Metroid Dread launches the same day as the new Nintendo Switch model, and though the game is not a Switch-OLED exclusive, Nintendo hopes its fancy enhancements will drive players to the new console.
Read More: Metroid Dread, A 2D Sidescroller, Gets E3 Reveal
In a press release, Nintendo said, “With the vibrant OLED screen and enhanced audio, embarking on the latest adventure of intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran in Metroid Dread while playing in handheld or tabletop mode will feel even more immersive.”
Metroid Dread comes out October 8, as will the Switch (OLED model)—yes, that’s the official name—though folks have taken to calling it the “Sw-oled.”
Metroid Dread, which was announced at Nintendo’s E3 2021 Direct, is the first new 2D Metroid in almost 20 years. It’s a sidescroller in the Metroid universe separate from the Metroid Prime 4 game that Nintendo promised fans years ago. This game is instead a sequel to Metroid Fusion.
In a two-part, 40-minute demo of Metroid Dread, Nintendo Treehouse showed off some of the core gameplay features including the new robotic baddie E.M.M.I. Most notably, producer Yoshio Sakamoto said that the idea for the game has been around for about 15 years but wasn’t possible due to technological restraints. Now, he says, the final product has surpassed the original idea. Seems like a natural fit for the OLED model.
In Dread, E.M.M.I enemies require more power than Samus has to defeat, meaning she’ll have to evade her pursuers until she can find offensive upgrades that can bring E.M.M.I.s down.
In addition to the upgrades that the flagship already has, a larger screen and better audio quality might make Dread’s portable experience more visceral. The new Switch model also offers 64 GB of internal storage, enhanced audio, an upgraded kickstand, and a wired LAN port.