Not without authorization.
Swing and a hit.
I think you're missing a major point here, as many others are too.
I don't think I am. Metroid fans want a proper Metroid game after a long wait and the disaster that was Other M. Federation Force isn't the game they wanted and there is no official announcement of a proper one to fill the void. That's the point, and I simply disagree that Federation Force is the problem; it's just a symptom (and could very well be good in its own right despite this).
A spin-off can be it's own thing; completely different than any mainline series game. In Metroid's case, however, the situation is a bit more confusing than anything. The last Metroid game to be released was Other M, and I don't believe I have to go into detail when it comes to that - it just didn't work out.
I'll take it a step further. It didn't just not work; it possibly irrecoverably damaged the entire brand on a foundational level. A LOT of the things Other M retconned and established about Samus and the Metroid universe didn't go down very well, and, like many other fans, we're outright afraid that Nintendo will hunker down and stick with it and keep the unpleasant revelations and characterizations and streamlined gameplay going forward.
Federation Force is frustrating because, rather than supporting it or fixing it, it's SIDE-STEPPING it. It's a game that, due to being a spin-off, neither assuages or confirmed our fears for the future of Samus and the series. The stink of Other M lingers on, and Federation Force isn't the air freshener fans want.
For years, fans clamored and begged for a new Metroid tease, something, anything. Nintendo's response? Federation Force. It feels delusional and empty, tiding Metroid fans over until... what, exactly? Despite it's placement in the B-side category of the 3DS lineup, this is the game Nintendo (or maybe just Tanabe) feels that Metroid fans deserve.
I honestly don't think that's how it happened. Tanabe isn't part of the "Japanese" Metroid teams, and he had no hand in Other M. Looking at his resume of games, and judging by his own interviews, he simply said "I wanted to tell a story set within the Metroid universe that explores it from the Federation's perspective. This was the way I felt it was best to do so." He then kept talking about all the ideas he has for a proper Samus-driven Prime 4 game.
He later even said, and a paraphrase, "I know fans want a proper Metroid game. I know they want Samus. We KNOW."
The bottom line is I have trust and faith that a proper Metroid is coming, while many who are outraged do not. The thing is, I can understand them. If I truly believed Federation Force was all we were getting, I'd be just as disappointed (not angry though. Just disappointed).
As much as I love Nintendo, they really should just take a look at how 2015 Square Enix is handling themselves - AKA actually listening to fans and releasing the games they want to play. I'm not saying their creative side needs to back down by any means, risks are important to take, but at times Nintendo is so frustratingly inclusive.
But 2015 Square Enix is a rebound from nearly 8 straight years of "Lightning in every game!", "Oops, FF14 is totally broken!", and "All the Bravest is the game for suckers!" Square Enix. They didn't listen for an ENTIRE console generation, the longest one in history. They had to rebuild entire games from the ground up over two years to win back lost trust.
Now, they're doing better, but they also announced a LOT of games that we HOPE deliver. For the majority of them, the games aren't in our hands yet. While I have faith they'll satisfy, I simply don't know at this point. FF13 was looking great... right up until the moment I started playing the game itself.
The answer to that is in the post you originally quoted. It doesn't matter what a spinoff does or whether it's good.
Actually, it does matter. A lot of great spin-off games exist that are beloved across the industry. Persona 5 is one of the most anticipated JRPGs of next year... and that's a spin-off series.
The fact that it is a spinoff is the problem people have.
No, the problem isn't that the spin-off exists. The problem is that it exists and folks don't want a spin-off. They want a Prime 4 or Super Metroid 2, and that's not what they're getting. If Nintendo confirmed one was in the works, NOBODY, including YOU, would care about Federation Force, whether it was good or bad.
They are slapping the Metroid name on a completely unrelated product, while the real series is still dead after 5 years.
Such drama. "Dead after 5 years". From 1994-2002 there was a period of no new Metroid titles. Five years is "dead"? Geez. Uncharted 3 came out in 2011 and the new one won't be out until 2016. That's five years.
The series is only "dead" because you (and I and countless others) weren't satisfied with Other M and are worried about the future of the series. But the series is no more "dead" than a franchise like Smash Bros, which had 7 years between installments.
A series that has a reputation of being one of the most heralded Nintendo ,,hardcore" IPs, one of the few with a darker tone and more sophisticated game design like Zelda, which is also desperately needed among countless mascot platformer rehashes, minigames or other crap like Home Designer. What looks like a sequel to Nintendoland Metroid instead is just insulting however.
"Darker tone like Zelda".
I heard this same excuse a decade ago when Wind Waker's art style was revealed. "Zelda is hardcore and dark and mature! What's this kiddie crap?"
... Wind Waker turned out great and the art design has stuck around now (we're getting "kiddie" Wind Waker style for Tri-Force Heroes this month).
This is the equivalent of a dormant legacy IPs being abused for shoddy smartphone games that have nothing to do with the series. And people don't try to defend these cases either, for good reason.
"Abused". Good grief.
People defend those ALL the time. People liked Pokemon Snap, even though that had nothing to do with fighting or training Pokemon. People liked Mario Kart, even though that had nothing to do with platforming, saving the princess, or fighting Bowser in his castle. People liked Four Swords, even though it's a competitive multiplayer only linear game that tosses out 90% of Zelda's formula. People like Tales of Borderlands, even though it's a story-driven adventure game instead of FPS loot shooter.
It's a bloody spin-off. And I've defended COUNTLESS spin-offs before. Heck, the game I'm playing right now, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, started off as a franchise spinning-off from traditional Mario games.
We can talk about that once a real Metroid is unveiled. They having ,,plans" means nothing and current Nintendo isn't exactly giving hope they'd invest in such a thing. Or that a mainline game would be any better, I mean Starfox is coming back with a clearly low budget gamepad tech demo.
Star Fox was ALWAYS comparatively low budget. And the original Star Fox was just a glorified tech demo. Star Fox is coming back exactly the way it original started as.
The end argument is that Federation Force isn't what you want for a Metroid game, and you have lost your faith that Nintendo will make one that appeals to you.
I understand that, and I disagree. The problem, however, is that until something is confirmed one way or the other, your hate for Federation Force is based on an assumption and opinion, neither confirmed nor denied, about the future of the series, and thus Federation Force just becomes the target for you to express your disappointment and unease.
And I get that. Trust me, I do. The same thing happened when Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts 'n Bolts (a GOOD game!) came out and Banjo-Kazooie fans rejected it and were angry with it because it wasn't the platformer they had waited years to get a true sequel to.
Shame, really. Just as Nuts 'n Bolts was worth playing, I imagine Federation Force will be as well. I've already played probably four or five Metroid games I'm sure I've enjoyed worse than I'll enjoy Federation Force.
At the very least, I'm willing to give it a fair shot and judge it on its own merits, even as I continue to ask for a "real" Metroid title.
