Metroid Database.com

Last year, First 4 Figures, producer of high-quality scale models, announced they would be making statues of characters from the Metroid series. Well, it's been over a year and while these still aren't out yet, we keep hearing about more figures from the series on the way. In case you aren't able to afford Red 3183's one of a kind Samus figure, you may consider these alternatives.

The big news is, F4F officially announced the Samus Gunship model based on the Metroid Prime 2 design (which closely resembles the gunship from Metroid 2 and Super Metroid). This little baby is mounted on a stand and has LED lights, which make it look really awesome in the sample pics. F4F guarantees 17 days of constant LED shining, but doesn't say if that's battery hours or if the lights burn out. For $300 it better just be batteries. As cool as this looks, it's WAY too expensive for me, even though that price tag IS cheaper than Red 3183's Samus figure is currently going for ($582 last time I looked). The gunship will supposedly be out Q3 2008, but don't be surprised if you have to wait until 2009 for it.

Speaking of Samus, the Varia Suit and Gravity Suit figures are finishing production. I'm told the Varia Suit figures will be shipping sometime in January and the Gravity Suit figures (of which there will only be 250 made) in February - you may remember these were initially scheduled to come out in Q1 2007. Initially I'd actually placed an order for both, but due to financial constraints I cancelled the Gravity Suit (and who knows if I'll still order the Varia Suit), so I doubt we'll see too many exclusive here. You see, F4F, this is what happens when you decide to release things so far behind schedule.

F4F's other two figures, Zero Suit and Trace, are also slated for a Q1-2008 release. I know there's been some criticism on the boards from a few people about the Zero Suit figure, but she's not that bad, really. Check out the images and decide for yourself. The choice of doing Hunters figures was a bit odd, but we'll see if Trace becomes popular enough to warrant a second series.

As for what else F4F has in store, the Varia Suit description mentions a Light Suit, Dark Suit, and Phazon Suit, but we'll see if those enter production (and if they'll add a Corruption Suit to the mix). As the Metroid figures are priced at $80-$120 plus $20-$30 shipping, it's likely only the wealthiest of collectors will ever manage to secure a complete set. Most of the criticism I've heard on the boards stems mainly from this incredibly high price tag. They're a hell of a lot better looking than that cheesy Joyride figure - which by the way usually goes for $100 on B-bay these days. You may be able to get the Varia Suit a little bit cheaper through Play Asia, though.

If you're really into videogame figures, F4F also has a Zelda series and characters from DOOM and Assassin's Creed. However, the Metroid figure series is the largest at F4F at this point.

Please note: All images are from First 4 Figures. You can see more images on their website.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Hey guys and gals! It's difficult these days to get official Metroid-related news, so sometimes you have to take what you can get. Today we bring you back to the official Smash Bros. Brawl site. The featured stage is the Space Pirate Frigate Orpheon, aka the intro/tutorial stage in Metroid Prime. It features a 180 degree turn, much like how the Kraid stage in Melee rotated. It even comes complete with a parasite queen! Will she be spitting acid venom while you brawl?

This is the second Metroid stage featured in the game. Will there be a third? Personally, I think a multi-tiered Chozodia stage would be perfectly suited for the game. But who knows what they have in store for us...

Stay tuned for more updates in the near future, we may have some holiday cheer to spread around! IE out.

--Infinity's End

Within the period of about fifteen minutes, we have come across two very remarkable pieces of fan art that are so amazing, it bears repeating: these are amazing.

The first was brought to our attention in the message board by fellow board member CptTuke. This work of art is a design of Alchemist Defined and is part of what appears to be a series of high-definition mock-ups of memorable moments in gaming, complete with the HUD. Click the image to the left to see a larger version. Check out the artist's page to find a higher-res version as well as a collection of other related work!

Second is a homemade Metroid arcade cabinet which I came across over at Gizmodo. There is some high production value here, and I for one would love to have one of these sitting in my living room. The included video can describe the cabinet better than any words a humble fanboy such as myself could conceive. View it now.

-Jesse D

The MDb's godhead and producer, TJ, has descended from heaven once again to bring our attention to an excellent Gamasutra interview with Retro Studios CEO Michael Kelbaugh about the history of Retro Studios and the development cycle of Metroid. It is a very informative interview that really shows that despite how bad things were at the studio, Nintendo saw the promise in them and helped get things on track to create the masterpiece known as Metroid Prime. There are more Miyamoto anecdotes and postmortem analysis of Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2. And yes, you really didn't suck when you thought Metroid Prime 2 was "too damn hard."

I also find Kelbaugh's discussion about the differences between Japanese and American gamers interesting - how the Japanese don't mind getting lost and enjoy having to find their way through a maze while Americans "prefer to know where they're going" and "find no pleasure in finding their way." Of course this isn't true of all American gamers, as there are plenty of us here who enjoy the feeling of being lost in the labyrinthian depths of Zebes in the original games and stumble upon something new and interesting. Or at least this is the description we use when we talk about it. And by the way, if you want anything to do with the games industry, subscribing to and keeping up with Gamasutra is a great way to start.

While we're at it, I'd also like to draw your attention back to the wonderful series Music 4 Games ran on Metroid Prime 3's soundtrack. They had a three part "audio journal" of the game as well as a really awesome interview with Metroid Prime 3's composer, Kenji Yamamoto.. It's definitely worth reading through as he talks a lot about his composition process. In particular, he discusses his concept of the Metroid music philosophy, particularly through discussions with Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka and how the music should remain dark from the beginning to the very end when you have the beautiful, relieving credits music playing like an ephiphany. While it would be nice to see how he works with other Metroid composers like Minako Hamano and Masaru Tajima, I guess we'll have to settle with his revelation that he thinks about composing music while riding his motorcycle to and from work! Too bad he didn't tell us what kind of motorcycle he drives!

Be sure to also check out Music 4 Games's three part audio journal of Metroid Prime 3 here, here, and here. Oh yeah, and if you're still playing Super Mario Galaxy, be sure to check out their Super Mario Galaxy Audio Journal.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Well, it took an heroic effort involving lots of caffeine and Geemer minions, but ALL the Metroid music pages are FINALLY up-to-date with the latest versions of all the files. This means all the tracks have updated ID3 tags and are all registered on the new server. The file names have also been brought up to code, so all those pesky spaces that Fileplanet likes to replace with '+' signs are now replaced with underscores. There are zip files for *nearly* every album (miscellaneous albums not included!) so you don't have to download a million individual files just to complete your set....but can still download individual files if you don't want the whole thing.

In addition, there has been quite a bit of new music added. Metroid 1 has a game rip from the GBA version along with some obscure Japanese albums and a whole bunch of Wario Ware music, nearly all of which I got courtesy of Secret Squirrel, the mastermind behind the completely awesome site Slightly Dark. Metroid Zero Mission and Metroid Fusion both have some new tracks ripped from the GBF files (Gameboy Audio) and Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2 also have some music from the Gamecube audio files (DSPs) that weren't really easy to find. Note that both Metroid Zero Mission and Metroid Fusion have some tracks that appear to be completely unused. Tracks ripped from the digital files are appropriately marked, so you know if you're getting a digital recording. Also in case you've forgotten our Smash Brothers sections, there are some bootleg recordings from the Japanese Smash Brothers DX concert that are kind of interesting.

There may be some re-recordings here and there sometime in the distant future, but for the most part, all the official music seems to be up to speed. Next step will be to add some more remixes, as there is a lot of excellent material that's been created - and is still being made - by the fan community since...well...since the late '90s! The good news is, all the Metroid Metal is finally up to date and each section has its own zip file that will let you download every single Metroid Metal track in one single package! Now that's a rockin' sweet deal!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Hope everyone is having a good time enjoying food, friends, and family! This year, we've had a lot to be thankful for. The MDb turned 11 and we got a couple great new staff members to help with the art, design, and code for this site - JesseD and Infinity's End are complete lifesavers! There's also been a lot of great games like Metroid Prime 3, Super Mario Galaxy, Contra 4, Dracula X Chronicles...and some game a couple people are talking about where you play as a green guy in a helmet. What's up with that? Oh yeah, and you're sitting here reading this, so looks like you've survived another year!

Well, to help celebrate this Thanksgiving, we've got a rather massive audio update. First off, you may have noticed we've had some Metroid Prime Pinball music up. Apologies for the battle theme tracks that have SFX in them, but I was never able to get a clean rip - if anyone knows how to do so, let me know!

Next, I FINALLY updated the Metroid Prime 3 music section with the missing audio tracks from the old collection. If you already downloaded the old zip, there is one zip containing just the new tracks. If you never downloaded it, you can grab the big zip containing everything. Or, you can just grab tracks individually. I also finally broke down and numbered all the tracks and added a suggested playlist, so you have incentive to grab the big zip - again.

Lastly, and it's been a LONG time coming, we have a 100% COMPLETE Metroid Prime Hunters game rip! Yes, this massive collection contains all the music from the sound test, all the sound test SFX, all the cutscenes audio, AND a whole bunch of music that wasn't on the sound test! To download everything in one pack there is a MASSIVE 345MB zip file. If you're a bit daunted by that, you may want to just check out the recommended sound collection, which is 91MB and contains a playlist. As far as I know, nobody else on the web has anything close to being this extensive, and at such a high audio quality.

As if this couldn't possibly be enough, we are renovating the old audio, updating links to the new download servers, fixing the old, archaic ID3 tags on all the music, and adding zip files so you don't have to download them one at a time like we had to do in the old days when I was a young lad with an internet connection. There are some missing tracks from Metroid Zero Mission, Metroid Prime, and Metroid Prime 2 that will be going up, so stay tuned for further updates!

And have a happy Thanksgiving!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

To help celebrate the launch of Metroid Online, a massive mod for the PC version of Halo, the Metroid Database interviewed Seraphim (aka Bryan Taylor). Check out our interview in the Features section where Seraphim discusses how the mod was made, the problems associated with working on such a large project over the internet, and whining XBox fanboys! Oh, and don't forget to check out their website where you can download the newly-finished mod!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

With Super Mario Galaxy's release right around the corner, hype and excitement for the Metroid series has stepped out of the spotlight for the time being. So unfortunately we've got slim pickings for you. However, Metroid fans that are anticipating Smash Bros. Brawl might want to know that the official site has unveiled Norfair as an official stage today. Lava rises up just as in the past two Metroid stages, however now it flows in from the sides as well. The only way you can dodge this obstacle is to hide in a classic Metroid bubble hatch! And if you get in there before anyone else does, you'll have to fight them off, otherwise your only chance is to triple jump over it! We at the MDb are all still anticipating that Ridley cameo so who knows what the future brings...

I have also updated the Friend Vouchers FAQ with some additional help from MDb forum member AMetroidGuy. Kudos to everyone who helped make this FAQ great! Stay tuned for our Manga Viewer to be implemented sometime in the future. Maybe our translators will get in a Metroid mood and we'll finally be able to get in on what Japan has had for years now. IE out.

--Infinity's End

With Super Mario Galaxy's release right around the corner, hype and excitement for the Metroid series has stepped out of the spotlight for the time being. So unfortunately we've got slim pickings for you. However, Metroid fans that are anticipating Smash Bros. Brawl might want to know that the official site has unveiled Norfair as an official stage today. Lava rises up just as in the past two Metroid stages, however now it flows in from the sides as well. The only way you can dodge this obstacle is to hide in a classic Metroid bubble hatch! And if you get in there before anyone else does, you'll have to fight them off, otherwise your only chance is to triple jump over it! We at the MDb are all still anticipating that Ridley cameo so who knows what the future brings...

I have also updated the Friend Vouchers FAQ with some additional help from MDb forum member AMetroidGuy. Kudos to everyone who helped make this FAQ great! Stay tuned for our Manga Viewer to be implemented sometime in the future. Maybe our translators will get in a Metroid mood and we'll finally be able to get in on what Japan has had for years now. IE out.

--Infinity's End

Even though most of us have already gone to Halloween parties on Saturday, today is the actual day when everybody has an excuse to dress up as whatever they want to be (I'm personally thinking we need more Kraid costumes!). Whether you're on the giving or receiving end of the candy, or just partying out, there's lots to do! Personally, I've been getting my gaming fix through the totally awesome Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. Three sweet games for just $30 is a done deal for any self-respecting oldschool or Castlevania fan with a PSP!

In other news, some of the more creative denizens of the MDb have put their skills to good use in the carving of these really awesome pumpkins! Great job, guys!

Infinity's End

DeoWulf

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Based on suggestions from the MDb Message Board, we have decided to implement an RSS Feed. It will provide all the new headlines and remixes that you see in the column to the right. This will be convenient as we plan introduce new material which may not elicit a full headline.
...which is good, because I think we've already made enough news posts in a 24-hour period!

-Jesse D

It's pretty hard to believe that it has been a decade and a year since TJ first unleashed the MDb. That was a long time ago. I remember those days. The internet was so much more simple back then.

....anyway. It's been great to see the website still have life after this many years. So much life, in fact, that we now have a backlog of material just waiting to be added. I'll leave those details for Inf and Cap to elaborate, but for now let's just say that you should keep an eye on that Remixes column to the right. As time permits, we'll equip an RSS feed. Stay tuned for details on that. Also stay tuned for other major additions in the very near future.

-Jesse D

Happy Anniversary to the MDb! Eleven years and counting, wow! I am so honored to be a part of the staff for this website. To celebrate, we have some new content for you like the new gorgeous, crystal-clear Metroid Prime Artwork Gallery, as well as (hope you're sitting down) an almost complete METROID MANGA(big thanks to Samethard)!! Yes, you read right. We are currently on the lookout for translators, so if you want to participate in this undertaking, please email CapCom right away! Lastly, I conclude my post with a link to our forums, where you will see my Samus tattoo that TJ did for me this past weekend. It is an amazing piece of work and the memories I will cherish forever. Congratulations to TJ, Capcom, Jesse D, Asiac, and YOU for making this the best damn Metroid website in the world. CHEERS!

Today is just the first of a long chain of updates to the Metroid Database. Stay tuned for more!

--Infinity's End

Wow, the Metroid Database has been up for eleven years and counting! That must be like 100 in Internet years! While we've had a rough time of it the past few years with slow updates, we're ramping up speed in our never-ending quest to provide you with the best Metroid content on the web! The hard work of the rest of the MDb crew is starting to really show with tons of updates and most surprisingly back to number three on Google! (We're currently being beat out only by Metroid.com and Wikipedia, but hey, I'm fine with that!) Expect to see a lot more of the same in the future!

Infinity's End has already mentioned the Metroid Manga, and we've also added some new sections to the forum mainly a Smash Brothers section and also a special translation section where you can help with a fan community translation project of the Metroid manga and other Japanese content.

Also, you may have heard on the forums or from Destructiod that Zero Suit Samus will have the Crystal Flash ability from Super Metroid as her final smash, allowing her to regain her power suit! No images yet, but we can be assured that someone, somewhere will upload them as they become available!

Anyway, thanks again for all your support over the years and we'll continue bringing you more awesome content!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

GameVideos has posted the first ever Super Smash Brothers Brawl in-game footage of Samus in action! Watch with amazement as Samus beats the living pasta out of Mario! That's a huge power cannon! Just look at how wide her gun opens to blast out all that energy - Hyper Beam indeed! From the looks of it, Brawl plays similar to Melee, so it should be very familiar to most of you. Unfortunately, they didn't duke it out in Norfair or any other Metroid location, but there should be plenty of new footage from E For All on the 18th - and heck, if you're there, you may even get a chance to play it!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Well, big news today is that Super Smash Brothers: Brawl has been delayed for a couple months, now set for a February 10, 2008 release in the US and a January 24, 2008 release in Japan. This announcement resulted in hundreds of hardcore gamers crying 'DISASTER!' '2007 is ruined!' and 'Nintendo you suck!', as if their whole lives depended on a December release of this game. To these people, I say, 'Quit your whinin' ya sissies - a couple extra months ain't gonna kill ya.' Of course, the earlier Japanese release date will no doubt incite some zealous fans to import Smash so they can play it a whole 2 weeks before it comes out in the US, but I'm not sweating it any.

Actually, if you ask me, the biggest news is that Sonic the Hedgehog is officially a playable character! It's about time! This rivalry has been enacted in the minds and creations of fans as well as in reality through the corporate rivalry between Sega and Nintendo. Now we'll see if plumbers really can beat hedgehogs! Could Brawl be the fight of the century?

Super-Sonified!

I guess there is also something of an apology due for the lack of Brawl information here. While most of the other websites have been posting each little snippet of Brawl news like it was the discovery of the Holy Grail, we've had absolutely zip, which is really just about as bad (though we have had a literally massive discussion about it on the message board). Well, we've got a little bit up now (a screenshot of Norfair and the Fusion Suit Trophy from the new trailer) so that's a start and I'll assure you we'll have more on the way.

Fusion Suit

IGN has also reported about a Metroid Assist Trophy, so you can send everybody's favorite life-sucking parasites out for the win. However, there is still no word on whether we'll see an Eggplant Wizard assist trophy from Kid Icarus...I specifically e-mailed Masahiro Sakurai about this back when they were accepting ideas for what people wanted to see, but who knows what happened to most of those suggestions from the US!

In case you haven't been keeping up with news over at the Smash Brothers Dojo or want to see them again, here's a recap of all the Metroid-related Smash news:

Samus
Zero Suit Samus Snake Joins the Brawl (and wants to catch Samus!)
Metroid: Boss Battle Music (Ridley Fight)

Remixed by Yusuke Takahama (and supervised by Minako Hamano). Mr. Takahama has also done Digital Pinball music and a bunch of stuff for Data East in the early 90s.

Also be sure to check these Kid Icarus-related news posts:

Pit
Pit's Descent
Kid Icarus: The Underworld

Until next time...
Captain Commando

This day marks the tenth anniversary of the death of Gunpei Yokoi, the legendary game designer and engineer who created the Metroid series along with a host of other amazing games and devices. He died in a tragic automobile accident on October 4, 1997; he would be 66 today.

Gunpei Yokoi is famous not only for his games but also for helping develop and popularize technology like the D-Pad, light gun, and the Game Boy, which have changed the way we play. He was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony in 2003 for all the amazing things he accomplished in his eventful life.

From the Ultra Hand and the Game Boy to Metroid and the Wonder Swan, Gunpei Yokoi made us smile and laugh, helping us enjoy our world. And yes, there are even many who love his Virtual Boy! To bring so much joy to others is truly one of the greatest things that anyone can accomplish in their lifetime.

Gunpei Yokoi's legacy lives on in every game of Metroid we play and in every incarnation of Game Boy or Wonderswan we pick up. He helped make games what they are today and for that we are forever grateful. Somewhere out there, I hope he can see us playing the games he helped make and their legacies, and is warmed by each of our smiles, laughs, and joys he helped give to us. Though the man has gone, his spirit and legend live forever in his games and in our hearts.

So long, game boy; there was never anyone else quite like you. We think of you with every mission.

This is dedicated to the family and friends of Gunpei Yokoi.

List of Inventions and Gameology

Devices
Ultra Hand (1970)
Ultra Machine (a baseball pitching device)
Love Tester
Ten Billion Barrel puzzle
Nintendo Beam Gun
Game & Watch (helping popularize the D-Pad; 1980-1991)
Robot Operating Buddy (R.O.B.)
Gameboy (1989)
Virtual Boy (1995)
WonderSwan (1999)

Arcade
Donkey Kong (1981)
Donkey Kong Jr. (1982)
Mario Bros. (1983)

NES
Dr. Mario (1990)
Kid Icarus (1986)
Metroid (1986)
Yoshi's Cookie (1992)

Game Boy
Balloon Kid (1990)
Dr. Mario (1990)
Kaero no tame ni Kane wa Naru (1992)
Kirby's Block Ball (1996)
Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991)
Solar Striker (1990)
Super Mario Land (1989)
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992)
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (1994)
Yoshi's Cookie (1992)

SNES
Battle Clash (1992)
Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu (1996)
Famicom Tantei Kurabu Part II: Ushiro ni Tatsu Shoujo (1998)
Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge (1993)
Panel de Pon
Super Metroid (1994)
Tetris Attack (1995)
Yoshi's Cookie (1992)

Virtual Boy
3D Tetris (1996)
Galactic Pinball (1996)
Mario's Tennis (1995)
Teleroboxer (1995)

Nintendo DS and PSP (Posthumously)
Gunpey (2007)

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Well, pretty big anouncement today from Retro Studios. As reported over at 1UP through MTV News, Prime 3's game director Mark Pacini has stated that the 'Project Dread' reference in Prime 3 was just 'a complete and utter coincidence.'

It's not what you think it means. It was [sic] something that was overlooked and wasn't in any way indicating anything about the handheld game. We know no information about the handheld game... We actually had a fictional element of something else in the game that by a large coincidence could be read that we were giving a hint about "Metroid Dread" which was not the case. It's a complete and utter coincidence.

Prime 3 producer Bryan Walker follows this up by stating I think the bottom line there was [that there was] no innuendo in the reference that you're mentioning... We're not that clever. No conspiracy.

Even though Retro Studios has denied it outright, it still seems kind of odd that 'Dread' was just a coincidence, considering rumors were all over the web. I know if I had been making the game, I would have put in a 'Dread' reference, even if I didn't even know it existed or not - it's too much fun not to! While Retro Studios may not have any involvement with any possible Metroid DS teams (even though they sent art assets to the Hunters team), this still seems a little bit too strange.

I'll believe they don't know anything about 'Dread' but if it wasn't a fun reference to the rumor, then what exactly does 'Project Dread' stand for? The Hatcher Metroids? The Valhallah? The final boss? The hidden ending? None of these explanations are very convincing for me, though I don't think they know more about 'Dread' than we do - if it even exists. Looks like 'Dread' is beginning to turn into another 'Metroid 64'...

Anyway, be sure to check MTV Multiplayer for more of the Retro Studios interview (which sadly I think is overshadowed by the 'Dread' anouncement! They talk about speed runs, game design, and graphics - pretty interesting stuff!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

What's this? Two updates in one day? Well, this is because the second news update is just that cool to warrant one! John Harris over at Gamasutra has written an orticle on 20 Open World Games, of which Metroid, Super Metroid, and Metroid Prime are cited as excellent examples. The article is fairly lengthy at about 20 pages, but is well worth the read, particularly if you are interested in game design! Mr. Harris does an excellent job of explaining how each of these game designs works, why it is important, and how you can use them in your own games. Ever wonder why an auto-map feature shouldn't give everything away or why adventure games are as much about establishing a sense of place as a wonder of exploration? Read on! Gamastura is a great site and this is an excellent (though lengthy!) article, so you may want to take it in pieces! Mr. Harris is certain to be writing more articles like this in the future.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Hey everyone! Infinity's End here with some news. Today we bring you our reviews of Metroid Prime 3. You can read Capcom's, Jesse D's, and my reviews in the new Prime 3 section. Be sure to stay tuned as we will be continuously adding content as time goes by.

In other news, fellow MDb Message Board member Lord Darth Naner has brought to my attention that the latest issue of Nintendo World (the Brazilian version of Nintendo Power), has yoinked the sprite edits that I made and published them in their magazine. Bet those Brazilians never thought I'd find out, eh? *shakes fist* In all honesty, I'm quite flattered that my sprites were good enough for them to be published and I kinda feel like TJ when Nintendo put some MDb content in their own Strategy Guide. Check out the scans below. Thanks again, Naner!

Front Cover

Page 12

Also, feel free to send in any pictures of Metroid-related swag that you may find along the way. We are always open to adding more content to the site! IE out.

--Infinity's End

With the help of the community at the MDb Message Board, we've been able to develop a thorough FAQ to explain the scarcely-documented Friend Voucher feature of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. This guide is under continuous development as more functionality becomes apparent to us.

Also, you can now find a unique utility written for Windows called M2Edit (written by Texel) in the Fan Apps section. This program will allow you to literally edit the map data of Metroid 2: Return of Samus. Its development is not yet complete, but it is in a usable state and is definitely worth a try if you enjoyed the freedom of SnowBro's MetEdit program.

Stay tuned for Metroid Prime 3 reviews in the near future...

-Jesse D

Now that version 3.5 is up, I added a big treat to the Metroid Prime 3 section...we've got an *almost* complete soundtrack up! When I say 'almost', even though there are more than 50 tracks on the list, I'm sure I missed a few! All tracks were recorded by me on my portable Mac laptop, which was very convenient as I no longer have to haul my gaming systems up to my desktop. As usual, I endeavored to record the music at the highest quality possible, though there are some tracks, like the Credits theme that I had to edit. All tracks have also been tagged, so you can tell if somebody decides to upload these to their own site.

Metroid Prime 3's soundtrack has a lot of great tunes in there, including remixes of the Theme of Super Metroid and other notable Super Metroid tracks. BEAR IN MIND THAT TRACK NAMES CONTAIN SPOILERS!! So if you're still nervous about those, don't check them out until you're ready. Notable new tracks include Bryyo and SkyTown, which have some amazing atmosphere to them. Music 4 Games is also running an audio journal of Prime 3, so check them out for more information on the soundtrack.

We're also trying something new - the whole soundtrack has been stuffed into a rather large zip file, so if you want to download the whole thing, you can simply grab the zip and not go through every single link. And if you want individual tracks but not the whole thing, you can grab those, too!

Oh yeah, you probably noticed that some of the tracks say 'From Demonoid.' These are files I got from an uncredited torrent on Demonoid. If anybody knows who did this rip, please let us know. Expect to see these replaced when I get around to it.

Lastly, Stemage (Grant Henry) over at Metroid Metal has produced an absolutely amazing remix of the Metroid 2 main theme, which we've been referring to here as 'Surface Runner,' based on the popular MP3 that had been on VGMix 2.0 some time ago. He had a lot of help from Goat, famous for his Castlevania 3 remix project, Unchosen Paths. We've got this amazing mix mirrored in the Metroid 2 section, so you can check it out here as well! Here's to hoping there are more Metroid 2 mixes where this came from!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Second news update for the day. Infinity's End just told me about the Retro Studios developer interviews up on Yahoo that some of you may have already seen by now. They're a couple of pretty good vids that take a look at the inside of Retro Studios and talk about the big N's design philosophy. I think this statement says it all:

"Understanding Nintendo's design philosophies, what they care about quality is absolutely unparalleled...Every little pixel counts, and that is much different from the way Western developers develop games."

Retro has also stated that they are going to be taking a break from Metroid for awhile, as some of you already know, though this obviously doesn't mean they'll never come back to it again... Or that NST or NCL aren't working on a new Metroid game for the DS. Nintendo may have denied they aren't making a new 2D Metroid game for the DS, but that doesn't mean they aren't working on a 3D Metroid or that one of their other developers isn't doing a 2D title, like how Capcom made a few Zelda titles for the Gameboy Color. Mr. Miyamoto's advice? Go ask Mr. Tanabe, the producer of the Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime Hunters series.

Bottom line is, I think the Metroid scene may be getting a bit quieter after Super Smash Brothers Melee launches, but we'll wait and see what else is lurking in the depths of space...

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Through many tedious hours of staring at thousands of lines of code, we've finally succeeded in converting the MDb into a more dynamic, editor-friendly structure. On the surface, it looks exactly same, but under the hood is a completely different beast.

So what does this mean?

Well, to us, this means that we can more quickly and efficiently add and maintain the website material. To you, the fans, it means... well, more updates!

Pardon the dust and sorry in advance if you happen to come across any strange bugs or broken links. If you manage to find any, let us know.

Prime 3 updates coming soon...

-Jesse D

Well, folks, it's been a long time coming, but we've finally got a new update! I've been hard at work with the two newest members of the MDb staff, Infinity's End and Jesse D, who are helping with visuals and code, respectively. TJ is monitoring the update progress as producer, so don't think he's gone away or got eaten by Sheegoths. We've put up new sections for Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Smash Brothers Brawl and Metroid Prime Pinball (which has taken a little bit longer than usual to show up). The code has also been standardized to make it a bit easier for us to update the site. Expect to see more content up on the site over the next few weeks along with updates here.

And not only is the MDb back, but Metroid fans will also be interested to know that both Metroid and Super Metroid are also back in the US for the Virtual Console as of August 20! If you haven't played either of these games - particularly Super Metroid be sure to check them out. This game hasn't been available for over a decade and many fans think it is the best 2D game in the series. If you haven't tried it out yet and have a Wii, do yourself a favor and buy it! Then be prepared to lock yourself in front of your TV for the next few hours of pure Metroid bliss.

Have you also been checking out the new Metroid Channel on your Wii? In case you haven't heard already from the billions of other videogame news sites, you can download a Metroid Prime 3 preview channel that has videos and stills to tantalize you over the week or so remaining before the game's release. The Aurora video in particular has caused a lot of stir as it shows footage that looks a heck of a lot like Mother Brain! It seems now that Mother Brain is related to a biological supercomputer project started by the Galactic Federation 20 years before Metroid Zero Mission! Could this mean that Mother Brain is a berzerk Aurora computer? Looks like we'll have to play through and find out!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Thanks to the hard work of the literally THOUSANDS of nanobots borrowed from Samus' spaceship, we have FINALLY got the Metroid Database Message Board up and running again! The new board is MODERN and FULLY FUNCTIONAL with a nifty Metroid theme thanks to the hard work of CapCom and we have unique Samus smileys made by our very own Infinity's End!

Apologies for the long hiatus, but we're finally back!

The NEW Metroid Database Message Board

Until next time...
Captain Commando

A lot of you may have noticed that the message board is no longer functional. Turns out, Boardhost decided to shut down all free password-protected boards as of April 30 - apparently, they hadn't been getting enough money from advertising to support them any longer.

Good news is, we ARE working to get a new, modern board up and running. Stay tuned for further announcements - a new board IS on the way.

Until next time...
Captain Commando