Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread was an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was to be the next entry in the Metroid series of video games, and a sequel to the 2002 Game Boy Advance title Metroid Fusion. It was first seen in internal software list made by Nintendo in 2005 and a revelation at the Electronic Entertainment Expo convention in 2005 and 2006 was anticipated; it was not revealed in either year, and is the only game to date on the list that has not been revealed.

Metroid Dread
Developer(s)Nintendo
SeriesMetroid
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
ReleaseCanceled
Genre(s)Action-adventure

A message in the 2007 video game Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was believed to contain a reference to Metroid Dread, but Corruption director Mark Pacini said this was a coincidence. Metroid series designer Yoshio Sakamoto confirmed that the game had existed, but that staff would start from scratch if development resumed. Critics expressed an interest in seeing the game or a similar 2D side-scrolling Metroid game released, and listed Metroid Dread in their "most wanted" list. The next side-scrolling Metroid game was Metroid: Samus Returns in 2017.

History
Metroid series designer Yoshio Sakamoto at the 2010 Game Developers Conference

Metroid Dread first appeared in an official internal software list made by Nintendo in 2005 which listed "key DS games set to be announced in the future."[1] This led to the expectation that it would appear at the Electronic Entertainment Expo convention in both 2005 and 2006.[2][3][4] It was to be a 2D side-scrolling video game and a sequel to the 2002 video game Metroid Fusion.[4] IGN editor Craig Harris noted that Nintendo revealed it too early and that people should wait until next year.[5] Rumors suggested that Metroid Dread was canceled or placed in development hell.[4][6] Metroid Dread is the only game on the internal software list that has not yet been released.[1]

A message reading "Experiment status report update: Metroid project 'Dread' is nearing the final stages of completion" was found in the 2007 Retro Studios video game Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, which led to speculation that this was in reference to Metroid Dread.[1] Corruption game director Mark Pacini denied a connection and stated that it was entirely coincidental.[7] Wired writer Chris Kohler expressed skepticism over Retro's denial of a reference to Metroid Dread in Corruption; he noted that it would be believable if Pacini said that it was a joke, but the claim that it was a coincidence was not.[8]

When asked by Kotaku whether the Wii game Metroid: Other M (2010) was what became of Metroid Dread, Metroid series designer Yoshio Sakamoto said it was not.[9] Sakamoto also denied Dread's connection with the Nintendo 3DS game Metroid: Samus Returns (2017), stating that it is a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991) and not something to do with Dread.[10] GamesTM asked Sakamoto whether Dread ever existed; Sakamoto confirmed its existence but stated that if the staff went back to it, they would "start from scratch."[11] Sakamoto also stated that they were "waiting and watching and reading the comments to see what people are interested in before we make any comment on the project."[2] According to Sakamoto, questions about Metroid Dread were popular, especially in interviews following E3.[12]

In May 2010, Craig Harris stated that the story for Metroid Dread was completed and that he had seen it. He claimed that Nintendo was able to "bring it back at any time."[13] Research conducted by Unseen64 in 2015 indicated that a playable prototype was created around 2008 and shown to Nintendo Software Technology and Nintendo of America staff at E3 2009. According to Unseen64, the project was no longer called Metroid Dread at that point and had an art style similar to Metroid Fusion.[14] In a 2018 interview with Hobby Consolas, Sakamoto said that the DS was not powerful enough to create the Metroid game that he had envisioned.[15]

Response

Since its listing, critics have expressed an interest in Metroid Dread or a similar 2D side-scrolling Metroid title project being revived. Audrey Drake listed it as her second most-wanted thing at E3 2012, specifically developed by Retro Studios and released for the Nintendo 3DS with "Super Metroid-style gameplay."[16] IGN featured it in their "Life Support: Games in Danger" article.[17] K. Thor Jensen included it in his list of "video games you will never, ever play." He felt that Metroid: Other M was a disappointment and it made him nostalgic for Dread.[18] Patrick Klepek noted that the possible cancellation of the game was not good for "old school Metroid fans."[6] Thomas East included Dread and its apparent reference in Corruption in their list of "11 amazing Metroid facts and secrets." East added that he was hopeful for a possible 3DS release.[19]

Marc Zablotny, a writer for the Official Nintendo Magazine, included it in his 2013 wishlist. He used Kirby's Return to Dream Land, a game originally announced in 2005 and released in 2011, to show the possibility that Metroid Dread could still be made. He also stated that he was more interested in what Dread "stood for rather than the specific game itself."[4] Zablotny later included it in a list of the "15 more Nintendo Games you never got to play" and called it one of the most infamous examples of a cancelled Nintendo game.[20] Nick Chester from Destructoid criticized Nintendo for its focus on titles such as the Brain Age series as opposed to a 2D Metroid game.[21]

gollark: Well, ***sorry***...
gollark: Wiki entry...? Which wiki?
gollark: "Dark Lord" comes from the fact that he was banned for cheating.
gollark: Nago used it for spam, I locked it down slightly, he created his own system with an assistant thing.
gollark: Back then, we had Computronics chatboxes, and they had range limits, so I created a distributed rednet system to control a bunch of them.

References
  1. Casamassina, Matt (August 27, 2007). "Metroid Dread Nearing Completion". IGN. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  2. Harris, Craig (March 12, 2010). "GDC 10: Sakamoto on Metroid Dread: Please Be Patient". IGN. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  3. Kohler, Chris (September 6, 2007). "Nintendo Teases, Denies Existence of Metroid Dread". Wired. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  4. Zablotny, Marc (January 1, 2013). "Nintendo 2013 wish list". Official Nintendo Magazine. p. 1. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  5. Harris, Craig (September 19, 2005). "Nintendo DS Mailbag". IGN. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2005.
  6. Klepek, Patrick (November 20, 2005). "Metroid Dread Cancelled?". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  7. Totilo, Stephen (September 26, 2007). "Retro Studios Answers The Dreaded "Metroid Dread" Question -- And Other "Prime" Exclusives". MTV. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  8. Kohler, Chris (September 27, 2007). "Retro: Metroid Dread Name Drop 'Complete And Utter Coincidence'". Wired. Archived from the original on October 25, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  9. Totilo, Stephen (June 3, 2009). "Nintendo: New Metroid Is NOT Metroid Dread". Kotaku. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  10. Campbell, Evan (June 14, 2017). "E3 2017: Metroid: Samus Returns Is Not Metroid Dread". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 15, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  11. "Yoshio Sakamoto discusses Metroid 64, Metroid Dread and the 3DS". GamesTM. September 14, 2010. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  12. Grant, Christopher (March 12, 2010). "Metroid Dread concept is something Sakamoto 'can't say never existed'". Joystiq. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  13. Harris, Craig (May 3, 2010). "Nintendo Voice Chat Podcast Episode 75 - Wii Feature at IGN". IGN. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  14. Whitehead, Thomas (July 8, 2015). "Unseen64 Digs Up Development Insights Into Metroid Prime: Hunters, Dread and Federation Force". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  15. Alonso, Álvaro (July 19, 2018). "Así se hizo Metroid: Samus Returns - Entrevista a Yoshio Sakamoto". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  16. Drake, Audrey; George, Richard (June 1, 2012). "E3 2012: IGN Nintendo's Most Wanted". IGN. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  17. Geddes, Ryan (March 30, 2011). "Life Support: Games in Danger". IGN. Archived from the original on April 23, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  18. Jensen, K. Thor (January 21, 2011). "Video Games You Will Never, Ever Play". UGO Networks. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  19. East, Thomas (April 20, 2012). "11 amazing Metroid facts and secrets". Official Nintendo Magazine. p. 1. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  20. Zablotny, Marc (September 8, 2013). "15 more Nintendo Games you never got to play". Official Nintendo Magazine. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  21. Chester, Nick (September 6, 2007). "Nintendo denies Metroid Dread poppycock". Destructoid. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
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