Remembering the GameCube: Metroid Prime

Ryan M. of iNintendo.net writes, "When Metroid Prime was first announced at E3 2001, many gaming publications and fans were eager to play Samus Aran's first venture into the 3-D plane. Emotions shifted from excitement to concern however, when Nintendo turned over development of the project to Texas-based Retro Studios. The perspective of the game also took on a dramatic change; players would control Samus in a first-person, behind-the-visor viewpoint. In an era where Halo had only recently kicked off the first-person shooter trend on consoles, fans were understandably worried about the future of the Metroid franchise. Handing over the keys of a sci-fi, adventure-based series to a little-known Texas developer at the onset of the FPS craze seemed nuttier than Samus charging through fire and magma without her Varia suit, and the shift to first-person did nothing to allay the fears of fans. Fortunately, Metroid Prime proved naysayers wrong: instead of becoming a shallow shooter like many concerned, the title perfectly translated the Metroid experience into the third dimension."