Topic: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Not sure how many of you have seen this video, but I think this is actually a very plausible theory about the release of this game. After watching this, it's now what I believe is the situation, and I feel a bit less worried about the state of it now. I definitely recommend giving it a watch. Is it coping? Yeah, maybe. But it also seems like a very likely story of what's happening behind the scenes. Something to keep in mind, at least.

Arlo video? Man this dude has a really unhealthy obsession with Metroid prime 4 so I guess I’m not surprised. I’ll watch the vid

Edit: stupid video won’t stop buffering but I know exactly what to expect. Stretched out video talking about something similar to prime 4 either being in development hell or “ready to release and they are holding it off” and that Metroid prime gameplay further solidifies that assumption. Might as well play Nintendo switch trailer after Nintendo switch trailer like those other YouTubers while a 10 minute talking fest ensues.

@StarPoint I've thought the same for a little while. It's hard to argue with the logic of it not launching on the Switch. I have a few questions:-
1. Assuming this is correct, what does it mean for Metroid Prime 2 and 3, will we see the remasters on the Switch?
2. What does this mean for backwards compatibility? If MP4 is launching on Switch 2, it would be great if you could play MP1 - 3 remasters on it too
3. Linked to the point above, does this mean Switch games might get some automatic visual upgrade on Switch 2?
4. Will it be a launch or year 1 title? Will it influence Nintendo in what games launch along side it?
5. If dev is nearing completion have them retained the talented team they have put together to begin work in MP5? This could be story development, concept artwork, proof of concept minor dev to demonstrate game mechanics etc

I'm not expecting anyone to answer the above (thoughts/challenges welcome), these are the questions I have about it.

Considering Switch fans are expecting to receive ports of MP2 and MP3 before we get MP4, I still maintain that MP4 will be a launch title for Nintendo's next platform.

@Magician Yeah, that's pretty much what Arlo said in the video. That the team assembled are used to producing high quality games and could do something really slick that would utilise the new hardware.

Thankfully I did not beat Prime 1-3 yet. If Nintendo will (remaster) the other two I can wait. Prime 1 remaster should arrive soon. This is going to be a good time.

I have a feeling that we'll be seeing Prime 2 and 3 getting remasters before Prime 4 comes out. If you ask me, we probably aren't getting a new system until either late 2024 or early 2025, which gives plenty of time for the other two games to get remastered. And if it's true that Nintendo was sitting on the first game's remaster for a while, who knows how much time Retro has had to work on the next two?

@StarPoint I think it's been pretty much proven as it was rated by the German ratings agency in July 2021.

@StarPoint

A couple of things. 1) Last I heard, ports for MP2 and MP3 to the Switch will be quick and dirty. The bare minimum. Not the same love and attention MP1 received. And the remake of MP1 wasn't handled by Retro alone, it was a collaboration between them and three other port houses (like Iron Galaxy).

2) I assume Retro themselves are all-hands-on-deck with MP4. A development house other than Retro could be working on MP2 and MP3. They're most likely being outsourced.

I don’t know, whether the other two games get remasters or not depends on how soon the next console arrives. If the switch has another year or two on the market like Starpoint suggested, then remasters would be more likely. If the console is arriving sooner, HD ports of the other two would be more likely. But everyone should set their expectations to a reasonable degree. There is a chance the other two games don’t arrive at all, Prime 1 is Nintendo’s way of drumming up hype for prime 4, Nintendo sent a survey out themselves that Magician posted here I think, and one of the options was something like “this is a great way to kill time until Prime 4” or something, or maybe that was fake. So if the other prime games don’t come, then I don’t want to see endless whining about it because it’s annoying. Either they come in either remaster or HD capacity or not at all, keep expectations in check just in case

Ah yeah, I forgot to mention that. Obviously, it's a bigger team working on it than just Retro, which to me, means that Retro can still keep the majority of their focus on Prime 4 while letting these other teams focus on the remasters. And I dunno about how reliable ol' Grubb is for a source of this information at this point, but what he's suggesting is also very possible.

@TheBigBlue
Thank you for the warning. I will keep my expectations in check. I think I should wait until a few months away of the Prime 4 release. Should there be no remasters of 2 and 3 I will play the original games, to be ready for Prime 4.

To be honest I still have to beat Metroid, Super Metroid (Edit: and Metroid Dread). There is definitely enough Metroid for me left not to get too worried about it.

@Jhena yeah we have received tons of Metroid stuff to burn through on switch while the wait for Prime 4 continues. We have every 2D metroid game (not including remakes), and the first Metroid Prime as well. Nintendo has actually been doing a really good job promoting Metroid as a top Nintendo franchise in recent years

@TheBigBlue
True. I am not the biggest Metroid fan, at least not yet, but I can definitely see that Nintendo really cares for the series. I remember the time when Metroid Federation Force was released. To me it seemed like many people lost faith in the series. Seeing where Metroid is now, makes me really happy for Metroid fans. Of course I am happy too for good games.

I don't think Prime 4 is a next gen title, I think it's a cross gen title. It'd be foolish for Nintendo not to take advantage of the immense success and userbase of the Switch, especially when they already promised said userbase that Prime 4 is coming. That's just leaving money on the table. At the same time, having it available potentially at launch for the next gen Switch could very well be mutually beneficial for both Prime 4 and the next gen Switch, so I do think it's going to be on the next gen Switch too. This is probably a BotW scenario, it's been delayed for so long that they want it on both now and we probably are waiting on the hardware reveal before they say anything more on the game.

@Bolt_Strike Bang on. Prime 4 got announced for switch in its launch year. I can definitely see Nintendo making prime 4 a next gen game, while also fulfilling the Prime 4 on switch announcement.

Man wtf is going on at Retro Studios though?

Like if its being saved for the next system's launch and it could otherwise come out on Switch sooner, ok. But if they really aren't near finishing the game, I feel like something's gone horribly wrong with this developer, who has not put out a new game in nearly a decade.

@kkslider5552000 Apparently Retro had a game to show at E3 a few years ago, which was some kind of music rpg, however it was so rough Nintendo pulled it from the show the day before. They carried on working on it but they simply couldn’t get it to click until they took over Prime 4 and just dropped it.

I’m not overly concerned with Prime 4 myself, they took it over in 2019, had covid delays, went on a hiring spree and this is meant to be a proper AAA title which of course takes time to make despite the impatience of gamers.

Don’t worry guys, I’m sure that Prime 4 has been done for awhile now and Nintendo is just sitting on it until the time is right.