10 Video Game Franchises That Just Sat Out An ENTIRE Generation
2. Metroid
Another Nintendo series that's been on ice for a while is Metroid, which has a very dedicated fanbase. They have lamented the downturns in Samus Aran's sci-fi adventures as of late.
It wasn't the first time it happened to the series. On the Nintendo 64, Metroid sat on the sidelines while Mario and Zelda pioneered the shift into 3D gaming. Shigeru Miyamoto said at the time that they couldn't come up with any concrete ideas, which pushed the series to the GameCube.
Just under a decade later, the same thing happened with on the Wii. 2010's Metroid: Other M was met with disdain and distaste from the community, who felt both the protagonist and franchise formula were treated poorly by Team Ninja. In the decade since, we haven't seen much that matched the sublime outings from Retro Studios.
As a result, the series didn't show up on the Wii U.
Since Other M bombed with fans, Nintendo has been figuring out how to bring the 3D series back. Metroid Prime: Federation Force bombed with fans, while Metroid Samus Returns fared better on the 3DS. The latter was a remake however, leaving fans salivating over the next major release.
They're still waiting as the anticipated Metroid Prime 4 has been stuck behind closed doors for some time now.