When Nintendo unveiled the gameplay for the highly anticipated Switch 2, there were plenty of brand-new experiences to get excited about. But for me, the standout highlight of the showcase was a familiar but thrilling sight: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
As a long-time fan of the series, wandering through the demo level of Metroid Prime 4 felt like a blend of nostalgia and anticipation. The demo level was familiar territory, bearing just the essentials that veteran players know well. It’s likely an early game segment, set before Samus Aran’s power suit receives those impressive new telekinetic upgrades.
In this intense ‘base-under-siege’ scenario, Samus comes equipped with her trusty arm cannon, missiles, scanner, morph ball, and bombs. While these are well-known tools in her arsenal, they make the experience feel like a direct sequel—an evolution of past games. Yet, there’s a lot more under the hood than just these basics. Other glimpses of the game suggest an influx of new abilities and mechanics not shown in the Switch 2 demo.
Nintendo and developer Retro Studios seem to have intentionally chosen this simple segment. It’s built to be quick and engaging, helping players focus on the evolution of the Metroid Prime experience on the new hardware without distraction.
The moment I took my seat, the Nintendo representative was keen to point out, “This is running at 120 frames per second.” It was their opening line, something of a rarity for Nintendo, who usually shy away from performance stats. But here, it’s a different story—and rightly so.
Indeed, Metroid Prime 4 on the Switch 2 is an impressive upgrade from the original, compatible with hardware statistics from Nvidia that some might find a bit questionable. The game runs at native full HD (with a 60fps option at 4K), and it’s smooth as butter at 120fps. It’s undeniably more polished than the original Switch version, at least from what I’ve glimpsed in streams since the older version wasn’t available for comparison in person. The high frame rate is a standout feature, feeling almost un-Nintendo-like in its emphasis—but once you pick up the controller, everything clicks.
I’m not suggesting you pause the game. No, I’m referring to the innovative control system. Within the Switch 2’s unveiling, a standout feature is the ability to lay the Joy-Con flat on a surface—your lap could suffice, but Metroid requires a mat—and use it like a PC mouse. This innovation fits seamlessly with certain games.
For example, Civilization 7 at the Switch 2 event capitalized on this control method, mirroring its PC version. Metroid Prime, a franchise with both adventure and first-person shooter elements, benefits too.
The integration of mouse controls in Metroid Prime 4 is nothing short of ingenious. The key innovation? It doesn’t require toggling. You can hold each Joy-Con in hand like a standard controller, and the game plays traditionally. But position the right Joy-Con as a mouse and lay it flat, and without touching a settings menu, the game switches to mouselook. It’s intuitive, it’s there.
You already know how mouselook should feel, so let me assure you: Metroid Prime 4 feels like a genuine mouselook masterpiece when using this setup. It’s as responsive and precise as you’d expect. This fluid capacity to switch control methods is a revelation.
While the demo focused heavily on combat without much of the signature Metroid puzzle-solving, I quickly found my groove. Navigating the world, scanning objects, and tackling minor enemies happened with the Joy-Cons together, but intense combat had me instinctively shifting to mouse controls.
Confronting a boss solidified this hybrid control charm. The boss, robust with glowing spots and vulnerable moments, was far easier to tackle with the mouse precision. It felt like cheating—and in the realm of Nintendo games, such aiming proficiency was unheard of outside taking liberties with the system’s software.
Pair this fluid control with the stunning 120fps visuals, and the experience was surreal. It felt borderline illicit to have such performance in a Nintendo game. But it also fixes a perennial grievance with the original Switch, where many games, despite being visually fine for a handheld-console hybrid, faltered in performance. If Metroid Prime 4 is a sign of what’s to come, I’m eager for more performance-oriented updates and new games, even if they don’t feature vast graphical changes.
When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond releases later this year, there might be an iteration for the older Switch model. But if you have the means, despite economic uncertainties, the Switch 2 is where it truly belongs—a true next-generation upgrade.
