Today, I’m adding more games to the list of games that have seen improvements when played on Nintendo Switch 2. Let’s have a look!

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Metroid Dread

Genre: Metroidvania

Players: 1

Game Company Bad Behavior Profile Page: MercurySteam

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Review:

While I may not have been quite as enamored with Metroid Dread as some players, I still credit it with being the best new Metroid game on Nintendo Switch (you heard what I said, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond). Despite this, it has not yet, as of this writing, received any sort of Nintendo Switch 2 update. Still, we can take a look at it as-is and see if Nintendo’s more-powerful hardware improves it in any way.

Well, I can tell you that in terms of graphics and performance, you’re looking at the exact same experience. No improvements to resolution or framerate as far as I can tell.

That’s not to say there aren’t any improvements at all: the loading times have seen massive improvements. On Nintendo Switch, it took me 1 minute 14 seconds to load the game to the title screen, and an additional 1 minute 45 seconds to load a game save. Contrast this with Nintendo Switch 2, which took 5 seconds and 21 seconds. That’s a massive improvement!

That said, it’s a massive improvement that you’ll only see when you first fire up the game, so this isn’t a transformative experience that’s going to dramatically change the overall game on Nintendo Switch 2. However, it still is a noteworthy improvement, and Nintendo Switch 2 owners can take this as a reminder that Metroid Dread is still a great game, and it’s even better on Nintendo Switch 2… even if only in its loading times.

tl;dr – Metroid Dread is an excellent fifth entry in this series of 2D Metroidvania games, with stunning visuals, well-crafted gameplay, and excellent bosses, with improved loading times on Nintendo Switch 2. However, some of the level design and stealth elements here keep it from reaching the same highs as Super Metroid. Still, if you’re a fan of Metroidvanias, this game is a must-have for you. And if you’re a Metroid fan, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Grade: A-

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Metroid Prime Remastered

Genre: First-Person Shooter / Metroidvania

Players: 1

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Review:

Many players, myself included, considered Metroid Prime 4: Beyond to be a disappointment, and that’s partly because it just can’t live up to the original Metroid Prime, a game that is still to this day one of the best games Nintendo has ever produced, and which received an absolutely brilliant “remaster” on Nintendo Switch. And sadly, this sublime version of one of Nintendo’s greatest games has not, as of this writing, received a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition release, while Metroid Prime 4 has. Still, we can at the very least check out the game to see if it has benefitted at all from Nintendo Switch 2’s more powerful hardware.

For the most part? Not really. The framerates and resolution appear identical in both versions. To be clear, Metroid Prime Remastered was one of Nintendo Switch’s best-looking games, and it still looks incredible on Nintendo Switch 2. Except… well, it looks exactly the same amount of incredible.

The one change players will see playing this game on Nintendo Switch 2 is to the loading times: On Nintendo Switch, it took me 55 seconds to load up the main title screen, and an additional 2 minutes and 2 seconds to load a game save. Not great. On Nintendo Switch 2, those times are absolutely blasted away with 6 seconds to load to the main menu and 27 seconds to load a game save. This is a huge difference, even if you’ll only experience it every time you first start up the game.

Is the massive difference in loading times enough to make playing this game on Nintendo Switch 2 truly transformative? Well… no. But it’s definitely a nice improvement, and Nintendo Switch 2 players should definitely take this as a reminder that Metroid Prime Remastered is still every bit the brilliant game it was when it first released, and now on Nintendo Switch 2 it’s even better… even if only in its loading times.

tl;dr – Metroid Prime Remastered is a remake of a game that combines First-Person Shooter Gameplay with Metroidvania game structure, first released on the GameCube. Not only has Metroid Prime aged incredibly well, but this remake is outstanding, going above and beyond in its graphical improvements, control options, and bonus content, with the game benefitting from massive improvements to loading times on Nintendo Switch 2. The result is the absolutely definitive version of one of the greatest games ever made.

Grade: A+

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I hope you enjoyed this latest batch of Nintendo Switch 2 Difference Mini-Reviews, and found them to be helpful! Want to see all Nintendo Switch 2 Difference comparisons? Check out this page for links to every article where I’ve included these comparisons!

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