Retro Studios News Articles
Tuesday30th Dec 2025
News Nintendo Comments On Metroid Prime 4's Placement In The Metroid Timeline
Take a guess
Like other iconic Nintendo series, Metroid has a timeline documenting Samus' space adventures from past to present. Although the newest outing Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is very much its own thing, it is still part of the Prime series as a new chapter. Outside of the first-person entries, it's now apparently been mentioned by Nintendo how...
Friday26th Dec 2025
"We resolved to move forward with our original vision"
As you'll know if you've read our review, we adored Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and consider it to be one of the highlights of the Switch 2's library. However, with a Metacritic rating of 79 at the time of writing, it's clear that Samus' latest adventure didn't strike the same chord with many pla
Tuesday16th Dec 2025
News Fans Uncover Unused Dialogue From Metroid Prime 4
More chatter from Myles
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has received mostly positive reception, but it's safe to say that not everybody is keen on the dialogue from Samus' Federation Trooper pals. Now, thanks to a video from Bearborg (cheers, VGC), even more unused dialogue has been showcased (from approx 7:38 in t
Monday8th Dec 2025
News Metroid Prime 4 On Switch 1 Impresses Digital Foundry - "Nigh-Imperceptible Dips"
It's "one of Switch 1's prettiest games yet"
We already know that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a technical showcase on Switch 2, and we're sure many of you have spent the weekend exploring Viewros on the new console over the weekend. But for those of you who are still clinging on to your Switch 1 and wondering whether Samus' brand new adventure holds...
Wednesday3rd Dec 2025
Poll Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Is Out On Switch 2 And Switch This Week, Will You Be Getting It?
Go on, tell us!
We've finally made it, folks! This week marks the long-awaited arrival of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. After years of development, delays, and even a restart, Samus Aran's next 3D outing is officially here for the Switch and Switch 2. The critic reviews have also gone live ahead of the big release, and admittedly, the aggregate score...
Tuesday2nd Dec 2025
Site News So, Where's Our Metroid Prime 4 Switch 1 Review?
Samusings
Reviews for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are live, including ours, although you may have noticed that it's focused on the Switch 2 Edition, and MP4 is also launching on Switch 1. If you're looking for impressions on the original Switch version, they are coming - please bear with us. We weren't able to test on the older hardware prior to the...
News Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Credits Reveal A Plethora Of Assist Devs, Including Next Level Games
And Samus has a brand new voice
When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond landed with Retro Studios back in 2019, we're not sure anybody was truly shocked by this turn of events. Retro is, after all, the original developer of the Prime series, and while many of the veteran team members have since left, the sheer quality of the fourth entry on Switch 2...
Friday21st Nov 2025
News Nintendo Debuts Two Metroid Prime 4 Ads As Eight-Year Wait Nears Its End
Or eighteen years, for many of us
Nintendo has debuted two new ads for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond ahead of its release on 4th December 2025. All things considered, there's not a great deal here that we haven't seen before, with one ad (above) focusing primarily on the Federation Troopers you'll be meeting on your journey (including the beloved Myles...
Friday14th Nov 2025
News Nintendo Quietly Reveals A New Suit For Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Proceed with caution!
Nintendo has finally announced a whole bunch of new information for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond ahead of its launch on 4th December 2025. One thing that's quietly slipped by, however, is the reveal of a brand-new suit for our protagonist Samus Aran. As highlighted by Nintendo Wire in the below post, the suit can be seen in a short...
Monday27th Oct 2025
"It took time for us to convey the concept clearly to Retro"
Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective launches this month, and it includes plenty of insight into how Retro Studios and Nintendo worked together on the famous trilogy, as recounted by series producer Kensuke Tanabe. As spotted by our friends over at
Wednesday22nd Oct 2025
News Metroid Prime Remastered Almost Had Completely New Cutscenes
But producer Kensuke Tanabe decided against it
Nintendo is shortly launched Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective, a new art book looking at concept art for the original trilogy on GameCube and Wii (with a small section dedicated to Metroid Prime Remastered). Speaking of the more recent Switch remaster, the book reveals that Retro Studios had...
News Metroid Prime 1-3 Art Book Somehow Teases And Debunks An Echoes Remake
What are you saying, Tanabe?!
The upcoming Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective art book delves into a heck of a lot of information from the original trilogy, primarily from notes provided by long-time producer Kensuke Tanabe. Fans have been speculating about the prospect of a Metroid Prime 2: Echoes remaster/remake for quite some time now,...
Friday12th Sep 2025
News Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Finally Gets A Release Date, Open World Confirmed
Sorry, a BIKE?!
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has finally got a launch date, folks! It'll be hitting the Switch and Switch 2 on 4th December, 2025. That's not all though. The trailer seemingly confirmed that the game will be open world, with Samus rocking a new motorbike with which to traverse the dangerous landscape. It's been a long time coming, but...
Thursday28th Aug 2025
Poll When The Heck Is Metroid Prime 4 Actually Launching?
Bounty hunting for a date
Over the last week or so, we here at Nintendo Life have been having a few spirited debates about when Metroid Prime 4: Beyond might actually launch. By all accounts, it's still scheduled for 2025, but time's ticking by quickly, and we're still very much in the dark. Frankly, after literal years of waiting, it feels good to...
Friday25th Jul 2025
News Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Rating Spotted, Fuelling Nintendo Direct Hopes Again
Not beyond comprehension
Of all of Nintendo's big releases for the Switch 2, only two are missing release dates, with one of those being Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — coming to both Switch 1 and 2 — the long awaited entry in Retro Studio's acclaimed series. However, as rumours of a Nintendo Direct continue to build, a rating for the game in South...
Tuesday24th Jun 2025
News Nintendo Fixes Its Metroid Prime 4 Blunder, And It's No Longer "Out Now"
Phaz-on, Phaz-off
Some poor sod over at Nintendo recently made a pretty hefty mistake in creating a huge poster for the upcoming Metroid Prime 4: Beyond: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition with the words "Out Now" printed very clearly for all to see. Nintendo has already stated that the printing was a mistake, but now the company has now ensured that no...
Friday20th Jun 2025
Random Switch 2 Ad Claims Metroid Prime 4 Is "Out Now"
Update: Nope, it's a mistake
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond doesn't even have a proper release date just yet, but according to a Switch 2 ad located at the Oxford Circus tube station in London, it's apparently "Out Now". Before anyone suggests it's a photoshop, the fine folks at VGC have actually seen it with their very own eyes. The same outlet notes how...
Friday13th Jun 2025
News Piggyback's Metroid Prime Art Book Delayed Until October, Pre-Orders Live
Developed in collaboration with Nintendo
Metroid Prime is making a comeback in more ways than one this year, but it seems another delay has surfaced. In this particular case, we're actually referring to Piggyback's upcoming art book 'Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective'. This book, developed in collaboration with Nintendo and Retro Studios,...
Tuesday13th May 2025
News Metroid Prime Dev's Cancelled 3D Platformer 'Harmony' Streamed Online For More Than Four Hours
Before being taken down
Retro Studios might be best-known as the Metroid Prime developer, but over the years it's dabbled in various other series and even some concepts that were never released. One of these was the cancelled 3D platformer known as Harmony. It's believed this "linear 3D" game was in development during the Wii U generation and was...
Thursday8th May 2025
News Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Has Sold Over 1 Million Copies On Switch
Make way for Bananza
Nintendo has confirmed that Donkey Kong Country Returns HD has surpassed 1 million in sales, reaching a total of 1.27 million. Released on 16th January 2025, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD's performance is about what we were expecting, but it's nevertheless an impressive achievement within just a month and a half. That said, it...
Wednesday2nd Apr 2025
News Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Will Be A Cross-Gen Title For Switch 2
4K Metroid!
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been confirmed as a cross-gen title for the Nintendo Switch 2. You'll be able to play in Mouse Mode for added precision, and it's been confirmed that the game will support two graphical options on Switch 2: 4K at 60fps with HDR, or 1080p at 120fps with HDR in docked mode. Remember, if you don't have a...
Friday28th Mar 2025
News Has Metroid Prime 4 Taken Inspiration From Dread For Its New Suit?
There are unmistakable similarities
At the end of the latest trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, we were bestowed with a brief but tantalising glimpse at a brand-new suit for long-time protagonist Samus Aran. At first glance, the suit looks completely new; something we've not yet seen from the Metroid Series. Or is it..? Well, officially yes, it...
Thursday27th Mar 2025
News Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's Official Switch Box Art Is Absolutely Stunning
Ahhhh we want it
Nintendo has unveiled the official box art for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and folks, it's a beauty. Showcasing Samus wielding her new psychic abilities and flanked by what we assume are friendly indigenous creatures, it's got a distinctly purple tone to it, and we absolutely love it. Samus is also rocking a gem in her helmet which we...
News Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Gets A New Trailer, But No Release Date
Maybe we'll get one next week..?
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has received a new trailer during the latest Nintendo Direct, but there's sadly no confirmed release date at the time of writing. Our prediction..? We'll get one next week when it's revealed to be a cross-gen game with Switch 2. Here's hoping, anyway..! Still, it's an awesome trailer. In it,...
Friday17th Jan 2025
News Nintendo Believes In "Giving Proper Credit" After Backlash Over Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
So why the omission?
Nintendo has issued a short statement in response to the backlash following the omission of Retro Studios' staff from the credits of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. In speaking with Eurogamer, Nintendo said that it believes in "giving proper credit for any
Wednesday15th Jan 2025
Monkey Business
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is just around the corner and, now that the embargo on our review coverage has lifted, we can officially confirm that developer Forever Entertainment is responsible for the porting duties on Retro Studios' platformer. However, much like Metroid Prime Remastered before it, Nintendo has opted to omit the...
Wednesday11th Dec 2024
News Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Showcases 'A Barrelful Of Details' In New Trailer
It's almost a month away!
Nintendo isn't holding back on Donkey Kong Country Returns HD details this week, with a second trailer drop arriving... today! The 'barrelful of details' trailer (below) is essentially just an overview trailer, just like every other Nintendo first-party game gets. This runs down all of the things you need to know about the...
Monday9th Dec 2024
"If you're not directly working on the game, go away"
We know that Nintendo can be a little protective of its intellectual properties (now there's an understatement), but it turns out that the company's micromanagement was enough to make one artist on Metroid Prime 3: Corruption leave his position at Retro Studios. That's according to a recent...
Friday29th Nov 2024
News Nintendo Highlights Every 'Donkey Kong Country' On Switch With A New Trailer
Prepare to return... again
Nintendo has released a new trailer taking a look at every Donkey Kong Country game on Switch in preparation for the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD on 16th January 2024. If you've got a subscription to the standard Nintendo Switch Online service, you can play every SNES game from the series right now. That...
Poll So, Will You Be Getting Donkey Kong Country Returns HD For Switch?
Go bananas in early 2025
We're almost in December and that means Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is arriving very soon. Yes, in case you somehow missed it, the 2010 Wii Classic is getting another release. This remaster will not only include a facelift but it also features all of the bonus levels from the 2013 3DS game, bumping up the total amount of...
