Presenter Hints at Metroid for 3DS

UK media personality Jonathan Ross may have let the cat out of the bag – and the cat is Samus, and the bag is Nintendo’s 3DS handheld.

On Wednesday, Jan. 19th, Nintendo is expected to detail the upcoming Western launch of its highly-anticipated 3DS handheld with simultaneous events in Europe and North America. British television and radio personality Jonathan Ross will be hosting the European event, and he may have inadvertently given away one of Nintendo’s announcements ahead of time.

In a Twitter exchange covered by IGN, a fan told Ross that while he “[didn’t] expect [Ross] to spill anything,” he had his “fingers crossed for Metroid.” Ross wrote back, “I think you’re going to be pleased then…”

The obvious thought is that Nintendo may be set to announce the long-thought-canceled Metroid Dread, an Intelligent Systems game originally developed for the DS that never saw release. However, Samus’ DS debut – Metroid Prime: Hunters – was generally well-received by critics and gamers alike, so it’s not like the series hasn’t proven its handheld worth already.

Of course, we won’t know for certain until the event on Wednesday. Until then, all we have is speculation. But Metroid is one of Nintendo’s flagship properties in recent years, so the thought that Samus might eventually be battling her way into the third dimension is hardly an unreasonable one.

Ross, by the way, may best be known to gamers for accidentally announcing Fable III. Perhaps the gaming industry ought to rethink its choice of presenters?

(IGN)