Is Retro Studios Working on F-Zero?

FAL-CON PUNCH!

       There are a lot of mysteries surrounding Nintendo. Perhaps the biggest question mark revolves around Retro Studios. Being one of Nintendo's most respected second-party developers, people are naturally wondering what they're up to, especially since Retro Studios released their last game in 2014. Only two things are certain: They're not working on Metroid Prime, and everyone will be very upset if it is another Donkey Kong Country game. A lot of people presume they're working on a new IP, but I don't think that is the case. My idea is quite a bit wilder, but it is the only thing that makes sense in my mind. What could Retro Studios be working on? Well, in my opinion, the answer is clear: F-Zero.

       To understand why I believe that Retro Studios is working on F-Zero, we first need to look back at their body of work. Retro has released five games across two franchises: Metroid and Donkey Kong. It seems as though Retro Studios operates in one particular way. They like to take an old and neglected Nintendo IP that has a deeply loyal fanbase and revive it. First they did it with Metroid.

       While the Game Boy Advance did see Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission in the early 2000s, Samus took quite a long time away from home consoles. Before Retro got their hands on the IP, Super Metroid (released in 1994) on the SNES was the last title to grace the big screen. Metroid was in a very precarious position before Prime came out, as the 3D transition was proving too hard for Nintendo. Metroid's creator, Yoshio Sakamoto, stated once that he simply couldn't fathom how Samus would control in a 3D environment. It was Retro Studios who had the answer, and their work resulted in one of Nintendo's most lauded series. Spanning two consoles and three games, the Metroid Prime trilogy was certainly a great way to start out Retro's career.

       Much like Metroid, Donkey Kong had fallen on tough times. The last true entry in this series was in 1996, being Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble. After that, the DK crew were relegated to ports, shoddy spin-offs, and guest appearances in Mario games. That is, until Retro Studios did what they always do, and swooped in for the save. Beginning development in 2008 before its release in 2010, Donkey Kong Country Returns brought the series back to prominence. Again, this franchise proved to be quite lucrative for Retro, garnering great press and big sales. This led to the subsequent release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze in 2014. Again, the game was met with a warm critical reception, but the sales of Tropical Freeze were much lower than its predecessor, due to the lower install base of the Wii U.

       In both cases, Retro Studios was able to revitalize a franchise that Nintendo had mostly abandoned. Out of the ashes of Metroid and Donkey Kong Country came bold series that helped Retro establish its dominant position within Nintendo, and helped expand Nintendo's modern stable of IP. I believe that Nintendo will want Retro Studios repeating that magic with another one of their past franchises, this time being F-Zero.

       As Mr. Miyamoto has stated many times before, he is at a loss as to how to progress the F-Zero series. In a 2013 interview with IGN, Mr. Miyamoto revealed that while he understands that fans want a new F-Zero game, he simply doesn't have any good ideas of how to continue the franchise. This seems like a prime (no pun intended) series for Retro Studios to breathe fresh life into. Much like Metroid and Donkey Kong, F-Zero has a dedicated fanbase that is chomping at the bit for another game; one that Nintendo has consistently proved to be incapable of making. There has not been an F-Zero game since the GBA, but that has not silenced the fervor around a new entry. Every leaker worth their salt suspects a new F-Zero, and every time a new title isn't announced, the outcry grows. No other franchise (short of Earthbound, but that would never happen) from Nintendo's past is neglected, but loved by the community, to the same extent that F-Zero is.

       Furthermore, the timing just makes sense for a new F-Zero. Both of Retro Studio's previous revivals were released to fill a niche on their respective systems. Metroid Prime was the answer to the Gamecube lacking mature experiences, and Donkey Kong Country Returns capitalized on the New Super Mario Bros. Wii nostalgia wave. The Switch is bringing in a lot of lapsed Nintendo fans, the type of person who owned an N64 and Gamecube, but stopped following Nintendo with the Wii. That demographic would certainly be interested in a revitalized version of F-Zero, a series that was quite popular during those two console generations. A new F-Zero could also act as a technical showcase for the Switch, much like F-Zero GX on Gamecube, as well as leverage split Joy-Con multiplayer for high speed races anywhere you are. Considering how well the F-Zero inspired indie game Fast RMX did on Switch, I think Captain Falcon would be well received on Nintendo's hybrid system.

       The biggest hurdle to Retro Studios making a new F-Zero title is Retro Studios making a new Donkey Kong Country title. Retro is very methodical when it comes to game releases. They finished the whole Metroid Prime trilogy before moving on to Donkey Kong Country. It is very possible that, much like Metroid, Retro Studios hopes create a full DK trilogy as well before moving on to a new project. Furthermore, the wait between DKC: Returns and DKC: Tropical Freeze was just about four years, so it isn't out of the question for a new Donkey Kong to be announced at this E3. And, the upcoming Switch port of Tropical Freeze confirms the pattern of DKC releases. First, Returns launched on Wii. Then, it was ported to 3DS. Next, Tropical Freeze launched on Wii U. Now, it's being ported to Switch. Considering the port was not a collection of both DKC games, like the Metroid Prime Trilogy release on Wii, I think there might just be room for one more outing on Switch, before a final collected edition.

       However, just because there is room, doesn't mean I think we'll get another Donkey Kong. In fact, I'd be shocked if Retro was working on this. From a financial perspective, Tropical Freeze was significantly out performed by Donkey Kong Country Returns. It sold 1.7 million units, in comparison to 6.5 million units of Returns. Undoubtably, that disparity can be at least partially choked up to the tiny install base of Wii U, particularly during February of 2014. But, this trend also speaks to the fact that many people are not only discontented with 2D platformers, but with Retro Studios in particular making them. With the reveal of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the Nintendo community was incredibly unhappy that Retro Studios had chosen to make another Donkey Kong game. The market was flooded with 2D platformers, and regardless of the fact that Tropical Freeze is arguably one of the best, that didn't change the fact that Retro were the ones making it. The same studio that delivered three highly praised, mature, atmospheric first-person adventures were making 2D platformers. Especially in Nintendo's stable where games in this genre are a dime a dozen, this was viewed as wasted talent. And, to an extent I think that's accurate.

       The Donkey Kong Country games are fantastic, but they don't need Retro Studios to make them. There are so many teams in Nintendo that make fantastic 2D platformers, such as Monster Games, who ported Returns to the 3DS with added content. Retro Studios could easily be removed from the equation and put onto bigger and better things without detriment to Donkey Kong's quality. I think that after the Tropical Freeze situation, Nintendo realizes that.

       The prevailing theory is that Retro Studios is working on a new IP, and just like Donkey Kong, I think that is unlikely. It's important to remember that during the Gamecube era, Retro Studios had three new IPs cancelled. One untitled action/adventure game, Thunder Rally, and Raven Blade. All three were scrapped at various points in their development cycle. Retro is at their best when they are overhauling old Nintendo IP. If I was in charge of green-lighting Retro's new project, I'd play to their strengths, and that would not be the creation of new franchises. Especially not now, during a period in which so many nostalgic gamers are buying Nintendo Switches. It is a matter of managing resources the best, and assigning Retro to a new IP would not be the best use of said resources.

       Is a new F-Zero from Retro Studios a sure bet? Not exactly. But, in my opinion, it is very likely. Personally, I'd be extremely excited to have a new F-Zero game. I've only played F-Zero and F-Zero X, but I've really enjoyed them both. However, I've  been waiting to see what a proper, HD F-Zero could look like. The games are so fast and frenzied that I'd love to see how Captain Falcon and crew would look on the Switch. I think it would also be good for Nintendo to modernize as many of their old IP as possible. The Wii and Wii U didn't utilize more than a handful of Nintendo series effectively, and I'd love to see the Switch become a haven for all of Nintendo's IP, much like the Gamecube was in the early 2000s. Of course the dream scenario is that Retro Studios is working on revitalizing Star Fox, but I like to try and live within the realm of realism. Or, as close to reality as a person can be, while still predicting that Retro Studios is working on F-Zero.

Let me know what you think Retro Studios is up to in the comments below!