History YMMV / MetroidPrimeFederationForce

* Fanon: As a way of invoking WorfHadTheFlu, some fans offer the explanation that Samus was still recovering from the effects of Phazon corruption during the events of this game. This would make both [[spoiler: her being captured by the Space Pirates and her unchallenging FinalBoss battle]] easier to swallow.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: A spin-off starring [[BadassNormal normal Federation troops]] without our usual OP [[AppliedPhlebotinum Bird Magic-powered]] heroine could've been the most intense and gritty Metroid game to date. Imagine playing the final days of [[VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes the Tyr's crew on Aether]], or having a more intimate look at the Space Pirates' effects on galactic civilization akin to what ''VideoGame/RepublicCommando'' was to ''Franchise/StarWars''. What fans got were SuperDeformed soldiers in mechs fighting cartoonish incarnations of the Space Pirates and stopping a generic EvilPlan.

* BrokenBase: In the years following its release, once the game was no longer viewed as an abhorrent FranchiseKiller, the fandom became divided on how good the game actually was when divorced from the timing and context of its release. Some have come to view it as a fun co-op title that's pushes the 3DS hardware, enjoy the additional worldbuilding of the ''Metroid'' universe outside of Samus's perspective, and note it has the polished presentation expected of the series. Others still regard it as the worse game in the franchise next to ''Other M'', with solo play not being as well-balanced as squad play, feel the more cartoony aesthetics diminish the series' usual horror-adjacent atmosphere, and dislike that Samus not only has her role as protagonist sidelined in favor of [[ASpaceMarineIsYou some random space marines]] but feel that [[spoiler:the circumstances surrounding her being the final boss shares "lack of agency" issues that make ''Other M'' so loathed]].

* VindicatedByHistory: From the time of its announcement to the months after its eventual release, this game was viciously torn apart by fans and critics for being an action-based CoOpMultiplayer spinoff with a goofy-looking art style that didn't focus on Samus, but on these seemingly completely unrelated troopers instead. In short, it was basically everything the fans didn't want, coming off the polarizing ''Other M'' and during a time fans were sure Nintendo would put the franchise on ice. After ''Samus Returns'' was released to warm reception in 2017, with it only becoming more clear that the ''Metroid'' series would continue going strong in the years following, the game is looked back upon much more kindly than it was at release. It is now acknowledged and treated by fans as the worldbuilding side-story that the creators intended it to be, rather than a cruel insult, and -- even if it wasn't a great game -- an interesting attempt to experiment with the franchise.

* AnimationAgeGhetto: Due to the "chibi" graphics and inclusion of the Blast Ball mini-game, some fans felt that the game was targeted more towards children than previous ''Metroid'' games. However, the game was eventually rated "T for Teen" in North America, like the rest of the ''Prime'' subseries.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: Most fans of ''Metroid'' generally point to the exploration and sense of isolation as the series' hallmarks, so an installment that ditches all of that for a more action-oriented, CoOpMultiplayer installment that doesn't even star the main character became a hard sell for them. It being five years since the last installment in the franchise, which itself was widely regarded as the worst entry in the entire series, only aggravated the issue. Even among those who didn't mind the idea of a spin-off game and weren't part of the intense backlash were apathetic to it and criticized the timing, feeling the premise would've been harmless at worst otherwise. Upon release, the game received mixed to poor reviews and was a massive sales flop, not even making it into the top 20 games chart in Japan (which meant it sold less than 4,431 units) or the top 40 all-format chart in the U.K.

* CriticalBacklash: Whilst it is agreed the game could have been released at a better time, a lot of fans consider the game's initial overwhelming negative reception to be unfair and outright ridiculous. Though just ''mentioning'' the game still garners knee-jerk hate and ridicule even years after its release from the fanbase, general consensus is that the game is actually SoOkayItsAverage, and that most of the anger directed towards the game was excessive at best.

** Due to the backlash and low interest the game got, many people assumed that the series was going back into hibernation or might even be dead for good, despite Tanabe teasing another mainline ''Prime'' game during this game's press cycle. With ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'' releasing the following year, with its reveal being preceded by the official announcement of that aforementioned ''Metroid Prime 4'', statements that the series is dead and Nintendo no longer cared about it now look more like fan overreaction than anything else.

** From the moment of its reveal, the game received immense criticism and the assumption that it was [[DolledUpInstallment an original concept with the Metroid name slapped onto it]] to drum up sales. However, the game's own producer first got the idea to explore the Federation side of the ''VideoGame/{{Metroid Prime|Trilogy}}'' universe during the production of ''Corruption''.

* OvershadowedByControversy: This game is almost never mentioned without talking about the firestorm it caused upon its announcement. It had the misfortune of being a spin-off announced on the franchise's 30th anniversary, at a time when the franchise's future seemed uncertain and fans were demanding a new game starring Samus to fix the franchise after ''Other M'' left it in bad shape. Even its defenders only acknowledge it for the timing of its release tanking an otherwise okay game.
* ScrappyMechanic: The Blast Ball game mode. It's essentially [[JustForFun/RecycledInSpace soccer in space]], requires 6 players to play, and can be played on a friend's 3DS through Download Play... but due to the game's poor reception, and even worse sales, there's little opportunity to actually play it. It doesn't help that the main game practically forces it down your throat in the tutorial and boss fight [[spoiler:against Samus]] and, unlike the main game, you can only have 3 people to a team instead of 4.
* SoOkayItsAverage: After all the aforementioned controversy surrounding the game's very existence, the general consensus is that ''Federation Force'' amounts to little more than a mediocre spin-off with a handful of decent concepts.
* SpiritualSuccessor:

* TaintedByThePreview: With ''Metroid''[='s=] [[MilestoneCelebration 30th anniversary]] on the horizon, and [[SequelGap 6 years]] having passed since ''Other M'', fans were hoping for another classic {{Metroidvania}} to undo the controversial gameplay and characterization choices of that title. So when the next game of the franchise to be announced was ''Federation Force'', a cartoony GaidenGame SpinOff with Samus in a supporting role while [[ADayInTheLimelight the main focus is placed on the Galactic Federation army]], the backlash was swift and furious. Additionally, the game's Blast Ball mode was shown during Nintendo World Championships before the game's official reveal, which had the unintended effect of making the game look too generic to pass for a ''Metroid'' title. It reached the point that the trailer on Website/YouTube received over 34,000 dislikes in only ''24 hours'', and a petition was drafted to cancel the game.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: [[spoiler:The final boss of the game is a BrainwashedAndCrazy Samus [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever who has been enlarged to giant-size]], but absolutely nothing interesting is done with the concept. What could have been an exciting fight with several distinct phases where a giant Samus unleashes her entire arsenal upon the Galactic Federation Marines, reminiscent of the SA-X encounters from ''[[VideoGame/MetroidFusion Fusion]]'', only on a, well, larger scale, is immediately thrown out of the window as Samus is {{Mode Lock}}ed into her Morph Ball for the entire fight, making the whole final boss battle into a glorified round of Blast Ball.]]
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: A spin-off starring [[BadassNormal normal Federation troops]] without OP [[AppliedPhlebotinum Bird Magic]] could've been the most intense and gritty Metroid game to date. Imagine playing the final days of [[VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes the Tyr's crew on Aether]], or having a more intimate look at the Space Pirates' effects on galactic civilization akin to what ''VideoGame/RepublicCommando'' was to ''Franchise/StarWars''. What fans got were chibi-style soldiers in mechs fighting cartoonish incarnations of the Space Pirates, complete with a very basic evil plan premise.

* SpiritualLicensee:

* CharacterRerailment: Although her appearance is brief, there's no trace of Samus Aran's controversial characterization in ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM''.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: To a very minor degree, people who hated ''Other M'' were glad that this game wasn't some sort of follow-up to it, which some fans feared the next ''Metroid'' game would be due to MagnumOpusDissonance and the franchise's heavily ''Other M''-based representation in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU''.
* CharacterRerailment: Although her appearance is brief, there's no trace of Samus Aran's controversial characterization in ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'', and the Federation treat her with rockstar awe and defer to her intel instead of treating her like an outsider.