The shadow drop of Metroid Prime Remastered was great news for fans of the series looking to relive the first title in the saga ahead of the upcoming Metroid Prime 4. A remaster of the GameCube title is the perfect way to introduce the game to new audiences, and reviews of Metroid Prime Remastered suggest that it is the ideal way to experience the classic sci-fi adventure. With how successful of a remaster this game is, more GameCube titles should receive a similar treatment going forward.
While other games from Nintendo's catalog of classics have made their way to the Switch either as remakes, remasters, or via the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service, many GameCube titles have yet to see modern re-releases. With the popularity of many Nintendo franchises with entries on the GameCube, it would make sense to capitalize on the success of Metroid Prime Remastered and give more GameCube titles a similar overhaul. Now is also the perfect time to do so as the GameCube is in the sweet spot where it has just become retro enough where re-releases of its games could draw in many nostalgic players.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance Has Yet to Be Re-Released
The Fire Emblem series a grow in popularity significantly since the days of the GameCube. What was once a niche strategy RPG sereis has evolved into one of Nintendo's most popular franchises, and the recent release of Fire Emblem Engage gives players a chance to familiarize themselves with characters from the series past. Without having played Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance or its sequel, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, players may only have experience with the protagonist Ike through his appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series or the mobile title Fire Emblem Heroes.
Players wanting to experience Ike's origin story in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance can only do so by playing a copy on the original GameCube, which is easier said than done given how rare and expensive copies of the game can be. To remedy this lack of accessibility, Nintendo should remaster the game for the Switch along with Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn to make the complete Tellius saga available on a modern platform. Now that players have gotten to know Micaiah and Ike in Fire Emblem Engage, releasing this duology of games make more sense than ever before.
Now is the Perfect Time for a Pikmin 1 and 2 Remaster
With Metroid Prime Remastered released ahead of Metroid Prime 4, the upcoming release of Pikmin 4 warrants a remaster of Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2. Although both games have been released outside their initial launch, receiving releases on the Wii as part of the New Play Control! series of re-releases, the games are still worthy of a release on a modern platform like the Switch. If these titles received remasters on the Switch, the entire mainline Pikmin series would be available on the console with Pikmin 3 Deluxe available now and Pikmin 4 set to launch in Summer 2023.
Remasters of these games wouldn't be too difficult given that Pikmin 3 Deluxe and Pikmin 4's existence means much of the assets for the series already exist in an HD format. Although it's unlikely Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2 remasters would release in the time before Pikmin 4 launches, the success of this upcoming title could motivate Nintendo to re-release the two entries missing from the Switch. Regardless of the success of Pikmin 4, modern audiences deserve to experience the first two entries in the franchise on a modern platform.
Metroid Prime Remastered is available now for Nintendo Switch.
