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AC9breaker
Just a few more days intill Metriod Prime Hunters is unleashed on the public and I'm mad suped up. Every interview with a developer only confirms that this game will be nothing short of dope. Playing the demo of the game that came with my DS when I first purchased it I thought, the controls where already solid (the closest thing you can get to a mouse, probably better). The visuals where a little lackluster but not too bad. But now, it seems like everything has been polished to perfection. From the graphics to the already solid controls even the game modes. Offline seems to offer a great experience and Multiplayer seems like its gonna be off the meat rack! featuring seven different type of match types. The most interesting being a football type of mode where you everyone goes for one ball then the players who gets it has to truck through everyone and reach his goal to score.

Some comments that really sounded cool.

QUOTE
The game tracks an exorbitant amount of stats. Every player gets a Hunter's License, that keeps track of everything. It tracks the distance you've walked through the game, how many headshots you've had, how long you've played the game, what your favorite hunter is, what your favorite gun is, the arena where you've won the most ... It also tracks cool things like alt form kills and biped kills.

What's really neat about the stat tracking is that it shows how we tailored this game for a hardcore audience. I think that stuff like that might not be exciting to casual gamers, but to people like us it's the best thing ever. And the fact that the stats are also tracked at NintendoWiFi.com and MetroidHunters.com is also really cool. The stats give you something to shoot for. Even though I may not win every match, for example, I might have a better accuracy than you.

How does the Friends and Rivals system work in this game?

If you have a Friend set up on your list, you can use the voice-over IP chat online, or you can chat with them using the messenger program. The idea for Rivals came from playing Mario Kart DS. We'd have really cool matches with complete strangers online, and then never see them again. We wanted to create a way to keep track of these guys, but still keep everyone safe online.

After you play someone, you can decide to add them to your Rivals list. If they agree, you will become Rivals. Then you can follow that person's stats and you can try to connect with them again later. That also plays into our Rival Radar which is similar to Bark Mode in Nintendogs. If you activate your Rival Radar and pass by someone else who has it on, you'll download their Hunter's License and they'll become your Rival.


So who, of my fellow AT'ers can I expect to see and go on hunts with? I better see you on this Kaz! Or else I'm renewing your FFXI account! beigelaugh.gif [I]
Kazicht
Haha, I might not be on right away but I'll eventually get it. Just waiting on some funding to fly my way.
unitself
yo AC9. I have been anxiously waiting for this game for months now! I remember playing the demo in the stores a long time ago and I was impressed way back then so you know it's gotta look and play even better now. I'm also very happy that the solo play story sounds way cool as I have never been that fond of deathmatch style game play. But I will be more than happy to put myself out there so a bunch of us AT'ers can blast it up!

side note - I am VERY curious about the voice chat feature. That's gonna be friggin awesome! You know how stupid the AT AIM chats get, just imagine that over the DS. HAHA!

ps - AC9, you're an Animal Crossing player, right? We should hook up and swap.. um ... clothing, or .. um ... furniture, or .. um ... hahaa.. My friend code is in my profile.
AC9breaker
Agreed, it would be mad fun to have a bunch of AT'ers together spazing out! Also, I think you will be happy to know that there will be team based modes online. Like, Capture the flag. There are suppose to be like 25 or 30 maps and, they are suppose to be pretty huge. Also, the 7 selectable bounty hunters seem to compliment Samus's role as a bounty Hunter in the Metriod universe which is pretty cool. There is also a Rival system that lets you add players you see as your rival, and you can pretty much stalk them in game, haha. It seems like there will also be some kind of clan support for the game too but I'm not sure on the details.

To say the least, I'm really excited about this game.
AC9breaker
New TV spot!

Directed by the director of the movie Underworld , haha Nintendo is going all out.
Kazicht
I just got it today. Will give impressions later.
Knightsword
I haven't been online with it but I've played about a 3rd to to halfway in the single player mode.

First off the controls: Stylus Mode (left/right hand options) you move with the D-pad, fire with the L shoulder, aiming and jumping is done with the stylus. Then there is Dual Mode (again left/right hand options) movement is D-pad, fire is L shoulder, aim is a/b/x/y, and jump is R shoulder. The Stylus mode is good and brings something new to fps. There is no auto-lockon that was found in previous Metroid Primes.

In the single player its classic Metroid goodness, shooting, jumping, item collecting etc. You travel between different plantets and space stations. The mission is to retrive or destory the "Ultimate Power" an artifact from a long dead alien race. Besides the various monsters the othe 6 hunters are also after the "Ultimate Power" and you'll face off with each more then once. There is also the big bosses in full Metroid glory. As for the time frame its pre-Super Metroid.
AC9breaker
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!


Gotta get my copy later today. Gamestop called and my reseravation is waiting for me to take it home. Its times like these I wish I could do that superman move where you fly around the world to speed up time!

sonicrun.gif
unitself
Give me until mid way thru April and then I can join you guys in an online Mertoid frag fest.

So... in using only the DS controls (no stylus), how quick and/or natural does it feel? FPS games are pretty twitch-based. Do the controls allow for that?

AC9breaker
Hells yeah SCU. scu.gif That sounds like a plan. I guess the McNugget cup shall be for Metriod Prime Hunters! beigelaugh.gif

Just got it a few hours ago and poond some random guy online, I'm rank 2 now! My friend code is 1246-2178-3756. Add me! Saving final thoughts till later like Kaz.
Crushinator
This may be a dumb question, but I'm a DS Wi-Fi noob...

Do you have one friend code for all games (tied to your DS?) or is a different code for every game? Like, if I give someone the code I have on Mario Kart DS, will they be able to use that same code to look me up if I were on Metroid Prime Hunters? Or do you have to send your friends a new code with every new game that gets released?
AC9breaker
Yeah, it a different friend code for every game. It gets quite cumbersome too when your linking your games to the WiFi stat tracking on the Nintendowifi.com page.
Henge
what a pain that must be, they should/should've made it universal

or... *gasp*

a username!

leave it to nintendo to slap ICQ into their games instead of AIM (*'-')
Kari
I just got this today, I didn't know anyone else was wetting themselves over this. (Then again, I don't haunt very many forums) beigelaugh.gif I'll have to start pr00ning Breakzor after I get a hang of playing. More later!
AC9breaker
WTF! 8 people with this??? You all know what this means right???


MCNUGGET CUP!!! war.gif
Kazicht
Time to swap friend codes dammit!

Kazicht: 2448 8083 3507
AC9breaker
With more then 60% complete on adventure mode and a little over 3 hours on Wifi I'm ready to post some thoughts on this.




First thing I must say is, WOW. I can't believe how hardcore this game is. Before we get to that I'll give a brief synopsis of the game. The game takes place sometime between Metroid Prime 1 and 2. The premise of the game is, a message has been received by the Galactic Federation from an uncharted area. The message tells of a great power that will be granted to whom ever finds it. Various bounty hunters across the galaxy have intercepted this message and venture off too fulfill their desires by acquiring this great power. As Samus you enter this area as a rogue op to verify the contents of the message as well as prevent it from falling into the hands of those that would abuse it.





The story sounds kind of cheese to me, but it’s executed quite nicely. This game is so beautiful it’s enough to make me cry. The characters and areas have been totally improved from the demo's version. The worlds are filled with very pleasant textures and satisfying topography. Even the games menu is a treat to navigate. What’s more, the game is loaded with tons of CG cut scenes.





Something I think will be completely overlooked is the sound. The music is so awesome. Some of the songs are from the Gamecube version and sound so great. Even all the little sound effects are great. From your footsteps clamping on Metal Catwalks to the crunching of snow under your feet all of the sounds add to the ability to immerse yourself in the game. Even the sounds of weapon fire, all distinct and unique.




The controls are something to behold. I have not tried dual mode which treats the 4 buttons on the right as directional pads while the shoulder buttons are used to jump and shoot. It seems very similar to dual analog sticks, on console FPS games. Several reports online say that the dual mode control scheme is very solid and, with adjusted sensitivity is quite precise. The control style that I have been playing with is stylus mode. In this mode the touch pad is used for sight direction while the d-pad is used for moving forward, back, and strafing much like mouse. After playing this style I understand why all PC fps players rave about mouse. It’s so fluid and natural; I can't imagine how I use to play before. Double tapping the screen makes your character jump and weapons and morph ball are selected by pushing buttons on the touch pad. The shoulder button is used for firing.






The game was obviously made for multiplayer, but that doesn't mean the single player aspect was shafted. The single player reminds me of the Megaman series where you travel to stages, find a new weapon then use it to make progress in another level. One thing that should be noted is that the game doesn't offer the same little tip screen like the Gamecube Metroid prime series. This might be a gripe for some since it can be quite easy to forget what is needed to be done next, or not no where to go. But I feel it’s more akin to the old school Metriod where you got to figure it out yourself. The puzzles in the game seem weak, but personally I never did have a hard time figuring them out in the Gamecube versions so I’m not really disappointed. However one big letdown where the boss battles. So far all the boss characters have been recycled models from one of two types. But at least with each progressive fight they get noticeably harder (cheaper) whatever you want to call it. Such as heat seeking lasers with, laser beams being shot at in various different directions, spinning around. Some of the fights can be quite intense. After the boss is disposed off you then get a countdown and must escape the area. This leads to some great excitement and tense moment since its common for other bounty hunters to ambush you on your run out in hopes of stealing your newly acquired relic.






Online I must say is really great. With a selection of 7 different characters all with their own unique special abilities, they really did a fantastic job keeping everyone balanced. No hunter is neither too strong nor too weak it also allows for lots of great variety in matches since players will take advantage of their special abilities. The character Noxus for example can freeze his opponents, but only at close range. Leaving them open for a headshot kill. Meanwhile a character named Trace has horrible defense but has superior power with a sniper rifle. In fact when he has it equipped, whenever he stands still he is rendered invisible on screen, but not on radar. I was also surprised at how fluid voice chat is. It was great to hear it in action. I swapped friend codes with some random person over at PSO world and played a game of Nodes with him. We only played one game but it was cool to see it in action. I then later on played a game of capture the flag with some random people I placed on my rivals list. We then also played a game of Defender. It was crazy mayhem fun. At the moment I'm still trying to learn all the level layouts and item placements as knowing power ups and weapon locations and health spots is pretty key. Then there is also the online stat tracking feature that tracks everything from headshots to shots fired to win percentage to a ranking system. I finally broke the 10000 mark last night and with tonight’s sessions I’m hoping to be somewhere in the 8000. A link to my stats in my sig. shades.gif





A few dislikes though is hand cramps. Using stylus mode I often find my hand cramping up. Also the edges of the DS start to feel like knives cutting into my skin. Although I feel that problem will be remedied with the DS Lite. Also, I feel the creature designs on the Adventure mode where a bit lacking in appearance. Also Nintendo is still ironing out the wrinkles in its server so when playing quick search matches 1 on 1 games are common while 1 vs. 2 games are rare and 4 player games are pretty much unheard of. But with rivals and friend list that is easily remedied.





My final thoughts on the game are, "wow." I'm still in awe at how much content is packed into this tiny little cartridge. I mean its smaller then Gameboy Advance SP cartridges for crying out load yet offers as much as console games! The game suffers from very little problems that don’t really detract from the whole experience. The game is a solid buy and definitely a system seller in my books.
Knightsword
The single player mode does get shafted somewhat, mutiple reuses of the same monsters and besides the final boss there is really only 2 boss monster types, fight each 4 times, and using the "you must escape before the time runs out" after each boss fight was annoying stupid and there was no reason for it in the context of the game. Also the single player mode doesn't have quite exploration feeling of past Metroids, but as a shooter its a great game
unitself
Yo! AC9... give us the real news we have all been waiting for. Voice Chat, Baby! Have you tried it?
beigelaugh.gif
AC9breaker
Yeah sorry SCU I only gave a short blurb on it beigelaugh.gif, It was really late at night when I wrote that and I was a bit tired.

Like I said before I swapped friend codes with some random person from PSO world. We met up on line by coincedence and tried it out. Its pretty sweet. Really really clear, the voice is very distinctive. I would have to say that the sound quality is even better then Xbox live. Although the only games I played online with Xbox where PSO, Crimson Skies, and Unreal Tournament so I'm not sure if I can't really make such a big claim. Even so, as I remembered it everyone sounded the same on Xbox live. Like some southern country hick or an elementary student, with lots of distortion and fuzz in the background too. Meanwhile, the DS sounded so clear and crisp and I didnt have to bring the DS all the way to my face to be heard well. I was able to sit back on my couch with my DS on my lap and talk to it. A little bit louder then I usually talk though, but I was heard. beigelaugh.gif


I'm looking foward to spazing out with fellow AT'ers and yelling penis on Wifi chat! beigelaugh.gif


On a side note, I agree Links. It was kinda dumb to have the countdown everytime you beat a boss then escaped to your ship. Especially since the planet doesn't blow up. None the less though I enjoyed the tense atmosphere it provided, especially when being ganked by bounty hunters. If the planet would have blown up however then it would have been cool.
Dive
QUOTE (AC9breaker @ Mar 29 2006, 02:42 PM)
Even so, as I remembered it everyone sounded the same on Xbox live.  Like some southern country hick or an elementary student...

hahahahah beigelaugh.gif

This sounds like a blast, I might have to pick up a DS. The stat tracking page is cool as hell. user posted image
Retehi
QUOTE (Dive @ Mar 29 2006, 05:15 PM)

user posted image


Who the fuck is that? LOL
tanshin
hahaha, aw man... its me user posted image Worst picture of anyone ever taken.
unitself
ok... I got Metroid Prime Hunters last night!
After about 30 minutes of play, I now know what everyone was talking about by saying that the DS really digs into your palm. OUCH! I have never really played a game where the styus was the main mode of getting around, and using the shoulder button exclusively ... i'm going to have to start using gloves! BUT.. this game friggin rocks!

question: are there midway save points? I made it thru about 6 - 7 rooms and I noticed that my battery light was (and presumably had been) on so I ran back to my ship so I could save before the DS shut down on me.
AC9breaker
Have you given dual mode a test SCU? I would imagine that it would be more comfortable, then the default controls. But I liked the precision and speed of the Stylus too much so I never bothered with it.


Yeah, as you noticed there are no save points, save for your ship. However, once you get close to the warp that leads you to the boss of the area, you will see a small warp pad that can be used to warp back to the Gateway of the level where your shipped is docked. Also, you will be able to warp back to that area from the level's Gateway. It could be seen as a problem but, once you start to explore the areas you realize how small they are. However I found myself getting lost on multiple occasions on just about every world. beigelaugh.gif
Frosty
I got it! Let me know when ya'll are ready to play.
AC9breaker
I'm down for some multiplayer action. Maybe this time me and Kaz won't end up tied up beigelaugh.gif . I did something to my DS so now my old Metriod Prime Hunter friend code doesn't work. Once I get it off my neice I'll put my new code in my profile. Maybe sometime this weekend we can IM each other and get a game started.
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