Famed Mega Man Zero illustrator Toru Nakayama recently posted some impressive fan art of Metroid Dread’s version of Samus Aran ahead of the game’s release next week. A longtime freelance artist who’s worked for companies like Capcom and Sony over the years, Nakayama is particularly famous for producing cover art and promotional images for the Mega Man Zero sub-franchise, along with Mega Man ZX, the ultimately unproduced Mega Man Legends 3, and even the remastered Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection that brought the series to the Nintendo Switch last February.Aside from his work on Mega Man, Toru Nakayama has drawn artwork for lesser-known games like Speed Power Gunbike, the short-lived MMO Dream of Mirror Online, and Fuuka Taisen. He has also done illustrations for Megami Magazine and a few adult DÅjinshi (self-published novels or manga), and regularly posts fanart on social media sites like Twitter and Pixiv. As it just so happens, one of Nakayama’s latest drawings has him reimaging the legendary Metroid hero and armored bounty hunter Samus Aran in his signature anime-like style.Last week, Toru Nakayama posted a stunning rendition of Metroid Dread’s Samus to his Twitter account. This impressive artwork features Samus standing defiantly as her signature Power Suit blows apart around her (or perhaps it’s forming together). Fans have since gathered in the comments section to praise Nakayama’s work, with one, in particular, comparing Samus’s self-assembling suit to Tony Stark’s modern Iron Man armor and others noting the drawing’s similarity to Nakayama’s past work on Mega Man Zero.[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/meka_moru_4se/status/1442073012178591749?s=20[/EMBED_TWITTER]Metroid fans are very excited for Metroid Dread, as the upcoming Nintendo Switch exclusive is the long-running franchise’s first proper 2D entry in nearly two decades. First unveiled during Nintendo’s E3 2021 livestream back in June, Metroid Dread will take players across a variety of new locations as Samus battles a mysterious member of Metroid's ancient Chozo race and an army of E.M.M.I. robots on the dangerous Planet ZDR. Nintendo has been building up hype for Metroid Dread in the weeks leading up to its release on October 8, with an aggressive marketing campaign in its native Japan and ads promoting the game alongside the new Nintendo Switch OLED model - which is also hitting stores that day after its surprise announcement in early July.With Metroid Dread just around the corner, it’s cool to see a noted figure in the gaming industry like Mega Man Zero illustrator Toru Nakayama showing off his impressive take on Samus and her iconic Power Suit armor in his own unique style. Both he and the larger Metroid fanbase will finally get the chance to step into that armor once more when Metroid Dread lands on the Nintendo Switch next week.Source: Toru Nakayama/Twitter