Alright, Nintendo came through with one last Switch Direct and showed off a number of titles, but the biggest of all of them is Metroid Prime 4. Shaun gave y’all a quick one about the trailer’s existence, but as the crew’s resident Metroid addict, there are some things in that trailer that I have to break down. Because what we see could have some pretty cool implications — not just for the game’s story, but the future of the series going forward.

PLANET VIEWROS

The first thing we see is Planet Viewros. Compared to the closed-in Tallon IV in Metroid Prime, Viewros appears to be more wide-open and jungle-like. Right before the title of the game pops up, we can see a glimpse of a temple in the background. Given the series’ penchant for ancient imagery and connecting Samus to the past, I think it’s a safe bet that she’ll be visiting that early on. Maybe that’s where she receives her new psychic powers.

DO the powers affect weaponry?

In the trailer, there is a mention of Samus being able to use her psychic powers to “control the trajectory of her beams.” The beam shown here looks a little like the Wave Beam, but I would think we’re seeing one that is attached to the psychic powers. I’d love to see some new beam types, but please don’t leave out the Plasma Beam. I love that one. There are also two “meters” on the sides of Samus’ visor I’m hoping are some types of ammo for controlling the beams. That has real potential to be overused if not. And I’m sure it’ll play into a boss battle or two.

what does ‘beyond’ mean?

Let’s talk about that subtitle. The previous two games in the series have held subtitles that were references to the game’s events. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes saw you deal with Samus’ evil doppelganger, Dark Samus. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption dealt with Samus potentially succumbing to Phazon Corruption throughout the game. So, what could “Beyond” mean? We already have Nintendo’s favorite light/dark world mechanic in Echoes, so that’s likely out. What we haven’t gotten, though, is a time-based mechanic. I’m guessing the psychic powers she receives eventually enable Samus to travel to a past version of Viewros, going beyond the limits of the world to solve puzzles and uncover more story.

NICE ENTRANCE AND… PURPLE ACCENTS?

Straight Outta Terminator, a crazy bounty hunter named Samus. But for real, how the hell do we get there? I mean, it’s an awesome entrance — but way out of what we’re used to. Given that the trailer mentions Samus going to Viewros, I’d imagine we get the classic gunship entrance as usual. But when (if) that time travel mechanic turns out to be a thing, this could be how she moves between time periods. If so, I’m all for that visual every time it comes up.

We can assume we don’t see the beginning of the game in any of this footage, so I would think that Samus’ purple accents instead of her usual green are due to her new powers. I can’t lie; I really like that look. It gives Samus an otherworldly look that some of her other Prime armors haven’t really been able to achieve, in my opinion. But then again, I’ve always preferred the color swaps on the Varia Suit versus wholesale changes. The Varia Suit is about as perfect a design as you can get.

Which brings me to that ‘Metroid Prime 4’ red suit

Okay, Nintendo, Retro, and Metroid Prime 4 got me on this one. That suit is kind of sleek. Reminds me of a sports car, and that red and purple is hitting. They did bring back one of my least favorite features of the Light Suit from Prime 2, those damn holes in the chest. At least these aren’t nearly as pronounced. But overall, I’m loving the look of this suit. If this one is any indication of a (likely) third suit, they may very well have shut me up for this game.

YOU DIDN’T THINK I FORGOT ABOUT THAT METROID, DID YOU?

Are they using Metroids to power other organisms? Could we see a return of the original Metroid Prime creature? I have no idea what the hell I’m looking at, but given that Metroids are already creepy enough, the thought that they could either bring something to life or enhance another creature is horrifying. Here’s hoping for a 50-foot-tall Metroid-enhanced Space Pirate. Or you know, find a way to get Kraid back in there; we still haven’t seen him in 3D. Although, he was cut from Metroid Prime due to a lack of time. But time shouldn’t have been an issue this time around. Right, Nintendo?

I’m even more excited for ‘metroid prime 4’ now

I’m a Metroid guy as much as I am a Zelda guy. It’ll be interesting to see how this story fits into the larger Metroid timeline. The Prime series always occurs after Metroid 1/Zero Mission and before Metroid 2/Samus Returns. So, I’m eager to see how the Metroids themselves fit in. Retro and Nintendo have never let me down to this point, and I don’t see a scenario where this is the case.