It might be kind of easy and some chapters have their share of repetitive battles, but there is a ton here to appreciate purely as a work of art. From the deceptively simple yet satisfying combat, to the presentation, to the narrative structure, to the music, there's something here for any JRPG veteran to enjoy while still being accessible enough for new and young players alike. I think Kingdom Hearts fans in particular kind of owe it to themselves to play it, as Yoko Shimomura's first major soundtrack with Square(soft) may very well be her best. I never played the original SNES fan translation so I have little to compare it to, but this remake blew me away on several occasions. Each chapter contains a nice little bite-sized adventure and they never overstay their welcome. Despite any small gripes I have, it's an experience like no other.

But for the love of God, if you make it to the endgame use a guide and save yourself the frustration.

Despite owning a GameCube since 2002 I never played this until now. As a kid I would get lost in Zelda dungeons for hours, if not days on end, so I stayed far away from the Metroid series as a whole for a very long time. Now with Dread and Zero Mission under my belt this re-release was the perfect time to jump in. And I'm happy to say that I was gripped from beginning to end. The atmosphere and sense of isolation in this game is unmatched, even by many modern titles. While I did miss the fluidity and tight control of the 2D titles, exploring a lush and expansive 3D environment as Samus was an absolute joy in its own right. The world is big but it's never too big, and unlike Dread getting from one end of the map to the other never became a chore. Which is a plus because this game has quite a bit of necessary backtracking.

Probably goes without saying that this remaster looks absolutely spectacular, and it's a testament to Nintendo and Retro's work that they can make a Switch game look THIS GOOD on outdated hardware. Let alone a reskin of an already twenty year old game. If this is what Prime 4 is going to look like then it's safe to say that it's in good hands. Now please give us 2 and 3 in the meantime, I'm dying to try them now!

Overall I had a great time with Prime, and I seriously regret not playing it sooner. I can easily see my appreciation for it growing more and more with time. One of the best GameCube games is now one of the best games on Switch. And with Nintendo's unusual decision to sell it at a reduced price, this is not one to be missed!