“Metroid Prime” has long been hailed as one of the greatest games ever. Developer Retro Studios brought Nintendo’s “Metroid” formula of open-ended exploration interspersed with terse, brief action interludes and brought it into the third dimension. Its reevaluation of physical space as it relates to traversal, violence and history has been endlessly picked at and analyzed in the 20 years since its initial release.
I never played it. When I tore through the entire “Metroid” franchise ahead of “Metroid Dread’s” release in 2021, I largely passed over the series’ 3D entries. I tried the opening sequence of “Prime,” but its old-school, single-stick controls were off-putting and I pretty quickly decided my time would be better spent elsewhere. But when Nintendo simultaneously announced and released “Metroid Prime Remastered” during a recent Nintendo Direct, I finally bit the bullet. After spending a few hours with the game, I’ve seen the magic.
“Metroid Prime Remastered” is a 1-1 ratio project. Nothing has been cut, added or materially altered about the game itself. The visuals have been overhauled to a pretty breathtaking degree, but the original art design is largely intact. The only major change is the introduction of a dual-stick control scheme. That new control option makes the game feel significantly more playable, and it’s stunning that it works so well in a game designed for single-stick control.
The best thing about “Metroid Prime Remastered,” though, is the map. 20 years later, this entirely unaltered world is still an absolute sight to behold. Gear gating has been a major element of “Metroid” since its inception, but watching the world unfold like a little puzzle box is always satisfying. Finding a tool in one location and suddenly being able to open a dozen locked doors feels incredibly rewarding.
“Metroid Prime” was also the first game to feature the Scan Visor, a tool that allows the main character Samus to scan elements of her environment for additional information. This information is very rarely actionable; much of it amounts to a small piece of world-building. But it makes the world feel alive, and learning the history of the planet you’ve stumbled upon is as gratifying as defeating an especially tough boss.
What I’m most struck by when playing “Metroid Prime” for the first time is exactly how modern it feels. The new controls and visuals contribute part of that, but the game’s foundational ideas remain strikingly contemporary. A first-person shooter focused on history and anthropology rather than guns and grenades still feels novel today. It’s almost deconstructive of the “Metroid” formula.
How many planets has Samus visited and destroyed? How many of them had a cultural history as rich as this one? If you could learn about everything just by looking at it, how eager would you be to destroy it?
“Metroid Prime” doesn’t necessarily answer these questions, but it certainly asks them. Based on my fairly early impressions, it’s a deeply thoughtful and compelling game, and I’m glad that Nintendo and Retro chose to polish off the dust and highlight the game’s strongest qualities.
Sorrel Kerr-Jung is a sophomore studying virtual reality game development at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Sorrel by tweeting her at @sorrelkj.
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