It’s been tough for fans of the Metroid series, while plenty of Metroidvania-inspired titles are released every single year it just makes the longing all that more painful. Metroid Prime 4 was “announced” back in 2017 during E3 and by that I mean we got a 30 second shot with a logo and that has been it for almost 5 years, the project has seemingly been stuck in continuous limbo with studio swaps and what appears to be a very high turn around with staff.
So imagine my surprise when what appears to be a brand new fan-made 2D Metroid showed up today recreating the original Metroid Prime in 32-bit sprite art glory. Calling itself just Prime 2D, it clearly showcases a lot of familiar aspects from the original but refrains from mentioning any particular references like Samus, Ridley or Chozo. The project has been worked on by a group of volunteers on and off for several years dubbed “Team SCU” and plays like a twin-stick side scrolling shooter, but relegated to the mouse and keyboard which I have never been the biggest fan of.
This demake decides to skip the opening space station altogether and has you immediately landing on the planet Tallon IV. From there you immediately recognize several areas that have been meticulously broken down only to be rebuilt as a sidescroller, including one of Prime’s most important features, the Scan Visor.
While the game appears to be a faithful recreation of the Gamecube classic, don’t be surprised if things go off in a different direction at times. I’m sure we all remember the Hove Mecha, the first boss you fight after landing on the planet and required to unlock the missile ability, while it starts off basic enough with it shooting out hordes of wasps at you. Soon enough, the mecha transforms and dives into combat itself, hurling missiles and hives at you itself
Of course this isn’t the first Metroid fan made game and it certainly won’t be the last, I’m sure everyone is familiar with AM2R, which attempted to recreate the Game Boy’s Metroid 2 in the style of Fusion and Zero Mission. It was released in 2016 but ultimately it was overshadowed by Nintendo’s own remake a year later on the 3DS before eventually being taking by Nintendo.
Which just begs the question, how long does the demo have? While we can certainly discuss how Nintendo’s litigious nature can be a serious determent, it goes without saying that Prime 2D will eventually end up like all the others, so before it is too late give the demo a try at the Prime 2D Forum’s https://forum.prime2d.com/t/prime-2d-demo-v0-1-21-4-1/6582
The founder and Editor in Chief of UnboxedTV. Nintendo lover and not afraid to admit it, can always go for a good Indie Metroidvania with a nice cold Cider.