Nintendo has plenty of IP that remain classics in the eyes of older fans, but the Metroid franchise is perhaps the most beloved by players who grew up with an NES. Even today, many non-Metroid franchises like the newest Paper Mario title, The Origami King, reference Metroid.
Of course, Metroid’s heroine Samus Aran is synonymous with the franchise’s legacy, esteem, and popularity. Now, a recent cosplayer known as HendoArt recently showcased an amazingly detailed cosplay of Aran in her Varia Suit that went viral on social media.
Samus Aran is perhaps one of the most widely cosplayed video game protagonists across the industry. From her sleek, blue zero suit outfit to her bulky and intimidating Varia Suit, Samus has some incredibly iconic designs. Many players and cosplayers alike have latched onto Samus’ Metroid Prime Trilogy designs, as those games are incredibly well received by both casual and die-hard fans of the series.
In fact, Metroid is one of the reasons Nintendo fans are excited about the Switch’s future, as the hotly anticipated Metroid Prime 4 is somewhere on the horizon. However, around the time the latest entry in the series, Samus Returns, came out on 3DS, cosplayer HendoArt was working hard on her incredible Samus cosplay. Hendo recently teamed up with photographer with Jim “HappyTriggerLA” to showcase the cosplay on Instagram.
Hendo’s photosets showcase her in a variety of poses donning a beautifully realized Varia Suit as Samus. What makes the photos and costume even more incredible is the fact that Hendo meticulously hand-crafted each piece of armor and utilized over 42 LED lights throughout the costume. The attention to detail and overall artistry absolutely shines through in both the suit and the photography as well. Seeing such a wonderful real-life interpretation of Samus Aran absolutely reaffirms her as one of the most powerful and iconic video game heroes of all time.
As mentioned above, Hendo began working on the suit all the way back in 2017 where she partnered with HyperX for a video showing the behind-the-scenes of how the suit was made. There have been discussions all over the internet regarding what Nintendo franchise would make the best movie adaptation, and many fans agree that Metroid would be near the top. After seeing Hendo’s cosplay, a real-life adaptation of Samus’ iconic suit seems all the more plausible given the right attention to detail. It’s not like there’s a lack of interests, as Hollywood star Brie Larson said she wants to play Samus if Nintendo ever greenlights a Metroid movie.
Source: HendoArt (via Instagram)