Metroid Prime Remastered rolls onto Nintendo Switch today

One of the most pleasant surprises of today’s Nintendo Direct was the confirmation that not only is the Nintendo Switch getting a remastered port of the original Metroid Prime, it even comes out today (digitally, at least). This port will contain multiple additional control options. Reports of the Metroid Prime games coming to the Switch have been circling for a while; it is yet to be seen if the other two games in the trilogy will also be remastered at a later date.

The original Metroid Prime, which released back in 2002 and was developed by Retro Studios, was a revelation in Metroidvania game design. The game brought the exploration focus from Super Metroid into a 3D FPS game, and succeeded spectacularly, both critically and commercially. Set on the planet Talon IV, protagonist Samus Aran must combat villainous space pirates and their biological experiments. In classic Metroidvania fashion, Samus must acquire new gear and visor upgrades as she goes in order to unlock new areas to explore. Samus’ ability to scan items and the planet’s fauna also allows you to obtain more information about the world around you and acquire clues about how to proceed.

The remastered port of Metroid Prime adds some new control options to suit a variety of players. These include dual stick controls (where movement and point of view are controlled with different analogue sticks), one that more closely mimics the feel of the Gamecube original, as well as other options.

In classic Nintendo fashion, Metroid Prime Remastered is being made available for purchase on the Nintendo eShop the same day it was announced. The physical version will be available for purchase from the 22nd of February 2023.