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Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Party
Region: NTSC
Format:
Release Date: 24 Oct 05
User Rating
10 (2 votes) -
- Don't dismiss this is yet another generic pinball game as Nintendo masterfully integrates the Metroid universe into a wonderfully addictive party game.
Overview
When you look at the Nintendo DS, it is one of those platforms that is hard to really point your finger and say that "genre" would be the best for the Nintendo DS. An obvious genre that I thought would be used more often for the DS is that of pinball games, as the dual screen seemed pretty ideal for this sort of game. Well today we are actually going to check out the first pinball game for the Nintendo DS in Metroid Prime Pinball. So is this the game to start a trend for future pinball games? Read our full review to find out!
Gameplay
So Nintendo has decided to take their extremely popular Metroid Prime series and make it into a pinball game, and you wonder why? Well the choice seems right when you load up the game for the first time, you see that this isn't just your normal pinball game. Both fans of pinball and fans of Metroid are going to find a lot to enjoy about this game.
First and foremost, there are a few modes to choose from in this game, which include single mission, multi mission, and multiplayer. The single mission is just your standard game of pinball, where you stick to the same table the entire time and just do your best to get the high score. Multi mission is actually where the heart of the game lies, as this is where you will find the real unique part of Metroid Prime Pinball. During this mode it is your job to get a certain number of artifacts in which will not only increase your score, but then will give you the ability to transfer to a new table and to continue racking up points.
The last of the modes comes in way of the multiplayer, which is pretty limited but also only requires one copy of the game to work. Basically you can have up to eight players go head to head to see who can get the highest score. The mode is really simple and doesn't have a huge amount of depth to it, but if you have some friends over who are in the mood to play some pinball, this mode works well.
What separate Metroid Prime Pinball are not so much the game modes, which with the exception of the multi mission mode, are all standard modes. What this game does do however is really recreate the whole Metroid universe into a really neat looking pinball game. There are even times where Samus becomes the ball in the game, gets out of her shell and begins shooting to take out enemies. There are a lot of little things that Nintendo did with this game to really make it stand out. In the end Nintendo just did a real solid job of making a game that is fun to play, has great deal of variety in it that both pinball fans and Metroid fans will really enjoy.
Graphics
Visually Metroid Prime Pinball is really a solid looking game, and although it is a pinball game, it really has a lot of great visual details that really worked well with the game. I must say that Metroid Prime Pinball has some very detailed environments to play in, all of which are very nicely done. I have to say that I was extremely impressed with how well Nintendo did in the visual department. The game uses both screens effectively, and the overall presentation is just very easy on the eyes and enhances the playability much further.
Fun Factor
I have to say that although Metroid Prime Pinball seems as though it is just another pinball game, the final outcome is actually really impressive. The game has so much depth for a pinball game and yet it retains such a fluent pinball style that it is just really hard not to enjoy this game. Whether you are playing this game in the single or multi-missions mode, it's just a whole lot of fun. And what is great about this game is that it will remain fun not only for months, but also for years to come.
Overall
Metroid Prime Pinball is just a solid pinball game that doesn't try to revolutionize pinball, but instead just to give Metroid fans a fun game to dive into. It has superbly combined the fun of pinball and the extensive feel of the Metroid universe into a great Nintendo DS game. Sure this game doesn't change how we play pinball, but it is still a very fun experience that fans will enjoy nonetheless.
- Gameplay
8.0 - Graphics
8.0 - Fun Factor
8.0 - Overall
8.0
