Animal Crossing: New Horizons Has Sold More Copies Than The Entire Metroid Franchise

Way to cheer up Metroid fans, Nintendo Life

It's sad indeed....

Here's a quick pointer Nintendo, I may not be a business insider, but I'm pretty sure you have to make Metroid games in order for them to sell? Just a thought.

I'm actually happy about this. Faith in humanity restored!

Now...where the space pirates at?

@DanTee That begs the question though, why don't you have to make Animal Crossing games for them to sell? S'not like they've been pumping them out as yearly releases or anything.

Seems unfair to put Wii Sports there as it was a free bundle game.

If they had actually supported the franchise over the years, maybe it would've had a bigger following. Just saying.

Got to make games to sell games. Not just for Metroid, but for F-Zero, Advance Wars, Pikmin (I mean 4, not a port of 3) and any others that I may have missed.

Edit: Wario Land (ESPECIALLY), Kid Icarus, Star Fox, Chibi Robo, Rhythm Heaven.

I've never bought a metroid game. Would happily buy ports of the older ones on Switch but I can't. Metroid isn't exactly a franchise for everyone but I bet it would sell better on Switch than it had on other consoles. Shame and I hope Nintendo don't give up on it.

Animal Crossing was part of many people's lives since childhood...and it doesn't really leave 😅

Metroid doesn't have that appeal, maybe Prime 4 will increase it's audience? Guess we will have to wait and see.

@Jacob1092 To be fair, there has been at least one AC game in the main series per console (barring Wii U) since the Gamecube.

@Jacob1092 I wasn't being entirely serious as I know that Metroid traditionally has never sold well despite its critical success and fan base (which hurts my soul every day) . But that is an interesting question, I'd say probably its down to the quality, animal crossing has traditionally long development cycles and is generally well received by everyone. So it's a big event when it does launch. It also has a huge range of appeal, I found that when NH launched people were popping up on my social media that had never mentioned a passing interest in gaming all of a sudden buying a switch and putting 100+ hours into AC. Which is cool to see, but I doubt many of them would also be excited for a new Metroid title. Over the years Nintendo's reluctance to commit to the series (understandably from a sales perspective) has led to some wildy differing quality in titles, with a fan base becoming more and more hostile as they wait years for a new installment to then get something like federation force. Its one of the biggest missed opportunities in gaming I think, with the right budget and creative talent I don't see a reason it couldn't be another BoTW level success, but that's coming from a die hard fan who 26 years on still can't get over Super Metroid...

For starters, Nintendo maybe shouldn't release the series games so late in a console's life cycle. IIRC, Prime 1 did the best in the whole franchise and that's because it released within the first year or two of the GameCube. The most obnoxious example is Samus Returns coming out for the 3DS months after the Switch. Unless you were already a fan of the series, you were not going to go back and pick up a game for a dying console when the Switch was all the hype.

Then there's also that we are a very vocal minority who love these games. Over the last couple years I tried to get my friends and boyfriend into Prime and Super, and they all had issues picking them up and getting into them :-/

I am very excited that my sister her kids (my nephew's age 6 and 8) are currently playing through Super Metroid and love it. I guess you need to start them young?

Animal crossing is a juggernaut with super wide appeal. Metroid is far more niche. That said theres room on my shelf for both so please Nintendo give us something metroid to ride us over til prime 4 in like 2022

How nice for animal crossing. I haven't played a single one. As for Metroid I've played them all so meh whatever.

I guess the Metroid fanbase is just a very vocal minority.

Metroid characters are way more popular than Metroid games

Metroid lost some charm when it went FPS

I don’t care.
I’d rather Metroid any day of the week over Animal
crossing.

The Metroidvania style of game is more popular than ever, as it is probably the most ripped off style of game on the indie scene. Nintendo have a newer audience now with the Switch that I think Metroid games would appeal too. Also Nintendo released Metroid games for lesser selling, or more casual focussed consoles such as The Gamecube or Wii respectively. The sales of Breath of the Wild compared to other Zelda games show that Nintendo fans are screaming out for more complex games such as Metroid Prime 4. I have every faith that MP4 will be the best selling game ever in the franchise as long as it is top quality and not dumbed down. With games like Dark Souls gaining huge popularity too, it shows gamers like a complex and challenging game with no hand holding.

@DanTee make them, market them, and don’t release mediocre ones (prime hunters, other m, federation farce).

(my contribution to the sad reactions)

Saddest news I've read in a long time...

Time to bring the series to the Switch, Nintendo, and change this situation at once!!

@LUIGITORNADO.

When you consider the awesome prime series have sold pretty low numbers the quality seems moot.

@Jmjfrank tbh Samus Return is probably easy to explain considering that it was still in development before the Switch in a way likely too far along to turn it easily into a Switch game but the Switch itself still too far away from release to know if such an effort would be worth it.
-Now- we know that the Switch is a massive success but folks need to recall that at the time games like Samus Return were still being developped it was still a big unknown whether or not the Switch would sell at all during it's first 1-2 years.

This is why we don't get any nice things anymore .

That would change, if there were other notable non indie games...

"sad reacts" what the hell Is that....

@FargusPelagius because animal crossing is popular?

Shouldn’t Brain Age be considered a Metroid spin off?

I thought that game was about Mother Brain being recreated as an artificial neural network by the Space Pirates in order to bring about an era in which all sentient life forms are cerebrally connected to an intergalactic hive mind with Mother Brain at its heart. That’s why it’s called ‘Brain Age’. The Space Pirates want to usher in a new age in which all living things are part of a single, giant brain.

At least, that’s how my mate Steve explained it to me. He also mentioned something about arithmetic puzzles. Never quite worked out what they had to do with anything.

@DanTee I understand the frustration you feel. I also loved Super Metroid and wish the series was better supported. The one that kills me most though is the Mother series, for goodness sake Nintendo give us another one! They too are beloved but had overall low sales.

I'm surprised people cared enough to get mad at this statistic. MK8 DX has also outsold the entire Metroid series and nobody is upset. Hell, Smash Ultimate has surprassed all of them. Metroid hasn't been a big seller, for the most part. Convince people to buy the games if it bothers you that much. People are really weird.

Only hype does ensure real big sale numbers.🤷‍♂️

this is depressing

As a Metroid fan I want to tell people that of you want More prime games buy the damn game! No one bought samus Returns because they were mad that Nintendo took down a fan game that you can not only still ay, but s fan game they didnt even play. This is why they wouldn't make a Prime Trilogy collection! They dotn know if Metroid would even sell well.

@Crockin aye if they get more sales from Animal crossing, not alot of point making new Metroid, F zero games is there, when they won't get as many sales or make as much money. Nothing against Animal crossing, it's just the video game landscape we have, were that is popular. I'm still eagerly awaiting Metroid Prime 4 regardless .

Poor Samus.

I love Metroid more than Animal Crossing (Fusion on GBA is probably in my top 10 favorite games), but it's obvious AC has more mainstream appeal. Great franchises both of them. Hope we'll see a new Metroid soon.

@CromAstronomy Mother is one that I'd love to get into! I've only briefly played Earthbound, but I'd love to see the Trilogy come to switch so I can play them all properly. The list of Nintendo's forgotten franchises is exhausting and infuriating.

@IronMan30 I'm not mad at the statistic. I think it's the "smash" fans (Aka the ppl who want a game and complain but dont play it)who are mad about it

@LUIGITORNADO sounds easy right!? The marketing is always a killer, they don't want to put money into it because they don't think it'll sell, then it doesn't sell because no one knows about it... Catch 22.

@DanTee they will never all come to switch. As a Metroid and mother fan I've except this fact and it's about time other accept this fact. You can play earthbound on wii u or 3ds. I suggest playing mother 3 on an emulator or on a modded 3ds using gba injection. Why did you stop playing earthbound btw?

@CromAstronomy itoi said he wont make another mother. Lol that rhymes. A spiritual successor called oddity is coming out look into it. Have you played the fan translation of mother 3? Highly suggest it! Also suggest a game called Lisa the Painful

@FargusPelagius no its because nintendo fans just wont buy it

@PickledKong64 I own two copies of Samus Returns, one digital and one collectors edition. I did my bit, and what a great Metroid game. Hell I even got some mileage from Federation force (which is not a Prime game) and that had a ghost town player base, because they picked a cutesy graphic style not too dissimilar to Animal crossing.

@PickledKong64 I elaborated in a different comment that I wasn't being serious, I'm a die hard Metroid fan, I've got most of the games day 1 (including samus returns, which I love) but I'm aware the sales numbers are shocking. I whole heartedly think if it was given the push it deserves it could sell a lot of copies, and there's no better time to do it than now. But unfortunately with Metroid Prime 4 being delayed and likely coming at the end of the Switch's lifespan, the cycle of poor sales will likely continue.

And that's why Metroid 4 has took so long to be made, doesn't bring in the money like nintendos other ip's'

@PickledKong64 to be fair Samus returns sucks

I feel like someone in like 20 years is going to do a retrospective of how new horizons helped millions of people get through quarintine during the COVID-19 pandemic i mean i've tried animal crossing never really enjoyed it but new horizons is going to be remembered fondly to millions of people

In terms of influence, it's hard to deny Metroid is up there with Zelda and Mario. I mean, there's a whole genre partly named after it. A really popular genre, at that.

But admittedly, it's also a gamer's game — and a gamer's genre — in that it doesn't exactly appeal to casual audiences. The whole concept of Metroidvanias involves sprawling and often claustrophobic environments, difficult bosses, complex movesets, hidden mechanics, obscure secrets, and so on. Modern offshoots of the formula, even when they're not strictly Metroidvanias, are often known for their difficulty, like Hollow Knight and Dark Souls.

So yeah, a feel-good virtual life simulation with cute anthropomorphic animals and Nintendo-level polish is gonna sell more.

God ***** dambit 😡

Nothing against Animal Crossing, but don't you find it a wee bit of a shame we are more drawn to a life sim (something with echos of real life such as arranging our furniture and selling stuff), as opposed to been drawn into a pure fantasy setting like Metroid. From the point of view of the 'essence' of video games I think that a wee bit of a shame.

But heck, whatever, and it's not like Metroid sells 'badly'.

@CupidStunt Imagine that, Nintendo making a complex and difficult game. Good thing Retro is doing it, there's some hope.

It's a brilliant sim game.

But please, please, make Metroid Prime 4 and release an HD Prime trilogy on the Switch. Thanks.

I wonder how much Pocket Camp influenced this?

This is what happens when you actually invest time and money into a series. The biggest problem with Metroid is its a Nintendo series, Nintendo really doesn’t seem to understand what to do with the series e.g. nothin on the N64, Other M, Federation Force.

That's honestly Nintendo's fault for having no creative direction to take the Metroid series until like 2017. Metroid was never the sales juggernaut IPs like Mario, Animal Crossing and Zelda were despite the influence it ended up having on the entire gaming medium. They barely ever marketed the games outside shorter trailers unless it was a Prime game

LOL this is so funny. No wonder why Nintendo don't care about it.

@Jmjfrank True story, I bought Samus Returns and the limited Amiibo.....and they are still sitting sealed in the shipping carton. Couldn't get myself to hold the 3DS again after Switch, even for Metroid. Maybe they can port it. I hear that's all the rage these days.

Heck I'm a Metroid fan going back to Metroid 1.........on the arcade cabinet(!) and I still have a hard time getting into Prime. People love it, but it's a very "early era FPS" so it doesn't hold up so well in a number of areas. Going back and playing it with the Wii collection just feels awkward.

@johnvboy Prime was trapped on a console that failed "somewhat less hard" than WiiU. They re-released it on Wii, and I recall some hardcore gamers were buying a Wii just for that alone....but even by late gen Wii, a 5th gen shooter was feeling awkward and long in the tooth. A lot of Prime designs are very dated and feel half-way between "Rare 3D platformer64" and a standard modernized shooter. Different game genre, technically, but it was an FPS up against the genre-redefining at launch Halo when it released, and up against "every game is a brown shooter" PS360 era when it re-launched. Prime never really got to shine before it got dated. It's a game that would really benefit from a total overhaul remaster to modernize it.

@Crockin have you actually played it? It's not super Metroid but it's pretty good. I genuinely feel that the people who say that havent actually played it.

I think that most of the Metroid games were brought at the end of the lifecycle of the system they were on. Usually not the best moment to create hype.

For that reason alone I hope they launch Switch 2.0 or something with Metroid Prime 4.

It's even worse than that: i've bought ACNH once - so i'm 1 person on this statistic
i've bought every metroid game GBA/GC onwards (except federation force) so i'm like 10 people on that statistic

@LEGEND_MARIOID if you're a metroid fan you would know that theres no hope for prime Trilogy

It’s a shame, I don’t think there’s been a single entry that’s been bad other than Federation Force and Other M. The Prime series are some of the best games of all time and Super Metroid is an absolute classic, along with Zero Mission.

@DanTee yeah it's so sad

@Crockin I have to agree the game was so heavily focused on action and the Metroid fights became annoying e.g. them running away and with what a joke the last fights were and them basically ruining the surprise of that end boss that it felt like a poor indie imitation of a Metroid game.

@PickledKong64 in answer to the earlier question, I'm really not sure why I stopped playing Earthbound! Probably cos it was on my Wii U, and I got a new 3DS shortly after and as usual, had a backlogue the length of my arm. Its been on my to re visit list for a long time, I enjoyed what I did play.

I would like it if Nintendo transformed the series into something like Halo. And add a few multiplayer modes!

@Obitokamui64 how would it be Metroid after that?

Not sure. I just think it would be interesting to take it in a new direction.

3D Metroid is fine. 2D Metroid is great. Both should co-exist.

@PickledKong64 OK.

How can this possibly be a thing?!! Super Metroid and Prime 1&2 and some of the very best forms of immersive and interactive entertainment the world has ever seen. I’m not saying Animal Crossing is bad, far from it, but Metroid is on another level. No doubt in my mind.

@PickledKong64 yep, I got about 2/3's through it and just could not stomach that parry combat anymore. I appreciate that they tried to make some streamlined changes to 2D Metroid, but honestly some of those made experience worse to me at least. Started hollow Knight and never looked back

@LillianC14 Same goes for F-Zero. Very small cult following, but not really mainstream.

@GrandScribe Yeah, for me it mostly comes down to the parry. You had to do it over and over and over, and the penalty for not timing it perfectly just felt like tedious bs to me. Also, it just looked like total puke. I don't think i like 2.5d for metroid.

@Crockin if you used the counter every encounter than that's your fault bro

@Crockin you're not supposed to use the counter every enemy bruh. Play it like normal metroid

@tzahn But Metroid Prime is the best Metroid game out there.

Also, Metroid simply isn't that popular. During Metroid's Golden Age (2002-2007, five mainline games and two spinoffs), the only game to surpass two million units was Metroid Prime, which shows that Metroid really doesn't catch on outside of its core fanbase.

Well they seemed to have reinvented the Zelda formula on the Switch and it sold better than any previous Zelda game. Hopefully in a couple of years we’ll be looking back and saying the same about Metroid. Also, I don’t think it would be a bold prediction to say that Metroid on Switch will be the best selling in franchise history. Nintendo games have been selling great this generation.

I love super Metroid and the prime games.not bothered that they are not super popular or big sellers, I just want more of them I guess. Eagerly awaiting prime 4, I want to see what new twist they will bring to the formula x x x

Forgot to say I do love Other m too! They tried something different and on the whole for me a successful risk, gonna replay again soon x

@PickledKong64 Sure, you don't need it for every single encounter, but it did sap my enjoyment every single time i needed to use it, which was frequently. beyond that, it's just clumsy for lots of reasons compared to zero mission or fusion. I have no stock in AM2R, but indie games like hollow knight or axiom verge are eating nintendo's lunch on good metroid experiences.

@Crockin the combat system was so weak and rather annoying. There was no atmosphere to the game, a lot of that is just because of how bland it was. That robot boss was so unforgiving I rage quit multiple times, the game would’ve been better without it.

@jump Wii Sports was not bundled with the system in Japan.

" In Japan, where the game was not included with the system, the game sold 176,167 copies in the first two days of release, a record for a seventh generation console game in Japan."

@MrPerson0 That's a fine opinion, but I don't agree and that's the great thing. Super Metroid is the best Metroid IMO.

I think Metroid Prime 4 will sell well and I hope it's a good game, but that doesn't mean 2D Metroid should go away.

Never knew an article can cause physical harm.
Dying for Metroid Prime 4!

So the new Metroid doesn't look like it will be a best seller. More a elite game.

Mad how popular Animal Crossing is. Wish Metroid Samus Returns had done better, I really enjoyed it personally. Nintendo's sci-fi games very rarely sell particularly highly I suppose

@NEStalgia,

Every Nintendo franchise has the potential to sell their biggest numbers on the Switch, it will be interesting to see how well Pikmin 3 fares on the hybrid console, as this series has never sold well.

@johnvboy I'm starting to think Nintendo engineered the plague simply to redeem themselves after WiiU.

BTW, I tried ACNH again last night, and still can't figure out what it is you're finding to do for 300 hours in there! I hit all my rocks....moved a tree to place a new building....ran to blathers half a dozen times for fossils. Added another $20k to the $98k bridge that's been pending for a week with probably another week of waiting to go.....pretty much ran out of anything to do right there, unless I wanted to fish for 4 hours to grind bells to pay off the bridge and the loan?

I miss Tortimer Island. That was a much more fun way to get bells than all the grindy stuff this game does. Sneaking up on beetles gave a sense of challenge and activity. Fishing for hours to grind some bells (or worse, smacking trees and rocks for weeks on end to get enough ore/stone/wood to craft things to sell) isn't as fun.

@GrandScribe saying it has no atmosphere is just a wrong statement in sorry. Ita not super Metroid or fusion but it definently has atmosphere.

@DanTee it's a great game! I was just wondering if you quit cuz u didnt like the game. I'd that eas the case then I was going g to say you might not like the other games. Earthbound is pretty amazing.

@PickledKong64 I'm a Metroid fan and this stat doesn't bother me, either. Just saying anyone complaining can find something better to do.

I always considered Metroid to be a franchise with a decent fanbase. Not quite at Pokemon and Mario levels, but still an IP worth its salt. This does kind of put it into perspective. This saddens me.
I'm a newer Metroid fan. My first game was ironically Metroid II: Return of Samus on the 3DS VC, and I've played and beaten most of the other main titles since (barring Metroid Prime: Hunters and Federation Force).

I wonder if Metroid Prime 4, when that does finally release, will shed more light on the franchise for the mainstream. The Prime games are the closest to the FPS genre (which I'm not a huge fan of; the exploration, puzzle elements, and cool boss fights were what kept me going), so you'd think it would enjoy more popularity.

It's sad indeed, nothing more than Animal Crossing, Mario and Zelda from now on.

I love both franchises.
But Metroid is my favorite (and third overall in Nintendo universe).
It’s sad that the numbers is so low, but the Metroid Prime 4 game, could be a smash hit!

@Octane Breath of the Wild was a challenging game. It had conplex puzzles, and if you did what i did i.e. used no food for boss fights, it was a decent challenge. Fingers crossed they don't dumb it down for a newer audience.

People wonder why Metroid hasn't had a new Prime entry in a while. 🤔
I think it's the genre that's the issue as Metroid (and Metroidvania's in general) don't seem to sell that well, even if they have a very vocal fanbase.
I feel like the next F-Zero game (if that ever happens) could sell 10 Million copies and I wouldn't be surprised, since it's been so long since a F-Zero game has been released.

@CupidStunt Of course, any self-imposed arbitrary rule can make a game more difficult.

I mean I like animal crossing but metroid’s a “proper” game! Justice has not been served...

@RPGamer
There were more Metroid games last decade than AC games released since its inception. (at least in North America)

@ACNHislit lol, just take a look at the sales of games like Hollow Knight, Axiom Verge, Ori and the likes and then come back.
Metroid doesn't sell gangbusters and never has, but to say Metroidvanias don't sell (especially nowadays) is just untrue.

@mantez You might not like it, but Prime 1 is one of the best 2D-to-3D conversions ever. It's actually mind-boggling how much they managed to keep intact and translate in a first person 3D game.

@brunojenso Right now, Animal Crossing's just going outside and visiting people is actually more of a fantasy than Metroid's being isolated in cramped spaces trying to fight back an infestation.

If you're gonna run this flex, why not mention that the original Super Mario Brothers alone has outsold the entirety of the AC franchise and in fact, prior to New Horizons, was among at least 10 games to do so?

There are also other franchises that would frame an even sharper contrast for the same point being presented. For example: New Horizons sold twice as much as the entire Star Fox franchise, is on the way to pulling quadruple the numbers of F-Zero, and single-handedly accounts for a little over a third of the entirety of its own series' sales.

The current world circumstances, the concept and tone, meme/cultural proliferation, mainstream media coverage, post-release updates to maintain its presence, and a relatively barren surrounding release environment to boot. The game really has managed to ride the closest thing to a perfect storm that it possibly could have.

Wait! I used to love playing Metroid in my basement of my Gamecube Animal Crossing house! That just reminds me of how horrible it was that Nintendo took classic games out of Animal Crossing. Even if they limited it to NES, Gameboy, and SNES games those would be the most treasured items in the game, the most exciting to receive! There could be hundreds of available games to collect and put in your house, or an arcade that could theoretically exist in Animal Crossing. Of course they'd have to run at 60fps like they did on Gamecube or else there's not much point.

@Friendly @Jmjfrank
Metroid Prime 3 released within the Wii's first year, when it was flying off of shelves, yet if failed to cross 2 million copies sold.

@DanTee Nintendo would make more Metroid games would the fans actually buy them first don't ya think?

@Octane I hope by "they" you're referring to Metroid fans cause Nintendo keeps giving them new metroid games and the fans either hate it or call it inferior to Super/Prime and don't buy the games anyway.

Animal Crossing New Horizons has also outsold the following Nintendo franchises:
> Luigi's Mansion
> Splatoon
> Fire Emblem
> Paper Mario
> Mario & Luigi
> Tomodachi Collection
> Xenoblade
> Pikmin
> StarFox
> WarioWare
> F-Zero

You can make these pointless"Massive blockbuster X sells more than an entire franchise Y" comparison with many Nintendo games.

@Yalaa I'm talking about Nintendo. The last Metroid game I bought was Other M, in 2010. And I liked that game. But that was a decade ago.

I don't play handheld consoles.

Thanks for the reminder...

@westman98 A bit weird that you're listing those Mario sub-series as their own franchises.

@Yalaa that's kind of a false equivalence, because if you're a 'fan' then presumably you would? What we need to be asking is how Nintendo market it to a wider audience to draw in more people who haven't engaged with the series before. They've done it before with series like Fire Emblem, so there's no reason why Metroid couldn't.

Because there are less installments of metroid than animal crossing within a short period.

Wait and see what happens when metroid prime 4 comes out, there are alot of new users on the nintendo switch, not like those housewifes and grandparents who gamed on the wii.
Alot of pc and former xbox users have a switch. I think metroid 4 will he a huge hit, if there will also be a multiplayer.

@PickledKong64 Nobody is going to listen to you because this is literally the only franchise where the fans blame the creator for every Metroid game underperforming. I can list the reasons why these games failed according to the fanbase that I've read over the years.

• Super Metroid didn't sell? Nintendos fault for releasing it in '94 late SNES lifecycle meanwhile DKC trilogy outsold the whole Metroid franchise just on the SNES.
• Zero Mission didn't sell? Nintendos fault because it's just another remake and on handheld we want Metroid on the Gamecube Nintendo!
• Prime 2 didn't sell? Well its Nintendos fault because the Gamecube didnt sell.
• Prime Hunters didnt sell? Its Nintendos fault because well... I mean It's not a real Metroid game... We wanted Prime 1 or Super on the DS... on a handheld... the multiplayer is fun... on a 150m+ selling handheld... yeah blame Nintendo.
• Prime 3 didn't sell? Well, again, its Nintendos fault because Prime 3 just isn't as good as Prime 2 and 1.
• Prime Trilogy didnt sell? Nintendos fault because... well its a good trilogy... with great controls... on a 100m+ selling console... but we already played it... it sold worse than their individual games... yeah it's still Nintendos fault that it didnt sell.
• Other M didnt sell? Oh Yeah this is totally Nintendos fault for taking the franchise in a different direction! because fans hate the new Samus, they hate the controls and it's not developed by Retro. This game divided the Metroid fanbase and ruined its sales!!
• Federation Force didnt sell? NINTENDO!!!
• Samus Returns didnt sell? Why did you kill our fan game Nintendo?? Now were going to boycott your official Metroid 2 remake!!

And then we get the same old question... Where is Metroid Nintendo???

@Octane

Well thats why nintendo put all their force into metroid prime 4, even guys from bungie.
They messed it up with the last wii version other M, and they knew that.
There is something special coming up real soon.

I still think it is a big miss, this game never gets a VR version. Before the nintendo switch was developed i was the first to mention this on miiverse.
Just imagine this game in VR with that setting, fight with ripley etc, also those dark and atmospheric envirements, damn. And what about the reaction of consumers who use the VR demopods in store.

If a vr version will skip this nintendo switch version to put ahead on to the switch 2, i would not be mad.

@Stoic
Mario spin-offs aren't nearly as popular as mainline Mario games unless its Mario Kart or Mario Party.

@Octane Given by your avi I guess you're more of a Zelda fan. Zelda got lots of great games over the years on both console and handheld

but in Metroids case you shouldn't expect new Metroid games if you don't actually go out and buy them which is the case for the fandom

@Yalaa I'm not buying a console solely for Federation Force. I'm sorry. It's Nintendo's job to sell games to me, it's not my job to make sure they're successful. It was their choice to develop for two platforms, not mine. I can't buy every console.

@DanTee Here is the problem. Samus gets tons of coverage and promotion in Super Smash Bros. but Japan doesn't care for Metroid, Europe doesn't care for Metroid its mostly North America but even then the small fandom that's still around cant agree which direction the series should take.

You've got one half of the fandom that nostalgically cares about 2D Metroid because that's what they grew up with and the other half which only cares for the FPS Prime series because that's what they grew up with.

Whenever a new game releases that's one or the other style its gets bashed by both sides because its not as good as Super or Prime and whenever Nintendo tries to balance both games or just try something different it gets even more backlash than usual. Either way the games never sell.

Some people will tell you Prime 4 will probably sell millions on Switch which is definitely possible but let's be real here, if Prime Hunters, 3, Trilogy, Other M, Federation, Returns all sold terribly on hugely successful consoles than what hope do traditional Metroid games have on the Switch other than by marketing the games to casuals something which the fandom is not going to like.

@westman98 yeah, but that one has a 3 in it. I think not many people would buy a 3 without owning 1 and 2 first.

But you’re probably right.

Nintendo needs to market the ***** out of Metroid Prime 4 if they want to see good sales for once.... And every metroidvania on switch sells well, so a proper 2D metroid should be released on switch too. Come on, Nintendo!

Also, give us a F-Zero too, I’m positive that one will also sell well for once!

@Octane I'm not saying you're solely to blame for it but basically yeah you're part of the problem. Don't ask for a new Metroid game if you aren't going to buy it.

@Yalaa I completely agree with you, the only difference is I believe the switch install base is very different to the Wii and DS. A huge amount of people who owned those consoles were never in any danger of being remotely interested in a game like Metroid, I think with the huge success the Switch has seen with the indie scene and metroid-vania style games like Hollow Knight and Blasphemous, it's entirely reasonable to think a Metroid game could do well. But 'could' is the important word in that sentence, because Nintendo are hilariously tone deaf when it comes to some franchises.

@westman98 The point was to say that those series are subsets of the Mario franchise while your list frames them as their own individual franchises.

@Yalaa lol, ''part of the problem''. I've bought every single one of them that I could play.

Very silly reporting/comparison. Not really sure what the point is except to draw attention to the tweet by someone named Christopher Dring. Really?

@Octane Yes and that still wasn't enough because Metroid is not a cash cow like Zelda or Mario. Had more people like yourself actually bought Samus Returns we might've gotten a new Metroid game on the Switch already.

But again you're not the only one tons of vocal fans whine about new entry in the series and never end up supporting it.

And people still wanna claim Fire Emblem is this unknown franchise? Yikes...

@Yalaa Here's an idea. Maybe Nintendo should market them better. Maybe they should've released one on the Wii U. Maybe they should've released one on the Switch by now. Don't blame the fans.

@Stoic
I've always considered the Mario spin-offs to be their own franchises since they usually completely differ in genre compared to the mainline Mario games (i.e. they aren't 2D or 3D platformers), but I get where you are coming from.

My point about a massive Nintendo blockbuster outselling a small Nintendo series (or spin-off series) still applies.

@PALversusNTSC @TheFrenchiestFry None of that is "nintendo fault". Between 2000 and 2010 there was like 7 games and none of them sold that much. Metroid Prime had one hell of marketing and only as able to sell 2.8 million while other games on GC were surpassing millions. It's just appeal.

Metroid also has much more games than AC and only mainline games sell that well, not the Animal Crossing spin-offs.

@Friendly
Being a numbered sequel doesn't automatically hurt the sales of the game. On Switch alone, Splatoon 2, Luigi's Mansion 3, and Super Mario Maker 2 have all comfortably outsold their predecessors.

@Nemesis666 Yeah of which one of those spinoffs was a mobile game that made its money off of in game purchases and not actual game downloads, and the other spinoff was a game that was begging to be a financial bomb because it was a shameless Mario Party clone that forced the usage of plastic toys.

And no I said EXCEPT Prime. Outside of Samus Returns, no major mainline Metroid title outside Other M had that extensive of a marketing campaign

Samus is marooned in a distant moon and must gather resources and befriend local aliens in...

METROID CRASHING: EVENT HORIZON

Even if Metroid Prime 4 sold 10 million copies and became the biggest entry in the series by far, Animal Crossing New Horizons will still have sold more than the entire Metroid franchise as it heads toward 30+ million copies sold by the year's end.

@Octane Well your previous comments tell me that your not a fan of this series at all so I don't know why you're talking as if you'd support the next installment.

And to release a failing franchise on a failing console? Yeah it's a good thing Nintendo usually doesn't listen to its fans lol

@NEStalgia

Come and visit my Island.

SW-8223-9981-3607

@PickledKong64 sorry we’ll have to agree to disagree

I can't see why people are upset about this, as the big sellers like Animal crossing pave the way for smaller selling franchises, as Nintendo can afford the smaller sales due to it's evergreen big hitters success.

I mean honestly, could anyone have imagined a Metroid prime game getting release on the Wii U?.

@Yalaa I'm pretty sure you're just trolling at this point. But well done, you got me right there..! lol

Articles like these seriously make me regret frequenting this site.

Metroid along Mario, Zelda and Pokémon are my favorites Nintendo Franchises, maybe the reason the Metroid franchise don't sell well despite be one of the best Nintendo Franchises, is because Nintendo don't release Metroid games in all in it consoles, the darker atmophere of the game don't apeal to a lot of people and Nintendo don't Market well the game of the franchise, if Switch stay in the Market until 2025, Metroid Prime 4 have a huge chance to be the highest/best selling Metroid game and future Metroid game too.

So what's the point on making Metroid look bad Nintendolife? You could have just said Animal Crossing sold extremely well, what's the need of bashing Metroid and make it's fans sad?

Besides that, Metroid has an stigma of coming out at the end of a console's life cycle. Super Metroid is a Masterpiece of gaming, but it came when N64 was around the corner. Metroid 2 Remake also came at the end of the 3DS era. The Switch was already out. I won't be surprise if Metroid Prime 4 comes out right after a Switch 2 is announce or it has been release

i imagine Nintendo to hype everyone to buy Metroid Prime 4, they gonna release a HD version of Metroid Prime Trilogy in august/setepbre of 2021, telling everyone that in 2022, everyone gonna play Metroid Prime 4 in they Switch as the holiday title of Switch for 2022, TGA 2021 title reveal and coming in 2022, E3 2022 big focus with the game coming to Switch in Holiday 2022.

i imagine Nintendo to hype everyone to buy Metroid Prime 4, they gonna release a HD version of Metroid Prime Trilogy in august/setempbre of 2021, telling everyone that in 2022, everyone gonna play Metroid Prime 4 in they Switch as the holiday title of Switch for 2022, TGA 2021 title reveal and coming in 2022, E3 2022 big focus with the game coming to Switch in Holiday 2022.

The success of AC:NH does not come as a surprise at all. This is no different than the huge success of the Mario Kart series, which has consistently been the top-selling Nintendo game per console (with few exceptions), yet it's not a bundle title.

@johnvboy despite the Metroid franchise only selling at mininum 1 to 2 milions, i consider the franchise a meduim to big franchise, i heard the budget of Metroid Prime 4 is 50 milions dollars, i hope Metroid Prime 4 is huge sucess so Nintendo could continue investing in the franchise, and since Switch could stay in the Market until 2025 at least, other mistakes that doomed Metroid games could not be avoid, Nintendo and Retro Studios know that we expect a excelent triupth return of the franchise, a game without the excelece of Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild e Super Mario Odyssey we are not going to acept, poor Retro Studios that now have to bring to us a excelent game or ortowise we gonna kill the franchise Forever.

@Yalaa nah the fanbase blames other Nintendo fans

@Giancarlothomaz,

The Switch's insane software ratio gives the Metroid prime series best chance for great sales, hopefully the game will be awesome as the previous entries, and this time will get great sales to reflect this.

@Stoic @MayroMake While this article's headline makes a factual statement, I sometimes wonder about the intent of this and other recent articles on NL. As a Metroid fan, this felt like an affront - which is my emotional reaction and my own deal, but the fact is that the comparison was quite deliberate, even if the original comparison is not coming from the mods themselves. And... the mods are all too aware of the ferment that the vocal crowd is in.

I have read a small number of what I would consider more analytical articles here recently, but I sense a missed opportunity in this quiet release period. Is it worth pointing out that Nintendo's business is fairly image-driven, and Metroid is incompatible with that image? (Nintendo World in Tokyo will feature no Metroid references, right?) Or that NCL management seemingly "does not understand" Metroid, as Miyamoto reputedly told Retro long ago? Nintendo is covetous of its IPs, so I doubt they would EVER divest themselves of such a franchise - and yes, they have continued to try to develop the franchise. Nonetheless, their development philosophy began changing even before the Wii U, and I feel this has had a strong effect on this and other 2nd-tier franchises.

Wouldn't it be better to make the sales comparison in an article that tries to puzzle out Nintendo's changing approach ?

There could be hundreds of available games to collect and put in your house, or an arcade that could theoretically exist in Animal Crossing.

@60frames-please Interesting idea. One could invert it, too - present the NSO apps within an Animal Crossing or Mii theme, so that you would optionally access the games in a virtual space. Sorta like Sega's attempts to recreate a '90s bedroom in the menu of the Genesis Classics collection, but with an Animal Crossing-promotion angle. I mean, it always seems to me like there are lots of opportunities for this sort of franchise cross-promotion. That may not work with the desired "lean and mean" Switch OS or the NSO apps, though.

@johnvboy that what i hope, my guts tell me Metroid Prime 4 is gonna be the best Metroid game and the highest/best selling Metroid game.

@Giancarlothomaz,

It will be, with Retro studios behind the wheel and all the talent they have been hiring the game will be awesome, and Switch owners will pay for a quality title.

New Horizons released at the perfect time and is a game constantly getting new updates. I personally, in spite of not being my favorite Animal Crossing game, would take it over most of the Metroid Series today. It's much better than Samus Returns especially. I don't know how that game didn't get heavily criticized for its combat. MSR took several steps backwards from Other M and it came out 7 years after. After all the fuss from Federation Force, a better game too, I was hoping a more traditional Metroid experience would leave a better impression since there hadn't been one since Corruption. I really hope Melee Counter is a one time thing.

@COVIDberry An Animal Crossing shell/virtual space might work. I think I'd prefer that the emulator and roms just be incorporated into New Horizons. I know it's extremely unlikely they'd do this, but it would be so compelling and exciting to have in Animal Crossing on Switch. Gameboy, NES, and SNES (and heck, PC engine and Megadrive) roms are tiny and so could their emulators be similarly small and easy to add into the roughly 6GB game with an update. It would be so awesome I'd probably have a hard time not playing it very often and for long play sessions!

That's a lot of bells. Sorry, Samus.

"Animal Crossing: New Horizons Has Sold More Copies Than The Entire [insert most game names here] Franchise"

@CromAstronomy I definitely agree with this. No offense to the new paper mario but it has NOTHING on earthbound. Metroid is also one of my all time favorites. With hollow knights success on switch (which I actually enjoyed better then super metroid because of the art style) I hope a 2d metroid comes after prime (a remake or not). Edit: not saying prime is worse but I feel like one without the other is like peanut butter without jelly.

That’s depressing to know...

@AlexOlney my sentiments exactly, Alex. 😖

@jump it sold Wii's

Also, once a Metroid game releases on Switch this topic should be revisited. I'm sure Animal Crossing will outsell Prime 4 or a new 2D Metroid, but I bet Metroid will still sell a lot of units on Switch.

I played super metroid on an emulator at uni and got hooked. Since then I bought it twice on Wii and 3ds virtual console. I bought a GameCube to play Metroid Prime and got the sequel too. Got a gameboy micro to play fusion and got zero mission day 1. Got a Wii to play Prime 3 with a Wii remote and then bought trilogy and also Other M on day 1, i loved Other M btw.
I got a DS to play Hunters but it was not fun for me, sold it. I bought 2 3ds consoles to play Prime Federation force, the day it came out, and two copies to play with my wife. She hated it, I liked it but it is too hard to play solo. I hope it comes to Switch so I can play it with other people, like intended. Got Samus Returns day 1. I didnt buy a N64 or Wii U. I got a Switch to play BOTW, which, to me, seems to have a little Metroid DNA in it, but that's not why I got it. I got monster Hunter 4 on 3ds and Generations on Switch to play as Samus, same with smash bros, on Wii, 3ds and Switch. I'm not good enough at monster Hunter to get the suits, so I stopped playing. People do buy Metroid games, I do at least. Needless to say, I am very keen to see some metroid on switch, I'm also hoping for a limited edition Metroid themed switch (either normal, lite, or pro) because I have cash burning a hole in my pocket for Metroid games. As for animal crossing, Paper Mario, pikmin, I'm really not interested.

@nagash I'd buy it.

@JR150 what's fire emblem?

Whomp whomp whomp

Exit Samus stage left.

@DanTee Metroid Prime 4 is in development, right?

@60frames-please I hope it’s good. The original Prime trilogy sequels felt like copy/paste of the first Prime game, so I’m keeping my expectations in check.

@TG16_IS_BAE Even though I absolutely loved Metroid Prime (and beat it) I never played very far into 2 or 3. I've owned 2 on Gamecube and currently have all three on my Wii U, but haven't gotten around to playing much. I'd honestly be happy if 4 is in line with the quality of 2 and 3, based on reviews and what I've played of them. Any new Metroid (or a 60fps conversion of Samus Returns) on Switch is super exciting to me.

@nessisonett Federation Force is unfairly criticized. Beneath the exterior, it’s actually a really fun team based shooter and it’s a total blast in local co-op. The problem is that it’s not a Metroid game and should never have been branded as such, especially during a time when the fans were dying for anything new from the series. People wrote it off because it was a spinoff, it had an awkward art style and they understandably wanted a traditional Metroid game, but I dare say that if it were skinned differently and launched as a new IP independent from Metroid entirely, it would’ve been praised. Bashing on Federation Force is just the “cool thing to do” and everyone just blindly jumps on the bandwagon, and most of them without actually ever having played the game.

@Octane They marketed Prime 3 to kingdom come (even gave it a unique Wii channel), and it still only did "decent" in terms of sales. Metroid simply isn't popular.

I hope some of the bosses at Nintendo don't decide to cancel Metroid Prime 4 after getting wind of this.

Why is this sad? People like different things. Take this kinda garbage to the dump where it belongs. Don't attack people just for enjoying something else.

@DrDaisy
Lol wut

Nintendo has been aware of Metroid's lack of relevance for the last 3 decades. If they were going to cancel Prime 4, they would have done so rather than rebooting its development from the beginning.

It’s not surprising. The only two Metroids that were true sales success stories were Super Metroid and Metroid Prime. The others made their money back, but not much else.

As a huge Metroid fan it makes me sad.

@PickledKong64 It's a pity, because Samus Returns was GREAT.

@Muddy_4_Ever ikr. It's not the greatest Metroidvania but definitely in my top 15

@AlexOlney you never comment like ever

@DrDaisy why would they? thats like being scared nintendo cancels switch lite production. pure stupidity

@MayroMake nintendo life usually just produces click bait they once did an article 5 times on persona just to complain about it. Its interlocked with Nintendo UK which is a sad division in itself. i only come here for nintendo news. i ignore the opinion pieces because they are always biased and wrong but dont let this article bother you they are ignorant thats like saying no one bought pokemon lets go (i didnt) and it sold 11 million)

nintendo life cant be happy for anything animal crossing is a success metroid is not.

@clvr
Oops, sorry. Thanks for the info. It's still in the 2-3 Million range that Metriod (and Metriodvania's) seem to sell at (Maybe 5 Million for Ori).
I know that Metriodvania's are a niche genre, so I know that they (probably) won't sell as well as other games (or genres), which is why I made my statement.
So, why do Metroid games not have a lot of sales when Metriodvania's have more sales then?

The wording in the title is just mean. Why you gotta word it like that, Nintendolife? You can't just title it something like "Animal Crossing New Horizons has sold _ amount of copies"? That won't get enough almighty clicks for you? Instead you gotta trample all over this poor onion's heart.

I'm crying in a corner right now and it's all your fault. You monsters.

Huge Metroid fan but I've greatly lowered my expectations. I'd love a 2-d surprise drop, MPT port, and or Metroid 4, but not counting on it anytime soon. Hard to blame Nintendo for following the money, so just glad indie devs are making great games to carry on the genre. Hollow Knight and Bloodstained etc. are great and looks like their developers still believe in their franchises.

Wow, Samus needs prayer.

@johnvboy yes and Metroid Prime 4, along with Bayonetta 3 and Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 are my most antecipated games, i cant wait to start playing this wonderful games in my Switch.

Aye! Metroid hasn't still seen a Switch entry yet, let's wait to see what fame the Switch will give Samus soon~ (I'm looking at some 2D entry soon)

Very, very, very sad. Hopefully the revanche comes with Prime 4!