Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, whilst also taking the time to include some lengthy gameplay, to give you the reader, the chance to shape your own impressions and views whilst watching and reading. In this instalment, we’re covering Metroid Prime Remastered by developer Retro Studios.
Metroid Prime Remastered: (The Explanation)
While Metroid may have been Samus Aran’s first outing and what introduced the world to the kickass intergalactic bounty hunter, it was Metroid Prime that brought her into the immersive world of 3D. Developed by Retro Studios for the Nintendo Gamecube, the game first saw release back in 2002 for North America and 2003 in Europe and Japan.
Metroid Prime was very well received and was hailed as one of the bestselling games on the Gamecube. The game went on to spawn two sequels, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption that were also well received. That said, the Prime series went on a hiatus for a long time after that though a few years ago, it was announced by Nintendo that Metroid Prime 4 still in development for Nintendo Switch.
As we wait for Metroid Prime 4 to reveal itself to the world, Nintendo announced the rerelease of the iconic Gamecube game with an all-new makeover in the form of Metroid Prime Remastered during the February 8th 2023 Nintendo Direct. Not only did Nintendo announce the game, they went and shadow dropped it on the same day.
According to the lore, Metroid Prime Remastered is set in between the events of Metroid and Metroid II (NES). In her gunship, Samus Aran responds to an SOS from the Space Pirate frigate Orpheon. Samus arrives at the frigate to see that it has come under attack by the Space Pirate’s own genetically modified experiment subjects that have broken free. At the Ship’s core, Samus finds a giant beast known as the Parasite Queen. Samus defeats the Parasite Queen but in doing so, the Orpheon’s self-destruct sequence begins and Samus has to flee the frigate before she perishes with it.
Samus makes it back to her gunship and just narrowly escapes the explosion. She isn’t the only one who made it out though as the notorious space pirate Ridley has also escaped. Samus pursues Ridley to the nearby planet of Tallon IV. Upon landing on Tallon IV and exploring her surroundings, Samus discovers Chozo Ruins and that the Chozo civilization that once called this place home were wiped out by something known as “The Great Poison” Our fearless bounty hunter then takes it upon herself to discover the source of The Great Poison and why the Space Pirates are so interested in it.
Metroid Prime Remastered takes a lot of the elements that make up a Metroid game (exploration,backtracking, power-ups, Metroids, etc) and brings it into a 3D environment. The 2D side-scrolling is replaced with first-person platforming with shooter elements. Samus can scan the numerous objects and creatures that she finds on her adventure and she is equipped with her trusty arm cannon to defend herself with. Most of the inhabitants of Tallon IV are hostile and will attack Samus if she gets too close. There are some that can harm Samus if she gets too close to them but will usually go about their daily lives and then there are others that will actively hunt her down.
Much like in other Metroid games, Samus will find herself backtracking through previous areas several times as she obtains new weapons, visors, and suits that will allow her to enter previously inaccessible areas. For example, some doors require a Samus to have a certain type of weapon shot in order to open. There are areas that are intensely hot and require Samus to find the Varia Suit first to withstand the high temperatures. For first-time players (like myself) this may take some getting used to but once you know your way around, you will soon find yourself breezing through backtracking like a boss.
So, with the game being a remaster, you may be wondering what has actually been added or changed? While Nintendo themselves are known for taking a previously released game, slap on some HD visuals, add a bit of extra content and call it done, Metroid Prime Remastered was remastered by its original developer Retro Studios and they have gone much further than that.
It is not just a HD skin thrown on top of the game, the developers have worked in newer and sharper textures that were not in the Gamecube original or Wii version. They have added more detail, better and clearer visual effects. Yes, some may argue that some visual effects have been removed like the heavier downpour of rain in the original being changed for more of a light drizzle or fire effects looking less smokey than before but these are small sacrifices that make everything else look so great.
The game’s controls have also had some major effort put into them. Multiple control options are available with the original twin stick controls, motion controls, hybrid controls and even Gyro. Being able to use Gyro has been an absolute winner for me. I have been spoilt with gyro controls since Splatoon and now I can’t play shooter games without it but then again, why would you want to when it is some much smoother to use than twin-stick?
Another added feature in Metroid Prime Remastered is that the extra content has also been amplified. There are separate galleries, soundtracks and for the original extra content and the remastered stuff. With so much more work put into the game, the devs have made sure to beef up the extra content so players have even more incredible stuff to unlock and look over when they are not blowing up Space Pirates.
When the game originally released in 2002 (or 2003 for Europe), I missed out on playing it then because my family and I emigrated to Spain and we didn’t have a Gamecube at the time. Fortunately, with Metroid Prime Remastered on Switch, I am finally able to play this incredible game and what an incredible game it is. It is truly Samus Aran at her absolute best and is a prime example of why the Metroid series works so well as a 3D action-adventure game. I am hopeful that if this game can work so well on Nintendo Switch and be well received by fans, I can certainly see the other entries in the series (Echoes and Corruption) coming to Switch in the near future.
Metroid Prime Remastered: (The Gameplay)
Game Specifications:
Developer: Retro Studios
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Category: Action, Adventure, First-Person, Platformer
No. of Players: 1 player
Release Date: February 8, 2023 (Worldwide)
Price: $39.99
File Size: 6.8 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
