metroid games then you will fall
in love since the game includes some good music as well as all of the classic
sound effects that players have come to love and enjoy over the years. You will
find yourself cranking up the volume on your headphones so you can immerse
yourself in the game and you will find yourself having a blast doing so.
A really unique and enjoyable thing
about this game is the multiplayer aspect. If you have up to eight friends that
have a Nintendo DS, then all of you will be able to play as long as just one of
you has the game. How this works is that each player is given their very own
pinball board and in that board they will have to see if they can score the
highest points. I really liked that the developers allowed their fans to do
this, as now if people can see how much fun this game is with their friends,
then it will make them want to go pick up a copy of it for themselves.
Metroid Prime Pinball is rated E for
Everyone. It also supports up to eight person wireless multiplayer.
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Gameplay: 8.4
If you know how to play Pinball then you will know what to expect here,
in a way. I really liked how the developers mixed in classic pinball gaming with
various missions and things that must be accomplished to move on. The transition
and mix of the two really makes this game a blast to play.
Graphics: 8.5
Metroid Prime Pinball is a really good looking game for the Nintendo
DS. The animations for all of the characters look nice as well as the various
level themes you will be playing in.
Sound: 7.2
The music sounds just like all of the classic Metroid that you have
grown accustomed to hearing over the various years.
Difficulty: Easy
This game will be hard for newcomers but once you understand the
mechanics and the controls of the game you will find a nice challenge that is
not too hard or easy at the same time.
Concept: 9.0
I have to say that the developers really put some neat ideas in for
this game. First of all there is the free rumble pack which makes the game feel
more like you are playing a real Pinball machine. Then there is the unique way
of bumping the table, plus many other extras in the game that keep players
coming back time and time again for more.
Multiplayer: N/A
Metroid Prime Pinball supports up to eight-person wireless
multiplayer with one Game Card. At the time of this review I was unable to test
this feature.
Overall: 8.5
If you are a fan of Pinball games or of the Metroid Prime
franchise, then this is a game for you. Even though the adventure mode is kind
of short, you can still find plenty of replayability with its nice multiplayer
features.
