Metroid Prime 4 is Real.
And 4 other surprises from Nintendo’s June 2024 Direct
Nintendo held its first full-length, standard Direct presentation of the year on June 18, 2024. And for those lucky enough to experience it firsthand, you were in for a treat, especially if you’re a big fan of big revivals and big reveals.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has finally been revealed. It may have closed out the Direct, but it’s arguably the biggest reveal of the whole dang thing. Showcasing our first look at the game’s combat and the return of Sylux from Metroid Prime Hunters and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the game looks gorgeous.
Metroid Prime 4 was first announced seven years ago at E3 2017. If that seems like a long time, that’s because it is. It was one of the first new games announced for the Switch just months after the system released. But a troubling development cycle — one that did not meet Nintendo’s standards — led to its delay. Retro Studios would handle development alongside Prime series producer Kensuke Tanabe.
It’s been five years since the announcement of the game’s redevelopment, and it’s finally happening. And it looks incredible.
Despite growing up with the GameCube, I never played any of the Prime series games until Hunters in 2006. Metroid Prime Remastered released in 2023, and that was just an appetizer. Its sequels could follow in the coming months, though nothing is assured. There’ll be plenty of time to catch up, as Beyond launches in 2025. Still no release date, but we can expect it to debut on the Switch’s successor.
But Metroid wasn’t the only series to make a splash in this Nintendo Direct. Let’s go over four other big announcements from the presentation.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership — November 7, 2024
We’ve had Super Mario RPG. We’ve had Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. And now we finally have a new Mario & Luigi game to look forward to. Mario & Luigi: Brothership kicked off the Direct, the series’ first game in nearly a decade. It’s also the series’ first game since AlphaDream ceased operations in 2020 after filing for bankruptcy the year prior.
Mario and Luigi venture across the high seas on an island-ship hybrid in Brothership. The game retains its quirky turn-based, action combat, and its special overworld techniques. We even see a new one in which the brothers turn into a tornado to cross a lava pit.
The Mario & Luigi series is one I have scarce relations to. I’ve played the first three — Superstar Saga, Partners in Time, and Bowser’s Inside Story — but fell off during the series’ jump to the 3DS. This is a fresh take on the RPG series, and I’m excited to have it back. I’m not high on the game’s appearance though. Its odd and campy cell-shaded design reminds me of the Kirby’s Return to Dream Land remake from last year. It doesn’t look bad though, and it at least fits the game’s quirkiness. It retains Mario and Luigi’s contrasting designs, though Mario specifically looks less intimidating. No word if Luigi’s striped socks made the cut.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake — November 14, 2024
My second most-anticipated game of the year. I’m not the biggest Dragon Quest fan, though only because I’ve played just one game in the series (XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age.) But it was so good, it left me craving more. I’ve been holding out specifically for this remake. I just wish the name wasn’t such a mouthful.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake was announced alongside Dragon Quest XII in 2021. Then, it was radio silence up until this Direct. The game still looks as good as it did three years ago, if not better. It uses the same HD-2D design other Team Asano games have, like Octopath Traveler. Dragon Quest III looks to be the best of the bunch, if not on par with Live A Live’s remake in 2022. But it’s not the only Dragon Quest game getting a facelift.
Dragon Quest I and II are both getting the HD-2D overhaul in 2025. All three make up the Erdrick Trilogy, with III chronologically being the first. I’m excited to play each one. The game launches not only on Nintendo Switch, but all major platforms.
Another thing: The key art is beautiful.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom — September 26, 2024
Nintendo’s yearly Zelda release. Only this time, it’s starring the Princess herself. Taking the form of the Link’s Awakening remake from 2019 is The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Strange rifts tear across Hyrule, stealing away the Kingdom’s people. Zelda escapes the same fate after being rescued by Link, but he too succumbs to the rift’s pull. It’s up to Zelda to save her people and Link.
For years, a vocal minority of Zelda fans (myself included) have wanted Princess Zelda playable. We have that with the Hyrule Warriors games, but this is the first time she’s taking center stage in a mainline game. Teaming up with a fairy named Tri, Zelda wields the Tri Rod, which creates echoes of objects around her. You can create echoes of beds, crates, water blocks, even enemies. It falls in line with Tears of the Kingdom being a sandbox for players to experiment with, just in a 2D perspective. An exciting game to look forward to in September.
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics — 2024
This isn’t so much a reveal for me as it is for those in the fighting game community. Though, I can’t overstate how big a deal this is. Seven games, including X-Men vs. Street Fighter and both Marvel vs. Capcom titles, are being rereleased in 2024. These games have been stuck in limbo for years due to licensing issues between Marvel and Capcom.
I have not played any of these games. Fighting games (except for Smash Bros.) aren’t my cup of tea, and this isn’t likely to move the needle either. It’s still a very cool announcement to see, especially considering the support these games have received online.
They won’t be available on just Switch. The collection releases on PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam as well. Online support is available, as is rollback netcode to ensure smoother online gameplay. There’s no specific release date for these games, however.
Nintendo made clear there would not be any mention of the Switch’s successor in this presentation, but considering the announcements made, it’s wild to think the Switch is nearing the end of its lifespan. Still, there were a few announcements I would have liked to see. For one, with Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD releasing on June 27, I would have liked an HD port of the original Luigi’s Mansion in the same vein as Pikmin 1 + 2 from last year. Xenoblade Chronicles X is still stuck on the Wii U, though is likely better suited for the next system. My most-anticipated game of the year, Ys X Nordics, still doesn’t have a concrete release date. There’s bound to be more announcements as we march toward Fall though, so we’ll have to wait and see.
