Nintendo has worked diligently to establish its image as a family-friendly company. Since the late 2000s, the company’s branding has been comprised of bright colors, inoffensive subject matter, and an abundance of E-rated titles. Gone are the days of innuendo-laden campaigns like the DS’s “Touching is Good” slogan and the Gameboy Micro’s infamous mouse commercial. Despite the gaming industry’s reputation to some outsiders,Nintendo has resisted violence in video gameswith many of their titles, but nonetheless the release ofMetroid DreadandThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2may indicate a return to darker times.
Nintendo isn’t a stranger to publishing video games with morbid undertones. Two of the more obvious examples areThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s MaskandMetroid Fusion. Both games contain elements of impending doom and hopelessness, and infamous moments have stuck with players years after their release dates. In light ofMetroid DreadandBreath of the Wild 2’spresentation atNintendo’s 2021 E3 showcase, Nintendo may be drawing inspiration from that era of darker games. The parallels between these two titles and their early 2000s counterparts certainly make it seem that way.
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The Darker Side of Nintendo’s Games
Looking back, different aspects ofMetroid FusionandMajora’s Maskseem totally out of character for Nintendo. For example, watching the residents of Clock Town struggle to accept they’re going to die from the impact of the moon inMajora’s Masksounds like the last thing Nintendo would put in a game. Characters yell out phrases like “I can’t take it! I don’t want to die!” and others mournfully reminisce about past loved ones. Such subjects are unconventional for a modern Nintendo game, but the company still embraces this title and there may even be aMajora’s Maskport to Switchsometime in the future.
Nintendo has not always embraced Metroid games in the same way, however, and the tone of the series may be to blame.Metroid Fusion, for instance, has its own fair share of morbid content. A late-game boss fight with an enemy named Nightmare is particularly unnerving; throughout the fight, Nightmare’s face becomes disfigured as the player inflicts damage. Throughout the game, the player is systematically hunted by an overpowered clone of Samus that leaves players helpless, and few Nintendo games have contained similar mechanics.Fusionwas re-released on the Wii U in 2014 (itssales now boosted byDread’sannouncement), but did not receive the same facelift asOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Maskon the 3DS.
In addition to their more unsettling qualities,FusionandMajora’s Maskwere released within two years of each other.Majora’s Maskwas first released for the Nintendo 64 on July 20, 2025, andMetroid Fusiondebuted on May 20, 2025 for the Gameboy Advance. Now, some nineteen years later, fans can expectBreath of the Wild 2to come out within, at the very most, a one-and-a-half-year window ofMetroid Dreadassuming Nintendo meetsBreath of the Wild 2’s2022 release date. Coincidences like these feel like deja vu.
Parallels to Majora’s Mask and Metroid Fusion
Release dates aren’t where the similarities stop.Breath of the Wild 2, much likeMajora’s Mask, is attempting to follow a universally acclaimed game within a short period of time. This tight turnaround fromOcarina of Timeis what led to many ofMajora’s Mask’snightmarish sequences - the stress from its development actually influenced the content of the game. Moreover, just asMajora’s Maskreused assets fromOcarina of Time, it’s been confirmed that the new release will be reusing theworld map fromBreath of the Wild. Recent speculation about Link’s ominous-looking arm inBreath of the Wild 2may suggest another similarity: if it turns out Link is under some sort of curse, then there will be a sense of imminent danger similar toMajora’s Mask.
As forMetroid, it seems highly coincidental that MercurySteam, the developers behindMetroid: Samus ReturnsandMetroid Dread, originallypitched a remake ofMetroid Fusionto Yoshio Sakamoto. Having rejected this idea in favor of remaking the series’ second game,Metroid 2, the team is now developing gameplay mechanics inDreadthat mirror those fromFusion.Hiding from Samus’ clone, SA-X, in the latter title appears remarkably similar to escaping fromDread’ssentinel guard robots called “E.M.M.I.”
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What This Means for Nintendo’s Future
Supposing these similarities do spell out darker tones forDreadandBreath of the Wild 2, it remains subject to speculation what approach Nintendo’s future releases will take. Numerous light-hearted Nintendo titles were announced at this year’s E3 includingMario Party SuperstarsandWarioWare: Get It Together!Most likely, Nintendo intends to please both the hardcore and casual audience with titles that vary in tone. How the more mature titles will perform remains to be seen, however. It’s a safe bet thatBreath of the Wild 2, no matter how dark, will be one of Nintendo’s best performers; but historicallyMetroidhas struggled to match the sales ofMario,Zelda, andPokemon. That said, it already seemsMetroid Dreadmay become a top seller.
Perhaps this shift in tone could also be attributed to Nintendo’s employees. Video games, like any other creative endeavor, are influenced by the experiences of the people who make them. Nintendo is no exception to this despite the company’s size. It wouldn’t be surprising to see darker games from other franchises, too, given the challenges of 2020. After all, a number of developersdelayed new releases because of COVID-19, so it’s entirely possible that a trend of gloomy games will emerge as those in development last year begin to release.
MetroidDreadwill release July 10, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.
TheLegend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2will be released in 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.
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