Metroid Prime 2 Remake Hints Spark Hope Among Fans and Developers Alike

The anticipation around Metroid Prime 4 continues to grow, and fans are finding themselves asking one question again and again: where is Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Remastered? In a new art book titled Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective, set to release on October 28, 2025, longtime series producer Kensuke Tanabe himself seemed to fan those flames. Reflecting on the multiplayer mode of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Tanabe praised Retro Studios’ craftsmanship and added a tantalizing thought – that if the game were ever remade, he’d be thrilled to see more players finally experience it.

That one statement was all it took to send the community buzzing again.

It’s not hard to see why. The Metroid Prime Remastered release in 2023 proved that Nintendo and Retro Studios could breathe new life into the franchise. The updated visuals, refined controls, and overall polish were nothing short of spectacular – a 10/10 experience by many accounts. Naturally, the next logical step seemed to be Echoes, the darker and more challenging sequel. Yet, as Metroid Prime 4 nears its December 4 launch, Nintendo remains oddly quiet about any remaster plans for the rest of the trilogy. Fans are understandably frustrated by what feels like another lapse in Nintendo’s logic – much like the continued absence of major Pokémon titles from the Nintendo Switch Online service.

Right now, the only way to play Metroid Prime 2: Echoes legally is by digging up an original GameCube or Wii disc. The Metroid Prime Trilogy release for Wii – which bundled Prime, Echoes, and Corruption – has become a rare collector’s item. Those who still own it guard their copies closely, while others resort to fan emulation tools like Dolphin with PrimeHack, where HD textures and modern controls make the game feel almost new again. Ironically, that unofficial route might now be the most practical way to revisit Echoes – something that highlights just how much Nintendo is leaving on the table by not reissuing these classics.

The multiplayer mode Tanabe referenced was a fascinating but underappreciated experiment. At the time, Echoes introduced local split-screen battles that, while technically impressive, felt limited compared to the online standards that would emerge soon after. Reviewer Matt Casamassina once noted that while Echoes remained a top-tier experience overall, the local multiplayer setup couldn’t quite capture the momentum of the single-player masterpiece. If Nintendo ever greenlights a remake, fans hope it won’t just be a graphical facelift but a true modernization – online support, quality-of-life updates, and smoother transitions between the game’s light and dark worlds, which some players found visually draining or confusing back in 2004.

Even so, the idea of re-releasing Metroid Prime 2 isn’t just nostalgia. It’s smart timing. With Prime 4 on the horizon, the chance to reintroduce players to the full saga makes perfect sense. Imagine a Switch-era trilogy – Prime 1 Remastered already stunning, followed by a fully reworked Echoes and Corruption – culminating in the long-awaited sequel. That would be a dream lineup, and fans are not shy about voicing it. Some even speculate that Nintendo is holding back those releases as part of a longer-term strategy – though others joke that waiting for Nintendo to move on remasters is like waiting for Ridley to actually stay dead.

Until then, collectors continue dusting off their GameCubes and Wiis, while the rest of us cling to our hope – and our emulators. Whether or not Metroid Prime 2: Echoes gets the remake treatment soon, the enthusiasm surrounding Tanabe’s comment shows one thing clearly: the love for Metroid Prime is as alive as ever. And perhaps that’s exactly what Nintendo needs to see before flipping the switch on one more journey into Aether’s haunting twin worlds.