Nintendo is known for taking its time with game development, preferring to release a polished product even if it means delays. A prime example of this is *Metroid Prime 4: Beyond*. After a long eight-year wait since its initial announcement in 2017, the game is now set to launch on both the Nintendo Switch and the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4th. The multiple delays really pushed the boundaries of how long Nintendo develops games, and tested the patience of fans.
Fans have been eagerly awaiting a new Metroid Prime game for a long time. While the remastered version of the original helped, many have dreamed of a continuation of the story after *Metroid Prime 3: Corruption*. There’s been a lot of curiosity about the lengthy development of *Metroid Prime 4*, and Nintendo has finally explained what caused the delays.
Metroid Prime 4’s Journey Since 2017
Nintendo initially announced *Metroid Prime 4* at E3 in 2017. Even though the announcement was brief – just a logo and the game’s title – fans were thrilled. After years of waiting following *Metroid Other M* and *Metroid: Federation Force*, they were excited to see a return to the classic 3D *Metroid* style of gameplay. Many had given up hope that the *Prime* series would continue, but *Metroid Prime 4* proved them wrong.
Fans were unaware of the problems the game was facing and how development was already struggling. The first version of *Metroid Prime 4* was created by Nintendo’s own team, but even with help from a European studio, progress was slow and uneven. It appeared the game’s direction wasn’t coming together as Nintendo had hoped.
In 2019, Nintendo made a significant change: they decided to completely restart development of *Metroid Prime 4*. They publicly announced this, and brought Retro Studios back on board to handle the project from the beginning.
Developing Metroid Prime 4 for Two Generations
Giving Retro Studios control of *Metroid Prime 4* was great news, but it also created challenges. Essentially, the game had to be completely restarted from the beginning. Fortunately, Retro Studios was the perfect team for the job, as they originally created the beloved *Metroid Prime* trilogy, known for its immersive exploration, sense of loneliness, and rewarding discoveries.
Nintendo and Retro Studios ran into another problem with *Metroid Prime 4*: the new Nintendo Switch console was about to come out. The game had been in development for so long that they were nearing the launch of the Switch’s successor. This meant they had to decide whether to release the game on the new console, but Nintendo had already announced it for the original Switch. The only option was to release the game on both consoles, which made the development process even more difficult.
To create *Metroid Prime 4*, Retro Studios greatly expanded its team and upgraded its development tools. The Switch 2 version of the game will feature high-quality 4K textures, realistic ray-tracing, and improved lighting. New team members with experience on popular first-person shooter games like *Halo*, *Call of Duty*, and *Battlefield* brought valuable expertise to the project. This combination of factors made *Metroid Prime 4* a particularly ambitious and complex undertaking for Nintendo, which explains its lengthy development time.
Ambition, Legacy, and the Weight of Expectation
One major reason *Metroid Prime 4* took so long to develop was the legacy of its predecessors. The original *Metroid Prime* and its sequels weren’t just popular – they fundamentally changed the *Metroid* series. They uniquely combined exploration with immersive storytelling, a style that still feels fresh even on the original GameCube. A key strength of those games was their sense of isolation, which made exploring the game world particularly rewarding.
Following the successful revival of the 2D series with *Metroid Dread*, expectations were incredibly high for the next 3D installment. This led to an overly ambitious development process and the extended wait fans experienced. Adding to this, the positive reception of *Metroid Prime Remastered* increased the pressure to deliver an exceptional game. The developers aimed for perfection with the return of the Prime series, which significantly contributed to the eight-year development time.
The release of *Metroid Prime 4* on December 4th is just around the corner! This game has been in development for a very long time – even longer than titles like *The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild* and *Tears of the Kingdom*, which each took about six years to create. Whether the long wait was worth it remains to be seen. Nintendo’s marketing has been a little unusual, highlighting things like the doors and the new bike. But Samus Aran’s next adventure is almost here, and fans are incredibly excited for *Metroid Prime 4*!
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2025-10-17 02:15