Summary
Metroidfans are some of the most patient among the hierarchy of Nintendo players. There are big gaps in-between sequels and unlike a lot of staple franchises likeThe Legend of ZeldaandMario,Metroidhas missed consoles. There was noMetroidgame on the N64, for example.
As disheartening as it is to wait for a newMetroidgame, when one does come out, usually, it is worth the investment. Now seems like the golden age of the franchise betweenMetroid Primegetting remastered,Metroid Dreadlaunching, and the tease ofMetroid Prime 4on the horizon. Maybe now is as good a time as any to wish for some remakes too of both classic and controversial entries.
The first two games in the series,MetroidandMetroid 2: Return of Samus, have received remakes. It only seems logical that Nintendo would green-light the third game’s remake as soon as possible.Super Metroidis easily one of the most beloved entries in the series among fans. It, along withCastlevania: Symphony of the Night, helped createthe Metroidvania genrethanks to their interconnected map systems among other things.
It doesn’t need a fancy 3D remake as that would defeat the purpose. The remakes forMetroidandMetroid 2: Return of Samusworked perfectly fine in 2D. It would be interesting if Nintendo borrowedthe HD-2D conceptfrom Square Enix or even handed the reigns over to them to remakeSuper Metroidas they have a good working relationship already.
Metroid Prime 4was announced in 2017 and Nintendo announced a delay not long after. That’s why it was a surprise whenMetroid Dreadwas announced in June 2021 and then it came out in October 2012. It’s always nice to get a quick turnaround between announcements and releases. The point is,Metroid Dreadwas not only the first entry in a while, but it was a direct continuation ofMetroid Fusionfrom the GBA era.
That game introduced a virus that transformed Samus’ suit into something even more sci-fi. It was a cool vision for the series which was explored a bit more inMetroid Dread. It would be fitting forMetroid Fusionto get remake now perhaps in the same style asMetroid Dreadgraphically. Hopefully, the remake can keep the wild colors to help it pop.
4Metroid Prime Pinball
A Mini-Game For Samus
One of the best feelings inaMetroidgame is finding a new power-upfor Samus. One that has consistently been a part of her repertoire from the beginning is the Morph Ball which allows her to literally transform her body into a ball. It’s a bit horrific to think about but Samus is seemingly fine or at least Nintendo censors out the screams.
That’s whya pinball gamemade so much sense viaMetroid Prime Pinball. The developer, Fuse Games, had already proven themselves to be good viaMario Pinball Landon the Game Boy Color.Metroid Prime Pinballis vaguely going throughMetroid Prime’sevents but it is unimportant next to the gameplay. As a pinball game, this one is solid and it would be great to see remade on the Switch via Tate Mode.
Metroid Prime Pinballis not the only good entry on the DS.Metroid Prime Hunterswas released after and it replicated the core GameCubeMetroid Primegames amazingly well on the handheld. It looked a bit more pixelated of course, but it still performed well. The gameplay was set up on the top screen while the bottom screen was used mostly for radar.
Samus could travel to a few planets and it operated more likea typical first-person shooter. It was more linear without that exploratory Metroidvania flair, in other words. The tradeoff was the multiplayer which offered different bounty hunters with varying powers besides Samus. The multiplayer alone would be great to see remade on a system with a more robust online infrastructure.
Metroid: Other Mis one of the most divisive entries in the series. The defenders liked the gameplay as it was more action-based than other entries. It wasdeveloped by Team Ninjawhose most famous game series around this time had to be theNinja Gaidenreboots.
Samus definitely had a more ninja-like agility to her movements. What fans didn’t like was the story as there was a lot of talking and it seemingly downplayed what made Samus great as a strong femme fatale. A remake may not be enough to get the naysayers on board. Nintendo might have to create a full-on reimagining.
Metroid Prime: Federation Forceis the only game in the franchise tonot feature Samusin the starring role. Instead, players could strap into a mech as a nameless soldier to explore a variety of worlds. Players could team up with three others in a four-player co-op which was the focus.
Multiplayer had been done many times before this, like with the aforementionedMetroid Prime Hunters. The co-op was a new idea and a good one. It’s just not what fans wanted at the time. Maybe fans would be more inclined to give it a chance with a remake on a bigger system.
