Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launched on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 in December, but if you’re craving some more lore, Metroid Prime 1–3: A Visual Retrospective is a nice way to dabble in it, especially now that it’s on sale. Regularly $49.99, you can currently pick up the hardcover version for $41.08 (about $9 off) on Amazon and Walmart, one of the first discounts we’ve seen on a board book.
Developed in collaboration with Nintendo and Retro Studios, Piggyback’s 210-page retrospective is an excellent tribute to the past 20 years Metroid. The book itself resembles a work of art, stitched in a canvas hardcover, with a red embossed outline of the series’ iconic hero, Samus Aran. Inside you’ll find plenty of concept art and sketches spanning the entire trilogy – as well as Metroid Prime Remastered — including detailed illustrations of environments, common enemies and bosses. It even features concept art that never made it into the final games.
What really makes the book stand out, however, are the behind-the-scenes stories. It touches on everything from Retro Studios burnout to shipping Metroid Prime 2: Echoes to insights surrounding Nintendo’s secretive development process. The side notes by series producer Kensuke Tanabe are particularly entertaining as they reveal design debates from more than two decades ago.