Metroid Prime 4 — what we know so far

Metroid Prime four — what we know and so far

(Prototype credit: Nintendo)

Metroid Prime iv is a a game a lot of people are waiting for without really knowing much about it other than the fact that Nintendo is working on information technology, at to the lowest degree going by a single trailer.

What'due south unusual here is Nintendo wouldn't leave us hanging when information technology comes to news about Zelda, Mario or Pokémon. Just and then whole panel generations can go past without a new Metroid championship, and it's just business organization as usual.

While Metroid Prime number 4 for the Nintendo Switch, or given the fourth dimension that's passed peradventure the Nintendo Switch 2, is indeed on its way, Nintendo has handled the situation with its traditional Metroid caginess.

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Nevertheless, Nosotros've gathered what information we can about when the game might come out, and how it might play when it does. Hopefully, fans will be able to dive into a make-new Samus Aran take a chance soon. And if not, at that place's always Super Metroid on Switch Online.

Metroid Prime iv release engagement speculation

Metroid Prime 4 has seemingly been in development for a long time, but that'due south no indicator that it'll arrive anytime presently. Nintendo hasn't even hinted at a release year allow alone anything resembling a release date.

That's likely due to Metroid Prime 4'southward long development cycle caused by a significant retooling. On January 25, 2019, the game'due south producer, Shinya Takahashi, explained that the original studio developing Metroid Prime 4 (peradventure Bandai Namco, just information technology's anyone'due south gauge) didn't deliver a satisfactory product, and that the game was restarting development from scratch under Retro Studios.

This is good news for longtime fans, every bit Retro Studios developed the first 3 Metroid Prime games, all of which roughshod somewhere between "well-received" and "beloved." But information technology's besides potentially bad news, since it means that a game with at least three years of development time had to jettison all progress and first again.

Where does that get out Metroid Prime 4's release date? The serial timeline upwards until this bespeak doesn't necessarily help that much. There's no pattern to Metroid release times. Sometimes the series goes viii years without an entry; sometimes information technology gets two entries in a single year.

If Metroid Prime number 4 had been in development since 2017 and Nintendo pulled the plug in early on 2020, that may advise that the visitor had a 3-yr development bike in mind. Perchance, and then, we'll run into Metroid Prime number 4 in 2023 — although 2024 is more than likely. And by then, who knows if the Nintendo Switch will even be Nintendo's go-to platform?

In short, Metroid Prime 4 is likely a long fashion out.

Metroid Prime number four trailer

Nosotros do actually accept a brusque teaser trailer for Metroid Prime 4, although it's basically just the "Metroid Prime 4" logo materializing out of space. You can watch it yourself if you've got 42 seconds to spare:

Since the trailer debuted in 2017, information technology's technically referring to a different Metroid Prime iv experience than the 1 we'll somewhen become. After all, the game is at present in the hands of a totally different studio. On the other hand, simply stating that the game exists, and that it's in development for the Nintendo Switch, should still exist accurate.

Metroid Prime four gameplay

It'south hard to say anything concrete nearly Metroid Prime 4's gameplay, since we don't accept any screenshots or footage to work from. Even if nosotros did, though, information technology would likely be textile from the outset studio'due south build, and would therefore have no begetting on the Metroid Prime 4 that fans eventually get to play. Maybe the original studio was trying something dissimilar, and Retro has something more traditional in mind; maybe the reverse is truthful. We may not know for years, although it'll make an interesting postmortem someday.

At the very least, we can say that Metroid Prime 4 volition probably take gameplay like to the start iii Metroid Prime games. That ways it will be a first-person shooter with the same exploration and gear upgrade elements that you'd expect from whatever Metroid game. (The get-go-person perspective is a hallmark of the Metroid Prime subseries; if Retro wanted to make a side-scroller, then it wouldn't include "Prime" in the title.) Whether Samus will explore ane large planet, as in the first game, a planet with light and dark halves, as in the 2d game, or multiple smaller planets, as in the tertiary game, is anyone's judge.

Metroid Prime number Trilogy Switch remaster

Information technology's likewise worth at to the lowest degree mentioning the Metroid Prime number Trilogy Switch remaster here, since it'southward been a subject of fevered anticipation for at to the lowest degree as long equally the Switch has been around. Basically, fans really, actually want the showtime 3 Metroid Prime games to be remastered and bundled as a Switch release. The Metroid Prime series originally came out on GameCube and Wii, and while yous can purchase a digital packet on the Wii U, in that location's no such option on Switch.

Every few months, there'southward some kind of "confirmed leak" that the Metroid Prime Trilogy on Switch is about to go announced. Some retailer or other volition accidentally list it, or Nintendo will make an oblique Metroid reference, or someone whose uncle totally works at Nintendo, you lot guys, will claim that it'll be up for pre-order any day now.

The merely trouble is, every rumor, no affair how reliable information technology sounded, has proven to be pure bunkum. As of right now, the Metroid Prime Trilogy Switch remaster isn't a thing that exists. It would be nice to have, and information technology'southward completely conceivable that Nintendo is working on information technology. But there's no hard evidence, and then promise at your own chance.

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing groundwork, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. Afterwards hours, you tin can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.