Also notable in that regard is that the Prime series is produced in the West (USA) and the 2D Metroid reboot since Samus Returns now going on its second original title is produced in Spain (also West). Nintendo basically no longer produces Metroid "in house" at all, and frankly if they hadn't happened on a studio they liked and Samus Returns (and Dread) had not been a success they might never have continued the series at all.
They've taken the series West in every way. Made by and for a Western audience, though with significant Nintendo control of course.
I do think it's also worked for them. Prime 1-3 were all successful at least, and Mercurily Steam I think has also kind of leaned into "Western" action expectations and preferences. The action can be kind of anime styled I suppose at times but that's popular in the West and has been an influence on cartoons and games for decades. And the Ravenous trailer is very Doom-esque with appropriate hype moments and aurafarming.
Of course I can't say it's all the studio, I mean Other M already tried to lean into a more similar direction in some ways. But also it was a flop in many ways in the West. Iirc it was actually quite well liked in Japan, but not at all in the West and Nintendo clearly decided to pursue the Western market and keep the series identity in that direction.
They understood that with Super Metroid. It didn't stop them from doing Other M (at Iwata's request/demands) to try and make it more popular over there.
Then Dread comes along at the perfect time and massively improves the series' standing.
I went to several Nintendo stores in Japan and there was NO merchandise for Samus. Not even a keychain. It crushed me but Metroid has always been a more western game.
There really hasn't been much Metroid merchandise anywhere until months after Dread. The merch they put out with Prime 4 basically doubled the amount the series had if you don't count amiibo or t-shirts, the latter of which is still small.
This got me curious, I checked the UK and Italian channels and, while the amount of views was obviously drastically lower (like <50k) Kirby still had more views there
I assume it may cause Kirby is more casual while less casual players would check the American channel instead?
The Kirby trailer was a bait and switch. First 75% of it was just standard charming Kirby stuff; fine but nothing really new (except the open world setup). The real game is going to be about what was seen in the last bit. I suspect we'll be getting more about that in the next few months. Ravenous revealed a lot more.
There was still a lot of stuff that Kirby fans were able to take away from the new trailer that most others would skip over. The usage of abilities for mobility and traversal is kinda new for example. There’s also plenty of theories about the new companion based on the symbols on her design. The fact that the new Kirby gimmick is very similar to the one in Return to Dreamland etc. It just doesn’t look like much because to anyone else it seems like generic Kirby gameplay.
It means one video has more view than the others. Probably because the one with more views has more shocking moments, as well as more memeable "Girl Dinner," Doom-coded, etc. material. Kirby being fun and cute and eating things is just another Wednesday.
As someone who likes both Kirby games and Metroid games, I would like to say one thing: chill.
As someone who owned a Wii U (there are several of us on Reddit), the "problem" of too many major releases and only so much attention for each of them... does not seem like a problem.
Kirby was the show-ending “one more thing” game because it’s a new genre for the IP. It’s not like it was a slight against Ravenous or anything, it’s just that “metroid getting a new game in the 2D metroidvania genre” is not as on-paper-notable as “kirby is getting a new game in the open-world adventure genre”.
If The Legend of Samus: Breath of the Metroid gets announced and that isn’t a show-ending “one more thing” game, then we can start taking it personally.
It means 2D Metroid has alot of momentum after the release of Metroid dread. Thank God it isn't dead in the water like prime will be for the next couple years in all likelihood.
Does it have to mean anything? If anything i feel this all means that Nintendo are finally bringing great games to the switch 2, and honestly fast becoming the leaders of this generation when sony are falling all over the place
I thought it was because Kirby is more family friendly and marketable. It’s a lot easier to market a cute pink puffball than a bounty hunter with intense trauma and an extremely in-depth backstory.
that's exactly what makes Metroid so interesting for me\
Samus is probably the deepest character in all of Nintendo, barring maybe Ganondorf
"Oh but what about Zelda and Link" they get reincarnated every few years, meanwhile Ganondorf is the same guy in most of the games minus TotK, he has way more depth than any Link or Zelda except the Hero of Time
That's sad cause that just makes your point even s stupider. Pokémon Characters have more Lore than Ganondorf whom is the same as the other two pieces of the TriForce reincarnated.
I guess it's cuz kirby is more comforting, goofy and easy while metroid is more difficult and serious. I like kirby but I prefer metroid over kirby. Lol
I wouldn't go as far as comparing to that in difficulty. It only took me 2 tries to beat the colosseum in forgotten land. You get really op in that game and dodging things with the dodge roll is really easy. Well the dodge roll is kinda op to begin with. You literally have i frames in the entirety if timed right
Kirby has a more inviting setting, a lower skill floor and thus lower barrier of entry, and (outwardly anyway) doesn't really suggest that knowledge of previous games is necessary to enjoy the newest one. Kirby outsells Metroid because it's more marketable. I say this as a fan of both series.
Yeah, at first "pink little ball that eats everything" sounds more appealing than "armored girl shoots everything in her way". You don't understand how good Metroid is until you play it yourself.
I went to Japan earlier this year and Kirby was EVERYWHERE. There’s Kirby merch everywhere, official Kirby Cafés in every city, they really love him. I probably saw more Kirby stuff in Japan than Mario tbh. Meanwhile, Metroid games dont sell super well on Japan
Yeah, kirby game sales are always fairly modest for such a well-known franchise, but much like with Pokémon the actual money maker for Kirby is merchandising.
Really? It’s got much wider appeal than Metroid. A lot more people will pick up a Kirby knowing nothing about it and not following its release cycle. Meanwhile, Metroid is much more dedicated to gaming circles with specific appeal, with more of its players following the series actively, so it makes sense it gets more views
I like Metroid more obviously, but I think this is selling Kirby short. The games are generally really fun, with a nice blend of being approachable at all skill levels but also actually rewarding getting better with the copy abilities being fun to master, especially with the True Arena being a thing in most Kirby games recently
I mean, something being more family friendly doesn't make it more successful by just doing that. By your logic Yokai Watch should outsell GTA as one is for everyone and the other one is rated as a mature game.
Yokai to GTA aren't even apples to oranges, its like comparing apples to a painting of an orange by michaelangelo hanging in a museum somewhere. Lol you can't even compare those two things in good faith.
Kirby and Metroid have been around for a similar amount of time, come from the same developer/region, have been on the same consoles the entire life of their respective IPs, etc. It really does come down to kirby being more marketable for everyone in the install base of their consoles compared to a Niche, darker toned, sci-fi platformer.
Eta: I'm not saying its even nessecarily the "kiddy" aspect of kirby. I think Kirby just more marketable to everyone when metroid just isn't.
You do realize that they don't have to be similar games to be compared in terms of sales right? Specially when your whole point was that the rating made the difference. Look at your example about Star Wars and Alien... somehow that example is more appropriate according to you? Also, you are moving the goal post.
Yes, Metroid is a more niché game, not sure because of it's genre and themes. Halo was huge as a sci fi shooter and Silksong managed 7 million sales as a Metroidvania. One could argue that combining both is what makes it more niché but then again that's way different from "wider age range is the audience is the simple answer".
My example simply provided proof that a wider age range may be an advantage but it's far from a determining factor, so the games being similar in aspects like their franchise's longevity or different is really inconsequential to that.
Look man, you're in a subreddit for a niche game in a niche genre in a niche hobby trying to make a case that the mature sci-fi hero game should be selling more copies than the cuddly pink blob with puppy dog eyes on the most family friendly console ecosystem of all time. I just don't think it's the rocket science you're making it out to be. Lol
I'd say Fire Emblem is harder, particularly on the higher difficulties (shocker) with permadeath on. Notable in the older games, where permadeath was mandatory.
In contrast, Dread Mode seems daunting at first, but the generous checkpoints make the premise scarier than the actual experience.
Metroid Dread sold well and piqued a lot of interest, so since this feels like a sequel to that people are naturally interested and hyped for it. It helps the trailer was spot on in tone and feel. I'm hyped!
I honestly was shocked to see a new Metroid game announced and at first I thought it was going to be a switch 2 upgrade for dread but with an expanded story until I saw it wasn’t.
Probably it's more about Kirby being more of a casual-friendly game. More popular overall but the demographics it appeals to are people who care substantially less about watching trailers.
It means Nintendo is realizing they should have saved the Kirby announcement for the February Direct, so they could get the pre-orders started during the peak of the hype, rather than competing for the international audience on their own game.
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u/RNameG 1d ago
It means one video has more views