With Gamecube ports all the rage (like New Play Control! Pikmin), it was only a matter of time before one of Nintendo's lunchbox-looking console's most acclaimed franchises made its way onto the Wii, refitted and reformatted for a new generation of fans who may have missed out on the first go-around. Nintendo has officially announced Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Wii, set for a August 24th release, and the package seems like everything fans were wanting - and more.

Trilogy will feature all three Metroid Prime games, jam-packed onto one disc and retailing for $49.99, the cost of a brand-new retail game. While this represents a slight increase from the company's previous Gamecube-conversions, the option to have all three landmark Metroid Prime games (including the highly-rated Wii original Metroid Prime 3) in one place and retro-fitted with the console's improved motion-controls should seal the deal for many fans of Samus Aran.

Fans can also look for improved 16:9 aspect ratios, faster loading times, and even slightly improved lighting effects for the older games. Unlockable content can be earned by completing specific objectives during gameplay, which will allow players to instantly view in-game artwork and music (all three games feature epic soundtracks) upon completing certain tasks. All three games will also be accessible on the fly, meaning players won't have to restart games just to play another, much like the company's own Super Mario All-Stars compilations of the past.

Metroid Prime Trilogy is set to unleash its fury in North American on August 24th.

REDMOND, Wash., May 22, 2009 - Metroid™ Prime 3: Corruption set a new standard for first-person motion controls in video games. Now it's bringing those controls to the rest of the celebrated series, allowing players to experience the entire Metroid Prime story arc with the peerless precision of the Wii Remote™. Nintendo announces Metroid Prime Trilogy, a new premium three-game collection for the Wii™ console that bundles all three landmark Metroid Prime games onto one disc and revamps the first two installments with intuitive motion controls, wide-screen presentation and other enhancements. Metroid Prime Trilogy will be available exclusively for Wii on Aug. 24 at a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Each game maintains its original storyline and settings, but now Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes let players use their Wii Remote to aim with precision as heroine Samus Aran. Based on the breakthrough control system that debuted in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, these new Wii controls bring an entirely new level of immersion and freedom to these milestone games.

"Metroid Prime Trilogy puts the best first-person adventures all in one place, with a host of new additions that make these three timeless titles more engaging than ever," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "A great deal of care and detail has gone into Metroid Prime Trilogy, providing longtime fans with new ways to experience the games they love."

All three games now reside on a single disc. Players can access the game they want from a unified main menu that ties together all three adventures. Through a new unlockables system, players can gain access to in-game rewards such as music and artwork by accomplishing objectives across all three games.

Metroid Prime Trilogy was developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo, the same developers that created the original games for the Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems.