Nintendo on how MecurySteam came to work on Metroid: Samus Returns, chances of 2D Metroid on Switch

A portion of a GameSpot interview with Metroid producer Yoshio Sakamoto and MercurySteam's Jose Luis Márquez

GameSpot: How long has Metroid: Samus Returns been in development?

Yoshio Sakamoto: About two years.

GS: Did Nintendo seek MercurySteam out for this project or was it the other way around?

YS: There was a very fateful meeting, so we'll tell you that to start off with.

I just wanted to start out by saying I've been wanting to make a 2D Metroid game with today's technology for quite a long time. It wasn't only my personal desire, but also because I know there are a lot of people out there in the world who have been clamoring for a 2D Metroid game.

For myself, I've been wanting to revisit that fundamental, basic, core essence of Metroid, that 2D gameplay, and I was considering ways to go about taking on that challenge. That was more than two years ago.

Then I heard of MercurySteam and they were looking to take on the challenge of remaking a Metroid game. It wasn't Metroid II, but again I'd heard about this desire from the MercurySteam team.

I knew MercurySteam from their development work on Castelvania. I thought, "We've got to meet with these guys," and so we flew out to Spain [where MercurySteam is located]. Over the course of that meeting, obviously we had a great time. It seemed like, wow, there's a lot of potential here, and basically that's really how it got started.

Jose Luis Márquez: Like Sakamoto-san said, we approached Nintendo to make a remake of a classic game. We are also a fan of the series, so we were happy to know that they wanted to collaborate with us.

GS: Do you think we'll ever see a 2D Metroid on Switch?

YS: We are always, always thinking about ways that we can excite the fans of the series and come up with stuff that they will want to see and play, and we love that challenge, but there's nothing we can discuss in terms of Switch at this point. Yeah, we'll discuss it. (laughs)