I have never really cared for most Nintendo games, due to the fact that they lack story (or rather, story that is on-par with other publisher's games). However, I have recently completed the Metroid Prime Trilogy (I know, a bit late)... and I loved it.

   Like all Metroid games, the player assumes control of Samus Aran, a human female bounty hunter in possession of a Chozo (alien bird people) varia suit. She assists the Galactic Federation in their ongoing war against Space Pirates (aliens that believe it is their right to rule the galaxy) and energy-siphoning life-forms known as Metroids.

   The first Prime games begins as Samus Aran is tracking down some Space Pirates on a derelict frigate above the planet Tallon IV. The Space Pirates have been experimenting with a new energy source called phazon, and well... things didn't go so well. The frigate ends up exploding, but not before Samus is able to get to her spaceship and fly away. After seeing her old nemesis, Ridley (a space dragon that works with the Space Pirates) fly down to the planet below, Samus follows.

   The first two Prime games present story in a different way than most games. There is almost little to no story in the actual gameplay. Basically, you are just hunting down power ups that are necessary to enter a certain area, exploring that area, then finding another power-up, going back to previously inaccessible area, and vice versa.

  The story in Metroid Prime comes almost entirely from data entries found in two categories: Chozo Lore and Space Pirate data. Basically, when a Chozo wall carving is scanned, the player (A.K.A. Samus) will learn the story of why this ancient race has all but disappeared from the planet due to something that fell to the planet long ago, leaving an impact crater. When a Space Pirate terminal is scanned, the player learns of the research that the pirates are conducting on the local phazon and on the impact crater. This data is not only linked to one another, but also to Samus' quest on Tallon IV: get to the impact crater. And when Samus does, she is in for a surprise... a highly evolved Metroid known as a Metroid Prime is what waits below. After a hard fought boss battle, Samus defeats the Prime, but not before it is able to absorb the phazon from her varia suit, as well as some of her DNA. Samus has vanquished the Metroid Prime: Mission complete!

   Not really... the phazon and DNA absorbed by the Prime has mutated it into a dark version of Samus...

   Metroid Prime 2: Echoes begins as Samus gets a distress signal from a Galactic Federation ship. She travels to the planet Aetehr to discover that all of the troops are dead... and it's all thanks to her dark counterpart. Upon meeting U'Mos, a native Luminoth (moth people) of the planet Samus learns of the war between the Luminoth and the Ing, being from a parallel version of Aether.

   Really, this entire game is about light and dark. There is now a Dark Samus, a dark Aether, a light Aether, Samus even obtains a light beam, dark beam, dark suit, and finally a light suit.  Yup...

   This game is a very similar format to the first game, with most of the story coming from Luminith lore and Space Pirate data. Eventually, Samus is able to save the Luminoth by defeating the Emperor Ing and Dark Samus.

   Both of these games proved challenging, and tedious at times, but were amazing games for players that crave exploration of alien worlds.

   The third game, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, stands out by having a more fleshed out story that depends not only on lore found, but also on the events of the gameplay, yet it still keeps the sense of exploration that is key to all Metroid games.

   Samus is actually able to interact with GFS troopers, officers, and three fellow bounty hunters which play an important role in the story of MP3. And of course, Dark Samus is still alive, and back with a vengeance...