Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s Credits Uncover a Massive Web of Collaborators — and a New Voice for Samus
Gamers are buzzing after the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4: Beyond rolled its credits — and the surprises didn’t stop at the ending. Beyond its cinematic finale, eagle-eyed fans discovered that Retro Studios wasn’t the only powerhouse behind the latest entry. A wide network of support studios contributed to the project, revealing just how enormous the game’s production truly was. But here’s where it gets especially intriguing: Samus Aran herself now speaks with a completely new voice.
When Retro Studios took back control of the Prime series in 2019, most people agreed it was the right move. Retro had birthed the franchise back in the early 2000s, and few developers understand its combination of moody atmosphere and first-person exploration as well as they do. Even though much of the original team has since moved on, Beyond proves the studio’s identity and craftsmanship remain intact. On the new Switch 2 hardware, their mastery practically leaps off the screen.
Still, Retro didn’t shoulder the challenge alone. The end credits revealed an impressive list of partners — heavy hitters in the game development scene — who brought specialized talent to the table. Among them were Next Level Games, Virtuos, and several others known for their technical or artistic contributions to big-budget titles.
Next Level Games might sound familiar to longtime fans. The Canadian studio previously worked on Metroid Prime: Federation Force for the 3DS back in 2016. It officially joined Nintendo’s family of wholly owned studios in 2021, standing alongside Retro under the same creative umbrella. Several of its developers, including Matt McTavish, Cavin Yen, Mark Blanchin, and Christopher Rice, were specifically credited for their work on Prime 4: Beyond — further proof of Nintendo’s increasingly collaborative internal approach.
Here’s the full roster of credited contributors:
- Retro Studios
- Next Level Games
- Virtuos
- Territory Studio
- Waterproof
- Keywords Studios
- Liquid Development
- Volta
- AMC Studio
- GameSim
- Smoking Gun Interactive
- Forge Studios
- Red Hot CG
- Original Force
- Devoted Studios
- Room 8 Studio
- Next Gen Dreams
- Mock Science
- Cup of Tea
- Formosa Interactive
- House of Moves
That’s a strikingly large lineup — and it underscores how even the industry’s most iconic developers now rely on distributed talent networks to achieve ambitious visions. But this is where fans are divided: does having so many contributors help maintain quality, or risk diluting a studio’s signature style?
There’s another major change turning heads too. Samus Aran is now voiced by Erin Yvette, with motion capture performed by Krystle Martin. Longtime fans will remember Jennifer Hale lending her voice to the original Prime trilogy, making this shift both exciting and, for some, bittersweet. Yvette’s performance, however, is already being praised for adding a nuanced emotional depth to the character. And this is the part most critics agree on — while Samus has evolved, her essence as the silent yet indomitable hero remains untouched.
Nintendo veteran Kensuke Tanabe, the series producer, continues his creative involvement, even penning the detailed in-game scan texts that flesh out the universe’s lore. It’s a subtle but crucial touch that ties Beyond to the DNA of its predecessors.
In Nintendo Life’s review of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, the game earned an impressive 9 out of 10. The review celebrated its ability to rekindle that original GameCube magic — the curiosity of exploration, the slow-burn discovery — while bringing fresh energy to both visual design and combat. In short, it’s a love letter to the past and a leap toward the future.
So what do you think — should Nintendo continue this multi-studio strategy for such beloved franchises, or would you prefer Retro stay at the helm completely alone? And how do you feel about Samus’s new voice? Share your take in the comments — this one’s bound to stir some debate among Metroid fans.
