The Nintendo Switch 2 event had some crowd-pleasers, but for me, the standout was something a bit more familiar: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Despite the lineup of new experiences, this classic franchise has a special place in my heart, and the demo didn’t disappoint.
As a longtime fan of the Metroid series, the demo felt like a nod to the past, revisiting an area that seemed almost deliberately stripped of new features. I suspect it’s likely from the very beginning of the game, before Samus gets those impressive telekinetic power suit enhancements.
In this intense base-under-siege part of the demo, Samus had her trusty arm cannon, missiles, scanner, morph ball, and bombs—classic elements every fan will recognize. This might give the impression that Metroid Prime 4 is just an extension of its predecessors, but we’ve had glimpses from other footage that assure there’s a lot more innovation under the hood. However, those futuristic abilities weren’t present in this first glimpse on the Switch 2.
Nintendo and Retro Studios seemed to have chosen this particular sequence on purpose. It’s short, fast, and straightforward, which means the focus is entirely on how the core elements of Metroid Prime look and feel on new hardware.
As I took my seat for the demo, the Nintendo rep caught my attention immediately with, “This is running at 120 frames per second.” That’s quite unusual since Nintendo rarely boasts about performance stats, but in this case, the reason was clear as day.
Metroid Prime 4 on the Switch 2 benefits from a significant hardware update compared to the original, supposedly much weaker, version. It’s a game created for older hardware now running natively on the Switch 2 in full HD, with an option for 4K at 60fps. At 120fps, the gameplay was silky smooth and visually more impressive than any footage I’ve seen from the original Switch, which wasn’t available to compare in person.
But let’s talk about the real game-changer: the new control mechanics. The Switch 2 introduces an intriguing concept where you can use the Joy-Con like a mouse. Sure, it had been hinted at during the Welcome Tour mini-game showcase, but actually experiencing it with a title like Metroid was eye-opening.
Other games like Civilization 7 showcased this mouse control feature, but Metroid was the one that captured my interest since it’s inherently a first-person shooter. The way mouse controls were integrated into Metroid Prime 4 is refreshingly simple. There’s no clunky toggle option; it’s a seamless transition. Just turn the right Joy-Con the right way, and voilà, you’re in mouse mode, ready for action.
This intuitive setup meant that during gameplay, when my actions were more methodical, I held the Joy-Cons like a traditional controller. But as soon as combat intensified, I’d slide the Joy-Con into mouse mode, tapping into that familiar PC gaming precision. It was like having the best of both worlds without any hassle.
The sequence I played was heavy on combat, but even without the traditional puzzles, I found a rhythm. In battle, transitioning between control styles felt natural. Some controls for scanning or morph ball maneuvers remained familiar, but when the fight heated up, I’d switch to mouse mode, achieving an impressive level of precision.
When I faced off against a boss, I relied solely on the mouse controls. The accuracy it offered made short work of targeting the glowing weak points during their vulnerable phases, all while others stuck to more conventional methods. The smooth performance at 120fps made everything feel almost too accurate, like I had some unfair advantage.
With this level of performance, I couldn’t help but think this must be what Switch titles always aimed for but couldn’t quite reach on previous hardware. Metroid Prime 4 represents a significant leap forward in terms of both visual fidelity and performance. For those who can swing it, the Switch 2 is clearly set to deliver the optimum experience when Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches later this year. As for me, I’m excited to see how this evolution plays out in future releases and upgrades.
