Nintendo Music adds 7 Metroid Prime 4 tracks in special release

This just in: Nintendo Music skipped its usual Monday night/early Tuesday morning update, because late tonight, they shared seven tracks from Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in a special release! The tracks are as follows:

  1. Metroid Prime 4 Main Theme
  2. Fury Green
  3. The Sacred Tree
  4. Vi-O-La
  5. Ice Belt Power On
  6. Carvex
  7. Volt Forge

Naturally, there is likely to be many more music tracks in the game, but as with past special releases, it is likely that more of them will be added in a few days or weeks to prevent spoilers.

Enjoy the music, and more importantly, enjoy Metroid Prime 4: Beyond when it drops on Nintendo Switch 1 and 2 tomorrow!

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond gets update 1.1.0 ahead of launch

With hours to go until its launch, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has received a day 1 update on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The update adds amiibo functionality, haptic feedback during cutscenes, and an upgrade option for Switch 1 players. It corrects the game’s Brazilian rating from 12 to 14, changes the unlocking conditions for certain cutscenes in the Gallery so that you get them by clearing the game (even without 100% of items collected), adjusts the difficulty of some enemies on Hard Mode, and makes other fixes and improvements.

Source: Nintendo (in Japanese)

Final Metroid Prime 4: Beyond predictions from our friends

With only one more day to go before we can finally play Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, we asked three friends of Shinesparkers to share their final predictions for the game’s story, gameplay and other aspects. We spoke with Glaedrax, a French streamer and our former Community Manager; Doeboy, a streamer who previously appeared on our podcast; and Joey Ferris, a gaming YouTuber and huge Metroid fan. Glaedrax, Doeboy and Joey each gave their thoughts on everything from the Lamorn’s intentions to Sylux’s identity, and if they think Nintendo is keeping something about Beyond under wraps. Read on!

1. Could the Lamorn be hiding something?

Glaedrax: The fact they invented something that can literally grant their psychic abilities to other lifeforms seems a bit concerning. One of them (I’m guessing a ghost) calls Samus “Chosen One” so they definitely have some sort of foresight. Who says they’re not going to do the same for Sylux?

Doeboy: I currently see it as a Luminoth type of situation but with its own twist. Odds are there may be a few Lamorn still alive and maybe we see them in this game or in Metroid Prime 5. Are they hiding something? They seem almost too ethereal to be malicious, but maybe they took some actions that caused consequences both they and now Samus will need to deal with.

Joey: YES, DEFINITELY. They couldn’t have been a perfect species.

2. Who do you think Sylux truly is?

Glaedrax: Sylux uses stolen Federation tech and, as far as we know, every Federation trooper seen in-game has been human. I’ve always been convinced Sylux is either a former soldier or an experiment that aimed to replicate Samus’ abilities and went rogue. That flashback from the overview trailer does make me think though… what if he had a similar backstory to Samus but became of villain instead of a hero?

Doeboy: A Lamorn, obviously! No, I think he is most likely human and, from what we know, a victim of GF’s lack of empathy in some way. Maybe his family was killed or life’s work was eliminated or stolen. I’d love if he was a scientist gone “rogue” – there’s some evidence of this with his control of the Mochtroid-like beings and apparent knowledge of GF security measures. Adam’s brother is always an interesting rumor too but given that he was aggressive towards Samus back in Hunters, I’m not so sure.

Joey: Whoever he is, I don’t think he’s secretly a character we’ve known before. Definitely not Samus’s brother.

3. Do you think there’s something else to MP4 that Nintendo has kept under wraps?

Glaedrax: I’m not expecting any more big surprises that aren’t plot related. But I’m sure we didn’t see everything about the Psychic Abilities which seem to be at the center of Samus’ new adventure!

Doeboy: I would love if there was a TOTK-like huge secret that we haven’t seen. Given how little of the game we actually know, I think there’s decent odds of this. I’ve been desperate for online PvP on a console since Hunters, but my hope is low here. I hope we get some alternate modes and modifiers, such as boss rush and “Dread” mode, but even better would be a built-in randomizer for extra longevity. Oooo! I would love if there was a secondary parallel campaign mode where we can play as Sylux! Kinda like a Halo/Arbiter situation. That would be cool as heck. The groundwork is all there thanks to Hunters. Give me Trace from Hunters while you’re at it!

Joey: Definitely, and I hope it’s a hidden area! If not, I hope there are some abilities that haven’t been spoiled yet.

4. How will Psychic Abilities evolve throughout the game?

Glaedrax: I don’t know if the powers themselves will evolve, but it sure looks like the suit does. In the overview trailer, we can see it with additional purple lights on the shoulderpads and the side of the thighs. I’m suspecting it will be similar to the PED Suit which changed appearance as you progressed through the game.

Doeboy: I assume that not only will new abilities unlock, but maybe we’ll get some “psychic tanks” or boosts of some kind to make it so that things like the Control Beam can shoot more than 3 beams at once, or perhaps additional damage. Maybe improved suits will have this effect too. Perhaps an endgame psychic ability is being able to predict the future and stop some sort of catastrophe, or maybe even going back in time to stop Sylux from whatever he’s been up to in the first place, likely saving the Lamorn in the process.

Joey: I think we’ve seen the vast majority of them already, and a lot of them totally replace Samus’s established abilities, like morph ball bombs. I kind of hope they make Samus almost OP by the end though lol.

5. What will happen to the Galactic Federation soldiers Samus is with?

Glaedrax: I expect most of them if not the entirety to survive. They seem quite involved with the plot and the threats are definitely a lot less dangerous than what we fought during the Phazon Crisis.

Doeboy: I think they’ll all be fine honestly. Nintendo being Nintendo, I don’t expect to see many deaths of characters we get to know. Especially with those faces being so realistic! But hey, I love big emotions in games, so I’d love to be surprised here. Going back to a previous question, maybe Myles is Sylux….. five letters, “y” and “l” in the same spots….. if that’s right, I said it first!

Joey: I think all of them dying is too easy of a prediction to make. I imagine one or two will die though.

6. Do you have any other predictions?

Glaedrax: I wouldn’t call that a prediction but the fact that Sylux returned, that the Space Pirates are here too and that we have a motorbike makes me hope Weavel is going to be here too and we’ll have to race against him!

Doeboy: I predict *pushes up glasses* that I will be playing Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on December 4th through December 11th, most likely every day, for 8-12 hours, and when I’m not streaming my gameplay on Twitch, I’ll be pushing out video content for us Metroid fans to enjoy. I hope to see you all there and Happy Metroid Prime 4 release! Between Dread and Beyond, it’s been quite a wild ride of releases for us fans. And lastly, I predict we will enjoy this game! Thanks for reading!

Joey: I’m trying not to anticipate too much. Want to keep things as mysterious as possible!

Do you agree with their predictions? We’ll find out the answers when Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is released on Nintendo Switch 1 and 2 on December 4th!

New NSO icons – Metroid II: Return of Samus & Metroid: Zero Mission

New icons for Nintendo Switch Online users are now available. If you player Metroid II: Return of Samus or Metroid: Zero Mission this month, you’ll get to unlock icons for the respective games!

Here’s the full list of icons:

Metroid II: Return of Samus

  • Samus Aran
  • Samus Aran (boxart)
  • Queen Metroid
  • Gunship
  • Screw Attack in item form

Metroid: Zero Mission

  • Samus Aran
  • Zero Suit Samus (crawling in a vent)
  • Ghost of the Chozodia Ruins trial
  • Mecha Ridley
  • Mother Brain

Each icon costs 10 Platinum Points, and the full collection is 100 Platinum Points in total. Playing the games is required, and they both give you 50 Platinum Points, which will give you enough points for the collection!

Source: Nintendo Switch Online

November 2025 News Roundup

Now that December 2025 is here, Shinesparkers has prepared a roundup of the Metroid news we had in November. See below:

November 4 – Metroid Prime 4: Beyond gets new Survive trailer

November 11 – Metroid Prime 4: Beyond demo will be playable at EB Games Canada in December

November 12 – Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has entered the Milk-Radius

November 14 – Metroid Prime 4: Beyond gets Overview Trailer

November 14 – Impressions of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond from the gaming press

November 15 – Metroid Prime 4: Beyond rated 16+ in Singapore

November 17 – AGDQ 2026 schedule revealed – Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Super Metroid included!

November 19 – Metroid makes small cameo in Stranger Things Target ad

November 20 – Korean Metroid Prime 4: Beyond commercials surface

November 21 – My Nintendo announces Metroid Prime Legacy Sweepstakes (North America only)

November 22 – We translated the new Japanese Metroid Prime 4 commercials

November 24 – Metroid Prime 4: Beyond demo now playable at U.S. retailers

November 25 – New commercial for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

November 25 – Two sponsored livestreams confirmed for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

November 26 – Full amiibo functionality for Metroid Prime 4 revealed

November 29 – Metroid Prime 4: Beyond acquired early by some – Beware of spoilers!

We published our review of etroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective, as well as five shorts that recap the Metroid Prime series on YouTube, Bluesky and Twitter, which you can view here: Metroid Prime/Echoes/Hunters/Corruption/Federation Force

In the final month of 2025, we have one more feature to share, but we’ll be taking a break from working on future Shinesparkers content until January so we can enjoy Metroid Prime 4. We hope you all enjoy it, and avoid spoilers!

See you next year!

Shinesparkers Metroid Prime 4 Video: Get involved!

Four years ago, we put together a special video to commemorate the release of Metroid Dread on Nintendo Switch. Members of the community shared photographs of their newly acquired game and merchandise. The response was overwhelming, and for the release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, we would love to try this again!

We are asking Metroid fans to contribute to a new video Shinesparkers are producing, and to capture the moment they received their new game and products in an effort to preserve it for the future, so people can look back and see what happened on the day Metroid Prime 4 was released. We would love to include as many entries as we possibly can from all parts of the world! It’s also our aim to share the video with Nintendo and Retro Studios in an effort to show fan support for its release!

Examples of what you can share could include the following:

Photographs of your new game, special edition, amiibo, and other promotional items purchased on the day of release, even your digital products.

Video footage (No more than 30 seconds) of the moment you collect your video game, or an unboxing)

Video footage (No more than 30 seconds) sharing a personal message of how much the release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and the Metroid series means to you.

Fans should email Shinesparkers before December 15th 2025 and provide one or more of the following, along with their Bluesky or other social media username so they can be credited in the video:

  • Photograph of their Metroid Prime 4-related products (Special, standard editions, any merchandise, all within one image) as an attachment
  • A link to some clear video footage (Uploaded to Google Drive, one file, no more than 30 seconds long) with no effects added.
  • A short message in text of around around 20-30 words with a message to include within our video.

Please note: All of this will be compiled into a single video and uploaded to our YouTube channel at a later date, and shared via social media using the #SamusIsBack hashtag. We may not be able to include everyone if we become inundated with entries, but we will try to include as many as possible! We reserve the right to make changes and edits to content shared to fit within our scope of the video.

Here’s an example of a previous video we put together to mark the release of Metroid Dread!

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond acquired early by some – Beware of spoilers!

Some retailers have reportedly broken the street date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. We advice anyone that cares about spoilers to log out of social media! For YouTube, there exists extensions for all kinds of browsers that let you block certain channels without having to find them on the recommended page.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond releases in less than a week. We hope you get to experience it unspoiled.

Source: BehindTGames (Twitter)

Full amiibo functionality for Metroid Prime 4 revealed

Nintendo have finally unveiled what the three amiibo do in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Although their gameplay benefits were previously shared at the end of the Overview Trailer, Nintendo have expanded on what you get from each one.

By tapping the Samus amiibo, you can change the background music while riding Vi-O-La in Sol Valley. Once a day, you can activate a shield that will block up to 99 units of damage by tapping the amiibo, and this also fully restores Samus’s energy.

By tapping the Samus & Vi-O-La amiibo, you can change the bike’s color scheme. Once per day, tapping the amiibo increases the regeneration rate of Vi-O-La’s boost energy. Every time you tap the amiibo, you can see the total distance you’ve traveled with the bike.

By tapping the Sylux amiibo, you can see the full versions of cutscenes shown throughout the game once you’ve completed it. However, if you don’t have the amiibo, you can still see these cutscenes by collecting 100% of items and scans. Notably, every time you tap Sylux’s amiibo, you’ll hear a random line from him. Does this mean he’ll speak?

As for what previous Metroid amiibo do when tapped, a random sound will play.

Have you got either of the Samus amiibo? Will you get Sylux’s? Let us know!

Source: Nintendo

Two sponsored livestreams confirmed for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

YouTube channels TetraNinja and Le Jeu C’est Sérieux will host a Metroid Prime 4: Beyond streams on their respective channels!

TetraNinja will have their sponsored stream at
Wednesday, December 3, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. EST.
(Full stream time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST)

The duo at Le Jeu C’est Sérieux will stream at
Wednesday, December 3, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. EST.

The contents of the streams is not known, but they will feature the game Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in some fashion!

Source: Nintendo

New commercial for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

A new commercial for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been shared by Nintendo on YouTube, on the channel for their South Africa Distributor. The commercial shows an office employee (played by British actor Sam Rees-Baylis) playing the game at work during his 1pm break. He demonstrates Beyond’s Mouse Controls on a handheld Switch 2 as he fights Aberax, before looking at the clock and returning to work. Once he’s home at 7pm, he resumes playing, this time fighting Carvex and several Jungle Grievers, collecting a Psychic Ability and solving one of the psychic puzzles. At the end of the commercial, Beyond’s release date of December 4 is reiterated, and its quality modes are highlighted.

Although this ad has been shared on the South African YouTube channel, it is possible the commercial will air elsewhere in Europe online or on TV, since the main actor is British. Let us know if you see it anywhere else!

Source: YouTube