When Nintendo chose to announce, and in the same vein launch, a remaster of the Gamecube masterpiece Metroid Prime on Wednesday night, I have to admit that I did a little silly victory dance in my solitude. We are talking about an extreme amount of out-of-tempo and lots of uncontrolled movements where the limbs went everywhere, and it was probably lucky that it was so late at night and dark outside as I can imagine that the sight of a fully dancing Scrooge with his fists outstretched towards the sky at the same time as I hissed “Finally!” had my neighbors calling for the police as well as exorcist-performing priests.
Because I was very happy to hear that Metroid Prime is back in the spotlight, and it’s also important to tell you readers that I have extremely strong feelings for this Gamecube gem so that you can take this review the right way . Samus Aran’s 3D debut is in my opinion one of the best games in the world (please read my love tribute) and it’s really only Dark Souls and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that I think tops this masterpiece among all the hundreds of adventures I have played over the years.
In other words, I love Metroid Prime, and having now spent a significant amount of time with Metroid Prime Remastered, there is nothing that has made me want to change that opinion at all. Because this is still a ridiculously good adventure game 20 years later, and everything that made the original so brilliant in the early 2000s is intact in this re-release while polishing the visuals to bring the experience to life even more . No, it’s certainly not a regular remake we’re talking about here in the same spirit as Resident Evil 2 or Final Fantasy VII, but somehow it doesn’t matter too much since the base material still holds such an incredibly high standard today.
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For example, I played through the Gamecube version a few years ago, and what has always made Prime so immortal in my opinion is that it has always stood on a perversely solid foundation consisting of an outstanding and timeless design in both the aesthetic and the game mechanics. Because the tracks and pace are close to perfect from start to finish, and you are always allowed to carve out your own path while the developers slowly guide you as a player towards your main goal. Then add in the hard-hitting mood and creeping feeling of being alone (without feeling weak and vulnerable for that matter) on an alien planet and there is no better Metroidvania adventure in three dimensions if I may say so, and Retro Studios’ maiden voyage is in many ways still the industry leader in this genre despite having passed two decades at this point.
But if the original is still so damn good, why would anyone be interested in a remaster?
It’s a legitimate question to ask when asked to shell out 430 kroner, and to be honest, I still think you can dig out your old Gamecube console and play through the original without missing any of the overall brilliance. That said, though, Metroid Prime Remastered is a phenomenal re-release of an already masterful game, and it’s also arguably the best way to experience this masterpiece today. The most obvious upgrade is then of course the visuals, and here Retro has really done a horse job of making the old Gamecube models feel alive and modern again.
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To the untrained eye, of course, the changes may seem trivial, but to those who have played through this classic countless times, the tweaks really stand out with extra clarity, and everywhere there are new little details to discover. Just something like the fact that you can now see clear inscriptions along the walls of the Chozo Ruins or that all the scrap metal inside the space station actually looks like individual objects instead of blocky squares does a lot for the immersion. The spiffed up textures in everything from environments to enemies and fauna also make you stop several times to take a closer look, and I don’t know how many times I’ve let a monster grab my virtual self just because I wanted to examine its anatomy a little more closely.
Even the lighting has received a substantial update, and once again these small refined details add to the overall effect in a truly excellent way. Seeing the rays of light snaking through the columns inside the aforementioned Chozo Temple is a feast for the eyes, as is setting foot among the rain-soaked rocks of Tallon IV for the first time or feeling the heat of the lava inside the Magmoor Caverns.
In terms of performance, the adventure flows very well at 60 frames per second, and although I have experienced one or two dips during the most hectic battles, overall it is a very well-polished game code we are offered for the Nintendo Switch. By the way, when playing in handheld mode, everything from models to textures looks slightly sharper thanks to the smaller screen, but even painted on a larger TV screen, Retro Studios manages to force enough cream out of the old Switch console to get the Tallon IV to feel nice and stylish, at least if you take into account that it’s a hyped Gamecube game we’re talking about here.
Then you can’t talk about Metroid Prime without mentioning the fabulous music, and the original scores are just as masterful in 2023 as they were in 2003. Then I have no factual evidence for my next statement, but it actually feels like the music and sounds deliver with even more”oomph” in this version than how it sounded before. Because just like the graphics, the soundscape feels more crisp and clear, and the first time I took the elevator down to the Magmoor caves, I was really struck by how grand the doomsday choruses vibrated out of the speakers in true God of War fashion. No matter how you spin it, Kenji Yamamoto’s soundtrack sounds better than ever, and together with the awesome soundscape in everything from effects to the emotive voice of the spacesuit, this epic space adventure comes to life exactly the same way it did in the years 2002-2003.
On the plus side, we also have the fact that we are offered several new control options this time, and in addition to the classic control scheme from the Gamecube era, we also find motion control options, hybrid versions and a more standard FPS control where you control the aim with the right joystick. The very control from the original is probably the biggest downside for many who have tried to pick up the game after the fact, and it’s nice to see that it caters both to the nostalgic purists who are looking for maximum feedback to their beloved memories while new players have an easier gateway to master. Two thumbs up!
If I were to judge Metroid Prime Remastered solely on the additions that have been added and how extremely respectfully the base material has been refined, I would probably have thrown out a maximum rating without hesitation. Metroid Prime is, as already mentioned, a pure masterpiece, and with the updated graphics and lighting, as well as with improved control options, this is the ultimate version of one of the world’s best action adventures by far. However, there is a catch.
Because no matter how brilliant the game may be, and no matter how good the updates are, it’s ultimately a 20-year-old game at its core. It’s not a remake we’re talking about where everything has been rebuilt, but the overall experience is, for better or worse, the same as the one we experienced on Nintendo’s purple game cube in 2002/2003. To then demand 430-450 kroner to take part in these news, especially when most of us already own the game in question, puts a small dent in an otherwise masterful cup. It’s certainly not a rip-off by any means, and 450 bucks for a masterpiece can certainly be seen as a gift to many, but when you also consider that you only get access to part one of a trilogy, it’s hard not to think that feels a bit sneaky after all.
Metroid Prime is certainly the best game if we compare it to the runner-up Echoes and the final part Corruption, but a comprehensive solution where all three titles had received the same love and care would of course have been preferable, and a collection similar to the one we got for the Wii in 2007 (Metroid Prime Trilogy) would have justified a higher price tag (and even a juicy full price) in a much more acceptable way.
However, if you are not deterred by shelling out an extra hundred bucks when it comes to the purchase amount, this is an absolute MUST in the game collection. Because even if, like me, you’ve been playing Metroid Prime to bits and pieces for the past twenty years, Remastered does enough new things to make the adventure feel fresh again.
If you are one of those who have never experienced this gem, then this is really an excellent opportunity to take the plunge. Because Metroid Prime is still one of the best games in the world, and you really owe it to yourself to experience it at its best in Metroid Prime Remastered.
