I think you should all just play Metroid Fusion and shut the hell up.

No... you're wrong and I'm right.

I couldn't say for most of those games, but a few of those are traditional Adventure games... Shenmue 2 is a perfect example. It's an Adventure game and an RPG and a Fighting game... now, it's essentially an Adventure game even though it has other gameplay elements in it. MP can be an Adventure game and an RPG and Solitaire for all I care, but since most of the gameplay is FPS oriented - that's a fair assessment.

That's just it, most of the gameplay isn't FPS oriented IMO. Sure you shoot a lot, but you spend most of your time exploring the world (one world, not seperate levels like an FPS) looking for secret passages, items etc. and then acquiring new powers and re-exploring the areas to look for places you can get to with your new powers that you couldn't get to before.

Hence the emphasis is on exploration, you just happen to shoot stuff while exploring. So I'd call it an First Person Adventure.

In an FPS with adventure elements you just happen to explore and find stuff while shooting things.

Josh - you simply haven't played enough FPS games to know because that's not true.

And you haven't played the old Metroid games to know that shooting isn't the focus of the series, just something you do while exploring.

The bottom line is that the creators of the game say it isn't a FPS, and those who have played the final game also say it doesn't play like a FPS.

What more confirmation do some of you want?

They just don't know what they're talking about.

I'm buying a cube for this game in december, although I'm doing it somewhat unwillingly. To be honest, there's no other game that I would label a "must buy" or "killer app". Not until Zelda, and the lack of great rpgs is killing me. But I have to own the system for Metroid Prime. . .I wish some better games would come along, hopefully the Final Fantasy game being released on the system will turn out great, along with some other needed RPG's.

Oh.. by the way.. I'd just like to mention.. all this bickering about it's genre isn't just for the hell of it.. it's because if the game was an FPS, multiplayer would be expected, almost necessary. But since it's not, it's not.

Those "FPS" games that have adventure aspects(half-life, unreal, um... I can't think right now) are actually Action-Adventure games that have a first-person perspective. Those games don't need multiplayer. Half-Life's deathmatch and all the various mods are completely seperated from the game and may as well be their own game. IMO the game only had a multiplayer because it's just expected that PC games have multiplayer(with the exception of the simulation genre). Real FPSes are shooters with a first person perspective.. like Quake and UT and Serious Sam. Those naturally lend themselves to multiplayer and it doesn't make sense to not include multiplayer in a real FPS.

One genre is not universally better than the other, though in my extremely biased opinion Metroid Prime will be better than all of them! :P

Metroid is a "First Person Adventure" game the same way Warcraft 3 is a "Role Playing Strategy" game. In other words, the distinction is a marketing tool.

I feel certain Metroid is a great game, and I'm looking forward to getting it, but, if it's as great as everyone says, it will just annoy me more that there's no multiplayer.

Half-Life was also a "First Person Adventure," though nobody tried to create the designation at the time. But they buttressed the single player (which was peerless until Halo, or maybe until this) with the excellent TFC and later they supported Counter Strike.

Goldeneye could have stood on its own very well as a single player game, but the best value came from the multiplayer. You could call Halo an adventure as well, but it had great multiplayer. Metroid could have been the Halo killer, though, with good multi modes.

Metroid doesn't have to have multiplayer, but it would have made sense and it would have added to the value.

The fact is, if a game is from a first person viewpoint and involves shooting, whether you call it an adventure or a shooter or whatever, it rates a multiplayer mode. Every other one has it.

a^2 + b^2 = c^2 that's still right, right?

Depends what a, b, and c are

NO:
a=3
b=2
c=6

YES:
a=3
b=4
c=5

Exactly! Nintendo came out with that FPA non-sense. I'm sure you guys were calling Metroid Prime a FPS before Nintendo said it's a FPA.

The developers call it an exploration game. Shigeru Miyamoto called it a FPA in one or two interviews. I'd hardly call that marketing non-sense. Regardless, FPA is a more accurate label. Or maybe FPE. Every impression of the game has said the same. I've played the demo, I'd (obviously) say the same.

I think a FPSA is more suitable.

At first I was afraid it would be a typical FPS, as I'm not much of a fan of the genre.

When Nintendo started saying it was an FPA I was skeptical.

Now that the reviews are saying it feels like a metroid game and doesn't play like a typical FPS, I'm buying the distinction.

There is a new Metroid Prime commercial and damn does that game rock. This isn't the other one where it shows about 2 seconds of in game footage, this is another one.That commercial is sweet. Looks like they should make a Metroid movie. Now that would be sweet.

When and on what channel did you see the commercial?

I saw it on mtv, tnn, and some others. I think they just started to air these today. Keep watching tv and you will see it. It's been shown pretty frequently so far.

I've bee seeing them a lot for the last week, Prime & Fusion commericals, on TNN & Fox that I remember

I'm sure there's a distinction. But there's a distinction between Half Life or Halo or Goldeneye and the "typical FPS" as well.

This is still an FPS and there is a combat element, and a big one. Metroid is a shooter and always has been, and there is a focus on exploration, but that doesn't mean it's not a shooter, just like the exploration element doesn't mean Mario isn't a platformer. If Metroid is such a great console shooter, than we're not getting what could easily have been the best party game since Goldeneye.

And the morph ball probably would have been cool in multiplayer.

I don't think a game where the aiming is done FOR YOU lends itself particularly well to multiplayer gaming. I wish people would stop complaining about the multiplayer; it was never expected for a Metroid game, and if you want multiplayer so bad there are other games that can fulfill your needs.

I hate getting into these damn VG forum arguments, you guys almost make me hate coming into these threads lately, which is sad because I know I can't read about games on a gaming mag site due to the childishness.

Anyway I actually played more of the demo at Best Buy the other day. and I'm very excited to finally pick this game up.

Childishness is alive and well here spainlinx0.

I posted this in the other Metroid thread but it seems like it warrants a resurrection...

They were showing this commerical on the big screen when I saw Punch Drunk Love two weeks ago. That was in an AMC theater. I don't know if they're showing it anywhere else though.

Very cool on the big screen.

It sure is. Can't anyone amuse themselves? I'm a bit above the age where I can call all my friends over for a multiplayer party.