The games in the Metroid series don’t follow a linear “clear the stage” setup—they are exploratory action games where you journey through a sophisticated, maze-like world. Picking up new items and weapons along the way lets you expand the areas you can visit, allowing you to explore new destinations and discover alternate routes. Map-reading and navigation skills can be quite helpful.
The map itself has evolved, too. Where previous maps used a simple cell-based view, this new map has become a more detailed navigational tool that can show things like differing terrains.
Icon highlight - This feature allows you to highlight and view the same type of icons across all area maps. It can be extremely handy when looking for places you can newly explore after obtaining an ability.
Marker - Place up to six markers of different colors anywhere you’d like on the map. These markers will also appear on your minimap during gameplay.
Zoom - You can zoom in and out on the map screen to get a better look at things.
Hidden item hints - Glowing places on the map indicate there are hidden items within that range.
Expand the minimap - During normal gameplay, pressing the Left Directional Button on the Joy-Con™ controller will expand your view of the minimap in the top-right corner of the screen.
Since the Metroid series of games is all about exploring, it was clear to us that the map—the foundation of exploration—would be an important thing for us to focus on. This new map is powered up from previous, traditional maps in terms of look and function, which we think will make exploring the world feel even smoother than before.
In addition, players can enjoy greater freedoms when exploring compared to in previous installments, which might encourage you to try new strategies each time you play through.
