Metroid Prime is one of my favorite games of all time, it'd probably be Top 3 if I had to make a list. More games need to be like it.
I agree completely with everything that's been said about it so far; the atmosphere, the exploration, the battles, world design, have yet to be matched by any game made since. One thing I like that hasn't been brought up yet is how well the game manages to mix up its gameplay. Metroid Prime shifts seamlessly from firefights with enemies to exploring a desolate world to gigantic boss battles to complex puzzle solving to artifact hunting to history uncovering, and not a single bit of it is anything less than amazing. It's a testament to the reason why Metroid is my favorite video game series of all time, it manages to blend so many different elements that I enjoy so well.
Prime's two sequels, Echoes and Corruption, are excellent games as well, though both games fit a bit more into the "Majora's Mask" kind of sequel category in my opinion, in that they feel familiar from the standpoint of controls, but have a feeling of being very unique experiences. Echoes is a far darker, much tougher, more complex game with tons of puzzles that will make you think for a long time and some incredibly difficult boss battles. Corruption, well, you've played it, but it's much more in the vein of Metroid Fusion, with less emphasis on exploration and more on combat and tension.
I really do prefer those types of sequels, instead of simply trying to duplicate a previous success, Echoes and Corruption take some of the successful elements of Prime and implement them into experiences that feel both very similar and very different all at once. But that's my opinion, people are incredibly divided on both games.
Anyways, glad you're liking Prime. Hope you enjoy what is, in my opinion, the best game since Super Metroid and before Okami.
