Metroid Prime: Federation Force

Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Developer	Next Level Games
Publisher	Nintendo
System	Nintendo 3DS
Release Date	US August 19, 2016 JP August 25, 2016 PAL September 2/3, 2016
Rating	ESRB: T

Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a first person shooter that was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2016. It is a spin-off of the Metroid Prime series that stars marines from the Galactic Federation instead of Samus Aran and features a more cartoonish graphic style. The game was met with negative reception due to the ways that it departed from other Metroid games.

Story

The game features a group of Federation marines led by General Alex Miles. As part of a special program called Operation Golem, the marines have been outfitted with special Mech suits which grant them abilities similar to that of Samus Aran. After traveling to the Bermuda System for an archeological survey, the marines end up clashing with the Space Pirates and attempt to disable their new weapons. Samus Aran initially works with them, but they ultimately lose contact with her.

Gameplay

Like Metroid Prime Hunters, this game takes the first person style of the Metroid Prime games and focuses on the shooting aspect rather than the gameplay elements related to exploration. Prior to battles, players can customize the playable marines by equipping them with different weapons and other devices. The game also features co-op gameplay, with up to four players being able to work together in missions.

Federation Force also contains a sub-game called "Metroid Prime: Blast Ball", which was revealed prior to the rest of the game. Blast Ball was released as a free download and treated as a demo for the game. It consisted of three-on-three matches in which players attempted to launch balls at nets, in a manner similar to soccer. This mode featured online gameplay, although online support was only available for the free version through the end of 2016. Data from the free version could be transferred to Federation Force.

The game was also compatible with amiibos. Scanning different figures could unlock special paint jobs for the player's Mechs in Blast Ball, and Samus figures could be scanned to unlock special upgrades in the game's main mode.

Continuity Notes

• The game is known to be set after Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and prior to Metroid II: The Return of Samus.
• A figure appears in the game's ending who is implied to by Sylux, a bounty hunter who was introduced in Metroid Prime Hunters and whose appearance had also been teased in the ending of Metroid Prime 3.

Legacy

The next Metroid game to be released would be Metroid: Samus Returns, a remake of Metroid II that was developed for the 3DS. A new Metroid Prime game was also later announced.