Blink And You'll Miss This Creepy Metroid Dread Trailer Detail
Nintendo has just dropped another trailer for "Metroid Dread," and it contains a number of quick flashes and story teases, but one detail has fans hyped up. After Nintendo dropped the new teaser for "Metroid Dread" on Twitter, a few eagle-eyed fans spotted what appeared to be a an extremely brief flash of none other than the SA-X.
SA-X is from 2002's "Metroid Fusion," where it was featured in some scenes that were pretty disturbing for an E-rated game. The SA-X, a parasite capable of mimicking Samus' power suit and appearance, was the main villain in "Metroid Fusion" and one of the final bosses Samus had to defeat in the game.
As pointed out by fans on Twitter, the brief shot of SA-X in the new "Metroid Dread" teaser looks almost identical to a shot in the original game, just rendered in the new game's HD engine. There is also a shot of Samus generating some kind of energy near the end of the trailer, so there could be some darker forces at play in "Metroid Dread" (if the title didn't already make that clear).
It's unclear if the SA-X will play a role in "Metroid Dread" or if its appearance will be relegated to story-related flashbacks. Even so, fans are already chomping at the bit to decipher this teaser's mysteries.
A story 20 years in the making
Fans seem pretty excited about the inclusion of SA-X in "Metroid Dread," although "Metroid" fans might also just be stoked for this first new game in nearly two decades. Some fans still bemoan the fact that "Metroid Fusion" isn't available on the Nintendo Switch, despite this new release seeming to rely heavily on it for story purposes.
As mentioned in the reveal for "Metroid Dread" at E3 2021, it is the fifth entry in the mainline 2D "Metroid" series, so it would make sense that major characters like SA-X would be turning up in this game. It's known that Samus is investigating and trying to escape from planet ZDR while being chased by unstoppable enemies called E.M.M.I. Nintendo has also revealed a couple more details about the game that relate back to "Metroid Fusion." For instance, it has been revealed that Samus' armor is a different color because of the X Parasite that infected her suit during "Metroid Fusion."
Nintendo has been periodically releasing "Metroid Dread" reports, which may shed some light on how this game ties into the previous entries. The most recent report focuses on the origins of Samus and all of her previous adventures, so anyone excited for "Metroid Dread" might want to brush up on the lore ahead of its release. You'll need all the "Metroid" knowledge you can get if the SA-X is really returning.