REVIEW: ‘Metroid Prime Remastered’ is a Perfect Remaster (Switch)

Released as a surprise announcement during February 2023’s Nintendo Direct, Metroid Prime Remastered from Retro Studios gives a fresh coat of paint to one of the greatest action-adventure games of all time. When Metroid Prime was first released in 2002, it was a game changer for the Metroid franchise. No longer stuck in the world of 3D, Metroid Prime helped lead the charge of 3D first-person shooters. With Metroid Prime Remastered, that same revolutionary feeling hit me almost immediately after the introduction cinematic as it did all those years ago.

Metroid Prime Remastered pits Samus against the Space Pirates on the planet Tallon IV. The story starts right off the bat with Samus answering a distress signal only to find that the Space Pirate crew had been brutally killed by their own scientific monstrosities. It’s a brilliant tone-setter that lets players know to buckle up for a wild ride. I love the way it also introduces the game mechanics during this introductory section without watering down the actual story. It doesn’t actually feel like a tutorial, which is an impressive balance to find.

The story throughout the game isn’t necessarily revolutionary, but that doesn’t stop it from being intriguing. The relatively standard trope of a hero losing their powers and slowly regaining them is present here, but the story written around it helps keep it from feeling stale. Learning about the world of Tallon IV and what wiped out the race that originally was really interesting, the world-building as a whole was quite well done. The introduction of Ridley as the villain is excellent here, and he makes a perfect foil for Samus to battle.

The best thing I can say about Metroid Prime Remastered is that it didn’t feel any different than the original release. That’s not to say it isn’t different, since the gameplay is significantly smoother considering where the technology is at 20 years later. Instead, Retro Studios recaptured the magic of their original release in a way that brought me right back to the elementary school days of gaming after school.

The combat utilizes Samus’ skills in the exact way I remember, using updated technology to marry nostalgia with modern quality perfectly. It’s very easy for a remastered classic game to just update graphics without actually modernizing the feel of the gameplay, so I’m glad that wasn’t the case here. The introduction of some customization options, especially when it comes to controls, gives players the freedom to approach the game the way they want. Having these modern quality-of-life improvements is key to making the game approachable to new players while still keeping the original feel for fans wanting to relive the original game.

While all of those updates really impressed me, what really stood out was how incredible everything looked. It’s a testament to how great the original Metroid Prime looked that a complete remaster didn’t actually look drastically different from the original. The art direction in the original Metroid Prime release was already a masterpiece, and Retro Studios perfectly retouched it to make it look like a brand-new 2023 release. I was floored at each new location and combat encounter, just how detailed even the smallest background pieces were.

While I do appreciate how great this updated version of Metroid Prime looks and plays, the question I kept struggling with throughout is “why should someone who already played the original pay $40 for this version?” The first real answer on that is simply because this is the definitive way to play a game that makes many best game of all time lists, but does that warrant a high price for something I could just pop in my GameCube and play instead?

I’d argue yes.

The improved visuals do such a great job and improving the world of Metroid Prime that alone makes it worth it, but being able to play the classic shooter with a modern twin-stick control scheme instead of the original GameCube controls makes a massive difference too. The memories of playing the original Metroid Prime came flooding back precisely because of the updated controls, and the few minutes I spent on the GameCube layout actually frustrated me deeply. Giving the game a complete facelift is already enough to have most fans running back, but those on the fence should know that the updated controls work perfectly to improve a game that was otherwise kept true to its original, near-perfect form.

Metroid Prime Remastered is the gold standard for how to remaster an old game. Retro Studios have earned a reputation as one of the best game developers in the business, perfecting the balance between nostalgia and modern game development. Fans of the original Metroid Prime and newcomers to the franchise alike are in for an absolute treat.

Metroid Prime Remastered is out now on Nintendo Switch.