good idea Nintendo

So Nintendo has been "updating" Gamecube games for the Wii by adding motion controls. Then they roll out that version for $50, despite the fact that the graphics are still last-gen, in some cases using the Wii-version motion controls is worse than the original controls, and hey - Gamecube discs are playable on the Wii already! So yeah, I'm less than impressed with the whole idea.

But then Nintendo whips this out and it is GREAT! It is exactly what one would hope for when hearing that they are re-releasing GC games for the Wii. They have reworked the first two Metroid Prime games (originally released for GC) and are bundling them with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (a Wii title) for only $50 total. This is particularly exciting for me, since I never bought my own copy of #3.

They’ll be packaged together with the 2007 Wii sequel on a single disc called Metroid Prime Trilogy.

Although we’ll have to wait longer than Japanese consumers for the game, which will be available on August 24, the price tag of only $50 for all three critically-acclaimed sci-fi adventures is a much better deal.

I played the Japanese version of Metroid Prime when it shipped earlier this year, and played Metroid Prime 2 later at Nintendo’s offices. The games have been fully upgraded with all of the bells and whistles that the Wii brings — full motion control and 16:9 widescreen display being the most obvious enhancements.

But there are also some smaller upgrades. The “ball hop” — the ability to make Samus Aran’s Morph Ball form jump in the air with a quick flick of the Wiimote — has been retrofitted into both of the earlier games.

Nintendo said the games also have shorter loading times, and some mildly updated graphical effects like bloom lighting.

Badges — achievements for completing certain game objectives — have also been added in to the GameCube titles. The badges for all three games are combined in one overarching bonus menu, instead of being split up per title. This means that you can unlock the same set of bonus materials (artwork galleries, etc.) no matter which game you play.

The Metroid Prime 3 control scheme is fully replicated in each of the classic games — you can adjust the sensitivity of the cursor and turn on “Lock-On Free Aim” if you want more control over your aiming.

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/05/hands-on-metroid-prime-trilogy-brings-entire-series-to-wii/