Physical edition of Metroid Prime Remastered for Nintendo Switch. It's interesting to hear that some retailers have already put the game on the shelves ahead of its official release date.
It's also great to hear that the physical edition will feature fully reversible cover art, with the option to display either the standard cover art or the artwork from the Japanese release. Reversible cover art is always a nice touch for physical releases, and it's good to see that more Nintendo Switch games are starting to include this feature
Metroid Prime Remastered for the Nintendo Switch will have fully reversible cover art, according to Reddit users who were able to obtain copies of the edition ahead of its upcoming release. While Metroid Prime Remastered was made available as a digital download during this month's Nintendo Direct livestream, physical copies will be available in stores on February 22 in North America and March 3 in Europe and Japan.
Although it's uncommon, it is not unheard of for retailers to reveal a forthcoming release's street date. This happened over the weekend when a Reddit user going by the moniker of u/Beneficial-Trash3078 stumbled into their neighborhood store and discovered Metroid Prime Remastered already on the shelf.
Metroid Prime Remastered physical release features the Japanese cover as reversible box art https://t.co/DziCgZxvCC photos posted by u/LegoFan12345 pic.twitter.com/qrFMFTyTYm
— Nintendeal (@Nintendeal) February 18, 2023
Nintendo Switch game covers with reversible cover art are quite rare. The inner side of the cover sleeve for the majority of physical versions is either blank or features a non-reversible, landscape-oriented graphic that can only be seen in its entirety when the game case is opened. The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ and the Switch version of Bayonetta 2 are two physical Nintendo Switch releases that have previously included a reversible cover image. Last month, it was revealed that Ys Memoire: The Oath In Felghana's upcoming physical Switch release will also feature a reversible cover.
Although if it's not always the case, the great majority of Nintendo Switch titles featuring reversible cover art that do go into print are usually remasters or special editions. For instance, when Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 were released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, they each had a distinctive reversible cover. The decision to add a reversible cover with each physical Switch release is entirely up to the publisher because there is no industry standard or general style guide for the inner sleeve of Nintendo Switch games.
Fans are overjoyed that this small extra touch has been thoughtfully added to the long-awaited Metroid Prime remaster's physical release. It's a tiny gesture, to be sure, but one that only heightens the significance of such an eagerly awaited release.