Summary
Nintendo had an incredibly eventful year in 2023 with the successful releases ofSuper Mario Bros. Wonder,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,Pikmin 4,Metroid Prime Remastered, and more. However, Nintendo enthusiasts are now wondering what might be next for the veteran game developer, especially concerning theNintendo Switch 2console and one of the most highly anticipated Nintendo titles of the last two decades,Metroid Prime 4.
According to recent credible reports, Nintendo’s next Switch console, which was originally expected to be released in late 2024, is now set for an early 2025 launch. While this is disheartening news for fans who have been anxiously awaiting the release of the Switch 2, it could also mean great things for fans who have been waiting a rather long time forMetroid Prime 4.
Metroid Prime 4 Has Been a Long Time Coming
Metroid Primefans have been waiting almost two decades for the next installment to arrive, as the most recent installment,Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, was released back in 2007 for the Wii. Needless to say,Metroid Prime 4has been a long time coming — so much so that many fans have long been convinced it will never happen. Fortunately, not only isMetroid Prime 4finally in development, but the recent reports that the Nintendo Switch 2 likely won’t be released until early 2025 could suggest a potential release window for the next installment.
Metroid Prime 4 Could Launch With the Switch 2
According toNintendo’s history of console launch lineups, each new console typically launches with one major title and several lesser-known titles — or, at least, less anticipated games. For the most part, every console has launched alongside a majorSuper Mariogame, and if notSuper Mario, thenThe Legend of Zelda. The only outlier was the Nintendo GameCube, which was released withLuigi’s Mansion. However, as Luigi is a member of theSuper Mariocast,Luigi’s Mansionis close enough to aSuper Mariotitle. Now, the Switch 2 has a chance to shake things up by launching alongside one of the most anticipated Nintendo games of the last two decades, which is neitherSuper MarionorThe Legend of Zelda.
Metroid Prime 4is hugely anticipated, so it’s difficult to deny the impact that releasing it with the Switch 2 would have on its fan base. While it might at one time have been recognized as little more than a cult classic,theMetroidseriesis considered one of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises, soMetroid Prime 4would undoubtedly be a welcome title in the Switch 2 launch lineup, especially if it wound up being the star of the show.
Nintendo has already confirmed thatMetroid Prime 4’s release is coming soon. The question is whether Nintendo and Retro will take advantage of the Switch 2’s launch and use it as a means to releaseMetroid Prime 4as well. All of this, of course, is just speculation, as Nintendo has yet to publicly confirm whether the Switch 2 is coming in early 2025, as reports suggest. However, the best-case scenario would see the new console coming very soon andMetroid Prime 4along with it.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
The galaxy’s greatest bounty hunter Samus Aran will embark on a new mission in Metroid Prime™ 4: Beyond, coming to Nintendo Switch in 2025.
