Summary
After what’s felt like a lifetime of waiting, the newest entry in theMetroid Primeseries,Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, finally has a proper trailer and release window. Unveiled in the latest Nintendo Direct,Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s trailer concluded seven years of agony for fans who had all but lost hope for the project. After lengthy periods of radio silence from Nintendo onPrime 4’s status, few ever would have expected the next game from developer Retro Studios to steal the show. Now thatMetroid Prime 4is both real and coming as soon as next year, fans can start building hype ahead of its 2025 release.
Many fans could surely be sated by pouring overPrime 4’s gameplay trailerfor months on end, especially with how much content Nintendo was generous enough to share. However, Nintendo could give fans far more to get excited about beforePrime 4hits store shelves. Back whenPrime 4was a proverbial white whale, manyMetroidfans were also holding out hope that the originalPrimetrilogy would receive a remaster of sorts. As has been the case with theMetroidfranchise as of late, a remaster of the first entry was unexpectedly released early last year, and now Nintendo has just two more boxes to check beforePrime 4.
The Clock For Metroid Prime 2 & 3 Remasters Is Ticking
AMetroid Primetrilogy remaster had been rumored to be in the works for years, and though a singular remaster of the first game was unexpected, it certainly wasn’t unwelcome.Metroid Prime Remasteredproved just how well the original game has held up, and how much potentialMetroid Prime 4could have.Retro Studiosfurther illustrated its mastery over the series as well, implementing several quality-of-life improvements that made the game feel like a fresh experience as opposed to a remaster for remaster’s sake.
Now thatMetroid Prime 4finally has a timetable, the time is now forMetroid Prime 2and3to get the remaster treatment. An ideal situation would be for the two titles to be released in one package, allowing players the opportunity to get caught up as quickly as possible. This would also likely be more consumer-friendly, especially if the bundle fell aroundMetroid Prime Remastered’s $39.99 USD price tag. Regardless of how they’re released, giving players the opportunity to play theMetroid Primetrilogy in its entirety would be an excellent way to prepare for one of the franchise’s most highly-anticipated titles in recent memory.
The Switch Could Become The Ultimate Metroid Machine
In addition to serving as the perfect preamble toMetroid Prime 4: Beyond, getting aPrime 2and3remaster on the Switch would be a significant milestone for the console. As it currently stands,Metroidfans are able to play almost every mainline entry in some form.Metroidand its remakeZero Missionare available, as areMetroid II: Return of Samus,Super Metroid,Metroid Fusion,Metroid Dread, andPrime Remastered. After years spent playing second fiddle to the likes ofSuper MarioandThe Legend of Zelda, it’s a welcome change of pace for the franchise, andPrime 2and3remasters would punctuate its resurgence.
To sayMetroid Prime 4: Beyondhas been a long time coming would be an understatement. Between all of its delays and general lack of updates over the last seven years,Prime 4’s Nintendo Direct trailer release was like a dam breaking. For its release to truly feel complete, however, it’s essential that Nintendo finds room forPrime 2and3remasters beforehand. After such a long development journey and so much time sitting in the backseat of Nintendo’s catalog, remastering the wholeMetroid Primetrilogy would only serve to perfectPrime 4’s release.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
The galaxy’s greatest bounty hunter Samus Aran will embark on a new mission in Metroid Prime™ 4: Beyond, coming to Nintendo Switch in 2025.
