You are saying metroid story line is confusing? did you ever noticed how confusing is Mario games story line? its even worst... how do you explain the map and the castle always look different

Anyway, you just spoiled Metroid Fusion now i have to play it xD

@ sc94597 and SmokedHostage

I know the Prime games take place before Fusion but if you kill Ridley in those games, why is he back in Fusion?

People who say that Nintendo doesn't pay attention to storylines or timelines haven't payed attention to Metroid in the past 10 years...or pretty much at all. It's a silly assertion. Equating Metroid to Zelda is asinine. Most o the games take place within a relatively close amount of time to each other (compared to Zelda); the entire Prime series takes place between Metroid 1 and 2.

That said, I don't see how the series was "written into a corner." Sakamoto said that he had Metroid (5) Dread on the mind. The successor to Fusion. He's been contemplating what happens next for awhile.

Metroid is one of Nintendo's only 'story oritented' series, by which I mean the timeline is clear and defined, this presentes both challenges and oppertunites, sure they can keep it going but they have to constantly check the sory they have already done to keep things canon. Unlike Zelda who's timeline is all over the place

Metroid has a story? i doubt many know about it.

It isn't hard to miss. Maybe the first prime game's story was hard to find, but every other Metroid  was pretty obvious.

@Others I can speak for the others who spoke about Nintendo and stories, but I want to clearify any misunderstanding. I said that Nintendo makes the story to fit the gameplay, not the other way around. That doesn't mean that there isn't a good story, no just that it isn't the piority in Nintendo games. That is why if they made a sequel to Fusion it would be because they thought the story needed to take place after fusion to support their gameplay. They probably didn't find any game necessary for this, and that is why they didn't make a sequel yet, not that they don't know what story they have to do. Also it is a little too early to be judging it. There has only been one story entry so far since fusion (Prime Series), and one to come Other M to judge from. For all we know it there could be more Metroid's in development already.

If Nintendo wanted to advance the storyline they would. They currently don't. Don't worry about it. The timeline will eventually move on.