The surprise announcement ofMetroid Dreadduring Nintendo’s E3 2021 showcase was met with excitement and fanfare from theMetroidcommunity. Not only was the game announced, but Nintendo also addressed the elephant in the room regardingthe mysterious development ofMetroid Prime 4. While there wasn’t a lot of information on the upcomingMetroid Primegame, fans were still able to rally around the excitement of the fifth mainline entry in the 2DMetroidseries.
WithMetroid Dread’s announcement, theMetroidseries as a whole seems to be set up for perhaps the best several consecutive years of the franchise’s history. It seems like out of nowhere, there became a lot to look forward to in the coming years with the franchise, andMetroid Dreadis just kicking things off.
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The Recent Drought of Metroid Games
The last ten years ofMetroidgames haven’t been the most stellar of the series. Since 2011, there have only been two releases:Metroid Prime: Federation Forcein 2016 andMetroid: Samus Returnsin 2017. WhileSamus Returnswas a great addition to the 3DS’s library, it came at the tail end of the handheld’s lifespan and didn’t really addanything new to theMetroidcanonas it was a remake of the originalMetroid 2: Return of Samus.Federation Forceis often forgotten about when discussingMetroidtitles as it didn’t have much of a connection to Samus' story and isn’t remembered the most fondly as it wasn’t a particularly solidMetroidgame.
In 2010, there was the controversialMetroid: Other Mwhich also didn’t get the positive reception that the series usually received up to that point. The latest wholely original, well-receivedMetroidtitle wasMetroid Prime 3: Corruptionin 2007. Fans have been hoping for a return to the good days of the series for years now, and it seemed like that might be happeningwhenMetroid Prime 4was announced during E3 2017. Unfortunately, delays and other development issues have set the project back and while Nintendo assures fans that development is going well, there hasn’t been anything that the company has to show for it. This longstanding drought inMetroidgames seems to be ending with the release ofMetroid Dreadlater this year, however.
The Future of the Metroid Franchise
Although it isn’t out yet, based on its trailers and the gameplay footage shown off during Nintendo’s Treehouse Live at E3 2021,Metroid Dreadseems to be a solid entry in the series sparking hope that more goodMetroidgames are on the way. Ifthe development ofMetroid Prime 4is going as well as Nintendo says, fans can probably expect it within the next year or so putting its release in either 2022 or 2023. Although this is purely speculation, it’s certainly possible based on how long the game has been in development.
Despite some veteranMetroiddevs saying that it would take a “herculean effort,” there have been rumors thata remasteredMetroid Prime Trilogywill be making its way to the Switchbefore the release ofMetroid Prime 4. As thePrimeseries ran from 2002 to 2007, it would be a good idea to give older fans a taste of the series from the early to mid-2000s and bring in new fans of the series banking on the success ofMetroid Dread.
If the remastered trilogy does exist as per certain unverifiable reports, then it would give Nintendo the chance to stretch out the popularity of the series.Metroid Dreadwould release in 2021, then, if it’s truly finished,Metroid Prime Trilogy Remasteredwould release in 2022, and finally,Metroid Prime 4would release in 2023. While this is all speculation,Metroid Dreadmight be kicking off the three best consecutive years for theMetroidfranchise.
