While Mario and Link have been present on Switch with dedicated new adventures for some time now, one Nintendo mascot has been AWOL for what feels like an age.
Not long after the hybrid console’s launch back in 2017, Ninty confirmed to its legions of fans that a new entry in its acclaimed Metroid Prime series was in active development. That announcement was accompanied by a disclaimer that the fourth installment was still in its infancy and therefore wouldn’t be arriving anytime soon, but that was two years ago. With the Japanese publisher having confirmed semi-recently that the sequel has suffered a number of setbacks during development, there’s now no telling when exactly Samus Aran will make her long-awaited return.
Metroid Prime 4 is still a way out, then, but it appears there could be a silver lining amidst the disappointment. According to recent rumors, the Big N actually has multiple Metroid titles in active development, two of which are scheduled to release within the next two fiscal years. The information comes by way of prominent industry insider group LeakPandy, the meat of which you can find below.
Nintendo is planning 2 new Metroid titles that will release in the next two fiscal years respectively. One is a re-release of Metroid Prime Trilogy HD, the second one is a Super Metroid Remake that mimics Samus Returns in style and scope.
— LeakyPandy (@LeakyPandy) November 25, 2019
Yet another rerelease of the Metroid Prime Trilogy, originally released for the GameCube, should come as a surprise to no one. Wii owners were treated to an HD port several years ago, and it’s likely that a Switch version would be upgraded versions of those. The second project, on the other hand, is said to be a remake of 1994’s Super Metroid. If true, it’s possible that developer MercurySteam – which handled 2017’s Samus Returns – has been contracted once more to work on the series, but that’s complete speculation at this point.
Either way, assuming today’s revelations are accurate, fans can likely expect Nintendo to hold a Direct presentation sometime in the near future to reveal both. Watch this space.
