10 Rare Video Games That Survived Development Hell

The GBA title, Metroid Fusion, received high praise from critics, particularly for the stealth sequences, where our heroine, Samus is pursued by her doppelgänger.

Although production on a follow-up started in 2005, it took four years before the project, known as Metroid Dread, had a playable beta. Unfortunately, Sakamoto was unhappy with the prototype, believing the hardware wasn't good enough to create a terrifying antagonist. (This is weird, since the big bad from Fusion was genuinely unsettling.)

When Sakamoto announced Dread's storyline had been finalised in 2010, it seemed like things were looking up. And yet, Dread was nowhere to be seen for the next decade, even though other Metroid titles were released, including Metroid: Other M, Metroid: Samus Returns, and the god-awful Federation Force.

That's why it was shocking when the long, long, long-awaited sequel was officially announced at Nintendo Direct on June 15 2021. Stranger still, this presentation revealed the alien-blasting platformer would be available... in four months! Even though fans were thrilled, they were also skeptical, since it was unlikely a game 16 years in the making could live up to the hype.

Miraculously, Dread obliterated all expectations. It received universal acclaim and sold three million units, making it the most successful entry in the franchise. Because Dread turned out so well, fans are more psyched than ever for Metroid Prime 4. (Fingers crossed that we don't have to wait as long this time.)