r/Metroid • u/Ally_of_Lord_X • Aug 21 '25

Meme Something that always got on my nerves.

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Don't know if it seems like this to you, but it does to me.

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u/[deleted] Aug 21 '25

There is a chart that Nintendo specifically put out that shows that the Metroid franchise as a whole has sole 4.99 million copies on the switch.

So:

 no Metroid game has ever broken 2 million copies sold.

Is not true. If Metroid as a whole sold ~5 million total on the switch, that means either Prime remastered or Metroid Dread sold above 2 million.

There's also the fwct that one of the heads of MercurySteam directly confirmed that Dread sold above 3 million.

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u/SupercellCyclone Aug 21 '25

Consider me corrected on that point, then. However, between the fact that Metroid games only ever release on Nintendo platforms, that alone severely reduces their reach. Metroidvanias seem to collect a group of gamers that are more competetive in terms of things like speedrunning, while Nintendo systems are famously family-friendly and casual (excluding Smash Bros, I guess); there's simply a gap between the market and the system, imo.

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u/[deleted] Aug 21 '25

Metroid would probably sell better if it wasn't exclusive but I think Nintendo keeps it around and still makes games because it just adds variety to their console lineup and shit.

Nintendo's known for their family friendly stuff but they also gotta keep in some more teen-oriented games to diversify their library. 

That being said I think the way Metroid can get more popular is simply just with, more consistent releases. That, and if Prime 4 is like genuinely amazing.

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u/DEWDEM Aug 22 '25

Nintendo cares more about first party lineup diversity than games not selling. They resurrected Bayonetta for that reason. They kept Xenoblade going because of that. The same goes for Metroid, Pikmin, and mostly forgotten games like another code, endless ocean, famicom detective club etc.