Metroid Dread Tweet Teases Status Of X Parasites

Nintendo of America tweeted a hint that the X parasite from Metroid Fusion may be making its return in the upcoming Metroid Dread. The X Parasites serve as the primary antagonists for Samus in Metroid Fusion, which she supposedly eradicates by the end of the game. The bounty hunter sends the Biologic Space Laboratories station carrying the parasites into planet SR388, destroying the station and the planet in a colossal explosion, supposedly annihilating all of the parasites.

The E3 trailer for Metroid Dread spotlighted a number of new and returning abilities Samus will have at her disposal. Along with her usual missiles, Samus will have access to the melee counterattack she used in Metroid: Samus Returns, also developed by Mercury Steam. Unlike that game, she can now use the attack while moving, adding some versatility to her combat capabilities. Samus has a new sliding mechanic as well, allowing her to move under small gaps in walls rather than needing to rely on the Morph Ball every time. This ability is especially helpful for avoiding the featured antagonists of Dread, the E.M.M.I.s: robots that pursue Samus throughout the game. Other abilities like the Phantom Cloak will also help Samus avoid the E.M.M.I.s. The robots operate in a manner similar to the SA-X from Metroid Fusion: both are unfeeling, powerful killers that will hunt Samus on sight.

The tweet posted by Nintendo of America recaps the deadly nature of the X parasite. It can assume the form of any creature it wishes, even powerful boss monsters like Ridley. By the end of Metroid Fusion, Samus has supposedly killed off the last of X. But a mysterious transmission Samus receives, the same transmission that brings her to planet ZDR to begin her adventure in Dread, hints at the possibility of more X lurking elsewhere in the galaxy. However, the end of the tweet also communicates doubt as to that possibility. In the end, whether or not the X will return remains unclear. Since E3, Nintendo has regularly updated fans with tidbits about the game: last month, they released footage revealing how Samus can defeat the E.M.M.I.s. It lies within the realm of possibility that Nintendo may reveal more on the status of the X parasites at a later date.

The question becomes whether or not this tweet is a misdirection from Nintendo. The gaming giant has confirmed that the X will feature in the flashback prologue of the game, where Samus will recap her adventure in Fusion. Beyond that, however, the end of the tweet seems to suggest a red herring for the potential survival of the X parasites. Perhaps they will return in some fashion. It has been speculated that the suit Samus is wearing in Metroid Dread is the Fusion suit,  a suit formed from an infection of X parasites combined with a Metroid-based vaccine, and Nintendo has confirmed this. But the implication of the tweet frames the return of the parasites as somewhat dubious.

If the X parasites end up returning in Metroid Dread, perhaps they will have some connection to the mysterious living Chozo shown in the game’s trailer. The ancient Chozo species has a deep connection to the lore of the Metroid franchise, but the role of the individual seen in the trailer is still unknown. The rumored Metroid Dread Nintendo Direct in September may reveal more information on the threats for Samus to overcome in her new game.

Metroid Dread will release for Nintendo Switch on October 8, 2021.

Source: Nintendo of America/Twitter