The World Isn't Ready for Myles MacKenzie

Welcome to Myles MacKenzie Is Awesome, a site all about Myles MacKenzie, our true galactic protector! As we count down the days. No, not the days. The hours. The very minutes until the release of Metroid Prime 4, I thought it would be fun to pay tribute to what will (obviously) become one of the Metroid series' most valuable and lovable characters. Myles MacKenzie.

Before we get to that though, I should introduce myself. My name is Nyles NacKenzie. And before you ask, no I am not Myles. The similarity between our names is purely coincidental. An astounding coincidence, I grant you. But it is a coincidence nevertheless. In fact, it could just be fate that someone with such a similar name would also happen to appear as a character in my favorite game series. And such a brave, smart, and witty character too. All the more fitting that I should pay tribute to him!

Before I continue with the relentless onslaught of Myles MacKenzie love, I feel like I should address the elephant in the room. The big, stinking, ugly elephant that is the negative reaction to the presence of Myles as a character in Metroid Prime 4.

I know I know I know. Metroid is a series about isolation, exploration, and atmosphere. And it's about figuring things out on your own using environmental clues. Longtime Metroid fans who know the series inside and out believe that the lonesomeness of Samus as she explores these vast, hostile alien environments is not only important but essential to the formula that makes Metroid games work. They believe that breaking the tension with brilliantly witty dialogue and fun-loving jokes from a clearly distinguished and intelligent NPC interferes with the oh-so-important atmosphere of a Metroid game, thereby making it feel less like Metroid and more like generic AAA games from ten to fifteen years ago.

But here's the thing. They're wrong. Not about the generic AAA thing. They're right about that. That stuff has no place in a Metroid game and in every other circumstance, it destroys the vibe of Metroid. Except in the case of Myles. Because Myles is clearly brilliant and the way he talks to Samus without her replying to him only shows how in awe she is of his presence and his bold manner of speaking. She's never met anyone quite like Myles before and it shows.

Like the way Myles screams, "AAAHHHH!!" When alien lifeforms pop out of the ground as they're exploring together. It shows that he's human and has feelings that should be embraced. Not just by Samus but by Metroid fans around the world.

And the way he says things like "Hey maybe you should try using missiles!" or "Hey, why don't you look at this thing over here?!" When any Metroid fan knows that you always try missiles and you always look at that thing over there. It shows his willingness to help Samus on her mission. It shows that he just wants to be a good friend to his game's co-star. You know what I mean?

Some fans have even speculated that the reason characters like Myles are being introduced to the Metroid series is because of corporate meddling at Nintendo to make Metroid Prime 4 more marketable to a mass audience the best way they know how (by making something feel ten to fifteen years out of date). I've even seen some mention that by employing people who worked at some big AAA studios in the past to work on this game may explain this sudden shift in tone.

This might be true. But it also might just be that the world isn't ready for Myles MacKenzie. That the Metroid audience at large just isn't yet accustomed to having a character of such class and caliber as Myles in their precious game series. It might just be that he is ahead of his time and eventually, one day, characters like Myles, or even Myles himself, will star in a Metroid game. And Metroid fans will accept it, whether they want to or not.

But I for one am very much looking forward to the continued adventures of Myles MacKenzie in his own spinoff game, something fans—to their own detriment—do not want, have never asked for, but is surely already being planned by the geniuses that are in charge of the Metroid Prime series. And I say 'thank god' for it.

So join me, won't you, as we count down the days, hours, and minutes until the release of Myles' game this December 4th? Keep it locked in here for more articles extrapolating our love and admiration for Myles MacKenzie. Please do like and subs. . .no way that's YouTube. . .please sign up for the newsletter The Myles MacKenzie Report to get the latest news about our true galactic protector straight to your inbox!