Metroid Prime 4 fans make fun of 10-year-old time travel finally comes true
Blog Andrew Joseph 19 Sep , 2025 0
Ten years ago, Metroid Prime series producer Tanabe sat down with me at E3 2015 and said he wanted to make a new game on the team on Time Travel Mechangic.
Apparently, this was a long time ago – long ago, the Nintendo Switch was still known for only its codename NX – but chat is still the most vulnerable interview for Tanabe in the “future” of the Metro Prime series, discussing the stories of Dark Samus and Phazon, Bounty Hunter Sylux, and having multiple plans for the new Metro Prime Game Plans plans plan section planning.
Tanabe said to me: “Instead of expanding it to more planets, I will have one and will focus on the schedule and be able to change it.” EUROGAMER then. “That’s an interesting idea that came to my mind…but I know a lot of people think (echo) is too difficult.”
By evoking Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Tanabe refers to its dual-world gameplay, where players see players transfer between light and dark versions of the same space, a concept that prompts players' reactions to mix together. Still, the idea of time travel still seems to be in touch with Tanabe, who returns again Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – A game similar to the concept he discussed at the time.
Take Bounty Hunter Sylux as an example, a character that even fans of Metroid trilogy may have a hard time remembering. Samus's rival Sylux was introduced in the Nintendo DS spin-off Metroid Prime Hunters (Tanabe is also a producer). As part of the same interview a decade ago, Tanabe confirmed the spaceship that Cliffhanger saw during the Cliffhanger teasing, belonging to Sylux at the end of Metroid Prime 3, which may have established competition in future competitions.
“That's Sylux, this is another hunter for Metro Prime Hunters at the end of Metro Prime 3,” Tanabe said to me at the time. “I personally want to create a story centered around Sylux and Samus.”
Well, for a decade, Sylux is indeed a big presence in Metroid Prime 4 – last week’s character even Announced to obtain the amiibo statuealso.
As for the idea of a game featuring time travel, fans have long stuck with Tanabe’s advice – even pointing to Metroid Prime 4: Going beyond the black hole shape seen in the logo, hoping that this might mean Samus could create some kind of time-consuming space hole to go into the past or the future.
Now, it is said to be leaked for the game. Shinesparkers It seems to be mentioned that Samus is trapped on the Viewros planet on the game planet and transported in space time – Like Sylux, the endless chat that causes more time travel is still part of the Tanabe plan.
“I assume it works just like the way darkness works in Prime 2,” Metroid Fan Spinjitsuninja wrote redditbefore the supposed box art leaks. “Anyway, we've seen several portals in the recent trailer, so unless they're awkward warping points, I think it shows a similar world design. They can always let you take you to different eras, and more than two “worlds” can step in? But that's probably ambitious.”
“Call now: You have to reach a certain speed on your bike to travel time and go back to the style of the future.” Reset. “You can even see it immediately when you travel and change the landscape around you immediately, which certainly explains why it is relatively sparse.”
Last week's Metroid Prime 4: Beyond the Trailer Finally Reveals the Game's Release Date Samus also showed off a new open world motorcycle, although the video felt a bit low-key Direct in wider Nintendo. Hopefully we'll see more games by the December 7th 2025 release date – if we can travel time.
Tom Phillips is the news editor for IGN. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on the Blues @tomphillipseg.bsky.social