Echoes

I don’t often play games on our Gamecube. Not too many games can hold my interest for more than a short while. Likewise, I don’t play too many games on any of our PCs, either, because I get bored. I spent many years playing multiplayer first person shooters online, and I grew extremely accustomed to interacting with human beings while playing games. Without other people, most single player games grow stale very quick.

An interesting exception to this was Metroid Prime, which I played fairly regularly. I really enjoyed exploring the ruins and learning about the Chozo. The music, the lighting, and the pacing of the game worked extremely well to really grab my attention, and keeping me wanting to try more. I never actually beat the game, unfortunately – I just couldn’t beat the titular character.

It was with some modest amount of shame for my failure that I purchased Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Prior to today I’d only played a little bit here and there. It wasn’t a game that immediately grabbed me, so I didn’t try very hard to progress too far. Today, though, was a particularly lazy Sunday, with no real plans, so I set out to make some actual progress.

And progress I did! It holds true to the other titles in the franchise, with lots of running and jumping. The puzzles are challenging without being impossible, and the opponents are tough but beatable. Visually, it’s terrific, and I oftentimes find myself simply looking around at the scenery. The music is, as usual, soft and complementary, so as to influence your perceptions of the gameworld without consciously being aware that it’s music, as such.

The only reason I stopped playing today was to take Tyler to the skating rink. I’m actually at the rink as I type this – behold the glory of ubiquitous WiFi! I don’t think I’ll be coming skating again any time soon, and if I can help it I’ll make sure the twins don’t come again, either: the music is far from kid-friendly, and all the bumping and grinding going on (in motion!) on the skating rink is something I’d rather the girls to avoid. It’s a shame, because Tyler is skating her heart out, and having a great time. A casual observer might be fooled into thinking that she’s oblivious to the goings-on around her, but invariably lyrics or behavior will be repeated at home (or worse, at school).

More Metroid will likely wait until tomorrow, as I’ve got some more Babylon 5 to watch tonight!