Metroid Prime Remastered is a glorified Remaster that is essentially a graphically improved version of Metroid Prime (GameCube).
This game is absolutely fantastic and worth getting, while it is a shame that Metroid Prime 2 Echoes and Metroid Prime 3: CORRUPTION haven't been remastered... yet.
This is an excellent start in getting all the games fully ported, and if this game is anything to go by, 2 and 3 should be in good hands under Retro Studios.
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The game has you play as Samus Aran who originally explores an abandoned aircraft later needing to escape said ship. When you start the game you have Samus with a lot of abilities unlocked, such as her morph ball, her charge shot, and morph energy bombs. She encounters a newly revived Ridley, now called Meta-Ridley being fused with metallic armor and wings. Meta-Ridley awakens and escapes. After finishing this mission, Samus loses all her abilities and immediately she returns to her ship only for it to crash down on the Planet Tallon IV caused by Ridley.
Tallon IV is a Chozo-planet and your mission is essentially 2 things:
1. Regain all of Samus lost abilities and upgrades, along with new abilities and upgrades
2. Return all 12 Chozo Artifacts hidden throughout Tallon V 6 different areas.
3. Destroy METROID PRIME.
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The game features several puzzles and obstacles that will make the progress of the game take time. The game itself is very action backed, and essentially opened world with an aspect of Linear gameplay.
What I mean is while you can go anywhere (so long as you have said certain Morph ball or Cannon ability) progress in terms of futhering within the story is linear as you follow a beat path and you usually know you're progressing as mini cutscenes tend to play showing a new enemy, or obstacle or boss.
The boss fights here are all fantastic, they're very action packed and fun. And some take strategy. Honestly another great aspects of the boss fights is how long they take to fight. I think they're the perfect length in terms of "Not too short that they're pathetically easy", "Not to hard to where it seems unfair" , and "Not too long to where the fight gets boring," Metroid Prime strikes that perfect line of just right in terms of boss fights.
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The game has locations to go through, with an extra 7th one at the end:
0 - Frigate Orpheon - Abandoned Spacestation during the beginning of the game, before Samus loses her abilities and crashes down on Tallon IV
1 - Tallon Overworld - Jungle Area, features an abandoned Chozo Temple where you fight the second to last final boss. It also features a giant crashed underwater space station.
2 - Chozo Ruins - Desert Area in a giant Chozo City Ruins with beautiful structures
3 -Magmoor Cavern- Cavern/Cave full of Lava and magma, enemies here have adapted to the enviroment.
4 - Phendrana Drifts - Icey area full of frozen Chozo Ruins and technology.
5. Phazon Mines - Rusty, Smoggy Purple hued are ran by the Space Pirates and is full of secret underground technology and experiments. Here is where Samus reencounters the Metroids once again.
6. Impact Crater - Organic Cave swarming with Metroids, here is where Samus encounters and defeats the Metroid Prime.
Each locations (apart from Frigate Orpheon and the Impact Crater) have their puzzles and linear way of progression where certain abilities will be needed via obtaining them in other areas, in order to progress in another certain area.
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In the game you can obtain 3 different canon types, each with their own unique charge ability (obtained separately of course):
1. Power beam (Standard Power shot) - When Charged and fired with Missle - SUPER MISSLE
2. Wave Beam - Electricity Shot - When Charged and fired with Missle - Wavebuster (shoots an electric beam similar to the proton packs from Ghost busters)
3. Ice Beam - Ice Blast that can freeze enemies - When Charged and fired with Missle - Ice Spreader (causes a massive icicle to freeze enemy in place and cause massive damage incase they're a boss)
4. Flame Beam - Flame Blast that can cause after effects to enemies cause them to burn- When Charged and fired with Missle - Flamethrower (So long as you are holding the Right Bumber, you can use it as a flame thrower)
What makes usage well of the cannon variations is that there are certain enemies that take said specific shot in order to defeat them, which gives them a reason for existing, rather than just using 1 Cannon type all the time. This is indicated for specific enemies, like the Space Pirates where some of them have specific colors on their armor to indicate what their weakness is.
Same with the final boss of Metroid Prime... Metroid Prime...during phase one indicates this via shifting it's armor color, letting you know what cannon type to use.
These being:
Yellow - Regular/Power Beam
Pinkish-Violet-Purple - Wave Beam
Bright White with Blue Hue - Ice Beam
Red - Fire Beam
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The game has many enemies to encounters both in terms of overworld standard enemies which mostly comprise of hostile wild-life, but also the hostile Space pirates on Tallon IV.
The game has a total of 6 bosses (and a couple of minibosses, but I'll just focus on the bosses)
1. Parasite Queen - Boss of Frigate Orpheon - Easiest boss in the game since it's the first, and mainly the object is to shoot between its open area of force field, I barely remember if the thing attacks.
2. Flaahgra - Boss of Chozo Ruins - Giant Plant creature that is powered by Solar Panels, shoot said Solar Panels to direct their light away from Flaahgra, and it'll weaken it. Then use the morph ball and bombs to destroy Flaahgra's basis and damage it. Do that 3 more times (total 4) and you kill Flaahgra)
3.Thardus - Boss of Phendrana Drifts - Giant rock creature that takes forever to kill, objective here is to destroy it's body parts, which is not obviously indicated until you randomly decide to shoot whichever body part within it's body. You know it's correct if it glows red meaning it's being damaged. This boss is the worst since it over stays it's welcome.
4. Omega Pirate - Boss of Phazon Mines - Giant Space Pirate with Giant Shoulder Cannons that requires you to take out it's 4 body armor spots in order to expose it's heart in order to attack and defeat it.
5. Meta Ridley - Boss of Tallon Overworld (Chozo Temple) - Rival of Samus, Meta-Ridley has 2 phases. 1 Where he fights in the air and you have to shoot him down by locking on to his chest. Phase 2 is where his wings are damaged, and you have to fight him up close and personal. Here you have specific intervals that allows you to shoot at Meta-Ridley's mouth, this doesn't damage Meta-Ridley but if enough damage is made, it cause him to stagger and exposes his chest, do that about 5 times and Meta-Ridley is done and dusted.
6. Metroid Prime - Boss of the Impact Crater - The final boss of the game who has 2 phases. First phase has you attacking and hurting it via switching between your 4 canon types. It's final phase has you fighting it by switching between visors and stepping on it Phazon Go, causing Samus to go hyper mode and obtain the hyper beam in order to defeat Metroid Prime once and for all... or did she.
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The game has extra collectibles in terms of filling out a logbook by having use the Scanning Visor... with nearly everything, to random enemies, to bosses, to even random computers in a room.
Another thing it offers is extra energy tanks to give Samus a lot of extra health. As well as missiles ammo expansion which increases the amount of missiles Samus can carry and use along side regular cannon beats in order to perform Charged Combo Shots.
The game sometimes makes it very clear and obvious where some of them are located, but other times, it's out of sight, requiring to look nearly at every corner, using all the visors to see if something is hidden.
In terms of game progression, the game has an option that you can switch on or off depending your preference, and what it does is depending on if the game sees you're struggling to know where you have to go next. You'll get a pop up message to check your map which will later indicate where you have to go. If you find this too easy and want to explore, or have played Metroid Prime already and know where everything is, feel free to turn this off in the Options menu
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The story here is very easy to understand, but not so much that crazy, this is more Gameplay over story, and while it does have some lore and some story is it, the game mostly focuses on the gameplay, which isn't a bad thing.
Essentially Samus is sent to Frigate Orpheon because of a distress signal only to find the place completely wrecked, and encounters the newly revived Meta-Ridley. She ends up having to escape the space station before it crashes down on Tallon IV, only for something to take away all her abilities.
Samus attempts to escape from Tallon IV but is forced into the planet via encounter with Meta-Ridley. Here Samus must collect her old armor piece, as well as obtain new upgrades and new armor by exploring the different environments. She is also under the mission to destroy METROID PRIME. After she collects everything, including all Chozo Artifacts scattered throughout the World, she has a final encounter with Meta-Ridley which ends with the Metallic revived Dragon's death. However Samus isn't done and wants to confront the thing that took away her abilities to begin with, and this is where she encounters METROID PRIME.
After "defeating" Metroid Prime while having her Phazon Upgrade suit absorbed by Prime, Samus escapes the planet and looks on at the destroyed temple.
At the end Samus removes her helmet and looks in sadness and uneasiness and closes her eye, and returns inside her ship and flies off.
The game ends with... of course Metroid Prime being alive and actually absorbing the Phazon suit, giving birth to DARK SAMUS.
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Overall, Prime Remastered is an amazingly updated version of Metroid Prime with new beautiful graphics and now is the definitive way to play the game.
I had an absolute blast playing it and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to get into Metroid.
Now I'm giving it 4.5/5 stars only because, as great as it is to have a really great remaster with great graphics of Metroid Prime... would've preferred that Nintendo and Retro Studios releases the trilogy in this state, rather than splitting them up, which is what it seems like they're doing.
Maybe it's because they want to build hype for 4 and give the developers more time by releasing them separately, or maybe its greed. I'm excited for when 2 Echoes Remaster comes out maybe this year Q3 or Q4 2023 (as of writing), and 3 CORRUPTION (2024) but we'll see.
But thats the only reason why I'm giving Metroid Prime Remastered a 4.5 out of 5. But it's an absolutely fantastic game I highly recommend!
This game is absolutely fantastic and worth getting, while it is a shame that Metroid Prime 2 Echoes and Metroid Prime 3: CORRUPTION haven't been remastered... yet.
This is an excellent start in getting all the games fully ported, and if this game is anything to go by, 2 and 3 should be in good hands under Retro Studios.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The game has you play as Samus Aran who originally explores an abandoned aircraft later needing to escape said ship. When you start the game you have Samus with a lot of abilities unlocked, such as her morph ball, her charge shot, and morph energy bombs. She encounters a newly revived Ridley, now called Meta-Ridley being fused with metallic armor and wings. Meta-Ridley awakens and escapes. After finishing this mission, Samus loses all her abilities and immediately she returns to her ship only for it to crash down on the Planet Tallon IV caused by Ridley.
Tallon IV is a Chozo-planet and your mission is essentially 2 things:
1. Regain all of Samus lost abilities and upgrades, along with new abilities and upgrades
2. Return all 12 Chozo Artifacts hidden throughout Tallon V 6 different areas.
3. Destroy METROID PRIME.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The game features several puzzles and obstacles that will make the progress of the game take time. The game itself is very action backed, and essentially opened world with an aspect of Linear gameplay.
What I mean is while you can go anywhere (so long as you have said certain Morph ball or Cannon ability) progress in terms of futhering within the story is linear as you follow a beat path and you usually know you're progressing as mini cutscenes tend to play showing a new enemy, or obstacle or boss.
The boss fights here are all fantastic, they're very action packed and fun. And some take strategy. Honestly another great aspects of the boss fights is how long they take to fight. I think they're the perfect length in terms of "Not too short that they're pathetically easy", "Not to hard to where it seems unfair" , and "Not too long to where the fight gets boring," Metroid Prime strikes that perfect line of just right in terms of boss fights.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The game has locations to go through, with an extra 7th one at the end:
0 - Frigate Orpheon - Abandoned Spacestation during the beginning of the game, before Samus loses her abilities and crashes down on Tallon IV
1 - Tallon Overworld - Jungle Area, features an abandoned Chozo Temple where you fight the second to last final boss. It also features a giant crashed underwater space station.
2 - Chozo Ruins - Desert Area in a giant Chozo City Ruins with beautiful structures
3 -Magmoor Cavern- Cavern/Cave full of Lava and magma, enemies here have adapted to the enviroment.
4 - Phendrana Drifts - Icey area full of frozen Chozo Ruins and technology.
5. Phazon Mines - Rusty, Smoggy Purple hued are ran by the Space Pirates and is full of secret underground technology and experiments. Here is where Samus reencounters the Metroids once again.
6. Impact Crater - Organic Cave swarming with Metroids, here is where Samus encounters and defeats the Metroid Prime.
Each locations (apart from Frigate Orpheon and the Impact Crater) have their puzzles and linear way of progression where certain abilities will be needed via obtaining them in other areas, in order to progress in another certain area.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In the game you can obtain 3 different canon types, each with their own unique charge ability (obtained separately of course):
1. Power beam (Standard Power shot) - When Charged and fired with Missle - SUPER MISSLE
2. Wave Beam - Electricity Shot - When Charged and fired with Missle - Wavebuster (shoots an electric beam similar to the proton packs from Ghost busters)
3. Ice Beam - Ice Blast that can freeze enemies - When Charged and fired with Missle - Ice Spreader (causes a massive icicle to freeze enemy in place and cause massive damage incase they're a boss)
4. Flame Beam - Flame Blast that can cause after effects to enemies cause them to burn- When Charged and fired with Missle - Flamethrower (So long as you are holding the Right Bumber, you can use it as a flame thrower)
What makes usage well of the cannon variations is that there are certain enemies that take said specific shot in order to defeat them, which gives them a reason for existing, rather than just using 1 Cannon type all the time. This is indicated for specific enemies, like the Space Pirates where some of them have specific colors on their armor to indicate what their weakness is.
Same with the final boss of Metroid Prime... Metroid Prime...during phase one indicates this via shifting it's armor color, letting you know what cannon type to use.
These being:
Yellow - Regular/Power Beam
Pinkish-Violet-Purple - Wave Beam
Bright White with Blue Hue - Ice Beam
Red - Fire Beam
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The game has many enemies to encounters both in terms of overworld standard enemies which mostly comprise of hostile wild-life, but also the hostile Space pirates on Tallon IV.
The game has a total of 6 bosses (and a couple of minibosses, but I'll just focus on the bosses)
1. Parasite Queen - Boss of Frigate Orpheon - Easiest boss in the game since it's the first, and mainly the object is to shoot between its open area of force field, I barely remember if the thing attacks.
2. Flaahgra - Boss of Chozo Ruins - Giant Plant creature that is powered by Solar Panels, shoot said Solar Panels to direct their light away from Flaahgra, and it'll weaken it. Then use the morph ball and bombs to destroy Flaahgra's basis and damage it. Do that 3 more times (total 4) and you kill Flaahgra)
3.Thardus - Boss of Phendrana Drifts - Giant rock creature that takes forever to kill, objective here is to destroy it's body parts, which is not obviously indicated until you randomly decide to shoot whichever body part within it's body. You know it's correct if it glows red meaning it's being damaged. This boss is the worst since it over stays it's welcome.
4. Omega Pirate - Boss of Phazon Mines - Giant Space Pirate with Giant Shoulder Cannons that requires you to take out it's 4 body armor spots in order to expose it's heart in order to attack and defeat it.
5. Meta Ridley - Boss of Tallon Overworld (Chozo Temple) - Rival of Samus, Meta-Ridley has 2 phases. 1 Where he fights in the air and you have to shoot him down by locking on to his chest. Phase 2 is where his wings are damaged, and you have to fight him up close and personal. Here you have specific intervals that allows you to shoot at Meta-Ridley's mouth, this doesn't damage Meta-Ridley but if enough damage is made, it cause him to stagger and exposes his chest, do that about 5 times and Meta-Ridley is done and dusted.
6. Metroid Prime - Boss of the Impact Crater - The final boss of the game who has 2 phases. First phase has you attacking and hurting it via switching between your 4 canon types. It's final phase has you fighting it by switching between visors and stepping on it Phazon Go, causing Samus to go hyper mode and obtain the hyper beam in order to defeat Metroid Prime once and for all... or did she.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The game has extra collectibles in terms of filling out a logbook by having use the Scanning Visor... with nearly everything, to random enemies, to bosses, to even random computers in a room.
Another thing it offers is extra energy tanks to give Samus a lot of extra health. As well as missiles ammo expansion which increases the amount of missiles Samus can carry and use along side regular cannon beats in order to perform Charged Combo Shots.
The game sometimes makes it very clear and obvious where some of them are located, but other times, it's out of sight, requiring to look nearly at every corner, using all the visors to see if something is hidden.
In terms of game progression, the game has an option that you can switch on or off depending your preference, and what it does is depending on if the game sees you're struggling to know where you have to go next. You'll get a pop up message to check your map which will later indicate where you have to go. If you find this too easy and want to explore, or have played Metroid Prime already and know where everything is, feel free to turn this off in the Options menu
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The story here is very easy to understand, but not so much that crazy, this is more Gameplay over story, and while it does have some lore and some story is it, the game mostly focuses on the gameplay, which isn't a bad thing.
Essentially Samus is sent to Frigate Orpheon because of a distress signal only to find the place completely wrecked, and encounters the newly revived Meta-Ridley. She ends up having to escape the space station before it crashes down on Tallon IV, only for something to take away all her abilities.
Samus attempts to escape from Tallon IV but is forced into the planet via encounter with Meta-Ridley. Here Samus must collect her old armor piece, as well as obtain new upgrades and new armor by exploring the different environments. She is also under the mission to destroy METROID PRIME. After she collects everything, including all Chozo Artifacts scattered throughout the World, she has a final encounter with Meta-Ridley which ends with the Metallic revived Dragon's death. However Samus isn't done and wants to confront the thing that took away her abilities to begin with, and this is where she encounters METROID PRIME.
After "defeating" Metroid Prime while having her Phazon Upgrade suit absorbed by Prime, Samus escapes the planet and looks on at the destroyed temple.
At the end Samus removes her helmet and looks in sadness and uneasiness and closes her eye, and returns inside her ship and flies off.
The game ends with... of course Metroid Prime being alive and actually absorbing the Phazon suit, giving birth to DARK SAMUS.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall, Prime Remastered is an amazingly updated version of Metroid Prime with new beautiful graphics and now is the definitive way to play the game.
I had an absolute blast playing it and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to get into Metroid.
Now I'm giving it 4.5/5 stars only because, as great as it is to have a really great remaster with great graphics of Metroid Prime... would've preferred that Nintendo and Retro Studios releases the trilogy in this state, rather than splitting them up, which is what it seems like they're doing.
Maybe it's because they want to build hype for 4 and give the developers more time by releasing them separately, or maybe its greed. I'm excited for when 2 Echoes Remaster comes out maybe this year Q3 or Q4 2023 (as of writing), and 3 CORRUPTION (2024) but we'll see.
But thats the only reason why I'm giving Metroid Prime Remastered a 4.5 out of 5. But it's an absolutely fantastic game I highly recommend!