you are still recovering from Metroid Prime is remadeAnnouncement and surprise release of? Well, what about some more detailed analysis of Retro Studios and Iron Galaxy’s excellent re-release from the team at Digital Foundry?
Comparing the new Switch release to both the GameCube and Wii titles, Digital Foundry gave the game a pretty brilliant overview, while also pointing out a few minor weaknesses. And we really mean small. The game ran at a decent 60fps according to Digital Foundry’s tests in both handheld and docked, no matter how chaotic the screen was, while the resolution stayed at 900p on the big screen and 600p on the Switch screen. But it looks stunning on the OLED screen, all thanks to the improved lighting system in the game.
A lot of focus is on the lighting in the video and is understandable. New light sources have been added and many natural features have been given luminescent properties to really enhance each environment of Tallon IV. Digital Foundry believes that the game’s brand new lighting throughout is the definition for this remake, and we have to agree. if it’s a bit disappointing, it’s that the beam light is a lot less noticeable and you can only really spot the light coming out of your photos in certain hallways.
The original game is undoubtedly one of the GameCube’s best-looking titles, but it’s truly amazing how good the Switch remake looks. New models for Remastered have been re-textured and a lot of detail has been added. Plus, every object is just where you remember it, down to the pixel. The only reason you can really say it’s a remake is because of the animation — besides, many of the cutscenes are essentially one-on-one reproductions.
The visor’s movement from the original release is still intact, but the undulating weapon has been cut down quite a bit. Digital Foundry speculates that this is to match the free camera movement now available thanks to the dual stick controls. However, the original camera tilt feature is still present in the game if you change the control settings to a more GameCube-like style.
End the video by saying that Metroid Prime Remastered is “one of the most beautiful Switch titles I’ve ever seen” and look at Retro Studios’ past (and future—yes, Prime Minister 4 mentioned), the developers set the standard for Switch remasters with this release.
