After years of uncertainty, Nintendo has finally clarified where Metroid Prime 4: Beyond fits within the series’ overall timeline, though the explanation isn’t entirely straightforward.
According to statements shared in a Famitsu interview, the game is set after the events of Super Metroid and before Metroid Fusion.
This finally anchors the long-awaited sequel within Samus Aran’s overall journey, rather than leaving it floating ambiguously alongside the earlier Prime trilogy.
Why Does Nintendo Say Prime 4 Takes Place in “Another Dimension”?
However, Nintendo was quick to stress that Beyond is not meant to directly interfere with the established 2D storyline.
While its placement between Super Metroid and Fusion is canon, the core events of the game unfold in another dimension beyond conventional time and space.
This framing allows the Prime series to continue exploring new ideas and threats without forcing future 2D entries to acknowledge or resolve what happens in Beyond.
In practical terms, the game has a chronological slot, but it’s intentionally insulated from reshaping the mainline arc.
How Does Prime 4 Feel Different From Previous Metroid Games?
As a result, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond balances familiarity with experimentation, introducing some of the series’ biggest mechanical and structural shifts, including a more open-ended world, vast desert regions on Viewros, and new traversal options like the Vi-O-La motorcycle.
Samus is accompanied by a new companion, Myles Mackenzie, who helps set up a base of operations, marking a notable departure from the series’ traditionally solitary tone.
These changes reinforce Nintendo’s description of Beyond as a fresh starting point, even though it technically sits late in the timeline.
Does This Timeline Placement Create Lore Problems?
The timeline clarification has naturally reignited debate among long-time fans, particularly around how the game’s events coexist with earlier declarations like Super Metroid’s famous claim that “the last Metroid is in captivity.”
Community discussion has focused heavily on Sylux, cloning experiments, and whether the creatures seen in Beyond should be considered true Metroids, modified variants, or something closer to earlier failed clones like Mochtroids.
Nintendo’s “other dimension” explanation doesn’t resolve every perceived contradiction, but it does soften their impact by framing much of Beyond’s conflict as something that doesn’t fully intersect with the primary 2D continuity.
To understand Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s placement, here is the commonly accepted chronological order of the main Metroid titles, incorporating both the 2D games and the Prime subseries:
- Metroid / Metroid: Zero Mission
- Metroid Prime
- Metroid Prime Hunters
- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
- Metroid Prime: Federation Force
- Metroid II: Return of Samus / Metroid: Samus Returns
- Super Metroid
- Metroid: Other M
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
- Metroid Fusion
- Metroid Dread
The timeline order shows Nintendo positioning Prime 4: Beyond between Super Metroid and Fusion, while keeping the Prime storyline flexible.
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