Metroid Database.com

Today The Art of Video Games, a project for a special exhibit of videogames as works of art to be shown in the Smithsonian and curated by Chris Melissinos, announced their winning titles. While Shigeru Miyamoto's creations (Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong) predictably racked in the most votes, it's a pleasant surprise to see Metroid Prime 2: Echoes on the list of titles picked to be displayed in the Smithsonian!

If you'll remember, a few months back, there was a poll where users were asked to vote for the games they would pick as an epitome of artistic expression for a platform and genre. Titles such as Pitfall were chosen to represent the Atari, Donkey Kong for the Colecovision, Super Mario Bros. 3 for the NES, and powerhouses such as Shadow of the Colossus and Uncharted 2 for the PS2 and PS3. While Metroid was a pick for the NES action genre (which predictably lost to SMB3) and Metroid Prime Trilogy for action on the Wii (which lost to Super Mario Galaxy 2), Metroid Prime 2 won out over Eternal Darkness for most artistic action game on the Gamecube! The games were picked not primarily for how much fun they were (though it was to an extent a popularity contest) but rather due to their artistic design, concept, and influence on gaming - in short, how the designer/s used the game as a tool of expression and how the game was the product of these creative forces.

In retrospect, while Metroid Prime 2 does not have the narrative flair that Eternal Darkness was known for, nor the insanity system, the game does feature a very strong artistic design with superior texture maps to Metroid Prime (honestly, some of the best on the Wii), brighter colors, but also a consistent feel and atmosphere for Planet Aether. So while Prime 2 isn't exactly the best Metroid game in terms of level design, the atmosphere is certainly its strongest suit, with a solid combination of audio and visual effects and gorgeous vistas, which in retrospect makes it a great pick. Each time I play Prime 2, I am confronted with a deep sense of loss and the encroaching weight of corruption seeping into every crevice of the planet, a feeling reinforced by the alien world of Dark Aether and the corpses of the Luminoth scattered throughout. There is also the corrosive atmosphere of Dark Aether which provides a sense of urgency - some will say frustration - showing just how hostile the environment is. Then of course there is the Ing, properly named for their primal nightmare vision, and a proud product of Andrew 'Android' Jones' artistic genius. Prime 2 also has a stronger sense of narrative than Prime 1 through the subtle use of character in the log entries - particularly with the Pirates' sense of desperation and fatalism underscores their logs.

Note that Metroid Prime 2 will not be playable at the Smithsonian (only five games, including MYST and Super Mario Bros. will be playable), but will be displayed in some other, currently unannounced form.

You can check out the full list of winning entries here. The show will run at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC from March 16, 2012 - September 30, 2012.

Until next time...
Captain Commando