N64 was too early for a 3D Metroid
The wait was worth it though
Metroid co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto has finally explained why no Metroid game was released on the N64.
Samus Aran skipped a generation on Nintendo's home consoles and went straight from the SNES to the Gamecube and Sakamoto told GamesTM that it felt like it was too easy.
Sakamoto explained: "I was actually thinking about the possibility of making a Metroid game for N64 but I felt that I shouldn't be the one making the game. When I held the N64 controller in my hands I just couldn't imagine how it could be used to move Samus around. So for me it was just too early to personally make a 3D Metroid at that time."
He added that Nintendo did want to do a Metroid game on the N64 and a developer was even approached but they turned it down as they felt they couldn't live up to the immense Super Metroid.
He continued: "Also, I know this is isn't a direct answer to your question but Nintendo at that time approached another company and asked them if they would make an N64 version of Metroid and their response was that no, they could not. They turned it down, saying that unfortunately they didn't have the confidence to create an N64 Metroid game that could compare favourably with Super Metroid. That's something I take as a compliment to what we achieved with Super Metroid."
