15 Genius Gameplay Mechanics That Defined the 2000s

SCANNING (METROID PRIME)

You wouldn’t think something as simple as scanning would deserve any special praise, especially given how much of it we see in games nowadays, but in Metroid Prime, it was a revelation. From learning more about the alien world of Tallon IV to determining the strengths and weaknesses of enemies, from using it to solve crucial environmental puzzles to picking up bits and pieces of compelling lore and backstory, Samus’ scanner was central to Metroid Prime in more ways than one.