Metroid Prime Remastered | Switch Review

March 4, 2023 Scott Clark

Although The Legend of Zelda series will forever be my favorite series, Metroid might take a close second. Everything from the sense of isolation to the backtracking and progression always provided me a sense of satisfaction and adventure. Even the music is iconic. In 2002, Nintendo‘s Retro Studios took a risk with Metroid Prime. Taking the traditional 2D formula to first-person was a bold move, but it paid off in a big way. Fast forward almost twenty years later, and first game in the trilogy has been remastered for the Nintendo Switch. As a sucker for nostalgia, I couldn’t smash the “Buy Now” button fast enough. I’m happy to report that Metroid Prime Remastered holds up incredibly well, especially with all of the updates, both graphically and control-wise. My hope is that those who missed out on this GameCube classic will finally realize what makes this series so legendary for many fans.

More Than a Coat of Paint

Unlike the recent remake of Dead Space, Metroid Prime Remastered doesn’t add anything to the base formula. The map design, weapons, bosses, and enemies will feel very familiar to those who played the original. The most significant updates present are graphics and controls. You can still choose to play the game with the original control style, but what monster truly prefers to aim with the left stick? The updated twin stick control scheme is a godsend. The only downside is that it almost makes combat scenarios too easy. Back in the day, most encounters were designed to be simpler because of the lack of full dexterity available on the GameCube Controller. Now most standard fights are incredibly simple to overcome.

That’s by no means a complaint. In reality, I appreciated not worrying about fighting enemies. Exploration has always been the bigger draw in games like this, so I appreciated how much easier it was to focus on that instead. The real problem present is how quickly enemies respawn after clearing out a portion of the map. Since you’ll backtrack quite often, you end up taking down the same enemies over and over again. I would have preferred an option to keep standard enemies dead after I took them out. It might have drawn me back to explore more after finishing the main story.

Metroid Prime Remastered‘s graphical update is also top-notch. With most remasters, I find myself saying something to the effect of “it looks how my younger self remembered it.” In this case, it looks far superiors than my memory serves. It’s genuinely one of the best-looking games I’ve seen on the Switch. Although the game might not have been built from the ground up, the environments feel like they were. The added touches of mist on Samus’ visor, water trickling down her arm cannon, and even her face reflected on screen looking crisp and inviting. I can’t get over how good it looks.

Going Back to the Well

Nostalgia definitely plays a big part in the appeal for Metroid Prime Remastered. Samus plays the role of scientist just as much as she does warrior in this title. Outside of the traditional backtracking goodness present in gear-gated games, the true fun lies in exploring every nook and cranny of the world, scanning anything and everything along the way. The more you explore, the more art you unlock in the main menu. It’s rewarding to go back and see new character/environmental models from both the original game and the remastered counterpart. Plus, it gives you a bit of incentive to back and shoot for that 100% completion.

There’s even a list of unlockable songs from the games. Granted, you’d be better off listening to Metroid Metal via your streaming platform of choice for the best experience of this incredible soundtrack. Still, it’s fun to sort through the original tracks and reminisce about the first time we heard the newer themes for the series.

I still haven’t mentioned the absolute best thing about this game that should be the biggest selling point: the speed of progression. It took me just over fifteen hours to beat the final boss, but barely any of that time felt wasted. The upgrades come at such an incredible pace, there simply wasn’t time for dull moments. Sadly, this formula didn’t transfer to the sequel quite as well, but more on that in the future. Hopefully.

Metroid Prime Remastered Final Verdict

I couldn’t be much happier with the finished product here. Sure, the final boss ramps up the difficulty to a slightly annoying level. And maybe there are a few rooms with “scan randomly scattered points of interest” puzzles. But these are some minor gripes that shouldn’t keep newcomers from playing this gem from a previous generation. I had so much fun going back to this title, and I can’t wait to hear impressions from friends who never played the original. The updates make the game very accessible, and it’s simply a joy to be back in this world once again. Here’s to hoping that Nintendo follows suit and releases the next two games in the series with the same treatment. Or, you know, releases Metroid Prime 4 before my Social Security cashes in.

This review is based on a purchased copy of Metroid Prime Remastered on Nintendo Switch. The remaster is exclusive to that platform, however the original game released on the GameCube in 2002