In 2002, Nintendo was still in need of a system-defining title for the Nintendo GameCube, after Sony and Microsoft had received many of theirs in spades, thus shunting Nintendo down in the minds of many. Fans believed Nintendo had lost touch with what gamers wanted, as their only opposition came from games like Luigi's Mansion and Pikmin, while PS2 and XBox fans obtained games like Grand Theft Auto 3, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Halo - games for more grown-up tastes, as opposed to the childish antics of Mario and Kirby. Nintendo needed change, and fast - and hence gave the rights to perhaps their most grown-up franchise, Metroid, to fledgling Austin, Texas-based developer Retro Studios, who came out with something nothing short of a pure masterpiece. Metroid Prime was an amazing game that combined the fast-paced combat and feel of a first-person shooter with the puzzle aspects and emphasis on exploration that had always been the calling card of the Metroid franchise, thus creating a new genre, and a title that was a near unanimous Game of the Year winner. Now, the year is 2004, and Sony and Microsoft are banking on the success of many of their most beloved franchises once again for holiday sales. To that end, Nintendo has once again enlisted Retro Studios to accomplish a truly daunting task - create a sequel to the most acclaimed game of the new millennium. Metroid Prime 2 Echoes is what has been created from this, but is it truly a title that lives up to not only its predecessor, but the entire Metroid name?

Picking up after the events of the first game, intergalactic bounty huntress Samus Aran once again receives a mission from the Galactic Federation, and is now asked to investigate the disappearance of a group of marines on a mysterious planet called Aether. Never one to turn down some easy money, Samus speeds towards the strange planet, and quickly finds herself stranded after a freak electrical storm cripples her ship. She soon finds the marines (or at least, what's left of them) and runs into the Ing - a group of dark creatures who immediately try to eliminate her, drawing her into a strange portal and stripping her of just about all of her gadgets. And to make matters worse, they seem to have formed an alliance with a being that looks quite similar to our heroine! After barely escaping further damage, she meets a mysterious creature named U-Mos, the last sentinel of the Luminoth, a once-peaceful race similar to the Chozo of previous games. U-Mos tells Samus the tragic tale of his people - once, they were a technologically advanced race rivaling the Chozo. However, this peace ended when the planet was split into two mirroring dimensions: the Light World, home to the Luminoth, and the savage Dark World, home to the Ing - a world so evil even its atmosphere causes damage to Samus. What Samus must accomplish is truly a daunting task for any man. However, you know you never send a man to do a woman's job.

Yeah, these guys are screwed.

Metroid Prime 2 doesn't try to be anything more than what it is - a cut-and-dried sequel to Metroid Prime. There are no major gameplay additions, no massive storyline twists or surprises, and nothing about the game, really, that is innovative or daring. That said, considering this is in fact a sequel to Metroid Prime, this is by no means a bad thing. Fans of the original Prime will have nothing to hate here, as the massive worlds of dark and light, new gameplay elements create a game that is beautiful, challenging, addictive, and above all, FUN.

The main new gameplay feature that separates Echoes from its predecessor is the twin worlds of light and dark. During many parts of the game, Samus will jump from one world to the other, in order to gain power-ups, beat bosses, and accomplish tasks. Although this new system adds an incredible level of freedom and adventure that is the staple of the Metroid franchise, it isn't exactly original - remember a little game called The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past? Still, although the concept is a bit clichéd, it really shows off the daunting tasks in this game - one world is big enough on its own, but two is just amazing, especially with an adventure in the Metroid franchise. The game is also noticeably more difficult, as while although it isn't on the mind-numbing difficulty level of some games, some players might get frustrated after they die a few times…and, unless you're insanely good, you WILL DIE a few times. There are also plenty of puzzles, just like the first game, and many of them are even more fiendish, and really give one a sense of accomplishment when they are finished. The only thing that is lacking, just like in the first game, is the combat, but once again this isn't necessarily bad, as Metroid has always been more about adventure than combat. The one thing that's probably the most interesting change from Prime 1 is the layout of the world (or worlds, in this case). While Metroid Prime had different worlds, they were really in name only, as players were constantly backtracking through them looking for their next objectives, as there really were not any clear "levels" to the game. However, this time around, Metroid Prime 2 feels like much more of a linear experience, as there is much less backtracking, and almost a semblance of actual, traditional levels, with the boss at the end of each one. Of course, this is not really a drawback to the game. The linearity seems to drive the story along better then Metroid Prime did, even if said story (which I outlined above) is kind of weak.

"Uhm…oh boy…"

Still, many of the things that Metroid Prime was able to do correctly are only improved upon in the sequel. The game's production values are absolutely off the charts, with unique menus and an incredible sense of presentation and polish. There are lots more cutscenes then in the first game, which really drive along the story and truly manage to nail the point home, and really create a sense of emotion, even if it's just a featureless alien talking to a girl in a metal suit. Still, even though the cutscenes drive along the story well, it almost seems like they would have been better if they were voice acted. The text boxes, while effective, seem a bit out of place in this game, almost as if they were put in at the last minute by Retro. The introduction of Dark Samus is very well done, however, creating quite effectively a cool anti-Samus as an arch-rival. Although the concept was done before (Metroid Fusion's SA-X) Dark Samus looks very much like someone that could kick any other Samus clone's ass - yeah, she's THAT cool.

Of course, Samus has many of her classic weapons and items from previous games, plus some new ones as well. The two biggest additions are the Light and Dark beam, which replace the Wave, Ice, and Plasma beams found in most other Metroid games. Using these new beams, Samus can defeat enemies easier from either side of the planet (each beam works best against enemies from the opposite side), open portals to the dark world and vice versa, and trigger various objects and switches. However, in a new addition to the series, these beams require something previously reserved for the missile launcher - ammunition. Therefore, players must now conserve their ammo, instead of using the most powerful weapon all the time. There's also plenty of returning items like the Grapple Beam and Space Jump Boots, new items like the Gravity Boost, and the long-awaited return of the Screw Attack, which may very well be the most fun item ever put in a video game in a long time. There are also new suits and visors, and of course, the many item upgrades that gamers will rip their hair out trying to get.

However, the biggest addition to Metroid Prime 2 is its multiplayer component. One of the largest criticisms from people who played Metroid Prime thought that the game needed multiplayer play like all other first-person shooters, even though it wasn't technically a first-person shooter in the first place. Well, Retro has obliged, and included a multiplayer mode in Prime 2, which, although it plays just as well as the actual game, and is fun for a time, has a multitude of things wrong with it. First, there really aren't many power-ups or features as opposed to the multiplayer modes of most other first-person shooters. There are a few new things like Hacker Mode and the Death Ball, but all come up wanting; overall, not very effective. Another problem with the game is that the use of lock-ons from the single-player mode carries over to the multiplayer, and it really makes the game overly easy, as battles degenerate to opponents strafing around each other, button-mashing to blast each other. There aren't many levels either (4 initially, 2 can be unlocked via the single-player game) or modes (Deathmatch, as well as Bounty Mode), and the levels are pretty small and not very well-designed. Also, the technology behind the multiplayer is downright antiquated. Considering that this is Nintendo, it isn't a shock to see that there is no online play, but the lack of LAN play (which several multiplayer Nintendo titles already have) is really inexcusable. The biggest complaint I have with the multiplayer is it just doesn't fit, since Metroid has always been a series about adventure, not about running around and shooting stuff. If you really want a multiplayer Metroid so badly, buy a Nintendo DS and play the Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt demo with your friends, since that game's controls are much better suited for multiplayer play.

I'm sorry, that's just freaking pretty.

While it's true that I seem to have approached this review with some skepticism towards what should be Nintendo's biggest title of the year, that doesn't mean that there were no parts of the game I didn't find jaw-droppingly amazing. One of these is the graphics, which look to be some of the best I've seen thus far this year for the GameCube, and possibly for any system. There are some clear improvements made over the original Prime, most notably with the incredible level of detail that goes into the backgrounds and settings. Areas are more vast than they ever were in the first Prime, with a tremendous sense of space and freedom unmatched by other Metroid games. The detail that goes into the game is amazing as well…if you look at the sky, you'll see the colors switching from white to purple, symbolizing the Dark World's encroachment onto the Light side. There are some really cool lighting and particle effects as well, and some areas are downright incredible, such as the technological palace called the Sanctuary Fortress, a world with incredible amounts of detail that really adds to the feel of the area. The Dark world is much less pretty, but it's not supposed to be visually appealing, it's a land of lifelessness, full of drab purple and black colors that really add to the sense of the evil that teems in the area. Of course, there is no reason not to mention some especially creepy enemy creature and boss designs. However, some enemies from the game are directly taken from Metroid Prime 1, and many others are obviously based on enemies from the first game, albeit with new designs. The Grenchlers, for example, look and fight quite similarly to the Sheegoths, and are in fact defeated in the same way. Still, there are many new, unique enemies - my personal favorites are the Rezbits, which have the amazing ability to hack Samus's suit, disallowing movement - only a combo of buttons can bring her suit back online. Many of the game's monsters are also quite physically imposing, such as Quadraxis, main boss of the aforementioned Fortress, a mechanical beast so massive he makes Kraid say "wow." The game also does a great job of creating a sense of difficulty with the game's monsters, as the ones that look the most ferocious are very often the hardest to defeat.

The game's sound is equally as impressive. The engineers really didn't rely on the first Prime and reuse a lot of songs (except for a few essentials) but instead created a brand new soundtrack that sounds much creepier than the first. The musical styles in the game are almost a techno-hip-hop-Asian theme, and run a gamut of tones in order to create haunting tracks that play very well into the Metroid legacy. The sound effects are all excellent as well, and just as good as they were in prime…one can hear Space Pirates conversing with one another, or the roar of a deep sea monster, simply by listening at most points.

The gameplay of this game is exactly the way it was in Prime 1, to a T. The control stick still moves, L still locks on and strafes, R button is for targeting and looking around, A fires beams, B jumps, X activates Morph ball, Y is for missiles, and the C-Stick and D-Pad are for changing beams and visors respectively. While the controls are responsive and just as good as the first game, there are still the same problems that plagued Metroid Prime, such as difficulties in locking on many enemies when against multiple opponents, turning around while evading enemy fire, and not being able to lock directly on to the enemy when switching out of the Scan Visor (probably the thing I hated most about Prime 1's control). However, Retro remains adamant about keeping the Metroid feel intact, which is understandable, as they make sure this game is still an first-person adventure, not first-person shooter. Still, a dual-stick control scheme would make a lot of sense, but that depends on Retro to include one in later installments. Still, the controls are just as good as they were in the first game; it's just unfortunate that Retro didn't do more to erase old problems.

Don't let the flaws fool you, as despite them, Metroid Prime 2 Echoes is an absolutely wonderful title, and probably the best single-player gaming experience to be had all year. The game creates an intense, vast, immersive world that draws the player in, and doesn't let go. The game is adventurous, ambitious, fast-paced, and really, just a load of fun. Retro Studios and Nintendo should be praised for all the efforts that were put forward on this game, as they have succeeded in creating what they set out to do - create a sequel to the best game of this generation. Metroid Prime 2 Echoes is hands-down the best GameCube title you will play all year, and gets my highest recommendation.