Metroid Prime Remastered shadowdropped during the last Nintendo Direct and the touched-up version of the classic has delighted us with its unique approach to first-person-shooters and fantastic design. The game holds up wonderfully over 20 years later.
On February 9, a Nintendo Direct was hosted, which featured not only a brand-new trailer for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but also the release of the long-awaited Metroid Prime Remastered. This had been in the rumor mill for almost two years, but finally, Nintendo have released it.
And thank God they did: Metroid Prime Remastered is a wonderful experience and a fantastic new version of this absolute classic, which still hold up today.
Metroid Prime Is Still A Masterpiece
Metroid Prime originally released in 2002 and was one of Nintendo's very few forays into the (then still new for consoles) first-person-shooter genre. And what a game it was. Metroid Prime is one of the most acclaimed games of the 2000s and for many people one of the best games of all time.
And the 2023 re-release impressively showcases why. Despite being over 20 years old, the game holds up remarkably well. You play as Samus Aran, the iconic heroine of the Metroid franchise, who chases her Nemesis Ridley to the planet Tallon IV, where a mysterious substance has corrupted the Chozo people.
You explore the planet in classic Metroid-fashion. You steadily unlock new abilities and upgrades, which open up new areas for you to explore. The Metroidvania formula is still a killer, and it is beautifully translated into the FPS-genre here.
Slowly getting further and further into the planet and its different regions is as exciting and propelling as ever. The game quickly sucks you into it's gorgeous sci-fi atmosphere, which really shines in this remastered version.
The visual fidelity is what changed the most, as textures, lighting, foliage and so on have been completely re-done, giving this part of the game more of a remake character. And Retro Studios, who were the developers of the original as well, did a fantastic job here.
This game is arguably one of the best-looking titles on Switch, and it runs perfectly at a consistent framerate of 60 FPS. This alone makes the remaster worth it, as the game really shines in a new light here. The other major change, the introduction of a dual-stick control scheme, is another big improvement for the game.
Whereas the Gamecube original had to rely on just one stick, Metroid Prime can now be played like a modern console shooter. And it feels so good. The action and the platforming are really smooth, fast-paced and precise. While some parts of the game have obviously not aged perfectly well over the last 20 years (no fast travel is a major downer, for example), the gameplay still feels really fun.
Metroid Prime is still an amazing game, and feels like a breath of fresh air. Between great, focused single player games like Hi-Fi Rush, Dead Space and now this, 2023 has been a wonderful antidote to bloated open worlds, games as a service and free-to-play nonsense. If you have never played it before and want to experience a unique, amazingly designed and super exciting FPS experience, we highly recommend Metroid Prime Remastered.
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