Metroid Prime 4 takes place before Metroid Fusion, but in a separate timeline

Nintendo has tried to clear up any questions about when exactly in the series' timeline Metroid Prime 4 takes place. While the answer was short and sweet, if anything I was left more confused than before.

Whenever a new entry in Nintendo's long-running series comes out, longtime fans try to piece together exactly when in the game's in-universe calendar the game's events might take place. Every time this happens, it's obvious that Nintendo doesn't really think about it and wishes we didn't. However, if we argue about it long enough, someone from HQ will stick their head out and give us the answers to stop arguing.

Metroid Prime 4 takes place in the Metroid timeline, but also takes place in its own brand new timeline

This is probably why we now know exactly when in Samus' life Metroid Prime 4 takes place. In an interview with Famitsu where various Nintendo people who worked on the Metroid series asked questions, it was confirmed that Prime 4 takes place between the events of Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion.

Samus fires a Super Missile at Crocomire in Super Metroid.

Simple, right? Well, no, not really. If you're a die-hard Metroid fan and think this doesn't make sense, that's because there's another half to this explanation. “In this game, Samus traveled through time and space and jumped into another dimension,” adds Prime 4 developer.

Samus Aran in her new suit in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond had such a long development cycle that another reboot was “out of the question”

Both Nintendo and Retro knew Metroid Prime 4 couldn't wait any longer.

Naturally I have questions. If Samus left the original timeline to go on her adventure in Metroid Prime 4, then who is Samus in Metroid Fusion and other games that take place outside of that timeline? I'm going to assume this is a multiverse situation where Prime 4 takes place on a different branch than what I'll refer to as the sacred timeline. Marvel fans will know what I'm talking about.

Nintendo said you don't have to worry about it anymore, but I bet you do

Apparently I'm overthinking this already – and I won't be the only one – as the Prime 4 developer adds: “From now on you won't have to worry about the timeline.” They noted that the decision was a conscious one so that the Prime games could continue without affecting what was happening in the 2D Metroid games.

Samus crouched with her fist on the floor in metroid prime 4.

A clever, if still confusing, decision with regard to Samus' journey was wrapped up in the events of Metroid Dread, the latest 2D game in the series. There will be more 2D games, as further hinted at by Nintendo's comments about their distancing from Prime games, but they will likely start a whole new story and potentially even take place in a whole new timeline, though that last part is pure speculation.

Removing Prime 4 from the sacred Metroid timeline moved it into The Legend of Zelda territory. Nintendo had similar problems when they found out what happened in the kingdom of Hyrule. Metroid's timeline isn't nearly as confusing as Zelda's (yet), having two defined branches following the events of Ocarina of Time and officially confirming that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are their own and have no place in the series' official timeline.