Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s Villain Means Hunters Needs a Remake Soon

Summary

Coming off the heels of the exceptionalMetroid Prime Remasteredreleased for the Switch last year, the hype forMetroid Prime 4: Beyondhas reached new levels after the game received its first official gameplay look during the latest Nintendo Direct. Part of the trailer forMetroid Prime 4: Beyondshowcased the game’smysterious antagonist, Sylux, briefly teasing Samus' encounter with this foe. While many fans want to seeMetroid Prime 2: EchoesandMetroid Prime 3: Corruptionremastered in the lead-up toMetroid Prime 4: Beyond’s release, there is one game in the franchise that is arguably in greater need of a remake before this next entry launches.

Although it would make sense for Nintendo to release remasters of the second and thirdMetroid Primegames after the success of the first, there is another game that is harder to access and is just as crucial to getting players up to speed beforeMetroid Prime 4: Beyondreleases.Metroid Prime Hunterswas originally released for the Nintendo DS in 2006 as a game set between the events ofMetroid PrimeandMetroid Prime 2: Echoes. While only a side game in the series, if Nintendo wants to follow theMetroid Primetimeline with its remastered releases,Metroid Prime Huntersis next and is the perfect way to familiarize players with Sylux ahead ofMetroid Prime 4: Beyond.

Metroid Prime 4_ Beyond Tag Page Cover Art

Metroid Prime Hunters Serves as Sylux’s Introduction

Metroid Prime Huntersfollows the story of several bounty hunters, including Samus, who are called to the Alimbic Cluster — once home to the now-extinct Alimbic race — by a mysterious force promising the secret to ultimate power. Along with Samus, the bounty hunters Kanden, Spire, Noxus, Trace, Weavel, and Sylux heed the call and make their way to the Alimbic system in search of this power. Working on behalf of the Galactic Federation, Samus is tasked with preventing this rumored ultimate power from falling into the wrong hands.

While these bounty hunters each serve as foes bent on obtaining this ultimate power for themselves, Sylux is introduced as one of Samus' most dangerous opponents on this mission. Sylux holds a particular hatred forSamus and the Galactic Federation, although the reasoning behind this hatred has never been fully explored. After the events ofMetroid Prime Hunters, Sylux becomes a shadowy adversary in subsequent games, appearing in the special ending ofMetroid Prime 3: Corruptionfollowing Samus' ship and at the end ofMetroid Prime: Federation Forcewhere he can be seen releasing a Metroid from a Federation Force research lab.

Metroid Prime Hunters Deserves a Modern Upgrade

It’s clear thatMetroid Prime Huntersholds a more important role in the franchise’s story than its status as a side game would have players believe. Unfortunately, the game is largely held back by the Nintendo DS' hardware, forcing players to use the handheld’s touchscreen to aim Samus' arm cannon for a less-than-ideal control scheme. While the game was made available on the Wii U’s eShop, it still required this awkward control scheme using the Wii U’s gamepad, and is no longer available now that theWii U eShop has been discontinued.

To better give this game the attention it deserves,updating both Metroid Prime Hunters' graphics and controlsto align it with those ofMetroid Prime Remasteredwould give the game a chance to really shine. There are a lot of unique ideas in a game that has largely gone overlooked by manyMetroidfans, andMetroid Prime Huntersis more relevant than ever thanks to Sylux’s upcoming villainous role inMetroid Prime 4: Beyond. Giving players access to the origin of Sylux in theMetroidfranchise would be the perfect way to prepare players forMetroid Prime 4: Beyond.