A new 2D Metroid has grabbed the collective internet by its collar, and with that excitement comes a tough financial situation for many Nintendo Switch collectors. Metroid Ravenous was announced during the September 9th Nintendo Direct; the newest game in the Metroid series seems to be returning Samus to the classic stylings the franchise is known for, following the lackluster reception of Metroid Prime 4. Needless to say, the internet seems more hungry for Samus than ever.
With newcomers and fans alike flooding timelines with an unprecedented amount of support and interest in the series, all that outcry spells doom for the next best thing, 2021’s Metroid Dread. Infamous for starting out as a Nintendo DS title, and even teased via hidden dialog found in 2007’s Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Metroid Dread finally grappled its way out of development hell, turning into an unlikely success story on the Nintendo Switch. The game was lauded by critics and fans of the series alike, rising far above 2017’s Metroid: Samus Returns, the Nintendo 3DS exclusive remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus.
Consequently, a cocktail consisting of one highly anticipated Metroid game, mixed with one extremely well-liked out-of-print Metroid game, doesn’t leave you in a drunken stupor, but with a burning hole in your wallet.
Related History for the Second-Hand Skyrocketing for Metroid Dread
According to popular second-hand market sales tracker PriceCharting.Org, Metroid Dread’s price on sites like eBay skyrocketed in September, leaving many Metroid fans wishing for an “Other M” in their bank accounts just to afford it. Physical copies of Metroid Dread surged to a minimum of $80 for a complete-in-box physical copy, with some sales clocking in at upwards of $100. This kind of bull run is unprecedented for a first-party Nintendo Switch title from only 5 years ago, especially given Metroid Dread is still fully available on digital platforms. It’s unclear if prices will be going down anytime soon, but if you were hoping to score a copy of one of the best Metroid games the Switch has to offer, you might have to sit it out; the scalpers won this round.
At the present time, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity can be used as an example. The game received a sequel in the form of 2025’s Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which was one of the first exclusive titles for the Nintendo Switch 2. Did this cause a sudden price surge? No, but it did pave the way for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – Definitive Edition, releasing February 25th, 2027. So, owing to that example, it looks like our best bet on physical reprints for Metroid Dread will be a future Switch 2 definitive edition, which would be a shame.
What can you do if you want more Metroid now?
With this in mind, you may very well be in the position I find myself in, stuck between a rock and an overpriced second-hand copy of a five-year-old-game. All things considered, if you’re looking to get into the Metroid series and you’re a big enough fan of Nintendo to care about an article like this, there’s a good chance you’re already paying for some level of the Nintendo Switch Online Service. With that in mind, for your consideration: Super Metroid.
Super Metroid, the iconic 1994 SNES game, is fully available on Nintendo Switch Online at its basic $20-a-year tier, and under the current circumstances, I decided now was a good time to play it for the first time. I will refrain from hijacking this article to give you a full review of a game nine years my senior, but I think it’s not only a must-play for any self-respecting fan of the medium, but also one of Nintendo’s greatest achievements, on par with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
All things considered, I understand that in an article wholly focused on the struggles of physical media, it can be a cruel consolation prize to recommend a digital SNES game you have to rent for a monthly fee, but it’s my professional opinion that the Metroid series is too good to ignore. If Metroid Ravenous looks even remotely interesting to you, and you (rightfully) refuse to play something unless you can slot it into the console yourself, even titles like 2023’s Metroid Prime Remastered are worth a pick-up, especially given the title has an MSRP of $39.99 and is still widely available physically at many major retailers. Let’s just hope nobody gets any bad ideas.
Author Credit: Joey
