Review
Played on: Switch
Released: 2023
Originally released: 2002
In the sixth generation of consoles, we were lucky enough to have two fantastic, yet vastly different, first-person shooters. One modernised and set the standard for shooters on consoles, forever changing how we depicted the genre on the platform, this was Halo: Combat Evolved. The other shooter, leaned into its heritage, reinvented itself for 3D and took on exploring in the genre, I'm talking about Metroid Prime.
Without doubt, Halo: Combat Evolved and Metroid Prime are not just landmark titles, but monumentally important releases for the genre. They're, without doubt, excellent releases that have stood the test of time in a wonderful way. When it comes to Prime, the way they transitioned Metroid from 2D to 3D back in the original 2002 release was nothing short of genius, it’s Samus' own Super Mario 64 moment!
However, unlike Halo, which has seen backwards compatibility, a remaster and a new resolution and framerate improved release in modern times. Metroid Prime has been left somewhat behind, seeing only a re-release within the rather rare Metroid Trilogy release on the Wii back in 2009.
Luckily, and rather unexpectedly, Metroid Prime received a remaster in February this year, bringing its wonderful experience to newcomers and veterans alike! It’s an landmark title for not only the franchise but Nintendo’s heritage alike. Fusing a western studio's vision of a shooter with a well-established franchise from Japan, over 20 years ago, was no easy task.
Just like the Halo: Anniversary Edition, Metroid Prime remastered is a one to one remaster. Retaining the exact same environments and gameplay, but adding brand new textures and lighting. A fresh coat of paint, reaching much further than a simple resolution increase.
From the sparse 480i to a healthy 1080p, Metroid Prime Remastered retains the fluid 60fps gameplay but swaps out a ton of 3D models and all the textures, beefing up the visuals considerably. More detailed environments, characters and enemies, with excellent usage of lighting not seen back on the GameCube original.
Furthermore, the controls have received several options to choose from. You can indeed play it like the original GameCube release, utilising only one analogue stick and holding a button to lock onto enemies. Alternatively, you can use a gyroscope-based aim method, similar to the re-release on the Wii trilogy. However, my favourite is a modern twin stick approach, allowing for faster manoeuvring and camera control.
This modern control scheme even makes the lock-on system redundant in places, as you spray shots at small enemies and fire precisely at enemies above or beneath you on the fly. That said, the lock-on is still useful and key to the the mechanics, especially when you need to load up a powerful shot while jumping about avoiding oncoming dangers.
Technical aspects aside, Metroid prime is such an excellent shooter if you’ve never experienced it. It fuses the Metroid gameplay of exploring a map scattered with locked doors requiring upgrades to pass through. When you explore and acquire these upgrades, you have to backtrack to reach unexplored areas.
The exploring is so exciting with the diversity in each world section, and rooms in general. There’s a rainy jungle theme, a desert one with ancient ruins, snowy mountains and deep lava mines. It’s one of those worlds that speaks through its small visual details. Depicting the ruins of an ancient society, the blending of overgrown nature through time and alien built structures interweaving.
Released: 2023
Originally released: 2002
In the sixth generation of consoles, we were lucky enough to have two fantastic, yet vastly different, first-person shooters. One modernised and set the standard for shooters on consoles, forever changing how we depicted the genre on the platform, this was Halo: Combat Evolved. The other shooter, leaned into its heritage, reinvented itself for 3D and took on exploring in the genre, I'm talking about Metroid Prime.
Without doubt, Halo: Combat Evolved and Metroid Prime are not just landmark titles, but monumentally important releases for the genre. They're, without doubt, excellent releases that have stood the test of time in a wonderful way. When it comes to Prime, the way they transitioned Metroid from 2D to 3D back in the original 2002 release was nothing short of genius, it’s Samus' own Super Mario 64 moment!
However, unlike Halo, which has seen backwards compatibility, a remaster and a new resolution and framerate improved release in modern times. Metroid Prime has been left somewhat behind, seeing only a re-release within the rather rare Metroid Trilogy release on the Wii back in 2009.
Luckily, and rather unexpectedly, Metroid Prime received a remaster in February this year, bringing its wonderful experience to newcomers and veterans alike! It’s an landmark title for not only the franchise but Nintendo’s heritage alike. Fusing a western studio's vision of a shooter with a well-established franchise from Japan, over 20 years ago, was no easy task.
Just like the Halo: Anniversary Edition, Metroid Prime remastered is a one to one remaster. Retaining the exact same environments and gameplay, but adding brand new textures and lighting. A fresh coat of paint, reaching much further than a simple resolution increase.
From the sparse 480i to a healthy 1080p, Metroid Prime Remastered retains the fluid 60fps gameplay but swaps out a ton of 3D models and all the textures, beefing up the visuals considerably. More detailed environments, characters and enemies, with excellent usage of lighting not seen back on the GameCube original.
Furthermore, the controls have received several options to choose from. You can indeed play it like the original GameCube release, utilising only one analogue stick and holding a button to lock onto enemies. Alternatively, you can use a gyroscope-based aim method, similar to the re-release on the Wii trilogy. However, my favourite is a modern twin stick approach, allowing for faster manoeuvring and camera control.
This modern control scheme even makes the lock-on system redundant in places, as you spray shots at small enemies and fire precisely at enemies above or beneath you on the fly. That said, the lock-on is still useful and key to the the mechanics, especially when you need to load up a powerful shot while jumping about avoiding oncoming dangers.
Technical aspects aside, Metroid prime is such an excellent shooter if you’ve never experienced it. It fuses the Metroid gameplay of exploring a map scattered with locked doors requiring upgrades to pass through. When you explore and acquire these upgrades, you have to backtrack to reach unexplored areas.
The exploring is so exciting with the diversity in each world section, and rooms in general. There’s a rainy jungle theme, a desert one with ancient ruins, snowy mountains and deep lava mines. It’s one of those worlds that speaks through its small visual details. Depicting the ruins of an ancient society, the blending of overgrown nature through time and alien built structures interweaving.
The soundtrack is beautiful too, accompanying each environmental style perfectly, while at the same time keeping a familiar Metroid style to it. Boss fights have a suiting tense and energetic music to them and the parts where everything settles and you’re just in awe of a new environment you’ve arrived at, help elevate the soundtrack to a distinct and memorable affair.
Even for players not into Metroid it’s a fantastic sci-fi atmosphere, balancing the fascination of exploring an alien planet, surviving the hostile creatures within and just experiencing the dangers of the planets nature. The way the HUD is set up, making you feel like you’re looking out through Samus spacesuit helmet, really brings this claustrophobic and intense feeling when she breathes heavy, receives painful attacks or visual effects cover the visor.
The balance between exploring, solving puzzles to progress, attacking swarms of enemies or even figuring out how to kill a large boss is just perfect. The sheer joy of finding an upgrade or even something as simple as finding a save point and powering up a dangerously depleted spacesuit is something to behold.
The familiar Metroidvania layout, of touring back and forth through maps, makes the player familiar with areas and adds excitement when unexplored areas within familiar ones are discovered. That said, prior to the more powerful upgrades later in the game, and crucially more life tanks, the back tracking can be quite punishing.
Sure, it’s old news for Metroid veterans but damn some of the distance between save points are brutal, with extremely little powerups to be found on enemies, thus making death a painful restart at a much earlier save point. Some optional checkpoints would've been fair to add this time around.
Metroid Prime is not without its aged aspects though. The narrow corridors between the larger areas are obviously loading segments and stand out in modern times, especially how frequent they occur. The larger rooms aren't exactly big in modern terms and while they showcase some clever designs, are small compared to what the first Halo was doing in the same generation.
The map screen is cumbersome to use, I disliked that each area on the world map doesn’t clearly show where elevators between them end up on the next map. It makes backtracking in the wrong direction occur often, without clearly showing if the route you’ve chosen even will be possible or end up in the right place. Perhaps an arrow system for new player could've been helpful here?
One could argue that the slow fire rate and imprecise feel of large energy projectiles, combined with strange button combinations, typical for Nintendo and Metroid in general, makes it less satisfying when firing compared to typical shooters. Often hits are just misses without any apparent reason.
Metroid Prime is not without its aged aspects though. The narrow corridors between the larger areas are obviously loading segments and stand out in modern times, especially how frequent they occur. The larger rooms aren't exactly big in modern terms and while they showcase some clever designs, are small compared to what the first Halo was doing in the same generation.
The map screen is cumbersome to use, I disliked that each area on the world map doesn’t clearly show where elevators between them end up on the next map. It makes backtracking in the wrong direction occur often, without clearly showing if the route you’ve chosen even will be possible or end up in the right place. Perhaps an arrow system for new player could've been helpful here?
One could argue that the slow fire rate and imprecise feel of large energy projectiles, combined with strange button combinations, typical for Nintendo and Metroid in general, makes it less satisfying when firing compared to typical shooters. Often hits are just misses without any apparent reason.
I urge young players to utilise the familiar twin stick control setup and perhaps move energy types to a quick d-pad switch, rather than a button combination. The various visors, like x-ray and heat, are better suited to be behind a button combination anyhow. Not all default setups are the best.
These negatives are small issues overall, just modern-day observations if you like. There’s no denying that Metroid Prime was, and still is, an incredibly unique and excelling shooter. Pushing into its own niche and heritage to maintain an originality, that many other shooters don’t have, even to this day. It’s a great sci-fi experience, Metroid title, exploration adventure and shooter, all rolled into one.
Sure, it’s tough and unforgiving, even confusing at times, but it makes you even more grateful, with a strong sense of accomplishment, when you finally progress further. Much the same way I described in my replay of the original Tomb Raider, here. The restarts back to save points, learning the combat, avoiding the environmental hazards and feeling the danger of dying, helps build a unique sense of tension that builds the atmosphere in its own way.
These negatives are small issues overall, just modern-day observations if you like. There’s no denying that Metroid Prime was, and still is, an incredibly unique and excelling shooter. Pushing into its own niche and heritage to maintain an originality, that many other shooters don’t have, even to this day. It’s a great sci-fi experience, Metroid title, exploration adventure and shooter, all rolled into one.
Sure, it’s tough and unforgiving, even confusing at times, but it makes you even more grateful, with a strong sense of accomplishment, when you finally progress further. Much the same way I described in my replay of the original Tomb Raider, here. The restarts back to save points, learning the combat, avoiding the environmental hazards and feeling the danger of dying, helps build a unique sense of tension that builds the atmosphere in its own way.
Newcomers might be put off by the controls and difficulty, but give it time. It’s a slow-paced shooter that allows you to run your own pace and explore thoroughly. It was once described as a first-person adventure, and I still find that description perfect.
A true landmark release for it's era, alongside Halo: Combat Evolved, in the shooter genre. Which still feels great and is amazing fun to play to this day. Soak in the atmosphere, music, gameplay diversity and go space exploring!
