Metroid Prime, definitely. It best captures the spirit of the older Metroid games, but in a way that's perfectly modern. The sense of isolation and of free exploration is most prominent there. Despite the fact that the three games are basically the same in that you have to tackle them in the same order, Metroid Prime is the only one where you *feel* like you're in control. It doesn't feel as structured as the other games (which have a very methodical pattern of come to an area, figure out how to gain access to the boss's area, do it, and move on). Metroid Prime is basically the same way, but it doesn't have those big, blinking billboards that say "THE BOSS IS HERE," like Prime 2 (with the Temples and Dark Temples), and Prime 3 (with it's Phazon Meteors) do.

Objectively, there isn't much difference between the three, but Prime brings everything together the best.

They're both fantastic games but Prime 1 is leaps and bounds better, for me it's not even close. Actually Prime 1 is my favorite game ever so I might be biased haha. But it does have the highest review scores of all 3. Prime 2 is no slouch either, it seems to be the forgotten Prime game :(

For me, to goes something like:

MP3 > MP > MP2

However, I haven't played Prime with motion controls yet, so that might push it over the edge for me. They are all amazing games though.

This is exactly how I view Metroid Prime, and exactly why I rate it signifficantly worse than MP3. MP is the same length as MP3, but the world and variety is much less because MP depends on forcing you to run from one end of the world to the other constantly for its length. MP2 did that as well, but with the shadow world. I consider those two games about equal.

MP3 from a design perspective was much better. Aside from what was basically the tutorial level at the very beginning MP3 was just as much about exploration, platforming, and puzzle solving as MP was. The difference is because MP3 didn't use as much tedious backtracking it was built with more variety and better level design. It's not "more like a shooter" than the other games. It's just faster paced because you aren't spending all your time running back across the world.

Edit: and MP and MP2 were just as linear. Maybe you didn't notice it while you were playing it, but there was never more than one new path available aside from finding pickups... exactly like MP3.

I liked Prime 3 more. It just felt better, had a better story, and had the benefit of better hardware. I still gotta buy "Trilogy" soon, though.

MP1 has such a closer feel towards the original Metroid, superior boss battles & a better story line to follow than MP3.

MP3 certainly is better setup for the Motion Controls (handles more like an FPS as opposed to MP1's FPA feel), however I feel the rest of the advantages to MP1 makes it a more enjoyable experience verus MP3...but comparing the two is like trying to compare two Hanzo swords, two masterpieces in their own right.

I think 3 is my favorite, but make sure that you do not miss out on playing through 1 and 2.

Also, this may be the only message board I've seen where MP3 doesn't send the fans into a rage...

Corruption lost something of the first Prime's essential Metroidness, that sense of loneliness and striking out into directions unknown, of finding an environment that should not have been as passable as it was, a sense of wrongness in its construction...

But it was still wonderful, and very fun.

Except for the final boss fight. That was a little bit of a train wreck.

I dunno, I actually liked the battle in the first one. I never beat Echoes, though.

I had no particular issue with the light-dark element (other than the fact that it felt slightly out-of-place), but i abhorred the beam ammo system. Still do. I'm playing through it right now. I'm the kind of person who's a little obsessive about preserving my ammo for a future time that may never come, so having that feeling integrated into the game's beams really grated on me.