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I've only played a couple hours on Prime 2, but I'm really digging it. I've forgotten how immersive the MP games are. Metroid Prime 1 was the first Metroid game I ever played and beat on my own, from the beginning, without a strat guide, or the internet. I was very proud of myself.

Trauma Center: I give it a 9/10. I like the story and characters, and I LOVE THE MUSIC. I'm trying to talk my upcoming band into performing the Hope Hospital theme as our soundcheck when we do shows. However, I have to say, the only thing that kept it from being a perfect 10 was one of the forms of GUILT, Triti I think, with the thorns and green triangles. From a game-design perspective, I have to say... WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY THINKING?? The whole thing is done with the forceps, so you're just squeezing over and over and over again, and the forceps controls aren't nearly responsive enough, and the challenge is baseless. The green triangles duplicate themselves whenever they feel like it and whatever it is that causes it to happen is never fully made clear to the player. It's a horribly, horribly designed sequence in the game. I got through a couple of those surgeries, but when you get to the operation involving four patients and Stiles and Kimishima alternate, I just gave up. My arm was hurting so much from all the squeezing, and I was seriously going to get a blood pressure condition from the frustration. So I packed it up and shipped it back to Gamefly. It's upsetting that such a great game left such an awful awful taste in my mouth.

I'm trying to beat Metroid Prime...

I know what you mean about Prime. When I get those games, that's all I play for a month, hunting down every last upgrade and pushing my skill to see every last room on the map. I thought Prime 2 was a very good expansion off of the original's gameplay, and some of the bosses in it were simply incredible to fight (although some of them were quite frustrating as well...)

I really liked how Atlus put a lot of energy behind making the story suspenseful and believable. I wholeheartedly agree about that green triangle form of GUILT, luckily, you only play against it two or three times (though two of those times have you doing it during a multipl-patient procedure...) I really liked it and I'm looking forward to the next one, which will have an actual co-operative multiplayer mode!

I love Metroid Prime...

Huh, really? Because I love Metroid Prime.

@Papiking: I guarantee I can beat you with Paul Phoenix. mrgreen
We'll have to duel once they release the online mode, eh?

I am currently playing Mario Strikers: Charged for the Wii. That game is absolutely amazing. The graphics are great for a Wii game, the gameplay is fast, hectic, and fun, and the multiplayer (both online and offline) is phenomenal. My only gripe is that the single-player AI is really cheap in the second two cups. But this is a game designed for multiplayer and by god does it deliver there!

I've moved on to Virtua Fighter 5 and Suikoden Tactics.

A couple things:

- In VF5, they tweaked the move lists a bit, so it has taken some time for me to "reaquaint" myself with Jacky Bryant. However, the battle system is still top-notch and the Quest Mode is awesome, with ALOT of unlockable crap, and now 4 costumes per player, as opposed to the old two costumes.

- In Suikoden Tactics, when you get an extra character that isn't integral to the storyline and that character falls in battle, they DIE PERMANENTLY! That's annoying. I'm not a fan of doing a battle multiple times because I couldn't keep Rita alive. Also, not enough opportunity to level grind. There are too many arbitrary restrictions forced on the player. Otherwise, the battle system is great fun and the storyline isn't the worst I've seen. So i'm liking it for the most part.