Metroid Prime: Federation Force gets an August 19 release date

We’re getting our first Metroid game in six years, but you may not find a lot of excitement about it.

Nintendo revealed today that the 3DS multiplayer game Metroid Prime: Federation Force will come out in the U.S. on August 19. This is the first new release in the Metroid series since 2010’s Other M for the Wii, which was a controversial game because of a criticized story that many felt made the franchise’s bounty hunter hero, Samus, appear weak.

Federation Force has already become pretty controversial itself. It doesn’t feature Samus, instead focusing on four-player co-op starring four space marines. First off, fans aren’t happy to see a Metroid game without its star, and the series is usually known for its eerie isolation, something that seems impossible to achieve with a multiplayer game.

Luckily for Federation Force, Nintendo won’t have a lot of pressure on it to deliver, since Pokémon Sun and Moon will release closer to holiday season. Those games will be Nintendo’s real 3DS money-makers this year.

But, hey, maybe Federation Force will surprise fans and become a bit hit. It’s worth remembering that many were unhappy with the original Metroid Prime when it was announced, thinking that using a first-person perspective would ruin the series. It’s now one of Nintendo’s most-loved classics.