Errr hello? It was a DEMO level. Anybody who has played the last two games will know that you can't really get a good feel for the game in ten minutes without redesigning some portions of the game. The demos for prime2 took parts from the  final game and simplified them into small linear areas, and there was a bit of fuss about the same thing, and then it came out and everyone loved it. It has been stated many times by nintendo and retro that the demo areas are not representative of the final layout.

What is bad for 1up is good for me. I HATE backtracking.

Don't get all up on ckmlb, if you even bothered to read the link, all the previewer is saying is that since Skytown isn't physicaly connected to the previous area, so you can't backtrack. He thinks MP fans might not like that. No more, no less.

No bactracking is music to my ears.

It's an interesting complaint, I think Ck has a point.

Metroid Prime has been the only first person adventure in existance. That's saying a lot; every other First Person Shooter is really an action game, emphasizing shooting and killing stuff, while Metroid Prime emphasized exploration and discovery, with shooting a secondary concern.

This would be a fundamental change in design. However, it's also a fairly subtle distintion (would any inexperienced player really appreciate the differentiation between Halo and Metroid Prime 1/2 in the first place?), and I could imagine even a veteran reporter not being able to discern such changes in a single level. Control issues can show up instantly, but subtle changes in design philosophy are harder to detect. We'll see as we get closer to release. 

There are people that go out of their way to attack the Playstation 3. I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to take pot shots at the system, but I definitely heap a good deal of criticism on the console myself.

Umm, did anyone READ that interview with Retro - where they talked in detail about level design?

There will be PLENTY of backtracking in MP3. But it will feel less "pointless", and more directed - like an FPS. More solid objectives, reasons for going forwards, etc.

As stated above, this is JUST a short demo - and near the start of the game. All the MP games did this - significant "linear" sections. Its not until you get some decent upgrades that backtracking actually makes sense, and you can discover alternative routes.

...

PS - Intro movie bit in the ship looked pretty sweet...

ckmlb you need to chill. Metroid Prime does look pretty interesting. But controls do matter. I enjoyed red steel apart from the cheesy story line. But this showed me that FPS on Nintendo have great potential.Chucking genades with the numchunk.Remote as a gun is pretty cool.I ain't a fan boy.But lets all reduce the hating.Talk the universal language of gaming. If had the cash I would have all 3 consoles. ps for roleplaying games,xbox for racing and nintendo for FPS and mario :). Its bound to happen if you diss a person about a console they put there money in. Of course its natural for him to react. Just because you see one level in metroid it doesn't mean its gonna be crap. Screen shots and sometimes vids don't mean anything. Until you see it with your know eyes and played. Just wish all these game release would come early :).

Dude, you have numbers on your side in this forum.  Not a single positive Sony thread goes untouched by the Wii-loving masses.  ckmlb owns all of the consoles so he's not the guy you want to attack.  Owning a console doesn't mean you overreact to someone criticizing it.

If Metroid Prime abandons the adventure elements it abandons the core ideals of all the Metroid games. 

I believe he has all the consoles because i have both the Wii and the PS3 and post negative news about the PS3, but... doesn't everyone find weird that his sig has only his PSN Tag and his Gamertag?

I don't think Ck would deny that he prefers the PS3/360, just as I prefer the Wii/PC, but I think he (and I) do try to remain objective, and I think he does a solid job of it. I definitely see him post more pro-Sony anti-Wii stuff than I do pro-Wii anti-Sony, but he generally keeps a fairly level head, and that's all you can ask for.

Little things like not posting your Wii code are trifling things, when viewed through that lense.  

it's natural for us to be driven toward good news on what we prefer and the bad news on what we don't, IMO.