How Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Fails The Genre Nintendo Created
New Metroid games are few and far between, so the launch of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond should have been a monumental event for the fanbase. Instead, eight years after its announcement, and 18 years after the previous game, Nintendo’s big December 2025 release landed with a loud thud. Already, this once highly anticipated title is poised to be one of the series’ most divisive games, earning a spot alongside Other M and Federation Force.
This isn’t for lack of polish, as Prime 4 is indeed visually stunning and perhaps the greatest first-party showcase of graphics on the Nintendo Switch and its successor. But while it has its share of enthusiasts, it’s difficult not to feel underwhelmed by the final product in comparison to prior Prime games and even other, similar entries in the Metroidvania space that has grown in Nintendo’s frequent absence.
The list of Metroidvania games from independent and third-party developers in the past decade alone is astonishing, with Ori and the Blind Forest, Axiom Verge, Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, Animal Well, and others throwing new concepts and innovations into the genre’s well of ideas. Hollow Knight and its follow-up, Silksong, have captivated players with their dense worldbuilding, roaming NPCs, and optional side objectives, all of which have come to define the critically acclaimed series. Nine Sols stood out with its intricate combat system, while more out-there games like pinball Metroidvania Yoku’s Island Express have proven anything can be a Metroidvania with the right amount of determination and creativity. Even Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown changed the game with something as simple as an in-game screenshot system to help with backtracking. The Metroidvania genre is rapidly iterating with a volume of unique takes.
