Seven years. That is how long we sat in the dark. If you were at E3 in 2017, you remember that simple, glowing blue "4" appearing on the screen. It was just a logo. No gameplay, no developer name, nothing but a promise. And then, silence. Well, mostly silence, until Nintendo did the unthinkable in 2019 and admitted they scrapped the whole thing to start over with Retro Studios. It was a gut punch. But now that we've finally seen Metroid Prime 4 Beyond in action, it's clear that the wait wasn't just about polishing a game—it was about giving the original Nintendo Switch the grand finale it deserves.
Honestly, people were starting to think this thing was a myth. A "vaporware" legend whispered about in Reddit threads and Discord servers. But the footage we’ve seen confirms it: Samus is back, and she’s still on the Switch 1.
The Long Road to Metroid Prime 4 Beyond
Let's be real for a second. The development of this game has been a disaster by almost any industry standard. Usually, when a project gets rebooted two years into production, it dies a slow, quiet death. Nintendo's Shinya Takahashi took the stage in a rare apology video back in January 2019, explaining that the quality wasn't meeting their standards. They took the project away from the original rumored developer (Bandai Namco Studios) and handed the keys back to the masters at Retro Studios in Austin, Texas.
Retro Studios is the reason the Prime series exists. They are the ones who took a 2D masterpiece and somehow translated it into a first-person adventure that didn't feel like a generic shooter. Seeing the Metroid Prime 4 keyword attached to their name again brought a collective sigh of relief from the fanbase. It was like a homecoming.
The game looks incredible. Like, "how is a tablet from 2017 running this?" incredible. The environments are dense. The lighting is moody. We see Samus stepping out of her ship on a galactic federation research facility under siege, and the scale is immediately massive. Sylux is there, too. You remember him? The bounty hunter from Metroid Prime Hunters on the DS who has been stalking Samus in post-credits scenes for nearly two decades. He's finally the main antagonist. It’s about time.
Why the original Switch is still the target
There was a lot of talk about this being a "Switch 2" exclusive. It made sense, right? Why launch your most technically ambitious game on hardware that's over eight years old? But Nintendo stayed the course. By keeping Metroid Prime 4 Beyond on the first Switch, they are tapping into an install base of over 140 million people. That's a lot of potential sales.
It’s also a flex.
It's Nintendo saying, "Look what our developers can do with this little Tegra chip when they’ve had a decade to master it." We saw this with Tears of the Kingdom. We saw it with Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Now, we’re seeing it with the Prime series. The scan visor returns, the lock-on mechanics are snappy, and the atmospheric storytelling is front and center. It feels like Prime. It smells like Prime.
Sylux and the Narrative Stakes
The story seems to pick up some time after Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. The Phazon threat is gone. The universe is supposedly safe. But Sylux—a character who hates the Galactic Federation and Samus with a burning passion—has stolen a pair of Metroids. Not just any Metroids, but specimens that seem to be under his direct control.
In the reveal trailer, we see Sylux flanked by two Metroids as he enters a Federation base. He’s not just a rogue hunter; he’s a commander. This shifts the dynamic. Usually, Samus is exploring dead civilizations. She’s an archaeologist with a cannon. But here, there’s an active war. There are soldiers fighting alongside her. It feels more "military sci-fi" than previous entries, yet it still retains that isolationist dread when she moves into the deeper, quieter parts of the facility.
💡 You might also like: How to Beat the Cliff Team Pokemon Go Lineup Without Losing Your Mind
- Sylux’s ship, the Delano 7, is visible in the footage.
- The Galactic Federation is clearly overwhelmed.
- The game title "Beyond" suggests we might be leaving our known galaxy or heading into a different dimension.
Kinda makes you wonder if we're going to see other hunters return. Remember Trace? Spire? Weavel? If Sylux is building an army, he might not be alone.
Technical Wizardry on Aging Hardware
Let’s talk performance. The footage we’ve seen runs at a very smooth 60 frames per second. This is non-negotiable for Metroid Prime. The fluidity of movement is part of the game’s DNA. To achieve this on the Metroid Prime 4 Switch 1 hardware, Retro Studios is likely using every trick in the book.
Dynamic resolution scaling is a given. You'll probably see the internal resolution dip during heavy combat, but because the art direction is so strong, you won't care. The jungle environment shown at the end of the trailer—likely a new planet entirely—showcases lush vegetation and impressive particle effects. It doesn't look like a "mobile" game. It looks like a premium console experience.
One thing people get wrong is thinking that "more power" equals "better game." Metroid has always been about the feel. The way the rain beads on Samus’s visor. The way her face reflects in the glass when there’s a bright flash of light. Those are the details that matter. Retro Studios pioneered these "immersion" features in 2002, and they are doubling down on them now.
The Gameplay Loop: What's Changing?
From what we can tell, the core pillars are intact.
- Exploration: Finding upgrades like the Missiles or the Morph Ball to unlock new areas.
- Scanning: Learning about the lore and enemy weaknesses through the visor.
- Combat: Fast-paced, strafe-heavy encounters.
But there’s something new. The movement looks faster. Samus seems more agile than she was in the original trilogy. There's a slight "weightiness" that has been trimmed down, perhaps taking cues from the incredibly successful Metroid Dread. If Beyond can marry the 3D atmosphere of Prime with the kinetic intensity of Dread, we are looking at a masterpiece.
Honestly, the biggest worry is the world design. The original Prime was a giant "Metroidvania" map. Prime 3 was more fragmented, with different planets acting as individual levels. Fans are hoping Beyond leans back toward the interconnected world design. We want to feel lost in a singular, massive location, not just jumping from loading screen to loading screen.
Impact on the Franchise
This isn't just another sequel. It's a pivot point. If Metroid Prime 4 Beyond sells well—and it should, given the hype—it solidifies Metroid as a top-tier Nintendo pillar alongside Zelda and Mario. For years, Metroid was the "cult classic" that struggled to hit 2 million sales. Then Metroid Dread came along and smashed records.
The momentum is there.
Nintendo is positioning this as a "prestige" title. They didn't rush it. They didn't release a sub-par version in 2019 just to meet an earnings report. They spent the money and the time to do it right. That kind of commitment is rare in the modern "fix it with a patch later" industry.
What to do while you wait for the 2025 release
The game is slated for 2025. That feels like a long way off, but we've already waited seven years. What's one more? If you want to be ready, there are a few things you should actually do rather than just refreshing YouTube for new trailers.
First, play Metroid Prime Remastered. It’s on the Switch right now. It was a "shadow drop" and it is arguably the best-looking game on the system. It will give you a perfect feel for how the controls have been modernized (dual-stick controls are a godsend). It also reminds you why the lore of the Chozo and the Space Pirates is so compelling.
Second, go find a way to play Metroid Prime Hunters. You don't need to finish it—the single-player is a bit of a slog—but you need to meet Sylux. You need to understand his equipment and his ship. It makes the ending of Beyond's trailer hit much harder.
Finally, keep your original Switch. Even if a "Switch 2" launches in the meantime, this game is being built for the hardware you already own. It’s the final victory lap for a console that changed the industry.
💡 You might also like: Yu Yu Hakusho Slugfest PC Utility r16fudvbfdq: Why This Specific Build Matters for Emulation
The scan visor is warming up. The arm cannon is charging. Samus Aran is coming home to Retro Studios, and even though it took a decade to get here, it looks like it’s going to be exactly what we asked for. No more logos. No more apologies. Just the hunt.
Actionable Steps for Metroid Fans
- Complete Metroid Prime Remastered: Familiarize yourself with the "Dual Beam" and "Motion" control schemes, as Beyond will likely utilize these same options to bridge the gap between old-school fans and newcomers.
- Track the Lore: If you've forgotten the events of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, look up a story summary. Beyond is expected to tie up loose ends regarding the Galactic Federation's "Aurora Units" and the ultimate fate of the Phazon seeds.
- Storage Prep: Based on the graphical fidelity seen in the trailers, expect a large file size. If you’re still using the base 32GB or 64GB storage on your Switch, now is the time to snag a high-speed microSD card (UHS-1) to ensure the 2025 download is seamless.
- Ignore the "Pro" Rumors: Focus on the confirmed hardware. Nintendo has officially stated this is a Switch 1 title. While it will almost certainly be playable on whatever comes next, it is being optimized for the console currently sitting in your dock.