I distinctly remember the outcry when Metroid Prime was first revealed on the GameCube. “Metroid isn’t a first-person shooter!” the people cried, comparing it to Xbox’s Halo that released a year prior. Metroid Prime was a first-person adventure. It didn’t need twin-stick controls. It had a lock-on instead!
Over time, though, the Prime series has moved closer into first-person shooter territory as its controls have evolved. Metroid Prime 3 used the Wii’s motion controls to have players aiming directly at the screen, in a move meant to provide the precision of PC mouse controls but were actually a bit fiddly. This was replicated in the console’s re-release of the complete trilogy. Then, with Metroid Prime Remastered, twin-stick controls were properly implemented and proved to be the smoothest method of play after all. (Let’s just ignore Metroid: Other M and it’s dreadful Wiimote aiming)
Now we have Metroid Prime 4 on the way to Switch 2, yet another game in the series with experimental controls. For this one, Nintendo has implemented mouse capability. Flipping the Joy-Con 2 on its side and placing it down on a surface allows players to use it like a mouse, moving the on-screen cursor to aim and shoot directly just like on PC. It’s one of the few areas of innovation with the new console and it would appear Metroid Prime 4 is a key example to show it off. I got to try it out for myself at Nintendo’s Switch 2 event in London, but I’m not yet convinced it’s the best way to play.
In terms of pure shooting, mouse controls do offer a welcome level of speed and accuracy not yet seen in a Metroid game. Of course, this isn’t a game for popping off head shots, but turning and shooting does feel fast and smooth, especially in 120fps performance mode. And it feels like the game has been built for this kind of aiming. You can still lock-on to enemies with the left trigger, but then use mouse controls to delicately refine the aiming. The boss at the end of the demo – a hulking, tank-like space pirate that unleashes shockwaves with a stomp – has players locking on to its body, but then aiming at specific weak points away from the centre. Those points aren’t always vulnerable, meaning careful shots are required. Likewise, there are doors that require four locks to be shot while locked on – similar to past games, but clearly designed around these controls. At the very least, this setup proves Switch 2 is capable of near-PC levels of accuracy in FPS games…to a degree.
Shooting isn’t the issue, though, despite this short demo being particularly action-focused. Samus can jump around enemies and, while locked-on, double jump to dodge. This is awkward, though, with the Joy-Con 2 in mouse mode as jump remains on the B button and requires a sort of claw hand to hit with your thumb. Likewise, the morph ball (used in the boss fight to dodge energy waves) is on the Y button and is awkward to reach, while scanning enemies mid-battle is done with X while locked-on. One solution is to place the left Joy-Con 2 down too, and then use the L button to jump instead; in turn, this makes locking-on tricky on ZL. In time this could all prove fine, but initially it’s not an ideal setup – easy button presses are a payoff for clean aiming as the mouse controls stretch the boundaries of the game’s adventure roots.
The other issue with mouse controls – and this goes for all Switch 2 games that use them – is thigh-usage (stick with me here). Nintendo’s Switch 2 event had players sitting at desks using mouse controls on a mouse pad. This worked fine, but realistically I’m not going to be playing Switch 2 at a desk, I’ll be sitting comfortably on my sofa. As such, I played Metroid Prime 4 with each Joy-Con 2 placed on my thighs. This worked surprisingly well, with the controls still responsive despite being on an uneven surface. Nintendo told me the sensitivity can be tweaked too, allowing for smaller movements. Still, how usable this method is will likely depend on the size of your thighs: if you don’t have enough real estate to move the controller around, you’ll be moving based on quick adjustments rather than smooth, sweeping motions.
I also tested the mouse controls this way playing Mario Party Jamboree’s new minigames. These aren’t the most exciting of minigames and are instead another way of Nintendo showing off the mouse capabilities: we sorted letters into folders, played air hockey, and steered characters round an electric maze, for instance. Mouse controls were totally fine, but again thigh use proved cumbersome – with the hectic nature of the game, reliable controls are a necessity. Table play was definitely preferable.
Then there’s Drag x Drive, Nintendo’s wheelchair basketball game that’s essentially yet another spruced up tech demo. I love that this game exists as a sort of curio in the launch lineup, and the motion of steering a wheelchair does make sense with twin mouse controls using both Joy-Con 2. I also appreciated the use of rumble to mimic the feel of the wheels turning. Yet accurately moving and steering proves tricky, and considering this is meant to be a team sport, unless you’re facing the right way you often miss the action – there’s no option to turn the camera (your player’s head) while awaiting a pass from behind. The game is a fun idea that fails in practice, while rapidly rubbing my thighs with two Joy-Con 2 under the table probably drew the wrong sort of attention.
Thankfully for Metroid Prime 4, there are alternative control options. Holding both separated Joy-Con 2 in a regular manner reverts to traditional twin-stick controls, while placing the right-hand side down instantly switches to mouse aiming and back again, so it’s perfectly possible to seamlessly alternate based on the situation. Maybe a tense combat sequence or boss demands the precision of mouse controls, while exploration is more laidback. Further, aiming with ZL while holding the Joy-Con 2 traditionally allows for pointer aiming using motion controls, much like Metroid Prime 3, again allowing for improved accuracy.
There’s another option: the pro controller. I wasn’t able to try this at the event, but considering it won’t have pointer or mouse functionality, this will presumably offer the more familiar twin-stick controls from Metroid Prime Remastered. In all honesty, this is most likely to be my preferred playstyle – it’s not only what I’m already used to, it will allow me to sit back comfortably on the sofa to play with ease, rather than hunched over the coffee table or stroking my legs. Of course, this is how handheld mode will function too – though Metroid Prime 4 deserves to be seen on a big screen.
What’s more, Nintendo hasn’t clarified which control methods will be available with the game’s release on the original Switch. Mouse controls won’t be an option, but perhaps pointer controls will be?
In all, Metroid Prime 4 does wonderfully exemplify the varied control options Switch 2 provides. I just hope the changes in control style aren’t a sign the series is losing its adventure roots. The demo was presumably from the start of the game to offer an action-packed opening, as Samus joins Federation soldiers in battle against space pirates in the air and on the ground. It certainly looks beautiful – the lighting and reflective textures of Samus’ Varia Suit look gorgeous – but it feels closer than ever to that Halo comparison fans feared over two decades ago. I yearn to explore a hostile alien planet in total isolation, solving morph ball puzzles, and soaking in the strange atmosphere Metroid games are known for. Mouse controls certainly aren’t necessary for that.
