Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Turns 20 – Developers Reveal Dropped Multiplayer Feature Involving Space Pirates

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Celebrates 20th Anniversary – Unveiled Insights on Cancelled Multiplayer Features Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo, marks its 20th anniversary this week, having first launched for the Nintendo GameCube on November 15, 2004.

The sequel built upon the groundbreaking mechanics of its predecessor, further enriching the Metroid series with new environments, gameplay systems, and an innovative multiplayer mode.

As Metroid Prime 2: Echoes reaches this milestone, new details have emerged regarding its development, shining a light on features that ultimately did not make it into the final release. In a recent interview on the YouTube channel Kiwi Talkz, developers Jack Mathews and Zoid Kirsch reflected on the game's development, specifically discussing the conceptual groundwork behind its multiplayer component.

Notably, Mathews revealed that the multiplayer mode almost included the option for players to control Space Pirates, one of the Metroid franchise’s most iconic enemies.

According to Mathews, the early concepts allowed players to choose between playing as Samus Aran or as a Space Pirate, with the latter offering distinct abilities not available to Samus. "Originally, the narrative behind the multiplayer mode explored the possibility of players taking on the role of either Samus or a Space Pirate," Mathews explained.

"Space Pirates were prototyped with unique mechanics such as wall-clinging, which enabled them to lock on to anchor points and leap across the arena—quite distinct from Samus's standard skill set." Despite their distinctive gameplay potential, these ideas did not advance far into development.

Mathews and Kirsch confirmed that the team never fully realized the Space Pirate character models with functional first-person arm cannons for multiplayer.

Ultimately, the released version of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes offered players the ability to compete in multiplayer arenas as Samus in various color variations of the Varia Suit.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes received critical acclaim for its atmospheric design, challenging puzzles, and refined combat system, and remains a highly regarded entry in the Prime saga.

The title’s multiplayer component, while praised for its innovation, has since become a topic of fascination for its unrealized potential, as revealed in the developers’ recent reflections. Currently, Retro Studios is developing Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, slated for launch on the Nintendo Switch in 2025.

Announced originally in 2017, the project was transferred from Bandai Namco to Retro Studios after a development restart, a move widely noted by fans and industry watchers alike.

As anticipation builds for the next entry in the storied franchise, insights into the developmental journey of earlier titles like Metroid Prime 2: Echoes continue to offer valuable perspectives on the creative process behind one of Nintendo’s most beloved series.

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