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[Fuzzy]

Unfortunately it happens sometimes; a game being good doesn't guarantee sales. Case in point: Beyond Good and Evil. Both games were critically acclaimed yet floundered commercially. Such is why marketing is so important. Another more recent example is Titanfall 2; a game with an outstanding campaign that was kind of sent out to die with that release date and lack of marketing.

I still remember X-Play going on and on about how good BG&E was and going into a TRU less than 2 months after it came out and it sitting in the clearance bin for $20 CAD. I snagged a GCN copy.

Wanting to play Metroid Fusion was what made me buy my own handheld for the first time (I previously just borrowed them). I picked up a GBA SP on launch day in March 2003 along with a copy of Fusion and loved it. I didn't hesitate to pick up Zero Mission a year later and proceeded to unlock every ending in the game. It was so good.

 

[RadarScope1]

Bought both Fusion and ZM at launch and still have my pristine CIB copies. Really loved both.

It's always been a niche series. Fusion was Metroid 4, a real sequel. ZM was a remake of a game that by that time had already long since earned a rep as groundbreaking but limited and outdated in many ways. The point of the remake was to fix those issues but I just don't think many really cared.

I also agree with those saying that SR will likely suffer a similar fate. However, this non-3DS owner will be buying the hardware and special edition of the game (and that Amiibo two-pack) so if Nintendo is looking to rope in a few lapsed fans late in the console's cycle ... it's working on me at least.

 

[Z3M0G]

I played every metroid except for prime 3. I couldnt finish Prime 2... i really didnt like that one.

Too bad you cant buy the trilogy and play with original controls.

I need to go digging for my GBA games... i should have both of them.

I should fire up more Federation Force too. That was a great game. I hope people are still playing it.

 

[What The Forest Taught Me]

This is fundamentally untrue. Batman Arkham Asylum and Tomb Raider 2013 are both Metroid style AAA games that were hugely successful. Arkham Asylum sold over 2 million copies in 3 weeks and Tomb Raider 2013 had sold around 4 million copies during its first 6 months after release.

This was despite both games having darker tones then a typical Metroid game that would limit their audience.

Exactly. All it would take would be for the right studio to get a hold of the IP, and I can state without any doubt that Nintendo's internal studios just aren't the right ones to take this franchise to the immense level of popularity it could potentially achieve otherwise. They've never succeeded in doing so. Kensuke "Federation Force" Tanabe shouldn't be helming Prime 4 either. He's lost his way.

I can guarantee you all that if this franchise were to be given to a studio like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Guillera Games, Arkane, Rocksteady, or Rockstar, that it would absolutely see a significant increase in sales and mainstream notoriety, full stop.

 

[Madness]

I didn't buy Zero Mission right away because the marketing and hype wasn't like it was for Metroid Prime and Fusion. Remember when you would have debates as to Metroid Prime being better graphically than Halo CE etc. Additionally, Zero Mission was a remake and had a fraction of the hype behind it. Same for Metroid Prime 2 which wasn't as accessible or fun. By then, the games lost that new title announce feel.

Look at Super Mario Galaxy. The first game has sold millions more than Super Mario Galaxy 2 which many consider a superior sequel but one that got a fraction of the hype, marketing or advertising.

 

[Pachinko]

Despite its seeming mega popularity , Metroid is only really a thing in the west. Zero mission came out during the twilight months of the GBA's relevance. The GameCube also wasn't doing super great so in the end you've got a niche product selling only to its devout fans and no one else.

 

[Aldric]

This is fundamentally untrue. Batman Arkham Asylum and Tomb Raider 2013 are both Metroid style AAA games

No they aren't, what the fuck are you talking about?

Batman and Tomb Raider are also giant mainstream franchises regardless of these two games structure, this comparison makes no sense.

 

[Astral Dog]

Exactly. All it would take would be for the right studio to get a hold of the IP, and I can state without any doubt that Nintendo's internal studios just aren't the right ones to take this franchise to the immense level of popularity it could potentially achieve otherwise. They've never succeeded in doing so. Kensuke "Federation Force" Tanabe shouldn't be helming Prime 4 either. He's lost his way.

I can guarantee you all that if this franchise were to be given to a studio like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Guillera Games, Arkane, Rocksteady, or Rockstar, that it would absolutely see a significant increase in sales and mainstream notoriety, full stop.

Fucking Batman has an advantage of being a reliable popular comic book megafranchise

Nintendo had the quality AND the vision with the Prime games, its just that the series have limited appeal outside of Nintendo,s hardcore

 

[Toxi]

It certainly worries me for Metroid: Samus Returns' prospects. Hopefully the novelty factor of having a new Metroid after so long and a bigger advertising push will save it.

 

[Randomizer]

People have terrible taste, such an amazing game too. Probably the best on GBA along with Mother 3.

It certainly worries me for Metroid: Samus Returns' prospects. Hopefully the novelty factor of having a new Metroid after so long and a bigger advertising push will save it.

Piracy is now riff on the 3DS which isn't going to do it any favours either.

 

[Rogue Agent]

I hope the new ones sell well.

Once we eventually get Metroid games on VC, I hope they sell well too.

 

[Servbot24]

I wonder if had to do with the audience? GBA being primarily aimed at kids, and kids maybe not being as in tune and having extra money after the initial purchase as gamers today.

Just a guess really, ZM clearly deserved so much more.

 

[Toxi]

Because Metroid is not popular.

The entire reason this thread exists is because Zero Mission sold poorly compared to other Metroid games.

 

[Silurus]

Zero Mission was awesome. Probably my favourite Metroid.

 

[Goldenroad]

The more striking thing to me is that MP2 sold less than half of what MP1 sold. I played 2 first, and I prefer it over the first game, however, I'm at a loss for how anyone could have played that first Metroid Prime game not ended up buying the second one.

 

[To Far Away Times]

I remember it being a big deal back then that it was only a few hours long.

It is a realy great game though.

 

[Xscapist]

I'm enjoying everyone's personal recollections of the gaming landscape in 2004, because that year I was a poor college student who couldn't afford cable TV (I saw none of the commercials), let alone afford a DS or any new games.

I took a look at other games released that year, and I have some additional thoughts and speculation:

- Zero Mission was released on the same day as Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for Gamecube, I believe the first Final Fantasy game on a Nintendo machine since Final Fantasy VI. Could that have overshadowed it?

- Given that Metroid Prime 2 was released on the same day as Half-Life 2 on PC, and one week after Halo 2 on Xbox, maybe that would explain the drop in sales for that one?

By comparison, when Metroid Prime 1 and Fusion launched the same day on November 15 of 2002 (kind of a dangerous strategy, two games that could potentially cannibalize each other), there were very few big franchise sequels that season to compete with it, and nothing as big as a Halo 2 or a Half-Life 2. It was basically just Medal Of Honor: Frontline (a Gamecube release of a PS2 game) on November 7, and Resident Evil Zero on November 12.

And of course, there was the "Metroid returns" buzz in late 2002 that wasn't present in 2004, like how the "Resident Evil returns to Nintendo" buzz had been used up by the Gamecube remake earlier in 2002.

 

[Spukc]

Because Metroid is not popular.

what a shitty thing to say fam
you better say sorry

 

[TheDinoman]

what a shitty thing to say fam
you better say sorry

He's not entirely wrong about that. Thing is, pretty much all the Metroid games that people actually like/care about (Metroid, Metroid II, Super Metroid, Metroid Prime 1-3, Metroid Fusion) managed to sell at least a million with the lone exception of Zero Mission, despite being hailed as one of the best. Even Metroid Prime Hunters outsold it, and that's not exactly a hugely revered installment in the series. That's what I always found odd.

 

[NolbertoS]

I loved Metroid Zero. I think Metroid Fusion put off alot of people and probably contributed to the low sales.

 

[Spukc]

He's not entirely wrong about that. Thing is, pretty much all the Metroid games that people actually like/care about (Metroid, Metroid II, Super Metroid, Metroid Prime 1-3, Metroid Fusion) managed to sell at least a million with the lone exception of Zero Mission, despite being hailed as one of the best. Even Metroid Prime Hunters outsold it, and that's not exactly a hugely revered installment in the series. That's what I always found odd.

try playing metroid prime hunter with 4 friends
that is freaking quake 3 on a handheld in 2006

that is more than 10 years ago

 

[Brickhunt]

I only discovered the Metroid series in 2006 with Hunters. I wish I could have done my part.

But like said before, there was a lesser marketing push at the time of it's release.

 

[Red Devil]

I think there might've been multiple factors, not sure if being late on GBA's life really counts seeing how the DS could play GBA games and other GBA games that came after ZM did better. My guess is that it could've been that even though Prime and Fusion came out at the same time, 2D Metroid games might've been seen as an "old thing" specially since ZM was basically a remake of the very first Metroid, in addition that it doesn't seem to have been received as well as Fusion. And regardless of ZM not like how much people like to shout about releasing Metroid games "for Nintendo to regain some goodwill" Metroid simply isn't as popular as other Nintendo games even if the games are pretty good.

Seems like the series sells like a million regulary enough just like Kirby.

So why not keep it around just like Kirby

Except that Kirby has HAL behind him and there're more Kirby games that surpassed, don't quote me on this, the 2 million sales, granted there're more Kirby games yet Kirby never had an "Other M-like situation" regarding the game's reception, since Kirby's platformers are consistently good, some better than others, but still good.

And they're probably cheaper to make too...

Honestly, I'm already dreading to see Samus Returns numbers. Metroid being more of a fan favorite than a hit series + it releasing so late in 3DS' life make me expect the worst.

Eh, not completely sure of what was the original game on Game Boy which could also help or hurt its sales.

This thread will be interesting to revisit after Samus Returns and MP4 have launched.

 

[Canucked]

Metroid Fusion plays like a dream. It and Super Metroid are two of my top games. I wish I had a copy of it still.

 

[Toxi]

Imagine every thread about Pikmin has people talking about how Hey Pikmin and Pikmin 4 will underperform and Pikmin as a series is doomed and nobody likes it and whatever.

 

[OmniNom]

Zero Mission was available to download from popular piracy websites at least a week or two before the physical version was released.

It was the first time I could steal a game before being allowed to buy it. I bought it anyway when it came out, but I had already beaten it.

 

[Aldric]

Imagine every thread about Pikmin has people talking about how Hey Pikmin and Pikmin 4 will underperform and Pikmin as a series is doomed and nobody likes it and whatever.

Or Xenoblade.

 

[Toxi]

Or Xenoblade.

Basically. This shit gets old.

 

[Fast Forward]

Probably franchise fatigue. Prime 2 also seen a huge sales decline.

Either way, AWESOME game. My favorite game in the series, personally. Even more so than Super.

 

[Grenouille]

The fatigue is real, but mostly for 3d Metroids I feel.

I finished Prime 2 some months ago and don't feel the need to play another one any time soon.
Correct me if my memory is failing me, but back when Prime 3 came out people were more interested in/talked more about Bioshock, Modern Warfare and other fps from that year. But now that a new prime is announced, because of the time gap, it's like the second coming.

 

[SkyMasterson]

Simple, diminishing returns. Unless it has Mario or Zelda(and even then it could fall under the diminishing returns).

The rule of thumb for most franchises Nintendo has is to put out one mainline game per platform.

Also, in a span of three years, we had four Metroid games and they were all awesome! It was too much for people though, as weird as that sounds haha.

Look at Metroid Prime 1 and 2 sales. MP1 was/is one of the highest rated games of all time, won a bunch of GOTY awards and sold very well. So they made another critically acclaimed sequel and it sold over less than half of the first. The GC also had a much larger install base by this point. Same logic applies with Fusions and Zero Mission.

Same appli9es with the Advances Wars games. The first AW's on GBA and DS respectively sold pretty well and when it came to their sequels on the same handheld, they sold significantly less.

 

[Ogodei]

The entire reason this thread exists is because Zero Mission sold poorly compared to other Metroid games.

Yes, but Metroid Mountain has a peak of only 3 million sales so far. Some games further down the slopes just didn't hit the million mark. It's like asking what some Grand Theft Auto games did wrong because they didn't sell 10 million or more.

 

[120v]

we're talking about a 2D metroid in the middle of the 00s... i'd be surprised if it was anywhere near a million seller

 

[Freshmaker]

Perhaps bc it was at the end of GBA's legs, launching in the spring of the launch year of the DS? (2004)

it had great reviews, a decent sales at launch, but maybe lost its legs with E3 focus on DS and the holiday launch?

There was a NES Metroid rerelease before that. I wouldn't be shocked if that ate into the game's sales.

I mean, I didn't buy it because I'd already played Metroid 1. I was more interested in Fusion because it was new.

 

[Azerare]

This thread makes me want to play through Zero Mission again. It's a fantastic game.

 

[TheDinoman]

There was a NES Metroid rerelease before that. I wouldn't be shocked if that ate into the game's sales.

I mean, I didn't buy it because I'd already played Metroid 1. I was more interested in Fusion because it was new.

What's funny is that the original Metroid is an unlockable bonus in Zero Mission anyway.

The moment they re-released Zero Mission on the Wii U's VC was when they pretty much invalidated literally any reason to buy Metroid NES on there lol.

 

[Fancyarcher]

It was released later in the GBA cycle, didn't really have much as of a marketing push, so it's not surprising it didn't sell that great well. Unless you release the sequel a year after, late video game sequels tend to sell half or less of what the original did, that's just how the market is usually set-up, at least back in the early to mid 2000's.

I did pick up Zero Mission though, and had a lot of fun with it. Great remake!

Except that Kirby has HAL behind him and there're more Kirby games that surpassed, don't quote me on this, the 2 million sales, granted there're more Kirby games yet Kirby never had an "Other M-like situation" regarding the game's reception, since Kirby's platformers are consistently good, some better than others, but still good.

And they're probably cheaper to make too...

Not to mention Kirby is much consistent in terms of sequels even in NA.

 

[ckaneo]

Fusion's narrative and linear structure pretty much paved the way for Other M. Confused by people preferring it to ZM.

boss battles were better in fusion and that's about it.

Because those things were done well and the game was better because of it.

 

[DarkConfidant]

I remember thinking that Fusion had still only come out recently when it did come out.

It was hard for my friends to find, so only one got it, and then I didn't own a GBA.

This all anecdotal, of course, but I'm not surprised it didn't break a mil.

 

[watomsk]

Maybe because it was a terrible Metroid game?

It has it's fun moments, but it was very linear and made some of the same mistakes Other M made. It hid it's flaws very well with tight controls and good sprite work, but it was really lacking the atmosphere and feeling of being lost in an alien world that the original had. The Chozo statues basically hold your hand through the entire experience and the final area feels too disjointed from the rest of the game.

Fusion also made these mistakes, but it had a much more intimidating atmosphere.

 

[meerak]

Personally I remember at the time feeling metroided out between Prime and Fusion. I had played Prime a little after it came out then Fusion a year later or so, loved both but took a break after.

 

[Dlent]

Mine may have been an outlier, but this was my only GBA cartridge that ever stopped functioning. All of my save data would be corrupted as soon as the game was turned off, so it had to be beaten in one sitting. Still loved it.

 

[donny2112]

1. A million in sales is not something easy to reach.

2. It's a remake of the original which has not aged well, at all.

3. It came out less than a year before DS. The GBA's shortened lifespan probably didn't help, then.

Spoiler

smh at people thinking this was better than Fusion.

 

[VDenter]

I am kind of shocked that some prefer Fusion over Zero Mission. Fusion to me was incredibly disappointing coming off of Super Metroid and it being released next to Prime only made the issue worse. It was a fine game but it is the most linear 2D Metroid and the story got in the way constantly. Zero Mission was a improvement in every single possible way except maybe in the difficulty department. Zero Mission felt like a true Metroid game while Fusion feels in retrospect a prototype for Other M.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Exactly. All it would take would be for the right studio to get a hold of the IP, and I can state without any doubt that Nintendo's internal studios just aren't the right ones to take this franchise to the immense level of popularity it could potentially achieve otherwise. They've never succeeded in doing so. Kensuke "Federation Force" Tanabe shouldn't be helming Prime 4 either. He's lost his way.

I can guarantee you all that if this franchise were to be given to a studio like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Guillera Games, Arkane, Rocksteady, or Rockstar, that it would absolutely see a significant increase in sales and mainstream notoriety, full stop.

Yeah, no one heard of Batman before Arkham Asylum.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

I am kind of shocked that some prefer Fusion over Zero Mission. Fusion to me was incredibly disappointing coming off of Super Metroid and it being released next to Prime only made the issue worse. It was a fine game but it is the most linear 2D Metroid and the story got in the way constantly. Zero Mission was a improvement in every single possible way except maybe in the difficulty department. Zero Mission felt like a true Metroid game while Fusion feels in retrospect a prototype for Other M.

The story was annoying at times (if they ever do a remake they should pare it down considerably, get rid of everything to do with adam and remove some of the gating), but it was very effective for building up tension for the SA-X encounters, which are some of the best things ever in metroid.

 

[D.Lo]

I am kind of shocked that some prefer Fusion over Zero Mission. Fusion to me was incredibly disappointing coming off of Super Metroid and it being released next to Prime only made the issue worse. It was a fine game but it is the most linear 2D Metroid and the story got in the way constantly. Zero Mission was a improvement in every single possible way except maybe in the difficulty department. Zero Mission felt like a true Metroid game while Fusion feels in retrospect a prototype for Other M.

Agreed.

I actually use the same point in reverse - Other M is basically a Fusion remake, 80% of the complaints with it apply to Fusion as well.

 

[DieNgamers]

There's a great amount of detail in everything in Fusion. Zero Mission was lacking in that department. To me it worked mechanically but (within the series) the atmosphere and immersion of Fusion is matched only by Super Metroid, in my opinion.

 

[ahoyhoy]

Prime 2 was a bit of a letdown so that might have damaged the Metroid brand.

 

[Tamanator]

It's the sort of game that would have benefited greatly from modern youtube impressions/internet word of mouth. I personally never noticed it back in the day. I knew about Fusion, since I borrowed it from a friend at one stage, but I never really thought about buying Zero Mission, which I can only vaguely remember seeing once or twice in a store. It was never really on my radar nor that of my friends.