For years, rumors have swirled that Nintendo is looking to bringMetroid Prime Trilogyto the Nintendo Switch. There have been numerousMetroid Prime TrilogySwitch port retailer leaksand insiders have insisted that the game exists, only for Nintendo to never acknowledge it. Nintendo still has yet to actually announceMetroid Prime Trilogyfor the Switch, but a reputable insider has said that the game has finished development.
On the latest episode of Jeff Grubb’s premium GrubbSnax show hosted by Giant Bomb, he said thatMetroid Prime Trilogyis done and Nintendo is simply holding on to it for now. According to Grubb, one possible reason why theMetroid Prime TrilogySwitch port has yet to release is due to the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Nintendo’s Quality Assurance process, as it isn’t able to focus on as many games as once.
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Another reason why Nintendo may be holding on to theMetroid Prime TrilogySwitch port for now is due toMetroid Prime 4. Grubb has speculated thatMetroid Prime Trilogywill release when we’re closer toMetroid Prime 4, as the collection will be used to generate interest in the new game. Unfortunately,Metroid Prime 4doesn’t have a release date in sightat the time of this writing.
Even thoughMetroid Prime 4was announced at E3 2017, the game could still very well be years away from release.Metroid Prime 4development restarted with Retro Studiosjust a couple of years ago now, meaning that the developers essentially started from scratch. Considering this, it wouldn’t be surprising if theMetroid Prime 4release date isn’t until 2023 or even 2024. If that’s the case, then it could be quite some time beforeMetroidfans are able to get their hands on theMetroid Prime TrilogySwitch port.
Maybe fans will get lucky and Nintendo will release theMetroid Prime TrilogySwitch port in 2022. As it stands, 2021 seems completely out of the question at this point. After all,Metroid Dreadis releasing for the Switch this October, and it wouldn’t make sense for Nintendo to release announce or releaseMetroid Prime Trilogyas the games would potentially cannibalize each other’s sales.
WhileMetroidfans may have to wait a long time to get their hands on theMetroid Prime TrilogySwitch port, at least fans of the franchise have a lot to look forward to in the months and years ahead.Metroid Dreadis dropping October 8, plusMetroid Prime 4is in active development at Retro Studios. And a proper announcement for theMetroid Prime TrilogySwitch port is just a matter of time.
