The other developer is out
Metroid Prime 4, which was unveiled at E3 over two years ago, is undergoing a significant overhaul.Senior Managing Executive Officer Shinya Takahashi clearly explains what's been going on behind the scenes in the video below, along with the reasons why Nintendo has remained silent for this long. Takahashi claims that Nintendo had to make the "difficult decision" to "re-examine the development structure itself and change it" due to quality issues.
What is meant by that? The secret developer is out, and Retro Studios—the original production firm behind the Prime trilogy—is in. We'll presumably find out about this one via leaks, however rumors suggest Bandai Namco. The good news for fans of Retro is that work will now "restart from the beginning," according to Takahashi. Ouch! It seems that Bill Trinen's remark from a few E3s ago about "2018 and beyond" truly emphasizes the word "beyond." Nevertheless, we can wait. Nobody wants to see Metroid buried alive due to an unexpected event.
One of the most cherished Nintendo titles ever is the Metroid Prime series, which made its debut in 2002 and was undoubtedly one of the most popular on the GameCube. It was followed in 2004 by a (now uncommon) Trilogy package and in 2007 by Echoes and Corruption successors.
Despite receiving the 2D-centric Metroid: Samus Returns version, Since the show's revival in 2017, which is expected to lead to a sequel, fans have been clamoring for a proper Prime follow-up for more than ten years. They'll have to wait even longer, but chances are good that it will finally be released since Retro is in control. Since the release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze in 2014, Retro has been very quiet, so it's wonderful to see the Austin, Texas company back in work. They seem to transform almost everything they touch into gold.