Nintendo Hits Restart Button on Metroid Prime 4 Development

Two years after the announcement of Metroid Prime 4 at E3 2017, Nintendo’s senior managing executive officer Shinya Takahashi posted its first official development update on the Nintendo YouTube channel on Friday.

Unfortunately, the update is that the highly anticipated title will be essentially started over from the beginning in its development. The potentially better news is that it is being handed over to the original Metroid Prime trilogy team at the Texas-based Retro Studios.

After the initial 2017 announcement, it was revealed that the Nintendo Switch-exclusive title was being developed by Bandai Namco, who worked on last year’s Nintendo all-star Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. With Samus Aran’s return home, Nintendo hopes that the game will live up to the company’s infamously high standards.

Takahashi said in the update, “Nintendo always strives for the highest quality in our games and in the development phase we challenge ourselves and confront whether the game is living up to that quality on a daily basis.” He added, “By collaborating and developing with Retro Studios, we believe we can make this game something that will meet our fans’ expectations.”

Getting ahead of the confusion caused by its complete omission from last year’s E3, Takahashi established “a long road” before the company will be able to provide updates on its development.

Watch the full update below.