Metroid Prime Remastered Review
Samus Suits up for a Switch makeover of the GC Classic.
Through the act of Curiosity, we are all explorers. Yet when one ponders the meaning of that word our imaginations often conjures a certain image; The traveler trekking through an unknown land, the spelunker delving into the depths of a cavern, or the astronaut flying high into the vastness of space come to mind. But there are other, more mundane methods of exploration. The person reading a philosophy text to learn about a new way of examining and interpreting the world around you. The worker learning a new skill. The player who is trying out a new format for the first time…
Exploration occurs whenever one ventures out into new territory that they have not been in prior, and often can be collaborative experiences whenever the creative fields are concerned, as every new book, movie, or game is a new experience not only for the authors, but for the consumer who will also go on their own journey with that work. So what would happen if Retro, an American studio with no experience with the franchise in question set out with a mission to transition this 2D property into the third dimension? How would fans of said franchise respond to being in this uncharted territory?
The Result of this shared Exploratory effort was Metroid Prime for the GameCube, long considered one of the system’s greatest games, and recently Remastered by Retro to the Nintendo Switch. A Stellar First-Person Shooter on a system that needs as many quality entries into this genre as it can get. It’s a game that puts you in the Helmet of one of Nintendo’s most legendary heroes, consistently peaking your interest and curiosity. In doing so it makes you into an explorer, not only of this vibrant new world, but also of what it means to even be a Metroid game.
Uncharted Territory
As someone who had an NES as my first system, I am sad to report that I never had this one growing up. Same for Super Metroid on the SNES. though I did enjoy playing that one at my best friend’s house. And I never played any of the portable games with the exception of Metroid 2. Though I enjoyed the games, I could hardly be considered a fan. After the SNES, my gaming shifted mainly to PC, and though my sister had a GameCube, I played exactly two games on it. One was Resident Evil 4. The other was the original Metroid Prime. I remember being intrigued but was ultimately turned off my the bizarre GameCube controls. I never finished it.
Time passed, and with the Wii and it’s Virtual Console I discovered a whole new world of games. I became an Explorer myself, and one of the franchises I spent the most time with was Metroid. Later I would play Metroid Prime 3, still one of my favorite First Person Shooters of all time, and Metroid: Other M, a game that enraged me in ways I cannot describe, killed the franchise, and was instrumental in souring me on Nintendo for another generation. Next came the announcement that there would be no Unified Account System for their next system, and this sealed the deal for me not only on no longer being a Nintendo Customer into the next system, but also on EVER trusting Digital games again.
With the Nintendo Switch came the return of Carts on a Console, and with the system emphasizing Physical Media at a time when the rest of this rotten industry was sprinting in the other direction, I was intrigued. What I was not prepared for after the devastation that Other M wrought was the absolute Love Bomb the system would become to Metroid, Dread being my favorite game in the series Period, and Prime releasing as a full “remaster”. I put that in parenthesis as this honestly appeared to be more a a complete remake, it looked so good. Though I could not get in on the first shipment (game sold out immediately), I paid my 40 dollars to GameStop Online and was thrilled to get the game a few weeks later.
I Suited up, and responded to a nearby distress signal….
The New Frontier
Your adventure as Samus begins with your arrival at a derelict SPace Pirate Science Vessel orbiting the planet Talon IV. After fighting her way through the remnants of the Pirate’s forces and the critters being studied, events inevitably lead to Samus falling an a ditch and losing all her suit’s functionality before heading to the planet below to further investigate the Space Pirate’s interest in the system. As the adventure continues and Samus comes to realize what is at stake, Priorities will shift, leading to an adventure that builds in urgency as more discoveries are made.
It all plays out organically and doesn’t get in your way if you just want to shoot things. That’s because with few exceptions the game’s story is delivered via either Environmental Storytelling, or Lore found by investigating the area. Talon IV is a world that lets you feel it’s age, with layers of civilization to uncover. From ancient ruins and temples of the Chozo to the labs and mines of the newly arrived Space Pirates, it if often possible to discern what is happening just my minding your surroundings.
Scanning the various critters, enemies, lab terminals, and ancient riding strewn throughout the planet also enables you to get a feel of the daily going-ons and motivations of it’s inhabitants, past and present, as well as gather data on how to best deal with any threats present. Scanning is also the means by which the game provides hints and tips for what needs to be done in order to overcome obstacles or navigate the mazelike environments successfully. Samus Suit is also not shy about pinpointing any energy spikes detected, often leading you to where you need to be next, minimizing any potential frustrations that would otherwise come from wasting time being in the wrong place.
Paradigm Shift
It’s a good thing, because Prime is the most linear experience I have yet to play in this franchise despite it’s illusion of openness. Numerous attempts at sequence-breaking led to a feeling that I was never able to do anything out of order. That isn’t to say that there are not rewards for returning to areas earlier than intended, often in the form of an Energy Tank or a Missile Expansion, and sometimes ever something more….substantial, but more often than not you’ll just hit a dead end with no way to move forward. Naturally, this was more than a bit jarring as someone used to a more freeform adventure in these games.
Samus moves better than I ever would have imagined in 3D, and I adored the new Switch controls. Having Twin sticks means that we finally have precision in both the platforming and in the gunning, and it all feels like a dream come true. Enemy variety is also a plus, though until I reached the Phazon Mines I felt that the game had a noticeable lack of difficulty that was clashing with my definition of Metroid in similar ways to the lack of sequence-breaking. Bosses in particular, while serving as great set-pieces were mind-numbingly boring, with more waiting than action, an issue only corrected once again in the late game.
Linearity aside, it’s standard Metroid Fare. You will explore the planet to retrieve your lost suit functionality as you gradually work your way through the maze and exterminate the hostile denizens of Talon IV. Metroid is honestly a perfect vehicle for the FPS genre, and as the adventure proceeds and your arsenal grows Retro beings to layer in additional Combat tactics to render once challenging enemies trivial. Different visors can be used to see enemy weak points, shields can be stripped or stunned with a Wave Beam, or even frozen in place with the Ice Bream. Using the various projectiles to unlock doors and the visors to locate secrets also means that there is a wonderful synergy between the exploration and combat elements.
Remaster Done Right
Despite the fact that they call this a Remake, this honestly looks and feels like it was built from the ground up for Nintendo Switch. Lighting and textures have received an incredible upgrade, and the areas you will go to go a long way in making you feel like a lone explorer of some recently discovered planet. The first time I saw the rain effects and witnessed the reflection of Samus in her visor after firing a charge shot in a dark place genuinely impressed me. Areas are vibrant and colorful, and stand out from one another, if a bit Nintendo basic in its use of Elemental Themes. Animations are also on-point, with particular praise for the times you will go into a morph ball, which both looks and feels superb.
The soundscapes of this game impress as well, with some of the best music of it’s era receiving a wonderful overhaul. The first time you step out into the Phendrana Drifts and hear that soundtrack kick in as you explore the icy wonderland is a moment of triumph for audiovisual teamwork. Music also transitions effectively from the evocative music of exploration to the more strident songs of combat whenever more pressing threats emerge as well. Sound effects are also well-done, from the blasterfire and missiles to the sounds of the local flora and fauna.
I encountered no glitches of either the audio or video variety in my playthrough, impressive when you think of all the camera transitions from first to third person when you use the morph ball or change back. In terms of things I didn’t like that stand out, one thing must be mentioned. Near the end of the game you will have to conclude a scavenger hunt for 12 Maguffin’s beyond the suit upgrades needed to finish the game. This was a completely unnecessary padding that did not respect my time and only served to prolong the game past when I would have chosen to end it. An opportunity was missed to trim this out entirely, or at least lessen the requirements to access the endgame. As of this writing the game is still 40 dollars new, and I do not see that changing anytime soon. As it stands, it’s a steal, and I would have paid more if I had to to experience this game.
Wanderlust
Metroid Prime is as pleasant a surprise in the Switch’s Sunset Years as I could ever ask for. Part of the strength of the Nintendo Switch’s Library is it’s clever Curation of past games to match the stellar current 1st party efforts, and in updating one of the GameCube’s best, they took an easy win. To me, Metroid should serve as the game that Nintendo can point to when they are called “kiddy”, the Defender 2 Cabinet in the corner of the arcade. A game that may not move as many units as Mario, yet still performs an important job as that tough-as-nails experience that will test the metal of gaming enthusiasts.
Metroid Prime is not that game. A product of a time when Nintendo badly needed an answer to Halo and also was very keen to skin their legacy IPs and stuff new gameplay into them, Metroid Prime was uncharted territory that could have ended badly as so many GameCube efforts ultimately did. But something about this Expedition into the unknown worked out wonderfully, and despite my hangups on what constitutes a Metroid Game, I found myself having a great deal of fun. Because Games are adventures for us as much as for their developers. In exploring this interesting side-story of Samus and the Space Pirates, I feel like an Explorer, far more ready to take a chance on a new experience than I might have before. And anyone who knows me will understand how high a praise that is.
-Mongunzoo