It's been seven years since Nintendo first announced Metroid Prime 4 for the Nintendo Switch. But after years of troubled development, which included a complete overhaul and starting from scratch under a new studio, we finally have a release date, and our first look at gameplay.
During this week's Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo confirmed that Metroid Prime 4 is now officially titled Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. With the new name also came a new logo that features black and purple hues. The original logo featured the number four with a blue flame-like outline.
Metroid Prime 4 was originally being developed by Bandai Namco, but in 2019 Nintendo announced that development on the game restarted under Retro Studios, the developer f the previous Metroid Prime games.
The trailer offers our first glimpse of gameplay from Samus Aran's newest mission, and it certainly looks impressive. The combat and action are reminiscent of previous Metroid games from developer Retro. It begins with Samus landing on an alien planet in the middle of an ongoing planet. We get a good look at various gameplay elements, including gunplay and environmental scanning, as well as traveling as a Morph Ball. The video concludes with a tease of a new enemy who has a pair of Metroids floating over their shoulder.
After revealing the new logo, we get another clip highlighting a beautiful alien planet as the release window of 2025 is shown. It may not be an exact date, but it's at least something for fans to look forward to after years of waiting.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is the long-awaited follow-up to Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, which released in 2007 for the Nintendo Wii. There have been other games in the Metroid franchise released in between these two titles, including 2017's Metroid: Samus Returns, 2021's Metroid Dread, and 2023's Metroid Prime Remastered.
Retro Studios' first Metroid Prime game was released in 2002 for the GameCube. It was the first to use 3D computer graphics and a first-person perspective. The game was a huge hit for Retro Studios and was followed by two sequels, a prequel, and three spinoffs. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was released in 2004, with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption in 2007.
With a 2025 release window, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will arrive near the end of the current Nintendo Switch's lifecycle. While Nintendo hasn't officially revealed what's next, we do know that the console's successor is close.