Metroid franchise celebrates 40th anniversary with fan-made remake

The Metroid video game franchise is marking its 40th anniversary, a milestone highlighted by the enduring cultural impact of its protagonist, Samus Aran. Since her debut in 1986, Samus has been recognized for challenging gaming stereotypes by providing a powerful female lead in a genre previously dominated by male characters.

While Nintendo has not held a major official retrospective for the anniversary, fans have taken initiative to celebrate the series. Indie developer Lv. 4 Games has released a 2D fan-remake of the 2002 GameCube classic Metroid Prime, titled Metroid Prime Origins. The project, which took three years to develop without the use of generative AI, reimagines the 3D first-person experience as a side-scrolling title using 8-bit pixel art to evoke the aesthetic of the original series.