I finally got my hands on a copy of this game a little while ago, using some Best Buy gift cards I got for Christmas. I've been wanting to check this out for a while since I liked the first one a lot. And after playing most of this game, I think this one is as good as if not better than the first. The graphics are awesome, very sharp and smooth. There are great sound effects with some nice surround. (as nice as the Gamecube can do) Plus it's very easy to control and a ton of fun to play. I just wish it had a better strafe, but other than that the control is great. The only thing I really don't care for are the bosses. They aren't impossibly hard, but they take forever to fight. You constantly have to wait for the right moment, which makes it more challenging. But they have a ton of health, so it goes on and on. There are also a few I've come across that are just frustrating to fight. I'm on one now that has made me take a break from this game, or my Wavebird (wireless controller) might learn how to fly. Oh well, I have plenty of games to play while I take breaks from this one. But despite that I still think Metroid Prime games are some of the best first person shooters for console gaming.