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Metroid Prime 2 - Echoes Shows Multiplayer Action For GameCube

Posted by simoniker on from the long-awaited dept.

Thanks to Nintendo.com for its new info page officially revealing Metroid Prime 2: Echoes for GameCube, showing several impressive screenshots of "this highly anticipated sequel to Metroid Prime", as the first hints of setting are discussed: "Hunted by a mysterious entity and a warring race called the Ing, Samus Aran must explore the light and dark worlds of this doomed planet." The previously rumored multiplayer mode is also confirmed: "Up to four players can battle each other as they search for weapons, grapple across ceilings, and turn into Morph Balls to make their escapes."

22 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. Metroid Prime and multiplayer by BigHungryJoe · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I loved Metroid Prime. Metroid Prime and Windwaker alone made the Gamecube worth the money.
    Unfortunately, this is the kind of "multiplayer" I was hoping for.

    Why is Nintendo so averse to doing providing a real online multiplayer service? I have a blast on XBox Live and I think that being "Live Enabled" drives the sale of many games.

    It just seems like they're ignoring a potentially lucrative part of the market.

    -BHJ

    1. Re:Metroid Prime and multiplayer by clu76 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'd personally rather have LAN play for Metroid Prime 2. Games are much more fun when the people are sitting in the same room. I have XBox live. Don't like it.

      --
      the cosmos in 20 words or less: thumbuki.com
    2. Re:Metroid Prime and multiplayer by CuBeFReNZy · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Metroid Prime was an excellent game... and 2 will be even better. I'm so glad to see Nintendo bring back this franchise after so long.

      As for the online... I think Nintendo doesn't see it as profitable yet. Because it really isn't. Out of the estimated 14 million + Xbox users, only 750,000 are subscribed to Live. So Live really isn't pulling that much for Xbox when you look at the general numbers. I love playing games online, and I think it would be great if Nintendo made more of their games online for the GameCube, but I think it's too late in the Cube's life for them to start something.

      The Warp Pipe project is great It makes me look forward to LAN games alot more. I hope Nintendo realizes they can do that instead of having to start their own online service.

    3. Re:Metroid Prime and multiplayer by Guppy06 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "Why is Nintendo so averse to doing providing a real online multiplayer service?"

      Because then they'd have to filter out all the assholes online.

    4. Re:Metroid Prime and multiplayer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Fine, but did you read the other AC's post closely enough?

      According to that post, Mario Party 4 - a single-console (offline) multiplayer game - has performed better in the market than any Xbox Live game. And that is the point - that the sales of online multiplayer console games is nowhere near the perceived hype, not when compared to offline multiplayer games or (especially) single-player games.

      Personally, I don't play online multiplayer games (other than slashdot). That's not because I have any sort of agenda, that's because the idea has never appealed to me, and every time I've tried it, the experience matches my low expectations. So, I specifically avoid games where the focus is mostly on online multiplayer. If a game's focus is on single-player mode and/or an offline multiplayer mode for playing with friends who are hanging out together, but it also features online multiplayer, then I don't mind. That's why I will readily buy games like this upcoming Metroid Prime sequel, but never an MMORPG or your typical modern FPS.

      The breaking point for me will be when I can have the same experience playing a game against a friend online as I can playing against him or her in the same room. The Xbox Live and Sony SOCOM headsets don't cut it (I've played using both). I'm talking about natural conversation-style stuff, like being able to physically point at my screen and having my friends see and understand, seeing my friends' faces when I whoop on them, getting into foodfights while one person scrambles for the pause button, intangible things like that. Best solution I can think of for online multiplayer games is LAN-play in the same room, with multiple TVs and multiple consoles, but that's so impractical that impromptu multiplayer games become inconvenient, because it's a chore to set up.

      In the meantime, my friends and I are good to go with offline games, and I think we'll be playing them for a long time while technology tries to catch up with what would be the most fun for us.

    5. Re:Metroid Prime and multiplayer by Salamande · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Interesting point. I think that's one of the prime (ahem) reasons why Nintendo is so skittish about going online.

      When all is said and done, the image they're trying to project is one of a family company...which is quite different from a kiddy company, despite popular opinion. Making a game online capable requires such freedom of communication that it's impossible to censor it and not cripple the experience. Look at Phantasy Star Online: do you think you'd be able to bond with your buddies as well using only the Symbol Chat interface? And even then, they still managed to "dirty" it up...it seems you can make a lot of questionable images with those symbols.

      Even if they stuck on a big, shiny sign covering half the retail box that said, "Hey, people on the net can be assholes, so we're not responsible for hurt feelings incurred playing online!" parents would still bitch the first time little Timmy was told to "fuck off n00b". I guess doing without that grief, and the resultant image shift, is worth the online sales. I disagree, but that may be part of the rationale.

  2. What?!? by jonbboy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Slow? it can be beat in less than 2 hours!

    http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/2 9/ 2136259&mode=nested&tid=127&tid=186&tid=207&tid=21 3

    "It is best described as "walk through hallway. Shoot door.
    Walk through door. Shoot enemy. Repeat."

    Bullsh1t!

    Metroid Prime is filled with diverse puzzles and many enemies that require different battle tactics.

    What specifically would you add/change to make it better? (besides add multiplayer). I would just add more of what it already has.

    1. Re:What?!? by jonbboy · · Score: 2, Informative

      "Metroid Prime is filled with diverse puzzles and many
      enemies that require different battle tactics."

      Plus the incredible atmosphere of the game, and the tight controls!!!

    2. Re:What?!? by scot4875 · · Score: 2, Informative

      It had a strafe option. Hold the L trigger to strafe.

      You either haven't played it or don't have the mental capacity to cope with such complex control schemes.

      --Jeremy

      --
      Jesus was a liberal
  3. Re:Wasn't a fan of the first by dogbowl · · Score: 2, Funny

    "walk through hallway. Shoot door. Walk through door. Shoot enemy. Repeat."

    and how is that different from every other Metroid title?

    --

    These pretzels are making me thirsty.
  4. Re:Wasn't a fan of the first by cbirdsong64 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Oh come on, man, you can sum up any game like that.

    GTA: Walk around city, shoot at people, get in car, get out, repeat.

    Mario: Enter level, jump around, jump on enemy, collect stuff, repeat.

    Halo: Run around, shoot at enemies, drive a jeep, repeat.

  5. This'll never get past the censors! by fr0dicus · · Score: 2, Funny

    The evil triple necked trouser snake beast!

  6. Re:Wasn't a fan of the first by Frizzle+Fry · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yeah. I feel like I've entered bizarro world where that description only suits prime rather than suiting the first metroid game with its endless identical repetitive hallways.

    What made Prime so much better is that it wasn't slow and repetitive like the original, and hopefully echoes will keep that going.

    --
    I'd rather be lucky than good.
  7. New Icons? New stuff? by FroBugg · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The icons on the HUD look different from those in Prime, if I'm remembering correctly. Does this mean it's going to have different beams and visors?

    1. Re:New Icons? New stuff? by MMaestro · · Score: 2, Interesting
      True the icons on the HUD are different, but if you really think about it they can pretty much all be justified as 'revamped.' Chances are they're all the same thing (with a change or two) since, after all; if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

      Judging from the first screenshot where you can get the best view :

      Energy bars? Different but its pretty clear what they're trying to do.
      The two verticle bars under the missle count? Again, pretty clear (Dark Blue shows max, Teal shows remaining.)
      Left verticle bar? Danger meter, almost no change there. (Though I wonder why its not spiking with that enemy right in front of Samus... maybe an alpha version screen shot?)
      Map? Again, basic change nothing special.

      Now for the (presumably) Visors and Beam selection :

      Red beam? Energy beam, no brainer if you've played Metroid Prime.
      Blue beam? Cold? Ice? Ice beam? It flipped with the Wave Beam but that could always be changed.
      Green beam? Now admittedly this is reaching a bit but maybe a Plasma Beam? No way to tell until we get more info or until we play it.

      As for the visors, some are pretty self-explanatory..

      Red : Combat visor, check. Blue : Scan visor, check. Yellow : Thermal visor, maybe? The icon is obviously not the same, but it looks even less similar to the X-Ray visor. Green : Who knows? Could be a motion sensor visor, a sound based visor, maybe the new look for the X-Ray visor or even a Radiation/Phazon visor (though I doubt we'll see Phazon again since it was a localized element).

    2. Re:New Icons? New stuff? by Guppy06 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "Energy bars? Different but its pretty clear what they're trying to do."

      But it's definitely different from the way energy has been displayed since the first game. There might be something else involved in there (another try at the Reserve Tank concept?), especially considering the way everything else seems to be revised to get less clutter on the HUD, not more.

      "The two verticle bars under the missle count? Again, pretty clear (Dark Blue shows max, Teal shows remaining.)"

      Or there's two flavors of missiles again. Fusion and Prime had interesting ideas for variety in missiles, but it seemz Zero Mission has gone back to two flavors again. I don't think we'll know either way until we get to play the game ourselves.

      "(Though I wonder why its not spiking with that enemy right in front of Samus... maybe an alpha version screen shot?)"

      Because the "danger meter" was the environmental danger meter. It only goes off if you're about to step in lava/toxic water/Phazon/hot rooms/etc.

      "Map? Again, basic change nothing special."

      I hope the map screen will tell you what rooms you've already colleted items from...

      "Green beam? Now admittedly this is reaching a bit but maybe a Plasma Beam?"

      The icon is swirly. I'd guess Wave.

      Now my question is: If the HUD is so different from Prime, does thsi mean she's in a new/different/modified suit?

  8. I've said it before, I'll say it again, by GaimeGuy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    People always need a reason to bitch about Nintendo.
    "Nintendo is too traditional!"
    "Nintendo should put multiplayer in Metroid!"

    Now, it's:
    "Nintendo is selling out!"
    "What the hell is Nintendo thinking?! Putting multiplayer in Metroid. No one wanted that crap!"
    People are ALWAYS criticizing nintendo for being too conservative and for not "changing with the times." Now that Nintendo is listening to these people, they're getting branded as sell-outs. Good god, people. If Nintendo wants to become #1 in the industry again, they're going to have to do stuff like this.

    No, it doesn't mean that they're going to change the game formula at all! And no, it doesn't mean they're going to put less effort in their games! They're adding something which the fans asked for. And for the love of god, if anyone can pull off these types of things and still retain the feel of the franchise, it's Nintendo.
    Now why don't you all wait until more about the game is revealed and until you can PLAY it before judging it?

    1. Re:I've said it before, I'll say it again, by GaimeGuy · · Score: 2, Informative

      I'm not getting defensive. I'm telling the truth: people ALWAYS need to complain about Nintendo. I saw thousands of people posting across the internet about wanting multiplayer in metroid. Now, they're getting it, and I'm sure I'm going to see thousands saying that Nintendo's selling out now, too.

      No matter what, Nintendo is always criticized. They were criticized for making the smart business decision in selling Rare (Rare, during the past three years, had made up for less than % of Nintendo's profits), which has only produces one game since the sale, Grabbed by the Ghoulies. Ironically, it has already released two of its GBA games which were completed before they were sold to microsoft. And now, the revival of Banjo Pilot for the GBA has shown up! So Nintendo's systems, for now, are STILL getting more games from Rare than the X-box is! And Nintendo is making the smart business decision in staying out of online, for now, untill it becomes profitable and something affordable to all games. I hardly see anything wrong with Nintendo's business practices.

      Now, on to what you said about my comment: It's not ridiculous. The company's image and reputation isn't going to change unless the COMPANY does something about it. I'm not saying Nintendo's going to go bankrupt. I'm not saying they're going to fail. What I'm saying is that if Nintendo wants to INCREASE its market share, then they're going to have to do stuff like this. I retain full confidence in their abilities, and I'm confident that they'll make this multiplayer thing work out.

  9. Re:metroid + multiplayer by Guppy06 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Two years ago you were saying the same thing about Metroid and FPS.

  10. Battle is good... by CylanR77 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    But not all of the time. What I'd really like to see in this game is cooperative multiplayer.

    Perhaps it's just me, but I've played games where the series or main focus of the game is based on single player mode, and the multiplayer "battle" modes were dull and simply not as fun as other games that were designed for multiplayer combat. On the other hand, I've had a blast playing games that include cooperative gameplay.

    Granted, cooperative gameplay makes more sense in the adventure/puzzle genre, but that's mostly what Metroid is. I'd much rather have friend and I playing the game and accomplishing it together than having both of our progress slowed by each other.

    --
    http://cylan.deviantart.com/gallery/
  11. Re:metroid + multiplayer by C0rinthian · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Metroid 2 was better. :)

    It's amazing how much tension you can build in a B/W gameboy game. Heh, the less enemies there were, the more dangerous it was.

    "Oh look, a metroid husk. F--k."

  12. Re:Wasn't a fan of the first by SamSim · · Score: 4, Funny

    Tetris: Make a line. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. REPEAT. REPEAT. REPEAT.

    --
    qntm.org