Metroid Prime: Federation Force Version 1.1 is Now Live

Why bother? The game is a failure and has sunk without a trace.

The patch was likely in the works just prior to release and now that it's done the skeleton crew can move on like the rest of the team already has. A similar thing happened with Star Fox Zero, actually it was for Star Fox Guard and they haven't touched the game since. I'll be very surprised if there's another update.

I've been enjoying this game but have an issue when using the thumb nub control scheme. Some stages require an object to be picked up and carried. If the drones won't carry it then you have to hold down the A button to hold which means you can't use the nub to look around. Not a huge issue though.

@TimeGuy All 3 of them?

@PanzerNomad I m using the 2nd control option too.. just press R button to shoot/carry object. U can still use ur thumb to rotate camera

I'm glad they put a timer on blastball. Sometimes I would be putzing around for 10 minutes in practice seeing someone on stand-by.

Overall, the game is great and I think it's criminal the game is being dismissed at large for such inane reasons.

@hd94 ok cool. I didn't try that. That's one less problem that needs fixing haha. Cheers.

@TimeGuy cool, thanks. You'd think that after thirty plus years of gaming I would have figured out something that simple. Doh! 😊

@SLIGEACH_EIRE I'm seeing a number of people here saying that they're still playing, and I've been working through the game with a friend and we're having a blast (no pun intended) with the game. It has a larger audience than the bandwagon hate has implied.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Already at least four people in this comment section alone have shown they're playing it online, rendering your comment incorrect. Just because it's not a blockbuster and not your type of game doesn't mean it's bad and no one plays it. Personally, I plan to pick it up at some point.

Also, glad to see this has already gotten an update, even if it's minor. My only grievance from what I've seen is it looks rather short, if they add even a little DLC like triforce heroes, I'd be ecstatic.

Cool, every single time I tried to play Blast Ball online, I would get an error, despite being able to play the campaign online without issue. Maybe I'll give it a go, even though Blast Ball seems a bit shallow.

Cool! Been playing the campaign with friends and enjoying it so far. Might give BB another dip too

@SLIGEACH_EIRE

Aww, look at the little guy who's trying to fight with people who are just enjoying their game, lol. 😜

I'd like to see some sort of "kick" feature while in game online campaign mode (if there already is, I don't know about it).

There's been a many of times where there's been at least one guy who messes up mission completion times or not even completing missions and I rage quit, because they won't get on a button or hit a switch and just ptfo.

It's nice seeing that most of the criticism this game was getting was utterly shallow, now that it's finally released and properly updated.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE There are actually a lot of people enjoying this game, like me, who are not butt hurt whiny entitled kids. Never have to wait long for a party

Fantastic fixes and additions for Blast Ball here, although it's still missing an online private match option for friends only.

"This update also adds Metroid: Zero Mission as an unlockable feature for those who have completed the game, alongside Samus as a playable character."

If only...

I would love some DLC, more missions. And to all those who hate this game for no good reason, you are really missing out on a fun experience. Single player can be tough but it is rewarding when you pull it off.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Both me and my partner are really enjoying this game, mostly because there's nothing else quite like it on the 3DS. Try the game first before you make such accusations. You sound like the rest of the salty kids on the Internet that haven't played the game.

Nice to see some positivity in the comment section of a Federation Force article for once... other than that one commenter.

Look, a few defenders of this monstrosity on a Nintendo centric site is hardly surprising. Remind me where the game placed in the UK charts please? And the same question for the Japanese charts? It bombed. You can't defend its sales, you can try but you'll fail just like the game did.

Multiplayer on handheld is pretty unappealing to me - I actually just prefer having co-players in the room - old fashioned I know. But most of the reviews have vindicated this title and I'm glad. I also wish Nintendo would do something with Samus but spin-offs are welcome, especially from talented development teams.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Just because a game bombed in the charts doesn't mean it's a bad game. Take F-Zero GX for example, that game was both a masterpiece and a commercial flop.

@Grumblevolcano F-Zero GX was an absolutely brilliant game. A classic. Metroid Prime: Festeration Farce is not a classic.

When are you going to release those sale numbers outside of Japan?

@SLIGEACH_EIRE "A game is bad because it doesn't sell well"

Perhaps Platinum Games' titles are all terrible by that logic. Bravo sir.

I love this game - both as a single player game as well as cooperatively online. Even though I usually do not play online. I can't recommend the game enough. It is not the usual Metroid experience but it is still Metroid. I am hoping for a sequel.

@rushiosan I wish people would stop putting words in my mouth. Platinum Games are fantastic developers. SFZ is not a great game, I don't blame them for that though(they weren't given enough time and had to do as they were told). A game is bad because it's bad, not to do with its sales. Sometimes, poor sales reflect that.

@AlexSora89 Sadly, any company would probably never add a game in as an unlockable nowadays, since they could just let you play for it.

@rushiosan They are definitely short, I can say that much.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE I'm having a good time with FF. The game is surprisingly fun and has a nice mission variety, plays like a Prime title and on top of that is challenging enough to become very replayable.

I hope it keeps bombing so a huge price drop might encourage people to finally give it a chance. Online needs more active players.

This is not a true Metroid game because of the lack of 'baby' references. Get it right next time, Nintendo.

Yea, why even bother working on Wii U stuff or something worth to be added to the 3DS eShop... but yea, spend more time patching this masterpiece for the 7 people out there who are still playing it...but then again if I would like this game (which is not possible) I would be pissing myself laughing that they even still care

Regardless of the game's possible quality (I haven't played it), it's good to see the devs making sure it is kept appropriately patched after launch. Few things stink like an online focused game that abandons its playerbase, however small.

"Primarily fixes issues with Blast Ball." Blast Ball itself is an issue.

Owned since launch and I yet to play Blast Ball.
Wouldn't be the first time I played one online mode and ignored the other(s).

i wouldve get this game if it wasnt $40..

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and just echo those who have already stated in this thread that there are a lot of people who actually play and enjoy this game, and I'm one of them. We're not all stubbornly dedicated to hating this game simply for failing to provide a standard Metroid experience, so updates are appreciated by at least some of us.

My only real gripe with this game is the lack of checkpoints in levels, so I would love to see that added at some point. I like playing the campaign by myself, and the lack of checkpoints can be seriously frustrating at times.

@-DEMISE- Next Level seems to have something against checkpoints. Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon for example.

@Giygas_95 Yeah good point. I don't understand it though. Their games are always really well made and polished, but the lack of checkpoints in everything is kind of a big and unnecessary negative, if you ask me.

@-DEMISE- At least with Dark Moon you didn't really need checkpoints all that much...With Federation Force though, the campaign becomes darn near impossible without some assistance whether by other players or the Lone Wolf mod. Seriously don't even attempt the Uplink mission without a friend or the Lone Wolf mod. I used the mod and still barely squeaked by.

I mean, this is cool for those that play the game, but they probably should have had the patch include a playable Samus or something.

@Spooj
Actually, having Zero Mission as an unlockable would be quite the Russian doll, what with it having the original Metroid as an unlockable game.

@-DEMISE- Both games do give you the the opportunity for a one-chance revive, though. Dark Moon lets you find the gold bone, and Federation Force has the common Auto-Revive MODs.

For my part, I don't find the game is TOO challenging to just beat solo, at least not until the endgame and hard mode... mostly, it's getting a good score (ie, time) that's troublesome.

@meleebrawler True, and Dark Moon isn't a particularly difficult game, so the revive bone is overall sufficient. But towards the end of the campaign, some of those missions can become a bit lengthy/tedious and more difficult, and I could see myself smashing my 3DS into a fine powder if I failed one of those levels without a bone.

Federation Force starts out easy enough, and the auto-revive is nice. But they're not exactly unlimited in number, and the difficulty really spikes around the halfway mark (at least for me it did), making checkpoints considerably more desirable. Also, like you said, trying to get a good completion time so you can get more medals and unlock an extra mod slot is important, and for that reason I almost never use the auto-revive because it takes up a mod slot that I would rather fill with a mod that upgrades my abilities and thereby helps me complete missions more quickly. It's a genuine conundrum!

But hey, I'm just glad we live in a world where overthinking video games like this is possible