We have a new rumor going around regarding the very much still hotly anticipated Metroid Prime 4.
Metroid Prime 4 was announced in 2017 for the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo had not really shared any details about the game outside of its existence. Of course, matching the precedent of prior Metroid Prime games, its reasonable to assume that it would also be a first person shooter with platforming, exploration, and puzzle solving elements.
Nintendo has not always given love to their orange armored space warrior, but Samus has had some decent representation on the Nintendo Switch thus far. The games Metroid on the NES, Metroid II on the Game Boy, Metroid Fusion on Game Boy Advance, and Super Metroid on the Super NES, are all available on Nintendo Switch Online.
That is not a definitive list of Metroid’s 2D titles, but there is more going on for the Switch. The platform also received Metroid Dread, the first full 2D Metroid game in decades, that actually does pick up the story from the other Metroid games. And it has Metroid Prime Remastered, a high budget remake of the first Metroid Prime game, that originally released on the GameCube.
So as of this moment, the Nintendo Switch is not the definitive platform for Metroid, but it’s on its way. Nintendo is only missing a few games from making it so, but now we’re talking about the promised new game.
NashWeedle has shared new insider information about Metroid Prime 4, which he claims he received word of from TGS 2023. NashWeedle has gotten more of these leaks correct than incorrect, so his leaks are taken more seriously than a random commenter would.
Nash claims that there are people who have already seen the game, meaning if it isn’t quite finished, it is in an advanced enough state that Nintendo feels comfortable showing it off at industry shows, but not to the public of course.
Nash’s source further claims that the company is actually in the middle of planning its marketing. While Metroid has been seminal in the history of games, and Metroid Prime has left a real indelible mark on the FPS genre, these games have not sold accordingly. With a platform as successful as the Switch, Nintendo definitely sees an opportunity to make Metroid’s fanbase bigger. So this may seem like a minor note, but it’s actually very important for the franchise. Nintendo will want to make Metroid Prime 4 more successful by miles over Metroid Prime Remastered.
Lastly, Nash claims that the technical deployment of the game is overwhelming, but it has a lot of new features as a result. This very heavily suggests, that just like Pikmin 4, Nintendo has spent the time keeping Metroid Prime 4 out of public eyes refining and perfecting it.
It also heavily implies that Metroid Prime 4 will push the Nintendo Switch to its limits. Unfortunately, like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it may be possible that Metroid Prime 4 will have some performance hiccups. Nintendo will definitely work around them to keep it playable, but if the game turned out that ambitious, we may not be ready for what’s coming up next.
Alas, as much as we would like to say that Metroid Prime 4 is being optimized for the rumored Switch 2, Nintendo has not changed messaging that this game is coming to the Nintendo Switch. But perhaps it will be a standout title for the platform when it does release.
