Nintendo’s announcement that Metroid Prime 4 was effectively being taken back to the drawing board wasn’t exactly the January surprise fans were hoping for; the sizeable delay to this much-anticipated sequel was an understandable downer for fans.
Despite disappointment, the video update was met with general acceptance and understanding from most corners of the internet; after a couple of missteps in recent years, more time in the oven is fine if it results in the sequel we've been dreaming about since 2007’s Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the last ‘proper’ entry in the Prime series. We’ve waited this long – what’s another couple of years between friends?
However, reading between the lines, the video communicates a lot more than a mere apology and perhaps points towards a renewed investment in a franchise that hasn't had the best support of late.
Please Understand That We Hear You
More than simply demonstrating contrition and honourably owning the mistake, the video was also a calculated move to show publicly just how seriously Nintendo regards the franchise and its fans – to prove that the platform holder is aware and cares about Metroid. It’s a curious and arguably necessary move after the much-derided Metroid Prime: Federation Force caused the franchise faithful to wonder who on earth was calling the shots.
Nintendo inexplicably chose to reveal Next Level’s spin on multiplayer shooter Metroid Prime: Hunters at the revived Nintendo World Championships in the guise of side-game Metroid: Blast Ball. Divorced from the brand, it might have been a mildly diverting, inoffensive little game, but Samus fans were hungry. Federation Force? Perhaps it’s some kind of Halo ODST-style spinoff! we thought. No – what we saw was a bunch of chibi-looking bounty hunters running around mini Rocket League-style arenas playing 3v3 first-person ‘football’. If that weren’t enough, the fact it was on 3DS was a red rag to an already-peeved bull.
Who knows? Perhaps it was a misguided attempt to woo Japanese gamers to a series they’ve historically been lukewarm on, but regardless of intent, the whole debacle was a spectacular misjudgement that suggested Nintendo had lost its way and completely forgotten what made the franchise special for millions of gamers. The fact that there hasn’t been a solely in-house developed instalment since R&D1’s Metroid: Zero Mission on the GBA in 2004 only reinforces that argument.
Please Understand That We're Sorry
Fortunately, Metroid: Samus Returns - the fabulous remake of the Game Boy's Metroid II – felt like a make-good for a fanbase desperate for a ‘proper’ instalment ever since Team Ninja’s divisive Metroid: Other M in 2010. It was an effective apology, only dampened by its release on the ageing 3DS rather than Switch. With Switch going a long way to winning back the hearts of the ‘hardcore’ after the waggle of the Wii era, some would argue that Prime 4’s existence indicates a change of attitude towards the franchise.
Although it had been on many a fan’s E3 bingo card for years, that logo's sudden appearance in 2017 was an uncharacteristically predictable move for a company which prides itself on novelty. That reveal proved once again that you can never quite guess what you’re going to get from Nintendo; Smash fans crowed for years about King K. Rool, but did we ever really expect him to join the line-up? Why the sudden change of heart?
Please Understand The Numbers
Although Metroid’s popularity seems evident – it’s arguably part of that holy trinity alongside Mario and Zelda in the hearts and minds of western gamers – the sales reality makes for sobering reading. On paper, it simply isn’t the tentpole franchise fans perceive it to be, especially in Japan. Metroid Prime, for example, might have done well in the west, but back in Nintendo’s homeland it sold just shy of 40,000 copies in its opening week and managed around double that in lifetime sales. Despite faring much better in the US, sales still aren’t up there with Mario or Zelda. It’s also worth remembering that even the weighty Game-Of-The-Year entries in those franchises haven’t historically been Nintendo’s biggest sellers either – the big 3D Mario and Zelda titles do just fine, but are dwarfed in relative sales terms by the likes of Mario Kart, Wii Sports and New Super Mario Bros..
While (in pure sales terms) Metroid is a rung below Zelda and Mario, sales figures of the Switch instalments of those top-tier franchises show that perhaps that trend is changing. According to Nintendo’s financial reports, Breath of the Wild is the fourth best-selling game on the system with 11.68 million units sold (as of 31st December 2018, including bundles and digital downloads). Super Mario Odyssey’s 13.76 million sales put it in second place, with only Mario Kart 8 Deluxe selling more (15.02 million). Granted, we’ve yet to see life-to-date sales of New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe which got off to a very healthy start, but these numbers are encouraging for fans of huge, expansive 3D games. If Switch really is the happy medium between the casual and the core audiences, perhaps Nintendo believes a strong Metroid entry could bridge the disconnect between fan perception and business reality.
Please Understand The Competition
Whether Prime 4 signals a new-found belief in the series or is simply pandering to the hardcore crowd recaptured by Switch doesn’t really make much difference; the result is still a new ‘proper’ Metroid. While some might have hoped for a 2D entry in the vein of Super Metroid, it’s no wonder that Nintendo would return to the 3D branch – the grammar Nintendo arguably invented has now been learnt and mastered by countless others. You can’t move on the eShop without tripping over quality Metroidvanias, and with so many fabulous alternatives, what fresh spin could Nintendo offer?
Of course, the company has a very good track record when it comes to reinventing the wheel, often managing to exceed expectations in the most unlikely circumstances. Its batting average for bringing back series and updating them in new and interesting ways is impressive; you can point to the obvious instances of bringing Mario and Zelda into the third dimension back on N64, but there are plenty of examples of eyebrow-raising propositions turning out very well indeed. A Link Between Worlds was an incredible return to a beloved childhood world – the moment you began playing, all the tension and worry melted away and you were transported back in time, as if there was never any doubt.
Please Understand We're Only Human
That’s not to say Nintendo doesn’t stumble, though. Even its brightest stars lose their shine occasionally, with the highest expectations magnifying flaws in games like Mario Sunshine or Skyward Sword. We’d argue that Star Fox has received the patchiest treatment over its quarter century, with dev team after dev team struggling to recapture the magic of Star Fox 64.
Metroid fans have had a far better run of things. Many bemoaned Nintendo’s original choice of partners for Prime 4, Bandai Namco, especially after the previous collaboration with Team Ninja underperformed, and giving the keys to the franchise back to Austin-based Retro Studios – the second-party developer that moved the series into the third dimension – is a sign to many fans that Nintendo have finally regained their senses after having Retro monkeying around with Donkey Kong for so long. It’s easy to surmise that perhaps some residual bias from upper management in Japan – coupled with their experience of Prime’s long and troubled overseas development – played a part in the original decision to keep development in the east.
Please Understand We're On It
With a clean slate to work from, Retro’s good form updating the much-loved Donkey Kong Country series with Donkey Kong Country Returns and Tropical Freeze should be heartening to gamers. Although many of the original Prime team have since moved on, it’ll be a matter of personal pride for the studio that the third sequel lives up to fans’ expectations, although it won’t see the light of day for a good while yet.
Assuming Retro are starting more-or-less from scratch, the realities of modern development cycles means that, like Breath of the Wild – which, lest we forget, was a Wii U title to begin with – we may even see the Switch’s successor before this game releases. We’re not suggesting it’ll launch exclusively on a new system, but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that it could 'pull a Breath of the Wild' and bridge the generations.
Please Look Forward To Further Announcements
And in the meantime? Well, Nintendo has some gems in the vault to placate the Metroid faithful and also familiarise newcomers with the franchise. The original NES game is available to all Switch Online subscribers, and if rumours of a coming SNES library are true, the classic Super Metroid will be joining it before too long. A port of MercurySteam’s Metroid: Samus Returns would make eminent sense to build further anticipation, and a Switch edition of Metroid Prime Trilogy would surely be a port that nobody would argue with.
So it seems that despite a gloomy start to 2019, the future hasn’t been this bright for Metroid fans for a decade or more. We can all raise an arm cannon to that.
Comments (99)
Wow! Awesome article! Good analysis (reminds me of how the U.S. economic markets pick apart Federal Reserve statements).
Just please find a way to give us a 3rd person view. Not everybody prefers 1st person.
@Turbo857 Has Prime ever had a third person view?
I know people were mad that they delayed this but remember when happens when you dont. Looking at you Fallout.
I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but I kind of preferred the more linear approach MP3. I kept getting lost in MP1 and 2 and it was frustrating, not fun.
Can't wait for Retro to step in after the disaster that was Other M. They can take as long as they want, but I do wonder what games we'll get before it's Prime time.
“Please understand” is my favorite phrase. I’m ok with the delay. Much better to have a delay than a bad to mediocre game.
Man, this is probably the best article I've read on this site in quite some time. Very informative and really well-structured. Thanks so much Gavin, this was a fantastic read!
Metroid has always been one of my fav series. I am not going to say that fed force was good, but it was a fun game despite it being a let down for being a real Metroid game. If other m got rid of voice acting, fans would prob not look down on it like we do. Controls were innovative and worked just fine, could have been better with traditional controls, but after beating it 100/0% and countless times, I’ve enjoyed it(yes it’s linear and you never get lost exploring the ship). Not nearly as much as the rest of the series, but fun game none the less. I think Nintendo was proud of other m, and we fans spat in their face. So instead it discouraged Nintendo from really keeping the series alive. I’ll never say both those games are perfect or even the best Metroid has to offer, but I’ve enjoyed both of them. And don’t get me started on triforce heroes, because my friends and I logged plenty of hours of that as well, despite the hate towards it.
Metroid Prime 4 was scrapped in order to fund Federation Force 2 to
@GrailUK Yes, in morph ball mode
@GrailUK I guess you could consider morph ball 3rd person.
But other m in 3rd person meant auto aiming. Over the shoulder 3rd person might work, but I just want more Metroid no matter if it’s 2d/3D.
@GrailUK
That's the point. We've already had 3 Prime games limited to a first person perspective. Throughout Metroid games, Samus's suit evolves with her abilities, performs wall jumps, and somersaults. However, in Prime games all this is limited a bit by the 1st person perspective.
If we're going to get a revival of a Prime style Metroid, at least offer something new like, a 3rd person perspective. I mean, series like Elder Scrolls started exclusively as 1st person but eventually offered 3rd person perspective views. When Metal Gear offered playable first person viewpoints (starting with 4), it never limited its 3rd person experience.
Please understand I'll be as mad as marbles if it's as [removed] as prime 3!
For what it is, I really liked Federation Force as a spin off (not a Metroid entry). And I played single player most of the time. But online coop worked also well. I would never say no to a sequel as long as main entries in the Metroid series continue to happen. I think that Federation Force would have had better reception after an entry in the main series.
sees a feature article
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dxc1RXkVAAEyL7j.jpg
"Federation Farce"
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DjN65y0XoAUlFFP.jpg
@GrailUK Metroid Prime has always been first person but I think it works. But when you turn into the ball then it goes to 3rd person view so yes there is 3rd person view.
I'd buy a HD remaster of Super Metroid, that mockup looks great!
I find the overuse of "please understand" condescending. It's not as clever as you think it is, and its a phrase Iwata was mocked for.
Shut up.
Metroid Prime Trilogy please!
Being a first time Nintendo owner I've never had the chance to play them before but they look great and I'd definitely buy them.
I think it should be like mirrors edge with some call of duty, and Halo stuff in it.
@Sandro89
I tend to believe it was a vocal minority that hated Metroid M. It has its flaws but it's personally, my favorite Metroid game. Even after playing through all the Primes, I regularly go back to M.
I don't understand how you can call a game that sold more than Prime 2 and almost as much as Super Metroid/Prime 3 a disaster.
Geez that Super Metroid HD looks AWESOME....would I buy it?....DAMN RIGHT I'd buy it yesterday!
I think they should surprise everyone and invert perspectives... THIRD person Samus and FIRST person morph ball with nauseating rolling camera... that would be a HARDCORE challenge.
This is a really good article, nice one. The site should definitely think about writing more well researched pieces like this.
However, I fear that as with most things quality it won't get the clicks/attention it deserves. Fitting really considering it's about Metroid.
The big issue with looking at sales numbers is that Zelda and Mario regularly get new games while Metroid gets a game maybe once in two generations. Of course they shouldn't spit them out like Capcom did Megaman in the mid 2000s or you run the risk of burnout.
Ive always suspected whenever discussing with metroid fans that they are more niche than they think they are. interesting to see numbers that back up the theory though. at least where japan is concerned. i have always wondered though why nintendo always places so much emphasis on catering to the japanese market over the worldwide market seeing as... y'know they are a company... who wants to make money... and the rest of the world has more money than just japan...
I didn't have my hopes really high for Metroid Prime 4 or anything, but all this congratulating of Nintendo for "being honest" and "owning up to their mistakes" is nonsense.
Maybe what they said is true, but we have no evidence to show that the game was ever seriously in development at all, and Nintendo isn't the first company to use the excuse of "it wasn't up to our standards" to explain why a game was delayed or cancelled.
No doubt the reason Nintendo shot their load early with the Prime 4 announcement was because Federation Force was a disaster, both critically and financially. In general though, this is exactly why you don't announce a game until you know it's solid enough.
Nintendo at least was honest about what happened, just a shame it happened to begin with.
@GameOtaku look back at the prime trilogy when they first came out though. even they had lower sales compared to their mario and zelda counterparts. and those are considered the pinnacle of metroid games. i wouldnt produce more either if only a niche albeit dedicated fanbase was ever going to buy them.
Metroid Prime Trilogy.
Undele undele.
@Audigore0733 #22 I mean no offence to you, but I’m glad you’re not developing the game if those are your ideas for a good Metroid Prime game.
I think, as you say, there's a discrepancy between the importance Metroid fans think the franchise has to Nintendo and the importance it actually has to Nintendo. It's never been a huge seller (anywhere, not just in Japan), which is understandable, Metroidvania-style gameplay will always be fairly niche, because it's a confusing and inaccessible style of gameplay to most people. However, with the Switch (and the hiatus) I could see it again reaching the popularity of its GameCube/GBA heyday and doing decent numbers again.
Samus Returns was phenomenal. One of my top 3 3DS games ever. The problem that is constantly overlooked is that Metroid doesn't sell nearly as well in Japan as it does in the west
I love how NintendoLife gets on the Federation Force bashing bandwagon after awarding the game an 8 out of 10. Truth be told, it was a fun team shooter. The only real problem with it is it was a spin off at a time when the main series was neglected. It was never a bad game. Just not what fans wanted at the time. I still maintain that if it was a completely new IP on 3DS without Metroid in the title, it would have been celebrated by the entire community here.
"I love how NintendoLife gets on the Federation Force bashing bandwagon after awarding the game an 8 out of 10"
Lol, I was thinking the same. Though I have to admit: It was one reviewer and just one opinion. Maybe the rest of the site thought different about the game. Personally I liked what little I played of it, even if it isn't a proper "prime". I plan to continue it someday.
The game might end up being amazing, mediocre or really bad (language used in 12A movies not appropriate apparently). Not gonna waste my time worrying about the unknown.
@Turbo857
Other M WAS bad. The gameplay was alright but they really disrespected Samus as a character, turning her into a crybaby anime girl who apparently can't function without being ordered around by men. Can't say I'm surprised with how Team Ninja treats female characters in Dead or Alive.
@Turbo857
I enjoyed Other M too. Definitely don't think it deserves as much hate as it gets, especially when a lot of those have probably not really played it for themselves. I obviously enjoy Super Metroid and the Prime games better, but I enjoyed Other M just fine.
I actually really wish they would give 3rd person Metroid another shot. Other M was a mostly amazing game hampered by just a small handful of poor decisions. It showed so much potential though.
@companyoflosers I agree with this. Metroid is so much better suited for the Western market.
That's why in part why I think Other M failed. It was convoluted Japanese story-telling at its finest.
@Kainbrightside I too hope someday we get a real sequel to the non prime games. I enjoy the prime games, but the bread and butter of the series to me lies in the regular series. I'd love to see where they could go with it after Fusion. In fact I think it would be awesome to see another 2D metroid developed at the same time and get something like how we got Fusion and Prime around the same time.
I personally hated Other M. The design choices actually angered me, which is something I rarely say about a game. I didn't care about the story or Samus being all traumatized by Ridley or whatever, I just couldn't comprehend the value of the control scheme.
I would love it if the next MP had optional first/third person like the Elder Scrolls series. I personally preferred to play in third person most of the time, but shooting arrows/flinging spells was more fun in first person.
Hopefully we get more 2D Metroid games, at least 2 1/2 years to 3 years in between each 2D Metroid. And 3 to 3 1/2 years for Metroid Prime games. In fact, it's possible that a 2D Metroid is announced in this year, since Samus Returns got released in September 2017. It's best that they don't go 5 to 10 years without announcing a new Metroid game, whether it be 2D or Prime games. Personally, I like both 2D and Prime games.
@Turbo857 then Metroid Prime is not for you
Please understand that i'll buy metroid prime 1-3 and hopefully 4 whenever it comes out if i have to wait oh well.
I hope that whatever Prime 4 is, has a great multiplayer suite to compete with other heavy hitters on other systems.
@sketchturner
I agree. I'd be fine with an Other M sequel but I'd like to see them experiment with a real Prime style 3rd person perspective (w/Other M styled agility and finishing moves).
All this talk about Metoid Prime Federation Farce makes me wonder about the biggest issues that killed off the game amongst fans and critics was...
> Lack of mainline Prime game
> Chibi-character models due to weak 3DS hardware
> Mediocre controls due to lack of buttons on 3DS
> No playable Samus Aran
Prime 4 now exists (but is being rebooted) and the Switch has the proper controls and horsepower to properly handle a Prime game, so I think a quality Federation Force-esque multiplayer Metroid game on Switch could be both critically and commercially successful in this day and age while we all wait for Prime 4. Just don't name it Federation Force 2...
"With Switch going a long way to winning back the hearts of the ‘hardcore’ after the waggle of the Wii era"
It has been more than 10 years and you are still whining about "the waggle"?!
Oh get over it already!
As for Other M, if the only mark against it is crap story telling, then it sounds like a pretty excellent game! (I loved it...but I ignored most of Samus' daddy-issue-inflicted inner turmoil).
Its not always what is said, sometimes reading between the lines can reveal more. The apologies may just be smoke and mirrors.
Zelda botw's release was pushed back so many times, because Nintendo had to get it just right. But the real reason was that it was being held back for the Switch and the Wii u version was just so that fans would not desert Nintendo.
The Switch is not powerful enough for the new Metroid and like Zelda the graphics would have to be compromised. This was OK for Zelda but not for a Metroid game.
So between the lines Metroid will be released with the Switch Pro. in a few years.
The 3ds replacement will be first to show.
How to keep fans happy. Don't wind them up with up and coming games unless you are sure of meeting release dates.
This is definitely one of the better articles that I've seen here recently. Well done!
As before, I'm okay with the wait as long as the end result is a game that meets and exceeds the expectations of many. I actually have a couple of backlogged Metroid games that I need to get around to (Samus Returns and the infamous Metroid: Other M) and certainly wouldn't say no to a Metroid Prime Trilogy remaster on the Switch if the rumors are to be believed.
@companyoflosers
The Metroid games have always done better in the west. Just because it doesn't sell well in the land of the rising sun is no indication it's a bad game or series. A lot of western made games don't do well in Japan but has that stopped niche series like GTA from trying? (By the way I disagree, the pinnacle is the 2d gba games zero mission and fusion.)
They had 10 years to prepare a new Metroid game as a launch or year 1 Switch title, so this setback just seems like they never truly took the series seriously until they had seen how popular the fan remakes of Metroid 2 had become.
@ShaiHulud MP3 was awesome; you’ve lost your marbles.
Federation Force wasn't bad, it just got a poor announcement/release window. SR should have been the first after that long wait, and then FF a year later.
I really hope Prime 4 is the first Prime game that I like.
@DK-Fan
10 years since waggle? If only... Have you not played Mario Odyssey hehe?
"Is Metroid finally on the right track after the Federation Farce?"
Farce ?? 😛
@rushiosan Sorry but Federation Force isn't good either. It's just not that bad, it's ... ok-tier
But I agree with you, it would have been received way better if SR was released before
Wow, Gavin apparently has feelings about 3DS support now. Even if it is just waiting for the official cut off, let it have it's darn swan song. Not all of us throw out our old systems and games when the next thing comes around.
I really don't understand anyone angry about the delay. That anger makes me think of only one word. And a word I usually hate:
ENTITLED.
Calm the heck down.
Those mentioning Metroid prime sales compared to Mario and Zelda don’t understand the context.
Super Metroid was the first massive success of the series really and it was on the SNES - a hardcore console at the time with an appropriate audience.
GameCube didn’t sell well in that generation of consoles and NONE of the games on GameCube reached huge heights - that’s the platform’s fault not Metroid’s.
Metroid did well on GBA.
Wii hit the casual family lottery. Nintendo forgot entirely about the hardcore audience and focused on grandma/kid friendly content. If Metroid had been on a competitor platform during this or the following generation it’d have found an appropriate hardcore audience.
Wii U was a failure.
3ds released a Metroid game after the console had died due to switch.
Now Nintendo drops the ball again. I always presumed work for Metroid should have been going on during the Wii U era but we saw nothing.
The truth is they’ve wasted this franchise and don’t deserve it. Same as star fox.
Like valve and half life 3 Nintendo need to license their ip out when they don’t know how to exploit it. Microsoft would murder for the rights to give half life to its internal studios. That’s money on the table. That’s fans being neglected or dying of old age.
Samus returns is cool though.
@atomicjuicer The series has never sold fantastically. Not at any point. It's sold well rarely and decently more commonly but there is nothing to suggest that Metroid ever has been, or will ever be, a system seller. Blaming specific consoles for the series' shortcomings would be a decent argument if it had ever had a massive success. It hasn't.
@ShaiHulud @SBandy Mind your language!
@EvrgrnCmln I totally agree with @atomicjuicer. Metroid's legacy and influence on gaming cannot be understated. The love for the franchise and it's influence is pretty huge. I agree with Atomic's perspective there.
I don't agree that nintendo doesn't deserve the franchise(if it weren't for the unique talent and vision at nintendo it wouldn'texist), but they do not serve it as well as they should sometimes....Nintendo clearly has a love and respect for the franchise, and they know how sentimental their fan base is for it. Their move to delay for quality reasons was hard for me to digest at the time(putting it mildly)...but they clearly have enough respect and love for the franchise to make sure they are doing it right and I commend them for that. When this game lands(and you saw the fan reaction at the announcement)....perhaps Metroid will finally get(not counting super metroid where it was released on a very successful console) a launch on a successful platform(Switch) and get the kind of numbers that will give it the success in sales equal to the unquestionably huge influence it has had on gamers, developers and it's genre as a whole. Metroid will always be my fav. Nintendo franchise.
@atomicjuicer
The fact that the best-selling Metroid game is Prime 1 on the GCN, one of Nintendo's least popular consoles, disproves your point entirely.
Metroid simply doesn't sell well. I admit the series hasn't been particularly well managed from Metroid Other M and onwards, but prior to that, there were Metroid entries on GB/GBC, GBA, NDS, and Wii - all very successful systems - and despite them all being well received, none of them sold particularly well at all.
@Turbo857 Why not both first and third person? It should be simply to switch. Shadows Of The Empire managed it! Personally, I hate third person, unless it's a Mario style game. For a shooter, it FP is better.
General comment...
The GC is not a good sales benchmark of the series because the GC itself sold in such poor numbers. Look at Super Metroid on SNES instead, where it was very popular. Even MP3 on Wii, if the sales were poor there, that just highlights it wasn't a machine for "real" gamers. I skipped it, and the WU.
I hope they at least release the Trilogy soon, and an updated Super Metroid would be awesome. Those games would keep me going for at least 2 years.
@Turbo857 I have a few things I want to address with your statements.
I'll be fine with Metroid Prime 4 having a 3rd person perspective if the game is designed to be played with both perspectives in mind. I don't really agree with the Elder Scrolls analogy, though, because it was clearly slapped on in Morrowind and Oblivion. Metal Gear Solid's vice versa-style works well in that series because you have a clearer view of what's in front of you, and it allows you to be more flexible with your strategy (by the way MGS2 introduced the 1st person mechanic, not MGS4; if you want to go further, it was in an enhanced Japanese version of MGS1).
Also, a game selling "almost" as well or better than its predecessors doesn't mean that can't be view as a disaster if one of most controversial games in the series - especially if the best selling game in the series sells only 2.82 million copies (MP1). I don't know why people think Metroid Other M doesn't deserve the hate it gets. I haven't played the game myself, but why would I? The gameplay doesn't look that amazing. The story, from what I seen, read, and heard, is just abysmal and riddle with plotholes. It contradicts canon on multiple occasions. Having Adam "authorizing" items is an incredibly stupid concept, no matter how its executed. Samus is so inconsistent from how her characterization is established in the other games. And it constantly panders to the 2-D Metroid games more often than it should.
I'm not saying people shouldn't enjoy the game, I just don't see the appeal of it at all.
@Arena1999 Maybe people say it doesn’t deserve the hate it gets is because they played the game and despite its flaws, they enjoyed it and feel it’s a solid game
I can’t speak to the characterization for Samus in the game as Metroid is one of the Nintendo franchises I’m least familiar. Outside of Metroid Prime 1, Super Metroid and Other M (which I did enjoy personally), I don’t have that deep of an understanding like many others do of her character. So on that front, I can see why some might have been disappointed if her characterization doesn’t jive with other depictions
Yeah, I mean, how hard it is to bring the HD rendition of the prime Trilogy in one package? they can charge 50 bucks for that and then the metroid that just launched on 3ds with a super metroid remix in another package to keep fans occupied while retro made the new prime? It is that hard to come up with a solution like that? They can even sort the shortage of first party realese by doing so. I mean, sometimes it looks like this guy's don't like money at all
@UmbreonsPapa Fair enough. I don't plan on playing it anytime soon, but once I played enough Metroid games (fingers crossed for an HD remaster of the Prime Trilogy on Switch), I might take a look at Metroid Other M without any bias. Just so I can truly give a sound opinion of it.
@Turbo857
Might be doable as in previous entries, rolling around is already 3rd person.
Can’t deny I’m gutted about the setback but I’m used to long waits between Metroid games now.
@purpleibby If the 'love of the franchise is huge' why doesn't it sell? The reality is that it only appears to be hardcore Nintendo fans who are excited for new entries in the Metroid series. It doesn't draw in casuals or sell systems. The bottom line is Nintendo is reluctant to produce new Metroid titles because the investment rarely pays off.
Anyone who seriously maintains that it ought to have been a launch title for the Switch has no head for business. Launch titles need to be system sellers - install base is small, so the sales of those games will necessarily be compromised. As a result, launch titles (or first year titles) need to provoke people to buy consoles just to play them - this mitigates their loss in sales by promoting consoles sales instead. Once you have a reasonable install base, THEN you bring in the more niche franchises that enjoy reasonable success without making people go out to buy a console. This is the definition of Metroid. People will buy it but people who don't already have a Switch will not buy a Switch to play it. To make it worth your while developing a new Metroid game, you have to wait until enough people already own a Switch to ensure your investment pays off.
By way of comparison:
Mario series (2D) top 3 sellers: Mario Bros (40 mil), New Super Mario Bros (30.8 mil), New Super Mario Bros Wii (30 mil)
Mario series (3D) top 3 sellers: Mario Odyssey (13.8 mil), Mario Galaxy (12.7 mil), Mario 64 (11.9 mil)
Mario Kart top 3 sellers: Mario Kart Wii (37 mil), Mario Kart DS (23 mil), Mario Kart 7 (18 mil)
Mario Party top 3 sellers: Mario Part DS (9 mil), Mario Party 8 (8.8 mil), Mario Part Switch (5.5 mil)
Zelda top 3 sellers: Breath of the Wild (11.6 mil), Ocarina of Time (7.6 mil), Twilight Princess (7.2 mil)
Kirby top 3: Kirby's Dreamland (5 mil), Super Star Ultra (3 mil), Dream Allies (2.42 mil)
Smash Bros top 3 sellers: Brawl (13.29 mil), Ultimate (12 mil), Smash 4 3DS (9 mil)
Pokemon top 3 sellers: Red/Green/Blue (31 mil), Gold/ Silver (23 mil), Diamond/ Pearl (17.6 mil)
Splatoon top 3 sellers: Splatoon 2 (8.2 mil), Splatoon (4.9 mil)
Animal Crossing top 3 sellers: New Leaf (12 mil), Wild World (11.7 mil), City Folk (4.3 mil)
Metroid top 3: Prime (2.8 mil), Metroid (2.7 mil), Metroid 2 GB (1.7 mil)
Note - these are all the franchises already represented on the Switch. Metroid has failed to sell in the near vicinity of any of them, and more particularly, all its solid hits were well in the past (2002, 1987 and 1992).
No Metroid game has sold over a million copies in over 10 years. By comparison, despite similar sub-3 million sales, in the last 10 years, Kirby has had:
Planet Robobot - 1.5 mil
Mass Attack - 1.2 mil
Star Allies - 2.4 mil
Triple Deluxe - 2.3 mil
Return to Dreamland - 1.7 mil
Just as concerning is the fact that Metroid sales have had a downwards trajectory. Nearly every Metroid title since Prime has sold less well than its predecessor. People blame Other M, but the reality is that Other M dicked with the formula in the manner that it did because the formula was not selling. Prime sold 2.8 million copies, but was followed by Fusion's 1.7 million, Prime 2's 1.1 million, Hunter's 1 million, etc. Prime 3, whilst selling better, still lost half of Prime's audience (1.4 million). The message to Nintendo seems fairly clear: people are not as attached to the series as the internet would think.
Grabs pitchfork What's wrong with Mario Sunshine?
Great article.
“Federation Farce” and whining about Other M, again 🙄.
And this site highly praised both of them on release. Especially Other M, critics and fans/commentators alike.
@Arena1999
Then again: A game simply being a divisive among fans doesn't justify it being definitively considered a disaster. Maybe in eyes of some fans but who cares what mob thinks, really?
Other M's divisive? Indisputable. But disaster, though? That's a bit pretentious imo. Almost a million and a half gamers paid hard earned cash for the game, regardless of its flaws. Nah, let sink in = Almost 1.5 mil. Now, if Ninty didn't make back development fees or sold under expectations... only then can it be considered a true disaster. If a gamer thinks it's a disaster to him/her, ok then = who cares? You're never gonna please everyone.
Should Zelda 2 or Resident Evil 5-6 be considered disasters simply because they are divisive (to "some" fans)? None of those are bad games in the slightest.
On the flipside, you haven't even played the game but here you are defending someone's right to call the game a disaster, surely based on hearsay. You can't blame me for not being able to put much stock in that opinion.
@HalBailman
Sales can always be put into context compared to install base and whatnot but the bottom line is... a milli is a milli. Profit margin is the true variable but only Nintendo has those numbers so I leave it to them to determine which of their games are truly disasters.
Nothing wrong with having a 1st and 3rd person perspective in a Metroid. I don't think NIntendo will switch gears with the Prime series by making a 3rd person view exclusive. But there ain't nothing wrong with having additional options.
Metroid: Samus Returns being highly regarded just goes to show how rabid most of the fanbase was for a Metroid game that was anywhere near the traditional structure. Federation Force was the best thing to ever happen for Samus Returns. The only port I'm buying on the Switch from Metroid is the Metroid Prime Trilogy. None of those entries had to follow a "bad" entry to be great.
@Turbo857 Metroid: Other M goes beyond just being "divisive among the fans". You obviously aren't seeing the bigger picture, here, if your response to the game being a "disaster" is, "who cares what mobs think?".
How is that pretentious? Y'know, don't even answer that, because arguing schematics isn't going to help (which ironically, is what we're doing, anyway). Also, a good chuck of those 1.5 million people who brought the game were expecting a worthy follow-up to Super Metroid. I highly doubt most people who brought the game, read or watch reviews on the internet beforehand. If they were aware of its downfalls, I'm pretty sure M:OM would've have sold worse than it did. You act as if selling only one million copies is a big deal. Maybe it was back then, but gaming is much more popular, mass-produced, and paid for than they were 25 years ago. I highly doubt selling only a million copies back in 2010 was a big deal, either. Especially if it's the most controversial game in a relatively niche Nintendo franchise that doesn't even generate even a quarter of revenue of franchises like Mario and Zelda to begin with.
You still aren't getting it. It's not about pleasing anyone, It's about pleasing the people who are loyal to the brand you produce. When you make questionable game design choices, offer a poorly-written story, nonchalantly screw around with the continuity, your supports start to lose faith in you, and your brand. When you make these decisions, this could give the game bad publicity on the internet.
My point is: a game shouldn't be exempted from being labeled as what it is, just because of how much it sold. E.T on the Atari sold 1.5 million units (which was big deal during the early '80s), and it's universally considered one of the worst games ever made. Is it all of sudden "not" a disaster? I seriously hope this isn't your line-of-thinking.
Zelda 2 is a mixed bag, for sure, but it doesn't nearly alienates its respective series as much Other M does, and I really couldn't care less about RE, so I'm not sure how RE fans feel about RE5 and RE6.
As I stated before, I can't really have a sound opinion on something that I'll likely not enjoy, based off the cutscenes and gameplay I saw, based off the reviews, and based off of how Samus is portrayed. This isn't 1986, where the only way of determining if a game was worth your time or not was by pure word-of-mouth. If the reviews and comments that I'm exposed to negatively criticize the game, why would I want to waste my time on a game that'll inevitably not meet my expectations?
Federation Force was a good game.
@Turbo857 I agree. Personally I prefer first person but there should be the option. Always wanted first person with GTA, let’s hope more games offer us a choice
"We're Only Human" I disagree. Miyamoto is a demi god in video game creation.
Also there is the hype and nostalgia to take into account. Metroid prime is a great series that started 17 years ago. When 17 years of nostalgia combined with 12 years of hope and 2 years of hype since the announcement of... the logo, players will have high expectation. They probably remember a trilogy much better than it actually is (better than perfect). Nostalgia also affects those who never played the original trilogy by constantly begging for a new entry.
If Nintendo wants to blow our mind with Prime 4, they will need a near perfect game like BotW or Mario Odyssey.
Metroid Prime 4 is coming out in a few months. Nintendo is going announce at the Direct: "LOL Please understand, it was a joke: we did not cancelled Metroid Prime 4, it's coming out soon."
I probably preferred Federation Force to Other M. At least that didn’t annihilate Samus’ character.
I dunno. It seemed a lot brighter a month ago
@westman98 your blanket statement ignores the specifics I posted and your first point doesn’t even make sense.
Metroid sold well on a failing console means the franchise is not the problem. The platform is.
Wii was successful for a completely different audience. Grandma and kids ain’t screw attacking nuthin.
@purpleibby I agree with everything you’ve written but I worry MP4 will hit too close to the end of the switch platform lifecycle.
People need to remember that when it comes to Retro studios in 2019, it's not that dissimilar to Rare after Microsoft bought them.
80% of anyone that worked on the Prime series for GC/Wii is now gone.
@atomicjuicer Exactly. It's possible that MP4 misses the current iteration of Switch entirely.
@EvrgrnCmln "Launch titles need to be system sellers - install base is small, so the sales of those games will necessarily be compromised. As a result, launch titles (or first year titles) need to provoke people to buy consoles just to play them - this mitigates their loss in sales by promoting consoles sales instead."
Not only is this true, but every time this discussion comes up I am reminded just how much of a missed opportunity it was for Wii U to not launch with a game like Super Mario Maker.
Could have altered the entire course of that console. Well, that and a name change to Super Wii.
People are concentrating too much on sales here, sure creating system sellers and games in series that sell the best is (and always should be) Nintendo's top priority at all times, they can't rely solely on them. The 'top tier' franchises are well catered for, it's why we see Mario, Pokemon, Zelda etc get games so frequently and receive many spin-off titles, Nintendo knows how to monetise their cash cows.
BUT for a console to be successful, it needs to have many games in many different genres, you can't just put out games all aimed at the same demographic and expect a healthy environment, the Wii is perfect proof of this (strong sales but attach rates weren't great, most companies didn't profit from it.)
Metroid is unlike any other Nintendo franchise and definitely does draw in gamers who likely won't buy a Nintendo console for Mario or Pokemon for example, those same gamers might go on to try other, more nice franchises like Fire Emblem so only concentrating on sales is only looking at things from one side, if Nintendo only pumped out Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, Smash, Mario Kart and abandoned Metroid, Kirby, Fire Emblem, Xenoblade, Pikmin, they'd end up in the situation Microsoft are in, with increasingly tired franchises with people fatigued with Forza 102 and yet another Gears game.
@atomicjuicer They have been licensing the franchise. Other M and scrapped-MP4 are the results. In house is the only way to go, which is kind of the point now.
I just hope MP4 is more like MP1 than MP3. I couldn’t believe MP3 had cutscenes with talking characters and you could chat to random people on the ship at the start. Since when has Metroid been about that?! The start of its downhill trend.
@clvr Well i just had some great ideas for a good metroid games. I didn't mean make the whole game like the titles I listed. I was just listing some
I think a lot of the issue comes down to Nintendo not being sure where to go with the IP after Prime. They would have continued making the games, but Retro Studios fell apart, multiple times losing key staff. Nintendo do not have a lot of experience making a Prime type (FPS) game and I think that is why the partnership with Bandai fell apart on Prime. It just did not come together to make a AAA experience. Western developers just know how to do FPS games better. So they were in a bind, they have lost faith in Retro Studios, but after being backed into a corner with few other options, chose to give Retro another chance with the series. I just hope this isn't a last ditch choice like when they chose to develop the Switch OS in-house after Cyanogen told them no because that one continues to bite them back. The alpha state of the eShop and lack of on console chat show their inexperience. They should have tried asking more American companies for help. With the possibility of Xbox Live coming to Switch, having 343 work on Metroid would be amazing. It could bring a new vision to the series just as Retro did way back when.
I just fear the worst with Retro Studios. They are far from the company that they used to be. They can make good games, at least they could four years ago, but making a massive 3D open-world action FPS game centered around exploration is vastly different than a side scroller with 2D/3D models and no changing perspective. The lack of any games (outside of one simple port), updates, or any official information for the last four years is more than troubling. The passing Direct almost proves their mystery project was canceled. That along with rumors of closing the studio last year, along with semi-supported information about leadership falling apart and being clueless once again, help support this reasoning. I just hope Nintendo can provide enough leadership to right the company because every year it tends to get worse over there and if this does not go well, I fear Retro Studios will close. Once again, I hope they can deliver, but at this point, it is an uphill battle.
@Zyph that it was. I’m hoping for Metroid Prime Collection over just a trilogy. If they’re using the Sylux story for MP4, Hunters and Fed Force are key games. Plus they have some good multiplayer to bring, especially Hunters.
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