Metroid Prime 4 was missing from E3, so when will we hear more about the highly anticipated game?

Kensuke Tanabe, a creative director for Luigi’s Mansion 3, also happens to be a mind behind Metroid Prime 4. In a recent interview, Tanabe talked about the various ways the company is mixing up its gameplay and approaches to making video games. Even with a title like Luigi’s Mansion 3, a game with a very specific style and set of mechanics, there is room to expand, Tanabe says. When asked about Metroid Prime 4, Tanabe simply said, “I shouldn’t talk about that, it’s a little tricky…If I mention something about Metroid Prime 4, people will focus on that.”

Sure, Tanabe didn’t want to steal the spotlight from the upcoming horror platformer starring Mario’s often overlooked brother, but this is a sign that news on Metroid Prime 4 is far away. Nintendo announced they were rebooting the project and shifting development to Retro Studios, the Metroid Prime series’ original developer after the company was not happy with its progress under the old team. In an effort to ensure quality, they placed Tanabe in as a producer, as he had previously worked on a wide array of games. His resume includes diverse titles like Super Mario Strikers, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon.

News of Metroid Prime 4 and its inevitable mystery release date are shadowed today by the death of Bluepoint Games co-founder Andy O’Neil, who passed away on June 10th, at 47 years old. O’Neil served as the technical lead on Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2, and as principal engineer on Metroid Prime 3. His team at Bluepoint also worked on porting titles like God of War (PS2 to PS3), Metal Gear Solid (PS2 to PS3), Uncharted (PS3 to PS4), and Shadow of the Colossus (PS3 to PS4).

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