Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Review (WII)

Wii owners finally get a quality adventure to sink their choppers into with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the final entry in Nintendo's classic trilogy. Take on the role of bounty hunter Samus Aran, an armor-clad lady with a penchant for terminating alien scum. Instead of blazing through the galaxy using a more traditional game controller, tackle enormous bosses and solve head-scratching puzzles using the Wii's remote and nunchuk. The experience is nothing short of extraordinary.

Controlling a big action-adventure using the Wii-mote could be confusing, but the control setup feels completely natural. Both the Wii remote and nunchuck move Samus around each level -- steer her using the nunchuk's analog stick and aim, shoot and activate the scan visor with the remote. The motion-sensoring in the remote controls moving levers and grappling. To activate devices (like levers), manipulate the remote. Need to pull something forward in the game? The pull the remote toward you. Need to turn something clockwise? Then mimic the motion with the remote. Want to push something forward? Then move the Wii-mote forward, toward the TV. These charade-like controls prove to be a simple innovation that works seamlessly and adds a layer of immersion to the game.

The rest of the game embodies the essence of the Metroid Prime series. Samus scans almost everything, switches into a morph ball to complete 2.5-D puzzles and squares off against some of the most exciting bosses ever conceived. Early on in the game, a Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers inspired battle with classic Metroid nemesis Ridley takes place as Samus and the space dragon plummet down a long shaft. We won't spoil the fun with details, but this edge-of-your-seat sequence will likely go down as one of the best boss battles in history.

We also love the presentation. Instead of force-feeding players scrolling text, Metroid Prime 3 features tons of dialogue. Samus speaks to plenty of non-player characters and we get to see her in action in cut scenes with her fellow bounty hunters, who eventually go missing and kick off daring search and rescue mission.

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