It has been an extremely busy day for theMetroidfranchise. After years of keeping fans waiting, Nintendo finally announced the development of a newMetroidtitle inMetroid Prime 4, and the title screen alone has sent gamers down a dizzying spiral of analysis and speculation. Just after its E3 2017 presentation, however, Nintendo made the bombshell announcement that it would also be releasingMetroid: Samus Returnsfor the Nintendo 3DSlater this year.
The announcement came with a lengthy gameplay demonstration that detailed just what Nintendo and MercurySteam, best known forCastlevania: Lords of Shadow, have in store forMetroid: Samus Returns. The new game is being called a “reimagination” ofMetroid 2: Return of Samus, but it won’t just be graphics improvements - Nintendo also announced that the game would feature significant gameplay additions, including the new Aeion Abilities.
Aeion Abilities will give Samus a host of new skills that aren’t suit abilities, meaning players will have more ways to approach gameplay inMetroid: Samus Returns. Aeion Abilities will be limited abilities that rely on an energy bar called the Aeion Gauge, which means they’ll add another element of skill management that shouldappeal toMetroidplayersfamiliar with the series' love of precise timings and mechanics.
Although the exact number of Aeion Abilities isn’t known right now, the gameplay demonstration discussed one in particular called Scan Pulse. Scan Pulse is an ease-of-life ability that will allow players to display more of the mini-map around them on-screen, showing players where hidden passageways or items might be hiding.
While fans likely would’ve been pleased with a straight-up remake ofMetroid 2on the Nintendo 3DS, the addition of new abilities shows that Nintendo is takingMetroid’s reintroduction to modern gaming seriously. The announcement thatMetroid: Samus Returnsis getting amiibofurther reinforces that sentiment, and 2017 finally feels like the year of theMetroidfan after a long, long time spent waiting for it.
Metroid: Samus Returnswill release for the Nintendo 3DS on June 23, 2025.
