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==Synopsis==
==Synopsis==
===Setting===
===Setting===
''Echoes'' takes place on the planet Aether inhabited by a technologically advanced race of moth-like humanoids, the Luminoth, who been peacefully residing there, ingeniously preserving and caring for the planet's resources by harboring and distributing the pure natural energy of the planet, known as "the Light of Aether". However, one day a meteor was detected to be on a collision course with the planet, and despite the Luminoth's greatest efforts and strongest technology, they were unable to avert the catastrophe, leaving a deep scar, which burnt the Agon Plains into wastes and flooded Torvus forest into a swamp. However, the biggest effect was the creation of an alternate dimension on the planet, an almost duplicate mirror, but dark, arid, with a violently poisonous atmosphere. Named Dark Aether, it gave birth to evil creatures to balance the Luminoth: The Ing, a innumerable race of foul, malevolent and cruel shapeshifting creatures intent upon destroying the Luminoth. Able to possess the bodies of the living, the dead, and the [[Artificial intelligence|artificially intelligent]], they engaged in a long and bitter struggle with the Luminoth over the now divided energy; the energy of the planet cannot support both dimensions, and both races vie for ultimate control to ensue the destruction of the other dimension indefinitely. So far, the Ing have slowly been winning, with only one remaining Energy Controller left.
''Echoes'' takes place on the [[rogue planet]] Aether inhabited by a technologically advanced race of moth-like humanoids, the Luminoth, who been peacefully residing there, ingeniously preserving and caring for the planet's resources by harboring and distributing the pure natural energy of the planet, known as "the Light of Aether". However, one day a meteor was detected to be on a collision course with the planet, and despite the Luminoth's greatest efforts and strongest technology, they were unable to avert the [[impact event|impact]],<ref>Luminoth Lore '''"The Stellar Object"''': "By the time we detected the stellar object as it streaked toward our world, it was too late to stop it. We fired numerous weapons at it in a vain attempt to alter its trajectory. Nothing worked." </ref> which left a deep scar, burning the Agon Plains into wastes and flooding Torvus forest into a swamp.<ref>Luminoth Lore '''"Cataclysm"''': The starborne terror burnt through the heavens and struck Aether with an untold might. We all expected the world to shatter... but Aether held. There was great devastation, however. The green plains of Agon were scorched
forever, and the forest of Torvus was engulfed and wracked by the sea. The skies burned for days, casting darkness over the land.
</ref> However, the biggest effect was the creation of an alternate dimension on the planet, an almost duplicate mirror, but dark, arid, with a violently poisonous atmosphere. Named Dark Aether, it gave birth to evil creatures to balance the Luminoth: The Ing, a innumerable race of foul, malevolent and cruel shapeshifting creatures intent upon destroying the Luminoth. Able to possess the bodies of the living, the dead, and the [[Artificial intelligence|artificially intelligent]], they engaged in a long and bitter struggle with the Luminoth over the now divided energy; the energy of the planet cannot support both dimensions, and both races vie for ultimate control to ensue the destruction of the other dimension indefinitely. So far, the Ing have slowly been winning, with only one remaining Energy Controller left.


Around this time, the Space Pirates stumbled across Aether, and eagerly set up a small base in which to procure the vast amounts of Phazon detected on the planet, hoping to compensate for the loss on Tallon IV (''[[Metroid Prime]]''). Shortly after this a Galactic Federation Marine Corps patrol ship encounters one of the Pirates' supply ships, both ships suffering heavy damage as a result of the altercation between them; and after losing contact with the Marines, an anxious Federation call upon [[Samus Aran]] to investigate.
Around this time, the Space Pirates stumbled across Aether, and eagerly set up a small base in which to procure the vast amounts of Phazon detected on the planet, hoping to compensate for the loss on Tallon IV (''[[Metroid Prime]]''). Shortly after this a Galactic Federation Marine Corps patrol ship encounters one of the Pirates' supply ships, both ships suffering heavy damage as a result of the altercation between them; and after losing contact with the Marines, an anxious Federation call upon [[Samus Aran]] to investigate.


===Plot===
===Plot===
The game begins here as Samus' gunship suffers heavy damage as the result of severe atmospheric storms caused by the instability of the planet, quickly learning that the silence of the Marines was caused by the storms which act as an impenetrable sheet for communication signals. Progressing through a temporary structure erected by the Marines, Samus finds the soldiers all dead, surrounded by evidence of a great number of aggressive hive creatures, Splinters, apparently to blame; but not before witnessing many of the deceased Marines rising and attacking her, apparently possessed by some mysterious entities. Shortly after Samus encounters a dark mirror of herself and is attacked by what she later learns to be Ing, who steal many of her latent abilities. Samus finds the Marine Corps ship and learns from the ship's logs that all the troops were attacked by possessed Splinters, their efforts suffering under the constant attrition of their attacks. Her mission objective failed, Samus heads toward an alien temple structure, where she meets U-Mos, the last remaining Luminoth. He explains the situation to her, begging Samus to help re-claim the lost Light of Aether from the Ing by using the precious Energy Transfer Module that she so casually claimed from a possessed Splinter. Samus agrees.
The game begins here as Samus' [[gunship]] suffers heavy damage as the result of severe lightning storms caused by the instability of the planet, quickly learning that the silence of the Marines was caused by the storms [[Electromagnetic interference|which act as an impenetrable sheet for communication signals]]. Progressing through a temporary structure erected by the Marines, Samus finds the soldiers all dead, surrounded by evidence of a great number of aggressive hive creatures, Splinters, apparently to blame; but not before witnessing many of the deceased Marines rising and attacking her, apparently possessed by some mysterious entities. Shortly after Samus encounters a dark mirror of herself and is attacked by what she later learns to be Ing, who steal many of her latent abilities. Samus finds the Marine Corps ship and learns from the ship's logs that all the troops were attacked by possessed Splinters, their efforts suffering under the constant attrition of their attacks. Her mission objective failed, Samus heads toward an alien temple structure, where she meets U-Mos, the last remaining Luminoth. He explains the situation to her, begging Samus to help re-claim the lost Light of Aether from the Ing by using the Energy Transfer Module that she claimed from a possessed Splinter. Samus agrees.


Samus heads to the Agon Wastes, a parched, rocky, desert wasteland region. After finding the Luminoth temple, Samus encounters her first "portal" to Dark Aether, harboured inside the small Space Pirate base of operations on the planet. Learning from the Pirate records stored there and the general ramshackle state of the installation, the Pirates' forces are spread thin thanks to constant attack from the Ing, local creatures and frequent Phazon raids by Dark Samus. It is here that Samus and her dark twin fight, the latter disintegrating into a cloud of pure Phazon once defeated. Gathering three keys located in the Dark World all across the vast Agon Wastes region, Samus is able to enter the Dark Agon Wastes Temple, and succeeds in defeating the monstrous Amorbis and stealing back the Light of Aether, returning it to the Luminoth Temple. After restoring the energy controller to the Agon Wastes, she travels to the Torvus Bog, a drenched swamp area overgrown with lush vegetation. Samus also travels to an almost completely submerged hydrosubstation in the area, where she glimpses Dark Samus. Once again Samus gathers the three keys necessary to access the Dark Torvus Temple and defeats the tenacious Chykaa, returning the Light of Aether to Torvus.
Samus heads to the Agon Wastes, a parched, rocky, desert wasteland region. After finding the Luminoth temple, Samus encounters her first "portal" to Dark Aether, harboured inside the small Space Pirate base of operations on the planet. Learning from the Pirate records stored there and the general ramshackle state of the installation, the Pirates' forces are spread thin thanks to constant attack from the Ing,<ref>Pirate Log '''"69898"''': "The local war has escalated in intensity. The shadowlings from Dark Aether have launched an offensive. (...) The shadowlings must believe us to be foes, for they have hit our base
numerous times as well.</ref> local creatures and frequent Phazon raids by Dark Samus.<ref>Pirate Log '''"63622"''': Samus Aran, the accursed Hunter, has arrived. The sudden arrival of the Hunter is strange enough, but her actions are stranger still. She does not seek our destruction, but our Phazon.(...)Dark in color, it is equipped with strange new weapons. The troops now call her the 'Dark Hunter.'"</ref> It is here that Samus and her dark twin fight, the latter disintegrating into a cloud of pure Phazon once defeated. After gathering three keys across the Dark Agon Wastes region, Samus is able to enter the Dark Agon Wastes Temple, and succeeds in defeating the monstrous worm Amorbis and stealing back the Light of Aether, returning it to the Luminoth Temple. After restoring the energy controller, she travels to the Torvus Bog, a drenched swamp area overgrown with lush vegetation, which also houses an almost completely submerged hydrosubstation, where she glimpses Dark Samus. Once again Samus gathers the three keys necessary to access the Dark Torvus Temple and defeats the moth-like Chykka, returning the Light of Aether to Torvus.


Samus then travels to the Sanctuary Fortress, the former, glorious digital cliffside city of the Luminoth, and also home to the teeming Ing Hive. The Luminoth machines long turned renegade, Samus navigates through the dizzying heights of the tower complex, ambushing an even more powerful Dark Samus, and gathers the necessary keys to access the Ing Hive Temple, defeating the stolen, gargantuan Quadraxis machine, and restores light back to the Fortress.
Samus then travels to the Sanctuary Fortress, the former, glorious digital cliffside city of the Luminoth, with machines long turned renegade, and in Dark Aether, home to the teeming Ing Hive. Samus navigates through the tower complex, ambushing an even more powerful Dark Samus, and gathers the necessary keys to access the Ing Hive Temple, where she defeats the Quadraxis machine, becoming able to restore light back to the Fortress.


After gathering the 9 Sky Temple Keys necessary to access the Ing's dark mirror of U-Mos' last temple, Samus enters and faces the final and strongest Ing, the Emperor Ing, currently feeding off the power of the remaining Light of Aether in the Dark World. After a long struggle Samus is able to defeat the creature, and flees as the Dark World begins to collapse—only to be intercepted and trapped by an alarmingly powerful Dark Samus. After overloading her foe with pure Phazon, Samus escapes as the world disappears around her. Returning to U-Mos, our heroine finds all the Luminoth in stasis awakened, returning all their technological upgrades she acquired during her mission, finally leaving Aether in her repaired gunship.
After gathering the 9 Sky Temple Keys necessary to access the Ing's dark mirror of U-Mos' last temple, Samus enters and faces the strongest Ing, the Emperor Ing, currently feeding off the power of the remaining Light of Aether in the Dark World. After a long struggle Samus is able to defeat the creature, and flees as the Dark World begins to collapse——only to be intercepted and trapped by Dark Samus. After overloading her foe with pure Phazon, Samus escapes as the world disappears around her. Returning to U-Mos, our heroine finds all the Luminoth in stasis awakened, returning all their technological upgrades she acquired during her mission before finally leaving Aether in her repaired gunship. If the player has collected 100% of the items, a [[post-credits scene]] shows Dark Samus reforming herself.


==Development==
==Development==
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Unlike the majority of [[PAL]] game releases, the game cannot be run in 50&nbsp;Hz, the standard [[refresh rate]] for [[PAL]] televisions. The game instead defaults to 60&nbsp;Hz, which is normally included as an option in PAL GameCube releases, as it reduces display flicker and is supported by most PAL televisions. Starting with this title, [[First-party developer|first-party]] GameCube releases include a logo on the packaging and marketing material stating which refresh rates are supported. <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://n-europe.com/news.php?nid=7118|title= News: Metroid Prime 2 60Hz Only|publisher=[[n-Europe]]|date=2004-10-27|accessdate=2008-11-03}}</ref> <!---if you find a ref, re-add it: The PAL version of the game was also briefly available for free through the [[Nintendo Stars Catalogue]] loyalty scheme, then named "Nintendo VIP 24:7".--->
Unlike the majority of [[PAL]] game releases, the game cannot be run in 50&nbsp;Hz, the standard [[refresh rate]] for [[PAL]] televisions. The game instead defaults to 60&nbsp;Hz, which is normally included as an option in PAL GameCube releases, as it reduces display flicker and is supported by most PAL televisions. Starting with this title, [[First-party developer|first-party]] GameCube releases include a logo on the packaging and marketing material stating which refresh rates are supported. <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://n-europe.com/news.php?nid=7118|title= News: Metroid Prime 2 60Hz Only|publisher=[[n-Europe]]|date=2004-10-27|accessdate=2008-11-03}}</ref> <!---if you find a ref, re-add it: The PAL version of the game was also briefly available for free through the [[Nintendo Stars Catalogue]] loyalty scheme, then named "Nintendo VIP 24:7".--->


==Reception==
==Release==
===Marketing===
A [[viral marketing]] campaign was employed, with Nintendo launching a series of related websites.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ds/action/dsmetroidprimehunters/news_6111052.html|title=Nintendo launches fake Metroid sites|date=2004-10-21|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=2008-11-15}}</ref> These included an [[internet forum]], Luminoth Temple, since closed;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.luminothtemple.com/|title=Luminoth Temple|accessdate=2008-11-15}}</ref> Channel 51, modeled after [[conspiracy theory]] websites, with the author pseudonym being "Samantha Manus" — the first and last letters form "Samus" —, from "[[Sumas, Washington]]" — Samus backwards, and [[Nintendo of America]]'s headquarters are in [[Washington]] state — and offering grainy [[QuickTime]] videos of ''Metroid Prime 2'' dubbed "The Rossler Transmission";<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041015052027/http://www.channel51.org/|url=http://www.channel51.org/|title=Channel 51|archivedate=2004-10-15|accessdate=2008-11-15}}</ref> Orbis Labs, a company manufacturing a "self-contained armored machine" called "Battle Sphere" — the Morph Ball; with Manus commenting that the average male soldier is too large to fit in it, suggesting that female warriors -such as Samus- are more convenient;<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041023013602/www.orbislabs.com/|url=http://www.orbislabs.com/|title=Orbis Labs|archivedate=2004-10-23|accessdate=2008-11-15}}</ref> and Athena Astronautics, a site pursuing sending women into space,<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041104055824/http://www.athenaastronautics.com/|url=http://www.athenaastronautics.com/|title=Athena Astronautics|archivedate=2004-11-04|accessdate=2008-11-15}}</ref> that featured a sister [[blog]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mackenzieking.blogspot.com/|title=Athena Astronautics Journal|accessdate=2008-11-15}}</ref> and at a certain point, offered job positions for [[bounty hunter]]s on [[Monster (website)|Monster.com]], with selected 25 people who replied receiving an "interactive training manual", in the form of a free copy of ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes''.<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050225085357/http://biz.gamedaily.com/features.asp?article_id=8573&section=feature|url=http://biz.gamedaily.com/features.asp?article_id=8573&section=feature|title='Bounty Hunter' Job Posting Generates Surprising Response|date=2004-12-17|archivedate=20050225|publisher=[[GameDaily]]|accessdate=2008-11-15}}</ref>Nintendo wasn't involved with a spoof of ''[[Halo 2]]'''s [[I Love Bees]] campaign, in which domains with similar names (such as "iheartbeams.com") had an image of Samus with the caption "[[All your base are belong to us|All your bees are belong to us]]. Never send a man to do a woman's job."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.netarticle.php?article_id=57024|title=Nintendo doesn't much care for bees|publisher=[[Eurogamer]]|date=2004-10-26|accessdate=2008-11-15}}</ref>
===Reception===
{{VG Reviews
{{VG Reviews
| Edge = 8 of 10<ref>{{cite journal|title=Metroid Prime review|journal=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] magazine|issue=115|date=December 25, 2004|accessdate=}}</ref>
| Edge = 8 of 10<ref>{{cite journal|title=Metroid Prime review|journal=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] magazine|issue=115|date=December 25, 2004|accessdate=}}</ref>
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}}
}}


The critical reception for ''Echoes'' was mostly positive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/589573.asp |title=Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Reviews |publisher=Gamerankings.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-18}}</ref> ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'', ''[[Game Informer]]'', [[GameSpot]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/action/metroidprime2/review.html |title=Metroid Prime 2: Echoes for GameCube Review - GameCube Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Review |publisher=Nintendo |date=DS |accessdate=2008-10-18}}</ref> and [[IGN]] gave the game positive reviews.<ref name=IGN /> Although ''Echoes'' received positive scores, several reviewers such as IGN criticized the game for having similar gameplay to ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' and a bland multiplayer mode. Other criticism focused on the amount of backtracking required to complete an objective, as well as save points being too infrequent. The game won several awards, including the 2004 ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' Awards (Vol. #191) in almost every category it was nominated for. It was also rated the 174th best game made on a Nintendo system in ''Nintendo Power''{{'}}s Top 200 Games list.<ref name="NP Top 200">{{Citation|year=February 2006|title=NP Top 200|periodical=Nintendo Power|volume=200|pages=58–66}}.</ref>
The critical reception for ''Echoes'' was mostly positive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/589573.asp |title=Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Reviews |publisher=Gamerankings.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-18}}</ref> ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'', ''[[Game Informer]]'', [[GameSpot]],<ref name="gamespot"/> and [[IGN]] gave the game positive reviews.<ref name=IGN /> Although ''Echoes'' received positive scores, several reviewers criticized the game for having similar gameplay to ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' and a bland multiplayer mode. Other criticism focused on the amount of backtracking required to complete an objective, as well as save points being too infrequent. The game won several awards, including the 2004 ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' Awards (Vol. #191) in almost every category it was nominated for. It was also rated the 174th best game made on a Nintendo system in ''Nintendo Power''{{'}}s Top 200 Games list.<ref name="NP Top 200">{{Citation|year=February 2006|title=NP Top 200|periodical=Nintendo Power|volume=200|pages=58–66}}.</ref>


The game sold 470,000 copies in North America during 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/579/579600p1.html|title=Prime Outperforms Echoes|author=[[Matt Casamassina|Casamassina, Matt]]|publisher=[[IGN]]|date=2005-01-13|accessdate=2008-11-03}}</ref> It also reached 40,000 units in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.japan-gamecharts.com/gc.php|title=Japan GameCube charts|accessdate=2007-12-03|publisher= Japan Game Charts}}</ref>
The game sold 470,000 copies in North America during 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/579/579600p1.html|title=Prime Outperforms Echoes|author=[[Matt Casamassina|Casamassina, Matt]]|publisher=[[IGN]]|date=2005-01-13|accessdate=2008-11-03}}</ref> It also reached 40,000 units in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.japan-gamecharts.com/gc.php|title=Japan GameCube charts|accessdate=2007-12-03|publisher= Japan Game Charts}}</ref>

Revision as of 22:08, 15 November 2008

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes box art
Developer(s)Retro Studios
Publisher(s)Nintendo
EngineHeavily modified Metroid Prime engine
Platform(s)Nintendo GameCube, Wii
Release
  • NA: November 16, 2004

  • EU: November 26, 2004

  • AUS: December 2, 2004

  • JP: May 26, 2005

Wii remake

[1]
Genre(s)First-person action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is a first person action-adventure video game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the GameCube video game console. It is the second game in the Metroid Prime trilogy, following Metroid Prime. The game was released in North America, Europe, and Australia in 2004, and in Japan in 2005. It is the first Metroid game to have a multiplayer feature. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes will be released for the Wii in 2009 and include updated graphics and take advantage of the Wii controls as part of the Play on the Wii selection.

The events of Echoes take place six months after the events of Metroid Prime. The story follows bounty hunter Samus Aran after she was sent to rescue a group of Galactic Federation troopers on the planet Aether. There she finds out the troopers were slaughtered by the Ing, an evil race that came from an alternate dimension of Aether. Samus tries to destroy the Ing while battling the Space Pirates and a mysterious doppelgänger of herself called Dark Samus.

The game was well received by most critics, but received some complaints regarding the game's steep difficulty levels and the average quality of the multiplayer component.

Gameplay

See also: Gameplay of Metroid Prime
Samus' heads-up display shows a radar, map, and remaining missile ammunition.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is a first-person action-adventure game that takes place in a large, open-ended world with regions connected by elevators. The gameplay revolves around solving puzzles to uncover secrets, platform jumping, and shooting foes with the help of a "lock-on" mechanism that allows circle strafing while staying aimed on the enemy. Echoes features several changes in the gameplay style, the most dramatic of which being the existence of two parallel dimensions, Light and Dark Aether. Changes in one dimension often reflect changes in the other. While the maps themselves have the same basic layout, the rooms are often completely different, with new enemies and designs. Progress through the game requires that both dimensions be thoroughly explored, using all the equipment that Samus regains or finds on her travels. The game adds some new power-ups for Samus, including the Screw Attack, which allows for jumping in midair—and in certain surfaces, wall jumping—and new beams, which, unlike in previous games, have limited ammunition.[2]

Dark Aether's atmosphere is caustic and damages Samus' power suit, requiring the player to move between special "safe zones", which prevents the player from dawdling in certain areas of the Dark World, and allows the health to be regained slowly. Some safe zones are permanent and others need to be activated. They can all be altered when hit by attacks from either Samus or the enemies. Improvements to the Power Suit reduce and later nullify the damage taken by the atmosphere.

The game's heads-up display simulates the inside of Samus' helmet and features a radar, map, remaining missile ammunition, health meter, and a health bar for bosses along with the boss name. Different visors can be used, with each performing a different function; there is a visor that searches for enemy weaknesses, interfaces with certain mechanisms such as force fields and elevators and retrieves text entries from certain sources, highlight all objects which can be scanned with different colors to indicate scanning status, reveal and highlight interdimensional objects or cloaked enemies, and create a visual representation of sound.

File:Metroid Prime 2 - Echoes - multiplayer.png
When four people play in the same match, a four-way split screen is created.

The multiplayer mode allows for up to four person combat through a split screen. It has two modes: Deathmatch and Bounty, which focuses on collecting coins that injured players drop. In contrast to most first-person multiplayer games, Echoes features the same control scheme as the single-player mode, including the morph ball and lock-on systems. There are six arenas.

Synopsis

Setting

Echoes takes place on the rogue planet Aether inhabited by a technologically advanced race of moth-like humanoids, the Luminoth, who been peacefully residing there, ingeniously preserving and caring for the planet's resources by harboring and distributing the pure natural energy of the planet, known as "the Light of Aether". However, one day a meteor was detected to be on a collision course with the planet, and despite the Luminoth's greatest efforts and strongest technology, they were unable to avert the impact,[3] which left a deep scar, burning the Agon Plains into wastes and flooding Torvus forest into a swamp.[4] However, the biggest effect was the creation of an alternate dimension on the planet, an almost duplicate mirror, but dark, arid, with a violently poisonous atmosphere. Named Dark Aether, it gave birth to evil creatures to balance the Luminoth: The Ing, a innumerable race of foul, malevolent and cruel shapeshifting creatures intent upon destroying the Luminoth. Able to possess the bodies of the living, the dead, and the artificially intelligent, they engaged in a long and bitter struggle with the Luminoth over the now divided energy; the energy of the planet cannot support both dimensions, and both races vie for ultimate control to ensue the destruction of the other dimension indefinitely. So far, the Ing have slowly been winning, with only one remaining Energy Controller left.

Around this time, the Space Pirates stumbled across Aether, and eagerly set up a small base in which to procure the vast amounts of Phazon detected on the planet, hoping to compensate for the loss on Tallon IV (Metroid Prime). Shortly after this a Galactic Federation Marine Corps patrol ship encounters one of the Pirates' supply ships, both ships suffering heavy damage as a result of the altercation between them; and after losing contact with the Marines, an anxious Federation call upon Samus Aran to investigate.

Plot

The game begins here as Samus' gunship suffers heavy damage as the result of severe lightning storms caused by the instability of the planet, quickly learning that the silence of the Marines was caused by the storms which act as an impenetrable sheet for communication signals. Progressing through a temporary structure erected by the Marines, Samus finds the soldiers all dead, surrounded by evidence of a great number of aggressive hive creatures, Splinters, apparently to blame; but not before witnessing many of the deceased Marines rising and attacking her, apparently possessed by some mysterious entities. Shortly after Samus encounters a dark mirror of herself and is attacked by what she later learns to be Ing, who steal many of her latent abilities. Samus finds the Marine Corps ship and learns from the ship's logs that all the troops were attacked by possessed Splinters, their efforts suffering under the constant attrition of their attacks. Her mission objective failed, Samus heads toward an alien temple structure, where she meets U-Mos, the last remaining Luminoth. He explains the situation to her, begging Samus to help re-claim the lost Light of Aether from the Ing by using the Energy Transfer Module that she claimed from a possessed Splinter. Samus agrees.

Samus heads to the Agon Wastes, a parched, rocky, desert wasteland region. After finding the Luminoth temple, Samus encounters her first "portal" to Dark Aether, harboured inside the small Space Pirate base of operations on the planet. Learning from the Pirate records stored there and the general ramshackle state of the installation, the Pirates' forces are spread thin thanks to constant attack from the Ing,[5] local creatures and frequent Phazon raids by Dark Samus.[6] It is here that Samus and her dark twin fight, the latter disintegrating into a cloud of pure Phazon once defeated. After gathering three keys across the Dark Agon Wastes region, Samus is able to enter the Dark Agon Wastes Temple, and succeeds in defeating the monstrous worm Amorbis and stealing back the Light of Aether, returning it to the Luminoth Temple. After restoring the energy controller, she travels to the Torvus Bog, a drenched swamp area overgrown with lush vegetation, which also houses an almost completely submerged hydrosubstation, where she glimpses Dark Samus. Once again Samus gathers the three keys necessary to access the Dark Torvus Temple and defeats the moth-like Chykka, returning the Light of Aether to Torvus.

Samus then travels to the Sanctuary Fortress, the former, glorious digital cliffside city of the Luminoth, with machines long turned renegade, and in Dark Aether, home to the teeming Ing Hive. Samus navigates through the tower complex, ambushing an even more powerful Dark Samus, and gathers the necessary keys to access the Ing Hive Temple, where she defeats the Quadraxis machine, becoming able to restore light back to the Fortress.

After gathering the 9 Sky Temple Keys necessary to access the Ing's dark mirror of U-Mos' last temple, Samus enters and faces the strongest Ing, the Emperor Ing, currently feeding off the power of the remaining Light of Aether in the Dark World. After a long struggle Samus is able to defeat the creature, and flees as the Dark World begins to collapse——only to be intercepted and trapped by Dark Samus. After overloading her foe with pure Phazon, Samus escapes as the world disappears around her. Returning to U-Mos, our heroine finds all the Luminoth in stasis awakened, returning all their technological upgrades she acquired during her mission before finally leaving Aether in her repaired gunship. If the player has collected 100% of the items, a post-credits scene shows Dark Samus reforming herself.

Development

Soon after the successful release of Metroid Prime, Nintendo ordered Retro Studios to produce a sequel.[7] The developers decided to go in a different direction from the original game and used new sound models, weapon effects, and art designs. They also created a more immersive storyline that focused less on the Space Pirates and Metroids.[8] They decided that the game would follow a theme of light and dark, which originated from "something that everyone understands, the conflict between good and evil".[9] Mike Wikan, the game's senior designer, elaborated on the theme: "We wanted a push and pull, the whole game is pushing and pulling you back and forth between the dark and the light. It ended up being that we wanted something that would feed into that dichotomy, that conflict between the two, and how the player's basic abilities reflect that."[9] Retro Studios asked the producers of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, another Nintendo game, for advice because the game also used a light and dark concept.[10] The multiplayer component was considered for inclusion in the first Prime, but Retro "just didn’t have time for it."[10] As the mode was developed, the developers made the decision not to change the control scheme for the one more seen in first-person shooters.[11]

Dark Samus was inspired by the "fighting against someone similar to you" in the multiplayer, the idea of a boss with the same size as Samus as opposed to the enormous monsters of Metroid Prime, and a boss battle between Samus and a mirror of herself in Metroid: Zero Mission. The developers also considered the character a "natural choice", as it fit in the "dramatic feel of dark and light".[11]

Retro decided to put challenges in the game right away because they felt that "with the second Prime, had the ability or the freedom", considering the original was made to make players familiar with the control scheme,[11] and the second would be geared towards a hardcore audience, by making the player "always worried about his health".[10] More mini-bosses were implemented to provide unique ideas for boss fights, and a new gameplay mechanic was added during the battle with Emperor Ing.[11] After the release, the developers admitted the game proved to be more difficult to develop than they first thought, and Michael Kelbaugh, Retro Studios president since 2003, commented: "We wanted to expand and add to the title, and not just slam out a sequel. Nintendo doesn’t do things that way."[10]

The music for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was composed by Kenji Yamamoto. The themes used for areas on Dark Aether are dark variations of the themes used for areas on Aether. The "Hunters" multiplayer theme is a remix of Super Metroid's "Upper Brinstar" theme, while the theme for subterranean Torvus is a remix of the "Lower Brinstar" theme from Super Metroid. Finally, the escape theme is a remix of Metroid's "Escape" theme.[12]

Unlike the majority of PAL game releases, the game cannot be run in 50 Hz, the standard refresh rate for PAL televisions. The game instead defaults to 60 Hz, which is normally included as an option in PAL GameCube releases, as it reduces display flicker and is supported by most PAL televisions. Starting with this title, first-party GameCube releases include a logo on the packaging and marketing material stating which refresh rates are supported. [13]

Release

Marketing

A viral marketing campaign was employed, with Nintendo launching a series of related websites.[14] These included an internet forum, Luminoth Temple, since closed;[15] Channel 51, modeled after conspiracy theory websites, with the author pseudonym being "Samantha Manus" — the first and last letters form "Samus" —, from "Sumas, Washington" — Samus backwards, and Nintendo of America's headquarters are in Washington state — and offering grainy QuickTime videos of Metroid Prime 2 dubbed "The Rossler Transmission";[16] Orbis Labs, a company manufacturing a "self-contained armored machine" called "Battle Sphere" — the Morph Ball; with Manus commenting that the average male soldier is too large to fit in it, suggesting that female warriors -such as Samus- are more convenient;[17] and Athena Astronautics, a site pursuing sending women into space,[18] that featured a sister blog,[19] and at a certain point, offered job positions for bounty hunters on Monster.com, with selected 25 people who replied receiving an "interactive training manual", in the form of a free copy of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.[20]Nintendo wasn't involved with a spoof of Halo 2's I Love Bees campaign, in which domains with similar names (such as "iheartbeams.com") had an image of Samus with the caption "All your bees are belong to us. Never send a man to do a woman's job."[21]

Reception

The critical reception for Echoes was mostly positive.[28] Electronic Gaming Monthly, Game Informer, GameSpot,[23] and IGN gave the game positive reviews.[25] Although Echoes received positive scores, several reviewers criticized the game for having similar gameplay to Metroid Prime and a bland multiplayer mode. Other criticism focused on the amount of backtracking required to complete an objective, as well as save points being too infrequent. The game won several awards, including the 2004 Nintendo Power Awards (Vol. #191) in almost every category it was nominated for. It was also rated the 174th best game made on a Nintendo system in Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list.[29]

The game sold 470,000 copies in North America during 2004.[30] It also reached 40,000 units in Japan.[31]

References

  1. ^ "News". Official Nintendo Magazine. 2008-10-02. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
  2. ^ "E3 2004: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes First-Look". IGN. 2004-05-11. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  3. ^ Luminoth Lore "The Stellar Object": "By the time we detected the stellar object as it streaked toward our world, it was too late to stop it. We fired numerous weapons at it in a vain attempt to alter its trajectory. Nothing worked."
  4. ^ Luminoth Lore "Cataclysm": The starborne terror burnt through the heavens and struck Aether with an untold might. We all expected the world to shatter... but Aether held. There was great devastation, however. The green plains of Agon were scorched forever, and the forest of Torvus was engulfed and wracked by the sea. The skies burned for days, casting darkness over the land.
  5. ^ Pirate Log "69898": "The local war has escalated in intensity. The shadowlings from Dark Aether have launched an offensive. (...) The shadowlings must believe us to be foes, for they have hit our base numerous times as well.
  6. ^ Pirate Log "63622": Samus Aran, the accursed Hunter, has arrived. The sudden arrival of the Hunter is strange enough, but her actions are stranger still. She does not seek our destruction, but our Phazon.(...)Dark in color, it is equipped with strange new weapons. The troops now call her the 'Dark Hunter.'"
  7. ^ "N-Sider.com: A Retrospective: The Story of Retro Studios". N-sider.com. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
  8. ^ "Metroid Prime 2 Echoes Interview". IGN. 2004-10-12. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
  9. ^ a b Castro, Juan (2004-12-03). "Echoes: Darkness and Light". IGN. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  10. ^ a b c d Kumar, Mathew (2008-11-03). "MIGS 2007: Retro Studios On The Journey Of Metroid Prime". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2007-12-03. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ a b c d "Metroid Prime 2 EGM Afterthoughts". 1UP.com. 2004-11-30. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
  12. ^ "Music 4 Games - The Future of Rock n' Roll & Interactive Entertainment. Est. 1999". Music4games.net. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
  13. ^ "News: Metroid Prime 2 60Hz Only". n-Europe. 2004-10-27. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  14. ^ "Nintendo launches fake Metroid sites". GameSpot. 2004-10-21. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  15. ^ "Luminoth Temple". Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  16. ^ "Channel 51". Archived from the original on 2004-10-15. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  17. ^ "Orbis Labs". Archived from the original on 2004-10-23. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  18. ^ "Athena Astronautics". Archived from the original on 2004-11-04. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  19. ^ "Athena Astronautics Journal". Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  20. ^ "'Bounty Hunter' Job Posting Generates Surprising Response". GameDaily. 2004-12-17. Archived from the original on 20050225. Retrieved 2008-11-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |archivedate= (help)
  21. ^ "Nintendo doesn't much care for bees". Eurogamer. 2004-10-26. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  22. ^ "Metroid Prime review". Edge magazine (115). December 25, 2004.
  23. ^ a b Shoemaker, Brad (November 12, 2004). "Metroid Prime 2: Echoes review". gamespot.com.
  24. ^ Williams, Bryn (November 26, 2004). "Metroid Prime 2: Echoes review". gamespy.com.
  25. ^ a b Cassamassina, Matt (November 11, 2004). "Metroid Prime 2: Echoes review". ign.com.
  26. ^ "Metroid Prime Reviews". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2006-09-08.
  27. ^ "Metroid Prime reviews". metacritic.com. Retrieved 2006-09-08.
  28. ^ "Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Reviews". Gamerankings.com. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
  29. ^ "NP Top 200", Nintendo Power, vol. 200, pp. 58–66, February 2006{{citation}}: CS1 maint: year (link).
  30. ^ Casamassina, Matt (2005-01-13). "Prime Outperforms Echoes". IGN. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  31. ^ "Japan GameCube charts". Japan Game Charts. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
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