The Nintendo Switch 2 presentation had its share of excitement, yet for me, the spotlight was decidedly on something familiar: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Despite being a fan favorite, the demo of Metroid Prime 4 didn’t delve into unknown territories as much as one would anticipate for a seasoned player like myself. The selected area in the demo lacked fresh elements, suggesting that it might be from the early stages of the game, before Samus enhances her power suit with those anticipated telekinetic abilities.
In this sneak peek, Samus was equipped with her staple gear: the arm cannon, missiles, scanner, morph ball, and bombs. These are tried-and-true features, and while the demo seemed simply iterative of the past three Metroid Prime games, it’s clear from other footage there’s much more to anticipate with new abilities and mechanics. However, this Switch 2 hands-on was about the essentials.
Nintendo and Retro Studios seemed deliberate in this choice — quick, engaging, and focused on showcasing how the classic Metroid Prime gameplay feels on the new Switch 2 hardware. “This is running at 120 frames per second,” a Nintendo rep immediately mentioned as I sat down for the demo. Nintendo usually doesn’t prioritize performance metrics in their talks, but here, it’s evident why they did.
Indeed, the Metroid Prime 4 edition for the Switch 2 is essentially a significant upgrade for hardware that, according to some questionable Nvidia stats, is considerably weaker. Yet even then, it runs natively in full HD (and 4K at 60fps is an option), offering an absolutely smooth 120fps. It looks even better than the original Switch version—although I only have streamed content for comparison as the original version wasn’t on site. That frame rate, undeniably, is the standout feature. Honestly, it felt uncharacteristic for Nintendo. And then there are the controls…
By ‘controls,’ I’m not suggesting a pause in gameplay. I’m referencing the mouse controls. As highlighted in my previous discussions on the console and the interesting Welcome Tour mini-game collection, one of Switch 2’s standout features is the ability to transform the Joy-Con into a mouse by placing it side-down on any surface. This innovation seems perfectly suited for games that benefit from such control schemes.
During the Switch 2 showcase, we saw this with games like Civilization 7, whose mouse controls mirror those on the PC. Metroid follows suit naturally; while known for its metroidvania genre, the Prime games are fundamentally first-person shooters at heart.
What’s truly fascinating is how mouse controls have been woven into Metroid Prime 4. The most intuitive part? It’s seamless—no toggle. Holding the Joy-Con in each hand like a standard controller lets you play it akin to its predecessors. But reposition that right Joy-Con on a flat surface, and the game intelligently switches to mouselook. No need to fiddle with menus or settings—it just works.
If you’re familiar with mouselook dynamics, Metroid Prime 4 doesn’t disappoint. The precision is spot on, as one would expect. The real revelation is the adaptability between control modes.
Although my demo focused more on combat rather than the puzzle-like exploration Metroid is famed for, I quickly adapted. The Joy-Con 2s offer dynamic control; use them in one mode for scanning or morph ball tasks, flip them for combat, and engage the lock-on mechanic for swift targeting. When battles heated up, my instincts naturally placed the right Joy-Con in mouse position, merging my PC skills with gameplay fluidity. It’s like getting the best of both worlds.
Engaging a boss in this heightened gameplay environment, the mouselook offered an upper hand. Targeting weak spots with precision transformed the battle into a streamlined experience compared to those sticking to traditional controls.
The synergy between 120fps visuals and this cutting-edge control felt, quite honestly, almost illegal—it’s the level of polish and precision rarely seen in previous Nintendo hardware iterations unless you were pushing the boundaries in other
ways. Performance often fell short on the original Switch, especially considering most first-party games looked just fine. If Metroid Prime 4 is a glimpse into what lies ahead, I’m eager for more games that prioritize fluid performance over just visual upgrades.
With its launch set for later this year, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond might still hit the shelves for the original Switch. But in light of all the advancements, the Switch 2 is the ultimate platform for a truly next-gen gaming experience.
