Edit this page Metroid Prime Remastered screenshot, Nintendo Switch / Sorry, we don't have accessible text for this image :( / Image credit: Nintendo
Metroid Prime poster / Composite of logo and artwork from Retro Pixel / Image credit: Nintendo

Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime is a first-person action adventure developed by Retro Studios and first released for Nintendo GameCube in 2002. Players control bounty hunter Samus Aran, who is on a mission to stop evil Space Pirates taking over the universe. It was the first 3D entry in the Metroid series and has been acclaimed as an all-time classic.

Screenshots and images

Company and staff credits

Publisher
Nintendo logo 1975 / Image credit: Nintendo
Developer
Retro Studios logo / Logo image featured on Retro Studios' Facebook page in March 2023. / Image credit: Retro Studios Retro Studios, Inc.
Co-developer (Switch)
Logo of Iron Galaxy / This image is derived from a logo uploaded to Wikimedia Commons. / Image credit: Iron Galaxy Iron Galaxy
Director
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Mark Pacini
Producer
Miyamoto Hints At Pikmin 4 / Shigeru Miyamoto on stage wearing a dark jacket and white T-shirt and holding a red Pikmin plushie. / Image credit: BagoGames / This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Shigeru Miyamoto
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Kensuke Tanabe
Composer
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Kenji Yamamoto
Audio Director
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Clark Wen

Platform comparison

Platform Released Local Interfaces Target FPS Video Sound
Gamecube 19 November 2002
North America
1 player
 Standard 60 480p [4:3] Surround 5.1
Wii 19 February 2009
Japan
1 player
 Motion control, standard 60 480p Widescreen Surround 5.1
Switch 9 February 2023
Worldwide
1 player
 Motion control, standard 60 900p Surround 5.1

Game details

Release dates
  • 19 November 2002:
    • Gamecube (North America)
  • 28 February 2003:
    • Gamecube (Japan)
  • 21 March 2003:
    • Gamecube (Europe)
  • 19 February 2009:
    • Wii (Japan)
  • 9 February 2023:
    • Switch (Worldwide)
Also known as
  • Metroid Prime Remastered (official; Switch)
Genres

Gameplay and content

1

Samus abilities

Metroid Prime is a 3D first-person adventure game with third-person elements, in which players control bounty hunter Samus Aran on her mission to defeat evil space pirates on the planet Tallon IV. Samus wears a suit that allows her to morph into a ball to navigate small tunnels and tracks, use bombs to open new pathways, and scan her surroundings for new information using her scan visor. Samus can also discover additional suits that provide new capabilities, and weapons such as the Wave Beam and Freeze Beam.

Story, characters, and setting

2 3

Story summary

Metroid Prime's story takes place shortly after the events in the original Metroid, in which bounty hunter Samus Aran traveled to the Planet Zebes to stop Space Pirates from using the Metroid, a powerful alien race that can be exploited as a bioweapon. to control the galaxy. In Prime, Samus learns of a new Space Pirate base in orbit around the planet Tallon IV and sets out to single-handedly stop them from using another lethal biotechnology, called Phazon, for evil.

Development and pre-release

4

Initiation by Miyamoto

Development of Metroid Prime was a collaboration between Retro Studios, a US-based Nintendo subsidiary, and Nintendo's Japanese employees. The project was initiated in 2000 by Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto during a visit to Retro's offices to review the studio's four projects, all of which were stumbling and would eventually be canceled. Producer Kensuke Tanabe told IGN, "all of a sudden, Mr. Miyamoto said, 'How about Metroid?' So that was Mr. Miyamoto's idea to have Retro focus solely on Metroid. As I remember, one of the four titles that I mentioned was a first-person shooter project and Mr. Miyamoto thought we could use the game engine from that."

Publishing

5

Switch version release

The Nintendo Switch version of the game, Metroid Prime Remastered, was announced in a Nintendo Direct presentation on 8th February, 2023 and launched digitally the same day. A physical release followed on 3rd March.

6

Gamecube release dates

Metroid Prime first released on 19th November, 2002 in North America and was published by Nintendo. European and Japanese releases followed in early 2003.

7 8

Wii port

Metroid Prime was ported to Nintendo Wii as part of Metroid Prime Trilogy, a single-disc compilation of the first three games in the series that released in 2009. The Wii version added widescreen support, motion controls with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and an achievements system that allows players to unlock music and artwork. Metroid Prime Trilogy was also made available digitally on the Nintendo Wii U eShop in 2015.

Graphics and visual design

9

Switch video specs

On Nintendo Switch, Metroid Prime Remastered's graphics have a resolution 1600 x 900 (900p) when the console is docked. In handheld mode the resolution drops to 1066 x 600. The game runs at a consistent 60 frames per second.

2

Gamecube video specs

The original Gamecube version of Metroid Prime runs at 480p resolution, with a 4:3 (non-widescreen) aspect ratio, and a consistent frame rate of 60 frames per second.

Widescreen on Wii

The Nintendo Wii version of Metroid Prime added 16:9 widescreen support not present in the Gamecube version.

Music and sound

10

Music composition

Metroid Prime's music was composed by series regular Kenji Yamamoto. Recalling the scoring process, audio director Clark Wen said: "I don't think we ever told him that we didn't like anything that he delivered... everything was really strong out of the gate".

Critical reception

2 11 12

Gamecube critical reception

Critics highly praised Metroid Prime on Gamecube. Gamespot named it "the best GameCube game to date", while IGN called it "unquestionably a must-have masterpiece." The title won Game of the Year at the 3rd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards.

9 13 14

Switch critical reception

Reviews for Metroid Prime Remastered on Nintendo Switch praised the enhanced visuals and how well the game holds up 20 years after its original release. Eurogamer called the remaster a "a sublime reworking of a stone-cold classic", while IGN described it as "a perfect example of how to both honor a lauded classic and bring it up to code." On Metacritic the release's metascore was 94, denoting "universal acclaim."

Sales

15

Gamecube sales numbers

Metroid Prime sold 2.84 million copies on Gamecube, according to 2014 Nintendo’s own sales data.

References

  1. IGN (2002, October 31). Get Primed!. https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/10/31/get-primed.
  2. Mirabella, F. (2002, November 11). Metroid Prime Review. IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/11/11/metroid-prime.
  3. IGN (n.d.). Metroid Prime Wiki Guide - Story. https://www.ign.com/wikis/metroid-prime/Story.
  4. Casamassina, M. (2009, August 29). A Space Bounty Hunter in Texas. IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/08/29/a-space-bounty-hunter-in-texas.
  5. Harrison, M. (2023, February 10). Here's where to buy Metroid Prime Remastered. Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/heres-where-to-buy-metroid-prime-remastered.
  6. IGN (n.d.). Metroid Prime. https://www.ign.com/games/metroid-prime.
  7. Thompson, M. (2009, May 22). Metroid Prime trilogy coming to Wii on single disc. Ars Technica. Condé Nast. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2009/05/metroid-prime-trilogy-coming-to-wii-on-single-disc/.
  8. Hargreaves, R. (2015, February 4). Metroid Prime Trilogy review – Samus it ever was. Metro. Associated Newspapers Limited. https://metro.co.uk/2015/02/04/metroid-prime-trilogy-review-samus-it-ever-was-5048664/.
  9. Mackenzie, O. (2023, February 14). Metroid Prime Remastered: a sublime reworking of a stone-cold classic. Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2023-metroid-prime-remastered-df-tech-review.
  10. KIWI TALKZ (2022, June 14). Ex Nintendo Audio Devs Speak About Kenji Yamamoto (Metroid Composer) [video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm7zjNkTgHI.
  11. Kasavin, G. (2002, November 15). Metroid Prime Review. GameSpot. Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/metroid-prime-review/1900-2897768/.
  12. Game Developers Choice Awards (n.d.). Archive - 3rd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards. Informa PLC. https://gamechoiceawards.com/archive/gdca_3rd.
  13. Claiborn, S. (2023, March 5). Metroid Prime Remastered Review. IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/metroid-prime-remastered-review.
  14. Metacritic (n.d.). Metroid Prime Remastered. Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/metroid-prime-remastered.
  15. Install Base (n.d.). Nintendo software and hardware sales data from 1983 to present. https://www.installbaseforum.com/forums/threads/nintendo-software-and-hardware-sales-data-from-1983-to-present.170/.

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