Star Fox-Metroid Crossover Wii U Title in Development: The Rumored Features

By Jonathan Charles | May 21, 2012 04:09 PM EDT

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A rumor has surfaced that Retro Studios - the makers of the Metroid Prime titles for the GameCube and Wii, along with Donkey Kong Country Returns - is working on a crossover title featuring Star Fox and Samus Aran, of Metroid Prime. The title is being treated strictly as rumor, but Nintendo's E3 conference begins June 5 - just over two weeks away.

According to Paul Gale, of Paul Gale Network, the title was born out of some of Retro studio wanting to develop a new IP that brought "3rd person sci-fi action" and aerial combat together. Other Studios employees wanted to take full control of Star Fox.

Gale said Nintendo sees Retro as a "very competent developer," and worked with the studio when creating the "Star Fox-Metroid: Fusion Saga" title.

Story

The game apparently begins controlling Fox McCloud, who enters a light speed warp and collides with Aran's ship. The control switches to Aran plummeting towards a planet in the ship. Players will use the Wii U controller to look around, and the touch screen to press buttons to prepare for impact. The TV camera stays fixed on looking out the cockpit. Players then land, take first-person control of Samus Aran on an unknown planet.

The title then switches between Fox in space battles as he travels towards the planet Aran crashed on, and a Metroid Prime-esque experience as players explore the planet and level up.

The Star Fox-Metroid: Fusion Saga title is based around the two franchises colliding in one game, combining both gameplay styles.

Gameplay

Star Fox stages will apparently be similar to previous games, featuring radio chatter from the crew and on-rail sections. The Metroid experience is the opposite: players are alone, gaining upgrades, fighting bosses and repairing the crashed ship. Gale said the game is "epic in size, scope, ambition." Later in the game, players will fly Aran's ship in a Star Fox style.

Players can choose to play exclusively as one character, but will eventually have to complete both as the characters meet. The Star Fox sections are shorter, as Gale claimed the series is known for being acceptable in short bursts, while the Prime sections are longer.

When the two characters meet, players will also be able to control Star Fox on foot from third person.

"Think of Jet Force Gemini with Fox's known agility as he's portrayed as having in the Smash Bros. series," Gale added. He also said Fox will control more like Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden and less like he did in Star Fox Adventures.

The Star Fox sections won't have four-player co-op, which was considered, with leaderboards taking its place. Multiplayer will be versus modes.

Gale isn't 100 percent sure the game is in development, and suggests it could have just been a pitch. However, he adds this is the closest he's got to finding out what the studio has been working on over the past 13 months.

Gale previously leaked information on PlayStation All -Stars Battle Royal 's title - Sony's rival to Super Smash Bros. - before the official announcement.