Metroid Dread launches!

The day is here! Metroid Dread has arrived on the Nintendo Switch and marks Samus' first major outing on Nintendo's current console generation. Reviews have begun to surface online and the general consensus is looking good!

While we haven't had to wait long since the game was announced back in June, rumours of the game's development have been around since 2005 and we now at last have a sequel to 2002's Metroid Fusion in the series timeline, 19 years later! Enjoy the game!

Metroid Dread announced for Nintendo Switch

Today marks a new day in Metroid history! During the virtual event of E3 2021, Nintendo have announced the upcoming release of Metroid Dread for the Nintendo Switch! Also known as Metroid 5, we've been waiting for this long-awaited sequel for 19 years. Set for release on 8 October, we only have a few more months to wait. And the wait looks to be worth it - check out Samus in action in the announcement trailer below!

Our Metroid: Samus Returns coverage begins

At last we've started our coverage of Metroid: Samus Returns! Apologies for the delay in getting this off the ground. I still plan to give Metroid: Samus Returns as much love as the other games (including a review and a full walkthrough) but these days I don't have as much time to work on the site, so future updates for the game will take a little longer to develop and publish. Until then!

Metroid: Samus Returns arrives!

It's out! Welcome back Samus! By now most major regions around the world should have Metroid: Samus Returns available for purchase. Good things come to those who wait and I'm sure there's plenty of fans out there eager to join Samus on another adventure (I still don't have a Nintendo 3DS of my own, naturally that's about to change...).

Reviews around the web are looking good, as initial impressions of the game have been delightfully positive. So it looks like Nintendo have scored big with this one! Good luck on SR388 and enjoy the ride!

Metroid: Samus Returns and Metroid Prime 4!!!

Remember the excitement of Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion's reveal all those years ago? Even if you can't, we have some wonderful news from this year's E3. A few hours ago Nintendo have announced the upcoming release of Metroid: Samus Returns, an official remake of Metroid II for the Nintendo 3DS! Set for release on 15 September 2017, we only have a few months to wait for Samus' return after a seven (!) year break.

Nintendo also gave us another special treat - Metroid Prime 4! It's real! Only a teaser video of the logo was shown, and it sounds like Retro Studios won't be involved. Instead, long-time Nintendo producer Kensuke Tanabe will lead a new development team. As we wait to hear more news, enjoy the first look at Metroid: Samus Returns and the Metroid Prime 4 teaser!

Metroid Prime: Federation Force is out!

Nintendo's latest entry in the Metroid series has arrived in North America and Japan on the Nintendo 3DS, closely followed by European and Australian releases in early September. It's not what we were expecting - Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a co-op based shooter focusing on a team of Galactic Federation marines as they tackle missions throughout the galaxy.

Initial reviews and impressions are mixed, and the New Nintendo 3DS with its extra analog stick also sounds like the right way to go (remember having sore hands with Metroid Prime Hunters on the original DS?). I don't have a 3DS myself so I'm not sure when I'll give this one a try, but the Metroid Database have had some initial impressions that are worth reading if you're on the fence about this one.

Nintendo are always trying something new and quirky so hopefully this experiment will ultimately lead us back to a new adventure with Samus herself. Enjoy the game!

Metroid: The Sky Calls and Metroid: Samus & Joey

Looking for your Metroid fix in these quiet days? A pair of special features have arrived online and both are an absolute treat.

Rainfall Films, a media production company with ties to the film and television industry, has produced Metroid: The Sky Calls - a short live-action Metroid fan film depicting our favourite bounty hunter in action. In short, after watching the film, words fail me... This is absolutely amazing! It's utterly stunning - superb atmosphere, beautiful visuals and a sweet musical score to boot. I'm a terrible critic when it comes to these things, but rest assured - you're in a for a blast for the next 11 and a half minutes.

Want more? CapCom and Infinity's End at the Metroid Database have recently finished a five-year-long journey to bring a Japan-only manga to the western world. Metroid: Samus & Joey is a non-canon original story featuring the adventures of Joey - Samus' first disciple after she saves him from a vicious Space Pirate attack. If you enjoy reading manga this is essential reading!

• Volume 1
• Volume 2
• Volume 3
• Metroid EX (Volume 4)

Special thanks to CapCom and Infinity's End for painstakingly translating the manga!

Satoru Iwata, 1959-2015

Deeply sad news has broken at Nintendo of Japan. Nintendo's CEO and president, Satoru Iwata, has passed away from a bile duct growth this past weekend.

Starting as a software developer at HAL Laboratory in the 1980s, Mr. Iwata assisted in the development of the early Nintendo game Balloon Fight, and in the following years EarthBound and the Kirby series. Eventually moving to the executive side of the business, Mr. Iwata succeeded the previous Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi in 2002. Since then he oversaw a massive swathe of Nintendo's history (including a major part of the Metroid saga), from the GameCube console right up to the current Wii U.

Thank you, Mr. Iwata, for your life's work. Thank you for watching over Nintendo as president these past thirteen years, and may you rest in peace. My sincerest condolences and prayers go out to his family and friends, and all those affected by this terrible loss.

"Video games are meant to be just one thing: fun, fun for everyone."

New Metroid game announced at E3 2015

E3 has come and gone for the year, and this time we have an interesting (if unexpected) surprise from Nintendo...

Metroid Prime: Federation Force is an upcoming first-person 4-player co-op game developed by Next Level Games and set for release on the Nintendo 3DS in 2016. I think most Metroid fans didn't seen this spin-off coming, and it's already stirred up some controversy online. Instead of focusing on Samus' bounty hunting exploits, the game gives up to four players control of a squad of Galactic Federation troopers as they team up and tackle co-operative-based missions. The story will centre on the ongoing conflict between the Federation and Space Pirates. The game is also bundled with a handy competitive multiplayer mode in Metroid Prime: Blast Ball.

As for the future of the main series, Eurogamer learns from Metroid Prime producer Kensuke Tanabe that we may not see one until Nintendo's next home console (currently known as NX). On the bright side, the Eurogamer interview also solves a mystery from the epilogue from Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (spoilers!).

Metroid Prime: Federation Force might not be Metroid Prime 4, but I think Nintendo might be on to a fun formula regardless. Personally I've always enjoyed co-operative games, so having a co-op experience in the Metroid universe sounds very promising. Check out some great footage below from Nintendo Treehouse Live at E3 to see the game in action.

Metroid: Zero Mission arrives this week on Wii U

Good news for Virtual Console fans - Metroid: Zero Mission arrives this week in Europe and Australia on the Wii U's eShop!

Japan has had the game available on their local eShop since June last year, and hopefully North America will follow suit soon. With the GBA titles now covered, we may yet see Metroid: Other M and the Nintendo DS duo Metroid Prime Hunters and Metroid Prime Pinball on the eShop someday - that would make every Metroid game (except Metroid II) playable on the Wii U, not bad!