5 Switch games you should play while you wait for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
15.01.2024 - 16:07
/ digitaltrends.com
/ Tomas Franzese
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the first critical darling of 2024. In my own four-and-a-half star review, I call Ubisoft’s new game “a monumental achievement in approachable, seamless Metroidvania design.” I definitely recommend you pick that game up once it launches on January 18. And I think that it’s a fantastic fit for Nintendo Switch in particular.
If you’ve already played throughThe Lost Crown’s demo several times and are wondering what else you can play to whet your appetite for Ubisoft’s latest, then I recommend checking out these games on the Nintendo eShop.
Metroid Dread
The Lost Crown is a Metroidvania, so it’s helpful to understand why the genre’s name partially honors this franchise. Developed by Mercury Steam and released in 2021, Metroid Dread was the first original 2D Metroid game in almost two decades. The formula didn’t lose any of its luster during that time. Dread is another tightly designed platformer that plays to the genre’s strengths. It offers a satisfying feeling of progression with each new room or ability discovered, alongside eerie worldbuilding.
Related
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is big enough to justify its price tag
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will make you forget about The Sands of Time remake
Metroid Dread lives up to its name, as this is one of the tensest games Nintendo has ever released. Encounters with enemy E.M.M.I. robots are particularly nerve-racking, as those enemies can easily kill Samus and only get smarter throughout the adventure. Most of the time, you’re the most powerful being in a room in The Lost Crown; the opposite is true for much of Metroid Dread. As a result, that means the games pair together quite nicely. Once you recognize that The Lost Crown can stand toe-to-toe with a Metroid game, it’ll give you a better sense of just how well-crafted this new Prince of Persia game is.
The Making of Karateka
If you want to better understand the historical context of how the Prince of Persia franchise came to be, you should check out The Making of Karateka. Jordan Mechner is the creator of the Prince of Persia, and this interactive documentary thoroughly delves into the creation of Karateka, a game Mechner made earlier that heavily influenced the series. Because The Lost Crown is a throwback to the franchise’s 2D era, gaining an understanding of what led up to the creation of Prince of Persia should give you a better appreciation for everything like it that has come after.
Regardless of the Prince of Persia connection, this is also an incredibly innovative “remaster,” expertly capturing the cultural impact of a classic by emulating it for modern consoles. It’s a museum exhibit come to life as an interactive game, and you’ll never look at