Prime 4 Goods

Got it.

After a long 18 years, we finally have our hands on Metroid Prime 4. I am super excited and will be playing it non stop over the next few days.

Due to the launch Nintendo worldwide has pushed a literal fuckton of new merchandise out and made tons of announcements. Let’s get started.

Nintendo Switch Online profile icons

Starting yesterday, you can now purchase new Prime 4 profile icons. They are 10 Platinum points each. Yes, you need a NSO subscription (or be on a Family Plan) to access these. There are currently 6 new ones available, along with new backgrounds and frames, but that’s not all! After December 10th, they will launch Wave 2 of these with 6 more new icons. There are 4 Waves planned, so make sure you’re farming those Platinum points to collect ’em all!

See the schedule in the image below. 

Official Nintendo Merchandise

Yesterday also unveiled an incredible swath of new Metroid-themed merchandise for fans. Currently (and incredibly aggravatingly) this merchandise is exclusive to Japan and Europe, with no announcement for being released in America. Fingers and toes are crossed for this to change.

For you lucky Europeans, here is a link to the UK Pop-up store, but you can change countries in the upper right corner.

Metroid Arm Cannon Cushion

Metroid Ice Cube mold

Metroid Drinking Glass Set

Infant-Metroid Keyring

Metroid Gadget Organiser Case

Metroid Morph Ball Pouch

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Pin

Samus Aran by Chogokin

Chogokin is a Japanese brand owned by Bandai Namco and is part of their “Bandai Spirits” department. The name is derived from a fictitious material which first appeared in the Mazinger Z manga and anime and is the name of a line of die-cast metal robot and character toys sold in Japan. The figurine manufacturer announced their new absolutely gorgeous, fully poseable, 8.3″ Prime 4-style Samus Aran figurine. The figurine comes with a weighty pricetag – ¥30,800 which equates to ~$200, but over in the states they are selling it for $290.00 (must be due to tariffs). To note, she is made out of diecast metal, comes with a posing stand, and 7 different left hand poses.

If you live in Japan, you can preorder it here. Americans can actually get their hands on this, preorder here through the IGN store.

Display at select retail locations in Japan:

Japanese Instruction Manual

Japan is once again showing they care about pushing Metroid by releasing an official Instruction Manual dubbed the Metroid Prime 4 Beyond The World Databook.

They even released a printable version where you can fold it up like an accordion and place it in your Switch case.

Yes, it’s 100% in Japanese, but we may be translating it into English if Nintendo doesn’t release an officially localized version. Stay tuned for that.

That’s it, happy Prime 4 day everyone and enjoy exploring Planet Viewros. See You Next Mission!

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Launch Day

New NSO Profile Icons

Just yesterday Nintendo revealed new player icons available for both Metroid II: Return of Samus and Metroid Zero Mission. Each icon is purchased for 10 Platinum points through the Nintendo Switch Online app. They will be available until January 5, 2026, so start earning those points! In my experience, I’ve found the easiest way was to do the missions in Fire Emblem Heroes – there are 3500+ points alone that can be earned that way.

Note: You must have a NSO + Expansion Pack subscription in order to get these.

Holiday Sale – 30% off Storewide

MP4B Screens Gallery

Over the last couple of weeks, Nintendo Today has been dropping screenshots almost daily from different areas you will traverse within the planet Viewros. We’re capturing those images and putting them in our Screens gallery. You can see them all here:

https://metroiddatabase.com/game/metroid-prime-4-beyond/#screens

We will continue to update this page as more are released.

Also to note is this Japanese promotional webpage where they provide more information for those who might be on the fence. Since Nintendo of America cares little to provide the general public with an informative page like this, we suggest going there on a browser like Chrome to auto-translate.

MP4B Amiibo Functionality

In yet another example of Nintendo of America’s absolute batshit ignorance and pathetic lack of marketing for Prime 4, as well as not collaborating in a worldwide marketing sync, we’ve had to go to the Japanese Nintendo website to discover the Amiibo functionality in the game. Here’s our breakdown:

Amiibo	Functionality
Samus & Viola (Metroid Prime 4)	You will be able to change the color of Vi-O-La. Every time you tap to activate this Amiibo, you can check Vi-O-La’s total distance traveled. Once per day, you can increase the rate at which Vi-O-La’s Boost Energy regenerates.
Samus (Metroid Prime 4)	You can change the background music when riding Vi-O-La in Sol Valley. Once per day, you can activate a shield that will block up to 99 damage. When the shield is activated, Samus’s life is also restored to full.
Sylux (Metroid Prime 4)	After clearing the game, you’ll be able to see the full versions of the movies that are shown in fragments throughout the game. Even if you don’t have this Amiibo, you can watch the full version of the movie by achieving a 100% scan rate and item collection rate. Every time you touch your Amiibo, you’ll hear a random line from Sylux.
All other Metroid Amiibos	Plays random game sounds.

Two New Japanese Commercials

Within the last 24 hours, Nintendo of Japan has released 2 new 30-second spots for Prime 4:

You can find all of the official videos Nintendo has released here: https://metroiddatabase.com/game/metroid-prime-4-beyond/#videos

13 days left. Hype is to the moon at this point!!!

Meet the troopers

After the huge media backlash on Myles Makenzie following the release of mainstream coverage of the Prime 4 press event, we took a little bit of heat ourselves by defending Nintendo’s decision to make Prime 4 a game that is not focused on pure isolation. Moving forward, I am going to reserve judgement on Nintendo/Tanabe’s decision making until I play Prime 4 myself.

That being said, the Japanese Prime 4 website has (once again) gone all in on providing fans with an incredible amount of hype content whereas us Americans are left with jack and shit in regards to website content.

The “Troopers” page of the Japanese site has some awesome bios and renders, along with voice clips, on all the new characters Samus will be teaming up with on Planet Viewros. We have gone ahead and Google Translated the info for your convenience and are reporting here.

*SPOILER WARNING* the first and only – reminder you are on a *METROID* *WEBSITE*!

Meet the troopers!

• Name: Myles MacKenzie
  • Galactic Federation Soldier Class: Special Skills

(Translated) Bio: Not only is he a mechanic who handles the maintenance and repair of various vehicles, but he is also an excellent computer technician. His timid personality has allowed him to avoid the worst situations.

• Name: Tokabi
  • Galactic Federation Soldier Class: Sniper

(Translated) Bio: A solitary hunter who volunteered for the federal army in search of a stable life. He always carries a talisman in the shape of a tiger, and believes that it is its protection that has allowed him to escape from difficult situations.

• Name: Duke
  • Galactic Federation Soldier Class: Sergeant

(Translated) Bio: A veteran who has survived countless battles with the Space Pirate army, his stubborn personality often leads to conflicts with his superiors, but his sincere and compassionate nature make him a reliable presence on the battlefield.

• Name: Armstrong
  • Galactic Federation Soldier Class: Private First Class

(Translated) Bio: A private first class in the Galactic Federation Army. She has excellent knowledge of vehicle structure and operation, and can drive them intuitively. Her bright and proactive personality allows her to solve problems frequently, and she has a strong affection for Samus Aran.

• Name: VUE-995
  • Galactic Federation Android

(Translated) Bio: A combat android belonging to the Galactic Federation Army. It pilots fighter jets, armored vehicles, and bipedal manned combat mecha on behalf of humans. It is not equipped with a program that allows it to have emotions, but there are cases where pseudo-emotions can be generated.

December 4 can’t get here soon enough. -R

Marathon Stream

Metroid Marathon 2025

It’s that time again! The Metroid Database and friends are going to be holding their annual Metroid Marathon this year starting on this Sunday, September 28. We’re kicking off the event with contributing editor Rue playing Zero Mission. 

This year, our charity will be to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, with 95% of proceeds going to that organization. We chose this one because Rue was tragically struck with the condition early this year, and fortunately he has recovered thanks to the incredible breakthroughs in medical science.

Here’s the current (tentative) schedule:

Hope to see you there, we’ll be offering free giveaways during the show, as always!