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It’s been almost two full decades since fans have received a mainline 2D Metroid title, but all of that changes today with the release of Metroid Dread on Nintendo Switch.
Metroid Dread picks up after 2002’s Gameboy Advance title Metroid Fusion, bringing a close to the main story arc regarding Samus and the titular Metroids. After defeating the X Parasite in her previous adventure, she’s now sent to the planet ZDR where things don’t go quite as planned, once again leaving her stripped of her powers and fighting her way out of a perilous situation.
It’s no doubt a powerful moment in many fans’ lives to finally receive closure they’ve awaited since 1986’s original Metroid launched on the NES. However, just because this marks the end of a this long and winding story arc doesn’t mean that the Metroid franchise is over. With Metroid Prime 4 already announced and this game undoubtedly revitalizing interest in the 2D entries, it’s actually beginning to look like Nintendo is actually ramping up production of games in the series.
And that’s not just a prediction, either, as series producer Yoshio Sakamoto has confirmed that, while Metroid Dread is wrapping up a five-game story arc, it’s also setting the stage for further adventures in the Metroid universe. Speaking to Eurogamer, he had this to say:
[It’s the] conclusion to one story arc. What I can say upfront is that Samus’ adventure will continue. How will it continue? Well, first things first, I believe that if and when you clear Dread, you will have a clear idea. Beyond that, we will continue to work hard so we can meet expectations and keep surprising you guys with exciting gameplay experiences.
Yoshio Sakamoto
He also told Polygon:
Nobody wants the Metroid series to end, and we know that. We ourselves don’t want that either. But we just want people to know that there is some kind of new episode that is waiting in the works, and we want you to look forward with what we do with that next — but there are no specifics now.
Yoshio Sakamoto
It sounds like Nintendo is planning some great stuff for Metroid fans in the coming months or years. In the meantime, Metroid Dread is out today exclusively for Switch. If you haven’t caught up on the rest of the series, though, you can always check out our listing of the chronological order of the games to help you do just that.
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