News Metroid Prime 4: Beyond new trailer, coming to Nintendo Switch in 2025

[Multiverse]

I think the pixel-peeping part of the visual criticism is whatever. I don't care if the space pirates' farts are volumetric or what have you. I hope the game has a high quality IQ on Switch 2, and if it does that will do me just fine.

But the gameplay.... Damn, I remember being back in my CS degree, almost 20 years ago, and spending evenings with friends coming up with ideas with how MP combat could improve for Metroid Prime 3 (which wasn't yet released at that time - and we were hyped!) We would then try to prototype some shit (with terrible results as we had no artists / animators, just coders lol - and our experience was mostly limited to 2d Metal Slug clones lol), but we had a TON of ideas. Not for new items, but for how the basic flow and gamefeel of combat could be improved - as we all agreed this was the main area the first two games could be massively improved.

From grappling hook attacks (which kind of made it into Prime 3!) to stun/interrupt windows on enemy attacks to active/passive shielding for samus (or enemies) to an adrenaline bullet-time feature (lol) a different base power beam - but most of all, by far - to a far different hit reaction, animation system and AI for enemies.

So, I guess I've had in my head ideas for what an evolution of Prime combat could look like for almost 20 years. That's two decades, damn. And these paid game designers at Retro would have 1000x the imagination and talent than me and my dumb classmates in their little fingers. Since then we've seen tons of successful first person shooters and first person adventures too with tons of new ideas. So for it to look almost identical when it finally gets re-revealed all these years later is just crazy to me from a game design perspective. I really, truly didn't anticipate that to be the case.

I didn't expect the shooting and moving to look exactly like the first 3 prime games. Not after 17 years. Seems like everyone else here did. Maybe I'm the fool, but I am really, really surprised. I was expecting this to be no more similar to MP3 than, say, BotW is to Twilight Princess.

The part starting at 1.08 in the trailer is the biggest offender by far, but even this tiny clip shows what I'm talking about. Like, ignore the nice environmental art/textures and the background action. Just look at the enemies here. How they stand there. How they react to hits. The lame attempt at a side-dodge one makes. How the first just keels over having eaten enough pac-pellets. It looks like what it is - game design circa 2002. Yes, this is likely the very opening of the game and the most basic that combat (or enemies) will be, but it suggests that the core basics of combat will function the same as prior Prime games, where they were never good enough. And it's 20 years later. Gah.

And while the rest of the game (morph ball gameplay, exploration, new items / abilities) is all hidden for now, the vibe of the trailer suggests it will be similarly conservative. I won't mind that as much, because those parts of the game were always brilliant. But it will still be disappointing if it's the case.

I know people think of negative posts in pre-release hype threads as a form of shitting in the punch bowl, so I'll leave it at this.

I have to agree. The animation makes the game look more dated than it should. The enemies feedback and the way the enemies move in general in this trailer look very dated. Visually, it looks nice but the gameplay and animations look dated.

The animation actually doesn‘t look different from Prime 1 (and I’m pretty sure Prime 1 Remastered kept the same animations). That was over 20 years ago!!!. I don’t understand why Prime 4, which is a modern game, and a new game kept the same animations. Like I said, for a remaster, it was reasonable to keep the animation, but this is a brand new game. It looks similar to Prime 1 Remastered, not just because of the art assets but also because of the gameplay and the way things move. And I don’t think that’s a good thing lol.

Highly likely the animation is actually new and got redone, but it just looks dated period and that is still bad. Low key worse. It tells you a lot about the overall direction of the game.

This whole trailer kind of gives me Crackdown 3 vibes:



You can still see the older, dated game design peeking through despite the glittery new coat of paint.

 

[Heron]

the great thing about Nintendo’s first trailers is you know they’re hiding most things for later trailers. They didn’t show any new gameplay mechanics or anything. They just wanted to show us this is Metroid Prime for the first trailer.

I do agree that Nintendo has been doing this a bit recently, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Look at the Metroid Dread announcement trailer for comparison:



Firstly, from the very first moment I saw that trailer my jaw was on the floor. I was 100% sure the game was going to be incredible. I wish Fami had been around so we could have a record of that, but believe me, my hype was volcanic. The new suit design, the confidence of the animations in the cutscenes, the fluidity of the gameplay... all amazing.

Secondly, it showed the main hook of the game, tons of areas, tons of gameplay. The things it held back (like new items, Raven Beak, Kraid etc) are discrete elements of the game. The overall idea was revealed completely. It simply oozed confidence in itself as a result.

Thirdly, with retrospect we can say that that trailer shows exactly what Dread is, from top to bottom. No hiding.

I don't think it was too much to ask after 7 years of development to get a trailer that at least attempts to get close to this. It's not a dissimilar situation, after all.

 

[Irene]

 

[Beansy]

I can't wait for Prime 4 to bring back multiplayer Metroid prime. We'll have ultimate peak.

 

[Phendrift]

I do agree that Nintendo has been doing this a bit recently, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Look at the Metroid Dread announcement trailer for comparison:



Firstly, from the very first moment I saw that trailer my jaw was on the floor. I was 100% sure the game was going to be incredible. I wish Fami had been around so we could have a record of that, but believe me, my hype was volcanic. The new suit design, the confidence of the animations in the cutscenes, the fluidity of the gameplay... all amazing.

Secondly, it showed the main hook of the game, tons of areas, tons of gameplay. The things it held back (like new items, Raven Beak, Kraid etc) are discrete elements of the game. The overall idea was revealed completely. It simply oozed confidence in itself as a result.

Thirdly, with retrospect we can say that that trailer shows exactly what Dread is, from top to bottom. No hiding.

I don't think it was too much to ask after 7 years of development to get a trailer that at least attempts to get close to this. It's not a dissimilar situation, after all.

I get where you’re coming from, but if I were to defend Prime 4 here, I’d say (even though we’re technically 7 years from announcement lol) its earlier in its marketing cycle than Dread was at its debut trailer.

Dread went right into treehouse demos and got a release date for 4 months later with its debut trailer. It was a quick reveal to release turnaround, and also came off the back of the Samus Returns.

Prime 4 is still many more months away, and is also the first game in this style in nearly 20 years. I think taking it slow with a “Metroid Prime is back” teaser makes sense. Even if you consider Prime 4’s marketing cycle to have started today, it’s still going to be significantly longer than Dread’s. I think they’re just spreading everything out more. We don’t even have a key art yet.

 

[Secu]

I do agree that Nintendo has been doing this a bit recently, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Look at the Metroid Dread announcement trailer for comparison:



Firstly, from the very first moment I saw that trailer my jaw was on the floor. I was 100% sure the game was going to be incredible. I wish Fami had been around so we could have a record of that, but believe me, my hype was volcanic. The new suit design, the confidence of the animations in the cutscenes, the fluidity of the gameplay... all amazing.

Secondly, it showed the main hook of the game, tons of areas, tons of gameplay. The things it held back (like new items, Raven Beak, Kraid etc) are discrete elements of the game. The overall idea was revealed completely. It simply oozed confidence in itself as a result.

Thirdly, with retrospect we can say that that trailer shows exactly what Dread is, from top to bottom. No hiding.

I don't think it was too much to ask after 7 years of development to get a trailer that at least attempts to get close to this. It's not a dissimilar situation, after all.

I think this is related to the time distance between the announcement of the trailer and its actual release. I think this game will come later than everyone thinks.

Previously, I heard that Jeff Grubby had said that Nintendo would ask them for the trailers before May. This may be related to the lack of sincerity in the trailer.

As for why this happened, the specific reason requires you to choose what you believe.

 

[WonderLuigi]

I thinks this trailer is great because it's just a nod to the fans. "Hey, it exists, it looks amazing and it's a Metroid prime game. Stay tuned for more. 2025"

 

[Irene]

@Phendrift

 

[Aether]

I think the pixel-peeping part of the visual criticism is whatever. I don't care if the space pirates' farts are volumetric or what have you. I hope the game has a high quality IQ on Switch 2, and if it does that will do me just fine.

But the gameplay.... Damn, I remember being back in my CS degree, almost 20 years ago, and spending evenings with friends coming up with ideas with how MP combat could improve for Metroid Prime 3 (which wasn't yet released at that time - and we were hyped!) We would then try to prototype some shit (with terrible results as we had no artists / animators, just coders lol - and our experience was mostly limited to 2d Metal Slug clones lol), but we had a TON of ideas. Not for new items, but for how the basic flow and gamefeel of combat could be improved - as we all agreed this was the main area the first two games could be massively improved.

From grappling hook attacks (which kind of made it into Prime 3!) to stun/interrupt windows on enemy attacks to active/passive shielding for samus (or enemies) to an adrenaline bullet-time feature (lol) a different base power beam - but most of all, by far - to a far different hit reaction, animation system and AI for enemies.

So, I guess I've had in my head ideas for what an evolution of Prime combat could look like for almost 20 years. That's two decades, damn. And these paid game designers at Retro would have 1000x the imagination and talent than me and my dumb classmates in their little fingers. Since then we've seen tons of successful first person shooters and first person adventures too with tons of new ideas. So for it to look almost identical when it finally gets re-revealed all these years later is just crazy to me from a game design perspective. I really, truly didn't anticipate that to be the case.

I didn't expect the shooting and moving to look exactly like the first 3 prime games. Not after 17 years. Seems like everyone else here did. Maybe I'm the fool, but I am really, really surprised. I was expecting this to be no more similar to MP3 than, say, BotW is to Twilight Princess.

The part starting at 1.08 in the trailer is the biggest offender by far, but even this tiny clip shows what I'm talking about. Like, ignore the nice environmental art/textures and the background action. Just look at the enemies here. How they stand there. How they react to hits. The lame attempt at a side-dodge one makes. How the first just keels over having eaten enough pac-pellets. It looks like what it is - game design circa 2002. Yes, this is likely the very opening of the game and the most basic that combat (or enemies) will be, but it suggests that the core basics of combat will function the same as prior Prime games, where they were never good enough. And it's 20 years later. Gah.

And while the rest of the game (morph ball gameplay, exploration, new items / abilities) is all hidden for now, the vibe of the trailer suggests it will be similarly conservative. I won't mind that as much, because those parts of the game were always brilliant. But it will still be disappointing if it's the case.

I know people think of negative posts in pre-release hype threads as a form of shitting in the punch bowl, so I'll leave it at this.

I have to agree. The animation makes the game look more dated than it should. The way the enemies move in general in this trailer looks very dated. Visually, it looks nice but the gameplay and animations look dated.

The animation actually doesn‘t look different from Prime 1 (and I’m pretty sure Prime 1 Remastered kept the same animations). That was over 20 years ago!!!. I don’t understand why Prime 4, which is a modern game, and a new game kept the same animations. Like I said, for a remaster, it was reasonable to keep the animation, but this is a brand new game. It looks similar to Prime 1 Remastered, not just because of the art assets but also because of the gameplay and the way things move. And I don’t think that’s a good thing lol.

Highly likely the animation is actually new and got redone, but it just looks dated period and that is still bad. Low key worse. It tells you a lot about the overall direction of the game.

This whole trailer kind of gives me Crackdown 3 vibes:



You can still see the older, dated game design peeking through despite the glittery new coat of paint.

I agree with both in regards ob battling/animations.


But in regards to the trailer... I would not give to much on it. Feels like they are still waiting for the blowout.


I don't expect it to move much past mp1, but I think the reason is that they announced a game, tried something new, didn't pan out, saw that mp1 is still fine when remastered and decided to take it as a base to not again have a long prototyping phase and such and move the development faster with that save approach.
Was it the right decision? That will be seen when it's out.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

It's kinda funny because you could say the same thing about Bayonetta 3's reveal trailer.

That's not the same at all. The first actual trailer for bayonetta 3 was incredible; the logo teaser back in like 2017 or whenever it was wasn't a trailer. It showed a solid cutscene, which unlike prime is actually a major part of bayonetta, it showed the new mechanics of the game, it showed the refinements to the combat system, and what the new mechanics did for the combat.

Objectively I think this trailer is one of the weakest initial showings of a title from Nintendo in a long time; if the game is doing anything beyond reskinning prime 1 remaster, it sure wasn't communicated by the trailer. If you wanted anything beyond "wow it's pretty", the trailer falls flat.

It's a game releasing in 2020s era hardware but you couldn't tell they had any interest in moving beyond the capabilities of hardware from decades ago and that's a real shame because 2d Metroid Made huge steps forward and I don't think it's unreasonable to hope that 3d Metroid could have done (and hopefully did) the same

 

[dolpic]

While I personally am tentatively excited for the game, I can definitely sympathize with people who wanted something totally new after all this time. What I don't quite get is the people who seem to want 2D Metroid to be like Mega Man or Contra and 3D Metroid to be like Doom or Quake. Metroid isn't an action hero series where you are constantly schmooving and blowing shit up, it tends to take a slower pace. There are plenty of games like those out there for you to enjoy

 

[aus89]

I do agree that Nintendo has been doing this a bit recently, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Look at the Metroid Dread announcement trailer for comparison:



Firstly, from the very first moment I saw that trailer my jaw was on the floor. I was 100% sure the game was going to be incredible. I wish Fami had been around so we could have a record of that, but believe me, my hype was volcanic. The new suit design, the confidence of the animations in the cutscenes, the fluidity of the gameplay... all amazing.

Secondly, it showed the main hook of the game, tons of areas, tons of gameplay. The things it held back (like new items, Raven Beak, Kraid etc) are discrete elements of the game. The overall idea was revealed completely. It simply oozed confidence in itself as a result.

Thirdly, with retrospect we can say that that trailer shows exactly what Dread is, from top to bottom. No hiding.

I don't think it was too much to ask after 7 years of development to get a trailer that at least attempts to get close to this. It's not a dissimilar situation, after all.

I mean Dread released 4 months after the reveal (much like Zelda Echoes got a meatier trailer with a close release date), and Prime is next year... they have plenty of time to show more - this is a teaser, I think the aim of this was to show classic Prime no gimmicks (ie: here's what you loved about Prime 1 intact and looking good) - gameplay, a hint of story and a little sneak at the meat of the game... it's not a surprise reveal of a game releasing in four months... which needs to show the heart of the game in a short time.

Regardless, I would posit that you don't call a game "Beyond" that has nothing new to offer...

 

[Phendrift]

@Phendrift

It’s glorious, I cannot wait to hear the full thing

 

[Rareware]

That would have major ramifications! I think the only way that happens is if this game truly shifts the Prime series into its own continuity, totally separate from the 2D games.

Yeah it was something I was thinking about when making the post. They’d have to split the timeline at that point as I don’t believe Fusion, Super Metroid, and Dread could work as is storywise.

And I’d be perfectly fine with seeing any games post-Prime 4 on this new timeline as it opens the doors to so many new ideas. That timeline could be a universe where we could actually see the Chozo still thriving as a species. Would be very interesting.

 

[chris2k]

It’s glorious, I cannot wait to hear the full thing

That final location and the music in the trailer are so quintessentially Metroid Prime, I'm so excited for this

 

[Mr Swine]

New Space Pirate design

Really like the new Space Pirate designs. Looks like a big leap in fidelity (geometry and texturing) compared to Remastered

 

[Bonejack]

So am i the only one that think that the creature, which the scientist tries to move away from the Space Pirates (see trailer part where Samus rolls around as a Morphball in that ceiling rail), looks like an Ing?

Iirc (it's been a while since i last played Echoes), this shouldn't / wouldn't be possible due to how Prime 2 ends, right?

If Sylux is here and he is affiliated with the Galactic Federation, I wonder if we’ll see Anthony Higgs?

Isn't Sylux entering the room with a few Space Pirate "guards / backup" though?

 

[MissingNo.]

Still hard to believe we've finally seen what this game looks like now. Can. Not. Wait.

Praise the Process!

 

[secondwind]

@Phendrift

Getting major Phendrana Drifts vibes from this

 

[Vall]

The speculation I saw, which feels incredibly reasonable, is that at 1:39, there's a rift rather than a regular doorway behind Samus. So that seems to be the main gateway between areas, and the namesake of the game, but how relevant it is remains to be seen.

 

[chris2k]

The speculation I saw, which feels incredibly reasonable, is that at 1:39, there's a rift rather than a regular doorway behind Samus. So that seems to be the main gateway between areas, and the namesake of the game, but how relevant it is remains to be seen.

There was this interview with Kensuke Tanabe waaaaay back when where he talked about a "time-shifting mechanic", something similar to the light and dark world in Prime 2. It might not necessarily be time-related in the final game, but it does look like they're using some kind of portals/rifts indeed

 

[BozPaggs]

So am i the only one that think that the creature, which the scientist tries to move away from the Space Pirates (see trailer part where Samus rolls around as a Morphball in that ceiling rail), looks like an Ing?

Iirc (it's been a while since i last played Echoes), this shouldn't / wouldn't be possible due to how Prime 2 ends, right?

I think it looks more like a device than a creature, possibly the device behind the time/space portals

 

[Adulfzen]

considering they were only willing to give a year for now it makes sense for the very first trailer to be more of a reintroduction of the project rather than full blowout of the gameplay mechanics. I think even as the game itself, it makes sense for the very first "mission" to be classic metroid before they starting introduced more unique gameplay mechanics.

If it does go for a time related gameplay hook then there will be plenty of possibilities for combat and exploration related abilities. Some of the reactions has big "BOTW has no towns".

 

[Lugia667]

it does feel like people were secretly hoping this would be cancelled and moved over to the Switch 2...

 

[Ozeiyo]

People love Metroid too much for their own good

 

[Bonejack]

it does feel like people were secretly hoping this would be cancelled and moved over to the Switch 2...

Unless every Switch 1 console that exists suddenly explodes at the same time, and with that no Switch 1 being around anymore, there's no way that they would cancel the Switch 1 version.

Imo, Prime 4 being Switch 2 only was never even being considered for a second. Not after all the backlash they had with the game.

But, let's be honest, this game should and has to be a cross-gen game.

The only thing i would agree personally is that they should've waited for the Switch 2 reveal to show the game, and directly confirm it also releasing on Switch 1 afterwards.

 

[WonderLuigi]

Unless every Switch 1 console that exists suddenly explodes at the same time, and with that no Switch 1 being around anymore, there's no way that they would cancel the Switch 1 version.

Imo, Prime 4 being Switch 2 only was never even being considered for a second. Not after all the backlash they had with the game.

But, let's be honest, this game should and has to be a cross-gen game.

The only thing i would agree personally is that they should've waited for the Switch 2 reveal to show the game, and directly confirm it also releasing on Switch 1 afterwards.

Why wait? It's 900p and 60fps on Switch 1. A great showcase. Switch 2 needs built from the ground up games to showcase its hardware.

 

[zumaddy]

i drew sylux from memory, high-quality fanart for you all : -)

 

[Decoyman]

Interesting that when Samus arrives in the starting hub she's still got the Varia Suit on deck. This seems to signal to me that unlike Dread she won't be losing upgrades this time and that we're probably not going to be locked out of (or maybe even have) a heatwave area. I think next time we see the game we might get new key art featuring a new armor upgrade, since it's all going to be additive and I imagine one upgrade will be relevant to the game's gimmick.

 

[Bonejack]

Why wait? It's 900p and 60fps on Switch 1. A great showcase. Switch 2 needs built from the ground up games to showcase its hardware.

Because in the case that your successor is more powerful to the point of it being noticeable in a game's performance and graphics, marketing kinda wants you to show off your product in the best possible way. In a Wii U -> Switch situation you can do whatever, there wasn't a big difference.

And Switch 2 will definitely have those exclusive showcase games, that's not even a ground for discussion.

But reality is that Switch 2 will have a lot of cross-gen games in the early life, Prime 4 is a big project in dev for a long time, Retro is one of the most tech-skilled dev studios under Nintendo's roof. And it's also a showcase if a 1st party dev shows the difference in power between the two systems with one of their own games.

 

[majesticfailure]

Interesting that when Samus arrives in the starting hub she's still got the Varia Suit on deck. This seems to signal to me that unlike Dread she won't be losing upgrades this time and that we're probably not going to be locked out of (or maybe even have) a heatwave area. I think next time we see the game we might get new key art featuring a new armor upgrade, since it's all going to be additive and I imagine one upgrade will be relevant to the game's gimmick.

Watch her get bonked by Sylux immediately after that cutscene we saw and lose the Varia upgrade ¯\(ツ)/¯ (/s)

Can't wait to see what new suits she gets. Hopefully they're very visually distinct like the ones from Echoes. I liked the PED Suit from Corruption and its Phazon buildup gimmick but I wish it changed more throughout the game.

 

[boodream]

it does feel like people were secretly hoping this would be cancelled and moved over to the Switch 2...

I already said it yesterday but the more I watch the video, the more I think that prime remastered has probably had a negative impact on people’s perception. It’s a few images, a foretaste, but people think it’s not innovative enough. While we have no certainty about what the game will offer.

I think if it hadn’t been for the remaster, we would be mostly discussing the beauty of the game for the Nintendo switch. While indeed, as has been pointed out by others in this thread, what is striking when looking at what is probably the opening scene of the game, is how similar it looks to the first trilogy in terms of landmarks. The development took so long with the reboot to zero that somehow fans expected some form of revolution. I don’t know if it was desirable. However, I understand that an excessive conservatism, of which we know absolutely nothing at the moment, could be disappointing to some extent.

 

[Vall]

I already said it yesterday but the more I watch the video, the more I think that prime remastered has probably had a negative impact on people’s perception. It’s a few images, a foretaste, but people think it’s not innovative enough. While we have no certainty about what the game will offer.

I think if it hadn’t been for the remaster, we would be mostly discussing the beauty of the game for the Nintendo switch. While indeed, as has been pointed out by others in this thread, what is striking when looking at what is probably the opening scene of the game, is how similar it looks to the first trilogy in terms of landmarks. The development took so long with the reboot to zero that somehow fans expected some form of revolution. I don’t know if it was desirable. However, I understand that an excessive conservatism, of which we know absolutely nothing at the moment, could be disappointing to some extent.

You've hit the nail on the head I think.

People are saying "it doesn't look much better than prime remastered" as if prime remastered didn't blow everything on the system out of the water (imo).

 

[Danny]

I've been reading about this trailer on the Era forum and its a clownshow. Some blasting the graphics. Some are even blasting the Switch 2 capabilities because they have deluded themselves that Prime 4 is a Switch 2 only game and that the footage was from the Switch 2. The fact is that this is a game built for the Switch 1 and is running on the Switch 1. Sure we may get a Switch 2 version with higher resolution but other than that its a Switch 1 game, and for a Switch 1 game you won't find many if any games with better graphics than Prime 4.

Its ok to have criticism but you can't blame a game for being a Switch game when the game is a Switch game. Of course it won't have PS5 graphics.

 

[aus89]

I already said it yesterday but the more I watch the video, the more I think that prime remastered has probably had a negative impact on people’s perception. It’s a few images, a foretaste, but people think it’s not innovative enough. While we have no certainty about what the game will offer.

I think if it hadn’t been for the remaster, we would be mostly discussing the beauty of the game for the Nintendo switch. While indeed, as has been pointed out by others in this thread, what is striking when looking at what is probably the opening scene of the game, is how similar it looks to the first trilogy in terms of landmarks. The development took so long with the reboot to zero that somehow fans expected some form of revolution. I don’t know if it was desirable. However, I understand that an excessive conservatism, of which we know absolutely nothing at the moment, could be disappointing to some extent.

Again, i very sincerely doubt you call Metroid Prime 4 - Beyond if it is very safely sticking to the formula of Prime 1

 

[Bonejack]

Dunno if it's a hot take or a cold take but ... they need to get rid of the "4" in the title.

That irks me to no end.

 

[nintendboy]

I also fell a bit in the whelmed camp, especially on first viewing. But it got better on rewatch.

Loved:

- the opening shot, classic Prime. And really shows off the visuals if you watch it on a large TV. The detailing in the environment, like the rocks behind her ship, the lighting on the ship and her suit. Really looks great. And is the classic opener that says we’re back.

- the chaos of the landing. A battle going on. Shots overhead, that was all really cool in the first third of the trailer.

- the enemy walking in. I don’t know who he is because I never played handheld MP or 100% corruption which is how I understand you meet him. But his entry with the floating metroids was cool none the less.

- the closing shot, as she walked into that new area with the massive trees. Gave “walking into Phendrana the first time” vibes, and emphasized that we’ll be exploring some amazing areas. Which is what makes Prime great.

What I thought was an odd decision, was to make such a large segment of the middle of the trailer about Prime’s weakest aspect: combat. I do really agree with the prior poster that having the combat be (and look) just like Prime 1 comes off as pretty dated. Strafe and tap, enemies that are just bullet sponges and mostly don’t react to be hit, just looks not great in 2024. And I think that put a damper on things halfway through, before picking back up with the post title card shot.

I think I would’ve been much more hyped if it went from opening sequence (her landing) to the ending shot of her entering that huge area, to a sizzle reel of the cool areas she’d be exploring and some of the new types of puzzles we’d be seeing. Maybe that’s asking too much, but that’s what I think is most exciting about Metroid, not the combat section which honestly (outside of significant visual upgrade) looks like it could’ve been lifted straight out of MP1. And to those saying the game is months away, it’s been years in development, so I doubt that will change.

Overall, I still am very excited, but more by what I suspect we didn’t see (or were only teased), like the exploration of areas like that closing sequence, than what we were actually shown. And I suspect we will see more of the cooler stuff as we get closer to release. But I don’t agree that it’s fair to dismiss people that didn’t immediately skyrocket in hype as trolls. The fact is there’s a decent number of people for who the trailer left them not as excited as the first TOTK, Odyssey or BOTW trailers, despite being fans of the first three Primes.

 

[Danny]

Nintendo has a lot of faith in the game because putting ''2025'' as the release date shows for me at least that Prime 4 will be released at the same time as the Switch 2 for a cross gen release. So Nintendo is saving the game as one of their launch games for the Switch 2.

 

[WonderLuigi]

Nintendo has a lot of faith in the game because putting ''2025'' as the release date shows for me at least that Prime 4 will be released at the same time as the Switch 2 for a cross gen release. So Nintendo is saving the game as one of their launch games for the Switch 2.

So does Pokemon Z-A. A 2025 release date doesn't mean they'll release at Switch 2's launch.

 

[TanookiTom]

I really hope this will be a cross-gen release. After all those years, Metroid Prime 4 would surely be THE game to benefit from better hardware with a studio like Retro at the helm.

Having said that it also makes sense to use the massive Switch install base.

The game looks great, if indeed very familiar. Not talking about the graphics, but it indeed feels more than a "number 4" than I would have expected after all these years.

Still people should hold their horses. This was just a first teaser. Who knows if this game will actually come out in 2025 after all.

 

[boodream]

Nintendo has a lot of faith in the game because putting ''2025'' as the release date shows for me at least that Prime 4 will be released at the same time as the Switch 2 for a cross gen release. So Nintendo is saving the game as one of their launch games for the Switch 2.

So does Pokemon Z-A. A 2025 release date doesn't mean they'll release at Switch 2's launch.

The advantage of Metroid Prime is also a great complementarity in terms of proposal and target audience with games like 3D Mario, Pokémon or Mario kart that should also participate in the launch of the switch 2. But this does not necessarily mean a release on the same day as the console of course. All these games will simply constitute an attractive offer for the beginning of the life cycle. The first year of the switch 1 was very good in this regard and helped a lot to the success of the console.

 

[aus89]

Nintendo has a lot of faith in the game because putting ''2025'' as the release date shows for me at least that Prime 4 will be released at the same time as the Switch 2 for a cross gen release. So Nintendo is saving the game as one of their launch games for the Switch 2.

nah at this point I would expect it gets a mid-year launch around May/June ala TOTK, Thousand Year Door - it may have a next gen version or it might still just run in back compat - I expect its marketing will be tied to Switch 2 though to show off back compat/fast loading etc... but its very clear from the fact the Switch version is running at 60fps that it is the platform for development and there's no substantial upgrades coming to the Switch 2 version - if there was a crazy Switch 2 version then Prime 4 would be running at 30 on regular Switch imo - it will likely be 4k/60 on Switch 2 (unless its in back compat)

 

[mazi]

really can't imagine this not having a switch 2 version a launch. the only question is if the game is ready for the system's launch or will come later. same goes for pokemon.

 

[Danny]

nah at this point I would expect it gets a mid-year launch around May/June ala TOTK, Thousand Year Door - it may have a next gen version or it might still just run in back compat - I expect its marketing will be tied to Switch 2 though to show off back compat/fast loading etc... but its very clear from the fact the Switch version is running at 60fps that it is the platform for development and there's no substantial upgrades coming to the Switch 2 version - if there was a crazy Switch 2 version then Prime 4 would be running at 30 on regular Switch imo - it will likely be 4k/60 on Switch 2 (unless its in back compat)

I mean if you think this is coming out may 2025 then a Switch 2 SKU is basically confirmed. No way that Nintendo releases a Switch 1 only SKU the size of Metroid Prime 4 when the Switch 2 is a few months old.

And no the Switch 2 SKU won't have anything crazy, just improved framerates and resolution.

 

[Chaotic Neutral]

I think the heavy action we saw at the beginning of the trailer is the first “stage” as a bit of a call-back to the first Metroid Prime with the sequence at the space station with most of the game being more isolated and horror-oriented in a… kind of open world scenario? What we see post title in the trailer I think is a lot more indicative of the game than the action which I think is a quick run through the intro sequence.

 

[Bonejack]

Metroid Prime 4 would be a game for the enthusiasts with a Switch 2 version, while 3D Mario is obviously a launch game for "everyone".

really can't imagine this not having a switch 2 version a launch. the only question is if the game is ready for the system's launch or will come later. same goes for pokemon.

Thing is, with Retro, Nintendo could simply "order" them to do a cross-gen release, but Game Freak does whatever Game Freak wants.

I'm totally with you in the thought that Legends Z-A should be a cross-gen game too, but i'm less confident due to the above thing.

 

[aus89]

I mean if you think this is coming out may 2025 then a Switch 2 version is basically confirmed. No way that Nintendo releases a Switch 1 only game the size of Metroid Prime 4 when the Switch 2 is a few months old.

Maybe... they will still release Switch games (that run on both through back compat), it doesn't mean it will get a native version - just like devs still release only PS4 versions of games (like the Capcom v Marvel collection in the direct only releases on PS4, Switch, PC because there are no meaningful upgrades for PS5) - the fact its 60 on Switch to me suggests theyve done a lot of optimizing for the platform and focused on making the best Switch Metroid Prime game they can and I kinda think it may just be back compat as a result

 

[GPKs3]

I've been reading about this trailer on the Era forum and its a clownshow. Some blasting the graphics. Some are even blasting the Switch 2 capabilities because they have deluded themselves that Prime 4 is a Switch 2 only game and that the footage was from the Switch 2. The fact is that this is a game built for the Switch 1 and is running on the Switch 1. Sure we may get a Switch 2 version with higher resolution but other than that its a Switch 1 game, and for a Switch 1 game you won't find many if any games with better graphics than Prime 4.

Its ok to have criticism but you can't blame a game for being a Switch game when the game is a Switch game. Of course it won't have PS5 graphics.

If you want to see a clown show, check out the Zelda thread over there. Yikes.

I think Beyond looks great from what little was shown in the Direct and I'm even more excited(and hopeful) to see it's cross-gen twin running on Switch 2. Higher resolution, textures, etc... it will be glorious. If not a cross-gen release, at least a performance patch to give it a nice bump. Is that too much to ask?

 

[MarcelRguez]

The UI tells us quite a bit already about what the gameflow will be like, I think. If beams/missiles are really assigned to the d-pad and don't stack, and if there's a designated button for scanning rather than for visor selection, then those are pretty big changes.

Quick beam swapping allows you to design enemies and bosses with various weaknesses beyond "peel it with missiles/grapple, cook it with beam/missile/b+m combo", something I feel all Prime games have gestured at, but rarely pulled off well.

And the visor thing should be self-explanatory. Swapping to the scan visor is a bit of a drag due to how it obscures everything but what you're scanning. It's immersive, but it also means you're not really looking at the room as a whole when gathering information. Scanning from the combat visor solves this, while also making the process faster.

Overall, it was a great teaser of things to come! My only concern is that what we've seen so far looks very linear, and that includes the long tracking shot of the planet at the end. That room seems to have just one entry and one exit, at least from what we can see in the trailer and in the video found on the website. It could lead to a bigger ara with more paths though, so we'll see.

If we're doing time-travel, is it too ambitious to hope for on-demand transitions between time periods a la Dishonored 2? (or Titanfall 2? Is that the other one?). Using carefully placed portals would make it too similar to Echoes for my taste.

 

[BozPaggs]

Not discounting the time/space travel that could still be there in other ways, but it is possible the thing Samus enters from in the last shot could just be a door. Maybe they put aesthetically unique doors in each area so it's less jarring than "we built the exact same door in every environment on this planet/these planets".