Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime (メトロイドプライム, Metoroido Puraimu) is the first 3D Metroid game released on November 15, 2002. It was developed by Nintendo-owned Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It is officially classified by Nintendo as a first-person adventure, rather than a first-person shooter, due to the large exploration component to the game. It was also the first Metroid game to be released since Super Metroid, which was released nearly eight years earlier, though this only applies to North America as in all other markets, it was released after Metroid Fusion. Metroid Prime was the first of the four part Prime storyline, which takes place between the original Metroid and Metroid II: Return of Samus. The title was later bundled with the GameCube in 2004. Like the rest of the series, Metroid Prime has a science fiction setting, once again allowing you to play as the bounty hunter Samus Aran. The story follows Samus battling the Space Pirates and their biological experiments on planet Tallon IV.

The game was first announced at E3 2001 and was revealed shortly after to be played from a first-person perspective. Following the announcement and release of the first screenshots, some fans saw it as a disgraceful transition into 3D.[2] In addition, due to frequent layoffs and corporate reorganization at Retro Studios during development, the game was believed to be a failure throughout gaming related message boards, publications, and magazines until near the point of retail release when it attained widespread critical acclaim from various publications. The game has proven to be a commercial success, selling over 1 million units in North America alone, reviving the Metroid franchise.