Besides Metroid Prime 4, are there any other surprises coming to the franchise?

In a few months, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will officially see the light of day on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, putting an end to a long and unbearable wait for players. Because yes, the least we can say is that Nintendo likes to take its time with this license. But on the eve of the release of this new opus, and especially given the enthusiasm received by Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime Remastered in recent years, could the Japanese publisher have other surprises in store for us in the future? It's not impossible...

Nintendo renews two Metroid brands

But for what reason, you're probably asking yourself? The answer to this question rests on three little words: brand renewal. As revealed by the Japanese site Chizai Watch, it appears that Nintendo has recently renewed its rights to two of the titles in its catalog, namely Metroid Prime Hunters, released in 2006 on Nintendo DS, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, which arrived the following year on Wii. And when we know the company's habits, one idea in particular inevitably comes to mind: that of a remaster.

After all, the release of Metroid Prime 4 could be a great opportunity to put the series back in the spotlight as it should be, especially when we see the number of people currently owning a Switch. And that would be far from being silly on the part of the company, which has regularly offered us remasters or ports to old titles from its main franchises in recent years. From Super Mario to Luigi's Mansion, including The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong, there is definitely no shortage of examples.

Hope keeps us alive

However, as tempting as the idea of a strong comeback for Metroid may be, it should be noted that this is in no way a guarantee. It is perfectly normal for a publisher to regularly renew its trademarks, otherwise another company may be able to use them legally. Fans of Dino Crisis, for example, will be able to testify to this, as Capcom regularly renews the brand without any game appearing behind it. Time will tell what the real story is, then.

Source: Chizai Watch