The Complete History of Metroid Dread

To some, Metroid Dread is just another new 2D Metroid game. To veterans, it's the rumored video game they've been waiting 16 years for. This is the (mostly) complete history of how Metroid Dread went from a long-rumored Nintendo DS game up to a megaton Nintendo Switch announcement at E3, along with all the stops in between.

This video is divided into yearly sections that covers Metroid Dread's development history, leaks, and rumors in chronological order, with a quick breakdown of the sections and what they cover here:

00:00 INTRO
00:10 Why Is Metroid Dread Significant?
02:35 The Initial GameInformer and IGN Leak
04:06 Metroid Dread's Listing in Official Nintendo Magazine
05:30 "Project Dread" Scan in Metroid Prime 3
08:03 Liam Robertson's Report of a Metroid Dread Prototype
09:44 Metroid Dread Officially Acknowledged
10:26 Interviews Shed Light on Dread's Development Status
13:31 Liam Robertson's Metroid Video
14:24 The Metroid Series' Darkest Hour
16:18 Samus Returns
18:07 Why A 2D Metroid Skipped the Nintendo DS
18:39 Metroid Prime Trilogy HD and Super Metroid Remake Rumors
19:08 Zippo Leaks New 2D Metroid by MercurySteam
20:31 Why Metroid Dread Was Initially Cancelled
23:58 Mystery of the Second Prototype
27:40 ENDSLATE

TWITTER:   / axelayer  
TWITCH:   / bluestigma  
Endslate art by:   / sushi_pizza_rrr  

Special thanks to SaniKink for the thumbnail art! Please take a look at the original art here:   / 1413640581180534784  
Big thanks to Kuri as well for helping provide extra input on the video, as well as some of the extra gameplay footage used in the video!


MUSIC USED:
Brinstar Green - Super Metroid (synth remix by Luminist:    • Luminist | Super Metroid: Resynthesiz...  )
Zenith [CHAPTER 10] - Ginga Force
U.M.N. Control Center - Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse
Warthog Run - Halo 3
Foreboding - Xenogears
Path to the Truth - Mega Man ZX Advent (ZX Advent Tunes ver.)
With the Sky, the Clouds and You - Xenogears (sometimes incorrectly named as "Shevat -The Wind Calls-")
Chozo Laboratory - Metroid: Samus Returns
The Last Metroid - AM2R
Bond of Sea and Flame - Xenogears
Ultraviolet - Megalomachia

10/16/2021 UPDATE: Turns out, I missed a fun bit of info. In 2019, Vergeben (of Smash leaker fame) made a post on SSBU's GameFAQs message board about all games he had info on regarding upcoming E3 2019 announcements. Everything in his post, from Code Vein's release date to Deathloop's existence, eventually came to pass. This also included less concrete info on a new Warioware game and the existence of Metroid 5, neither of which would be announced for another 2 years.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/...

SOURCES USED:
https://archive.is/tGxCN (IGN 2005 mailbag)
https://archive.is/f0A4D (1UP reporting rumors of Dread's cancellation in 2005)
https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/08/...
https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/n...
https://metroid.fandom.com/wiki/Talk:... (07/16/21 UPDATE: Mike Wikan calls Dread reference a joke; archived by Royboyx)
https://archive.is/jMQr (CVG 2007: Nintendo denies Dread existence)
   • Metroid Series Development Secrets   (Liam Robertson's Metroid video, info about 2008 build)
https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/06/...
https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/03/...
https://www.destructoid.com/metroid-o... (news of Other M's delay that never made it into the video)
https://archive.is/cytib (Games™ interview with Other M)
https://web.archive.org/web/201009041... (archived Revogamers interview)
https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/t... (the translated Revogamers interview)
https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/06/...
https://www.hobbyconsolas.com/listas/... (Hobbyconsolas interview)
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https://zippospeaks.blogspot.com/2021...
https://www.eurogamer.net/amp/2021-06...
https://www.gamespot.com/amp-articles...
https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/...

#MetroidDread #NintendoSwitch #DevelopmentHistory