Play it on: Switch 2
Current goal: Finish it for the first time ever
As I recently lamented, I have never seen the end of one of my favorite video games, Metroid Prime. I couldn’t beat Meta Ridley. I tried as many times as my patience allowed in 2002, and then just gave up. I’ve been cross about it ever since.
With the arrival of my Switch 2, and the weird lack of a single-player launch game, I started a bunch of Switch 1 games I’d bought in sales, or out of impulse on launch, and never gotten around to, flitting hither and thither, until I booted up Metroid Prime Remastered. I’d bought that the moment it was released in 2023, briefly played the beginning, and then accidentally moved on. The moment I started it again this week, I was hooked. On the Switch 2 it looks so utterly lovely, the load times are almost gone, and oh my goodness, what’s this? A “Casual” mode?!
I beat Meta Ridley last night. I’m not sure it was any great achievement, given how much lower the difficulty was. I had found so many health upgrades that I was pretty much able to just hammer him with the Plasma Beam, with a bit of dodging here and there. And yet, on some level, I did feel like I’d addressed a 23-year-old gripe. Take that, you metal-winged fuckface.
I think my ideal version of this game would be Normal difficulty for most of the game, and Casual when fighting the bosses, but only because I get no enjoyment from boss fights and just want them to be over. Much of the rest of the game’s combat, however, ended up feeling like busywork rather than an entertaining challenge. Also, good gravy, I’d forgotten how much trekking back and forth there is in that game. I hate those stupid lava pits!
Anyway, the plan this weekend is to finish it entirely, for the very first time. It’s already become far more irritating: those stupidly annoying Metroids to bat off endlessly, when I’m trying to enjoy leaping around the levels, have already got me peeved. But I shall finally defeat this beast, even if it is because I’m playing on baby mode. — John Walker
