Metroid Prime Trilogy graphical differences from GameCube versions

8 September 2009

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Posted by:Josh

Those who played Metroid Prime on the original GameCube will be sad to find out that Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Wii, is actually missing some of the coolest graphical details from the original games.

I discovered on my own while playing through the original Metroid Prime while reviewing Metroid Prime Trilogy that one of the coolest graphical effects in the entire game (IMHO) is missing entirely from Trilogy. That effect is the ability to see Samus’ sketeton arm through her Arm Cannon while using the X-Ray Visor. Which was so detailed you could even see her fingers on her hand as she manipulated the buttons to fire each weapon . . . In the Wii version you don’t see anything inside.

Other cool details include ripple effects in water when Samus moves and how the entire Arm Cannon would freeze over while charging the Ice Beam. These are all gone in the Wii versions from Metroid Prime Trilogy.

You may think that the reason would be due to lack of space, since Metroid Prime Trilogy puts all three Prime games onto one disc. But in Japan Metroid Prime 1 has a disc all its own, and these graphical touches are still missing. So that’s not the reason.

Thankfully, most of the really cool effects in Metroid Prime Trilogy remain, such as when you destroy the “Pulse” enemies, the graphical effects that mess with your visor (static, steam, etc.) . . . in fact, only solid players of the original games will even notice the difference. So it does not effect the game at all. Still, it’s sad to know that some of these cool effects are missing.

When you combine the missing effects with the new cumbersome Wii controls (which bring their own detriments to the game, while also giving some pluses) and then add the fact that the greatest Intro/Menu Screen with the coolest music of all time is missing (the Intro/Menu of the original, which took place INSIDE a freakin’ Metroid), then you have quite a few reasons to keep your original GameCube copy of, at least, Metroid Prime 1.

Here’s a video showing off the missing effects from Metroid Prime Trilogy compared to the GameCube originals.

Via Joystiq