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MDb news since 1996.
Hot~ish off the presses are a smattering of new and returning Club Nintendo rewards just in time for the holiday/post-holiday season! Included are a number of DS/3DS card cases thematically based off of popular Nintendo franchises such as Mario, Pikmin, and The Legend of Zelda, each available for 400 coins, but most pertinent to this site's - and likely our dear reader's - interests is the inclusion of a Metroid-themed NES Remix 2 t-shirt!
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Available for 700 coins, this 100% cotton t-shirt comes in Large (22" W x 30" L) or Extra Large (24" W x 31" L) sizes and is a great homage to one of Nintendo's more creative nostalgic endeavors. As is so often the case with Club Nintendo Rewards, you better cash those coins in quick, lest you miss out on the opportunity all together!
Best of luck and a happy new year from all of us here at the MDb!
GEOMETRY!
--Apothem
Merry Christmas, everyone! As a gift, we are releasing the 16th chapter of Samus and Joey for everyone today. This chapter introduces Zegan Doh, whose obsession with being the Number One Bounty Hunter in the Galaxy forces his inflated ego to make a bad decision... challenge Samus Aran.
We hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season spending time with family and friends, as well as gaming your heart out. Next year, we have my more things in the works, including a bunch of manga scanlations on the way! We also know that there is some demand for recording a new episode of Wave Beam - unfortunately it just didn't happen this year, but we are going to try and schedule one for 2015. Look forward to it - Happy New Year!
--Infinity's End
Toy manufacturer Jakks Pacific have announced new figures for their World of Nintendo toy line, and a few Metroid figures have been revealed. Scheduled to release in April of 2015 is a 4" Samus articulated figure, and a 6" Metroid figure. Later on in 2015 Jakks Pacific also plan to release a Gravity Suit Samus with a Morph Ball accessory. Thanks to Let's Talk Nintendo for the heads up.
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--James Pierce
Just in time for the holiday season, Teeconomist has graced us once again with a Samus-themed shirt for you to enjoy. The shirt is called "Samusplatter" and features a version of the Metroid Prime Hunters promo art but done in a style of paint splattering - very cool! Pick one up today from Teeconomist for only $10.00, while supplies last!
Better get it fast, this deal is only good for 24 hours!
--Infinity's End
Greetings, all, and Happy Smash Day to everyone! At least those of you living in North America, anyway. Today marks the long awaited - initial - release of Super Smash Bros. Wii U, latest in the seminal line of Nintendo's world famous cacophonous character crossover confrontations. Front and center is our own in-amber-clad First Lady of Gaming, Samus herself! She's joined by 48 other distinguished gaming icons, 41 frequently crazy stages, and hundreds of battle items, trophies, and easter eggs culled from dozens of different franchises - from Nintendo and beyond. Super Smash Bros. Wii U promises to be the single largest repository of interactive gaming nostalgia yet seen in the industry, and is the only place where players can pit the likes of Mario, Sonic, Mega Man, and Pac-Man head-to-head to settle that ages old question: Who's the better character?
For those of you across the ponds, worry not! You'll be smashing in no time! Smash Bros. Wii U will release next in Europe on November 28, Australia the next day on November 29, and finally in Japan about a week later on December 6. The wait may be brutal, but not long!
Until such a time as we're all smashing each other into brightly colored virtual oblivion, consider heading on over to our forums, where we have a long-lived and heavily trafficked Smash Brothers thread dedicated solely to all things smashing. Feel free to compliment, critique, complain, and compare everything from the brief but endlessly fun series alongside our modest community, many of whom live, eat, and breath all things Smash.
Last - but not least - should the wait prove unbearable, or should you need your brawl on the go, let us not forget Super Smash Bros. is also on the 3DS! Some may consider it little more than a precursor to it's console counterpart, but a sizable community has already formed around the game, and many of us here actively engage each other on the handheld. Nintendo seems determined to keep us smashing wherever we may be.
Also launching alongside Smash Bros. Wii U is Nintendo's ambitious new merchandising initiative: Amiibo! Starting with twelve adorable little figurines, and designed primarily with Smash Bros. in mind for now, Amiibo represents Nintendo's gradual foray into the realm of character driven physical DLC, similar to the likes of Skylanders and Disney's Infinity series.
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(Click to enlarge)
The exact functionality of each figure is specifically game dependent, but many are promised to work across multiple titles, not just a single game, which can make things a little confusing and difficult to keep track of. Thankfully, we here at the MDb have you fans covered with our handy - and regularly updated - guide to all known things Amiibo on our forums!
For Smash Bros. specifically, all twelve initial figures allow players to train respective virtual fighters, customizing moves, building stats, fighting against them directly, or pitting them against other player's Amiibo fighters. The character data is stored directly to the figure itself, allowing for easy pick-up-and-play across multiple consoles, should you ever want to challenge a friend directly in their own home, or anywhere else beyond your living room.
A few other games known to support Amiibo are Mario Kart 8, where the various figures unlock character costumes for Mii racers; and Hyrule Warriors, where the Link figure will unlock a brand new weapon type for him in-game. At present, exact functionality for many games remains unknown, but Nintendo is committed moving forward to making each Amiibo figure a worthwhile investment. For now, they can at least serve as nice little collectables, particularly for many of the characters on offer who rarely - if ever - receive any official merchandise, much like Samus herself, unfortunately.
Wrapping up the days announcements: Metroid II: The Return of Samus is now available as a 3DS Nintendo Club reward! Perhaps not the most exhilarating of Metroid news, but regardless, for 150 coins this fine - if not underrated - entry in the franchise can be yours. Alternatively, you can pick it up on the 3DS eShop for $3.99 USD or your local equivalent. Should you still be wanting for more alien blasting/exotic world exploring excellence, the original Metroid is available on both the 3DS and Wii U eShop for $4.99 USD, and Super Metroid is available on the Wii U eShop for $7.99 USD.
Until next time there's something of interest to report in the world of Metroid,
GEOMETRY!
--Apothem
One of the most noteworthy aspects of the Metroid Database is that it's not just a site focused on the next big wave or variation, but a full celebration of the rich history and legacy that the games have imparted and retained over time.
I first started visiting the MDb around 2005. I was initially drawn here by many of the same things that likely drew many of you. When I wasn't busy blasting alien life-forms through every corridor and cavern, this site offered me much more insight into the games' details. Even more, it gave me resources to dream! There is so much more content and features here today, thanks to the stalwart efforts of the MDb Admin, and all of our contributors over the years -- many fantastic memories and talented fans along the way.
Although I'm going to miss the days of deciphering Chozo alphabet characters from blurry offscreen game footage, that inquisitiveness is helping me as I begin to learn and transcribe with other scripts, such as contracted braille. You might still see me from time to time on the forums, but my new focus is shifting towards the Education sectors, as I help to support a variety of students, veterans, and some fellow gamers with disabilities.
Everyone here has their own story to share about their first Metroid experience, and how the universe, character, or mechanics inspired them to flex their creative imagination and exploration spirit. I'm happy to have shared and highlighted some of these stories with all of you, and would like to thank the staff and community for giving me the opportunity.
See you next mission...
--Aurora Unit
Greetings one and all, I am Apothem, long time forumite and newest contributor to the Metroid Database staff. A lifelong Metroid - and general Nintendo - fan, I've been perusing the MDb and engaging with it's modest but exemplary community for over six years. I first wondered here back in June 2008, interested in little more than trading friend codes for credits in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Since then I've gradually grown increasingly involved with the forums, and am now one of the most regularly active members on the site. I've been playing Metroid titles for as long as I could hold a controller, from the first on the NES to the latest on the Wii, and am more than excited to be bringing my passion for the series and signature verbosity to bear here on the front page of the world's premier Metroid fansite!
I will endeavor, along with the rest of our fine staff, to bring you all - my fellow fans - the very best from around the web. Official Metroid news may be slim, but that hasn't stopped the awesome fandom surrounding one of - if not the - best videogame series of all time from cranking out excellent content to tide us all over until the inevitable - and hopefully imminent - announcement of a new Metroid game, much of which is available right here in the MDb's "Fan Creations" section, conveniently located to your browsing left.
For now, make sure to join us in our continuing celebration of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes 10th anniversary by reading the recently completed - against all discernible odds - Episode of Aether manga, tracked down and translated by our resident linguistical wizard CapCom; and also be sure to check out our excellent and recently expanded Bestiary, courtesy local artistic aficionado Infinity's End and the myriad of impressively imaginative creature-smiths he's wrangled from every conceivable corner of the web.
If after all that you've still time to spare, come join me and our awesome community on our ever active forums and help us discuss all things Metroid, Nintendo, videogames in general, and everything in between and beyond!
Until next time,
GEOMETRY!
--Apothem
Today we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of one of the most divisive games in the Metroid Prime series: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. The game brought some very questionable elements to the table, like the implementation of Beam Ammo and the fun-but-limited version of the Screw Attack. It did have the Sanctuary Fortress though, which is considered one of the best areas in the franchise, as well as an unmatched, spooky, dreary, and completely alien atmosphere throughout.
Kensuke Tanabe's influence added a "Link to the Past"-esque element to the game allowing you to switch between both light and dark worlds, each with their own terrain and custom enemies. The game is also distinctly challenging, and was purposefully toned back a bit when released on the Trilogy disc.
In regards to the history of the MDb, the game was one that "beat" our very own TJ Rappel, as he bemoaned the game's difficulty, the cheapness of the Spider Guardian, and just not being that into First Person games. TJ eventually did end up going back and beating it, fortunately.
Our celebration kicks off with, you guessed it: a bunch of awesome, brand spankin' new Metroid Prime 2-themed Bestiary Entries! Rundash, Rob Powell, and Smolb all came back out of the darkness to submit these beautiful entries for your viewing fulfillment. Please give them a look-see and enjoy!
(And lastly a mention of a forgotten-but-now-found Memu-X by Smolb!)
Our festivities conclude with the one and only FINAL CHAPTER OF EPISODE OF AETHER!!!
Our scanlation has finally come to an epic conclusion, as Samus takes on Dark Samus once and for all, with a little help from her Galactic Federation friends she met along the way. On top of that, however, CapCom and I have gone back and remastered all of the other 6 chapters. There is much more cleaner, organized typesetting and new and updated translations to make your reading experience that much better. We hope you all appreciate this new and final edition of the entire Metroid Prime 2 manga, originally released by Comic Bom Bom. The Manga ran from 2005-2006, and is now available for English-reading audiences for the very first time online. Big thanks to CapCom for his hard work on tracking down and translating this extremely rare manga! Cheers, everyone! Kick back a celebratory drink of choice today for Metroid Prime 2!
Not enough Metroid Prime 2 goodness to whet your whistle? Try this search for Metroid Prime 2 on Tumblr!
--Infinity's End
It's 1996. I just got my first personal computer and a subscription to this strange new thing called the "Internet." After struggling to get my screechy 28.8kbps modem to make a connection, the first webpage I ever visited was a search engine. As the cursor blinked, gingerly awaiting my query, I had no idea what to type. So, I started with my favorite video game.
There wasn't much to do with Metroid back in those days, other than a couple of cheat code websites and lists of NES cartridges. I didn't see what made the Internet so exciting until I wandered into this thing called "The Metroid Database."
What I discovered was the first website that truly impressed me... vivid colors, unique artwork and even a freakin' soundtrack! It contained pages full of unique information, "secret passages" and a public forum. This website was crafted passionately by a fan, for fans.
Fast forward eighteen years. I reminisce now of the friends I've made (and enemies... who remembers RRickyR?), my adventures in Secret World hunting, the coming and going of many great Nintendo systems, and everything I have learned that has made me who I am today. I joined the team alongside Infinity's End in 2007. Along with CapCom, we have given the site and community a second life. I am insanely proud to have been a part of Team MDb and am thankful to Devin and Ryan for the incredible amount of content that we have created over the years. We've kicked a lot of ass. As fans, for fans.
My life is different now and I have a lot of exciting changes to look forward to. Where TJ once chose to pass the torch down to a younger generation of fresh minds, so too have I chosen to do the same. You might still see me from time to time, quietly stalking the forum or helping out our newest generation of staff. But as far as being a site admin, I am now signing off. Thank you, all of you.
See You Next Mission.
-Jesse D
Bayonetta 2 has been available for a little under two weeks now, and Platinum Games have updated their official staff blog with an entry discussing the four Nintendo themed costumes included in Bayonetta 2 and the Wii U port of Bayonetta. Designer Yong-Hee Cho talks about the challenges in creating a costume based off of the design from the original Metroid released almost 30 years ago. If you haven't picked up Bayonetta 2 yet I strongly encourage you to do so. Platinum Games have created an amazing product which is the pinnacle of the action genre, and a game which all future action games will be judged against.
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In addition, Nintendo have announced some new amiibo functionality for Mario Kart 8 in their latest Nintendo Direct. When players scan their Samus amiibo into Mario Kart 8, their Miis will be given a Samus costume to race in. The Samus amiibo will be available on November 21 in North America, November 28 in Europe, and December 6 in Japan.
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--James Pierce
Happy Halloween, everyone! Do you have your costumes ready? Speaking of costumes, we've snagged an exclusive interview with amazing Samus cosplayer and game developer, Chelsea Mills. Chelsea goes into all the passionate details that went into creating this wonderfully accurate costume as well as some other personal details about her career and life. Could this be the next reigning champion of Samus cosplay? Read on and find out!
--Infinity's End
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Nintendo has just aired their "50 Must See Things" for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and they have finally ended all the speculation as to Ridley's fate in the game. Ridley will be appearing in the Pyroshere stage as previously suggested, however he will not only be a boss. Characters who deal enough damage to him will be able to recruit him as an ally who will help in the fight, players can also KO Ridley, which adds to their score. When Ridley takes enough damage, he'll become Meta Ridley, and deal more damage in battle. In addition to Ridley other Metroid enemies will appear including; FG II-Graham units, Joulions, and Zeros.
Also announced is that veteran fighter Mewtwo will return to the series after his long absence. He will be available as a free DLC fighter for those who purchase both versions.
(The Metroid stuff happens at the 7:43 mark.)
--James Pierce
Professional animator and MDb Forum Member Patrick "LordDirk" Stannard has recently shared with us the process of his eternal dedication to the Metroid series. He had shared his designs with us on our Tattoo thread. The design was made in vector to be eventually wrapped around his right forearm, reminiscent of Samus's cannon.
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WORK IN PROGRESS SHOT:
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The tattoo itself took around 15-18 hours to complete, in 3 sessions. A lot of blood, pain and ink later, he has a completely badass tat that any Metroid fan can appreciate. Congrats Patrick and thank you for sharing it with the greater Metroid fanbase! More pictures can be found here in our Tattoo thread.
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--Infinity's End
Here are the results from our MOM poll. As you can see above, out of over 1000 voters, 641 thought it was an above average game, and 399 did not. So it's about a 60-40 split on that one. I feel as though the people who do hate MOM with every fiber in their being are really just a minority, and while online polls should never be taken too seriously, it's telling enough to me to finally lay this debate to rest once and for all.
Unsurprisingly, this poll was also filled with comments. The archived poll can be visited here. Thanks to all who voted in our poll, we encourage you to vote in our newest one!
--Infinity's End
Another year down. The Metroid Database has provided folks online with Metroid news for a full 18 years and it's a big achievement. While we don't have anything specific planned, I will announce today that we do plan on doing a new episode of Wave Beam in the near future with the focus on MP3C. We are also planning on releasing our scanlation of the final chapter of the MP2:EOA manga at a point in the very near future, so look forward to that!
We are also planning on doing a big interview with Chelsea Mills, the creator of that awesome Samus cosplay, and that will be released sometime this month.
Metroid news as of late has been extremely quiet save for a few mentions from Nintendo devs in some interviews, but I remain hopeful. We also got those amazing cameos in Bayonetta and Monster Hunter, so it just goes to show that Nintendo hasn't completely forgot about our favorite bounty hunter. In the meantime, I'll have to suffice with controlling her in the latest Smash Bros. release on 3DS and the upcoming one on WiiU. As long as Samus is in them, the MDb will continue to provide coverage for these games.
As usual, I'd like to thank all of the MDb staff members for their help - Devin, Jesse, Tim, Michael, and Brydon. Also big thanks to the forum members for being so awesome, and thanks to our 2700+ Facebook followers and 600+ Twitter followers - we love you! Cheers!
--Infinity's End
Incoming Transmission...
Bounty hunter Samus Aran has been spotted in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate/G on 3DS.
She is equipped with a ridiculously enormous arm cannon that fires equally enormous missiles, perfect for taking out giant dragons. If she takes significant damage, her Varia Suit disperses to reveal the Zero Suit.
Samus can wall jump and shoot in first person mode. She can also use other weapons, such as bows and swords, but obviously not the mythical "NARPAS SWORD"...
The materials required to craft the weapons and armor can be obtained by completing a special quest to defeat some kind of giant spider (shown in the video).
Interestingly, there will be some sort of promotional event run at 7-11 stores in Japan between December 28 and January 7. If you are in Japan, you can visit one of these stores to access the DLC and participate in a special quest (involving the giant spider) and obtain a Metroid-themed Guild Card and Title. This follows in the footsteps of the Animal Crossing promotional event as well as the Link and Sonic equipment.
Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate/G releases in Japan on October 14, with a US release scheduled for "sometime in 2015." No word yet on how the DLC will be implemented, but it's a pretty safe bet all of this will be included in the US version.
More information as it becomes available...
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This past Thursday, via the Rainfall.tv Facebook page (which you all should be liking IMMEDIATELY after reading this) released 3 astoundingly beautiful concept renders of the new Metroid-inspired short film that they will be focusing their efforts on. The cg seems to be quite professional, and it seems as though suited Samus is also being rendered in full 3D, not a person in a suit.
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Feel free to stay tuned to Rainfall.tv via their own social media channels, but we will try our best to keep you up to date on all the latest news from this incredibly high-profile fan project!
--Infinity's End
Today we are proud to present you with Chapter 15 of Samus & Joey! In this chapter, Samus goes directly after the Dominion, a shadowy group of arms dealers, who will stop at NOTHING to nullify Samus so they can take her power and re-manufacture it in order to conquer the entire galaxy!
Helping us finish this chapter are our two new scanlation team members, Zhelkus and StarChildOrko, who have done an excellent job of cleaning the pages and typesetting the text bubbles accordingly. I also contributed some light cleaning and SFX work here and there, with fantastic translations of course by CapCom. We hope you enjoy the latest chapter of Samus & Joey: A Hammerblow of Justice! Only found right here, on the MDb!
--Infinity's End
Otarie has posted an intriguing video comparing the ending theme from Metroid: Other M with Kalisto's Theme from Rain Children by Didier Lockwood. The beginning and endings to the song are incredibly similar. While it isn't uncommon for two songs by the same composer with a large body of music to sound similar, and it's also not unheard of for composers to reuse their music, basing music very closely on other composers' scores can cause big problems. Both Kinuyo Yamashita and Yasunori Mitsuda have strongly defended themselves against claims of copying music before (Yamashita for the Neon Tiger theme in Mega Man X3 and Mitsuda for Robo's Theme, which sounds an awful lot like Rick Astley)...although it's not like a composer would ever admit to that. That's not even counting known copying, like the EarthBound soundtrack or Mamoru Samuragochi blatantly lying about composing Resident Evil and other Capcom classics. Other cases are borderline: was Michael Jackson really hired to compose music for Sonic 3, or was he ripped off? The world will likely never know. Blatant copying was pretty common in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, but is pretty rare today in games due to the proliferation of lawyers in the game biz, which makes this similarity very surprising, stretching thin the argument of "it's just an honest mistake."
Incidentally, the reason there's no voiceovers in the ending theme - and some static - is because they used the copy of the theme from the soundtrack here on the MDb, where we used a noise filter to remove them.
UPDATE: News post corrected for errors.
Until next time...
Captain Commando
Some crafty internet sleuths from Kyoto Report have uncovered some artwork from an old prototype of a Metroid game under early development at Next Level Games. Sometime after development of Punch-Out!! was completed, Next Level Games began a prototype for their unreleased Metroid project. The company had something they were ready to show off to Nintendo, but Nintendo ordered them instead to work on Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.
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The Metroid connection doesn't end there however. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon was supervised by Ryuichi Nakada, a Nintendo veteran who did level design for both GBA Metroid games. In addition Next Level Games have announced earlier this year that they will be making games exclusively with Nintendo, so perhaps this concept will one day be revisited.
--James Pierce
Today we are proud to present you with Chapter 14 of Samus & Joey, the long-running manga we started translating a few years back. In this chapter, Samus fights a powerful new cyborg designed by the Dominion, a shadowy group of arms dealers.
Typesetting of Volume 3 is well under way, and this is the another example of the work done by our manga team. Cait Kenney cleaned the images. Ryan did the SFX, and did an amazing job on them, I might add! They sure are a lot of fun to look at! As usual, you can either continue where you left off or start from the beginning if you're new to the series - and you've got all Labor Day weekend to catch up!
Until next time...
Captain Commando
Nintendo of America have announced that the first wave of amiibo figures for Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U are available for pre-order in the US today. Samus, as well as all the other figures in Wave 1 have MSRP of $12.99. Zero Suit Samus does NOT have a figure announced at this time, but will likely be announced alongside other characters in 2015.
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No pricing or release details have been announced for outside of the US at this time, but we will let you know when it happens. Other figures launching with Samus include; Mario, Princess Peach, Donkey Kong, Link, Fox McCloud, Pikachu, Yoshi, Kirby, Marth, Wii Fit Trainer, and Villager.
--James Pierce
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U director Masahiro Sakurai has revealed a couple of new details relating to the Metroid series over Miiverse. First off as can be clearly seen, Zero Suit Samus has some new alternate costumes based off of the endings from Metroid: Fusion and Metroid: Zero Mission.
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In addition Sakurai also stealthily announced that Brinstar from Super Smash Bros. Melee will be a returning stage in the 3DS version of the game.
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS will launch September 13, in Japan; followed by an international release on October 3. The Wii U version is scheduled to release this holiday season.
--James Pierce
Here's the results of Poll #3. This one's pretty interesting. It received quite a few votes this time around, over 1500, which is likely due to me sharing it over on Reddit. If you just look at it 3D vs 2D, the answers are almost 50-50, so it just goes to show there are still a good majority of you fans that want a traditional type Metroid game, while there are still a good number of people that want a Prime-style game. My personal vote goes to a 2.5D game, preferably on the 3DS. I would also prefer it to have auto-aiming much like that which was brought about in Other M, and perhaps even level design with multiple depths that you could move in an out of at will. Ah the possibilities are endless! Thanks to everyone who voted! Please be sure to vote in our newest poll.
--Infinity's End
A few of our eagle-eyed readers on the forums noted we launched the latest chapter of Samus & Joey, "Chapter 13: Demon Planet - A Dash For Hope" a few weeks back. The reason this wasn't fully announced was since we had some bugs with the manga reader, but these have all been cleared up now. Ryan added some cool SFX to the manga this time around, so be sure to check it out! Remember you can also start back at the beginning and check out all the other comics and manga we have on the site.
We're still hard at work on the rest of the series, so expect more soon!
Until next time...
Captain Commando
This has been a pretty active week for Metroidvania titles! We have two releases and two new WIPs to report.
First up is Rex Rocket by Robert Maher, a cross between Mega Man and Metroid:
The game was funded on Kickstarter last year and is currently available on Steam for $9.99. I'll try and get some reports on the play up, but I'm going to be pretty busy this week with Orlando Nerd Fest coming up.
Humble Mobile Bundle 6 also has a Metroidvania, Mines of Mars:
I don't have an Android, so I can't tell you how it plays, but it seems to have a nice graphical style and plenty of things to unlock. It usually runs for $4.99 on the Android store, so that plus six other games for the minimum price (currently $4) ain't so bad - especially since one of them is Threes. Unfortunately, looks like you need an Android phone to run it. You can also check out other titles by Crescent Moon Games.
Temporus was successfully funded on Kickstarter:
This one uses NES-style graphics and has a time travel mechanic. The game barely met its Kickstarter goal of $20k, but has been successfully Greenlit on Steam, so should make a bit of a splash when it launches.
Finally, Jools Watsham, creator of Mutant Mudds, is coming out with a new Metroidvania, Xeodrifter.
The game is slated to release on the 3DS and will be making use of some layering to create impressive backdrops. It sounds like the game will be pretty small-scale, so can be completed in a few hours, but should have some extra secrets to find. No info yet on release, but hopefully it will also see a PC launch (it's being developed initially on the PC anyway). Should have plenty of Metroid feel, judging by the Geemer-style enemy on the right.
Until next time...
Captain Commando
Our old host, Classicgaming.com, has finally gone the way of the dodo. Classicgaming was a hotbed of news and articles on oldschool gaming starting back when the idea was brand new - like the Metroid Database, the site was established in 1996. You might remember in 2008 that IGN purchased Gamespy, which owned Classicgaming.com. They soon shut down all the hosted sites, forcing them to jump ship - the Metroid Database, Castlevania Dungeon, and Contra Headquarters were some of the sites that transferred over to Kontek.net. Technically, Classicgaming has been dead since about 2011 - no new major updates have been made since then. Now IGN decided it was time to pull the plug. Once again, history goes through the virtual shredder as IGN tries to meet the bottom line. Today, all that is left is the archive on the Wayback Machine. RIP Classicgaming.
Until next time...
Captain Commando
Those that may follow us on Facebook should already know that First4Figures has revealed via their own Facebook page their next Metroid figure: Samus in her Light Suit. They are going to be taking preorders on the figure starting on July 29th. Several years ago F4F hinted on their site that they were going to be releasing both Light and Dark Suit figures, and now that time has come, seemingly just in time for the 10th anniversary of the game's release. No price has been set for the figure yet, but knowing with how they usually price things, it should range anywhere from $250-350. Better start depositing into that piggy bank!
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UPDATE 7/29:
First4Figures has now opened up preorders for the Light Suit. They are offering both a lit and non-lit version. The figure pages can be seen in the links below. They contain many more photos and details of the figures.
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Lit Version:
- PRICE: $364.99 (with initial preorder of $20)
- SCALE: 1/4 (20")
- AMOUNT MFD.: 750
- RELEASE: Q1 2015
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Non-Lit Version:
- PRICE: $339.99 (with initial preorder of $20)
- SCALE: 1/4 (20")
- AMOUNT MFD.: 2500
- RELEASE: Q1 2015
--Infinity's End
MHQthon 2014 is upon us! Starting today at 2PM CST, the 4th annual Metroid Headquarters Marathon will be underway. MHQ is playing through all the games for Child's Play Charity, filled with delightful commentary, special guests, prizes, and more. You don't want to miss it this year because I, Infinity's End will be in attendance and playing through a game. I will be showing up this upcoming weekend - starting this Friday. I hope to see you all there, it's going to be a blast... a METROID BLAST(har har)!
To view the stream, click the image below:
--Infinity's End
Happy Monday folks! Today we bring you the next biggest addition to our ongoing Bestiary Feature on the MDb. The Metroid Prime 2: Echoes section is now available. To start it off, we have a whopping 12 new entries for your enjoyment! Even though they're all great, I have selected a few of my favorites below. We have been working behind the scenes all this time to deliver great artwork and great information for you, along with our newest artist who has joined the team, Cryophase! Cryophase is a HUGE MP2 fan, and was very excited to help contribute to this section. I hope you all enjoy and look forward to more Bestiary entries!
In other news, the results of our previous poll are as follows:
Looks like everyone liked Sanctuary Fortress the most, with Torvus Bog in second. Please feel free to vote in our newest poll!
Next up is the first of our Strategy Guides scan project. The Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Official Nintendo Power Strategy Guide can be downloaded by clicking the image to the left. The download is about 50MB in size. It is also highly recommend viewing these guides in an app like Adobe Reader or Acrobat, as there is a Two Page View Setting that allows you to view the guide more like it would really be viewed. There are plenty more to come, so please stay look forward to it!
And finally - sent to me just this morning by CapCom are pics of the Comic Bom Bom issue which contains the final chapter (Ch. 7) of the Metroid Prime 2: Episode of Aether manga! We have worked very hard to get a copy of this for scanlation purposes and we FINALLY got it, so get hype! That's it for today, folks. I hope you all have enjoyed the MP2 EXTRAVAGANZA!
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--Infinity's End
This interview essentially confirms that Nintendo does still care about the franchise, and are wondering what they should do with it next. They clearly realize there is a demand to keep broadening the series, but don't have any concrete plans just yet. When they asked Totilo about trying to determine which type of Metroid would like more, he basically said he couldn't choose, and that there's a place for both. We agree, and apparently so does Nintendo.
--Infinity's End
Click the image below to be taken to the official page (Warning: site is 100% Japanese).
Download the official Japanese instruction manual for the original GBA game right here!
No word yet on the rest of the world, but we assume it will be shortly thereafter.
--Infinity's End
Nintendo's press conference was today. The video can be seen below. If you're on the fence whether to watch it, it's definitely worth it, I assure you.
A few Metroid-related things of note:
1.) Official Boxart for the WiiU and 3DS versions of Super Smash Bros. have been revealed. Release date for Smash Bros. for 3DS is October 3rd.
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2.) Nintendo announced data-driven figurines called "amiibo" which interact with the WiiU Gamepad. The figurines will not only relay data to the WiiU, but it will also receive data, allowing you do such things like increasing stats on your character. The amiibos will be first used in Smash Bros. Wii, and of course there is a Samus one.
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3.) Bayonetta 2 will also contain the original game. The original game will also give you the ability to dress up Bayonetta in 3 Nintendo-themed costumes: Peach, Link, and Samus. The clip is very brief so more details will be yet to come. (Sorry for the poor-quality screencaps!) In the video it happens around the 26:48 mark.
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4.)Miis are also confirmed as fighters in the new Smash Bros., and come in 3 different varieties: Brawler, Sword Fighter, and Gunner (aka, close, mid-range, and distance fighting styles) The arm cannon-clad fighter's style will likely resemble that of Samus.
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E3 is just beginning so let's hope Nintendo hasn't pulled out all its surprises. Other than those above, non-Metroid related news is as follows:
- An "Open World" Zelda game is confirmed as being the next major game in the franchise. It is described by Aonuma as being fairly big change from the original Zelda formula as they wanted to focus on making the player feel like they are in a large world to explore, without boundaries. Many people are jumping to the conclusion that this game will be on-par with that of Skyrim in terms of size, but nothing has been confirmed just yet. Scheduled release: 2015.
- Palutena from Kid Icarus Uprising is now confirmed as a Smash fighter.
- A new Star Fox is confirmed as in-development for WiiU
- Nintendo created a new IP called Splatoon. It is a 3rd person, 8-player, squad-based multiplayer game in which you must paint the base you're fighting on with the respective color of "ink" in order to win.
- Mario Maker takes its interface inspiration from old school SNES game Mario Paint in which you can design your own old-school Mario levels. You can also play your levels in the style of 2.5D New Super Mario Bros.
--Infinity's End
After several years of collecting rare manga from Japan, the Metroid Database is happy to announce that we have finally acquired every last chapter of Samus & Joey. All pages of the manga have been scanned in and are ready for processing, and the entirety of it has also been translated. That's a total of about 500 pages left (including close to 200 pages from Samus & Joey Volume 3 and 360 pages of Metroid: Extreme, the spinoff series). If you didn't know we had this and other manga on the site, you can check them all out here.
However, cleaning and typesetting the manga takes up a lot of time. Multiply that by 500 pages and well...honestly, the MDb staff doesn't have the free time anymore to work on these. So although the text has been translated in English, there's no easy way of sharing all these pages with you in a form that's pleasing to read.
For that reason, we are asking for volunteers to help clean and typeset the manga. If you're interested, check out our official thread on the forum (membership not required).
We hope you will consider helping out so we can share this rare treasure trove with Metroid fans everywhere! Let's get the word out to make this a reality!
Until next time...
Captain Commando
Creature artist Rob Powell has graced our Bestiary with his incredible artistic talents once again. This time he brings us a fantastic, meticulously-rendered version of the Omega Metroid from Fusion. I urge all of you to check out this menacing but beautiful entry to the Bestiary.
I also will mention there are a few more surprises coming in the near future to the Bestiary...dark surprises. :3
--Infinity's End
Today marks the release of Child of Light by Ubisoft. It's an action/RPG with some Metroidvania elements. Visually it is quite impressive and has been getting fairly decent (although not stellar) reviews. However, there is a demo you can download and see for yourself. It is $14.99 on PS3, PC, Xbox, and PS4.
There is also a new trailer out for Ghost Song. It's a gritty take on Metroid-style play with plenty of dialogue sequences and excellently moody visuals. The game is still in development, and you can vote for it on Greenlight. I put my support behind the Kickstarter, and the game is still available for preorder.
Until next time...
Captain Commando
The MDb needs your help! The internet has a distinct lack of scans of all the Metroid strategy guides. If you own one or several and are interested in donating it to us for the purposes of archiving them on the Metroid Database, please contact infinitysend0[at]gmail[dot]com with the subject "Guide Donation." Be aware of the term "donate" as the guides will be completely taken apart and not sent back to their original owner. Donors will be credited, though! We can also compensate shipping costs within the US. Thank you!
We are interested in the following guides:
Metroid Fusion Official Nintendo Player's GuideMetroid Prime Official Nintendo Player's GuideMetroid Prime 3 Corruption: Prima Officially Licensed Game GuideMetroid Prime Trilogy: Prima Officially Licensed Game Guide- Metroid Other M: Prima Officially Licensed Game Guide
--Infinity's End
For all the Wii U owners out there, NES Remix 2 has been released today on the Nintendo E Shop. NES Remix is a series of minigames based off the old Nintendo games. While Metroid was absent from the first title, the game is finally featured in NES Remix 2, with such minigames as defeating Ridley and the Mother Brain, collecting coins, and collecting items without taking damage or traversing an area without taking damage. It's an interesting set of challenges reminiscent of the Wario Ware games.
If you'll recall, the first NES Remix got rather poor reviews, but NES Remix 2 appears to be a much better entry. You can pick up a copy for $14.99.
Update: Cameos section updated with videos of the game in action, courtesy of Shinesparkers!
Until next time...
Captain Commando
Two new Bestiary entries have just gone public!
I'd also like to apologize profusely to Insanity-Engine for delaying posting up the Barbed War Wasp for several months. She had finished this quite a while ago and I completely forgot about it due to many other things happening in life. Well it's up now, that's all that matters. Thanks so much to her and Decepticoin for their awesome and beautiful entries!
--Infinity's End
A new AM2R Demo was released this past Monday. I have not gotten a chance to play through it yet, so unfortunately I cannot comment on any of the game's improvements. Click the image above to go to the AM2R site. Thanks to DocM64 for the head's up.
Second bit of news comes also via DocM64, who mentioned that a Metroid marathon is currently being run on the Team Ludendi Twitch channel. Team Ludendi is a part of the European Speedster Assembly, which are basically a bunch of gamers with a passion for speed running games. As of this writing, they are neck-deep in Other M. It looks like we've already missed Metroid Prime 1 and 2, which went on earlier this morning. Check out the following links to watch the channel!
--Infinity's End
In this Smash Bros. Direct a lot of information was revealed especially for the Metroid series. First off as seen above Zero Suit Samus returns as a playable fighter. In this game Zamus is stand alone character who does not transform during battle. She has also been given a fancy new pair of rocket boots to increase her recovery.
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Some news relating to Ridley and Dark Samus has also been revealed. Ridley will be appearing in Smash as a boss character once again. Not much was seen except for a shadow and part of his tail on the Pyrosphere stage. Dark Samus will also appear as a third Metroid themed Assist Trophy, joining the ranks of Mother Brain and Metroid. The King Kihunter from Other M appears as a trophy, with regular Kihunters appearing as enemies in the single player mode Smash Run on 3DS.
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Smash Bros. for 3DS will be released this summer following by the Wii U version this winter.
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Courtesy of NeoGAF we have a much larger image of the Zero Suit artwork. And yes, Samus retains her beauty mark.
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--James Pierce
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Today, Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai revealed the latest Assist Trophy for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The Metroid, a returning Assist Trophy from Super Smash Bros. Brawl appears once again to wreak havoc on the battlefield.
On Tuesday there will be a special Smash Bros. Direct, and as always, we will bring you the latest Metroid related news from Super Smash Bros. as it appears.
--James Pierce
Today marks the release of Metroid Fusion for the WiiU Virtual Console, via the eShop (4/30 for our friends in Japan). It is one of a handful of classic GBA titles that are all making their way to the WiiU. Other GBA titles released today include Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Advance Wars.
The last time Nintendo released Fusion was for 3DS in December of 2011, but only as a 3DS ambassador-exclusive title. I must admit, it would be pretty damn sweet to play Fusion on a WiiU Gamepad - which is essentially a giant classic GBA. You will be able to also play off your TV screen if you so desire. Being on the WiiU of course means that the game will also have its own Miiverse community, so more zany Metroid art, antics & memes are sure to follow. Nintendo has mentioned that they are also planning on releasing Nintendo DS games to the WiiU VC at some point in the future, so perhaps Pinball and Hunters can be a part of that.
Grab Metroid Fusion today for a mere $7.99!
--Infinity's End
New swag affiliate Once Upon A Tee.net has five Metroid-themed T-shirts for sale! Buy them individually, or grab all 5 in the set to save some money. Better yet - we have been given an exclusive code directly from Once Upon A Tee!
mdb5
at checkout to receive 5% off of any item!
No minimum order, either! For all your purchases, make sure you click through one of the images above so we are properly credited for the affiliation. Your purchases directly help the cost of our site. Thanks go out to Jason from Once Upon A Tee as well as any future purchasers! These are only available for less than a day so don't delay!
--Infinity's End
This rare video clip is from a VHS tape that was given to game stores in Japan to help advertise Super Metroid. It is a combination of gameplay clips and video from the commercial, narrated by Samus herself! There are a lot of similarities between this vision of Super Metroid and Samus's representation in Metroid: Other M, leading us to believe that the video might have been overseen by Yoshio Sakamoto himself.
The video was graciously donated to us by our resident collector VGMStudios, and we have, of course, translated and subtitled it for you. The video was first shown to a limited audience during our panel at MAGFest 2014, and although some of our Japanese readers might remember having seen this 20 years ago, this is the first time it has even been shared with the world. We hope you enjoy it!
Until next time...
Captain Commando
20 years ago today, Super Metroid was released in Japan. The game is the favorite of many fans of the series, and it remains the standard by which all other titles are measured. To help celebrate 20 years, we've put together a massive article detailing 20 fun facts about this most beloved of games. You'll learn such fun facts as where all the sampled audio came from, who Tomoyoshi Yamane really is (and why you should care), what's up with "The Baby," and that Samus used to be...naked!
Check it out as you help us celebrate Super Metroid's important anniversary.
Until next time...
Captain Commando
That's right folks: Just in time for the anniversary, we have completely filled out entries for all of the enemies found in Super Metroid. The last one to finish out the list was the Dragon, beautifully realized of course by our own Methuselah3000. M3K has not drawn just one, but both variants of Dragon for us. Thanks, dude!
--Infinity's End
The big news in the Metroidvania world is that Koji Igarashi, director and custodian of the Castlevania series from Symphony of the Night to Harmony of Despair, has left his position at Konami and is forming his own independent game studio. Polygon broke the story, and IGN (and likely other news sites) have exclusive interviews planned. Here is what Igarashi had to say about his decision:
I've decided to break out on my own to have the freedom to make the kind of games I really want to make - the same kind I think fans of my past games want as well. Leaving Konami was a big decision, and not one I took lightly - I've spent my entire career there, made many friends, and had a lot of great opportunities - but I hope all the gamers and fans who have supported me in the past will join me in being excited about what comes next. Wish me luck!
We certainly wish Mr. Igarashi the best of luck on his new venture! (As well as a much-deserved happy birthday - the man with the stylish hat turned 46 today!)
Based on his statements, I wouldn't be too surprised if Igarashi announces a new Metroidvania-style game sometime this week - likely to be funded on Kickstarter. (Also remember that series composer Michiru Yamane is now independent, so it would not be surprising if she was recruited.) The announcement might even come at Mr. Igarashi's much-anticipated talk "There and back again: Koji Igarashi's Metroidvania tale" on Friday, which promises "an exploration of his experiences and methodology in creating some of the most popular and influential games in the genre over the last 15 years." Calculated prediction or fan speculation?? We'll have more word after the talk.
Image from Eurogamer.
Until next time...
Captain Commando
Dear friends, we are fast approaching the 20th anniversary of one of the greatest video games of all time. Do we have a great week planned for you all! To kick it off, I have compiled together what I feel are some of the greatest pieces of Super Metroid fan art you can find on DeviantArt. You may all know how I am a rabid collector of the best fan art on the site. My obsession led to me recruiting many of its members to help with our ongoing Bestiary Project. As of this writing, we are at a whopping 3,743 favorites in our gallery, and the gallery still continues to grow every week. Mastery and quality of work really shines through in these pieces, and I hope you all can appreciate them as much as I do. The effort, time, and sheer beauty sprawling out of these works is a testament to the lives it has touched over the last 20 years. Come back all this week for more features on Super Metroid's 20th Anniversary!
The first round comes from artist Eric Ridgeway, who has created breathtaking pieces of 4 of the 10 bosses from Super Metroid.
Next up we have artist Chris Zesiul whose eight mood-enriching pieces leaves me in utter awe. Just beautiful work here, Chris.
Round three is by Chilean artist Joaquin Zamora, aka Jaquio, another huge fan of the game. His art doesn't focus as much on the epic, or grandiose-scale boss battles, but has instead opted to interpret the quiet moments of Samus's trek across Planet Zebes in the most beautiful way possible.
Of course we can't forget Sebastian Franchini, another Chilean artist (and also friends with previous artist Jaquio) who has drawn two pieces, enriching us with imaginative visions of the alien environments of Crateria and Brinstar.
A traditional artist from Russia, Liris-san's "Whispers of the Maridia" is perhaps one of the most gorgeous interpretations ever made of the area. Though the creatures of the submerged area are not to be taken lightly, this piece leaves me peaceful and satisfied.
The Dachora taught Samus how to use the Shinespark. A recreation of this scene can be seen in these two pieces by Brazilian artist Daniel Uires, aka Snopao.
This is the "Samus in a Badass Pose" section. These images show off Super Metroid in a creative montage with Samus doing what she does best.
The last two pieces are recreations - one is a highly detailed, realistic rendering of the boxart by ImmarArt:
Finally is the title screen, recreated in HD by Modus Produkt. We've posted it up here on our site before, but I felt it deserved another go.
Fantastic work, everyone! You're all amazing artists and fans. Please keep doing what you're doing! This is only a small hint of the fanart that's out there made by extremely talented people all over the world. I highly recommend you visit our DA page and check out the thousands of other works in our favorites gallery.
--Infinity's End
The hype is finally here! Brentalfloss, that master of matching lyrics to video game music, (and is currently on tour across the nation) has finally put lyrics to Metroid music. The video covers the opening title, Brinstar, and the ending credits music put to a 3D CGI video animated by Oscar Diaz and sung by Alysha Umphress, set to the story of the first Metroid game.
It is also mixed with a very basic "love story" with Ethan, a Galactic Federation scientist. The love story itself isn't too developed beyond a looking at a photo of themselves in a frame, but it's still a very well made fan-imation that any Metroid fan will enjoy. Keep in mind that the animation isn't quite Disney/Pixar/Blue Sky-quality, but for one person, you can't really expect that much. Overall, it's a very well produced video and congratulations to all that were involved. We at the Metroid Database applaud this effort and hope to see more in the future!
--Infinity's End
Metroid Metal will be performing at the DNA Lounge, a dance club in San Francisco on Friday, March 21 at 8:00 PM Pacific. This is the first time Metroid Metal has come to the West Coast, and it's right at the tail end of the Game Developers Conference! This is absolutely fantastic for folks in the SF area, not just for all these great bands, but also for all the developers in the area. Don't miss out on this rare opportunity!
Also, if you're heading to SF specifically for the event, check out the Musee Mechanique, a classic arcade museum with playable games and/or the Cartoon Art Museum featuring art from comic books and manga.
Until next time...
Captain Commando
The ReVen team has uploaded a new video showcasing some of the abilities and upgrade system, along with some surprisingly good voice acting (Dr. Light, is that you...?). The combination of crystals and power nodes to build and power upgrades looks very interesting, but I hope they have a button to quickly switch between saved modes. The game has also found its way to Greenlight, so be sure to vote for it!
In addition, Varia Games will be running a TwitchTV speedrun of Metroid Fusion starting at 3:00 PM EST today and will be running until the end of the Kickstarter campaign. Check it out when you're not playing Tropical Freeze!
Until next time...
Captain Commando
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Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the latest game from Metroid Prime developers Retro Studios in now available in all regions. Like all other games from Retro, it has received high review scores and critical acclaim. If you love Donkey Kong or Retro Studios, do yourself a favour and pick up this gem.
In honour of Tropical Freeze's release, Masahiro Sakurai has revealed that Diddy Kong will be returning to the roster of Super Smash Bros.
Also, with Donkey Kong finally released, I am pleased to announce that the cameos section will be getting a much needed update in the very near future.
--James Pierce
Spelunky, the brutally hard roguelike cult adventure game apparently also has a large mod scene! One of the latest, and according to BaerTaffy, the most impressive mod seen yet, is a Metroid mod by joey4track! The mod hasn't been released yet, but there's a 35 minute video of the game in action.
There are several Samus skins, including Power Suit, Varia Suit, Gravity Suit, Zero Suit, and a Space Pirate! (Sadly, no Armstrong Houston...) All the power-ups have been replaced with Metroid-themed powers, and all the enemies are replaced with Metroid enemies. There's a lot of Metroid music in there as well. It's a bit disconcerting to see Samus using a whip (grapple beam?) but it's still a WIP, so there may be a few more bells and whistles to come.
BaerTaffy isn't too familiar with the Metroid series (and acknowledges it), so his commentary provided a few chuckles. But he has a wonderful time, and I am not really excited to give it a try! So if you're listening, joey4track, we'll be more than happy to help distribute a copy of the mod (or at least point people to where it's at when it's ready for prime time!). You can find out a little more here on the Mossmouth forums.
Until next time...
Captain Commando
Jeremy Parish loves Super Metroid...seriously. He has self-admittedly written more words on the game than he should be allowed, but we don't mind. If you remember back in December, we brought you the first 4 writeups of Parish's "Anatomy of a Game" covering Super Metroid. Well, he's since been quite busy. The next 9 parts covering the topic can be seen all right here:
- Anatomy of Super Metroid Part 5
- Anatomy of Super Metroid Part 6
- Anatomy of Super Metroid Part 7
- Anatomy of Super Metroid Part 8
- Anatomy of Super Metroid Part 9
- Anatomy of Super Metroid Part 10
- Anatomy of Super Metroid Part 11
- Anatomy of Super Metroid Part 12
- Anatomy of Super Metroid Part 13
Parish isn't done though - he's also written yet another awesome love letter to the game through USGamer. In it, he meticulously crafts 7 extremely powerful points why the game has stood the test of time over the last 20 years, and has been one of the most influential titles in the eyes of both AAA and indie developers today. Read it here.
--Infinity's End
ReVen, a new Metroidvania by Varia Games, has entered its final week on Kickstarter. The game's actually been a little contentious here on staff, but as the biggest Metroid fan site out there, I feel it's our job to let you guys know if there's something interesting out there related to the series. We've known about the game for some time (before they were on Kickstarter), and it's interesting to see how the concept has evolved.
The game is a full-blown Super Metroid clone with a robotic hero on a mission to save the universe from some bioweapon that's killed off an entire space colony and turned them into zombies. The game combines the exploration and upgrade systems of Super Metroid with the weapons system similar to Crysis. The environmental designs and a lot of the enemies look really cool, and there's definitely a strong art focus here. There are a lot of neat visual effects as well, particularly with lighting. ReVen also has a ton of narrative sequences using 'wordless storytelling' and environmental storytelling, something that hasn't evolved too much outside of Super Metroid and I'd like to see more of (rather than more video cutscenes).
One thing ReVen's gotten a bit of flack for is how closely a lot of the elements resemble Super Metroid. (Of course, Shadow Complex was also criticized for being too close to Super...despite a lot of fans chomping at the bit for a "Super Metroid 2".) The biggest similarities are the poses and animations of Syrex are pretty close to those of Samus, and a lot of the power-ups (such as speed booster) are taken directly from the game. Thankfully they stopped before adding a morph ball. Regardless of whether it's too derivative for your tastes, the game has been funded and should be out sometime in 2015, and should be fun to play when it does.
My biggest complaint so far is the animations. It's an alpha build, but it's something I'm certainly concerned about. The developers state they want to put a lot of focus on Syrex since he's what everybody will be seeing for the entire game, but the animations in the current video are really choppy (the Crono Bats could also use a serious facelift). They're assuring backers that the animations will be better since they've met their funding goal of upgrading the game to 1920x1080 resolution. Hopefully they will have enough resources to make a game that not only is very fun to play and has a unique world to explore but also has smooth animations and visuals.
Until next time...
Captain Commando
It's official: the Metroid Database has joined the Twittersphere! For all you tweeters and hashtag junkies out there, you can now find your ultimate source of Metroid information and news via our Twitter feed. This is something we have just recently started, so of course we haven't tweeted much - but that will soon change! Please follow us on Twitter @MetroidDatabase. We will always follow-back, guaranteed. Please spread the word in your tweets, and help even further by adding #metroid into your posts. Thanks, everyone!
--Infinity's End
Check out the trailer below - in it features a couple of very tongue-in-cheek cameos with Samus. I for one am VERY excited to play as Little Mac, and feel it's been a long time comin' as a challenger in the series.
--Infinity's End
No new Metroid games were announced in this Nintendo Direct, but there were a couple Metroid items of note.
First off, a sequel to last December's Wii U eShop game NES Remix was announced, and this time Metroid is one of the 16 games featured. Other games featured in the retro mashup NES Remix 2 include: Kid Icarus, Wario's Woods, Ice Hockey, and Punch-Out!!. NES Remix 2 will be available in North America and Europe on April 25.
Also releasing in April will be Metroid Fusion as one of the first GBA games available on Wii U eShop.
--James Pierce
Max Factory has announced a new Zero Suit Samus Figma at Wonderfest this year! The folks over at 4chan snagged a pic of it. This figure is different from the non-poseable statue released last year in that Samus will be fully poseable like the Varia Suit Samus. We suspect there might be greater interest in ZSS with the upcoming Smash Bros. game, or maybe it's just catering to *ahem* demographics. I mean, you'd think they'd diversify a little since we already have Samus AND Link... Also announced are a Figma of Link from Link Between Worlds and a non-poseable scale figure of Cordelia from Fire Emblem: Awakening. It's unknown if these will ever find their way over to the States, but considering how the last series was eventually released in the US, it's possible we will see these here as well. In any event, we will let you know as soon as we hear more about it! Thanks to VGMStudios for the tip!
Until next time...
Captain Commando
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Today, Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai revealed the latest Assist Trophy for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Mother Brain, leader of the Space Pirates unleashed her giant eye beam againt all who are unfortunate enough to cross her path.
As always, we will bring you the latest Metroid related news from Super Smash Bros. as it appears.
--James Pierce
Tomodachi Collection: New Life by the creator of Metroid, Yoshio Sakamoto, is finally heading to the US. The series was first revealed to us in Sakamoto's GDC keynote lecture, and everyone suspected the game would never see the light of day outside of Japan due to its total and utter Japanese-ness (and the heavy use of Japanese voice packs). However, given the title's incredible sales (1.63 million in Japan so far), Nintendo has decided to take a gamble and release it over here. Check out this translated trailer for an idea of what to expect. Hopefully the game's ridiculous quirkiness will localize well. Hmm, I wonder what else Sakamoto's team is up to these days...
Until next time...
Captain Commando
While digging through their filing cabinets stored with untold riches of videogame memorabilia, Game Informer staff member Tim Turri located this rare press sheet for Super Metroid! The sheet contains a profile of Samus Aran written up by Nintendo's staff containing the Benimaru Itoh artwork from the Nintendo Power comics. I suspect these were distributed to press along with the review copies of the game. We're certainly glad that Game Informer dug this one up to share with the world, cheesy descriptions and all!
Thanks to Darren from Shinesparkers for giving us a heads-up and VGMStudios for tracking down the original source!
(By the way, if any of you reading this have a copy of Game Informer with Super Metroid articles in it, be sure to let us know!)
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Until next time...
Captain Commando
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It has now been 15 years since HAL Labs and Nintendo released Super Smash Bros. on the N64. Since then two more sequels have been released first in 2001 with Super Smash Bros. Melee and then Super Smash Bros. Brawl in 2008. Of course this year we're expecting the fourth game in the series, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS to be released with great fanfare in the near future.
Smash Bros. has always been fairly kind to the Metroid series. The first game included Samus as a fighter, a position that Samus has maintained for every subsequent game. In Brawl, Samus would be joined with Zero Suit Samus as the second playable Metroid character. The games would also feature a variety of stages, mostly taken from Super Metroid, but also later taking locations from Metroid Prime and Metroid: Other M.
A big point of contention for the series has been role of Ridley. Ridley has appeared in every game in the series, starting as a minor component of the Zebes stage in Smash Bros., to becoming two different bosses in Brawl. Ever since Ridley appeared battling Samus in the opening movie of Melee, fierce debates have enveloped the internet about Ridley's chances of being playable. Lives are still lost to this battle on this very day.
Whatever the future of Smash Bros. is, whether the two Samus's remain the only reps, or if she is joined by Ridley or Anthony Higgs, the sky is limit. The last fifteen years have been amazing, and her is to another fifteen years.
--James Pierce
Last years excellent Metroidvania Guacamelee! has received a new skin which should make any Metroid fan proud. Exclusively created for the Steam version as a custom skin, is Samus Aran to replace Tostada. Of course this isn't an officially licensed appearance, but it's still a lot of fun.
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--James Pierce
WARNING: This headline contains fanon.
Since the game's release about 22 years ago, the Metroid community has been in the dark on these very strange creatures from Metroid II. The creature I am talking about are those annoying things that drop out of the ceiling as you traverse SR388's main caves. Unfortunately, no official artwork of them has ever been released, and there is no known official name in any guides or texts. The closest thing we ever got is the Japanese strategy guides which refer to them as "rock icicles," (stalactites) even though they resemble creatures, so it's really difficult to understand the mentality of that particular naming convention.
A long while ago, after some brief discussion between myself and CapCom, it was decided that we will name the creature Yodare, which is the Japanese word for drool. The somewhat silly but appropriate name was decided because it fits with the naming convention of Metroid creatures - most of which are derived from puns on Japanese words.
When trying to decipher the details of the sprite, it's quite difficult to make out what's going on. A lot can be left to interpretation. So when Rundash approached creating the Bestiary artwork, he began by concepting out a few sketches that you can see below:
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I chose the things I liked about them, favoring more other-worldy aspects and less crustacean and non-threatening ones. I gave a few more suggestions and then he made a few more sketches:
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In the end, we decided on this for the final look:
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We hope you enjoy the Yodare entry in the Bestiary. It is probably the most attention anyone has ever given the creature in 22 years.
--Infinity's End