10 Video Game Franchises KILLED By Development Hell
7. Metroid Prime
The Metroid Prime series was a breath of 3D fresh air that allowed Samus Aran and her space-faring adventures to evolve. When the trilogy was complete, the next logical step in director Yoshio Sakimoto’s eyes was to combine both the 3D and 2D styles of the series into one mega-game.
This birthed Metroid Other M, a title which was so derided for it’s boring gameplay and character assassination of it’s protagonist, that Metroid went into a deep sleep for five years afterwards.
In 2017, Nintendo finally let Samus out to play by announcing both Samus Returns for the 3Ds and, after many rumours, Metroid Prime 4.
In the time it’s taken to release two 2D Metroid titles, the game has been announced and then vanished into the ether completely unseen. Once touted as being worked on by a “talented new development team", things got messy and embarrassing for Nintendo when they had to go knocking on the doors of original developers Retro Studios.
In 2019 the company announced that they had not taken the decision lightly but were scrapping what they had so far to start again, this time with Retro on board.
Since then it’s all been quiet in the 3D Metroid camp. As great as the 2D games have been in its absence, the reveal of Metroid Prime 4 has become an unavoidable blackhole of doubt for fans of the series.