Fans Celebrate Metroid’s 40th Anniversary with a 2D Demake of Metroid Prime

Nintendo may have let the 40th anniversary of Metroid pass without a word, but a group of dedicated fans certainly didn’t. They celebrated the milestone by launching Metroid Prime Origins, a 2D remake of the classic Metroid Prime. This fan-made project, highlighted by an outlet, transforms the 2002 GameCube title into pixel art reminiscent of its NES roots.

Last year, Nintendo finally released Metroid Prime 4: Beyond after nearly a decade of development struggles, which included at least one complete reboot. While the game was generally well-received, it didn’t quite capture the magic of its predecessors in the Prime series. Origins, despite being a fan endeavor, serves as a fitting tribute to Samus’ legacy, especially since Nintendo seems to have overlooked the occasion entirely. A quick look at Nintendo’s website and social media shows no mention of the anniversary, no birthday shout-outs for Samus, and not even a special sale on Metroid Prime 4 or Metroid Dread.

In a Reddit post, the creators of Origins at Lv. 4 Games, a small indie studio known for the Castlevania fangame Castlevania ReVamped, shared that the project took three years to complete. They emphasized that no generative AI was involved in its development. Although there was a trailer for Origins, it was taken down from YouTube due to unspecified terms of service violations. The developers noted they hadn’t received any cease-and-desist orders, but they are aware of the risks, with one team member humorously acknowledging, “I know I am now a target of the Nintendo ninjas.”