A sprite-based 2D metroid would make much more sense right now than a 3D one as it would be a lot less expansive to produce and it would still make fans happy.

No they can't.

They can only solve it with games that are successors to the Wii and Wii Sports philosophy.

Not birdman crap like U Party or Nintendo Land though.

It sold really well on the gamecube considering its audience size, less so on the wii  because of the wii's audience.

I do think the series has untapped potential. One more game in the prime series needs to be made IMO with:

-More modern combat.

-Greater emphasis on story (Think bioshock 1).

-Slightly more realistic visual approach then what we saw in Prime.

-More open world exploration.

It would be the greatest sci fi game ever made and I would buy a wii U immediately! 

I think COD4 is a brilliant example of how slight alterations in a series+good timing can have it turn from a cult classic to a mega success.

I'm sorry, but there is something seriously wrong with the attitdue a lot of modern gamers have that somehow 2D gaming "doesn't belong" as a full retail game. Or that if they are, they "should cost less" than a 3D game. A hell of a lot of 3D games are very light/shallow on content, and aren't worth the money they cost to buy. Whereas many modern 2D games are certainly worth full retail price. 2D gaming, if it's done WELL, should not be relegated to digital downloads and portable systems.

What I'm talking about, when I say I want Metroid 5, as a retail Wii U title, is this. Have you seen Muramasa: The Demon Blade? Or A Boy and His Blob? Or Wario Land: Shake It? Or the upcoming Dragon's Crown? What I'm talking about is along those lines, a fully 2D game, with HD, gorgeous hand-drawn sprites, a huge adventure with all the bells and whistles HD consoles have to offer, but with the old school (right) approach to Metroid, that of Super Metroid, Zero Mission, etc Preferably made IN-HOUSE, by Nintendo, by the same people who made Zero Mission at the very least.

Not only would that be worth every penny of full retail price, but a full blown 2D home console sequel to Super Metroid, I think, would absolutely outsell Other M or even the Prime games. Simply based on the hype/desire for that kind of Metroid again. IF it could live up to being called Metroid 5 (IE being better than the okay but not GREAT Metroid 4/Fusion), yes, I think it could be a big hit.

I agree with this post, 2D games certainly have a place in the industry and if done right can be better than a lot of 3D games. I couldn't get into Prime at all and think it is very over-rated but if they make a good 2D Metroid, I'd actually consider buying it.

Pikmin 3 will outsell Metroid U for sure as you agreed too, and Star Fox, if done correctly (slim-chance) would easily outsell it as well. 

Kid Icarus actually reminds me of Metroid for some reason, but if they made a Wii U game, I say it'd have about a 50/50 chance of outselling it. As for F-Zero, that would get outshined by Mario Kart 8 but maybe it could sell well if done right. You have to remember that F-Zero & Star Fox were developed by lesser teams while Metroid was given to Retro. If these games were developed by Nintendo, or another great team, they'd do well and likely better than Metroid.

Either way, Metroid only continues to get games while other lower sellers get forgotten (FZ, SF, KI, Pik) because their biggest fans would flip out if they didn't make at least one a gen. Yes, most of Nintendo's neglected series are demanded for revival but Metroid, causes a ton of hype, despite its somewhat low sales for some reason.

Metroid is a forum favorite, it's not a sales powerhouse, never has been. The games are phenomenal (except Other M) but they don't have mass appeal so no a new Metroid game wouldn't save the Wii U. Retro and Nintendo made the right choice when they bet on Donkey Kong Country: Tropic Freeze to help console sales.

A new ip would make a bigger impact.

Depends entirely on what that new IP was.

Miyamoto did say some time ago that he was working a new "little project". Some kind of new IP. So who knows?

Nope. Metroid is one of Nintendo's least popular franchises. Metroid and Kirby never seem to sell very well compared to others.

I would like to get a 3DS Metroid game, though.