Rumors and the Nintendo Switch go together like…well…Smash Bros Ultimate and the rumors about what character will come next in the DLC. The point is, they happen ALL THE TIME! And mainly this comes to pass via video games that are likely to come to Switch in one form or another. One of the biggest rumors that have been going on for YEARS is that of the Metroid Prime Trilogy. A beloved trilogy of games that will be continued via Metroid Prime 4. So it makes sense that the trilogy would be ported to the Switch (especially considering how many other Wii and Wii and even Gamecube games have been ported to Switch…among others from other systems…).
However, despite all of this…the Metroid Prime Trilogy has NOT come to Switch, and now, an ex-employee at Retro Studios teases why that might be. Specifically, this comes from Michael Wilkan, who was the Senior Designer on all three games, AND Donkey Kong Country Returns.
Over on the Shinesparkers Facebook page, Wikan said the following when one fan mentioned wanting to play Metroid Prime Trilogy on Switch:
“That would take a lot of effort, so I am pretty skeptical it will happen. It was straightforward to update MP1 and 2 to motion controls, but converting MP3 to normal controls would be a herculean effort, as it is scripted very specifically using volumetric triggers to detect the motion in precise manners to do specific switches, and the bosses are tuned to take into account the ease of gestural aiming.”
He also noted that Retro doesn’t have certain editor tools to make the transition to the Switch and that the gyro controls on the Switch would be hard to convert to.
That being said, one needs to be reminded that this is an ex-employee and that Nintendo has overcome difficulties like this already, including with the upcoming Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword HD which ALSO had to overcome the motion control barrier.
So hope is not lost yet for the Metroid Prime Trilogy.