10 Burning Questions Nintendo Have Left Unanswered For 2019
4. What Was Metroid Prime 4 Like, And What Will It Become?
Mere weeks before the latest Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced (in a rather unprecedented and shocking fashion) that the development of Metroid Prime 4 was going to be restarted and handed over to Retro Studios. It seemed like a solid move: Retro are the only developer truly capable of meshing classic Metroid exploration with newer combat in a 3D space.
Cue the classic Shigeru Miyamoto maxim from the launch delay of Nintendo 64: "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad".
Wise words even now, given that it's been more than a decade since Prime 3: Corruption. Even more sensible when you consider the risks of bringing a series back after so long (Crackdown 3, anyone?). What's more, Metroid titles have varied in quality: Samus Returns, great. Other M and Federation Force? Not so much.
All of this begs the question: What was Metroid Prime 4 like before this point?
Why did Nintendo feel it wasn't living up to the previous titles? Were Bandai-Namco making Prime more of a combat game given their experience with Smash Bros. and Pokken Tournament? What kinds of concept art or trailers have Retro come up with to convince Nintendo it should be their baby again?
Or did Nintendo go to Retro to ask specifically for their help? Is this all just a giant smokescreen to free up developers to work on as-yet unannounced Nintendo IP?
Who knows, but it'd be nice to find out.