Summary
The Switch era has undeniably been incredibly successful forNintendo, but I’m still desperately hoping for a more prolific future on Switch 2 for a series that still hasn’t had its fair share of the spotlight:Metroid. Aside from a few lackluster entries,Metroidhas been of a consistently high quality since it first debuted in 1986, and has been massively influential on the gaming industry at large. While there is a certain degree of auteurship involved in the series' slow output, its more recent successes have me quite confused about why Nintendo has allowed such an iconic IP to flounder for the better part of two decades.
In terms of historical importance,Metroidreaches close to the heights of Nintendo’s other two most iconic properties:Super MarioandThe Legend of Zelda, both of which have enjoyed more consistent releases since the 1980s.Metroidis the first half of the Metroidvania genre– or ratherSuper Metroid, the series' third game, specifically, alongsideCastlevania: Symphony of the Night, which together laid down the foundation for the still-popular genre. Beyond its influential accolades, though,Metroidhas a deeply interesting and important protagonist in Samus Aran, and the series fills a genre niche in Nintendo’s library. But I also just really want to play more modernMetroidgames, which are perfect for a platform like the Switch 2.
Metroid’s Long Dark Age May Finally Be Over
Just In Time For The Nintendo Switch Successor
When the brilliantMetroid Dreadwas released in 2021,it ended the long, 19-year wait for a proper sequel toMetroid Fusion. The series wasn’t dormant during all that time, but it wasn’t making any big strides after 2007. Most notably, from 2002 to 2007, all threeMetroid Primegames launched, effectively seeing the first-person shooter sister series from its inception to its hiatus in only five years. AfterMetroid Prime 3: Corruption, the series trudged along withMetroid: Other M,Metroid Prime: Federation Force, andMetroid: Samus Returns– a despised reinvention, an unnecessary co-op shooter, and a genuinely very good remake ofMetroid 2respectively.
Suffice it to say, for over a decade followingPrime 3’s release, the series was woefully stagnant – and I had almost completely forgotten my childhood fascination withFusionand thePrimetrilogy (the first three games were before my time). The lone glimmer of hope, however, wasSamus Returns, released for the 3DS in 2017. The remake was co-developed by Nintendo EPD and MercurySteam, the latter of which was, interestingly enough, fresh off development of the three latestCastlevaniagames, theLords of Shadowreboots.
I have hope – perhaps foolishly – thatMetroidcould be reemerging to play a more prominent role in Nintendo’s first-party line-up.
Successively declining review scores for the threeLords of Shadowgames likely didn’t inspire much confidence, butSamus Returnswas not only met with positive reception, it provided a blueprint for how 2DMetroidcould evolve. Freely firing in any direction (thanks to the 3DS’s analog stick), a melee counterattack, and a host of new abilities all transformedMetroid 2and modernized what was, at the time, 15 years of lost iteration. These would all carry over intoDread, but thePrimeseries is arguably just as important toMetroid’s identity, andMetroid Prime 4has had a notoriously rocky development, with thewhole project being restarted in 2019under the purview of Retro Studios, which created the first three games.
Retro Studios' stewardship isn’t the only instance ofMetroidbeing kept in relatively few hands. Nintendo’s Yoshio Sakamoto was instrumental inMetroid’s inception, directedSuperandFusion, and chose MercurySteam forSamus Returns, subsequently acting as a producer for it andDread. Sakamoto’s influence on 2DMetroidmay be a contributing factor to its sparse releases.
WithNintendo confirming a Switch successor is on the way, though, I have hope – perhaps foolishly – thatMetroidcould be reemerging to play a more prominent role in Nintendo’s first-party line-up. The timing is certainly convenient forMetroid Prime 4to be re-revealed, andan ambitious new entry to the largely dormant series is a perfect showcase of the new hardware’s capabilities.Metroid Prime Remasteredwas a reminder that the FPS series has an incredible ambiance, and the larger series' sci-fi trappings are perfect for demonstrating a new echelon of visual fidelity for Nintendo.
The prosperity of the Nintendo Switch, and the first-party games thereon, make it difficult for me to squareMetroid’s relative absence on the platform.DreadandPrime Remasteredare the series' only two releases for the Switch. Once again drawing comparisons to similar legacy properties,The Legend of Zeldahas had two incredibly ambitious entries –Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom– as well as a full remake inLink’s Awakening, a secondHyrule Warriorsspin-off, and theCadence of Hyrulespin-off on the platform. I don’t even want to try to count the number of games Mario has headlined on the Switch.
In fairness,Splatoonhas quickly emerged as a major franchise for Nintendo, and likeMetroid, received two releases on the Switch.
Samus Aran Deserves Better On Nintendo’s New Console
Metroid’s Groundbreaking Protagonist Has Barely Developed In Over A Decade
Metroidisn’t necessarily a series that needs overt storytelling – its narrative strengths lie in uncovering the secrets of the locations explored – but Samus as a character has undergone very little change in the 37 years since she debuted. There’s an argument to be made that character development is antithetical to Samus' purpose, that she’s largely a stand-in for the player. This aligns well with her original incarnation, whereit was only revealed that she was a woman when beatingMetroidin a certain amount of time– a groundbreaking revelation for women as video game protagonists.
In hindsight,Dreadfeels like something of a course correction for Samus as a character.
I’d be inclined to agree with the idea – her stoicism behind her Power Suit is certainly part of the appeal, much like Master Chief’s aloofness inHalo– if it weren’t for her story being so interesting. An interstellar bounty hunter, former soldier for the Galactic Federation, infused with the DNA of the ancient and mysterious Chozo race is simply too fascinating a framework. In hindsight,Dreadfeels like something of a course correction for Samus as a character, making up for the woefully misguided directionOther Mtook her in.Dreadexpands on her history as an adoptive child of the Chozo, but she notably doesn’t speak throughout the whole game.
Silent protagonists aren’t uniformly detrimental to themselves; in fact, it’s practically Nintendo’s specialty, with both Mario andLink largely declining to speakin their respective games. It’s simply unfortunate thatOther Mgave Samus plenty of dialogue with the results far less than ideal, soone of Nintendo’s few leading ladies has subsequently been quieted once again. I don’t need constant commentary from Samus, but hearing her interact with other characters in cutscenes would be nice. The longer Samus stays silent followingOther M, the more troubling that poor characterization of her becomes.
Metroid Fills A Gap In Nintendo’s First-Party Lineup
The Sci-Fi Series Can Flourish On Switch 2
All ofMetroid’s merits and intrigue aside,the series occupies a very practical space for Nintendo as a major games developer and publisher. The company’s menagerie of exclusives is otherwise devoid of the interstellar science fictionMetroidbrings to the table.Splatoonhas post-apocalyptic sci-fi leanings, but the squid-centric universe doesn’t hit all the same notes. Even after 37 years,Metroid’s setting remains interesting, even if there are a lot of messy continuity issues thanks to thePrimetrilogy taking place entirely betweenMetroidand its first sequel.
I’ve always felt there’s a funny, endearing sort of dichotomy toMetroid’s brand of science fiction. It harps repeatedly on the often unimaginative Space Pirates as faceless droves of villains, alongside recurring bosses like theseemingly unkillable Kraidand Samus' iconic archnemesis, Ridley. But for all its tropes and recycled characters,it also frequently broaches complex topics– genetic mutation, DNA splicing, bioengineering, genocide, planetary destruction, the downfall of an interstellar empire – alongside more personal themes, like adoption, parenthood, isolation, and being unsure of one’s own identity, or worse, afraid of it.
We’re approachingDread’s three-year anniversary, and onlyPrime 4is nebulously on the horizon.
There’s also the simple fact that Nintendo lacks Metroidvania and first-person shooter games in its catalog outsideMetroid. Both are perennially popular, even ifPrime’s tank-like, puzzle-heavy gameplay isn’t as bombastic as other FPS series. Metroidvanias seem to be particularly in vogue recently too.Hollow Knightfans are waiting with bated breath fornews ofSilksong’s release date(or any news, really),Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownbrought another beloved franchise to the genre, andAnimal Wellproved to be an awe-inspiring effort from a solo developer.
10 Best Metroidvanias To Play Right Now
There are many amazing Metroidvania games on all platforms, with varying degrees of quality, but here are the best available to play today.
While docking the Switch is the best way to playMetroid Prime Remastered(its lock-on combat isn’t terrible in handheld mode), classic, side-scrollingMetroidis perfect for Nintendo’s upcoming hybrid console.Dreadplays great in handheld, but its art design and slick gameplay also shine on the big screen. Unless the series goes through a major reinvention – which I find unlikely – it’s something of a two-trick pony, perfectly versatile enough for Nintendo’s machine.
I understand game development takes time, now more than ever, but we’re approachingDread’s three-year anniversary, and onlyPrime 4is nebulously on the horizon.Metroidis an incredibly resilient series thanks to its status, as evidenced byDreadbeing the series' best-selling game, but it’s incredibly disappointing to see it limp along. Nintendo has a tendency to reinvent the wheel, or at least put new rims on it, with each of its flagship series' entries, butMetroidfeels like it just needs consistent attention to really flourish, especially since it’s so well-equipped for the upcoming Switch 2 era.
Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread is the long-awaited sequel to Metroid Fusion, also known as Metroid 4, from Mercury Steam and Nintendo EPD. After surviving the events of the deadly X-Parasite outbreak in the previous game, Samus Aran is contacted by the Federation to investigate a planet known as ZDR, where the X-Parasite has supposedly been spotted. Upon arrival, she is ambushed by a mysterious warrior and soon hunted relentlessly by deadly federation robots once designed to track the X-Parasites. Samus must uncover the truth behind the warrior and the surviving parasites in this 2D action-adventure return to form for the Metroid franchise.
