The official DOOM Twitter account publicly congratulated Nintendo of America on its official release of Metroid Dread with an artistic homage to the new game's box art - featuring the protagonist from the DOOM's latest title, DOOM Eternal, Doom Slayer. The two long-running franchises first began on opposite sides of the year 1990, with Metroid's first installment hitting shelves in 1987 and DOOM kicking off in 1993. That being said, Metroid Dread finally saw its release today, while DOOM Eternal saw its first year around the sun this past March.
Upon release, Metroid Dread received impressively high scores from a range of critical outlets, with reviewers rendering the Nintendo title one of the highest-rated of 2021. The positive reception follows months of sizable anticipation for the game's release, with Metroid Dread topping Amazon preorder charts in June - several months prior to launch. While the franchise has been around for over three decades now, there were concerns around whether Nintendo would continue to invest in Metroid games prior to the announcement of Metroid Dread. However, with the company's active Metroid Dread marketing campaigns and other future series installments in the works (both rumored and confirmed), it appears Nintendo is maintaining interest in the platformer-exploration series.
In a recent tweet, Bethesda's DOOM series congratulated Nintendo of America on its successful launch of Metroid Dread. The account wrote, "Congratulations to @NintendoAmerica on the launch of #MetroidDread." While the message was complimentary by itself, the tweet's attached graphic was an added bonus. With a look that was no doubt done so deliberately, the DOOM Twitter account attached a Metroid-Dread-looking poster - except with a DOOM twist.
Both Samus' and Doom Slayer's heavy-looking combat outfits have likened physical attributes and builds, and both series protagonists are similarly heavily armed. As a result, DOOM's rendition of the Metroid Dread poster makes quite a bit of sense, and it looks extremely close to its inspiration. Doom Slayer is positioned like Samus, standing before a valley of enemies and a red sky. While both pieces of box art include different enemies lurking in the background, their shared bright red eyes and dark silhouettes make them nearly indistinguishable. The "DOOM Eternal" title even follows the Metroid Dread title's color scheme.
The gesture is certainly a sweet one, but it also points to an even more entertaining idea: a Samus Aran and Doom Slayer crossover. While it's unlikely Bethesda and Nintendo have any such plans to meet in the middle, Samus and Doom Slayer's uncanny resemblance to each other would make for an appealing collaboration. Perhaps Halo's Master Chief could make an appearance as well, seeing as he also fits the required matching aesthetic.
Metroid Dread is now available for the Nintendo Switch.
Source: DOOM/Twitter