Where does the time go? It’s hard to wrap our heads around the fact that in 2025, we finally got to play Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, more than eight years after its original announcement, and eighteen after its predecessor, Metroid Prime 3 in 2007. Now that 2026 is upon us, we are recapping our year and everything that happened in the world of Metroid in 2025.
January
January saw us off to a slow start, but Metroid news quickly ramped up near the middle of the month. Some fans who had preordered Metroid Prime 4 on Amazon all the way back in 2017 received emails saying their preorders had been cancelled. Not surprising, considering that would have been a placeholder product, but it still disappointed many players. A few days later, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD was released, and like Metroid Prime Remastered, it omitted the original Retro Studios development team from the credits. Piggyback also released the first glimpse inside Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective. Following months of speculation and a torrent of leaks, Nintendo officially announced their next console, Nintendo Switch 2, set for release at some point in 2025. On the same day, we shared Episode 2 of Shinesparkers Archives on YouTube, summarizing the key takeaways from our Metroid: Other M-related interviews. Soon after, Nintendo announced a new Metroid 2026 wall calendar set for release in July.
February
February began with the announcement that Shinesparkers and Omega Metroid were collaborating for the first time! Amanda, Roy and Irene each took part in Omega Metroid’s charity marathon benefitting The Trevor Project from February 12-16. We received unfortunate news from Iron Galaxy Studios, which worked on Metroid Prime Remastered, that they had to lay off 66 developers to stay afloat. Piggyback announced that A Visual Retrospective would be released on June 24, 2025. At the end of the month, we published a feature on the fashion of Samus Aran.
March
March began with Samus’s appearance as an answer in The New York Times crossword puzzle on March 1. Former Nintendo Vice President of Brand Development Gail Tilden revealed in an interview what happened to the Metroid movie: it was deemed too expensive and too risky considering the failure of Halle Berry’s Catwoman film. Near the end of March, a Nintendo Direct was announced, with a second trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond debuting. It revealed the setting of planet Viewros, Samus’s mission to escape it, the Psychic Abilities she will make use of, and the mysterious Lamorn race that see her as the Chosen One. The boxart and additional screenshots were released following the Direct, as was the Viewros theme on the official Japanese website. Lastly, Nintendo Today!, their new daily app, was released after the Direct and it featured Metroid content upon launch.
April
April was the biggest month for Metroid news of the first half of 2025. It began with the announcement that in addition to the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct of April 2, Nintendo Treehouse would be holding live events on April 3 and 4 to demonstrate their games. During said Direct, Nintendo announced Switch 2 would be released on June 5, 2025. They also revealed that certain Switch games, including Metroid Prime 4, would receive next generation versions in the form of physical copies and a premium upgrade for players who buy the Switch 1 version. They further confirmed that it would be among the games shown during the Treehouse events, which it was on April 3.
Gameplay from Gamereactor premiered shortly beforehand, with Nintendo broadcasting a 20 minute demo of the opening sequence on planet Tanamaar, where Samus repels a Space Pirate attack led by Sylux. After the presentation, we shared a transcript of the text in the demo and discovered that the introduction cutscene has an obscure remix. The following week, Retro Studios’ Project Harmony prototype was leaked online, representing what they were working on before Metroid Prime 4. We published Episode 32 of the podcast following the Switch 2 Direct.
We ran surveys on our social media platforms asking our followers if they planned to play Beyond on Nintendo Switch 1 or 2, if they intended to use the Mouse or Gyro Controls, and what they’d want to see from a hypothetical Metroid Prime 4-focused Direct. On publishing the results, we learned that most of our followers would buy it on Switch 1 and upgrade, use Gyro Controls, and from a Direct, they want to know Prime 4’s release date. Us too! Later in the month, Nintendo confirmed in the store plot summary for Metroid Prime 4 that Sylux has been pursuing Samus since the end of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and he is the cause of Samus being sent to Viewros, from which she must escape.
Near the end of the month, we published a Community Spotlight for the artist Hoshizora Lone, and the American Prime 4 site was updated to match the Japanese one.
May
May started off with the announcement that speedruns of Super Metroid, Metroid: Zero Mission and Metroid Dread would be taking place at SGDQ 2025, set to run through July. It was also revealed that user profile icons of Samus (Metroid Dread), a Metroid larva and Dark Samus would be available by default on Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo shared the introduction cutscene of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on the Nintendo Today! app, as well as demonstrations of the seamless transition between Gyro and Mouse Controls via Joy-Con 2, and the Morph Ball. We published a summary of responses to various social media posts we made asking for theories about Metroid Prime 4. Near the end of the month, Nintendo renewed their trademarks for Metroid Prime 3 and Hunters, and Good Smile Company announced they were reprinting both Metroid: Other M Figma, and the Aberax and Sylux introduction cutscenes from Beyond were shared, again on Nintendo Today!
June
On June 1, we announced our annual favorite Metroid game poll, set to run until July 31st. After the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, speedrunners determined that Metroid Dread has slight performance improvements on the new console, while Metroid Prime Remastered was already heavily optimized. Piggyback announced that Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective would now be released on October 28th, 2025, and Good Smile Company announced they were reprinting the Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Figma. We published our feature on the developers who are working on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Soon after, an ad for Metroid Prime 4 surfaced in the London Underground, claiming in error that the game was out now. We ran a poll on Twitter and YouTube asking when readers think Beyond would be released, and the results were split between September and November 2025.
July
At the start of July, Nintendo made new icons available for Switch Online based on Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion. Our former Community Manager Glaedrax had the chance to play Metroid Prime 4 at Japan Expo in France, and confirmed it has a new air dash ability as well as the Boost Ball. We published Hobonichi x Nintendo, a feature that translates a Japanese review of Metroid Fusion, Metroid Prime and Metroid on GameCube, and an interview between Yoshio Sakamoto and Miyuki Miyabe. Near the end of the month, South Korea’s Game Classification Committee rated Metroid Prime 4: Beyond for ages 12 and up.
August
August began with the announcement that Metroid Prime 4 would be playable at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto later in the month. In the announcement, Nintendo subtly confirmed the game was still on track for a 2025 release date. Shinesparkers shared the results of its annual Favorite Metroid Game Poll for 2025, with Metroid Prime ending Metroid Dread’s three year winning streak. Only days later, Nintendo announced that Prime 4 would also be playable at Gamescom in Germany, and the original Metroid’s composer Hirokazu Tanaka shared a memory from debugging the game.
Near the end of the month, PowerA announced they would be releasing licensed Metroid earbuds, wireless controllers and crossbody bags. The biggest news was that Metroid Prime 4 had been rated T for Teen by the ESRB, in line with its predecessors, which revealed that it has “in-game purchases”. Metroid Dread speedrunner jayena created ZDCurtain, a load remover for the game.
September
In early September, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was rated 14+ in Brazil, its third worldwide rating. A new Nintendo Direct was announced to air on September 12. That Direct finally gave us Beyond’s release date, December 4, in a new trailer that revealed Samus has a drivable motorcycle, the Vi-O-La, which is compatible with her new red Vi-O-La Suit and is driven in third-person. Three amiibo of Samus, Samus riding the Vi-O-La, and Sylux were also announced, and it’s confirmed that Beyond has been rated 12 by PEGI in Europe. Finally, Virtual Boy games, including Galactic Pinball (which features Samus’s Gunship in a cameo appearance) are coming to Nintendo Switch Online on February 17th, 2026.
A few days later, Nintendo of Europe began offering a desk mat, holographic stickers and keychains as preorder bonuses for Beyond while supplies last. It was also announced that Beyond would be playable at PAX AUS in Melbourne, Australia in October. We published a bonus episode of our podcast, recorded after the Nintendo Direct, with our reactions to the release date and Vi-O-La Bike.
Near the end of the month, Chris Stuckmann said he’d love to direct a Metroid film. Mocchi Mocchi Samus Helmet and Morph Ball plushies surfaced on Zing Pop Culture, set for release in November. We asked four questions on social media about Beyond and published our favorite answers in another feature, 4 Questions for Metroid Prime 4. Finally, PowerA announced a Metroid Prime 4 Switch 2 slim case would be released on October 30th.
October
At the start of October, we reported on accusations against MercurySteam of poor working conditions, which a group of developers at the studio denied. Nintendo DE shared a video with impressions of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond at Gamescom. A new book chronicling the history of the Metroidvania genre was announced for March 2026, and one Redditor discovered a feminine face for General Alex Miles in Metroid Prime: Federation Force. Further accusations against MercurySteam surfaced later in the month, and Nintendo shared a 35 page digital sample of Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective ahead of its release on October 28th.
An article from Nintendo Dream revealed new details about Beyond, including Viewros’ biomes and Sylux’s origins, and other sites began to share anecdotes from the Visual Retrospective ahead of release. Two new ads for Beyond surfaced online, one of them showing a new boss, and we published two features: a recap of Beyond’s news cycle from 2007-2025, and a proper translation of the Nintendo Dream article. Near the end of the month, Nintendo of Korea began offering preorder bonuses for Beyond.
November
November began with a new trailer for Beyond, “Survive”. We published our review of Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective near the start of the month. Close to the second half, Nintendo announced that Beyond would be playable at EB Games stores in Canada on December 6 and 7 after its release. On November 12, Beyond officially entered the milk radius. Two days later, it received an Overview Trailer and the gaming press shared their impressions of Beyond after playing it the week prior. Beyond was rated Advisory 16 in Singapore, and it was revealed that Metroid Prime 3 and Super Metroid would be playable at AGDQ in 2026. We published our next episode of the Shinesparkers Podcast, featuring Laura Kate Dale, who shared her thoughts on how Beyond could be more accessible, her experience playing its demo, and promoted her 3D printed peripheral hand grip for the Switch 2 Joy-Con.
The original Metroid made a cameo appearance in a commercial for Target and Stranger Things. Nintendo of Korea uploaded two commercials for Beyond to their YouTube channel, followed by Nintendo of Japan uploading two more, which we translated. My Nintendo announced a sweepstakes in North America, the prize for which is a copy of Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective and First 4 Figures’ Gravity Suit statue. Demos of Beyond’s opening sequence became available at various retailers in America.
At the tail end of November, a new commercial for Beyond was shared by Nintendo’s South Africa Distributor, and Nintendo confirmed that they would sponsor two streamers playing Beyond on release day. In the final days of the month, Nintendo revealed the full functionality of Beyond’s amiibo, and the game’s street date was broken by some retailers, necessitating us to issue a spoiler warning.
December
December began with new icons for Nintendo Switch Online based on Metroid II: Return of Samus and Metroid: Zero Mission. We asked Glaedrax, Doeboy and Joey Ferris to share their final predictions for Beyond. One day before launch, Beyond got its launch day update, and seven of its music tracks were added to Nintendo Music in a special release. Then, the big day came on December 4th, and Metroid fans around the world were finally able to play Metroid Prime 4: Beyond after 18 long years!
On December 9, sales figures in the UK showed that Metroid Prime 4 was the third best selling game of the week, but physical sales were down 15% from Metroid Dread. The next day, My Nintendo shared a Holographic Poster Set for Beyond in North America. Nintendo Switch Online got new Metroid Prime 4 icons in waves from December 3 to January 3. Datamining uncovered unused conversations in Beyond’s Base Camp. Sales figures in Japan showed that Beyond was the sixth best selling game of its release week. A World Databook with lore from Beyond was shared on the Nintendo Today! app after previously being released as a PDF on the official Japanese Metroid website.
In our last post of the year, we revealed that Beyond peaked at 2nd on the Swiss sales chart while falling to 15th on the UK chart.
In 2025, we finally played Metroid Prime 4: Beyond more than seven years after its announcement and eighteen years after its predecessor’s cliffhanger ending. It answered some questions, and raised many more. With its resurgence on Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, Metroid’s future has never looked brighter.
From the whole team at Shinesparkers, we wish you a happy new year, and we hope to see you next mission!
