*braces for impact*
Metroid Prime.
Yeah, you heard me. The first one was innovative, creative, fresh and new. They really had a lot of new ground to cover, and they did it with style and panache that really made the game an immersive experience.
And then Metroid Prime 2 came out. It was...less innovative (obviously, not the start of a new series), a little less fun, a little gimmicky. Not bad, but not great.
And then Metroid Prime 3 came out. And I played it. For, like, an hour. Then traded it in for something else. Yawn.