Metroid Dread

History

Metroid Dread first appeared in an official internal software list made by Nintendo in 2005 which listed "key DS games set to be announced in the future." This led to the expectation that it would appear at the Electronic Entertainment Expo convention in both 2005 and 2006. It was to be a 2D side-scrolling video game and a sequel to the 2002 video game Metroid Fusion. IGN editor Craig Harris noted that Nintendo revealed it too early and that people should wait until next year. Rumors suggested that Metroid Dread was cancelled or placed in development hell.

A message reading "Experiment status report update: Metroid project 'Dread' is nearing the final stages of completion" was found in the 2007 Retro Studios video game Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, which led to speculation that this was in reference to Metroid Dread. Corruption game director Mark Pacini denied a connection and stated that it was entirely coincidental. Wired writer Chris Kohler expressed skepticism over Retro's denial of a reference to Metroid Dread in Corruption; he noted that it would be believable if Pacini said that it was a joke, but the claim that it was a coincidence was not.

When asked by Kotaku whether the Wii game Metroid: Other M (2010) was what became of Metroid Dread, Metroid series designer Yoshio Sakamoto said it was not. GamesTM asked Sakamoto whether Dread ever existed; Sakamoto confirmed its existence but stated that if the staff went back to it, they would "start from scratch." Sakamoto also stated that they were "waiting and watching and reading the comments to see what people are interested in before we make any comment on the project." According to Sakamoto, questions about Metroid Dread were popular, especially in interviews following E3. In May 2010, Craig Harris confirmed that the story for Metroid Dread was fully written and that he had seen it. He claimed that Nintendo was able to "bring it back at any time." Metroid Dread is the only game on the internal software list that has not yet been released.

Following

Since its listing, critics have expressed an interest in Metroid Dread or a similar 2D side-scrolling Metroid title project being revived. Audrey Drake listed it as her second most-wanted thing at E3 2012, specifically developed by Retro Studios and released for the Nintendo 3DS with "Super Metroid-style gameplay." IGN featured it in their "Life Support: Games in Danger" article. K. Thor Jensen included it in his list of "video games you will never, ever play." He felt that Metroid: Other M was a disappointment and it made him nostalgic for Dread. Patrick Klepek noted that the possible cancellation of the game was not good for "old school Metroid fans." Thomas East included Dread and its apparent reference in Corruption in their list of "11 amazing Metroid facts and secrets." East added that he was hopeful for a possible 3DS release.

Marc Zablotny, a writer for the Official Nintendo Magazine, included it in his 2013 wishlist. He used Kirby's Return to Dream Land, a game originally announced in 2005 and released in 2011, to show the possibility that Metroid Dread could still be made. He also stated that he was more interested in what Dread "stood for rather than the specific game itself." Zablotny later included it in a list of the "15 more Nintendo Games you never got to play" and called it one of the most infamous examples of a cancelled Nintendo game. Nick Chester from Destructoid criticized Nintendo for its focus on titles such as the Brain Age series as opposed to a 2D Metroid game.