![]() It is, however, a small disappointment that Retro hasn’t taken the opportunity to refine some of the controls. For purists, there’s an option to replicate the GameCube controls, or use the Switch’s Joy-Cons for motion control, imitating the game’s Wii re-release – although both feel fiddly nowadays. In short, if you’ve played almost any first-person shooter of the last decade, you’ll intuitively know how Metroid Prime handles now. It's the controls that enjoy the greatest leap into modernity, though, with the default scheme now tailored for contemporary dual-stick controls. On visuals alone, this is easily one of the greatest remasters to land on the Switch. Character models are noticeably improved, even for the smallest of grunt enemies, and cutscenes, although practically shot-for-shot identical to the classic release, enjoy greater fidelity and sense of scale. Rain drops fizzle against energy beams and condense on Samus’ arm cannon, vines choke the walls of mysterious Chozo ruins, and it all runs at a solid 60fps. Areas are richer and more detailed than ever, while lighting and environmental effects are significantly improved. It’s startling how much better the game looks now – and the original was no slouch for the time, either. The big differences for Metroid Prime in 2023 are two-fold: visuals and controls. Retro Studios and its partners have done real justice to a rightly beloved classic. The 3D approach does change how some elements of combat work – being able to strafe around enemies while locked on, for instance – but at heart it’s as ‘pure’ an instalment as Super Metroid or Metroid Dread. The criss-crossing of imaginatively detailed environments as new power-ups are acquired, each allowing access to new locations or hidden caches, pulls players back and forth across the planet’s surface as compulsively as Samus’ classic 2D entries ever did. Developer Retro Studios (which handles the remaster with assistance from outside studios including Iron Galaxy and Zombot) could have gone the easy route and turned in a generic sci-fi shooter, but instead Samus’ journey across the abandoned world of Tallon IV packs in every bit as much puzzle solving, skilful navigation of tricky environments, and meticulous mapping of areas as fans of the series expected. What’s as remarkable now as it was over two decades ago though is how much it still feels like a Metroid game, despite the shift in perspective. Metroid Prime was always a radical entry for the series, jettisoning the familiar 2D action platforming in favour of a full 3D, first person shooter approach. ![]() ![]() Still, the surprise return of bounty hunter Samus Aran is a welcome one, and two decades on from its original release, Prime remains one of her finest adventures. A remaster of 2002 GameCube classic Metroid Prime has long been rumoured, which made it all the odder that Nintendo ultimately chose to effectively sneak its release out, launching digitally immediately after its most recent Nintendo Direct broadcast (with a physical release to follow).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |