An MMO-style party in the Metroid world.
The Nintendo Direct featured an extended look at the upcoming Metroid Prime: Federation Force, including strong words from the producer of the Metroid Prime series.
Tanabe has wanted to tell this story for a decade, even going back to the DSi. "Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a game that absolutely belongs in the Metroid Universe," Tanabe said during today's Direct. "That I promise."
The multiplayer focus left Samus out as a playable character, but introduced traditional party roles like healer, warrior, and mage. The team needs to work together to balance the weight of equipment and spoils between the party. The players wear suits from "Project Golem," a program aiming to mimic Samus' Power Suit.This group, the "Federation Force," is ambushed by Space Pirates on their first mission and must work together to survive. Samus will appear as a non-playable character.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force will release late this spring, and several live demos have been announced starting with WonderCon later this month.
We will go over 10 years since Metroid Prime 3 without any new proper game in the series. I sincerely doubt we'll see something in the next year and a half to prevent that from happening because surely they would have announced such a title by now.
Is this a New 3DS exclusive? After the producer's comments, I assumed it was.No it is not although it probably benefits from it in some ways.
The games in the series each sell over a million units. Sure, it's not Nintendo's highest selling franchise, but how is putting out one spin-off in almost 10 years good?
Even the biggest success Prime 1 didn't reach the sales a game of it's magnitude should have and actually did more harm then good in trying to expand it. Go to any message board back in 2003 and it was filled with non-Metroid fans complaining how boring Prime 1 was because they bought it because all the hype of it being Nintendo's Halo only to be disappointed it wasn't an action packed FPS, and hated the exploration focus. It just proves the point that Metroid isn't a very marketable series for mass audiences.
I understand why Nintendo would change Metroid in this way. Its trying to figure out a way to elevate the series. The problem is that Nintendo is asking the wrong questions and complicating a really simple truth. Outside of the series' own relatively small yet dedicated fanbase, it just doesn't resonate with most people. This is coming from someone who is on record several times that Metroid is his favorite series. While Nintendo keeps asking itself what it can change about the series to make it more palatable (e.g. add voice acting, make it more action-y, make Samus less mysterious, change the art style etc.), it ignores the fact that changing Metroid makes it not Metroid. As much as I enjoy 3D Metroid, I honestly think the best solution is to go backward. Give it to a small team with a small budget and make a straight 2D sequel that speaks directly to fans because it knows exactly what it is. That game isn't a system seller; it's a game that turns a profit zeroing in on a very specific audience.
Plus when was the last time Nintendo released a spinoff of a franchise when no new main installment in development? Oh yeah they never have.Star Fox Adventures.
I think if Nintendo was (even interested in) working on a 2D Metroid, it would've been on the DS or 3DS. Or even the Wii U by now. It's been thirteen and a half years since Metroid Fusion.
I just can't wrap my head around why they would now be interested in the franchise. Unless the NX is some revolutionary piece of hardware that can make an amazing Metroid game, I don't get it.
I think if Nintendo was (even interested in) working on a 2D Metroid, it would've been on the DS or 3DS. Or even the Wii U by now. It's been thirteen and a half years since Metroid Fusion.
I just can't wrap my head around why they would now be interested in the franchise. Unless the NX is some revolutionary piece of hardware that can make an amazing Metroid game, I don't get it.
There was a 14 year gap between Mario Land 2 and New Super Mario Bros DS. Hell, when NSMB DS came out Nintendo even ignored Land 2 and said NSMB DS was the first new 2D Mario in 15 years when advertising it. This is 2D Mario were talking about and Nintendo waited that long between the newest installments, so you really think it's impossible we'll never get a new 2D Metroid again?
Nintendo has shown over and over again time doesn't mean **** to them. It can be over a decade before a game gets a sequel but it still happens. [. . .] Nintendo operate at their own pace and if they feel like they want to make a new 2D Metroid again then they'll make one.
In the time before NSMB, we got the GBA remakes, so there was still some interest in at least putting out 2D Mario games. It was 14 years without a new game, but not a complete 14 year drought. I don't think it's impossible, but it's highly improbable. My expectations have just hit zero.