Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Locks Basic Feature Behind $30 Amiibo

Published: Thursday, December 4, 2025 at 9:20 am

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Launches with Controversial Feature Lock

The highly anticipated *Metroid Prime 4: Beyond* has finally arrived on the Nintendo Switch and its successor, the Nintendo Switch 2, on December 4th, marking the latest installment in the series after an 18-year wait. While the game is now available worldwide, early reception has been mixed, with critic scores reportedly the lowest in the franchise's history.

A significant point of contention has emerged: a basic feature is locked behind the purchase of a physical Amiibo figure. Players have discovered that the desert area of the game, explored while using the Vi-O-La bike, lacks background music unless the $29.99 Samus Amiibo is owned. Nintendo's product description for the Amiibo does mention background music as a perk, along with a shield that blocks damage and restores health once per day. However, it doesn't explicitly state that the desert environment will be silent without the figure.

Two additional Amiibo figures offer further in-game bonuses. The Samus & Vi-O-La figure provides customizable colors, a distance tracker, and a daily boost to the Violas Boost Energy regeneration rate. The Cyrax figure unlocks the full versions of in-game movies after completing the game, a feature otherwise tied to achieving a 100% completion rate.

BNN's Perspective:

While the use of Amiibo figures to unlock bonus content is not new, locking a fundamental aspect of the game, such as background music in a key area, behind a paywall raises concerns. It's a practice that can detract from the overall player experience, especially for those who may not be inclined to purchase the additional hardware. Nintendo should carefully consider the balance between offering optional extras and ensuring the core gameplay experience remains complete and enjoyable for all players.

Keywords: Metroid Prime 4, Beyond, Nintendo Switch, Amiibo, Samus, Vi-O-La, Cyrax, video games, gaming, feature lock, paywall, music, desert, critic scores, user scores

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