Nintendo isn’t a stranger to publishing video games with morbid undertones. Two of the more obvious examples are The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and Metroid Fusion. Both games contain elements of impending doom and hopelessness, and infamous moments have stuck with players years after their release dates. In light of Metroid Dread and Breath of the Wild 2’s presentation at Nintendo’s 2021 E3 showcase, Nintendo may be drawing inspiration from that era of darker games. The parallels between these two titles and their early 2000s counterparts certainly make it seem that way.
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The Darker Side of Nintendo’s Games
Looking back, different aspects of Metroid Fusion and Majora’s Mask seem totally out of character for Nintendo. For example, watching the residents of Clock Town struggle to accept they’re going to die from the impact of the moon in Majora’s Mask sounds like the last thing Nintendo would put in a game. Characters yell out phrases like “I can’t take it! I don’t want to die!” and others mournfully reminisce about past loved ones. Such subjects are unconventional for a modern Nintendo game, but the company still embraces this title and there may even be a Majora’s Mask port to Switch sometime in the future.
Nintendo has not always embraced Metroid games in the same way, however, and the tone of the series may be to blame. Metroid Fusion, for instance, has its own fair share of morbid content. A late-game boss fight with an enemy named Nightmare is particularly unnerving; throughout the fight, Nightmare’s face becomes disfigured as the player inflicts damage. Throughout the game, the player is systematically hunted by an overpowered clone of Samus that leaves players helpless, and few Nintendo games have contained similar mechanics. Fusion was re-released on the Wii U in 2014 (its sales now boosted by Dread’s announcement), but did not receive the same facelift as Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask on the 3DS.
In addition to their more unsettling qualities, Fusion and Majora’s Mask were released within two years of each other. Majora’s Mask was first released for the Nintendo 64 on April 27, 2000, and Metroid Fusion debuted on November 18, 2002 for the Gameboy Advance. Now, some nineteen years later, fans can expect Breath of the Wild 2 to come out within, at the very most, a one-and-a-half-year window of Metroid Dread assuming Nintendo meets Breath of the Wild 2’s 2022 release date. Coincidences like these feel like deja vu.
Parallels to Majora’s Mask and Metroid Fusion
Release dates aren’t where the similarities stop. Breath of the Wild 2, much like Majora’s Mask, is attempting to follow a universally acclaimed game within a short period of time. This tight turnaround from Ocarina of Time is what led to many of Majora’s Mask’s nightmarish sequences - the stress from its development actually influenced the content of the game. Moreover, just as Majora’s Mask reused assets from Ocarina of Time, it’s been confirmed that the new release will be reusing the world map from Breath of the Wild. Recent speculation about Link’s ominous-looking arm in Breath of the Wild 2 may suggest another similarity: if it turns out Link is under some sort of curse, then there will be a sense of imminent danger similar to Majora’s Mask.
As for Metroid, it seems highly coincidental that MercurySteam, the developers behind Metroid: Samus Returns and Metroid Dread, originally pitched a remake of Metroid Fusion to Yoshio Sakamoto. Having rejected this idea in favor of remaking the series’ second game, Metroid 2, the team is now developing gameplay mechanics in Dread that mirror those from Fusion. Hiding from Samus’ clone, SA-X, in the latter title appears remarkably similar to escaping from Dread’s sentinel guard robots called “E.M.M.I.”
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What This Means for Nintendo’s Future
Supposing these similarities do spell out darker tones for Dread and Breath of the Wild 2, it remains subject to speculation what approach Nintendo’s future releases will take. Numerous light-hearted Nintendo titles were announced at this year’s E3 including Mario Party Superstars and WarioWare: Get It Together! Most likely, Nintendo intends to please both the hardcore and casual audience with titles that vary in tone. How the more mature titles will perform remains to be seen, however. It’s a safe bet that Breath of the Wild 2, no matter how dark, will be one of Nintendo’s best performers; but historically Metroid has struggled to match the sales of Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon. That said, it already seems Metroid Dread may become a top seller.
Perhaps this shift in tone could also be attributed to Nintendo’s employees. Video games, like any other creative endeavor, are influenced by the experiences of the people who make them. Nintendo is no exception to this despite the company’s size. It wouldn’t be surprising to see darker games from other franchises, too, given the challenges of 2020. After all, a number of developers delayed new releases because of COVID-19, so it’s entirely possible that a trend of gloomy games will emerge as those in development last year begin to release.
Metroid Dread will release October 8, 2021 for the Nintendo Switch.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will be released in 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.
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