Metroid 64 Is The Retro Samus Game We All Deserve
Samus in 3D environments has been relatively hit-or-miss. Fans adore the transition that the Metroid series made in Metroid Prime, with players still clamouring for a HD remake collection for the Nintendo Switch in order to relive them.
It was Metroid: Other M that really threw the 3D adventures into disarray - it's a strange story that recontextualises Samus' badassery and offered little in the way of exciting gameplay - practically slamming the brakes down on 3D Metroid.
The series returned to a 2.5D approach with Samus Returns and Dread making big debuts. But, as we didn't get a 3D Metroid for the N64, one player has decided to take matters into their own hands and build the game themselves.
Metroid 64 Fan Game Is In Development
Indie developer Luto Akino is working on an N64-style Metroid game that serves as a throwback to what could have been if Nintendo picked up the reins of Samus' 3D adventures a little earlier.
Akino has shared a first look at their makeshift game in a video posted to their Twitter page, showing off a location baked in purple, and with a charmingly low-poly 3D Samus. It comes packed with an effective lock-on system and fun-looking gunplay, with a few jumps, bombs and fusion balls for good measure.
We'll Probably Never Get To Play Metroid N64
The project looks like a lot of fun, and we'd love to get our hands on it - though Nintendo might have some other ideas. Knowing Nintendo and its habit of lawyering up, there's every sad chance that a playable version of Metroid N64 won't see the light of day - despite Akino's huge efforts to make the game fully fleshed out, with a full narrative in mind too.
Nintendo doesn't really like fans making their own experiences based on its properties, no matter how free they are. Here's hoping that Akino can keep this project low-key enough to avoid the legal Nintendo sniffer dogs.
Metroid 64 looks fantastic, and an incredible point of nostalgia - it's just a shame we never got to see it when the N64 was around. A huge missed opportunity from Nintendo seems to have become a fun project for one fan, and we just hope it lasts. Samus will return, but we'll just have to wait and see what her next adventure involves.
