We have an interesting update on an old rumor.
Last January 2023, we reported a rumor from Nash Weedle claiming that Nintendo is preparing a new 2D Metroid title to release in 2025. At the time, we knew that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and the Nintendo Switch 2 were imminent, but we didn’t have the official announcements that we have now.
Nash Weedle also pointed out then that they correctly predicted Metroid Dread, which was a true longshot to get correctly. It wasn’t just that Nintendo hadn’t dropped hints or interest in making a new 2D Metroid, but also that no one expected that Nintendo would revive a game idea from nearly 20 years before. For that matter, everyone did forget that Metroid Dread’s creator, Yoshio Sakamoto, was still in the company and was really biding his time for the opportunity.
Nash Weedle was just asked about this the other day, to which he responded:
“tengo que contaros cositas, pero aún no puedo”
To translate, Nash Weedle claimed that he knows some things but he can’t talk about them. And so it seems he is holding onto his claim. Not only is this new Metroid real, but it’s still coming this year right on schedule.
If this rumor is true, it would be serendipitous for the Metroidvania / search action genre. In the same way that Soulsborne / maso-core style games seemed to have eaten up the market for arcade and stylish action style games, the genre pioneered by Metroid and Castlevania seemed to be giving way to roguelikes.
This could not have been more evident as when Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s financial underperformance led to the sequel being cancelled and its dev team being dissolved. Subsequently, the lower budget roguelike The Rogue Prince of Persia continues to exist in Early Access. We don’t make this comparison to express ill will towards the studio Evil Empire, but to point out that the trends are leaning towards some genres thriving at the expense of others.
We would like a gaming industry where all these genres can find their players, and there’s no reason for there to be no overlap. But it seems only Metroid or Castlevania can revive interest in those genres at the moment. While Konami’s core franchise seems to be doing well in collaborations with other games and their ongoing Netflix animated series, it seems only Nintendo is interested in keeping their IP alive with their actual games.
We don’t know if Nintendo saw ahead that they would be making a 2D Metroid to bring their genre back too, but Metroid Dread’s success definitely hints that they have the fanbase to make it happen. So now we will just have to wait and see if this game really does get announced, and what terrible vengeance Samus will wreak against the Mawkin.
