I especially notice that change in Phendrana Drifts, the game’s ice world. But look how fantastic that baseline vista is even in the old game! /enDEYAuorG Obviously a notable difference in detail, smoothness, and lighting. Side by side of the original and remastered Metroid Prime (second image is super lo-res since its very old). The difference is notable when you look at screenshots from the original and remaster side by side, but the latter just emphasizes the gorgeous art that was already present in the former. Rather than rebuilding its levels, it simply adds a bit more detail and tunes up its lighting. ![]() Its memorable art direction, which combines sci-fi machinery with natural alien landscapes, is timeless in the same way The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker’s is. ![]() ![]() What Retro Studios understands here is that the original Metroid Prime didn’t need much of an overhaul. The sequence has always been a striking, atmospheric opening and it’s even more jaw-dropping with cleaner visuals and smoother lines. The touch-up is apparent right from the game’s astonishing opening, where a destroyed frigate floats through space as an enormous orange planet looms in the background. Of course, the main draw of any remaster is updated visuals - and Metroid Prime Remastered absolutely delivers on that front. With that removed, Metroid Prime is essentially as close to perfect as gaming gets. That slew of options opens up a game whose one barrier to entry was restrictive controls. Further options allow me to enable gyroscope camera controls, swap my beam and missile buttons, and flip how I access beams and visors on my D-pad menus. A classic control scheme even combines those controls with the vintage one-stick setup. In addition to the classic scheme, players can enable the motion controls used in the Wii port of the original. What’s especially great, though, is that there’s a bit of extra control tinkering available. Image used with permission by copyright holder Tiny moments like that better keep my momentum up, emphasizing the game’s quick pace. This time, I’m able to barrel forward, shooting up at each eye as I pass under it. In the original, I’d have to stop and shoot each one, making the room a bit annoying to backtrack through. In one classic hallway in Chozo Ruins, I have to shoot eyeballs that fire green lasers to close them, granting me safe passage. I’m able to freely aim in a much more fluid fashion, allowing me to run and gun as opposed to stopping to fire. While the switch is so natural that some players might not even notice it, I quickly find that it improves my experience. Visors are flipped with the D-pad, while weapons are changed by pressing those buttons while holding X. In the new control scheme, the left stick now controls movement and the right handles camera like a standard shooter. The GameCube’s C-stick was used to swap between her four weapons on the fly. In the original, Samus only moved with one stick, relying on strafes to get around. For instance, the new dual-stick control layout is an important change. That’s where the remaster’s small changes make a difference. ![]() I don’t even look up to check the clock during that span it just whizzes by. Within two hours, I’ve already made my way through three biomes and picked up a slew of core abilities. Samus moves at a fast pace and her lock-on allows me to easily snap to enemies and interactable objects with the press of a button. Movement is incredibly smooth, allowing me to perform precise platforming from a first-person view. Upon picking it up, I’m immediately stunned by how ahead of its time the game still feels to this day. That gameplay style has found its way into games like Journey to the Savage Planet and High on Life in recent years, but Metroid Prime remains the best in its class. Like a regular Metroid game, the adventure also has her regaining powers gradually, with each one opening up new paths and secrets as she backtracks through previously visited areas. Samus must navigate an alien planet by using her visors and abilities to complete environmental puzzles that build in complexity. While combat is an important part, it’s much more of a puzzle-platformer. At a glance, it’s a first-person shooter, but that’s a slightly reductive read of it. A prime remasterįor the uninitiated, Metroid Prime is a unique game whose genre-hybrid style has only been replicated successfully a few times since its release. Instead, the remaster does some quiet technical work to remind players why Samus’ first 3D outing is still an unparalleled adventure two decades later. While it might have been tempting to give the original a Dead Space-type remake treatment, the GameCube title didn’t need modifying. That’s the right approach for a game as perfect as Metroid Prime.
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