Metroid Prime Remastered: Preserving the Classics

Although gaming is an incredibly versatile medium, allowing for extremely different experiences, accessing the games in the first place can present a challenge. Nowadays, many of the top titles are locked on certain systems, and the situation is even worse for older games, with some only being purchasable on older systems or, like most, unable to be bought at all. While not a solution for most games, often the best way to bring a classic title to modern systems is by remastering it. A remaster involves updating a game’s assets and graphics while leaving the gameplay, story, and design overall intact, and the best in recent years is Metroid Prime Remastered.

Released on February 8th, 2023, Metroid Prime Remastered is a stunning port of the original GameCube game, which was released over 20 years earlier, on November 18th, 2002. Metroid Prime was the first 3D entry in the Metroid franchise, a series renowned for its incredible exploration and atmosphere. Metroid Prime brought the 2D games’ seamless world and core loop of finding power-ups to access new areas to 3D and became an instant classic, often regarded as one of the greatest games of all time. However, games eventually grow dated, and although the original is still an amazing game, Nintendo realized that a remaster would certainly benefit this title. By providing a remaster, Nintendo brought a legendary title to an entirely new generation of gamers, introducing them to the adventures of Samus Aran.

However, what is it that makes Metroid Prime Remastered such a perfect update to an already amazing game? Simply put, Metroid Prime Remastered doesn’t change anything. The world, plot, combat, enemies, and visual identity of the game remain the same as the 2002 release, staying faithful to the original developers’ design. Rather than change any of these details, the remaster enhances them, bringing assets that would look rather horrible on the screens of today to a previously unimaginable level of detail. Everything about the game looks better, the audio has been improved, and the controls were rebalanced to fit the Switch. By staying faithful to the original game, the remaster is able to both draw in new players and satisfy the nostalgia of those who grew up with the game. The game is also simply beautiful, with stunning vistas and particularly memorable rain effects like droplets sliding down the outside of Samus’ visor as the player accompanies her on her quest. The core gameplay loop also holds up after 20 years, providing breathtaking exploration through an alien world highlighted by impressive gunplay. Metroid Prime Remastered truly is an improvement in every way upon the original, providing an experience that anyone remotely interested in shooters or exploration should undertake.

Despite this, some might argue that remasters and remakes are nothing but a cash grab from the companies who created the games. Having such a cynical view is the wrong way to view these projects, however. Rather than just a simple cash grab, creating remakes and remasters allows newer generations to experience the games that many who came before them grew up on. Such endeavors provide easy avenues for newcomers to enter franchises and possibly go on to play the rest of the games. They also allow those who are turned off by any archaic graphics or gameplay to play the game as well, as these are often the first things updated. Overall, remasters and remakes are an essential part of video game culture, allowing everyone to experience classic games in new ways.

Photos

Cover. 32b85837beea0eee31220a59e247219662de4011f7a8c18fce61cf99a4933eb7 by Nintendo. https://assets.nintendo.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1200/q_auto:best/f_auto/dpr_2.0/ncom/software/switch/70010000063709/32b85837beea0eee31220a59e247219662de4011f7a8c18fce61cf99a4933eb7

Figure 1. Rain by Josiah Long.

Figure 2. Elevator Ride by Josiah Long.