New concept art has emerged which reveals that a Metroid 3DS game was in development before being shelved. The proof was found on an online portfolio for artists Xochitl and Nelson Garcia. One image shows Samus in her famous varia suit whilst others include some scary looking bosses. Both artists worked for Next Level Games and their portfolio also includes concept art for the developer’s Punch Out! game.
Next Level also worked on the Mario Strikers series and have a strong relationship with Nintendo. It’s therefore not hard to believe that the studio may once have pitched a Metroid 3DS title. Speaking with Destructoid, a source close to Next Level Games confirmed that the pitch was real. ”That’s the first I’d actually seen of that concept art” that source said, ”but a prototype was made before being shelved in favor of Luigi’s Mansion 2. It was about as bare-bones as it gets, but it was still pretty fun.”
It seems that Metroid fans will have to blame Luigi’s Mansion 2 for the lack of a 3DS instalment. The last game in the series, Metroid: Other M for Wii, was poorly received because of its intrusive story and awkward controls. Not all hope is lost however. Next Level Games have committed to working exclusively with Nintendo and it has been over a year since the release of Luigi’s Mansion 2. We don’t know what the studio is currently working on but it could well be Metroid 3DS.
Via Gamespot