‘Metroid Prime 4’ and a core Pokémon game are headed to Nintendo’s Switch

By Gabe Gurwin June 13, 2017

The majority of Nintendo’s focus this E3 is on the upcoming Super Mario Odyssey, but the company had a few other surprises at its Spotlight presentation that have us very excited. Not only will we be getting a role-playing Pokémon game in the future, but we’ll also return to an acclaimed series that has been put on ice in recent years.

Nintendo didn’t offer specifics on the game’s title, location, or what creatures to expect but developer Game Freak is indeed working on a “main” Pokémon game. We previously heard rumors that a Pokémon game on Switch would essentially be an enhanced version of Sun and Moon dubbed Pokémon Stars, but it’s unclear if this is still the case. Don’t expect to play the Switch game for at least a year, but you’ll have Pokkén Tournament DX to tide you over.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

But that isn’t all Switch fans will be able to play soon. Metroid Prime 4 was finally announced, and it’s coming to the console in 2018. We didn’t hear any specific info regarding the game’s story or even if it will feature Samus as its playable character, but with the last two Metroid games — Metroid Prime: Federation Force and Metroid: Other M — receiving disappointing reviews, we can’t wait to return to the first-person adventuring that made the Prime trilogy so popular. With the motion controls on the Switch’s Joy-Con controllers, players should have several different modes of play, as well, whether they want to play on their couch or while on the go.

Be sure to check out our E3 hub for more announcements from the show and more information on upcoming games like Super Mario Odyssey, Arms, Splatoon 2, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Nintendo will be holding tournaments for a few of its multiplayer Switch games over the next few days, so be sure to follow the company’s YouTube channel for an extended look.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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After a shockingly strong January for video game releases, February 2023 was relatively quieter, held up by just a couple of big releases, remasters, and the launch of a new VR headset. There are still plenty of games worth playing, but you probably got the most out of February if you're a Nintendo Switch owner.
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Samus holding cube in Metroid Dread.

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