I don't really want to get a Switch 2 at launch, but seeing how good Prime 4 looks on it is going to make it a very tough wait.

This game looks incredible in 4k, and I'm excited about how it utilizes the Switch 2 hardware, but the actual gameplay isn't quite grabbin' me yet. Scanning is confirmed to still be a big feature...

I have to say, though, if those scans are psychically accessed, and the doors are psychically opened...

Has anyone seen this video on the Nintendo Today app yet???
🤯🤯🤯

Pretty sure this was showed off awhile back?

Still cool though.

@Zero

Honestly I don't remember that cut scene before the landing sequence, so it's new to me. Still looks awesome, I kinda feel like this is the influence of the ex-halo Devs that joined retro studios 😝

@weeman_com

I DEFINITELY don't remember that whole video! I do think the very beginning was from an earlier showcase? But wow, that thing looked epic. I also enjoyed the end where Samus is like "bye ship, I don't need you right now."

The marketing for this has been lackluster, and releasing it in December after the Black Friday rush is over feels weird to me. Why not just delay it to next year if they're worried about too much competition?

@Brick

The most generous interpretation I can come up with for this game's bizarrely underwhelming showings so far is that Nintendo is doing the TOTK thing where they have to keep reminding us it exists with vague vibey footage prior to blowing the doors off and showing us what the gameplay actually looks like.

Worst-case scenario, they have no faith in this game's quality, and they're finishing it out of obligation.

I don't think it is a no faith thing. Maybe it's just me hoping, but I mean, the game looks like a quality game. Whether it matches the quality of the trilogy, who knows, but it probably won't be some total piece of trash either. Most likely it is at least like a 7.5/10 or 8/10 game, and Nintendo doesn't totally abandon those type of games.

Honestly I can't figure out what Nintendo is doing here though. I THINK we will get a Prime 4 Direct but who knows.

@Secret_Tunnel@Zero

Thing is, even if they are waiting until closer to release to really show the game off, I'm not sure it's doing it any favours, and releasing it in December after the big holiday rush of Black Friday, and after some awards like The Game Awards have their cut-off date, means that the marketing is going to be weak, and that might affect sales. Yeah I doubt that Nintendo has no faith in it because of quality (although I don't think Nintendo Japan really cares all that much about Metroid Prime to begin with as it does seem to appeal more to Western audiences), and yeah I'm sure the game will still be great, but I want this game to sell really well because Metroid has historically, while still having admirable sales, struggled to match the other heavy hitters under Nintendo's umbrella like Mario and Zelda, even though it should sell just as well. Yes Metroid is a bit more niche, but with the rise in Metroidvanias in popularity over the past decade, maybe it should be Metroid's time to shine.

I mean let's just say hypothetically that this is the best Prime by a long shot, that Retro found some magic secret sauce that hits all the right notes, and gets this game rated higher than Prime 1, but the game struggles to get passed a million units in sales. That would be a tragedy, and it'd be hard not to blame Nintendo for not marketing this game properly, and for trying to squeeze it into this year instead of just delaying until next year with more breathing room around it (and 2026 is Metroid's 40th anniversary anyway).

@Brick It's weird marketing for sure.

With that said, it looks like they are pushing Kirby Air Riders as their big holiday title. Is that the right move? I dunno. Financially, maybe. But Metroid could do so much more with the right support! I thought Dread showed that but I guess not...

The fact that they originally tried to hand Prime 4 off to some side team is already strange.

@Zero
I dunno, it feels like "big holiday title" isn't really as big a deal for Nintendo these days anymore. For several consecutive years on the Switch, it was some random Pokemon game. And this year we got Legends Z-A presumably as the big one?

Either way, it's been long enough. I'm still excited for Prime 4 even though it's had an insane development cycle (and now it has an insane cycle of another kind).

Zero said:

I THINK we will get a Prime 4 Direct but who knows.

Yeah maybe sometime in November?

TriforceBun said:

I'm still excited for Prime 4 even though it's had an insane development cycle (and now it has an insane cycle of another kind).

Ha!

Funnily enough- in 2018, Pokemon was ALSO the title that bumped a big game to December. Pokemon: Let's Go Eevee and Let's Go Pikachu were released in November, bumping Smash Ultimate to December. Maybe Nintendo is just thinking "Our hardcore fans will come out and get Smash no matter when it comes out, so we'd rather give Pokemon the highlight." Could be something similar here, where they know Metroid will sell to a more dedicated group? Or is it really as simple as "Pokemon is MUCH bigger than Metroid, so we want that out as soon as possible."

Also worth mentioning, and I'm not sure if this was the case for LGE and LGP, there is a Switch 2 bundle that includes Pokemon Legends Z-A. I'm sure that pushing that hardware bundle is also a reason they want to get it out before Thanksgiving.

Can't wait to play this in 20 years (I'll take another ten each for Metroid prime 2 and three, just like the first one)

@Stan McStanly I'm writing you out of the will unless you finish the triology by the end of the year.

@Zero That's a little bit shorter than 20 years.........

Im powering through the rest of the game now, getting into that homestretch rythm. I have 2 more artifacts to collect and I think I have every ability in the game. Got the Phazon suit two days ago I think, yesterday was just artifact collection. Maybe if I actually get through all the Metroid Prime hype I'll be encouraged to keep playing the second game consistently (despite having started it 3 times and stopped every time)

Can it at least be the end of next year

Hmm. Fine, but you lose 5% of your share every month until the trilogy finished.

Fair enough

Edit:
I defeated Meta Ridley and now I'm working on the Metroid Prime(tm). Kinda obnoxious how it turns invisible and all that, not even the thermal or x-ray will find it.

@Stan McStanly

But they do find it...You just need to pick the right one. It switches which one will work.