Metroid 5 announced at Nintendo Direct

The Metroid series is kind of like having an adventurous relative. They disappear for years on end with little to no word, and you sometimes wonder if you’ll ever see them again. But when they finally come home, it’s always with an incredible new story to tell. That’s precisely the feeling we got when Metroid 5 was announced during Nintendo’s E3 Direct.

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To be more specific, the game is actually called Metroid Dread, but it’s the fifth game in the mainline Metroid series, following 2002’s Metroid Fusion. Apparently, this sequel was originally supposed to come out all the way back in 2006, but better late than never I suppose. For the first time in nearly two decades, we’ve got a brand new sidescrolling, map-based Metroid game, and it’s even coming out this year!

Metroid 5 Announced at Nintendo Direct

Here’s a little sizzle PR straight from Nintendo themselves:

The first 2D Metroid game with a new story in 19 years is coming this year to Nintendo Switch. Metroid Dread is a direct sequel to 2002’s Metroid Fusion and concludes the five-part saga focusing on the strange, interconnected fates of bounty hunter Samus and the Metroids, which kicked off with the original Metroid for NES. In this game, Samus heads alone to a mysterious remote planet and is hunted by a dangerous new mechanical threat: the E.M.M.I. robots. By gaining abilities, players can return to areas they’ve already visited to find new places and hidden upgrades in classic Metroid gameplay. Explore the sprawling map, evade the E.M.M.I. robots, and overcome the dread plaguing the planet when Metroid Dread launches for Nintendo Switch on 8th October.

Pre-orders are now available in Nintendo eShop. A Metroid Dread Special Edition will also be available at launch, which includes the game, a SteelBook case, a 190-page 2D Metroid franchise artbook and five cards that feature box art from all the games in the five-part saga. Finally, a new Samus amiibo figure featuring her suit from Metroid Dread and an E.M.M.I. amiibo figure will be available in a two-pack set at launch.

You may be a little disappointed if you were expecting Metroid Prime 4 from E3, but honestly, this works just as well in my book. 

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Daniel Trock
Since the first time he picked up a controller as a child, Daniel has been a dyed-in-the-wool gaming fanatic, with a Steam library numbering over 600 games. His favorite pastime, aside from playing games, is doing deep dives on game wikis to learn more about their lore and characters.