After 19 years of waiting,Metroid 5is finally coming in the form ofMetroid Dread, the next main installment in the 2DMetroidseries. Fans of Nintendo’s sci-fi action-exploration series have waited long enough to see the series finally move forward: 2017’sMetroid: Samus Returnsserving as a remake ofMetroid 2: Return of Samus, initially released in 1991.
Co-developed once again by Spanish developer MercurySteam,Metroid Dreadstunned long-time fans of the series withits reveal during this week’s Nintendo Direct, however, the major reason behind this surprise comes down to one big thing: its title. Many have pointed to howMetroid Dreadis a revival of the canceled Nintendo DS 2DMetroidgame in development from 2005 - 2008. What many don’t know, is that this revival ofMetroid Dreadbears a striking resemblance to the development ofMetroid: Samus Returns.
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For those unaware,Metroid Dreadwas a cancelled Nintendo DS game that would have served as the fifth entry in the 2DMetroidfranchise, and the next main game in the series timeline: The concurrentMetroid Primeseries taking place entirely between the events of the originalMetroidandMetroid 2: Return of Samus. The game was to be directed by series creator Yoshio Sakamoto, and would have featured an art style similar to that ofMetroid Fusion, the most recent game in the series at that time.
The game was originally slated to be released in 2005, before being delayed to November 2006, followed by a more vague “2006” release window, until ultimately disappearing from Nintendo’s release slate altogether. It’s worth noting that these delays could have also been due to the crowded release schedule ofMetroidgames, withMetroid Prime Huntersreleasing in early 2006, andMetroid Prime 3: Corruptionfollowing in August 2007.
While Nintendo has had many cancelled projects over the years, few have been as publicly aired out asMetroid Dread. Unlike other projects, this game was listed in several gaming magazines and promotional pieces for the DS, and was a game Nintendo was seemingly very confident in releasing.Metroid Dreaddid re-enter development some time in 2008, with a demo being presented to Nintendo Software Technology at E3 2009.
According to Sakamoto, this version ofDreaddid not live up to his or Nintendo’s expectations and was ultimately cancelled. With that, and despite a teaser inMetroid Prime 3: Corruptionreading “Project Dread is nearing completion,” there would be no new 2DMetroidtitle until 2017’sMetroid: Samus Returnswhich, as previously slated,was a remake ofMetroid 2: Return of Samus.
What’s worth noting is that Yoshio Sakamoto has always left the door open regarding revivingDread. In a 2010 interview with defunct website GamesTM, Sakamoto refrained from commenting when asked aboutDread, stating “My hope, if it’s at all possible, is to immediately restart the situation from scratch.”
Sakamoto has already made it clear that the version ofMetroid Dreadthat is finally releasing this October is different from the version Nintendo was developing over 15 years ago. The game will retain the horror atmosphere, story, and tension intended for the original game. It is entirely possible that Sakamoto waited all this time forelements such as the EMMI robot’s inclusion, a tyrant-style enemy that hunts Samus down, adding stealth elements to the Nintendo series for the first time. So far, everything about the 2021 incarnation ofMetroid Dread, right down to its very title, seems like a labor of love for long-time fans of the series.
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Samus Returns Similarities
What matters here is that, in an uncharacteristic turn of events, Nintendo has revived a project that many fans had already given up hope for. While it may not be the exactMetroid Dreadthat the team was working on so long ago, it already seems like some of the concepts from the canceled DS game have beenrevived forMetroid’s Nintendo Switch debut. What many fans may not know is thatMetroid Dread’s revival shares some ironic similarities to the lead-up toMetroid: Samus Returns, which many fans had also considered canceled before it was revealed at E3 2017.
Before it was revealed that MercurySteam would be leading development of the next 2DMetroidtitle, the same studio was reportedly working on theMetroidIP. Reports first broke in mid-2015 claiming that the Spanish studio, responsible for co-developing theCastlevania: Lords of Shadowseries, had pitched aMetroidprototype for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in the same year.
It’s important to note that at the time Nintendo was (and still is) very protective of its IP, with the possibility of outsourcing development of one of its key franchises seeming rather unlikely. This was beforeprojects likeMario + Rabbids: Kingdom BattleandCadence of Hyrulewere a reality. However, behind the scenes, this is when Nintendo started opening up to more collaborations, resulting in those games and the upcomingSuper Marioanimated film.
Understandably, at the time, many fans and news outlets wrote off the possibility of Nintendo outsourcing such a storied franchise to a relatively unproven developer. Many assumed it was a failed pitch, despite the fact that it was this exact scenario that put Retro Studios in charge of theMetroid Primeseries. A lot of the reason fans wrote off this news was also because reports had broke the year before stating another developer had made a similar pitch as well.
Luigi’s Mansion 3developer Next Level Gameshad pitched a 2DMetroidgame for Nintendo 3DS, which was also reportedly scrapped in favor of developingLuigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon. The developer would go on to produceMetroid Prime: Federation Forcefor Nintendo 3DS instead, which was met with major backlash given the lack of new 2D or 3DMetroidtitles after the failure ofMetroid: Other M.
With this in mind, it’s not hard to imagine whyMetroid: Samus Returnscame as such as shock to fans when it was finally revealed at E3 2017 after being considered canceled for two whole years. What was, at one point, written off as yet another victim of the rumor mill turned out to be true, however fans would have to wait two years to find out. This also bears similaritiesto the leaks regardingSonic Rangers, the upcomingSonic the Hedgehoggame that had been leaked months in advance. Fans were unaware until Sega itself leaked the game’s official title.
BothMetroid DreadandSamus Returnswere once considered to be cancelled or failed projects that inevitably turned out to be real. Due to the longevity of game development and how hard projects can be to manage, it’s entirely possible that even some of the most unrealistic projects rumored to be in development right now could be real.
Metroid Dreadwill release on July 07, 2025, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
