Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally in the hands of players worldwide after years of waiting, but players have uncovered that a basic feature is locked behind an Amiibo figure.
18 years after Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was first released, the fourth instalment in the series launched on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4, but early impressions are mixed, with critic scores being the lowest in the series.
There’s still time for that to change, however, and user scores may be more positive, but the locking of a basic feature behind a paywall has left one area of the game feeling barren.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Desert Music Locked Behind Amiibo Purchase
As pointed out by Luke Stephens on Twitter, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s music in the desert, an area explored while driving the Vi-O-La bike, is absent unless you purchased the $29.99 Samus Amiibo.
Nintendo’s product description lists background music as a perk from owning the Samus Amiibo, along with the ability to activate a shield that will block up to 99 damage and fully restore Samus’ life once per day.
The description doesn’t inform you, however, that without the Amiibo figure, the desert landscape in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will be eerily silent, and offers nothing if you haven’t splashed out on the figure.
There are also two other Amiibo figures to purchase to get additional bonuses in the game, with the Samus & Vi-O-La figure providing customizable colors, the ability to check total distance travels, and a once-per-day increase to the rate of regeneration for Viola’s Boost Energy.
The final figure, Cyrax, allows you to see the full version of the movies that are shown in fragments throughout the game, once you have completed it, a feature that is otherwise locked behind achieving a 100% scan rate and item collection rate.
What do you think about some Metroid Prime 4: Beyond features being Amiibo exclusive? Share your thoughts in the Insider Gaming Discord.
For more news, read about the discovery of Escape From Tarkov’s good ending, and check out all of the Season 1 patch notes for Call of Duty: Warzone.
A cool looking amiibo that can be used on different games
Thats some crazy work Nintendo!
Scumbag Nintendo at it again.
NES to SNES is the only console-to-console era Nintendo didn’t lose their damn minds; usually for greedy reasons (they actually helped create one of their biggest competitors, Playstation, bc of boneheaded decisions). Since Switch 2 was announced, it’s been misstep after misstep. It’s like they’re cursed (by greed, if the joycon issue not being fixed is any indication)
Background music is definitely not just a ‘perk’, this goes beyond amiibos only being bonuses with a steep cost and anyone who plays games should be worried about what it sets
This is wild, ive never heard of paying for the game’s background music separately before. Old school Nintendo wouldnt have pulled this, which is why im currently playing through Echoes again rather than buy MP4 just yet.
Ya well fk Nintendo, if this is how they wanna play then I’m already done and no longer buying overpriced amiibos and this gives me more reason not to because I don’t want to support this kind of shady practice.
If this keeps up then Switch 2 will be my last console. I already skipped PS5 and Xbox One and X/S so I can drop Nintendo too after this.
Go look for amiino bin files and write to an NFC tag. Nintendo was bad enough with artificial scarcity on amiibos so players couldn’t buy them except from scalpers and Nintendo let it happen. So this is a problem they created and keep digging themselves deeper. Nintendo can get bent!
I can usually defend alot of Nintendo’s decisions. Truly I could. Cause some things actually HAVE potentially logical reasons behind it that easily explains them
This however ..I can’t. I just truly can’t.
This is sickening corporate greed. I bought the switch 2 and a copy of the new Metroid and I was so excited to play it this weekend after a long week at work. Now, I just feel bitter disappointment. If you’re going to charge $100 for your game, at least have the balls and the honor to charge it up front. Don’t pull this shady bait and switch crap on your fans. Feels like I am dealing with a bargain basement scammer instead of a multi-billion dollar company that has been around for decades.
It’s really sad that if I ever want to play a Nintendo game again it’s only going to be an old one or a pirated one. They used to be my favorite gaming brand, I grew up with 64 and NES and GameCube.
Now the first party titles they pump out are the greediest and lowest effort slop in gaming. PAY EXTRA FOR THE IN GAME MUSIC? Bad Nintendo. Someone crazed should visit their headquarters.
Yo wtf??? I know we keep saying companies are taking things too far. But holy hell this is taking it way too far. THIRTY BUCKS for some background music?? Nah man. I love Metroid but this has only reaffirmed my choice more to not get a Switch 2.
I don’t get what’s the deal. Games have long had dlc, and in this case the dlc comes with a good looking toy.
That’s foul. Not even a bundle for the game with the figure and or a detailed explanation. They just like figure it out and when you do pay 30$ for a sound track and unlockable cheat code
Coming from SilkSong directly to MP4, it felt like a big slap in the face. A scrappy $20 indie looks/feels/plays with more heart, just as pretty (if not prettier) than a $60 AAA ?
This amiibo BS just adds fuel to that soulless fire.
Erm, all that being said, Nintendo consoles have been pretty much the only one I’ve owned since the Wii era / I am a Mario/Zelda fan it for life so I realize I (and my wallet) continuing to fork over to be slapped are part of the problem 😕