Nintendo released some new Metroid Dread information this morning, along with a video detailing the different-skill franchise hero Samus Aran brings to the table in the Switch game, set to release on October 8. An enemy who has not been seen for years is making his glorious return.
Kraid first appeared on the scene in 1986 as one of several bosses in the original Metroid, appearing as a small, pointed monster slightly larger than Samus himself. Kraid was left behind by the space dragon Ridley, who would continue to be the bounty hunter's main rival. Kraid received significant changes for the remakes of 1994's Super Metroid and 2004's Zero Mission before quietly disappearing from the series.
According to former Retro Studios artist Gene Kohler, Kraid in 2002's Metroid Prime by having an equal boss fight with Meta Ridley, a Space Pirate resurrected version of Samus who acts as the game's penultimate enemy. He had plans to come forward. The work did not pass the modeling and coating stage. Unfortunately, all Kraids were removed from the game before launch, but Kohler was kind enough to provide a snapshot of Kraid's model during the aforementioned interview.
Another former Retro employee, Greg Luzniak, shared the concept in 2015 of what a possible war with Kraid would look like if Kraid had survived until the release of Metroid Prime.
