Nintendo Direct June 2024: Metroid Prime 4 Resurfaces, Zelda Spinoff Surprise, and More

After months of speculation, today’s Nintendo Direct presentation delivered a wave of exciting announcements — and perhaps none more significant than the long-awaited return of *Metroid Prime 4*. First revealed back in 2017, the sci-fi epic had all but vanished from the public eye following its development reboot in 2019. But Nintendo finally appeased fans with a brand-new trailer and a release window of early 2025, showcasing atmospheric visuals, immersive exploration, and the signature first-person gameplay that made the series a classic.

The trailer gave us a glimpse of a rugged, high-tech world filled with mysterious ruins, otherworldly creatures, and fast-paced combat. Samus Aran returns with enhanced abilities, while snippets of voiceover hint at a darker narrative thread than previous entries. Retro Studios is back in the driver’s seat, and based on what we saw, their work has not gone unnoticed.

However, *Metroid Prime 4* wasn’t the only title stealing the show. In a surprise move, Nintendo unveiled *The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of the Depths*, a top-down spinoff set in the same timeline as *Tears of the Kingdom*. This side adventure follows Princess Zelda herself navigating a shattered Hyrule after the events of the main game. With puzzle-heavy dungeons and a return to traditional Zelda mechanics, it reinvigorates the classic formula while letting players step into Zelda’s shoes for the first time in a canonical title. It’s slated for a November 2024 release.

Other highlights included the announcement of *Donkey Kong Country: Jungle Reboot*, a modern reimagining of the SNES classic, and an enhanced port of *Xenoblade Chronicles X* coming to Switch this fall. A new wave of Switch Online titles — including fan-favorite GBA RPGs — rounded out the showcase.

With Nintendo clearly firing on all cylinders, 2024 is shaping up to be one of the company’s strongest years in recent memory. Whether you’re a fan of space-faring bounty hunters, Hylian royalty, or banana-hoarding gorillas, there’s a little something for everyone on the horizon.