Image via Nintendo, Retro Studios, and Piggyback
In the last five to ten years, we’ve seen Nintendo be a bit more open when it comes to additional media and merchandise based on its series. Art book, soundtracks, Lego sets, vinyl releases, and even a Super Mario movie appeared. The Piggyback Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective art book falls very much into those categories too, with the $49.99 tome being a massive, 208-page collection of insights into that particular line of games ahead of the fourth’s debut in December 2025. As you might expect, it’s a solid release that comprehensively shows what Retro Studios was working with when preparing the games.
To start, the design for the Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective art book is honestly very subtle. There’s Samus in her armor embossed in crimson metallic foil set against a black background on the cover. The back has a small, subtle logo. The name only appears on the spine. I do sort of wish there was an optional dust jacket for the sake of protection and extra decoration, but what’s here is very striking. It almost looks like an educational reference book, which is a fun aesthetic.
Once you get into the meat of it, I appreciated that this art book isn’t just about the original three Metroid Prime games. It covers those and Metroid Prime Remastered. Each game’s section is divided more or less into the same segments. It starts with sections dedicated to Samus and her suits. Then, there are ones dedicated to enemies like Bioforms and Entities, Bounty Hunters, Bosses, and in the case of the original game Chozo. Environments come up after that, covering both locations and world maps. As an extra treat, the original game also includes some storyboards.
The layout and handling of each page of the Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective art book also tackles things quite well. At 9 inches by 12 inches, it also falls just between A4 and B4 size pages. I really appreciated that, as it really lets us focus in on smaller details. The layouts also draw the attention to different images and designs naturally, with a sense of progression and movement to bright your eye across the page.
What also surprised me is the degree of commentary present and the feedback on the remaster. Yes, there’s an expectation of some blurbs throughout to provide context and descriptions. This is especially present on pages about bosses and other opponents. But there are so many instances in which there’s a substantial paragraph on the page going over details from development, design choices, and what the team was going for when working on the game. It’s quite insightful. And, as I highlighted the remaster specifically, it’s really helpful there. There are tidbits about the development and the art shown in that section really let me better understand what went into that release.
Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective is a really substantial art book. It’s educational and informative, of course, but in some ways it surprised me when it came down to just how much insight it provided. The degree of producer commentary, the way the layout and design lets us see so much of the production materials, and the fact that even Metroid Prime Remastered is covered makes it so much easier to understand and appreciate what went into these games.
The Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective art book is available now, and a preview is available via Nintendo’s official site.