When Metroid Prime launched on the Nintendo GameCube in late 2002, it was deemed an instant all-time great for essentially birthing an entire genre. The “first-person adventure” game still holds up incredibly well to this day. In fact, it got even better when Nintendo released Metroid Prime Remastered for the Nintendo Switch in February 2023. If you haven’t had a chance to give Samus’ epic adventure a go, now is a great time to do so. Walmart currently has the physical edition of the title on sale for just $30 bucks.
It probably didn’t shock folks that Metroid Prime Remastered was received on the Switch with fantastic reviews. The original, developed by Retro Studios, boasted a Metacritic score of 97. 2023’s Remastered came in with similarly high scores, eventually landing at a prestigious 94 average among critics.
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Metroid Prime was the first 3D entry in Samus’ series. There was early work on a Metroid for the Nintendo 64, but the project was eventually shelved, as Nintendo wasn’t satisfied with the franchise’s attempt at transitioning from 2D to 3D during the N64 era. The span between the 2D and 3D jump, Super Metroid to Metroid Prime, turned out to be well worth the eight-year wait.
Critics and fans nearly universally agree that Prime nailed the isolation and almost horror feel of the Metroid series. Throughout Prime, other than enemies, Samus has no one to interact with except for her log book entries and the enemies she encounters. With the updated visuals that Remastered brings to the table, those design elements hit the player harder than ever.
There were a pair of sequels to Prime that were released on the GameCube and Nintendo Wii – Metroid Prime: Echoes and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption respectively. Both were well-received, though they weren’t nearly as acclaimed as the initial Prime was. A collection of the games, Metroid Prime Trilogy, was released on the Wii in August 2009. For years, it was speculated that the package would be ported over to the Switch. That, of course, didn’t happen. Instead, Metroid Prime: Remastered came to Switch as a solo act.
It was a smart move to focus solely on the initial game in the 3D series instead of the Trilogy port. With how well Prime Remastered turned out, it just made Metroid fans even more ravenous for the upcoming sequel, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. That title also suffered development woes for some time. Initially revealed during a 2017 Nintendo E3 event, the game would then go dark to the public for years. It eventually resurfaced in June 2014 and is expected to be launched later this year on the Switch and potentially Switch 2.
Relive the Past While Saving on Metroid Prime
It’s not all that common for the best-selling games on Nintendo consoles to see significant price discounts. If you’ve yet to give the game a go, or just haven’t had a chance to see how much better it looks and feels on the Nintendo Switch, consider grabbing the game while you can get it for just $30.
Buy Metroid Prime Remastered for $30 at Walmart
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