I ought to pick this game up again. And the Zelda one too. Ben a while since I played them.

What's with all the misinformation in the comments!?

From the top:

If you buy the Switch 2 Edition (red box, red cartridge), it contains the Switch 2 Edition on the cartridge. You can also put it in a Switch 1 to play the Switch 1 version. I'm pretty sure it is a Switch 2 cartridge, as it has the additional pins on the back.

If you buy the Switch 1 version (clear box, grey cartridge) and put it in a Switch 2, the day one patch adds a menu entry telling you there is a paid update to the Switch 2 Edition.

There was a Metroid Pinball? Haha. I know Nintendo like to occasionally dip into a pinball game, with Kirby and Pokemon being notable examples, but I would never have thought about Metroid as a candiate for one.

@Edwicket Couldn’t agree more. So far this game seems criminally underrated, even if the aggregate is still a solid score. And I’m playing on OG Switch!
Hunters was so visually horrible I couldn’t even play past the first half hour. Moving from MP1 was just too rough. Can’t believe this game is scoring lower.

I think this list is also a good reason why you shouldn't take it seriously.

Having a pretty great time so far! I need at least two runs before I start to compare it to the other prime games but the first two hours have been fantastic.

Just for fun, here's my ranking for the mainline games:

Super
Dread
Zero Mission
Fusion
Samus Returns
2
1
Other M

I love them all, though (except for Other M).

@JohntheRaptor the exploration and secrets of discovery are one of a kind in Metroid Prime 1.

@LikelySatan oh? How amusing.

Really not an FPS fan so I'll leave those out of it but of the ones I have really dug into I'd personally rank them best to worst...

Fusion
Super
Dread
Samus Returns
Zero Mission
Other M
2
1

@KoopaTheGamer Different time. It was a technical showpiece for the DS and just having Prime gameplay on a handheld was amazing for 2006. Plus an online FPS for a handheld was a novelty (and it did it very well). I imagine most of the reviews at the time amounted to “the single player is OK but it’s the online you should really buy it for.”

Nowadays taken for what it is, yeah it definitely shouldn’t score so highly but I loved it at the time and can see why it was reviewed favorably.

@flighty he straight up lies in his review, though. And I am a subscriber. "Only two enemy types." Huh?

@Elektrogeist1287 there exists a sequel.

How on earth is Metroid Prime 4 below Metroid Prime Hunters? That makes absolutely no sense. Don't get me wrong, Hunters did some things right. The controls work amazingly well, it has multiplayer, and it's visually among the best DS offers. But as a singleplayer experience, it's extremely mediocre. No proper upgrades (only weapons), only two different boss types etc make it one of the worst games in the series.

Edit: I disagree with the list in other ways as well. I much prefer 2D Metroids over Prime series.

I’ve adored it so far (just got Vi-o-La). Looks incredible, extremely polished and the pointer controls are amazing on Switch 2 (I guess the gyro in the new joy cons is a lot better than the old ones).

@kal_el_07241 SS is more powerful then a Switch 2.

@Banjo- agreed. Ubisoft gets a lot of hate yet when you think about it they have minigames, outposts, collecting, combat, puzzles, whatever and as others put it more in a scenario way then I do it adds up to a lot.

I thought Watch Dogs had a fair idea but not great use of it.

I thought Sonic Feontiers fit the character well as a platformer and movement focus. So no matter the ramps it looked great.

Just because players who don't make Sonic fan games don't get how it looks when assets are applied in such a way.

Like a skating game the level design needs good skating design not always reality.

Or Extraction had a good mechanic but bad angle to it and players like the realistic angle.

I myself don't care for Ubisoft's open qorld dssign as I focus on gameplay impact and to me it isn't but to most its likely repetition while it still fits enough of the premise of Vikings, Assassins, etc. Settings.

Far Cry 6 didn't do much but had enough to fit its premise.

Raycevick's video on Ubisoft games os very good. The hatred but also why thr studios do whay they can, can't evolve ghr games but fit enough of the marketing.

Have variety of shooters, settings, action adventure games, things to do in them for those types, sports games, live service and mroe. They have so many audiences type products yet it's the formula.

They have so much to do its exhausting but it also makes sense those games can last a year or more. Depending on pacing.

I respect what settings and reach but thr formula has irs issues.

Or people complaining for a narrative then thinking what they are getting.

I prefer more interactivity then the movesets and level design.

Or in Infamous Second Son I prefer its side missions scenarios.

It varies.

@Scrubelicious

If you think that mediocre scores for this game are just there to generate clicks, read the very insightful review from Eurogamer. Alex Donaldson is a journalist with high reputation and great writing skills.

https://www.eurogamer.net/metroid-prime-4-beyond-review

@Yalloo once again thanks for your advice a d thoughts. I did go ahead and redownload and..... actually quite a bit better. Whilst the Switch 2 improves many things with performance I was unaware that it had received a large update a few months after I finished it that fixed some of the issues it had. Still has those teeny little cars though..... Much better, but still doesn't match 2 or 1 in my opinion. But I am enjoying it much more.

Personally liked the missile and plane mini games that threw back to Space Harrier and Afterburner (put that in a Like A Dragon Club Sega please Sega, and Golden Axe).

The story was a bit of a mess though although I didn't know there was a planned 4 at the time. But I do hate the (SPOILERS SPOILERS) trope of the person you rescue actually being the villain, it rarely makes sense when you think about it in most stories (END SPOILERS).

But thanks again, enjoying it much more now following the fixes and changed expectations (and better personal work life 😂)

From the moment those desert bike sections were revealed, I had a sinking feeling that they were going to detract from the game.

@Lilligant562 my comments are a mess yes. Enjoy the game it won't be bad.

I am just assuming what they could have or did or whatever. I will buy the game later. Maybe for Christmas.

Can I not speculate? Even if it was a day or so early? Or before I buy it.

Prime 4/Bayonetta 3 were my Switch wants. Gotten more out of others on thr platform too.

So what BOTW shrines or chests using items to get to them, have is stale 30+ years old gameplay ok then is it bad though no?

It suits that series. They didn't dumb the series down they kept it in as it works for Zelda games.

As badly as I am wording it yes. It's a thought. The atmosphere is good, NPCs if used well for power suits, beams and more I am totally fine with in an open world. If fun quests sure.

Does that make that more clear?

I am fine with them changing the formula or keeping it the same its up to how. Thats broad yes but I have to make comparisons or explain details. I don't do tweet length posts.

I have played Prime series. I have played Zelda likes. Pikmin. Any 3rd parties. Past trend modern trends, I play for game design clearly.

I had no issues with open worlds but what they fill them with.

If you read that you would get the point. Again as badly worded as my comme t is yet I agree. I can own up to that.

It's an assumption of it would be cool, not a claiming the game is bad if it doesn't.

I will look at footage sure.

How can I make a point if not examples of other old or last few years games?Thats making citations isn't it? Sigh.

Yes I do ramble.

Yes it's a niche series I know that. So what. It got enough dev time it could have anything in it.

I'd drop Prime 3 down a few places purely because I have a strong aversion to mandatory motion controls, but other than that (and maybe Hunters) it's hard to argue with the list! Beyond is great so far though, after just a few hours of play. Excited to keep exploring. A big welcome back to the Prime series from me!

Since when was scoring an 80 or 8/10 bad.

@Banjo- S1 handheld looks very blurry, with OLED making the bluriness even more obvious. This review is right in pointing out the sub-720pness.

@Misima i will say, if you're at all an artist of the art or animation variety, you'll most likely love this game way more than you reasonably should.

im one of those people it's so easy to gawk at this game sometimes

Glad to hear, though personally I very quickly after buying it decided this game is very firmly not for me, didn't click with it at all.

I am enjoying Beyond more than any of the other Prime games so far. Only a few hours in but all of the concerns about the extra characters seem overblown so far (Sol Valley, even with radio calls seems like the most isolated place in the series, genuinely like waking up on some distant planet).

Those saying about Dread I think a lot of people (myself included) took issue with the insta-death sections and occasionally massive difficulty spikes (the final boss probably accounted for about 30% of my total playthrough!). I think they patched in an easy mode later though.

@NintendoWife to me Metroid is a scifi Zelda with powers and suits instead of special items.

I don't know about the open world yet. These games aren't RPGs either they are action adventure games that happen to have guns.

They are exploration games. Portal has a puzzle gun doesn't make it a shooter it's a puzzle game.

Metroidvanias are about exploration and it3ms to progress in combat or exploration.

If you want more inviting worlds sure Metorud is more isolated its also inspired by Alien movies so yeah isolated environments and odd times other characters if need b3.

Also scifi instead of fantasy.

Sure first person instead of 3rd person for the Prime series compared to the 2D Metroid games they could offer 3rd person but I assume its done in purpose. Even the platforming is 1st person style animations and feel. Not a fan but it is that way by developers.

They are similar enough games but also have their differences too.

Nintendo is good at that offering enough similar but vast distinction.

Even Mario universe sub series have different gameplay per character's series.

But Metroid games aren't for everyone. Due to its structure being a vit partiuclar at times.

@Galaxy2IsTheGOAT I agree. And this is coming from someone that at first, didn't like Dread at all. I thought it was probably a decent action platformer in itself, but not a great 'Metroid' game.

I came back to it though and stuck through it, and I'm glad I did, as my opinion completely flipped. One of the very finest Metroid games IMO, and a great game in general.

If it has good power suit/abilities puzzles then yes. I enjoyed prior Prime games but most felt like fair environments and abilities to unlock doors. If they offer good puzzles then yes I am interested.

Atmosphere is always great in these games.

If only they designed the console with a built in screen so it’s portable…

@Scrubelicious The fact is the desert is extremely barren, the green crystal collecting is ridiculous and the powerups have extremely niche usage. There are "Metroidvanias" that ironically have far surpassed the Metroid formula nowadays.

This game is very flawed and the reviewers just pointed the obvious out. If you just want to close your eyes to the game's flaws because you enjoy it, it's your choice. Reviewers need to actually point out the games qualities and flaws so people make an informed decision.

Very disappointing to see Metroid Prime 4 ending up so low.

Really a shame that they insist on shoehorning open world design into every franchise these days.

I'll probably get Octopath Traveler 0, albeit on PC.

Personally I'm enjoying MP4 a lot. I don't see how this would rate so differently from Corruption. But hey, who cares!

If they had the old games included Super Metroid would easily claim #1

I’d say times are different, and that Prime 1 wouldn’t get a 97 today, but holy crap I didn’t realize the remastered version got a 94. Should I cope further and say that nostalgia carried it? Because I’m shocked Prime 1 gets a 94 today while Prime 4 is on the cusp of 79. I wonder what’s so different about it that the review aggregate considers it a lot worse? I have to play this for myself and find out.

@JohntheRaptor Yeah it’s the 3D fps series. It’s kind of combined shooter and classic Metroid but in 3D.

@DankDonk Yeah same! There’s so much polish and inventive design. My favorite improvement from the older ones are the increased scale of non just the set pieces , but in fights there is a lot more space to move around.

I've never played Metroid so I have no idea what is different about Prime. I assume it's the fps series?

@Anti-Matter Nah Sony's killing of physical media, the PS6 probably won't even come with a disc drive.

I can hardly put the game down.
Definitely up there with Prime 1 for me.
Feels like the first exclusive first Party game that really takes advantage of the new hardware in a way that feels next gen to me. (And yes I realize it was built for last gen too.)

ZOMG NL you tease me with a phantom restock of the squishy! I've wanted it forever 😭

@Scrubelicious If you want some facts as to why it might deserve a low rating, watch Skill Up's review.