Support NeoGAF

[maxcriden]

Update 8/5/16:

Thanks again all for your help. I found lock-on free aim being off to be very helpful as suggested. I stuck with Basic though as Advanced was too fast-moving for me.

Last night I got to sit down and play for a couple hours. I beat Sheegoth on my second try. First time I used the bomb method and went in without full health and it was tough. Second time I had good luck with the missile method. It was satisfying to beat that battle after struggling with it immensely a few years ago.

After that, I was able to get the Wave Beam and started running into Space Pirates not long after. They do a lot of damage, especially the flying ones, but I find them pretty manageable overall. I made my way to my first Metroid battle and it wasn't bad. They're cute though, and ultimately not at all evil so I feel badly for them having to get mixed up in these situations. I was surprised to be able to beat them without ice. I guess Metroid Blast made me misremember that you needed an ice beam to beat them in the other, 2D Metroid games I'd played?

I took a long meander around the Research Lab and Observatory areas of the Drifts (including getting the Super Missile) and took in a lot of Pirate Data. Some of which was interesting. Learned there is a resurrected Ridley to be fought. I got the thermal visor and a bunch of the power went out so it was pretty cool to make my way up that lengthy room with thermal vision and fighting off Metroids and Space Pirates as needed. The security drone things seem difficult, though. It's kind of confusing to tell what's going on in some of the more cramped corridors when using thermal vision. It's a neat effect though. I saw a Missile Upgrade that took some very delicate Morph Ball movements in the dark to get, across a very thin railing. That took a bunch of tries but was satisfying to procure. Now I made my way back to a save spot and then I think some drones or Pirates took me out not long after. So I don't think I lost much progress. I'm still in the thermal vision area of the Drifts.

BTW, has much been written about any allegorical implications of the Metroid lore? I'm wondering if it's representative of any local or global conflict in Japanese culture.

Original post:

Nearly two years ago I posted a thread about being terrible at Skyward Sword.

Now my lack of skills is presenting problems again, this time with:

So, please help. I am terrible at this game. And I really like motion controls.

Here's a little backstory. When Prime and Fusion came out on the same day I think I got both right around that time. I was a teen and had never played a Metroid game. I made it to the plant sunroom boss in Prime and gave up. I don't know how far I made it in Fusion.

Thankfully Google Image Search understood what I meant by "Metroid Prime plant sunroom boss" because this was the first result.

I remember struggling during my attempt through Prime especially. I played other FP games around the same time, like...let's see...probably a bunch. That was 15 years ago so I don't remember too well. I know I played some Medal of Honor, Red Fusion I was a big fan of...surely some others I'm forgetting. The Thing, I think that was FP also. The Deus Ex games. So, apart from renting MP3 at one point and briefly trying it and being unable to get into it, that was the end of my Metroid playing for quite some time.

Anyway, in late 2013 I decided to give Metroid games another go. I played through Metroid II on 3DS VC and found it eerie and claustrophobic environs and singular focus very much to my liking. The soundtrack was chillingly on note, too, especially for a GB game. I played OG Metroid next and liked it a lot; I did use save states some but tried not to overdo it, same with maps. Then I was super sick in October or so of 2014 and stayed home from work a couple days and played through Super. Great, compelling game and Miiverse was a big help in getting me through it successfully. Again, tried not to overdo save states.

From my Miiverse feed at the time: i've been making a lot of progress but for the life of me i can't figure out what to do with these little guys...any advice? thanks!

So, all 2D Metroids and I enjoyed them a lot. The OSTs on all three are really notably excellent, too. I decided it was time to jump back in on MPT. GameStop had a deal on their fake-used copies of MPT for Black Friday and I got it for $40. I tried the game again and found it to be solid, and definitely engrossing at times. But as much as I really like motion controls I was not too intuitive with the ones here. I know MP1/2 were remastered to add them in whereas they were always present in MP3. I did beat plant sunroom boss guy and learned his name is Flaahgra. I got to the Sheegoth boss in Phendrana Drifts and couldn't beat it. The game wasn't really doing much for me TBH so I gave up on it again. I also should mention I found the atmosphere a bit darker and more visceral in 3D than I'd expected (this isn't a complaint per se, just it was more visceral than games I normally like these days). I had copies of Zero Mission and Fusion on cart, Prime Pinball maybe? and Scurge: Hive which I'd heard was a Metroidlike. I guess I'd had my fill of Metroid for the moment so I sold all my Metroid games to an eager fan online.

When MPT was available for $10 on Wii U at the beginning of 2015 I considered it but decided against it. Then it came up as a MyN coupon and I went for it, especially since purchasing it helped me get NSLU for free and I'd given away my copy of that ages ago. In terms of the visceral-ness of it, I figured having played Twilight Princess HD recently that it was genuinely barely more visceral than that (sorry to keep using the same word, I just can't think of a better one for it). The way you dispatch the Sheegoths is a bit gory to me, I guess. I'm a bit of a softie.

So I fired it up again last night and found I was now much worse at it than ever. (Luckily my save file from Wii Mode was intact.) I reoriented myself some and managed to find my way back towards the Sheegoth but even the smaller Sheegoths were giving me a hard time. I also, since it's been like 2.5+ years, felt kind of hopelessly lost traversing the Drifts...re-learning my moves...getting reoriented in general.

So, I could really use some tips. With your cumulative help in Skyward I was able to go from terrible to pretty good at the game and I would hope to have a similar experience here in terms of turning it around. I hear MP2 at least is very good also so I'm hoping to play that, too, and then give Fusion and ZM a shot eventually also.

Some specific questions below, but any tips are appreciated immensely.

-I was advised a while back to play on Veteran difficulty because it was going to be too easy otherwise. Was that unwise? Can I even change it now?

-I see on Reddit that advanced controls are recommended. I don't even know if I'm using them. What do you guys think about regular vs. advanced? Can I still lock on in Advanced?

-I can't seem to get the lock-on reticule to stay "in place." Is it generally only a semi-firm locking on mechanism rather than, say, Z-targeting in Zelda?

-Any specific controls I might've forgotten that won't be readily apparent just from trying out random buttons?

-Any way to ditch the busy HUD, like the map and such? Like to make it less busy?

TL;DR looking for general tips at Metroid Prime with Wii controls.

Thanks all!

 

[Comet]

I remember having to use the side dash against the Sheegoths a lot. I believe that's just pressing B correct? Other than that just spam the lock on and always be moving. I haven't played MP1/2 on the Wii but did play them on the GC. I do remember having an easier time with MP3 because of the aiming.

edit - for the lock on component I thought there was a way for it to stay firm? Or do you have to hold down the button. I know the latest Zelda remakes have the ability to switch between toggle/hold. Shit man, I don't think I'm helping you much haha.

 

[ASIS]

On my phone so I can't type everything, but advanced controls basically increase the turning sensitivity so you can turn faster with less movement. If you think you are terrible then I suggest you bring down to beginner mode. There is also an option to fix lock on completely in the options but I forgot what it's called. Other than that. I suppose you just need to practice until you get the hang of it.

 

[Snacks the sober sea lion]

There's a way to keep your reticule frozen on the target while locked-on. Free reticule movement during lock-on is enabled by default for advanced controls, but you should be able to turn it off. It's the way Metroid Prime 1 and 2 were meant to be played and you might find it pretty frustrating dealing with some of the enemies if you always need to manually aim, so make sure your crosshair stays locked on.

 

[Cormano]

I got the Wii version and the shitty motion controllers made it unplayable just like Skyward Sword. Id have to get a hold of the Gamecube version or a proper Wii U HD port.

 

[Htown]

I got the Wii version and the shitty motion controllers made it unplayable just like Skyward Sword. Id have to get a hold of the Gamecube version or a proper Wii U HD port.

This is crazy talk.

 

[ASIS]

I got the Wii version and the shitty motion controllers made it unplayable just like Skyward Sword. Id have to get a hold of the Gamecube version or a proper Wii U HD port.

Sorry pal but git gud

 

[maxcriden]

Thanks all for the tips thus far!

I remember having to use the side dash against the Sheegoths a lot. I believe that's just pressing B correct? Other than that just spam the lock on and always be moving. I haven't played MP1/2 on the Wii but did play them on the GC. I do remember having an easier time with MP3 because of the aiming.

edit - for the lock on component I thought there was a way for it to stay firm? Or do you have to hold down the button. I know the latest Zelda remakes have the ability to switch between toggle/hold. Shit man, I don't think I'm helping you much haha.

Wait, there's a side dash? I didn't know/remember that. I wonder what the button is for it on the Wii version....I was just space jumping over the smaller Sheegoths and shooting them mid-air.

There's a way to keep your reticule frozen on the target while locked-on. Free reticule movement during lock-on is enabled by default for advanced controls, but you should be able to turn it off. It's the way Metroid Prime 1 and 2 were meant to be played and you might find it pretty frustrating dealing with some of the enemies if you always need to manually aim, so make sure your crosshair stays locked on.

Sorry, I got a bit lost here. When you say it's the way MP 1/2 were meant to be played, do you mean advanced + free reticule movement during lock-on or advanced + no free reticule mvmt during lock-on?

 

[Miker]

There's a way to keep your reticule frozen on the target while locked-on. Free reticule movement during lock-on is enabled by default for advanced controls, but you should be able to turn it off. It's the way Metroid Prime 1 and 2 were meant to be played and you might find it pretty frustrating dealing with some of the enemies if you always need to manually aim, so make sure your crosshair stays locked on.

I haven't played MP1/2 via Trilogy, but having played MP3, I would say that if there's an option to stay locked-on without free aiming for MP1/2, then definitely turn it on, as it's the way the game was originally designed, and would probably be frustrating otherwise. MP3, on the other hand, needs free aiming to deal with some of the enemies.

Wait, there's a side dash? I didn't know/remember that. I wonder what the button is for it on the Wii version....I was just space jumping over the smaller Sheegoths and shooting them mid-air.



Sorry, I got a bit lost here. When you say it's the way MP 1/2 were meant to be played, do you mean advanced + free reticule movement during lock-on or advanced + no free reticule mvmt during lock-on?

Side dash is just holding left or right on the left stick and double tapping jump (which I'm guessing is B on the Wiimote?).

And yeah, probably advanced + no free reticule. Again, I haven't played Trilogy, but if it's like MP3, I'd keep it on advanced as it's higher sensitivity/faster turning, and turn off free reticule if that's an independent setting. If the two are tied together, then choose whatever locks your reticule in place while locked-on; turn speed is a nice bonus but you never turned all that fast in the GC games either.

 

[Shiggy]

I recommend starting with MP3 as it's more linear. Made it much more enjoyable for me as I did not keep wandering around areas where I wasn't supposed to go (apart from some area where I later had to use batteries or something and suddenly could not continue).

 

[Linkstrikesback]

I got the Wii version and the shitty motion controllers made it unplayable just like Skyward Sword. Id have to get a hold of the Gamecube version or a proper Wii U HD port.

Demonstration of how to be wrong right here.


Wiimote controls improved prime 1 and 2 immeasurably.

 

[maxcriden]

I haven't played MP1/2 via Trilogy, but having played MP3, I would say that if there's an option to stay locked-on without free aiming for MP1/2, then definitely turn it on, as it's the way the game was originally designed, and would probably be frustrating otherwise. MP3, on the other hand, needs free aiming to deal with some of the enemies.

Side dash is just holding left or right on the left stick and double tapping jump (which I'm guessing is B on the Wiimote?).

And yeah, probably advanced + no free reticule. Again, I haven't played Trilogy, but if it's like MP3, I'd keep it on advanced as it's higher sensitivity/faster turning, and turn off free reticule if that's an independent setting. If the two are tied together, then choose whatever locks your reticule in place while locked-on; turn speed is a nice bonus but you never turned all that fast in the GC games either.

This is exceptionally helpful. I'll see what I can come up with. I wonder if Side Dash will significantly assist my ability to move around and dodge attacks. I imagine it will. Thanks, Miker! (BTW, Ghost Trick is one of my all-time faves.)

On another note, any tips for fighting or destroying the blue and gold electric bomb floaty enemies or the purple floaty electric wave enemies?

 

[Light Hobo]

Some specific questions below, but any tips are appreciated immensely.

-I was advised a while back to play on Veteran difficulty because it was going to be too easy otherwise. Was that unwise? Can I even change it now?

-I see on Reddit that advanced controls are recommended. I don't even know if I'm using them. What do you guys think about regular vs. advanced? Can I still lock on in Advanced?

-I can't seem to get the lock-on reticule to stay "in place." Is it generally only a semi-firm locking on mechanism rather than, say, Z-targeting in Zelda?

-Any specific controls I might've forgotten that won't be readily apparent just from trying out random buttons?

-Any way to ditch the busy HUD, like the map and such? Like to make it less busy?

Thanks all!

1. I don't think you can change the difficulty mid-game. You could probably just go on an energy tank and missile upgrade finding spree to try and compensate? Starting over isn't a bad option since the game only takes around 10 hours... if you remember what to do lol

2. Advanced controls are better since it's more like modern FPS (wii-mote is leftstick- nunchuck is rightstick), and yes you can lock on. Honestly the free aim while locked on makes the game a little harder to a newer player, since your gun isn't always fixated on a weak spot - but if you are at manually aiming it will probably make the game easier!

3. The lock-on is just like Z-Targeting. I prefer the hold and move method for fewer button presses - just aim at the spot and hold the button.

4. You'll have shoot (with charge), morph ball (speed mode, bomb with super bomb), double jump (with eventual screw attack that requires rhythmic timing), grapple beam (swinging only - I think yank was added to 3), weapon switch, turn missile on/off, change visor modes, and map buttons. In combat remember to strafe dodge with jump while locked on, and morph ball for fast escapes. Also, you can do bomb jumps for secrets.

5.Nope - that's the UI. At least be happy it's in 16:9!

Also, always be scanning

 

[Miker]

This is exceptionally helpful. I'll see what I can come up with. I wonder if Side Dash will significantly assist my ability to move around and dodge attacks. I imagine it will. Thanks, Miker! (BTW, Ghost Trick is one of my all-time faves.)

On another note, any tips for fighting or destroying the blue and gold electric bomb floaty enemies or the purple floaty electric wave enemies?

No problem! Side dash + appropriate visor + appropriate charge beam (power/wave/ice/plasma) and missiles is all you need for 99% of Metroid Prime 1. The beam combos are all largely worthless (could be wrong on that, but I found them pretty useless). There's really not a whole lot of actual depth to the combat tbh, largely because it was built around lock-on.

And it's been forever since I've played, but the floaty things, if I recall correctly, can probably be taken down with charge beams. Scan just to make sure, I suppose. Or maybe they're invincible? Iono. Just charge beam or missile and if they don't die or don't run into you, just ignore them.

Oh, and yeah, for the side dash, you need to be locked on first.

 

[Intel_89]

Play them in order, part of the experience is discovering the nooks and crannies on your own. You should tone down the difficulty though, I honestly don't see how making a game like Metroid harder will make you enjoy it more.

 

[Bergerac]

I got the Wii version and the shitty motion controllers made it unplayable just like Skyward Sword. Id have to get a hold of the Gamecube version or a proper Wii U HD port.

Agreed.

Turning with the Wii controls was absolute fucking garbage.

 

[Magnet_Man]

From my Miiverse feed at the time: i've been making a lot of progress but for the life of me i can't figure out what to do with these little guys...any advice? thanks!

They're teaching you how to wall jump. Do a forward jump so you're somersaulting and push against one wall, hold away from the wall and jump, then do the opposite on the other wall.

-I see on Reddit that advanced controls are recommended. I don't even know if I'm using them. What do you guys think about regular vs. advanced? Can I still lock on in Advanced?

See this post from the OT.

Advanced is better if this is your first time playing but you want to turn off "Lock on / Free Aim" while playing Prime 1 and 2, then turn it back on when playing Prime 3.

Prime 3, debuting on the Wii touted a new control scheme where you'd lock on to an enemy and still have free aim. The lock on focused your "view" on the enemy rather than your gun. This works with Prime 3 since the game was designed around it but not Prime 1 & 2. Disabling Lock on / Free Aim makes it play more like the GCN versions.

-I can't seem to get the lock-on reticule to stay "in place." Is it generally only a semi-firm locking on mechanism rather than, say, Z-targeting in Zelda?

See above.

-Any specific controls I might've forgotten that won't be readily apparent just from trying out random buttons?

When locked on to an enemy, hold left or right to start strafing and then double tap the jump button to dash briefly to the side. For Sheegoths, lock on and then when they run at you, dash around them to hit their backsides.

-Any way to ditch the busy HUD, like the map and such? Like to make it less busy?

You can't turn off things (and frankly you shouldn't since it's all very helpful) but you can increase the transparency if you feel it's too aggressive.

 

[Light Hobo]

This is exceptionally helpful. I'll see what I can come up with. I wonder if Side Dash will significantly assist my ability to move around and dodge attacks. I imagine it will. Thanks, Miker! (BTW, Ghost Trick is one of my all-time faves.)

On another note, any tips for fighting or destroying the blue and gold electric bomb floaty enemies or the purple floaty electric wave enemies?

I think you can destroy those with a proper beam type. I would usually just roll past them in that Phendrana Drifts tunnel since they are more trouble than they are worth.

Also, you can do a super missile by charging a beam and pressing the missile button. It changes based on the beam. The super ice missile is one my favorite things ever

 

[maxcriden]

1. I don't think you can change the difficulty mid-game. You could probably just go on an energy tank and missile upgrade finding spree to try and compensate? Starting over isn't a bad option since the game only takes around 10 hours... if you remember what to do lol

2. Advanced controls are better since it's more like modern FPS (wii-mote is leftstick- nunchuck is rightstick), and yes you can lock on. Honestly the free aim while locked on makes the game a little harder to a newer player, since your gun isn't always fixated on a weak spot - but if you are at manually aiming it will probably make the game easier!

3. The lock-on is just like Z-Targeting. I prefer the hold and move method for fewer button presses - just aim at the spot and hold the button.

4. You'll have shoot (with charge), morph ball (speed mode, bomb with super bomb), double jump (with eventual screw attack that requires rhythmic timing), grapple beam (swinging only - I think yank was added to 3), weapon switch, turn missile on/off, change visor modes, and map buttons. In combat remember to strafe dodge with jump while locked on, and morph ball for fast escapes. Also, you can do bomb jumps for secrets.

5.Nope - that's the UI. At least be happy it's in 16:9!

Also, always be scanning

Thanks for all of this info, Mr. Light Hobo. I don't think I have it in me to restart and make it back here. It's already taken me over half my life to make it this far in the game.

1. I could see if I could find some more missile and energy tanks. I found something underneath some ice in a smaller Sheegoth room after shooting down a giant icicle from the ceiling. It made a platform that took me to some upgrade but I don't think I can get the upgrade through the ice yet. :/

2. So you recommend Advanced Controls with *no* lock-on? Just trying to make sure I follow since another poster recommended Advanced + lock-on. But I guess I'll ultimately have to pick what feels best for me.

3. When you say hold and move, you mean manually with no lock-on?

4. Thanks for these tips. I'm curious what a screw attack will feel like in first person.

5. So it shall be, then! I like it mostly but it can feel a bit crowded at times.

No problem! Side dash + appropriate visor + appropriate charge beam (power/wave/ice/plasma) and missiles is all you need for 99% of Metroid Prime 1. The beam combos are all largely worthless (could be wrong on that, but I found them pretty useless). There's really not a whole lot of actual depth to the combat tbh, largely because it was built around lock-on.

And it's been forever since I've played, but the floaty things, if I recall correctly, can probably be taken down with charge beams. Scan just to make sure, I suppose. Or maybe they're invincible? Iono. Just charge beam or missile and if they don't die or don't run into you, just ignore them.

Oh, and yeah, for the side dash, you need to be locked on first.

Oh, hmm. So if you need lock-on for Side Dash, then if I go with Light Hobo's recommendation above I won't be able to Side Dash. I think when I used the charge beam on the floaty things, for the blue and yellow ones at least they got drawn to me and hurt me. So I'll have to avoid I guess. Thanks man.

 

[maxcriden]

They're teaching you how to wall jump. Do a forward jump so you're somersaulting and push against one wall, hold away from the wall and jump, then do the opposite on the other wall.

Sorry to be unclear. I was excerpting an old post from my Metroid series playthrough on Miiverse, there. Luckily that problem has long since been solved. Thank you though!

See this post from the OT.

Advanced is better if this is your first time playing but you want to turn off "Lock on / Free Aim" while playing Prime 1 and 2, then turn it back on when playing Prime 3.

Prime 3, debuting on the Wii touted a new control scheme where you'd lock on to an enemy and still have free aim. The lock on focused your "view" on the enemy rather than your gun. This works with Prime 3 since the game was designed around it but not Prime 1 & 2. Disabling Lock on / Free Aim makes it play more like the GCN versions.

See above.

When locked on to an enemy, hold left or right to start strafing and then double tap the jump button to dash briefly to the side. For Sheegoths, lock on and then when they run at you, dash around them to hit their backsides.

You can't turn off things (and frankly you shouldn't since it's all very helpful) but you can increase the transparency if you feel it's too aggressive.

This is all immensely helpful. And the link you included had lots of great tips. Thank you very much!

I think you can destroy those with a proper beam type. I would usually just roll past them in that Phendrana Drifts tunnel since they are more trouble than they are worth.

Also, you can do a super missile by charging a beam and pressing the missile button. It changes based on the beam. The super ice missile is one my favorite things ever

Thanks man. I can't do the Super Missile quite yet AFAIK though. I think it's in an area that's past where I am from glancing at a 2D map online to try to get my bearings.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

Oh, hmm. So if you need lock-on for Side Dash, then if I go with Light Hobo's recommendation above I won't be able to Side Dash. I think when I used the charge beam on the floaty things, for the blue and yellow ones at least they got drawn to me and hurt me. So I'll have to avoid I guess. Thanks man.

You're right that they're attracted to the charge beam. You could always lock on to them and side dash without holding the button to charge though, if you think it'll be helpful.

 

[Ansatz]

Advanced is better if this is your first time playing but you want to turn off "Lock on / Free Aim" while playing Prime 1 and 2, then turn it back on when playing Prime 3.

Prime 3, debuting on the Wii touted a new control scheme where you'd lock on to an enemy and still have free aim. The lock on focused your "view" on the enemy rather than your gun. This works with Prime 3 since the game was designed around it but not Prime 1 & 2. Disabling Lock on / Free Aim makes it play more like the GCN versions.

I don't understand the argument. Are you just saying that the first two were meant to be played without free aim or is there something more to it?

Locking on to one enemy and strafing around it while aiming elsewhere works just as well in Prime as in Prime 3, even if the encounters in the original weren't designed with this control scheme in mind. The difference is minimal functionally but it makes for a much more enjoyable gameplay experience.

 

[Magnet_Man]

On another note, any tips for fighting or destroying the blue and gold electric bomb floaty enemies or the purple floaty electric wave enemies?

They can only be killed with the Wave Beam. Thankfully they are not aggressive unless you start charging your cannon so just stay out of their way until you get the upgrade.

I don't understand the argument. Are you just saying that the first two were meant to be played without free aim or is there something more to it?

Locking on to one enemy to strafe around it while aiming elsewhere works just as well in Prime as in Prime 3, even if the encounters in the original weren't designed with this control scheme in mind. The difference is minimal functionally but it makes for a much more enjoyable gameplay experience.

The first two games were released on GCN with a hard lock on and the game was designed with that in mind as some bosses such as Parasite Queen and the Hive Drone will automatically move your lock on to the new weakspots while the free aim can somewhat make this process more convoluted. The nature of the first two games also had no need for free aiming at other targets when locked on and in this situation, manually aiming is just an extra, almost superfluous step. Considering that it's taken maxcriden several years to accomplish little under two hours of gameplay (sorry, it's true) it's probably in his best interest to keep the games as simple as possible. Free aim is still available otherwise, just not when locking on to something which makes it feel more in line with classic first person shooters.

Here's an example: In the Chozo Overworld, you're often ambushed by several bug-like enemies that die in two hits. The game wants you to lock on, fire the two shots, release the shoulder button, tap it again to snap your view on to another bug and repeat the process. Using the classic method, you can dispose of all of them in almost an instant with just two buttons and while it is possible to do this with free aim, it's a bit more difficult and requires more environmental awareness and precision. Again, entirely possible but in the interest of keeping the game simple and easy to access, it'd be better to approach these situations the ways the developers designed them for with the controls they used.

Free aim is a huge help for dealing with things that can't be locked on to or far off targets, such as flipping the mirrors during the fight with the giant plant monster.

 

[maxcriden]

You're right that they're attracted to the charge beam. You could always lock on to them and side dash without holding the button to charge though, if you think it'll be helpful.

They can only be killed with the Wave Beam. Thankfully they are not aggressive unless you start charging your cannon so just stay out of their way until you get the upgrade.

That's definitely good to know. Thank you both!

 

[Griss]

Just remember to strafe around enemies while locked on, and when they fire or charge at you tap B while strafing to the side to do a little dash and avoid the fire.

The combat is essentially 'circle-strafing, the game'.

Other than that you should be fine. If you don't have the wave beam yet you can't beat the glowing orbs. Be careful using your charge beam around them, it sucks them into you. Use missiles instead.

EDIT: Damn, beaten.

 

[Light Hobo]

2. So you recommend Advanced Controls with *no* lock-on? Just trying to make sure I follow since another poster recommended Advanced + lock-on. But I guess I'll ultimately have to pick what feels best for me.

3. When you say hold and move, you mean manually with no lock-on?

4. Thanks for these tips. I'm curious what a screw attack will feel like in first person.

Oh, hmm. So if you need lock-on for Side Dash, then if I go with Light Hobo's recommendation above I won't be able to Side Dash. I think when I used the charge beam on the floaty things, for the blue and yellow ones at least they got drawn to me and hurt me. So I'll have to avoid I guess. Thanks man.

No problem! Always happy to get more people playing Prime

Yeah - I'd say try advanced (free look) with fixed lock-on. Makes general exploration easier since you can look around, and makes it so you don't have to aim at enemies - just shoot at them.

The lock-on will place the locked-on object (enemy or environment point) in the center of the screen and you'll rotate around that locked on point as you move. If you have advanced aiming (while locked on) enabled, then you can freely aim your gun while keeping the locked-on object in the center of the screen while you move around. Being able to free aim while locked on gives you the ability to lead your shots, especially against Space Pirates, but that can be complicated in the heat of combat or advanced platforming.

To summarize: Aim reticle at object > press and hold lock-on button to lock camera onto object > shoot at enemy and/or glowy sections, and dodge by pressing left or right and jump button > release lock-on button to resume standard FPS style movement if necessary

Also, the screw attack isn't first person - the camera pulls out like in morph ball mode. You maintain the attack while rhythmically pressing the jump button. When you land or hit a wall you go back into first person. You can mostly propel forward with a little steering control to the left and right. There is some screw attack platforming later on (with wall jumping too) and plenty of hidden things you can't reach without it.

 

[Miker]

Oh, hmm. So if you need lock-on for Side Dash, then if I go with Light Hobo's recommendation above I won't be able to Side Dash. I think when I used the charge beam on the floaty things, for the blue and yellow ones at least they got drawn to me and hurt me. So I'll have to avoid I guess. Thanks man.

You just need to be holding the Z button (locked on) and double tap jump for side dash. It's a basic part of Samus's moveset, and has nothing to do with free aim while locked on (which is an option in the menu).

 

[chaosblade]

Trilogy definitely requires some fumbling with the controls and options to get it "right." GC versions of 1 and 2 are better out of the box, but you can get Trilogy to feel and play just as well, if not better.


Lock on free aim is occasionally useful, but the vast majority of the time it just makes things needlessly harder. Getting that configured right makes the game play a whole lot better.

 

[Esque7]

Make sure you scan everything, scanning enemies will hint at how to defeat them and there's plenty of lore to expand the story.

With regards to your gameplay issues, the game is fairly slow paced so take your time. You'll need to dodge attacks from more aggressive enemies though so make sure you learn how to do that and attack at appropriate times. The space pirates will certainly cause you trouble later on if you aren't comfortable with the controls yet. The advanced control setting may be too sensitive for you so don't be afraid to drop down a sensitivity if you have to.

 

[Calm Mind]

I got the Wii version and the shitty motion controllers made it unplayable just like Skyward Sword. Id have to get a hold of the Gamecube version or a proper Wii U HD port.

 

[Light Hobo]

You just need to be holding the L button (locked on) and double tap jump for side dash. It's a basic part of Samus's moveset, and has nothing to do with free aim while locked on (which is an option in the menu).

I think it's the Z button on the nunchacku for the Wii

 

[Miker]

I think it's the Z button on the nunchacku for the Wii

Ah shit yeah, I'll edit it. You know what I mean Max

 

[Shotgun Kiss]

Have you tried crawling?

 

[zma1013]

For Metroid Prime 1 and 2, go into options and turn off the free aiming while locked. It will help a ton and the game were originally designed that way anyways so it plays better. It helps immensely.

I'd also recommend not turning the aiming sensitivity all the way up as it can lead to you having to constantly re-adjust your aim because it darts around so much. It becomes a real tiresome nuisance to have to keep doing that so turn the sensitivity mode down.

 

[Light Hobo]

Have you tried crawling?

lol - also, there is no run button

 

[Ansatz]

The first two games were released on GCN with a hard lock on and the game was designed with that in mind as some bosses such as Parasite Queen and the Hive Drone will automatically move your lock on to the new weakspots while the free aim can somewhat make this process more convoluted. The nature of the first two games also had no need for free aiming at other targets when locked on and in this situation, manually aiming is just an extra, almost superfluous step. Considering that it's taken maxcriden several years to accomplish little under two hours of gameplay (sorry, it's true) it's probably in his best interest to keep the games as simple as possible. Free aim is still available otherwise, just not when locking on to something which makes it feel more in line with classic first person shooters.

Here's an example: In the Chozo Overworld, you're often ambushed by several bug-like enemies that die in two hits. The game wants you to lock on, fire the two shots, release the shoulder button, tap it again to snap your view on to another bug and repeat the process. Using the classic method, you can dispose of all of them in almost an instant with just two buttons and while it is possible to do this with free aim, it's a bit more difficult and requires more environmental awareness and precision. Again, entirely possible but in the interest of keeping the game simple and easy to access, it'd be better to approach these situations the ways the developers designed them for with the controls they used.

Free aim is a huge help for dealing with things that can't be locked on to or far off targets, such as flipping the mirrors during the fight with the giant plant monster.

I see your point now, it has been years since I played them and when I got MPT I had beaten the Prime games so many times that I fail to view it from the perspective of a first timer.

I don't know why I haven't touched them for so long, maybe because I'm subconsciously waiting for an HD version. It also annoys me that there are missable scan entries, when I play I want 100% completion so that part also puts me off. I remember looking up and writing a list of the ones that were missable before I even started a playthrough, I always missed those friggin bats.

 

[kamineko]

I got the Wii version and the shitty motion controllers made it unplayable just like Skyward Sword. Id have to get a hold of the Gamecube version or a proper Wii U HD port.

Same. I'm not physically capable of using the Wiimote controls, hoping for a version I can play someday since I <3 Metroid

 

[Light Hobo]

Same. I'm not physically capable of using the Wiimote controls, hoping for a version I can play someday since I <3 Metroid

I hope you do too! It's one of my favorite games. Got it on launch day in high school and played several times since then. Thank fully Wiis are cheap and good GCN controllers are easier to find since Smash U came out and Nintendo started making them again.

For those who never played the GCN version it's movement is kinda like Goldeneye. Left stick moves forward and back and turns, right trigger manually aims (makes you stand still), A shoots, left trigger locks on (allowing you to strafe), and C-stick selects weapons.

Plus the GCN version has a sweet weapon effect when you charge the arm cannon with different beams. It had to be removed since it's a 2d effect and the and Wii arm cannon can be moved freely

 

[scitek]

For more precise aiming, you can hold Z to lock the screen in place so you can aim around the edges without turning. I also recommend turning off free aim + lock on and just have it set to lock-on only. The first two games ONLY allowed you to lock-on to enemies during combat, not look around at the same. The third game has certain moments where free aim + lock-on is required, but it will enable it automatically during those times (mostly boss battles).

 

[AppleSeason]

I'm starting MP3, and side dash and jump being assigned to the same button is something I haven't mastered yet. But for me the worst is having to deal with the buttons placements... And the lack of enough button. I always feel like the button for selecting the visors is too far away and having to shot missiles with down...

They lent me a Wii just because I wanted to try three specific games: Skyward Sword, Mail Galaxy and MP3. And so far, only Galaxy has delivered.

 

[maxcriden]

I'm starting MP3, and side dash and jump being assigned to the same button is something I haven't mastered yet. But for me the worst is having to deal with the buttons placements... And the lack of enough button. I always feel like the button for selecting the visors is too far away and having to shot missiles with down...

They lent me a Wii just because I wanted to try three specific games: Skyward Sword, Mail Galaxy and MP3. And so far, only Galaxy has delivered.

I like how ominous the "They" is here. Who lent you a Wii? Mail Galaxy is too funny too.

BTW, did you see the Skyward Sword link I posted in my OP? Not saying it applies to you, but once I gave that game a solid amount of time to get very comfortable with the controls--and got some very useful tips here--I came to love it.

 

[kromeo]

The Primes are some of the very few games I've ever enjoyed with motion controls. Controlling ball Samus with the nunchuck was kind of clunky but I'm guessing it was no better on gamecube

 

[AppleSeason]

I like how ominous the "They" is here. Who lent you a Wii? Mail Galaxy is too funny too.

BTW, did you see the Skyward Sword link I posted in my OP? Not saying it applies to you, but once I gave that game a solid amount of time to get very comfortable with the controls--and got some very useful tips here--I came to love it.

There are days I really hate the spell checker... I loved the Skyward Sword controls. I hated everything else. Gave up almost in the end of the game. I am even afraid if playing any Zelda game that came after that. Traumatic.

A friend lent it. I was considering buying one, but I wanted to make sure I could tolerate the motion controls first. And Speaking of MP3, hand, wrist and arm pain gets way bad after a time. Only game that has caused me this, so I'm not even sure if it is a good idea to keep playing.

 

[kamineko]

I hope you do too! It's one of my favorite games. Got it on launch day in high school and played several times since then. Thank fully Wiis are cheap and good GCN controllers are easier to find since Smash U came out and Nintendo started making them again.

For those who never played the GCN version it's movement is kinda like Goldeneye. Left stick moves forward and back and turns, right trigger manually aims (makes you stand still), A shoots, left trigger locks on (allowing you to strafe), and C-stick selects weapons.

Plus the GCN version has a sweet weapon effect when you charge the arm cannon with different beams. It had to be removed since it's a 2d effect and the and Wii arm cannon can be moved freely

Yeah, I played (and loved) the OG 'Cube stuff.

Just sucks being shut out of the remastered trilogy

 

[HyperCroutons]

A quick tap of the analog stick in the right or left direction then pressing the B button will usually get you to side dash makes boss battles a lot easier. Havent play the MPT on wii yet but the gamecube primes controlled like that assume its the same on the Wii version.

Also you want to have lock on mode activated and be locked on the enemy too.

 

[Kevin Shields]

So I'm playing Echoes and just entered Tarvus Bog. Liking the game a lot but I'm in a huge water room with three switches I need to get to and super metroid room playing. I can only get 1 done and I'm stumped how to get other two. Any ideas?


Also, game is getting a little repetitive with dark world switching. Still good, but does it get better from where I am?

 

[diaspora]

I got the Wii version and the shitty motion controllers made it unplayable just like Skyward Sword. Id have to get a hold of the Gamecube version or a proper Wii U HD port.

This is the most wrong thing since the last time Trump spoke.

 

[MikeyB]

I got the Wii version and the shitty motion controllers made it unplayable just like Skyward Sword. Id have to get a hold of the Gamecube version or a proper Wii U HD port.

Yep. I loved Metroid Prime on the Gamecube, but put down Metroid 3 after multiple attempts since I hated the controls.

 

[kromeo]

So I'm playing Echoes and just entered Tarvus Bog. Liking the game a lot but I'm in a huge water room with three switches I need to get to and super metroid room playing. I can only get 1 done and I'm stumped how to get other two. Any ideas?


Also, game is getting a little repetitive with dark world switching. Still good, but does it get better from where I am?

I didn't find the world in the second one anywhere near as good as the OG, there's definitely nothing in it as memorable as Phendrana drifts or Magmoor Caverns.. Still good though

 

[Yarbskoo]

You could always just play on easy mode.