Days 25-1
With 25 days left, we asked: “Do you think Sylux will have any voice lines?” Some of you thought so, and others believed he would be silent like Samus. In the end, Sylux did have voice acting (provided by Laith Wallschleger), while Samus continued to be silent, but for effort noises (provided by Erin Yvette). (T/B)
With 24 days left, we asked: “Do you hope to see the mechanic of random bosses/mini-bosses launching surprise attacks like in Hunters?” Some of you would have within reason, while others preferred not to have to deal with that. In the final game, the closest thing we got to this was certain areas in which Grievers would spawn, usually when a Missile was used since they are attracted to the noise. (T/B)
With 23 days left, we asked: “Recent Metroid games have included fast travel. Is this something you want to see in Beyond?” Some of you did, while pointing out that Vi-O-La and Sol Valley were likely to provide this. The closest thing to fast travel is the elevator in certain large areas, which could take Samus to different floors, while Sol Valley is a hub world you drive across. (T/B)
With 22 days left, we asked: “What is a feature you normally like in Metroid but don’t want to see in Prime 4?” For a lot of you, that was the fetch quest for artifacts to reach the final area of the game. Metroid Prime 4 did have two fetch quests for the five Master Teleporter Keys and five Mech Parts, but they were incorporated into the story and therefore you didn’t have to go out of your way for them. However, you did need to patrol Sol Valley for Green Energy Crystals. While getting every last one is not a hard requirement, you need a certain amount to bear the Memory Fruit. Your second most popular answer was Ridley, who did not appear. (T/B)
With 21 days left, we asked: “What’s your favorite Arm Cannon design in the series?” The most popular answer was a tie between the Fusion and Dread-style Arm Cannons. (T/B)
With 20 days left, we asked: “So… what do we think of the new guy?” This was after the gaming press had a chance to play the first 90 minutes of Metroid Prime 4, and were very critical of Myles MacKenzie. Some of you understood that he and other NPCs were not going to follow you around for the whole game, some found him funny or annoying, while others were as hostile to him as the press. Ultimately, many Metroid fans were displeased overall with the Federation Troopers, although the Shinesparkers team has love for them! (T/B)
With 19 days left, we asked: “Caption this.” with a photo of Sylux from the Overview Trailer, clutching his head and grabbing a wall beside him. Some of your reactions joked about him waking up from a nap with a headache, drinking too much, or seeing extreme online reactions to MacKenzie and other aspects of Metroid Prime 4. In the final game, this shot took place shortly before the final battle with Sylux, who exits a healing pod at the Pinnacle of Chrono Tower after using it to gain the Lamorn’s Psychic Abilities. (T/B)
With 18 days left, we asked: “What do you think happened here?” with a shot of Samus holding out her hand to a soldier on their knees, surrounded by flames. Some of you correctly theorized that this was Sylux in the moment that solidified his hatred for Samus and the Federation. Indeed, this was Samus offering him help to stand after she destroyed the Space Pirate weapon he was seeking. He slaps her hand away and then looks at the blood on his own, cut to him inside a stasis tank in his trademark blue armor. Clearly, there’s more to the story. Other theories were that Samus was helping the only surviving trooper from their mission. (T/B)
With 17 days left, we asked: “From the multiple trailers and footage we have seen so far of Metroid Prime 4, which pieces of music have you enjoyed the most?” For many of you, that was Fury Green, with other favorites including the Title Theme (which interpolates Samus’s theme) or the Lamorn’s theme. (T/B)
With 16 days left, we asked: “Which new character are you looking forward to seeing more of in Metroid Prime 4?” In contrast to the sometimes hysterical gaming press reactions, many of you said MacKenzie! VUE-995 was a close second, while a few more of you chose Samus herself or Armstrong. Duke and Tokabi also had their fans. (T/B)
With 15 days left, we asked: “Do you think Samus will speak at any point in the game?” Most of you hoped for limited dialogue and nothing as extensive as Other M, something like her single spoken line in Dread, which was extremely well received by Metroid fans. Others doubted or hoped Samus would never speak at all. In the end, Samus never says a single word, to the consternation of some fans that felt her silence, even when the troopers were speaking to her, was awkward. (T/B)
With 14 days left, we asked: “What was your favorite part of the Overview Trailer?” The most popular answer was the music, with others including the potential to get lost in the world and surprisingly enough, MacKenzie. (T/B)
With 13 days left, we asked: “Which planet from the Metroid series would you like to see Samus return to?” Zebes was the most popular answer, followed by Aether. It makes sense that you’d want to go back to Zebes; it was where Samus completed her first mission in the original Metroid, then returned in Super Metroid to destroy them once and for all! (T/B)
With 12 days left, we asked: “What Metroid game is best to take on holiday?” There wasn’t a clear favorite, but most of you chose a 2D Metroid game. The entire series is available on either Switch or 3DS, so if you have both of those, you can play all of them on the go! (T/B)
With 11 days left, we asked: “What’s your favorite type of Metroid that has appeared in the series?” The Omega Metroid was the most popular choice, with Dark Samus/Metroid Prime as a close second. (T/B)
With 10 days left, we asked: “Do you plan to play Metroid Prime 4 in one sitting or take your time on your first run?” Nearly all of you wanted to take your time with the game rather than blast right through it, which is fair enough! Everyone on the Shinesparkers team played it at their own pace, and so should all of you.
Among Shinesparkers, Irene beat it the fastest, while most spent a couple of days, and a few beat it in January! (T/B)
With 9 days left, we asked: “Do you think Beyond will have a ‘fetch quest’ like the original trilogy?” Many of you believed, since past is prologue, that it would, and a lot of you were unhappy about it. As discussed earlier in this feature, the fetch quest this time took the form of the Master Teleporter Keys and Mech Parts (which are earned throughout the story) or the Green Energy Crystals, or both. (T/B)
With 8 days left, we asked: “Will you be taking time off from work to play Metroid Prime 4?” Almost all of you said yes. You either weren’t working on December 4th anyway, or you requested time off, or were going to. After waiting for it for so long, it was only natural that we’d want to maximize our time with Metroid Prime 4. (T/B)
With 7 days left, we asked: “Will you be playing it in Quality or Performance Mode?” Most of you said you would play in Quality Mode (4K, 60fps, HDR). Some of you said you’d play on that mode when your Switch 2 was docked, and Performance Mode (1080p, 120fps, HDR) when in handheld mode. Some of you planned to switch back and forth, and those of you who were getting the Switch 1 version were unable to take advantage of either. (T/B)
With 6 days left, we asked: “Which trooper do you think might die first?” A few of you thought Duke might because he says “I can’t wait to see my family.” Some of you hoped Nintendo would let them all survive for once, and others wagered that Tokabi was a likely candidate, The ending of Metroid Prime 4 leaves their fates unclear: the troopers stayed behind on Viewros to restrain Sylux so Samus could leave before the Master Teleporter exploded and then no one could leave. If the explosion didn’t kill the troopers, Sylux might have. (T/B)
With 5 days left, we asked: “We’re very close to release! Based on what you’ve seen thus far, how excited are you for Metroid Prime 4?” You were unanimous in your enthusiasm! One of you said you were only 1 year old when Metroid Prime 3 came out, and literally grew up with the Metroid franchise. This must have been very special for you! (T/B)
With 4 days left, we asked: “What game(s) have you been playing lately while waiting for Metroid Prime 4?” A couple of you answered Kirby Air Riders. Other games you were playing included Fantasy Life, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Silent Hill f, Nioh 2 and Tomb Raider. (T/B)
(If you want the MyMachine ID for this, MGJK5J2W)
With 3 days left, we asked: “The game is available this week! Did you preorder a copy or will you get it at launch?” The majority of you pre-ordered your copies, and some of the amiibo if not all of them. (T/B)
With 2 days left, we asked: “Will Sylux also have a sick-ass bike?” Some of you made jokes about a possible Vi-O-La race between Samus and Sylux. Alas, the closest we got to this was the battle against the Hover Shuttle Transport, piloted by Sylux, while the battles with him and his Psy-bot decoys were entirely bipedal skirmishes. Sylux never uses his own Vi-O-La at any point during the game. (T/B)
Finally, with 1 day left, we asked: “Are you ready to be transported to Viewros?” The answer, unsurprisingly, was a resounding and unanimous yes! (T/B)