Games by MercurySteam
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate 3DS
- 5th Mar 2013 (NA)
- 8th Mar 2013 (UK/EU)
Reviews of MercurySteam Games
Review Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS)
Welcome back
You know, there’s a reason why they call it 'Metroidvania' and not 'Castletroid'. As much as the Castlevania series took the whole ‘interconnected 2D map’ ball and ran with it over the past decade while Metroid fans had to do without, it’s Nintendo’s series that first defined the rules and, when handled properly, did it best...
Review Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate (3DS)
A change is as good as a rest
As much as it will pain Castlevania fans to admit, the series was in a pretty bad state prior to the release of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow in 2010. Although a string of “Metroidvania” entries — produced under the guidance of the enigmatic Koji “IGA” Igarashi — had hit the mark from a critical standpoint,...
Latest MercurySteam News
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...
Wednesday20th Nov 2024
Random Desperate Fans Visited Retro Studios' Building For Info On Metroid Dread
I want answers!
One of the biggest surprises in Nintendo's storied history came in June 2021 when Metroid Dread was finally unveiled for the Switch. Up until that point, the game had fallen into legend, with many fans conceding that it simply didn't exist. One of the most significant catalysts for fan anticipation came via Metroid Prime 3:...
Tuesday18th Jun 2024
News Metroid Dread Director On Samus Losing Her Abilities: "Yes, It Has To Be Like That"
Would you really want everything from the beginning?
One major requirement of the Metroid series is for Samus Aran to lose her abilities at the beginning of every adventure. The Metroid Dread director José Luis Márquez spoke about this with Gamereactor, and he supports this, mentioning how it's absolutely "mandatory" for this particular series...
Monday10th Jun 2024
Random Metroid Dread's Chozo Language Was Based On English Syntax
Quiet Robe speaks out
During a recent episode of the Kiwi Talkz podcast, Stephen Hughes, assistant voice director for Metroid Dread and the voice of the Chozo character Quiet Robe, spoke about the challenges in adapting a completely new language for the game. According to Hughes, developer MercurySteam wanted the language to flow when recording the...
Monday15th Jan 2024
News Nintendo Dev On Using Anatomy Studies To Create Metroid Dread's Amiibo
EMMI-bo
Although the critically acclaimed Metroid Dread was primarily developed by Spanish studio MercurySteam, Nintendo itself was heavily involved in the game's creation and marketing, as you'd expect. Like many major releases on the Nintendo Switch, Metroid Dread also benefitted from the launch of amiibo, with a Samus/E.M.M.I dual pack available...
Friday11th Aug 2023
News Metroid Dread Developer Has "Two Large Undisclosed Titles" In The Works
What could they be for?
Developer MercurySteam - best known on the Switch for the release of the highly rated platformer Metroid Dread - reportedly has two "unannounced" projects in development. This information comes from Nordisk Games, which owns a "minority stake" in the Spanish-based developer. It's mentioned in the company's latest financial...
Monday31st Jul 2023
News Metroid Dread Wasn't A "Chaotic" Project, Working With Nintendo Was "Game Changing", Says Dev
"It was a hell of an experience"
When Metroid Dread launched back in 2021, it's fair to say that it completely reignited fans' passion for the franchise. It became the fastest-selling entry in the series in the UK, US, and Japan and currently stands as the best-selling Metroid game of all time. Despite the strong critical and commercial reception...
Saturday8th Oct 2022
News Nintendo Restocks Metroid Dread Holographic Poster Set Reward (US)
"Supplies are limited"
It's now been one year since MercurySteam released Metroid Dread on the Nintendo Switch, and to celebrate this special occasion Nintendo has restocked the fancy-looking holographic poster set on its online store in the US. If you've not played Metroid Dread yet - it's well worth a look, you can even download a demo from the...
Tuesday27th Sep 2022
News Pre-Orders For Good Smile's Metroid Dread Samus Aran Figma Are Now Live
Coming late 2023
After teasing its reveal for the best part of 2022, Good Smile Company has now finally unveiled the much-anticipated 'Samus Aran: DREAD ver.' online, with pre-orders now available (thanks Nintendo Soup!) Modelled on Samus' appearance in MecurySteam's Metroid Dread, the figure is highly posable and comes with all of the added...
Wednesday24th Aug 2022
News Good Smile Shares First Look At Figma Samus Aran: Metroid Dread Prototype
Update: New photos surface
Update [Wed 24th Aug, 2022 02:45 BST]: Some new pictures of the Samus Metroid Dread figma have surfaced online following its reveal earlier this month. They've been shared on social media courtesy of the Twitter account amiamihobbynews (via Nintendo Soup). You can cycle through these new shots in the tweet below:
Tuesday10th May 2022
News It's Official, Metroid Dread Is The Best-Selling Game In The Metroid Series
Knocks off Prime to claim the bounty
Following on from the February news that Metroid Dread had sold 2.74 million units from its October launch to the end of 2021 — a figure which put it behind only GameCube's Metroid Prime in the series' best-seller list — Nintendo's end of year financial results have confirmed that MercurySteam's 2D entry is...
Friday8th Apr 2022
News Metroid Dread's Second Free Update Is Now Available, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Boss Rush mode has arrived!
Back in February, Nintendo and MercurySteam announced Metroid Dread for the Switch would be receiving two new updates. The first update adding "Dread" and "Rookie" modes was released on the same day as the announcement and now the second update has finally been released - adding in a Boss Rush Mode. There are also a...
Monday21st Mar 2022
News Metroid Dread Is The Best-Selling 2D Metroid Game Ever In The UK
Nothing dreadful to see here
MercurySteam's Metroid Dread has been breaking records everywhere since its release. And it's well deserved too because it's absolutely brilliant — if you've somehow missed it in the months since its October 2021 launch, check out our review to find out why! And it looks like the latest entry in the space bounty...
Friday11th Mar 2022
"This was one of the most difficult decisions"
Metroid Dread was arguably the standout release on the Nintendo Switch last year. Since then, it's won awards, received updates, and last we checked - was on the cusp of becoming the
Monday7th Mar 2022
News AM2R Creator Isn't A Fan Of Metroid Dread's E.M.M.I. Encounters
"It's distinct and unique but it's also kind of annoying"
MecurySteam, the studio who worked with Nintendo on 3DS' Metroid: Samus Returns, the remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus, has really hit it out of the park with Metroid Dread on Switch. But, given the studio's debut with the series — which launched soon after one of the most popular and...
Thursday10th Feb 2022
News Metroid Dread Is Getting Free Updates, And The First Arrives Today
Update: The first one has gone live
Update: The first one is already live. Here are the full patch notes from Nintendo's official support page: Ver. 2.0.0 (Released February 9, 2022) New Difficulties Available "ROOKIE MODE" has been added to the game. This is a mode suited towards new players, with the following adjustments: Dropped items from...
Monday31st Jan 2022
News Metroid Dread Producer Hopes It Showcased "Potential" And Inspires Metroidvania Devs
"The genre will continue to remain popular if there’s still potential left in it"
Speaking in a recently translated interview with Famitsu, Metroid producer and series veteran Yoshio Sakamoto discussed last year's Metroid Dread in detail, touching on a range of topics including how he hopes the game will inspire indie developers making the next...
Sunday19th Dec 2021
News Metroid Dread Crowned #1 In TIME's 'Best Games Of 2021'
Another win for Nintendo
Samus' latest outing Metroid Dread has received a lot of praise since it arrived on the Nintendo Switch in October and now it's been crowned #1 in TIME's 10 best games of 2021. The newest chapter in the Metroid series managed to place ahead of heavy-hitters such as Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, and even The Game Awards'...
Wednesday1st Dec 2021
News Metroid Dread Developer MercurySteam Announces Its Next Game, Codenamed "Project Iron"
"a third person action RPG set in a dark fantasy world"
If you've been wondering what the developer MercurySteam is up to now that Metroid Dread is available on the Nintendo Switch, it appears it's already got a brand-new game in the works. The Spanish-based studio is teaming up with Digital Bros and its publishing division 505 Games for a new...
Tuesday23rd Nov 2021
News A Familiar Foe Is Punished Again By Metroid Dread Sequence Breakers
Happens in a flash
It's clear that the development team at MercurySteam were in tune with various elements of the Metroid fanbase, including speedrunners and those curious players that try everything possible to shake up the game by finding shortcuts and new methods. This emerged previously with a fun little trick for fighting an early-ish boss if...
Thursday11th Nov 2021
Feature Metroid Dread Has Plenty Of Other M's DNA, And That's No Bad Thing
Another M
Editor's note: This article discusses an audio-based character moment near the end of Metroid Dread. If you're sensitive to spoilers, you may want to finish the game and come back to this article later... For 15 years, Metroid Dread was just a rumor. Now, it’s real, it’s been out for over a month, and it’s fantastic. Samus Aran’s...
Tuesday9th Nov 2021
Random Brie Larson's Back In A New Metroid Dread Instagram Ad
Say cheese
Now, listen — we know a lot of you don't like it when we write about Oscar winner Brie Larson's ongoing relationship with Nintendo. We get it. We're all a little bit lactose intolerant, too. But, much like you only have yourself to blame if you finish off an entire tub of Häagen-Dazs, we really can't be held responsible for you...
Sunday7th Nov 2021
Random Metroid Dread's Zero Suit Samus Model Is Rather Detailed Up Close
"14,000 polys for a model that has 2 seconds of screentime"
If you've been killed by something that isn't an E.M.M.I. robot in Metroid Dread, then you've probably seen the Zero Suit Samus animation that follows. While it might not seem like all that much in motion, it's actually rather detailed. An individual known as 'Finalizer' shared these...
Saturday6th Nov 2021
News Metroid Dread's Producer Would Like To See Samus In Her Own Movie One Day
"I hope that it does become a reality"
If you have ever wanted to see Nintendo's Metroid series get adapted to the big screen, you're not alone. During a recent interview with CNET, Metroid Dread producer Yoshio Sakamoto - who originally worked on the series as a designer - voiced his own interests in seeing Samus in cinema. He finds the idea of it...
Friday5th Nov 2021
Gallery Metroid Dread amiibo Are Finally Here In Europe, And They're Rather Lovely
Did yours arrive this week?
While Metroid Dread is now a few weeks old, the amiibo that were intended to accompany its launch were unfortunately delayed in the UK and Europe, which means we've had to wait a little longer to get our grubby hands on them. The good news, as you can see from the images on this very page, is that they'
Monday1st Nov 2021
Random The Current World Record Speedrun For Metroid Dread Took Under 1.5 Hours
Speedmus Arun
Metroid Dread came out less than a month ago, but speedrunners are already hard at work trying to grab the world record for fastest time to completion. Even just a few days after the release, we were marvelling at how good some players were at the game — and the current world record holder, karterfreak, is an excellent example. With...
Monday18th Oct 2021
News Metroid Dread Studio Hit With Allegations Of Poor Organisation And Management
"The bad atmosphere is constant and it is very tense"
Following on from disputes over Metroid Dread developer MercurySteam's policy regarding the in-game crediting of staff, further allegations have surfaced in the last few days which suggest questionable management practices and handling of employees at the Spanish studio, makers of the...
Friday15th Oct 2021
News Nintendo Aware Of Crash Error "Near The End" Of Metroid Dread, Says It's Working On A Fix
An update should arrive later this month
Nintendo has been made aware of an error "near the end" of Metroid Dread that forces the software and game to close. It's working on a fix to prevent this from happening, which will be available at some point later this month. So, what's the problem? Apparently, if the player destroys a door while a map...
Thursday14th Oct 2021
Guide Metroid Dread: Where To Go After You Get The Phantom Cloak
How to progress after picking up your stealth ability
Now that you've beaten Corpius and grabbed the Phantom Cloak ability, you're going to be able to slink past all those sensor doors scattered around ZDR. However, if you're having trouble figuring out where to go as soon as you've acquired your stealth ability, we can quickly guide you onwards to...
Guide Metroid Dread: Where To Go At The Start Of The Game
How to proceed towards your first upgrade in Artaria
Artaria is the very first area in Metroid Dread and it's where you'll spend a good deal of your early time in the game. Your first objective here is to get your hands on the Charge Beam so that you can open up charge beam doors and make some actual progress. However, if you're finding yourself...
Guide Metroid Dread: How To Get The Grapple Beam And Morph Ball Bomb Early
Kraid Killers
Sequence-breaking — when you collect an item or enter an area before the designers of the game intented you to on a 'normal' playthrough — is a time-honoured tradition in the Metroid game fan community, and it's something that's possible in Metroid Dread, too. It's possible to beat Kraid in an amusing alternate manner by shooting...
Tuesday12th Oct 2021
Guide Metroid Dread: All Teleporter Locations
Quantum Leap
If there's one thing you're going to have to do plenty of during your time in Metroid Dread, it's backtracking around the game's eight regions in search of gear, collectibles and routes forward through the campaign. It can be time-consuming, making your way to shuttle stations and elevators in order to slowly move between one area and...
Monday11th Oct 2021
Guide Metroid Dread: All amiibo Unlocks - Every Compatible Metroid amiibo
NFC for victory
Metroid Dread lauched alongside the game's official Samus & E.M.M.I Double Pack amiibo — which has unfortunately been delayed until the 5th of November in the UK and the rest of Europe. Players can also grab daily in-game rewards by using any of a total of six previously released Metroid series amiibo. Let's take a look at...
How to unlock all end game rewards
There are plenty of post-game rewards in store for players once they've managed to complete Metroid Dread. Some of these are unlocked for simply finishing the game on either normal or hard mode, whilst others are tied to more specific objectives. Let's take a closer look at all available post-game unlockables in...
Guide Metroid Dread: Shinespark - How To Speed Boost And Shinespark Like A Pro
Shine bright, Samus!
As you progress through Metroid Dread you'll gain the Speed Boost ability, which lets Samus mow through enemies and structures like some sort of human missile. As part of this ability she is also able to "Shinespark". By holding down on the 'L' stick whilst in Speed Boost mode, Samus will glow purple and she can now stop...
Guide Metroid Dread: Hard Mode - How To Unlock Hard Mode
A Good Day To Die Hard
OK, so you like your games really tough or you're a Metroid monster whose only real concern is playing this new entry in the franchise on its hardest difficulty. Well, unfortunately for you, you're going to have to be a little bit patient — the only way to unlock hard mode in Metroid Dread is to play through the game once on...
Sunday10th Oct 2021
Random Nintendo America's President Doug Bowser Celebrates The Return Of Samus
He's also got his hands on a brand new Switch OLED
It's been quite possibly one of the best weeks of the year in the land of Nintendo. The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai revealed Sora would be the final fighter, Rockstar announced the GTA trilogy for the platform, Nintendo laun
Saturday9th Oct 2021
Video Digital Foundry's Technical Analysis Of Metroid Dread On Switch
"this is one of the standout releases of the year"
Metroid Dread has finally landed on the Switch this week, and now the experts over at Digital Foundry have shared their own technical analysis of Samus' new adventure. So, how does it hold up? In docked mode, the game delivers a 1600x900 resolution, and in portable mode, it's apparently just as...
Friday8th Oct 2021
How to become a ZDR superstar
Hello and welcome to our Metroid Dread walkthrough and guides hub where we'll be helping you get your armoured hands on all of Samus Aran's various abilities and power-ups as well as taking a look at some boss battle and E.M.M.I. strategies to help make your adventure a little smoother. We've also detailed where you...
Guide Metroid Dread: Charge Beam Location - How To Open Charge Beam Doors
Your very first upgrade
Samus' Charge Beam upgrade in Metroid Dread allows her to open charge doors as well as do further damage to enemies with its powerful charged shots which are performed by holding in the 'Y' button. If you run out of missiles to attack armoured or more powerful foes, this beam can also be used as a backup, penetrating tougher...
Guide Metroid Dread: Spider Magnet Location - How To Climb Blue Walls
Spidey sense tingling
The second ability unlock that you'll get in Metroid Dread — shortly after acquiring the Charge Beam — is the Spider Magnet. It's a cool new item that allows you to climb around neon blue walls and ceilings that are dotted around areas. This massively expands the areas you can reach at this early point in the game. Metroid...
Guide Metroid Dread: Phantom Cloak Location - How To Cloak And Hide From E.M.M.I.
Beat Corpius to grab this slick gadget
The Phantom Cloak upgrade is absolutely one of the most important gadgets in Metroid Dread when it comes to fending off E.M.M.I. attacks. It may be fairly easy to give them the slip early on, but later you'll need to move slowly through their zones, taking your time and using this Aeion-fuelled camouflage to...
Guide Metroid Dread: Varia Suit Location - How To Enter Hot Areas
Time to heat things up a little
The Varia Suit is a vitally important part of Samus' kit in Metroid Dread. You'll need it to enter hot areas as well as to take reduced damage from enemy attacks. This suit also slightly increases the damage dealt by dash melee attacks (performed by parrying an enemy whilst running). Metroid Dread - Where is the...
Guide Metroid Dread: Grapple Beam Location - How To Swing Across Gaps And Pull Grapple Beam Blocks
Let's Swing!
The Grapple Beam upgrade in Metroid Dread has lots of cool uses, from swinging across gaps to pulling great big blocks out of the way, opening special grapple areas up and allowing you to pull open marked grapple doors. Metroid Dread - Where is the Grapple Beam?: In order to find the Grapple Beam, you'll need to make your way to the...
Guide Metroid Dread: Screw Attack Location - How To Destroy Blue Lightning Blocks
Screw this
The ability called Screw Attack is required to smash the many Screw Attack Blocks you'll find all over Metroid Dread, as well as granting you the ability to blast enemies with powerful energy during spin jumps, the Screw Attack is an essential suit upgrade. Metroid Dread - Where is the Screw Attack?: The Screw Attack upgrade is found in...
Guide Metroid Dread: Morph Ball Location - How To Turn Into A Ball
Everybody's favourite Metroid Upgrade, it's time to roll into a tiny ball!
The Morph Ball is without a doubt one of the most valuable ability upgrades in any Metroid game, and in Metroid Dread things are no different. This handy manoeuvre allows you access to tons of hidden passageways, Morph Ball launchers, tunnels, gaps and more and is especially...
Guide Metroid Dread: Diffusion Beam Location - How To Shoot Through Walls
It's time to penetrate some terrain
The second suit upgrade you're going to grab in Cataris in Metroid Dread, the Diffusion Beam will allow you to make large impacts to terrain in order to blow holes in walls at special locations and deal huge damage to foes. Metroid Dread - Where is the Diffusion Beam?: In order to fire off the Diffusion Beam...
Guide Metroid Dread: Wide Beam Location - How To Open Wide Beam Doors
Get wide with this snazzy upgrade. Yeah!
Your very first trip to Dairon takes place early in Metroid Dread, but it's an important one as it gives you access to the Wide Beam, a powerful laser upgrade that allows you to open special Wide Beam doors as well as push various Wide Beam objects around to allow access to lots of new areas. Metroid Dread -...
Guide Metroid Dread: Morph Ball Bomb Location - How To Drop Bombs In Morph Ball Form
Where to find the bomb upgrade for your Morph Ball
The Morph Ball Bomb upgrade in Metroid Dread is essential for clearing away walls, debris and enemies whilst curled up into your Morph Ball form. It's also the only way you can activate the Morph Ball launchers that you'll find in various areas throughout the game. As well as exposing hidden blocks...
Guide Metroid Dread: Flash Shift Location - How To Dodge Enemy Attacks And Enter Sensor Doors
Don't dodge this important upgrade
The Flash Shift upgrade is one of a handful of fancy new abilities that Samus will find during Metroid Dread. This slick new move uses an Aeion Gauge in order to allow you to dash a small distance to avoid enemy attacks. This dash can be performed in the ground or air and it will enable you to travel through...
