Live-action Metroid fan film faces Samus against Ridley

metroid samus
(Image credit: Nintendo)

An impressive live-action Metroid fan film has made its way online, showcasing Samus and a battle with iconic franchise boss, Ridley. 

The eight-minute short comes courtesy of creator devinsupertramp, who says they put the film together with the help of their Discord community. The user is known for making many live-action video game projects, this just being the newest entry in a list that has featured Pokemon, Fortnite and Zelda. 

The short has Samus arriving on SR422, an ice planet where she will be able to upgrade to a plasma cannon. Check it out here:

In the video, Samus explores an impressive looking ice setting, complete with frozen structures and Northern Lights. She sports a convincing suit and even becomes a morph ball, reminiscent of the games. 

Of course, she contends with recognisable enemies too. Many Metroid larva appear, but far more striking is Ridley. The creepy looking pterodactyl-like creature appears to be a mix of a physical and CGI effect that is fairly effective, and is particularly impressive stuff considering this is a fan-made project. 

This is not the first time an Metroid fan film has ever been made. There are several on YouTube, but perhaps the most famous is Metroid: The Sky Calls from Rainfall Films which debuted in 2015. That video now has over 3 million views. 

It’s perhaps not surprising that fans and creators alike have been trying to capture Metroid in recent years. Nintendo has certainly underutilised the franchise with only two games coming in the last decade. Metroid Federation Force launched in 2016 and was not well received by fans or the press. 2017’s Metroid: Samus Returns was certainly a closer return to form, though things have been relatively quiet since that title’s release. 

On the horizon, Metroid Prime 4 has been announced, but it has seemingly had a fairly troubled production. Initially announced in 2017, it was later revealed in 2019 that the developers had made the difficult choice to restart development. 

Fans will undoubtedly be looking towards Nintendo’s upcoming June 15th’s livestream for a potential re-reveal, though that is in no way guaranteed. The Metroid fanbase has been patient for a long time - hopefully it will be rewarded for that wait.

For a list of the best Nintendo Switch games you can play right now, check out our list right here!

Guides Editor at TechRadar

Patrick Dane is currently the Guides Editor at TechRadar. However, he was formerly a freelance games journalist writing for sites and publications such as GamesRadar, Metro, IGN, Eurogamer, PC Gamer, and the International Business Times, among others. He was also once the Managing Editor for Bleeding Cool.