Nintendo recently revealed a brand new entry in the Metroid series at its E3 2021 Direct presentation: Metroid Dread. Set to be released on October 8 for the Nintendo Switch, Metroid Dread will be the first new 2D Metroid game in 19 years. Surprisingly, however, this isn't the first time that fans have heard of Metroid Dread.
Rumors of Metroid Dread have been circulating since 2005 and was originally thought to be a follow-up to Metroid Fusion for the Game Boy Advance. Although Nintendo didn't confirm or deny its existence, rumors continued over the years regarding multiple cancellations and restarts, as well as reports of the game being stuck in development hell. It's not an entirely different story from Metroid Prime 4, all things considered. For years, it seemed that Metroid Dread would be stuck in limbo, but it seems that the Nintendo Switch offers the technical specifications the game needed to see the light of day.
Metroid Dread's Troubled History
The success of 2002's Metroid Fusion on the Game Boy Advance would quickly lead to rumors of a sequel, and in 2005, there were substantial rumors of a follow-up game titled Metroid Dread. Although Nintendo didn't confirm or deny its existence at the time, it was evident that the project was being worked on despite lacking information about the specifics. However, nothing about Metroid Dread seemed to surface, and by 2007, it appeared that the game had been cancelled. In 2007's Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, there seemed to be a reference to Metroid Dread bearing near completion, but staff at Retro Studios later clarified that it was a joke.
Throughout the latter end of the 2000s, Nintendo seemed to deny the existence of Metroid Dread and continued to reiterate that it wasn't working on any 2D Metroid titles. In 2010, Metroid series designer Yoshio Sakamoto confirmed that Metroid Dread had existed at one point, but that development would have to start from scratch if it was revisited. Eventually, in 2018, Sakamoto revealed that it was the Nintendo DS' hardware limitations that held back development.
Metroid Dread's Revival
The official announcement of Metroid Dread at E3 2021 seemed to indicate that the team's ambition was finally able to be realized through the Nintendo Switch's hardware. Sakamoto briefly talked about Metroid Dread's troubled history and reaffirmed that its development was largely held back by hardware limitations. One of the key aspects for Metroid Dread's revival was developer MercurySteam Entertainment and its recent success with the Metroid franchise.
In 2017, MercurySteam were hired to co-develop Metroid: Samus Returns after impressing Sakamoto with a remake pitch for Metroid Fusion. Although this pitch was rejected, it showcased the developer's love for the Metroid franchise and it seems its dedication paid off. With the announcement of Metroid Dread, it's evident that MercurySteam is the developer for the job given its original Metroid Fusion pitch. And with the hardware of the Nintendo Switch, it seems that all the pieces had fallen into place for Metroid Dread to finally make its appearance.
As revealed in the Nintendo Treehouse footage, Metroid Dread takes a lot of influences from previous Metroid games and it's clear that the direction of the game wouldn't have succeeded on the original Nintendo DS. One of the biggest influences appears to be Metroid: Samus Returns with the inclusion of the melee counterattack and the ability to freely fire at any angle. MercurySteam seems to take all of the key elements from its previous experience with Metroid games and apply them in a unique way. Although Metroid Dread might seem like a new 2D title out of the blue, it's been a long time coming for hardcore Metroid fans.
Metroid Dread releases on October 8, 2021 for the Nintendo Switch.