Samus will make an appearance in Metroid Prime: Federation Force – according to the 3DS game’s producer Kensuke Tanabe. Developed by Next Level Games, the multiplayer shooter was announced yesterday during Nintendo’s E3 Digital Event – though it wasn’t the Metroid title many fans had been expecting. In a recent interview with Kotaku, Metroid Prime’s producer and designer Tanabe has explained much more about the upcoming 3DS spin-off title, mentioning that the franchise’s heroine Samus Aran will appear “somewhere in the game”.

Throughout the game, 3DS users will play as a Galactic Federation soldier working through missions and fighting against a slew of space pirates in multiplayer mode. However, Tanabe confirmed you can play the title in single-player mode, though it would be “more fun” playing with four others at your side. Later, the producer clarified there would be no four-on-four player matches, rather just four players against space pirate enemies.

First off, we have three major planets. There will be, roughly, 10 different missions on each planet. It will be a way for you to go between those three planets on and off going through an adventure. I think it is closer to Hunters. There are obviously areas for you to look around and explore as well. Hunters focused more on the shooting portion. In this game you’ll be able to have other types of things you can experience throughout the gameplay.

Tanabe mentioned there would be no visor scanning elements to Metroid Prime: Federation Force either, but there is a Metroid specific mission planted within the game to appease fans’ hunger. For those Metroid fans who own a New Nintendo 3DS, you’ll be able to use the second stick for additional and smoother camera movement, though Federation Force can still be played on a regular 3DS. The interview also revealed a number of other tidbits, including the ability to arm your character with super missiles and outfit them in mech suits. Currently Blast Ball – a sports-based minigame where players use guns to target each other and shoot a ball into their opponents’ goal – is the only part of the game playable at E3.

Personally, I don’t feel like I am creating anything that is a side-story. Until now, we’ve never had a game focusing on the Federation Force fighting against the space pirates. So the main idea here is that I sort of wanted to change that focus a little bit and see it from a different view from the same universe. So as I briefly mentioned earlier, once you play the game you’ll be able to feel that Metroid Prime universe. So it’s kind of… at this point it’s a little difficult I’m sure for both sides to get that idea …for players who haven’t touched the game, it’s really difficult to imagine that feeling you get when you touch the game. So it’s a kind of an unfortunate situation at this time, but it’s something I definitely look forward to having the users touch it and play and experience the awesomeness of it.

Thanks, Takamaru64