It is often said, and not without reason, that memories can be very deceptive. When an experience significantly impacts us and leaves an indelible mark on us for whatever reason, our memory tends to idealize it and remember it better than it was, something that intensifies with those things that marked our childhood and youth. For this reason, nostalgia is a dangerous weapon that can lead to disappointment when we rediscover those books, movies, series and video games from the past that made us enjoy so much in their day. Not because they are bad products but because of how we remember them.
This is precisely the great challenge that remasterings of those classic and untouchable works that we all have on a pedestal have to face: bringing them back with a new version that lives up to the experiences that remain in our memory for that make us feel, once again, the same magic.
To date, very few products of this type have achieved that goal, which is why it has been inevitable for us to remain with our mouths completely open when we get our hands on Metroid Prime Remastered, an example of good work that puts our mouths back on of all not only an immortal and completely timeless masterpiece capable of rivalling the most magnified memories without the need for revisions of any kind, but also one of the best games in the entire history of the medium.
The great adventure of Samus Aran
In this way, Metroid Prime Remastered offers us the opportunity to relive the same adventure that already amazed us in 2002 with all its virtues intact. So, we will once again embody Samus Aran in a first-person 3D platform and action-adventure in which we will have to explore a mysterious planet, analyze our environment, face all kinds of creatures and dangers, find secrets and power-ups and, above all, get new powers and abilities that allow us to access new places on its gigantic map.
It is one of those games that it is tough to do justice with words alone since everything it does is done impeccably and with a level of mastery that continues to show the vast majority of current productions: development, design of levels, setting, the precision of the controls, game mechanics, enemies, bosses, the rate at which the powers are obtained… Even the story and how it is told are fascinating. As we say, all this is still very current and has not lost a single iota of its ability to entertain and make us fall in love.
It is a very handmade work with a sick level of detail, even in aspects that go unnoticed with the naked eye, testimony to the care and affection that Retro Studios put in its day when transferring the saga to the third dimension in the best way possible. Way possible and without losing its essence or diluting everything that makes it unique and special, something for which very intelligent and even revolutionary ideas had to be carried out.
We know we are not telling you anything new, but we think it is appropriate to emphasize how fun and unique a game from 2002 is still in the middle of 2023. There is much more here than nostalgia, and all its virtues have remained intact in this new version, so you will not find any changes that could negatively affect its gameplay or content.
A spectacular facelift
This does not mean that Retro Studios has sat idly by and has limited itself to carrying out a simple conversion of the title to Switch since it has also taken the opportunity to redo its graphic section with spectacular results completely, so much so that we are talking about one of the most cutting-edge games at a technical level in the entire console catalogue.
New models for Samus, the enemies and the bosses, more detailed settings with a much higher polygon load, new and better textures, a new lighting system that works like a charm and gives fantastic results, improved effects (and beware, since some of those that were lost with its Wii version are recovered) and a long list of changes, improvements and visual novelties of the highest quality. This has been done with exquisite taste and an art direction that does not alter the original, evoking precisely the same sensations as more than 20 years ago.
As if that wasn’t enough, loads are now so much faster, and we’ve never had to wait for a room to load for the door to open; the resolution is pretty high, the AA is very efficient and hides any jagged edge that I can have the image, and the performance is simply perfect, maintaining 60 images per second at all times. And yes, all this applies to laptops and desktops, guaranteeing a superb experience regardless of where we decide to play it.
Here it should be noted that it is noticeable that a large part of the original code continues to work under the surface and that it has been used as the basis for this remastering (that is, not everything has been redone from scratch), something that is very evident in details such as the physics of the jumps and the morpho-sphere or the enemy AI.
On the other hand, the sound has also been improved, which is especially notable in the effects due to the forcefulness and clarity they now display. However, its great soundtrack is not far behind in this sense either, without which it would be impossible to understand the absorbing atmosphere of adventure.
New and old ways to play
Beyond the technical improvements, we were happy to see four control schemes included. On the one hand, we have both the classic GameCube system with a single stick and the Wii system with motion controls pointing at the screen, to which we have to add a new dual-stick and another hybrid. The first allows us to play the same way in any modern action game: moving with the left stick and aiming freely with the right, something extremely comfortable and feels fabulous. Of course, with the hybrid system, we can aim by moving the controller or the console while we control the game with the buttons.
They are all excellent options, and it is commendable that we are allowed to relive this odyssey with its original controls at the same time that we are given access to new, more current systems so that, in the end, choosing between one scheme or another will be a matter of simple personal taste. Of course, you will not go wrong with any of them.
Finally, we want to point out that the gallery of extras has been updated with the new materials that have been used for the remastering, some accessibility options have been added, such as a colour blind mode, and we can even choose if we want to play with voices for certain scenes and situations or not.
Final Thoughts
Metroid Prime was, is, and will continue to be an essential masterpiece that everyone with a modicum of interest and passion for this hobby should play at least once in their life, something that this new version vindicates with more force than ever thanks to a spectacular graphic facelift and its multiple control options. We are not going to deny that it does not include its sequels has disappointed us a bit, but right now, few games you will find on Nintendo Switch or any other platform capable of rivalling this legendary adventure. Undoubtedly, one of the best remasters ever made and an example to follow.
We prepared this review with a digital review code for the Switch version provided by Nintendo.
