A Nintendo insider who has a solid track record as of late has claimed that a popular GameCube game from 2004 should soon be coming to Nintendo Switch. Throughout the life cycle of the Switch, Nintendo has slowly been porting and remastering a number of GameCube games from the past to its latest hardware. Some of these titles have included Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Super Mario Sunshine, Pikmin, Pikmin 2, and Metroid Prime. This lineup from Nintendo has been joined by a variety of other remasters from third-party publishers. Now, with the Switch presumably in its final days, it seems that Nintendo has one more GameCube remaster planned for the hardware that could arrive in the coming months.
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According to Nintendo leaker Samus Hunter, the GameCube game in question that could soon be returning on Switch is that of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Over the past few years, reports have continued to suggest that Nintendo is planning to release a new version of Metroid Prime 2 on Switch at some point. Despite these reports coming from credible sources, Nintendo has yet to release this presumed remaster for Switch. Now, it seems like this could finally be happening in early 2025, with February being a potential window for its launch.
“About [Metroid Prime] 2 Remastered, I can confirm what Grubb mentioned, it was planned as a standalone release but got moved a couple of times and now is planned for early next year, likely between Donkey Kong Country Returns HD and Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition,” the insider wrote. “It is very peculiar how Nintendo has handled the three games, with releases more than a year after their completion. In fact, they can release them whenever they want. Personally I wouldn’t rule out an announcement of them at The Game Awards, as [the] timing would fit, but I have no information on that.”
So just how likely is this new rumor related to Metroid Prime 2? Well, it would definitely make sense for a variety of reasons. A new art book tied to the Metroid Prime series was just announced today by Nintendo and is set to launch in the summer of 2025. Additionally, Nintendo is gearing up to release the next entry in the franchise, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, at some point this coming year. Bringing back Metroid Prime 2 in the form of a new remaster or port for Switch would help bridge the gap to not only MP4, but also the release of the eventual Switch 2.
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As mentioned, Samus Hunter has also had a strong track record as of late and has tipped multiple Nintendo announcements that have come about in the past month. With this in mind, it adds even more credibility to the rumor.
If Metroid Prime 2: Echoes were to come back on Switch, it would immediately become one of the highest-rated games to ever launch on the platform. The original GameCube game achieved a staggering 92/100 aggregate review score on Metacritic when it arrived 20 years ago. While the sequel is a bit more divisive than the original Metroid Prime, it’s without a doubt a game that many Switch owners would love to see brought over from the GameCube.
