Metroid Prime Hunters

First person shooters are tough to do on portable systems, and even tougher to do on one that has such weak hardware: the Nintendo DS. Nevertheless, "Metroid Prime: Hunters" shows that nothing is impossible, bringing a surprisingly good looking and well-rounded FPS to the Nintendo DS, complete with an online multiplayer mode that is on par with those found on platforms, save for one major issue. Yes, the game could have used some adjustments, but for the most part, "MPH" is a title...from the excellent Metroid series, featuring heroine and bounty hunter Samus Aran, no less...that shows that the DS is capable of a lot more than you would think.

Typically with DS or Wii games, Nintendo resorts to stylized or cartoonish visuals to give weak hardware of the systems a break. This isn't the case with "MPH," and I'm glad that developers Nintendo Software Technology took a chance here. The graphics are one of the most impressive aspects of the game, featuring some nicely rendered character models and some of the most detailed environments I've ever seen in a portable game. Samus can collect numerous different types of weapons in the game, and each of their different visual effects look fantastic, as do fire and explosions. The game also uses the ACTImagine video codec, which produces some absolutely stunning pre-rendered cutscenes that add some polish to the game's presentation and story; there are two different endings and I was so impressed by what I saw in one of them that I actually watched it multiple times in the video gallery. What I was most surprised by was that, despite the fact that this is a game that clearly pushes the capabilities of the DS to the limit, I almost never encountered any slowdown or lag, even when playing multiplayer. It was a smooth ride, and it looked gorgeous every step of the way.

The default control scheme for "MPH" is a little quirky and definitely takes some getting used to. You look around by moving the stylus around on the touch screen to pan the camera up, down, left, and right while you use the d-pad to move forward and backward and strafe side to side. Meanwhile, you fire your weapon by using the left shoulder button, since your left index finger is free. Changing weapons and even jumping can be done through the touch screen (tap twice to jump), meaning that you ostensibly never need more than the d-pad, the touch screen, and the L button at any given moment. While this is probably the best way the developers could have handled the control scheme for a first-person shooter on the DS, it's still a little awkward. With enough playing time you will likely become adept with the control scheme, but it's still physically uncomfortable, as your left hand can quickly get tired from being the only hand gripping the system, and your right hand can get tired from the excessive use of and reliance on the stylus.

Besides the controls, though, for the most part, the gameplay is solid. "MPH" was one of the first FPSs on the DS, and it's certainly among the elite, with a great selection of weapons, a wide variety of arguments, and some pretty challenging boss battles and puzzles that are scattered among the various planets you visit. At various points in the game, you also need to utilize Samus's Morph Ball ability, at which point the view shifts to the third-person and you get to zip along through tunnels and mazes as the Morph Ball, with the ability to drop bombs in your wake. The one major gameplay flaw from which "MPH" suffers, however, is the issue of backtracking, which the player is forced to do far too often when playing the game. Every planet requires you to backtrack all the way back to your ship once you have finished your business there, often requiring you kill many enemies and traverse some platforming elements that you have already once had to work through. In some cases, you even have to revisit some of the planets. I think the environments are fascinating to wander through the first time around...the molten terrain of Alinos and the snowy mountains of Arcterra are among my two favorite...but having to waste time retracing your steps and fighting the same battles becomes a bit tiresome, making the game feel a bit like a chore at times.

Initially, my favorite feature of the game was the online multiplayer. At its core, "MPH" has one of the most impressive online multiplayer experiences of any DS game that's out there, with seven different playable characters, rankings, over 25 maps, and seven different gametypes (although, I will admit, the only type people ever play is deathmatch). Each of the characters has a unique weapon and morph ability, resulting in drastically different strategies and gameplay experiences from character to character. Multiplayer matches can also have up to four players at a time, which also cranks up the level of intensity, forcing players to stay on their toes and shoot with precision...headshots make a difference in this game...if they want any chance at winning. The game even features voice chat capability, making the multiplayer experience feel akin to those found on platforms. The fact that you can enjoy fast-paced, FPS multiplayer action online on the DS is something most would not expect considering the hardware limitations, but somehow Nintendo pushed the system to its limits and came up with a multiplayer experience that would be gaming bliss - if not for one major flaw: cheaters.

Besides level and character exploits that are present and taken advantage of in virtually every game out there, somehow cheat systems like Action Replay work in multiplayer in "MPH," bestowing upon players abilities like permanent double damage and invincibility. How Nintendo missed programming some kind of code that blocks the usage of such systems is completely beyond me. Also, there is a programming glitch that allows players to drop out of games and, if they follow the right steps, can restart their game without facing the XP penalty that is supposed to be incurred when a player disconnects. It has completely ruined the multiplayer aspect of the game, as these cheaters are not few and far between; I would estimate approximately one in every three games you play will feature a cheater.

Unfortunately, the game doesn't offer much else beyond the single player campaign, which will take you about 6 or 7 hours to complete, and multiplayer, which is basically pointless with all the cheating. Seeing as much of the time in the single player portion is spent backtracking, the game is ultimately a slight disappointment in terms of gameplay value.

"Metroid Prime: Hunters" is not a perfect game by any stretch of the imagination. It does not deserve recognition for being flawless, but rather, it deserves recognition to far surpassing any expectations that we as gamers would have for an FPS on the Nintendo DS. Given the control/button layout and hardware capabilities, the DS simply isn't conducive to the FPS genre, but "MPH" is still an enjoyable experience, for the most part. While the single player suffers from some backtracking issues, the game still features some of the most impressive visuals on the system to date, gameplay that matches the intensity of platform FPSs, and what, in theory, is an excellent multiplayer experience. The game would be so much better if the online community wasn't plagued by cheaters, but seeing that nothing has been done about it, that remains a major fault with "MPH," regardless of the fact that it isn't really one for which the developers are responsible. How's that for unfair?

Score: 7.9/10