Nintendo reveals the release date for the controversial Metroid spinoff game Metroid Prime: Federation Force, which will be available this summer for 3DS.

At E3 2015, Nintendo fans were outraged when, during Nintendo's E3 2015 press conference, the company decided to reveal Metroid Prime: Federation Force for the 3DS. Criticized for its chibi art style, lack of Samus Aran, and multiplayer focus, the game drew so much ire that fans even petitioned that its development be halted. Obviously, Nintendo didn't cave in to those complaints, and now Metroid Prime: Federation Force has a solid release date for both North America and Europe.

Those in North America will have first dibs on Metroid Prime: Federation Force, as it launches on August 19th in the region. Europeans, meanwhile, will have to wait a couple weeks longer, with the game launching on September 2nd.

However, it remains to be seen if fans will come around and embrace this latest incarnation of Metroid Prime. Ever since the Metroid Prime: Federation Force debut trailer, the game has been subject to an extreme amount of hate from the community, as many are frustrated in the lack of a core Metroid game release since 2010's disappointing Metroid: Other M. Even so, it does seem like people aren't really giving Federation Force a chance.

After all, Nintendo is confident in Metroid Prime: Federation Force, and has insisted that fans should trust that the game will deliver a quality experience. Reggie Fils-Aime echoed those sentiments, and feels as though Federation Force will be a success when it releases this summer.

Whether or not that is the case remains to be seen, but Nintendo is at least partly to blame for the severe negative reception that Metroid Prime: Federation Force has received so far. For example, imagine if Bethesda revealed the Fallout Shelter mobile game to the world without also announcing Fallout 4. Fans would have been outraged, as they perceive the work being done on spin-offs as taking time away from potential core releases in the franchises that they love.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force may have been met with open arms had Nintendo also announced a new core entry in the Metroid Prime series along with it. Perhaps the company has realized this, and maybe Metroid Prime for Nintendo NX will be revealed at this year's E3 event, and take some of the heat off Federation Force. Alternatively, there's a chance that Federation Force will release to rave reviews, and Metroid fans will discover that they had nothing to worry about all along.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force will be available on August 19th in North America, and September 2nd in Europe, exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS.

Source: Twitter