Nintendo Direct June 2024: Metroid Prime 4 Finally Shown, Zelda Spin-off Revealed, and More

After months of swirling rumors and wishful speculation, Nintendo delivered a show-stopping June 2024 Nintendo Direct, packed with major announcements and long-awaited reveals. Headlining the presentation was the long-anticipated return of Samus Aran in *Metroid Prime 4: Beyond*, a full trailer finally offering a substantial glimpse at the game in action — and a confirmed release window of Spring 2025.

Fans of the *Metroid* franchise have been waiting since the game’s development reboot in 2019 when Retro Studios re-took the reins from Bandai Namco. The trailer showcased classic first-person exploration through alien worlds, updated with cinematic visuals and moody, atmospheric music. Samus appears to wield upgraded suits, new scanning abilities, and all-new weapons — including what appears to be a black hole grenade.

But the surprises didn’t stop there. Nintendo closed the Direct with a bold new adventure set within the *Legend of Zelda* universe, titled *The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of the Depths*. This spin-off centers around Princess Zelda herself, who takes on a starring role separate from Link. The game emphasizes light puzzle-solving, magic-based combat, and exploration in reimagined regions of Hyrule’s underground caverns, seemingly building upon the aesthetic and gameplay systems of *Tears of the Kingdom*. While still early in development, a tentative 2026 release window was announced.

Other highlights from the Direct included a new trailer for *Pikmin 5*, which introduces a customizable space explorer for co-op play; *Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Rewind*, a remastered collection of the Retro Studios trilogy with updated visuals and bonus content; and *Fire Emblem: Requiem*, a new mainline title with large-scale, real-time battles, marking a shift from the series’ traditional turn-based mechanics.

With this latest Direct, Nintendo has made it clear that it has no intention of slowing down ahead of the expected Switch 2 hardware reveal. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Samus or eager to see Zelda take center stage, it’s safe to say the rest of 2024 — and beyond — looks bright for Switch owners.