The long-awaited Metroid Prime remaster for Nintendo Switch is now available on the eShop.
The remaster will include updated dual stick controls and other improvements, as announced during today’s Nintendo Direct. Physical copies were also confirmed, with a release date set for the near future.
The 2002 GameCube release of Metroid Prime successfully adapted the series’ signature 2D aesthetic to the first-person perspective. We gave it a 9.8 out of 10 at the time, saying that it was “an immediate classic that you will use to measure forthcoming products by.”
What Is Metroid Prime Remastered?
This remastered version of the 2002 GameCube classic, Metroid Prime, features a number of enhancements over the original. The controls in this version have been updated to work with the dual-stick setup, but purists can switch back to the original’s single-stick setup if they want.
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At the time of its release, Metroid Prime was yet another example of a classic 2D Nintendo title making the jump to 3D in a way that was better than anyone could have possibly dreamed. Everything that made the original Metroid games so memorable—environmental puzzles, gigantic boss battles, and more—was present, and it all functioned wonderfully in 3D.
Metroid Prime Remastered Release Date
While Metroid Prime Remastered is now accessible digitally for Nintendo Switch, a physical release is scheduled for February 22, 2023.
Including the digital edition, it will cost $40 and be sold through select retailers like Best Buy and Amazon. There is no indication that there will be any bonus content included in the boxed edition.
Metroid Prime Remastered Feature
While the cherished aesthetic from the original 2002 Metroid Prime remains, the HD remaster looks substantially better.
Additionally, Metroid Prime Remastered will enable numerous control schemes, including dual analog stick support for the first time. As with the Wii version, pointer controls are available.
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Of course, that’s not all of it. The remaster also features new content such as a Casual difficulty setting, a 3D Character Gallery, and a Soundtrack Gallery.
As development on Metroid Prime 4 continues to stall, at least we have this HD remake to tide us over.
Samus Aran Blasts Monsters Again In Metroid Prime Remastered
Metroid Prime Remastered is a HUGE upgrade. Are you playing it? pic.twitter.com/oscLEqIw3F
— IGN (@IGN) February 10, 2023
Beginning on February 9th, you may get Metroid Prime Remastered for the Nintendo Switch as a digital download.
Fans were taken aback by the announcement, made during Wednesday’s Nintendo Direct live event, of a remake of the classic GameCube first-person shooter, originally published in 2002.
The new control scheme in Metroid Prime Remastered is just as impressive as the game’s enormous visual upgrades, allowing players to direct Samus with the Switch’s dual stick controls. Any player who is used to today’s first-person shooters will feel right at home with this simple and straightforward control scheme.
On the other hand, purists can use the game’s GameCube-inspired controls, which are based on the original Metroid Prime controls. In addition, a “pointer” based control scheme similar to the Wii version of Metroid is included in the remastered edition, as reported by Polygon. A hybrid mode combines the traditional control scheme with gyro controls to allow for more precise targeting.
The Metroid Prime saga consists of three games, the first of which is the original Metroid Prime, which takes place between “Metroid” and “Metroid II: Return of Samus.” Players take control of Samus Aran and her signature power suit as they fight the Space Pirates and attempt to halt the planet Tallon IV’s biological experimentation.
Since then, two more games have been released in the series, “Metroid Prime 2: Echoes” for the GameCube in 2005 and “Metroid Prime 3: Corruption” for the Wii in 2007, the latter of which officially concluded the narrative. The announcement of a fourth game in the series on the Switch was made in 2017, and the retro studio is now working on it.
Given the unexpected nature of this news, fans of the game may be expecting similar releases for its successors in the future, however “Metroid Prime 2: Echoes” and “Metroid Prime 3: Corruption” have yet to show any signs of remastering.
The Metroid series, which debuted in 1986, has had such an impact on the video game industry that it, combined with the Konami classic “Castlevania,” created an entire sub-genre of games called “Metriodvanias.” These games are action adventures with a non-linear structure that rewards players for returning to previously explored locations to make use of newly acquired skills and equipment.
Fans of the Castlevania series were treated to a preview of the upcoming DLC, Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania, during Nintendo’s Direct live stream, despite the fact that no information was revealed on the remastering of Metroid Prime sequels or the development of a new Castlevania. On March 9, 2023, the Switch will get Motion Twin’s latest Metroidvania, a natural unification of the genre and one of its spiritual ancestors.
The Nintendo eShop now offers Metroid Prime Remastered as a digital download for $39.99, but those who prefer a physical copy will have to wait until Feb. 22.
