Take this one with a pinch of salt as the leaker is the less-than-reliable Nash Weedle, but Retro Studios is apparently in the process of preparing marketing materials for the upcoming Metroid Prime 4.
In a tweet translated by Google, Nash also reports that “people have already seen Metroid Prime 4” and that the “technical deployment of the game is overwhelming.” The tweet finishes with the news that there are “many playable new features.”
What Does This Mean For Metroid Prime 4?
So, if this is true, there’s a lot to unpack here. I would presume that many people will have seen Metroid Prime 4, given that it’s in active development. The suggestion here is likely that select members of PR and press have seen it. Not sure I buy that, but we move on.
If the technical deployment is “overwhelming”, does this suggest that it will launch on the current Nintendo Switch model rather than exclusively on the Switch 2? Or, perhaps more likely, it could be a cross platform title, which I can imagine would be pretty overwhelming.
Lastly, new playable features could mean anything, so I’m not going to speculate on this too much. It could simply mean new gameplay versus the older games, which is surely a given. However, there is the slim chance that it might take advantage of new Switch 2 features.
Is Any of This True?
While I don’t like to report on rumour that doesn’t have at least one foot in truth, or, at the very least, is by a reliable leaker, I think there’s potentially some legs on this one.
First up, a history lesson. Nintendo announced Metroid Prime 4 all the way back at E3 2017, shortly after the Switch launched. At the time, Bandai Namco was working on it, but Retro Studios took over in January 2019. The suggestion was that development started from scratch, with the original series’ producer, Kensuke Tanabe, returning.
While I would be fascinated to see the Bandai Namco version at some point, that timeline puts Metroid Prime 4 in a five year development cycle should it launch next year. That’s in line with the cycle for the original Metroid Prime, which took roughly 4-5 years. Of course, different games and different technologies will produce different results.
I also believe there’s some truth in this due to the rumour mill going crazy around the Switch 2, which many believe will launch next year. I would be very surprised indeed if Metroid Prime 4 wasn’t a launch title. The Prime games are known for pushing Nintendo hardware to its limits, so what better launch title could there be? Well, other than the also-rumoured 3D Donkey Kong project under way by the makers of Super Mario Odyssey.
Could This Point to Cross-Gen?
Going back to the original point, if Nash Weedle is right that technical deployment is overwhelming, this could indeed point towards cross-gen titles when the Switch 2 arrives. This makes sense given the sheer install base of the current Switch. I don’t see Nintendo just moving on from it overnight, as it has for previous systems.
I don’t envy Retro porting Prime 4 onto two very different Nintendo platforms at launch, but I selfishly hope its true. The best method of giving the Switch 2 a good shot is to include cross-gen support, to allow time for the install base to match up. Let’s see if this is true in a year’s time.
In the meantime, if you like Switch 2 rumours, check out yesterday’s report on Monster Hunter 6 arriving on Switch 2.
