Nintendo’s official Japanese website has recently shared new details about the upcoming Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, specifically focusing on Samus’ new motorbike, Vi-O-La, which was first revealed in a recent Nintendo Direct trailer.
The site lists three key features of the vehicle, which are designed to help Samus to traverse the vast lands of the planet Byrus. The first of these is a boost function, which allows for a temporary increase in speed and lets Samus destroy ores found scattered throughout the land, as well as running through and damaging enemies. Whilst boosting, a powerslide can also be executed, which widens the area of the boost’s destructive properties. Lastly, Samus can lock on to up to 5 foes simultaneously whilst riding and launch a homing projectile, which will return to her in a boomerang-like fashion once it has struck all targeted enemies.
Vi-O-La can be called upon anytime, as long as the player is currently in an area where the motorbike is able to be deployed, and although the camera will switch to a third-person perspective whilst Samus is riding. Upon dismounting, however, the viewpoint will return to the series’ traditional first-person camera.
These details come ahead of the game’s launch on 4th December 2025, with versions available for both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, alongside an amiibo depicting the returning character Sylux, who first appeared in the DS title Metroid Prime Hunters. Additionally, amiibo figures depicting Samus in her new design, as well as Samus riding Vi-O-La, will release slightly earlier on November 6th. The game is currently available to pre-order at My Nintendo Store UK, both digitally and physically.
Words and Translation by Jake Hewitt
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