Metroid Prime Remastered is everything you would hope for and more from a remaster of the iconic Gamecube title. It looks incredible, offers exceptional new control schemes, and allows one of the best games of its generation to be played by a new generation or replayed by those who remember it fondly. No matter which camp you fall in, you will have a fantastic time with Metroid Prime Remastered.
Metroid Prime Remastered
Developer: Retro Studios
Price: $50
Platform: Nintendo Switch (reviewed)
MonsterVine received a Switch code for review
Metroid Prime was a game that I found oddly scary as a kid. It’s very atmospheric and doesn’t hesitate to be quiet and pensive, but the action is exciting and the exploration is always satisfying. It’s the sort of game that really deserves an excellent remaster, and thankfully, that’s the treatment it has received on Switch.
The biggest addition in terms of gameplay to Metroid Prime Remastered has to be the dual-stick control scheme. Playing the original Metroid Prime is a bit challenging by today’s standards, as the Gamecube controller’s stick was used to both move and turn. Now with the remaster, you can play Metroid Prime like you would any other modern FPS, looking with the right stick and moving with the left. You can still use the classic control scheme if you prefer, or a pointer-based scheme based on the Wii rerelease, or even a hybrid scheme that combines the classic and pointer ones. No matter what kind of movement you prefer, you’ve got something that caters to your playstyle.
It’s worth mentioning just how sharp Metroid Prime Remastered looks, all without losing any of the original game’s intended style. Everything is more detailed, more vibrant, and more impressive. The fact that such a polished improvement on the original title was shadow dropped following a Nintendo Direct is truly wild, and I’d love to see Metroid Prime 2 and 3 get the same treatment someday – preferably after Metroid Prime 4 finally releases.
“The core game of Metroid Prime Remastered is every bit as brilliant as it was in 2002.”
There’s also the narration feature from the PAL/JPN releases, which I didn’t know anything about prior to this release. It’s very odd, as it features a Solid Snake-esque narrator giving bizarre speeches that sound like the monologues at the start of a SoulCalibur match. Some folks may dig it since it adds a very different and almost hammy quality to the game, but I’m of the opinion that it ruins the carefully crafted atmosphere of Prime by making it all feel like a mid-2000s movie trailer.
There are also more accessibility options, ranging from Color Assist for players who may have difficulty distinguishing certain colors to a hint system that tells you where you should go if you wander for too long. These are all freely available to turn off and on, so veteran players who don’t want hints clogging up their screen are free to play Metroid Prime Remastered identically to the original while others can use whichever features they may find useful.
The core game of Metroid Prime Remastered is every bit as brilliant as it was in 2002. The story is subtle but intriguing, the exploration is a joy to take part in, and the different areas are remarkably diverse. The music slaps, the combat is slick, and the atmosphere is unparalleled. An already top-tier game got a top-tier remaster, making it truly out of this world.
The Final Word
Metroid Prime Remastered is the best of the best. It improves every aspect of the original Gamecube game while offering different control schemes, accessibility options, and features for fans to take advantage of. Whether or not you’ve played Metroid Prime before, this is the absolute best way to experience (or re-experience) one of Nintendo’s best.
MonsterVine Rating: 5 out of 5 – Excellent
