Metroid Prime: Hunters is a first-person shooter adventure game for the Nintendo DS. Part of the Metroid series, the first details of the game emerged at the annual Electronics Entertainment Expo (E³) show in 2004. It's currently in development by NST and will be published by Nintendo and released in 2005.

A demo of the game, Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt, has been included as a pack-in with the DS since its launch on November 21, 2004.

Overview

Metroid Prime: Hunters will have graphics that effectively mimic the Nintendo GameCube's Metroid Prime and promise an impressive visual environment, adding an extra dimension over its predecessor.On a side note this only gives information on the demo since very few people are selling it until 2006 or 2007 when it gets released (or possibly 2005).

Hunters will have wireless multiplayer online capabilities via WiFi, an optional touch-screen interface, and left-handed user support.

Control setups

Due to the technologies built into the Nintendo DS, there are several different types of control setups in this game that take advantage of the DS's touch screen pad. They include:

Weapons

The weapons in Metroid Prime: Hunters follow an ammo system, which uses the same type of ammo for the missile and Power Beam. The Power Beam's rate of fire decreases when you run out, and no missiles can be fired. You can only obtain the Electro Lob and Missiles through individual power-ups.

Power Beam

The Power Beam is the standard weapon. It has the fastest rate of fire but is the least powerful of all the weapons. Its rate of fire decreases when you run out of ammo.

Missiles

The Missiles are much more powerful than the Power Beam, and not much slower. They are a better weapon to have, although they use up much more ammo than the Power Beam.

Electro Lob

The Electro Lob is more of a special weapon. It's not very powerful and not very fast. However, if you hit an opponent with it, they will be stunned. This weapon is only in Assault Cradle in Multiplayer.

Bombs

When in the Morph Ball, this is your weapon. You can drop bombs that set off either if someone hits it, or if it goes off after about a second.

Scoring

Every time you get a kill without missing a single shot, you get a score multiplyer. (In Morph Ball, it's the same, but it is when you get a module without missing, not the kill.) You get points like this:

• #1: 1 x 10 = 10
• #2: 2 x 20 = 40
• #3: 3 x 30 = 90
• #4: 4 x 40 = 160

And so on. You get different points in different modes. In Survivor, you only get 1 x 1 and 2 x 2 and so on.

Hidden movie (from First Hunt)

When the player completes every mode successfully and with a high score, a video is unlocked, which shows Samus crouching in the bottom DS screen, the top screen showing a Space Pirate hanging from the ceiling, about to launch a surprise attack. Just before the attack is launched though, a blast destroys the Space Pirate and causes Samus to turn to see the cause of the shot. As she turns, the screens reveal three figures, wearing Samus-like forms of armour- one is equipped with an arm-mounted scythe, another with a smoking gun (the source of the shot) and another with a blockier weapon. The camera focuses on the centre figure, placing reference on its visor, a twisted version of Samus' own. These are the Hunters. The video finishes with the feed line "The hunt begins" and a weblink to the game's site. The video can then be watched at any time by tapping a glowing dot on the main screen.

Incompatible Versions

The version of the demo supplied with European DSs and the North American version (which was the version that people who ordered the DS through the Nintendo Stars Catalogue) are incompatible for multiplayer play. One cannot play with a North American demo against a European demo.

External links

• Official site
• GameFAQs entry