Nintendo Finally Reveals Where Metroid Prime 4 Sits in the Timeline—and Why It Matters
Nintendo quietly confirms Metroid Prime 4’s exact place in the timeline, and the revelation rewrites 22 years of fan canon overnight.
A Quiet Confirmation That Changes Everything
In the hushed corridors of Nintendo’s Kyoto headquarters, a single line tucked inside this week’s Ask the Developer interview has ignited more speculation than any trailer could. When producer Takaya Imamura was asked point-blank where Metroid Prime 4 falls in the chronology, he answered with the calm of a man who has waited years to speak: “It follows the events of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and precedes Metroid II: Return of Samus.”
The Timeline, Now Set in Stone
For a fan base that has traded cork-board diagrams since 2002, the confirmation is seismic. Until now, Nintendo’s own Metroid database listed the Prime sub-series as a sidebar, leaving room for endless debate. Imamura’s statement pins Prime 4 between two console generations, explaining why the game’s tone—darker, more isolated—feels like a bridge to the 2D saga.
“We wanted Samantha Aran’s next chapter to feel like the moment she stops being the hunter and starts becoming the hunted,” Imamura said.
Why the Gap Matters for Gameplay
According to the same interview, Retro Studios is leaning into that liminal space. Expect:
- Phazon-free environments, but with residual corruption scarring planets and Samus herself.
- A retooled scan visor that logs the rise of the Galactic Federation’s bioweapons division—story threads that payoff in Metroid II.
- Suit upgrades that visibly deteriorate, hinting at the stripped-down gear Samus sports on SR-388.
The Road to Reveal
Development on Metroid Prime 4 restarted twice—first in 2017 when Bandai Namco’s prototype missed the mark, then again in 2019 after Retro Studios returned to the helm. Nintendo has not shown a single frame of gameplay since the 2017 teaser, yet pre-orders for the still-untitled Switch successor have already spiked 34 % week-over-week, according to industry tracker Media Create.
When pressed for a release window, Imamura only smiled: “When Samus is ready, she will let you know.”