Last verified 2026-09-21 by ReviewGamers Editorial
Metroid Ravenous, the new 2D Metroid announced at the 9 September Nintendo Direct, launches on 28 January 2027 as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. Nintendo’s US store lists it at US$59.99 digitally, a Special Edition bundles a SteelBook and an amiibo, and Nintendo’s Australian page already shows pre-orders open. Here is what Nintendo’s own pages confirm.
Date, price and platform
Nintendo’s US store page, checked 15 September, lists:
- Release date: 28 January 2027
- Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive
- Price: US$59.99 digital
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Players: single-player
- Download size: approximately 20.2GB
- Output: HDR and 120Hz support
- ESRB descriptors: Animated Blood, Violence
- Pre-orders: open
Nintendo’s Direct recap of 9 September independently lists Metroid Ravenous for Nintendo Switch 2 on 28 January 2027.
The 120Hz output line is the notable technical detail. Nintendo’s page states support for it without publishing frame-rate targets or resolution modes, so this article does not claim how the game performs.
The Australian listing
Nintendo’s Australian product page gives the same 28 January 2027 date, an ACB M classification with the consumer advice “Mature themes, Violence”, a 20.2GB download and a pre-order option. An Australian price was not displayed on the page fetched, so confirm it on the eShop before ordering; no AUD figure is stated here.
The premise Nintendo has published
Nintendo Singapore’s 9 September news article sets out the story. Samus crash-lands on a moon, is ambushed by assassins and badly wounded, and must make her way through an underground world. The new mechanic follows from the injury: she draws on latent Metroid powers to regain energy by feeding on enemies, first countering an attack to stun the target, then draining it.
That loop, counter then drain, is the clearest confirmed departure from earlier games in the series, since it ties health recovery to aggression rather than to pickups alone. Nintendo’s article does not describe how the system develops over the game, and this article does not speculate.
Gameplay, genre and mechanics
The US store page describes the action as players controlling “bounty hunter Samus Aran, marooned on an unfamiliar moon, gathering weapons, navigating corridors, and using newly awakened Metroid instincts to devour adversaries through aggressive combat”. The game is classified as Action, Adventure, and Shooter across Nintendo’s regional product pages, placing it within those three genres rather than as pure side-scrolling action.
The devour mechanic ties directly to health recovery: counter an enemy to stun it, then drain it for energy restoration. Nintendo’s pages confirm this is the foundation of the combat loop without detailing progression systems or how the mechanic scales through the game.
Special Edition and amiibo
The US store page lists a Special Edition containing the physical game, a SteelBook case and a Samus (Metroid Suit) amiibo. Three amiibo are listed in total:
- Samus — standard Metroid Ravenous series figure
- Chozo Statue — larger-than-standard amiibo depicting the bird-like Chozo species
- Samus (Metroid Suit) — included with the Special Edition only
Nintendo Singapore’s article states the amiibo release at launch. The US store page says amiibo functionality in the game will be detailed at a later date, so what they do in Ravenous is not yet known. Prices for the Special Edition and the amiibo, in USD or AUD, were not shown on the pages checked.
Play modes and connectivity
Metroid Ravenous supports all three standard Nintendo Switch 2 play modes: TV mode, tabletop mode and handheld mode. The game is single-player only; Nintendo’s pages confirm no local or online multiplayer is included.
The game supports Save Data Cloud with a paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription, allowing save files to be backed up and restored across Switch 2 consoles. Audio output includes surround sound (linear PCM) and, as confirmed earlier, HDR and 120Hz support on compatible displays.
Regional languages and accessibility
Nintendo’s store page lists extensive language support for Metroid Ravenous across all regions. The game will include audio and text in Japanese, French, German, Italian, Spanish (European and Latin American variants), Korean, Dutch, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese, and American English. This breadth of localisation confirms Nintendo’s intent to market the title globally at launch.
What is deliberately left out
- Developer. None of the Nintendo pages checked names the studio, so this article does not either.
- Series-history claims. Descriptions of Ravenous as the first side-scrolling Metroid in a given number of years come from secondary coverage, not from Nintendo’s wording, and are omitted.
- AUD pricing for the game, the Special Edition and the amiibo.
- Performance figures beyond the stated 120Hz and HDR support.
Why it matters
A dated 2D Metroid with pre-orders live four months out is unusual for the series, and the January slot places it as the first major Nintendo release of 2027. The energy-drain system changes a mechanic the series has relied on for decades, and the 120Hz support makes it one of the first Nintendo titles to advertise the Switch 2’s high-refresh output on a store page.
What happens next
Nintendo has said amiibo functionality will be explained later. Between now and January the Switch 2 first-party calendar runs through Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave on 17 September, covered in our Fortune’s Weave pre-launch article, Ocarina of Time on 5 November and Monster Hunter Wilds on 4 December; the full list is in our Nintendo Direct September 2026 recap. For platform news, see the Nintendo Switch 2 hub.