Issue #55: Life in the Shadows – October 2021

Samus has returned to the cover of our magazine for the first time since Samus Returns, and this time we're shining the spotlight on her time spent in the shadows!

Back when we published NF #29 in 2017, headlined by Metroid: Samus Returns for the 3DS, we brought to all of you fine readers a full History of Metroid feature to bring everyone back up to speed with the many previous adventures of Samus Aran. It's still relevant to revisit now, so I encourage you all to do so! It paints a picture of how the Metroid series has grown and evolved over time, mostly focusing on the gameplay of each installment. 2D adventures. 3D first-person shooter quests. A pinball game! Reading about what came before for any brand always helps get you in the right headspace to experience any new sequel.

Since we already covered those bases, though, we wanted to take a different approach in this edition. One of the most curious things about the upcoming Metroid Dread is that Nintendo claims it will serve as a conclusion to the mainline Metroid series story. It's Metroid 5 -- and they're saying there's never going to be a Metroid 6.

Wrestling with that reality is a whole ordeal in and of itself, so in this NF issue we're looking back on the Metroid saga once more, but specifically the path we've taken to arrive at this supposed finale. We're revisiting Samus' character and her story so far -- and then we're looking to the potential futures that may exist for a brand that's just been declared to be reaching a critical end point.

The dread of Samus' uncertain future is surely creeping in by this point! And we'll keep that feeling of fear afloat elsewhere in this October edition too, with coverage of other spooky games full of creepy creatures! (Maybe don't read this NF issue in a dark room!)

Print subscribers, your physical copies are in production now and will be mailed to you this week!

Digital subscribers, keep an eye on your email inbox on this Wednesday, September 22. That's when I'll send out the link to download the latest digital edition!

After this, we're shifting back to our normal bi-monthly production schedule -- though NF #56 will be published a little bit later, near the tail end of October, as we restore the regular rhythm. Stay tuned for more on that one soon, and as always, thanks for your continued support of The Nintendo Force!

~ Lucas M. Thomas