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Metroid Ravenous’ Surprise Reveal Was Secretly the Star of Nintendo’s Busy Week
Nintendo's latest Direct showcase drew most attention for its Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but according to Polygon, the more significant announcement was Metroid Ravenous, a new 2D entry in the Metroid series. The game's debut trailer, showing Samus Aran able to eat enemies, is seen as evidence that Nintendo's long-running strategy of using remakes to develop external studios is continuing to pay off, with Ravenous positioned as a potential highlight of the Switch 2's 2027 line-up.
The piece traces this approach back to 2017, when Nintendo handed Spanish studio MercurySteam the remake Metroid: Samus Returns, despite the developer having no prior ties to Nintendo. That project's critical success led to MercurySteam being trusted with an original game, Metroid Dread, and it is reportedly behind Metroid Ravenous too, though Nintendo has not formally confirmed this. A similar pattern is noted with developer Grezzo, which moved from remaking The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening to creating the original title Echoes of Wisdom. Metroid Ravenous is due for release on 28 January (year not specified in the article, implied 2027), with its predecessor Metroid Dread having received a Game of the Year nomination.
In short
- Metroid Ravenous trailer overshadowed Nintendo's Ocarina of Time remake reveal
- MercurySteam's Metroid 2 remake in 2017 led to acclaimed original game Metroid Dread
- Nintendo often uses remakes to test studios before greenlighting original titles
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Nintendo’s remake-first approach can give external studios a lower-risk way to demonstrate their craft with established series before taking on original entries. The reported progression from Samus Returns to Dread, and from Link’s Awakening to Echoes of Wisdom, suggests this can build expertise and trust while giving players new games; Ravenous could be another payoff for that investment.
The case against
A remake’s success does not by itself establish that the same studio is responsible for Ravenous or that the approach will produce another strong original game; Nintendo has not formally confirmed the developer, and the article’s claims about its significance are partly predictions. Emphasising this pattern may also overstate how much a new game’s prospects can be inferred from earlier projects, especially when the trailer offers only an early glimpse.
Explained simply
Metroid is a long-running Nintendo game series starring Samus Aran, a space-faring bounty hunter. Its 2D games combine exploration and combat, with players uncovering new areas as Samus gains abilities.
Nintendo has sometimes hired outside studios to remake older games before entrusting them with new entries. Spanish developer MercurySteam remade Metroid: Samus Returns, then made the original Metroid Dread; Grezzo followed a similar path from The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening to Echoes of Wisdom.
This matters because remakes can give Nintendo a way to assess how an outside studio works before collaborating on an original game. Metroid Ravenous is presented as a possible continuation of that approach and part of the expected Switch 2 line-up.
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