Metroid Database.com

Dwell Records has released a new compilation of NES music covers entitled Power Up!: Mutations and Mutilations of 8-Bit Hits. Bands such as The F---ing Champs, CONTRABAND, Defensive Mode, Twelve-Handed Men of Mars, and others contribute 13 tracks of 8-bit tributes, ranging from Legend of Zelda and Mega Man 2 to River City Ransom and Rush'n Attack. Of particular note to MDb visitors is Christopher Willits' track, entitled The Lovers of Samus Aran, which is actually one of the more creatively out-there tracks on the CD. Basing the composition on the familiar "appearance" and "new item" jingles from Metroid, Willits takes those two themes and expands on them to create a mellow techno soundscape. Fans of not only Metroid music but all classic NES/Famicom music should definitely check it out!

Further information can be found at the following links:
dwellrecords.com
Power Up! Myspace profile
Buy Power Up! at Amazon.com

...and a big thanks to Jon at Dwell Records for the CDs!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Captain Commando here, bringing you more exciting news from the MDb!
Happy 10th Anniversary everybody!

We've added a LOT of excellent artwork and fanfiction over the years (not to forget the fanapps!). I've also tried to ensure that there's a wide range of material added to the sections so it's not just the standard jpgs and short stories that most fan material consists of. It's nice to look back at all the work everybody has done over the years. I think it shows the appreciation everybody who visits the site has for the Metroid series and, of course, the series' capacity to spark players' imaginations. Keep up the great work; the entire Metroid community really does benefit from your efforts!

I also hope everybody enjoys the music sections of the site. I did most of the game rips myself, so I hope they met with everyone's approval. I think we've got one of the largest collections of Metroid music on the web, from game rips to rarities such as Metroid Cassette and Superpope's early work. I appreciate all the help I've received in obtaining some of these harder to find tracks. I'm hoping to fill out a few holes on the site sometime in the future to help make the site as comprehensive as possible.

That said, the MDb will NOT host Metroid soundtracks that are still in publication (if you were wondering why the Prime and Fusion soundtracks aren't up, well, that's the reason). This will undoubtedly frustrate some people as videogame soundtracks are so expensive, but it definitely is a good thing that these soundtracks are available. I can only hope that Nintendo will continue to release high-quality recordings and remixes of our favorite Metroid tunes, and even more so, that they will also make these soundtracks much easier and affordable to obtain, which I think is something that the entire videogame soundtrack industry should do and would greatly benefit from.

Lastly, I uploaded a LOT of new concept art to the Super Metroid section. Most of this art has not been seen on the web before (to my knowledge, at least...) or has appeared on rather obscure sites, so it's great to have all this excellent artwork available in one place. These are new high-res scans from my copy of the European Super Metroid strategy guide (thanks Mad Mega!) as well as the American guide. Check 'em out!

I hope everybody has enjoyed these sections of the MDb and be sure to check out some of the pages you haven't seen in awhile (there might be something new there you missed!). Hopefully you will continue to be pleasantly surprised with future updates!

"Until next time..."
Captain Commando
Resident Fanschtuff Curator

P.S. - Here is a more itemized list of updates for those of you who would rather not spend time exploring the site for new goodies (the MDb 10 strategy guide, if you will :P):

Fanart - We're up to SIXTEEN pages of fanart! There's some really neat stuff that came out from this last batch, including a Ridley sculpture by Brandon Blair and some anime-style art by X. Great job, guys (and let's not forget everybody else!).

Fanfiction - Be sure to check out See You Next Mission by Insomniac by Choice and Kefkafloyd as well as Angseth by Cheshire Kat! See You Next Mission is done in episodic format just like you'd expect to see in a Metroid anime! These chronicle Samus' rise through the ranks of the bounty hunters. Angseth is the story of the sole surviving member of the Federation mission to Aether and her interactions with Samus. Both are really well written, so if you haven't checked a lot of fanfic lately (or hated what you read earlier o_O, :P) check these out to get a new introduction (speaking of which, I can't stop recommending Insomniac's previous work, The Best There Is - that got me excited about fanfiction again!).

Metroid 1 - German Limited Edition Metroid 1 pack scans added!

Metroid 2 - Promo poster added to packs! We also have scans from the Super Gameboy Strategy Guide in the Library, so check those out, too.

Super Metroid - TONS of new artwork and pack images added. These are exclusive pictures from the European strategy guide.

Metroid Fusion - Japanese guide added!

Metroid Prime - Added scans of the Gamecube bundle to packs!

Metroid Zero Mission - Scans of the Japanese MZM and a pirated Japanese pack added!

Metroid Prime 2 - Scan of the Japanese cover (sorry, no internal scans yet >_<)

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Wow...um...hi.

Ten years, huh?

I know...it seems that long since the last update. Well, it hasn't been. It's only been a year.

Actually, that's not true. Good ol' Cap has been slogging away at fan stuff and music and art/packaging uploads the whole time. I'm sure you saw his message above for the humungous rundown of what's new as well as everything you may have missed.

As for me...I have precious little to say on the 10th Anniversary of the Metroid Database. Other than Cap's devoted efforts, the site has been otherwise dormant for the better part of the past year. Other Metroid fansites have long since passed up this old dinosaur. That it's still even online after all this time sort of amazes me. The site has gone through an awful lot of ups and downs, not the least of which was the first five years of its existence when we were just chasing the pipe dream of a new Metroid title...trying to keep Metroid fandom alive when there was no such thing as a new Metroid game on the horizon.

This is going to sound really melancholy on what should be a proud day, but hear me out.

First off...I started the MDb when I was 21 and in college, working at Media Play and studying art and publishing. I'm 32 now, and have since spent six years as a professional graphic designer and the past three years as a tattoo artist. Lemme tell ya...priorites change between 21 and 32. A lot. I am still very active on the web, but it's in a whole different capacity. These days I am focused on my art, networking, freelance design work, and trying to make a living. Through it all, I have remained a devoted videogame enthusiast -- always playing a hot new title, adding to my massive collection of classics, or figuring out where I'm going to store another arcade machine. However, archiving data about the Metroid games has slowly slipped from being part of my gaming hobby to barely registering at all on my to-do radar.

Which brings me to my next point, which is Metroid itself. Due to my role as the MDb webmaster, I have tried -- admittedly with varying degrees of success -- to be relatively diplomatic in my opinions on the Metroid Prime series. Well...I'm too old and tired to be diplomatic anymore. I'll put it right out there:

The Prime series has sucked my enthusiasm for Metroid out of me like...well, a metroid.

I'm sorry Nintendo, I'm sorry Retro, but dammit, I hated Prime 2. And I didn't even bother buying Hunters -- not even to keep my Metroid collection complete. The Prime games are just too far away from being what I loved in Metroids 1, 2, and 3, and even 4 and ZM. I always wanted to see a 3D Metroid game, but for some reason those of us who wanted to actually see Samus while running her around an alien planet are just being flat-out denied because Nintendo needs an answer to Halo, or whatever. Clearly, with there being a Prime 3 in the works for the Wii, and no new 2D Metroid in sight, the Metroid series I fell in love with is simply no more.

You can say I'm living in the past. That's fine -- I have five great Metroid games to go back to. But the 2D Castlevania games have just been getting better and better, so you can't tell me it wouldn't be worth it to keep Metroid true to its roots.

So what's all this bitching and moaning add up to? Well... I'm no longer going to make any apologies for not updating the MDb. I don't want it to be expected of me anymore, because the fire's gone. Ten years has been a darn good run, but the time has come to wash my hands of it. I would eventually like to turn the site over to a talented team who has the passion for Metroid and the ambition to get the site back to where it deserves to be and keep it there, while still retaining kind of an "executive producer" role myself. Someday.

As for now...the MDb will sit here, pretty much. Like an ancient Chozo ruin for some intergalactic bounty hunter to discover and learn from.

But hey...here's to the past decade. Metroid has changed. I've changed. I can guarantee YOU'VE changed, and if you haven't, well, you should live a little more. Having had the world's first and biggest Metroid site has been pretty cool. Thanks to everyone...EVERYONE...who has been supportive in any way. Hundreds, if not thousands of you. Too many to list. Thank you. You haven't heard the absolute last of me, but for now...see you on another mission...someday.

--TJ
MDb Founder

--TJ