Nintendo recently added Game Boy and Game Boy Advance libraries to its Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, bringing fan-favorite handheld titles to the Nintendo Switch. Together with past console offerings, Nintendo Switch Online provides players old and new with a way to play the earliest titles in its most popular series. Each update to the service provides certain characters a time in the spotlight, highlighting their origins alongside modern series entries on the Switch. With a classic title added after last month's February Nintendo Direct, and the release date for another revealed this week, Nintendo Switch Online continues a recent Heyday for one character in particular, Metroid's Samus Aran.
The Metroid series is among Nintendo's most popular and has experienced a renaissance in the past few years, with the release of Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime Remastered on the Switch. Last month, Metroid 2: The Return of Samus was added to Nintendo Switch Online alongside its Game Boy Update, joining Metroid, Super Metroid, and Super Metroid: Special on the service. Alongside the announcement of Game Boy and Game Boy Advance joining Nintendo Switch Online, players were shown upcoming titles for the service. One such title, Metroid Fusion, is arriving sooner than expected, giving players a chance to play the series' most terrifying title on the Nintendo Switch in just a few days.
Metroid Fusion's Release on Nintendo Switch Online Is A Huge Win For Samus Fans
Nintendo has announced on Twitter that Metroid Fusion will be added to Nintendo Switch Online next week. To some, the title's addition to the Nintendo Switch Online service may appear to be just another classic offering, but fans of the series know just how special Metroid Fusion truly is. Whereas other Metroid entries provide the series' fans with classic platformer action, Metroid Fusion stands out as the series' most horror-focused title, a trait that allows it to remain relevant over 20 years later.
Metroid Fusion sees Samus Aran infected with the X parasite while investigating an explosion at the Biologic Space Laboratories. Along the journey, she is hunted by a terrifying adversary, a clone of herself, named SA-X. Metroid Fusion has defined the series' horror side for decades and provides one of the most complex and unique narratives for its heroine. The title has been unavailable digitally since the Wii U and 3DS, despite 2021's Metroid Dread delivering a direct sequel. Therefore, its addition to Nintendo Switch Online next week is a huge win for long-time fans of Samus Aran and provides new players with an essential Metroid experience they've likely missed out on.
Nintendo Switch Online May Add Even More Metroid Titles in the Future
Nintendo Switch Online doesn't seem to be slowing down in its delivery of Metroid-themed content. In addition to recently added titles, Metroid Prime Remastered Player Icons are coming to Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo is also running a contest through My Nintendo, with prizes including Metroid Prime Remastered wall art and a Metroid Prime Remastered jacket. Fans hoping to take part can redeem three Platinum points for an entry, with a total of 3 entries permitted per individual, before the contest closes on April 4, 2023.
The Nintendo Switch Online service is quickly building a Metroid library, resulting in a heyday for the series' lead heroine. After next week, Switch players can take on the role of Samus in half a dozen games. It's unlikely that the additions will stop here. Metroid Prime 2 and Metroid Prime 3 may be coming to the Switch, if recent rumors prove true, and Metroid: Zero Mission, a remake of the first title for the Game Boy Advance, could arrive in a future update. The only title that doesn't have a clear path to NSO is the 3DS's Metroid: Samus Returns, though it is a remake of Metroid 2, which is available. Nintendo Switch Online is offering a steady stream of classic content for Metroid fans to play right now.
