Could Metroid Prime 4 and Switch 2 Be Shown in the Next Nintendo Direct? – DISCUSSION

It’s mid-January, a time in the gaming world when Nintendo Direct speculation begins. So far Nintendo has had a Nintendo Direct presentation in February each year since 2019 (except for 2020 because of COVID). So, a February 2024 Nintendo Direct is almost certainly happening. But that’s not the question on everybody’s minds. The question is about if two widely-speculating products will appear. So, let’s answer the question: could Nintendo show off Metroid Prime 4 and the Switch 2 in their upcoming Nintendo Direct? Here’s my thoughts.

At E3 2017, Nintendo announced that the fourth installment in the Metroid Prime franchise was in development for the Switch. That was almost seven years ago, and now in 2024 we barely have any information on the game’s progress. However, there is a chance that Samus will finally return this year, and it’s because of another Nintendo product. Not only is 2024 the seventh anniversary of Metroid Prime 4’s announcement, but it’s also the seventh anniversary of Nintendo Switch itself, which launched on March 3rd, 2017. So far, the Switch has had the longest lone life cycle of any console in the company’s history. The longest before this have been the six years of the NES (1985-1991) and the Wii (2006-2012). The Switch is coming up on its seventh year, and Nintendo has never even acknowledged its successor. However, that’s fine, as the Switch has so far sold over 110 million units, and games like Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder have kept that number rising. But with no big-hitters left for the console (at least that’s what Nintendo announced) how long will it be until its successor takes over?

The Switch 2 has been heavily rumored  over the past few weeks. According to these rumors, the first official acknowledgement of the system is imminent, and the console is expected to release in late 2024 or early 2025. So that begs the question — if the Switch 2 is releasing later this year, when will Nintendo announce it? Now, for starters, Nintendo doesn’t need to announce it way in advance if it’s more of a new Switch. The original Switch needed time before its release for Nintendo to explain what it was. The Switch 2 wouldn’t need that. In my eyes, the Switch 2 situation is kind of like the DS and 3DS. The 3DS was its own system (unlike the DS Lite and DSi) with its own game library, but was still similar to the DS and was backwards-compatible with all of its games. The Switch won’t be like the Switch Lite or OLED Model, but it will still be a Switch. Anyways, the Nintendo Switch was first announced with the NX prototype two years before the system was released as the Switch. The Switch 2 wouldn’t need that much time between announcement and launch — after all, the 3DS was announced only a year before it released in 2011.

Now, let’s come back to Metroid and what it has to do with the Switch 2. At this point, it seems like Metroid Prime 4’s release window would be around when the Switch 2 is rumored to release. So, I’m fairly certain that this game will end up releasing on the Switch 2. This is kind of like Breath of the Wild, as it was announced soon after the Wii U released, and by the time it was coming out, Nintendo was releasing the Switch, so the game ended up launching with the new system. However, Breath of the Wild did also get a Wii U release, however I feel like that won’t happen with Prime 4, as I think it will be a Switch 2 exclusive. Now you might be thinking, why can’t Nintendo release Metroid Prime 4 on the Switch as a final main title, then soon after release the Switch 2 – especially since the Switch 2 would be able to play the game if it is backwards-compatible with every Switch game. Well, here’s a couple of reasons.

Firstly, Metroid might not be quite as popular as Mario or Zelda, but it is still a popular game franchise. Plus, fans have been patiently awaiting this game since 2017, so once it finally comes out, they’ll want to buy it and play it immediately. From a business standpoint, that’s why Nintendo should put the game exclusively on the Switch 2. These fans can’t play Metroid Prime 4 if they don’t get the Switch 2, forcing them to buy the new system to play the game. It’s a ploy to get more people to get the Switch 2 early. However, speaking of getting the Switch 2 early, that’s where reason #2 comes in: incentive. Every system should try to sell well at the beginning of its life cycle, or else companies would ship out tons of systems on launch-day for only a few of them to get purchased. That’s why systems release with big games to entice players to buy the console on day one – and incentive on why you should get Nintendo’s new console. So, the Switch 2 will almost certainly launch with a big game. But if not Metroid Prime 4, that leaves a problem.

Here’s a situation: in the February 2024 Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announces that Metroid Prime 4 will launch on the Switch in the fall, and the Switch 2 will launch in holiday. That means that a big-hitter will launch in holiday 2024. That leaves a problem. Nintendo carefully releases big games throughout the year periodically. They don’t want to release two big games at the same time. Even in 2023: even though we got Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, they were all released multiple months apart. That leaves a problem for Metroid Prime 4, as Nintendo won’t release Metroid Prime 4 and a big game for the Switch 2 within a couple of months, even if they’re on two different systems. And Metroid Prime 4 won’t release after the Switch 2 because at that point, everyone would have moved on to the Switch 2, especially with its backward-compatibility. Plus, Metroid Prime 4 works as a perfect incentive for players to want to buy the Switch 2 on day one.

So, it seems pretty certain that Nintendo will release Metroid Prime 4 on the Switch 2 exclusively if it releases later this year. But what about the next Nintendo Direct? Will Nintendo show either of these off at the Direct? Well, I think they kind of will. However, I think they’ll need to acknowledge the Switch 2 before revealing Metroid Prime 4. My prediction is that Nintendo will announce that the Switch 2 is real and more information would be shared at a later date, similar to the Animal Crossing Direct announcement in 2021, then show Metroid Prime 4.

Here’s one final question — what if Nintendo’s next console isn’t a Switch or isn’t backwards-compatible with Switch games? Well, if the latter is true, that gives more reason to why Metroid Prime 4 wouldn’t release on the Switch. If the system is brand new, that gives more reason as to why they should show it before showing Metroid Prime 4. However, I’m fairly certain the next system will be a Switch since the brand is very popular and well-known in more places than just gaming — I mean, it did sell over 110 million units. If Nintendo markets the system right and makes smart financial choices, I believe that Switch 2 will be able to escape the Wii U’s failure and go on to find success. I also believe that Metroid Prime 4 will in fact launch with the console — it just seems fitting. Whether or not either will show up in the next Nintendo Direct is unknown. Even though it seems like a great time, Nintendo might have other Switch stuff to show instead, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Ryan’s Fortress Twitter: @RyansFortress