Throwback Thursday: Metroid Prime

Today's Thursday, and you know what that means - retrogaming. Today's throwback is Metroid Prime for GameCube!

Metroid Prime was developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo for GameCube. It was released in North America on November 17, 2002, and in Japan and Europe the following year. As the 5th installment of the Metroid series, it was classified as a first-person adventure (not shooter) because exploration took precedent over combat.

Metroid Prime is the first of the three-part Prime storyline which takes place between Metroid Prime, Metroid and Metroid 11: Return of Samus. Throughout the game the players control Samus Aran, a bounty hunter who receives a distress signal from Space Pirate Frigate Orpheon and travels to Tallon IV to stop the Space Pirates from exploiting Phazon. (To read more about the plot, click here)

The game became one of the best selling games on GameCube and sold 250,000 units within the first week of its release. It was very well received and was praised by gaming review publications such as IGN, Game Informer, GameSpot, Edge and Nintendo Power. Metroid Prime pushed gameplay and graphics to the limit on the GameCube, and for that we welcome it into the vault!