Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – First Look on Switch 2 (and Switch 1)

🎮 Introduction — The Prime Feeling Is Back

From the opening minutes, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hits that unmistakable rhythm: quiet corridors, eerie soundscapes, a puzzle you don’t fully grasp yet, and the creeping realization that you’re threading a loop you’ll master on your next pass. That’s the Prime magic we’ve been waiting for—and it lands immediately on Switch 2, with cleaner image stability and snappier input feel that help every scan, strafe, and charge shot. Our First Look has been short but sweet: the atmosphere is thick, the progression loop feels right, and the “scan → unlock → route rewire” cadence is alive and well.

We’re especially surprised by the optional mouse-style aiming mode on Switch 2—it feels natural for lining up weak points and quick micro-adjustments (we’re still deciding if it’ll replace our usual dual-stick+motion habit long-term, but the first impression is strong). Early previewers and reviewers are calling this out too, noting that the new aiming options broaden how you can play without breaking the Prime identity.

To help frame our First Look, here’s what day-one reviews are saying—and how that matches what we’ve felt so far.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (Switch 2 Edition)

Samus returns with atmospheric exploration, new abilities, and enhanced performance on Switch 2.

📰 What Early Reviews Agree On (Day One Roundup)

• Atmosphere & classic Prime loop
  Multiple outlets highlight the moody isolation, layered level design, and ability-gated progression as the series’ main strengths returning intact. Boss arenas and routing puzzles are frequent standouts. That mirrors our feel: when Prime 4 is simply being Prime, it sings.

• New aiming options / “mouse mode”
  Coverage praises mouse-style aiming as a legit alternative (especially on Switch 2), while some writers still prefer motion for that signature snap. Our take matches: mouse-style is startlingly good for precision; motion remains wonderfully “Prime.”

• Contentious additions
  Early reviews call out a bland desert overworld hub and talkative companion characters that undercut solitude—issues that fade when the game funnels you into denser, interior-style spaces. If you love the silent, lonely side of Prime, expect some early friction between big-hub pacing and the tighter “dungeon box” excellence.

🧪 Our First Sessions — Hands, Eyes, Ears

Controls & feel. Dual-stick + motion is still a winner for us; the mouse-style option on Switch 2 is shockingly usable for glyphs and weak points—we’ll keep testing to see which we stick with. (Reviewers are split the same way: “great option, not mandatory.”)

Readability & pacing. Indoors, readability is excellent: bold silhouettes, clean specular cues, and audio tells that make boss punish windows fair. In the open desert hub, some outlets report pacing drag—our brief time there suggests it’s better treated as a connective space, not a playground.

Performance. On Switch 2, early tech impressions are positive (higher, steadier frame-rates; faster loads), with some reviewers even citing very high refresh modes. We’ll stress this more in our full review, but so far the responsiveness feels great for an FPS Metroid.

Nintendo Switch Pro Controller / Pad of Choice

If mouse-style isn’t your thing, a comfy pad + motion aiming remains our favorite Prime feel.

🔁 Progression & The Prime Loop (Still Gold)

You know the dance: scan a mystery, suspect a traversal answer, mark it mentally, then return later with the tool to thread that route. Day-one reviews confirm Prime 4 preserves this cadence while layering in new abilities (some call them “psychic powers” with mixed utility). The new stuff won’t eclipse the fundamentals—and that’s probably the point.

🆚 Switch 2 vs Switch 1 — Editions & Upgrades

The landscape right now: Switch 2 Edition with enhanced features, and a Switch 1 version that can be upgraded via a Switch 2 Upgrade Pack when/if you move hardware. That means families can buy confidently on current systems without losing the path to the better-feeling version later. Nintendo’s pages and reporting outline how the Upgrade Pack model works for Prime 4.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (Switch 1)

Play on original Switch today and upgrade later with the Switch 2 Upgrade Pack.

👨‍👧 Dad Perspective — Why This Clicks for Us

Prime’s solo immersion and short-session viability are a rare combo. You can meaningfully progress in 30–45 minutes: snap a scan route, test a shortcut, unlock a door, or down a miniboss and save. With headphones after bedtime, it’s pure flow—and the Switch form factor still shines (handheld or docked on Switch 2, handheld/docked on Switch 1).

If you’ve been waiting for a must-buy Switch 2 title that isn’t another platformer or racer, this feels like it. And it remains available on Switch 1, which we love for households with mixed hardware.

Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)

The best way to warm up: a pristine refresh of the original classic—perfect primer before Beyond.

🧠 Quick Tips (First Look)

• Pick a scheme early (dual-stick+motion or mouse-style) and stick with it for muscle memory. Reviewers like both; consistency beats fiddling.
• Treat the hub as a hallway, not a playground—chase interiors for the best level design.
• Scan everything. It’s storytelling and routing intel in one. (Critics emphasize how strong the atmosphere reads when you lean into scanning.)

📌 FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions