Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is a first-person, action-adventure video game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the GameCube video game console. It is the seventh published game in the Metroid series, a direct sequel to Metroid Prime, and the first game in the series with a multiplayer feature. Echoes was released in North America, Europe, and Australia in 2004, and in Japan the following year. The story follows bounty hunter Samus Aran as she explores Aether, a planet that is infested with the Ing, an evil race from an alternate dimension. Samus must travel to three temples to ensure the destruction of the Ing, while battling Space Pirates and her mysterious doppelgänger called Dark Samus. Retro decided to make the game different from its predecessor by adding more focus on storyline and including new gameplay elements. The game's single player mode and graphics were praised by critics, while its steep difficulty level and multiplayer components were met less positively. Echoes received several video game industry awards, as well as spots on "top games" lists by Nintendo Power and IGN. Over 800,000 copies of the game have been sold worldwide.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metroid_Prime_2:_Echoes

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

655:

Penda of Mercia was defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria at the Battle of the Winwaed in modern-day Yorkshire, England. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penda_of_Mercia

1864:

American Civil War: Union Army General William T. Sherman began his "March to the Sea", inflicting significant damage to property and infrastructure on his way from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tecumseh_Sherman

1889:

Brazilian Emperor Pedro II was overthrown in a coup led by Deodoro da Fonseca, and Brazil was proclaimed a republic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_and_fall_of_Pedro_II_of_Brazil

1959:

Two men murdered a family in Holcomb, Kansas, US; the events became the subject of Truman Capote's non-fiction novel In Cold Blood, a pioneering work of the true crime genre. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Cold_Blood

2012:

After ten years as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Hu Jintao stepped down and was replaced by Xi Jinping. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Jinping

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

Easter egg: 1. A dyed or decorated egg, traditionally associated with Easter and usually hidden for children to find. 2. A chocolate confection in the shape of an egg. 3. (computing) An undocumented function hidden in a program or video game, typically triggered by a particular input sequence or combination of keystrokes. 4. Any image, feature, or other content that is hidden on a video disc, or in a movie, trailer, or poster. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Easter_egg

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

You are not male or female, but a plan deep-set within the heart of man.   --Marianne Moore https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Marianne_Moore