Guessed by @drbunnig
It feels bizarre to be writing about this game on the same night when I've just played Metroid Prime 4: Beyond for the first time. This series has come such a long way since then, at least artistically, but even if the original Metroid Prime had a more basic look to it, it was still an incredible piece of art - one that soars so much higher than the sum of its parts.
It's hard to explain why exactly this game feels so much better than its sequels. They all feature more visually interesting worlds, deeper lore about fully original alien races, and generally more mechanics and creative power-ups. I think the reason the first Prime stands out so much is just... it flows. Something about the way progression is handled, the way areas connect to one another, I don't know what it is exactly but this feels so good to play and replay. I wonder how much of this was by design, but given how rushed the development was, it's probably a fluke that we got something this good.
It seems like for the time being, this will remain the undisputed best of the Metroid Prime games. I do hope to see it dethroned someday, though - I see in Retro Studios a team with the potential to do that.
