One: I want to focus my efforts on LA and get it released to you as soon as possible.
Two: There was just too much I wanted to do with the Helix project, I wanted to make a 2.5d (3d models, but in a 2d environment, like smash bros) Metroid engine that lots of people could use, it would have all the power ups, enemies, and bosses from the first three games built in, so you just made the map and place in whatever you want, or make new items/enemies. I was going to use this engine to remake the first three Metroid games, then release the engine to the public.
Needless to say, this was way too ambitious, I can barely find one guy to program a Zelda game, where was I going to get the man power to make something like this? Awesome but impracticable.
Three: I wasn't happy with how my Models (namely Samus and Ridley) came out, I based them on their Super Metroid design, but I just couldn't get them to look good.
Four: I really want to start work on my own game, not one based on someone else's IP, but one I can call my own, one I can submit to contests or put on my resume. (Incidentally, I've already started planning the basics of my next game, but I'm not going to start any real work on it until LA is done)
So, what happened to Metroid? It's been sitting on my hard drive, cold and alone, waiting for me to find a way to make it not needlessly complex. Will I ever get back to it? Maybe as a side project, but my priorities are going to be LA and my own games.
To mourn this news, I have included the only two models I completed for Helix, Samus and Ridley, based on their designs from Super Metroid.
Click the pictures for full size.
These guys both have illumination maps (makes parts of them glow) for their eyes/visor/claws/etc, but I disabled them for these renders to remove the shadows from the models.