Metroid Prime Remastered is the best way to experience a classic

Metroid Prime is my favorite game of all time. It was the Super Mario 64 from Metroid, which brilliantly transitions the sci-fi platformer series from 2D to 3D. I was obviously thrilled when I heard about Nintendo’s surprise release of Metroid Prime Remastered, which you can play now. But I’ll admit I was a bit nervous about returning to the game I hadn’t played in years. would it last In my first lesson with remasteredthe answer so far is definitely yes.

From the moment I launched the game I was swept by waves of nostalgia. The glitzy, electronic, and slightly spooky theme song is just as effective in setting the game’s tone as it was when I first played it Metroid Prime 2002 on the GameCube. So does the legendary main menu music you’ll hear next, and the fanfare that plays just moments before you finally take control of Samus, which is a brilliant rendition of the fanfare from the get-go Metroid on NES.

remastered First Level, a mysterious space station, remains a masterclass of introductory. The first thing it teaches you is how to use it Metroid Primes unique lock-on system that you can rely on throughout the game to defeat enemies and solve puzzles. Back in 2002, this was a pivotal moment in showing how a 2D series would play in 3D, and while most gamers are probably more familiar with first-person shooters these days, Metroid Primes The lock-on system is still different enough that I appreciated the refresher.

And in remastered, those first few moments may also teach you something new: the game’s brilliant new dual-stick control scheme. Don’t worry, you’ll still have a lot to lock up remastered, but it’s now much easier to actually move while doing it. The original GameCube version had your turn And Move around with just one joystick, and while I remember it working well back then, I’ve gotten much more accustomed to dual stick shooters since then. (remastered has a classic control scheme that emulates the older style. I gave it a try briefly, but I far prefer the dual stick controls.)

The space station also teaches you to scan things, which in hindsight is a clever system. Yes, scanning forces you to slow down and examine the places around you, but that’s exactly what you need to do Metroid everything is about. Metroid Prime isn’t your typical shooter, and this mechanic helps it channel the whimsical exploration of 2D games. Only you need scanning a handful of things to actually progress through the game, but taking the time to scan everything will help you get a much better picture of the environment and the enemies around you. It helps you feel like you’re actually exploring and learning about the mysterious places you visit, rather than just moving from enemy to enemy.

Enter through the space station remastered, I realized how much scanning adds context – and fear – to an already grim picture. Many parts of the station are in ruins and the bodies of alien space pirates lie on the ground, sometimes dead, sometimes clinging to their last breaths to try and kill you. I scanned one and the game told me the space pirate died of “severe lacerations to the abdomen.” Another was killed by “head trauma.”

As you advance through the station, you’ll be able to test out much of Samus’ arsenal, like the morph ball, missiles, and briefly the grappling hook. In remasteredthey all feel just as good as they did when I first played Metroid Prime, and it was fun going back to some of those familiar tools. Sure, in what’s now a commonplace trope, you lose a lot of your gear early on – in this case, while trying to escape the station after defeating the Parasite Queen boss (which has one of the best boss themes of all time). But there is a reason Metroid Games have repeatedly used this trope to attract players: it’s easy to become attached to Samus’ quest, recover the missing pieces, and eventually become even more powerful. I’m getting sucked into the quest again even though I’ve played through Prime many times.

Perhaps the finest moments of the game’s opening take place when you finally escape from the space station and land on Tallon IV. The space station is a tightly designed series of rooms and corridors, but the first area you see on Tallon IV is a lush, open biome with waterfalls in the distance. There’s a glowing door directly in front of you, but another to the right and more behind you that are temptingly out of reach. The way forward isn’t obvious, but there’s so much to discover before you even disembark your ship. In remasteredit all looks better than even my nostalgia-blurred glasses could have hoped.

I know I only saw a very small part of it Metroid Prime. I don’t know exactly how everything will hold up remastered. But if the start of the game is any indication, the journey will be just as excellent as any other time I’ve played Metroid Prime. And it will do the waiting Metroid Prime 4 a little more bearable.