Shadow Complex, the Metroidvania darling from 2009, has just been rereleased today on PC - and what's more, it is available FOR FREE.

That's right folks, if you didn't have an Xbox 360 or did and somehow missed out on Shadow Complex (or heck, you haven't played it in six years) now's the time to drop whatever you're doing and download it and play it!

I've already reviewed and recommended the game here - as has Infinity's End - but there's no need to take our word for it - see for yourself this classic Super Metroid-style adventure!

Thanks to Donald Mustard and the rest of the Shadow Complex team for this pleasant surprise!

Note Shadow Complex Remastered will also eventually be available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

A couple weeks ago, remixer bLiNd released his latest remix album. The soundtrack of choice is Super Metroid. bLiNd nor GameChops never reached out to get promotion, so it flew right past us. I haven't listened to the album yet but I'm sure we'll be back at some point with a review. Genre is described as "progressive house." Of note are new remixes of the old tracks "Kindred" and "Jade Catacombs" which were originally released back in 2008 on an album called Reserve Tank: VARIAtions.

Check out the whole album here.

--Infinity's End

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the US!

Starting yesterday, Nintendo has started its "Cyber Deals" discount sale, which allows you to get select games at discounted rates on the Nintendo eShop. The sale lasts through December 2nd. Of note is Metroid Fusion, which is going for a mere $4.79.

Two other great Metroidvania games are also available at discounts!

• Teslagrad, $7.49 - A puzzle platformer featuring hand-drawn graphics, where you switch the polarity of blocks to progress.
• Shantae and the Pirate's Curse - $9.99 - Half-genie Shantae is back and teams up with Risky Boots in her biggest adventure yet.

Don't pass up these gems - they're fantastic games to add to your library if you don't own them already!

--Infinity's End

Ever wonder, "Man, I wish someone would take all the instrument samples from some of my favorite SNES games and turn them into new music!"

Well, wonder no more. With SNES soundfonts from some of the most popular and well-received SNES games in history, composers are creating brand new music which sounds like it could fit right inside these games as long lost tracks. There are two for Super Metroid that you can listen to below. Be sure to check out William Kage's SNES Soundfont page as well as his YouTube channel containing tracks from nearly 50 SNES games.

--Infinity's End

Celebrate the holidays in style by rockin' this one-of-a-kind Samus S-insignia Christmas sweatshirt from the ever-awesome Once Upon a Tee! Be the envy of everyone around the tree this year, or get your Metroid-fan loved ones this sweatshirt as the perfect holiday gift. As always, OUAT releases this design for ONE WEEK ONLY, so don't delay and pick one up today!

Available now through November 23rd @ 11am PST
Only $25 for sizes S-XL.

For all your purchases, please sure you click through the image above so we are properly credited for the affiliation. Your purchases directly help affording the costs of our site. Thanks go out to Jason from Once Upon a Tee as well as any future purchasers!

--Infinity's End

Rainfall Films has finally delivered its amazing Metroid film called Metroid: The Sky Calls. It stars the Nerdist's Jessica Chobot as Samus and Halo 5's America Young doing mocap/stunts. Since it's pretty much the best thing ever, I'll let you go ahead an watch it. Hope you're prepared for this.

Exceeding all expectation (despite a very minor flaw in the Metroid canon), I think you'll agree that Rainfall films has delivered the best Metroid fan film of all time! Big thanks to Sam Balcom and congratulations to the rest of the crew of Rainfall films and everyone who helped put this masterpiece together! Feel free to discuss it in our forums or social media pages!

--Infinity's End

Back in 1986, Japanese weekly gaming magazine Famitsu featured a series of short comics based on popular videogame series. One of these was Metroid! Titled "The Shape of Happiness", the comics are part of a larger series featuring other games. They are drawn by Tamakichi Sakura, who is more famous for Super Mario Adventures in Nintendo Power.

This six-page comic was collected and republished in 1989 as part of Famitsu Comix. There are plenty of fun little details in the pages of the manga - note the working titles for Zelda II and Kid Icarus on page 2! Special thanks to Brycecorp for providing us with the scans!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Samus may not have had any new games in awhile, but she is sure getting a lot of cameos! Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water (aka Project Zero in the UK) comes out this month in the US (October 22) and in Europe (October 30). This new video reveals special unlockable costumes for the characters, including Princess Zelda and Zero Suit Samus. Our longtime readers might remember the Zero Suit Samus costume for the Japan-only Fatal Frame IV, and this continues the tradition.

For those new to the series, Fatal Frame is a game about catching ghosts with a camera, and the Wii U version will certainly allow for some unique gameplay with the controller. A trial version including the first two episodes is also available through the Nintendo eShop.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

What's up, readers? Today marks another year down in the MDb's illustrious history. Although Metroid news has slowed down, we the fans do our best to keep Metroid fandom alive and kicking. There is quite a bit ahead for this site, I'm happy to say. And while I won't exactly reveal what it is, we have a huge plan in the coming year. Possibly the biggest plan in the site's entire history. I hope you'll stick around for it.

In other news, Devin and I have been secretly working on another scanlation project, but it's just a quickie. A 6-page comic called "Shiawase no Kitachi" (The Shape of Happiness) was released in 1989 in a manga volume called Famitsu Comix. We tracked down someone who owns an incredibly huge Japanese toys, comics and gaming collection (possibly one of the biggest in the world!) and he was very generous to take photos of the comic for us. Since it's short, we're almost done with it, and will be (hopefully) releasing it this upcoming weekend.

UPDATE: Famitsu Comix released~!

Look forward to that and look forward to the future of the MDb! It's great to have you with us. As always I'd like to thank all the staff, new and old, as well as the entire MDb forum, and those who follow and interact with us on our social media pages for all your continued support. HAPPY BIRTHDAY METROID DATABASE!

--Infinity's End

A very poll-arizing result for Poll #9, which focused on fan reaction to Metroid Prime Federation Force. If you remove the results of last two as joke answers, it was 594 yes to 525 no, so that's a 53-47 turnout. Fortunately, for the most of you who browse this site, you have a good head on your shoulders and can handle not passing judgement on a game until you play it for yourself or actually find out more information on it beyond an early trailer and some alpha game footage. Only time will tell when we find out how the game really is.

Our latest poll is for or recently-finished Samus & Joey scanlation. Thanks to all our readers and for submitting your answers to our polls!

--Infinity's End

Well folks, it's finally here: the last chapter of Metroid EX, thus ending the Samus & Joey saga! We've been working on this project for over five years now - starting back in December 2009. Things have changed a lot since then, and sometimes it feels like I've finished the project three times already. Part of the reason it took so long is because the team changed quite a bit from when we first started; also, we didn't have all the chapters until last summer. Then there are all the major life events that happened in the meantime.

I'd love to say we are completely done with Samus & Joey and can finally close the book on it, but there's still a little work left to do. We're going to clean up a few things here and there for consistency, and I am also working on an interview with the author, Idzuki Kouji, aka Moon Up. The sensei is ultimately responsible for all these great images and the long, epic space opera of over 960 pages - it's simply an incredible piece of work, and a darn shame that it never came out here officially.

I want to thank everyone who worked with us on the manga over the years, especially Matthew, who scanned all the pages of Volumes 1-3 and, of course, Infinity's End for all the awesome SFX work. I also want to thank everyone who has been following the manga from its very beginnings and stuck with us through the long periods where there wasn't anything being updated! And if you're new to the series, you can always start with Chapter 1. If you manage to read the whole thing in less than three hours, Samus might reveal her identity! ;-)

Finally, here's a message from Infinity's End:

Holy crap folks, it's been 5 whole years since we started this project and it's finally come to a stunning end. I am EXTREMEly proud of the work Cap, myself, and the rest of the contributors to this project have made and I really hope we were able to give the fans a translation that will stand the test of time. A sincere, heartfelt thank you to the readers, MDb visitors and forum members and to all Metroid fans, old and new. SEE YOU NEXT MISSION!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

This week at Once Upon A Tee, Samus is featured among the "Gaming collection," which also features Cloud/FF7, Link/LoZ, and Snake/MGS inspired imagery. You can not only get this artwork on a tshirt, but also on mousepads, coasters, phone cases, or even a Christmas tree ornament! The shirt is also available in black or navy, and many other options like hoodies, tank tops, fitted tees and more. Don't pass up this deal - as usual, they will be gone in a week's time.

Available now through October 5th @ 11am PST
Only $12 for sizes S-XL.

For all your purchases, please sure you click through the image above so we are properly credited for the affiliation. Your purchases directly help affording the costs of our site. Thanks go out to Jason from Once Upon a Tee as well as any future purchasers!

--Infinity's End

Metroid EX is almost complete! We've uploaded the penultimate chapter wherein the duel between Knight, Bishop, and Joey concludes and the fate of Samus is revealed. The entire series is set to end in one explosive bang. It's been one heck of a journey, and I hope you're all excited to see what happens next. Read Chapter 11 here or start from the beginning.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Chapter 10 of Samus & Joey: Metroid Extreme is now up and ready for reading! This may be the best chapter yet - plenty of surprises here as the story draws to a close. We've only got two chapters left - what will be the final outcome of Samus, Joey, and Diesel's great adventure??

If you're really happy with the manga, be sure to let us know on the forums or on Facebook!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Once Upon a Tee is back again with another fantastic offering. This time the style has taken inspiration from Marvel Comics' Iron Man and merged it with our favorite franchise. Get the shirts as individuals or buy all 4 for only $44! That's only $11 per shirt! Better get on this deal soon because they're gone in less than a week!

Keep in mind Once Upon A Tee also offers these designs as mousepads, phone cases, and coasters!

Available now through September 7th @ 1pm PST
Only $12 for sizes S-XL.

Get all 4 at $11 per shirt!

For all your purchases, please sure you click through the image above so we are properly credited for the affiliation. Your purchases directly help affording the costs of our site. Thanks go out to Jason from Once Upon a Tee as well as any future purchasers!

--Infinity's End

The footage starts around 2:35. When you collect the mushroom, it plays the famous "Samus Appears" jingle, and then plays it again after you beat the stage.

--Infinity's End

On July 30th, a new trailer for the 3rd wave of Mii Fighter costumes was revealed. Samus's power suit is now as a choice as a costume. You can combine this costume with her helmet to look like a full-on legit Samus, but still be your Gunner Mii. This is in case you felt playing as ACTUAL Samus wasn't good enough, and you just wanted to be a Mii, but wearing Samus's suit...

The other costumes are:

• A red SSB Hoodie (supports all 3 types)
• Bear Suit with paw-in-honeypot (for Gunners)
• Flying Man (Earthbound for Brawlers)
• Chrom (Fire Emblem for Swordfighters)
• Black Knight (Fire Emblem for Swordfighters)
• King K. Rool (Donkey Kong series for Brawler)
• Lloyd (Tales of Symphonia for Swordfighters)

--Infinity's End

Today may be Metroid's 29th birthday in Japan, but Platinumfungi is hosting this big Metroid event on the game's US birthday on the 15th. He is giving away tons of awesome Metroid prizes, including:

Here's some more details of the event:

This event goes far beyond just me though. I'm gathering creative allies to post content and help make the event that much more meaningful. Artists, cosplayers, musicians, and diy'ers are joining in, and some will also be giving away cool Metroid merch.

Beyond all of that, I'm asking fans around the world to join in the fun and post their favorite Metroid memories, photos, videos, and more on social media on the 15th with the hashtag #metroidcelebration.

My intent with this event is to create a unique new experience for the retro gaming community. I hope to create something special that the fans enjoy and remember for some time to come.

Let's all party like it's 1986!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

In a recent interview with CGM, Kensuke Tanabe answers many of the questions we had about Federation Force, particularly the story, Blast Ball, and fan reactions. The game centers around an archaeological survey mission into former Federation territory that is now taken over by Space Pirates:

"So the story itself revolves around this star system that consists of three planets. One of these three planets has the ruins of a factory that was once used by [the] Galactic Federation but has since been abandoned. The Galactic Federation member you the player take control of will go to this planet to conduct some research.
The Galactic Federation member goes out to the planet to try and research all the ancient ruins. As that member goes about their mission, they end up finding that the Space Pirates are there, plotting something and creating the ultimate type of weapon to use against the Galactic Federation."

Despite the focus on the Federation soldiers (something he emphasizes Yoshio Sakamoto hadn't explored), Tanabe wants to make sure the game is strongly connected to the rest of the Metroid universe, similar to how The Avengers ties together so many superhero narratives - it just won't happen through Phazon.

"[T]he story around [Phason] and Dark Samus in my mind is already complete." However, Sylux appears in the 100% ending to Metroid Prime 3, which was done to tie Hunters together with the rest of the Prime universe - and also to express Tanabe's desire to continue the story between Samus and Sylux. However, Samus will be in there "for sure. You will see her in some way."

Interestingly, Tanabe also notes that Blast Ball has a story mode as part of some "tough training" where "a Galactic Garrison member gets chosen" that is "a final test" for squad members, so it isn't just a minigame.

Blast Ball is Tanabe's solution to the problem of FPS players having very different skill levels. The most advanced players will easily dominate multiplayer arenas, but since the ball is so large, anyone can shoot at it, even from a distance.

Tanabe also gives some pointed comments on the strong reactions many Metroid fans had to the game, saying it was something he expected, and emphasizing the need to play it to decide:

"[O]nce the players can actually have hands-on experience with the actual game, they'll be able to understand and experience for themselves how the game actually feels and that the Metroid Prime universe atmosphere is there, and the music that is used in the game is so heavily related to the Prime series...[I]t'll certainly make a difference once you get some experience with the game."

Just like when Metroid Prime was first announced to be a "First Person Adventure" back in 2002, Tanabe's advice is essentially "try it for yourself." On that note, you could probably imagine the type of reaction that would have exploded through the Internet if there had been Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit back then... we certainly saw a lot of it on the message board. And that's really why you won't see any coverage of that here. We on the Metroid Database staff want to play the game for ourselves first before giving any final judgment and hope there will be more updates on the game's development soon.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

That's right folks - our friends at MetroidHQ.com have begun their annual marathon playing all the Metroid titles for charity. As of this writing, they are in the middle of Metroid Fusion. Their schedule is as follows (times are PST):

15th July:
• Metroid Fusion: 3 PM, Saturnaut, 5 hours.
• Metroid II: 9 PM, FB230, 3 hours.
• Metroid Blast: 1 AM, MYzlStyx, Nathaniel, Elias, FB230, 3 hours.

16th July:
• Metroid Prime: Pinball: 5 AM, Nathaniel 4 hours.
• Metroid Prime: 10 AM, Torbs & Lise, 8 hours.
• Super Metroid: 7 PM, FB230, 3 hours.
• Metroid Zero Mission: 11 PM, Saturnaut, 6 hours.
• Metroid Prime Hunters: 6 AM, Elias, 6 hours.

17th July:
• AM2R: 1 PM, FB230, 4 hours.
• Metroid Other M: 6 PM, MYzlStyx, 10 hours.

18th July:
• Metroid Prime 2 Echoes: 5 AM, Nathaniel, 12 hours.
• Metroid Prime 3 Corruption: 6 PM, MYzlStyx, 14 hours.

19th July:
• Metroid: 9 AM, Elias, 4 hours.

So head on over to MetroidHQ.com and donate some bucks to a good cause while you're at it!

--Infinity's End

This excerpt is from an interview with Yoshio Sakamoto from Simple Series magazine published June 1, 2003. The interview was conducted by Kiyoshi Oune. The translation is still being worked on so has not been properly proofed, but I felt it was a good time to share this story about Balloon Fight's development.

Oune: Balloon Fight was next?

Sakamoto: Yes, it was my second work. That was also Yokoi-san's idea. I had already experienced one project, there didn't seem to be any rules, and since it was a job I thought about, it was easy to make specifications. We went forward with the Famicom and (Arcade) VS System versions at about the same time.

Oune: Oh, the VS System version and home version were separate games?

Sakamoto: When we were developing them, they were still separate. The Famicom version was done by HAL Labs. The art was mostly the same, but with the VS System version, we added a part called "Let's Fight!" that would scroll up and down. Beyond that, I think they were basically the same.

Oune: Speaking of Balloon Fight, Iwata-san is the current president of HAL labs, but did you work together with him at the development studio?

Sakamoto: The Famicom version of Balloon Fight was a game that Iwata programmed by himself. As most people know, he was an excellent programmer. Back then, since the programming environment was very poor, you couldn't read the program source code on a PC like today. He ran around holding a printout that looked like a telephone book. If he said, "Fix this," the programmers would first flip through the pages to search for the parts he'd modified.

Oune: That was what you might call a "paper debug".

Sakamoto: It was a very difficult period for making even a few changes. In order to make changes to Balloon Fight, when a young Iwata came to R&D1 and secluded himself in a room, Yokoi-san came in suddenly, and after he said, "Hmm, I don't like this," Iwata replied, "Understood!" and fixed them on the spot immediately.

Oune: Did he have the entire phone book of the source code in his head?!

Sakamoto: Even Yokoi-san seemed very surprised when he came back from drinking tea and Iwata had just about fixed it. Of course, I was also surprised. Oh yes, I just remembered something else. Although we made the VS System version later than the Famicom version, he had a prototype running in no time at all.

Oune: The legends of Iwata-san are completely true! (Laughs)

Here Satoru Iwata plays Balloon Fight with the head of Game Center CX, a show in Japan similar to "Let's Play."

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Hirokazu Tanaka has released a Balloon Fight remix under his handle Chip Tanaka in tribute to Satoru Iwata. The track, named "Acerola Beach," is available on Soundcloud. Tanaka-san composed the original Balloon Fight theme, and Iwata programmed the Famicom version of the game.

Fans have also been submitting artwork and other tributes to Iwata's memory.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Nintendo has sadly announced that longtime president and CEO, Mr. Satoru Iwata has passed away after a bile duct growth overcame him this weekend.

Mr. Iwata has been an important part of the Metroid series, and has either given the green light, or overseen the release of every Metroid game beginning with Metroid Fusion and Metroid Prime, to the newly announced Metroid Prime: Federation Force. Naturally his record went beyond the Metroid series, and his tenure as President of Nintendo. His career began as a programmer for HAL Labs, working on many classic games which gave him the perspective of a developer as he transitioned to the business side of the industry. Eventually Mr. Iwata would succeed the previous Nintendo president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, and transformed Nintendo into its modern form.

Mr. Iwata, on behalf of Metroid Database, we thank you for everything you have done for the Metroid series, Nintendo, and gaming in general. You helped put smiles on the faces of gamers for decades, and we hope that you rest in peace.

--James Pierce

The latest chapter of Samus & Joey is up! Samus has been captured by Greed, while Joey and Diesel are on the way to rescue her. On the way, they encounter Knight, who doesn't quite want them to succeed... This episode has a lot more humor, as well as a pretty cool cameo...

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Poll #8 has come to a close. We are trying to learn more about your browsing habits - and this poll as well as our recent survey have definitely helped with that. To all of you who offered your input: we thank you very much!

And of course with that, a new poll begins today. We are interested in serious, general consensus for Metroid Prime: Federation Force. The game has been very divisive, and a lot of negative hype has generated for the game online. We've been trying our best to stay distant from it, because I personally find it to be quite shortsighted and presumptuous to judge a game before it comes out. Hmmm, isn't that what happened with... Metroid Fusion, Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime Hunters, Metroid Prime Pinball, and Metroid: Other M? Jeez guys, aren't you sick of acting this way by now?

--Infinity's End

New secrets were revealed recently about Metroid Prime Hunters' development history via Unseen 64. Check the video above for all the juicy goods, including a part about the mysterious Metroid Dread project!

--Infinity's End

Devin (aka CapCom) was fortunate enough to snag an interview with Retro Gamer magazine. The latest issue was published late last month and we were finally able to get a good scan of the page. Congrats to Devin as well as us as a site team for this great achievement in MDb history!

Retro Gamer is based in the UK, and it is sold at Barnes & Nobles and other big bookstore chains across the nation. Be forewarned: most issues sell out quite quickly once they go on shelves so you might be better off just ordering one online if you want a copy.

And to those of you joining us due to the article itself: WELCOME, we have much to offer!

--Infinity's End

Continuing the tradition of pushing things to the limit, Chapter 8 of Metroid EX winds up the ultimate duel between Samus and Knight. Just who is this mysterious warrior? And how will this epic duel come to a close? Read to find out! And be sure to pay attention to the details in the illustrations, like the reflection in Knight's sword - Idzuki Kouji's art just gets better and better!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Finally, the Metroid Database has entered the world of Instagram! Got a smart phone? Got Instagram? Follow us, and we will almost guarantee a follow-back! I've personally started my Instagram journey last year, which mostly features my pixel painting artwork, and fell in love with the Instagram community's positivity and welcoming nature. It is truly a great place, where everything you love is on display. As an extension of our site, this IG account will help us focus on the content that makes our site so great. We hope this new addition will serve the Metroid fandom well!

Follow us @metroiddatabase!

--Infinity's End

--Infinity's End

For those of you who missed it on Tuesday:

--Infinity's End

Interviews interviews interviews!

This headline will be a compilation of news about the recently announced Metroid Prime Federation Force as they have been appearing throughout this week's E3.

• IGN Interview with Kensuke Tanabe
• Eurogamer Interview with Kensuke Tanabe
• Engadget Interview with Kensuke Tanabe
• Everything We Could Find Out About That New Metroid Game via Kotaku

More as they come/are found.

--Infinity's End

Earlier today during their E3 Direct presentation, Nintendo announced two new Metroid spinoff titles: Metroid Prime: Federation Force and Metroid Prime: Blast Ball, bundled together as one co-operative multiplayer focused first-person shooter 3DS experience, developed by Next Level Games and due tentatively in 2016.

This particular title shifts focus from series' heroine Samus Aran to a band of Galactic Federation troopers as they fight the various threats of the Metroid franchise, or engage in a friendly competitive game of mecha-soccer. It looks very much like an up-scaled Metroid Prime: Hunters, and would seem to play similarly as well.

Federation Force focuses on 4 player co-op objective-based missions, and promises a variety of weapons on offer to topple foes with gyroscopic assisted aiming. Blast Ball shifts that focus to 3v3 team matches, literally blasting a giant soccer ball with weapons and power-ups into an opposing goal to score, with the first team to reach 3 points victorious. Blast Ball can even be sent free of charge to friends via Nintendo 3DS Download Play.

Not much else is known at present, but as news breaks you can best your blasters we'll report on it. Hopefully this is a precursor to a proper, full-fledged Metroid experience on either Wii U or 3DS, but if not we're certain it'll be fun all the same. Until then, keep it locked here at the MDb for any and all future Metroid related updates!

We've also created some custom wallpaper so you can customize your desktops!

And that's not all! We also learned that Amiibos will be used in Super Mario Maker so you can play as Samus (not shown in the video, but other cameos were), and also in Yoshi's Wooly World! Isn't Samus Yoshi cute!

GEOMETRY!
--Apothem

Samus and the crew land on a spooky graveyard planet, but little do they know what lurks in the shadows... Is it a zombie? Is it an illusion? And what became of the Deadly Six stars? The one who dares to challenge Samus to a duel is none other than Knight, Greed's general. This chapter is the beginning of an awesomely intense battle so get your read on in our latest scanlation of Metroid Extreme: Duel with Knight!

--Infinity's End

Once Upon a Tee has once again graced us with a new Metroid-themed design! "Tech Hunter" features the iconic Screw Attack "S" symbol. They also are offering other franchises such as the Hyrule Crest, the SSB logo, and a Pokeball.

Keep in mind Once Upon A Tee also offers these designs as mousepads, phone cases, and coasters!

Available now through June 9 @ 1pm PST

only $12 for sizes S-XL!

For all your purchases, please sure you click through the image above so we are properly credited for the affiliation. Your purchases directly help affording the costs of our site. Thanks go out to Jason from Once Upon A Tee as well as any future purchasers!

P.S. - For all you Game of Thrones fans out there, OUAT also has you covered this week with some awesome designs. Be sure to head over to Once Upon a Tee and check it out before it's too late!

--Infinity's End

The latest chapter of Metroid EX is up, and just in time for summer! This time around, Samus and Joey head for an ocean planet. This seaside paradise is complete with tourist shops, friendly locals who most certainly will NOT try to mug you (usually), submersibles in (somewhat) perfect working order, beautiful beaches, and glittering ocean waves that will boil the flesh off your bones. Yes, there's something fishy here, and it's up to Samus to solve this mystery! Along the way, she'll find the last of the Deadly Six Stars, who holds her Varia Suit data capsule...and one big fish!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Another poll has ended. Lucky #7.

While most of you are disappointed with the lack of posting, you do realize Metroid news comes few and far between these days. We thank you for your patience, but we're also very honored for sticking with us all this time.

We're also very saddened by Nintendo's current Metroid drought, but think of the positives - we received 8 Metroid games (9 counting Trilogy) over the course of eight years (2002-2010), so it was a great run while it lasted. And it successfully spawned an entire generation of new Metroid fans.

Feel free to vote in our latest poll, "Why do you visit the MDb?" Keep in mind you can vote for multiple answers!

--Infinity's End

The team behind the excellent long in-development fangame Another Metroid 2 Remake have recently released their latest demo!

For those not in the know, AM2R is a complete overhaul of Metroid II in a graphical and mechanical style similar to Metroid Zero Mission. Rather than simply recreating the game exactly, the team has enhanced the experience with new graphics, mechanics taken from later entries in the series, a map system, log book expanding on the games story, new enemies, bosses, and regions to explore. Demo v1.4 introduces the newly revamped Area 4, now offering more than half the game's total content, combat against fearsome Zeta Metroids, and yet more weapons and abilities to unlock.

The demo can be downloaded from the development team's blog here for both Windows and Linux. It features full keyboard support, but like the game's official forebears it is best played with a controller, supporting both Xinput (Xbox 360, Xbox One) and DirectInput (most everything else) allowing the game to work with nearly any wired or wireless gamepad.

While official news regarding the Metroid franchise may be sparse at the moment, at least awesome fans are helping keep the franchise's spirit alive and well. Join us here at the MDb in enjoying this labor of love, along with our own recent translation endeavors, while we wait for E3 in anticipation of a hopeful future Metroid reveal, and don't forget to join our forums and discuss the demo and all things Metroid with our exquisite community!

GEOMETRY!
--Apothem

Start your engines! The latest chapter of Metroid EX is out now! Samus has entered into Death Race Firecracker and is up against criminals from throughout the galaxy. The prize? Her Speedbooster ability! It's like a combination of F-Zero and Star Wars Podracing! What's more, we finally get a chance to see Samus's ship in action. And do we finally get a name for her Starship? Yes, actually -- and it's called just that - Starship! This chapter is quite a lot of fun, and you'll want to pay close attention to some of the details in the old city and the crowd. Enjoy!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Samus, Joey and Diesel find themselves on yet another planet - one intimately familiar to Diesel - it's his homeworld! Read on how Samus and the gang get her Bomb Capsule back in the latest chapter of Metroid EX, only found right here on the Metroid Database!

--Infinity's End

Tom Happ bursts onto the indie game scene with his first major title, Axiom Verge! I'm happy to say that yes, the game is everything you'd hope it would be, and definitely worth the price of admission. Metroid fans in 2015 have a lot to be happy about! Read on and find out why Axiom Verge is a worthy purchase. Buy it today on PS4 or newly-released on Steam!

--Infinity's End

Chapter 3 of Metroid EX is up! This time, Samus, Joey, and Diesel visit a planet that has frozen over completely. The Greed Corps is behind it, this time using Samus's Ice Beam. If you think things were loopy with the Morph Ball, it's chapters like this that really put the EXTREME into Samus & Joey! Enjoy!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

The folks at Unseen 64 have updated their entry for the Development History of Metroid Prime recently, with some fantastic development documents and concept art that few people have seen before (some of it was new to me). This is by far the most comprehensive history of the game's development available to date and is a collaborative project with research being done by snoops on places like NeoGAF and elsewhere. It covers the origins in a 3D action/adventure game to its complete overhaul partway through development to the final product. Pretty cool stuff!

Here's a sample of their content, the unused jetpack Space Pirate:

Original concept art from Nintendo.com from E3 for comparison:

There's more unused development art in the Metroid Prime artwork section of our site. Actually, I'm quite proud of this image. It was up on Retro's site immediately after Spaceworld and taken down days after the event. I snagged it before that happened!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

There's no roundabout way of putting it, but the latest chapter of Metroid EX is up now! This time, Samus, Joey, and Diesel visit the planet Maru to recover the Morph Ball. The rotund royalty that rules this planet is obsessed with all things spherical and also a professional punster. Metroid EX doesn't get much loopier than this! Check it out.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Shmuplations, one of my favorite translation sites, has put up two new translations of interviews with Yoshio Sakamoto on Metroid Fusion and Metroid Zero Mission. There is some really interesting details in here, such as how the Fusion Suit redesign was something newer staff wanted to implement because "It's been the same way for too long." However, since changing such a famous character is very risky, Sakamoto told his staff to think about gameplay mechanics and if the mechanics warranted it, to redesign the suit based on those changes:

So rather than have them thinking about simply changing her design, I tried to get them thinking about new gameplay elements they could introduce, and the necessity of having a solid reason, in-game, for doing so.

With Zero Mission, the Zero Suit sequence followed up with the idea of reversal of fortune the team had from the beginning, but the idea of Samus losing her Power Suit didn't come about until almost the end of development. Sakamoto discusses the horror film influences, which at his GDC talk he stated were central to the pacing and tension of his Metroid games:

We thought the image of the armorless Samus, completely defenseless, would really excite players and make her situation feel real and threatening. It's like a scene out of a classic horror movie: an ugly, evil beast giving chase to its prey, whose weakness has now been exposed. I think being direct like that is the most effective way to raise the tension.

Pretty cool stuff! You can read the full interview here. While you're at it, Shmuplations has 147 other interviews as of this writing - primarily shooting games, but also some RPGs, Castlevania, and other classics.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Once Upon A Tee has yet again graced us with a new Metroid-themed T-shirt! "The Hunter" depicts Samus showing off in a very classic pose against the backdrop of the katakana for "Metroid."

Keep in mind Once Upon A Tee also offers these designs as mousepads, phone cases, and coasters!

Available now through May 4th.

only $12 for sizes S-XL!

For all your purchases, please sure you click through the image above so we are properly credited for the affiliation. Your purchases directly help affording the costs of our site. Thanks go out to Jason from Once Upon A Tee as well as any future purchasers!

--Infinity's End

Howdy folks! I want to proudly present you the latest chapter in Idzuki Kouji's Samus & Joey saga, Metroid EX - the EX is for EXTREME!! And let me tell you, there's a lot of crazy stuff in these twelve chapters! As a recap from Chapter 17, Samus lost all her weapons and abilities to Greed, a dragon from the same race as Ridley. Each ability was given to one of Greed's henchmen, and now Samus must fight all six to get them back. First up are missiles, which were given to a big pig called Zameel who lives on a Brigandia, a wild west-themed planet. So go ahead and read it now!

If you're new to Samus & Joey, you might want to start all the way back at the beginning.

Metroid EX is actually a very rare manga published in Comic Bom Bom in Japan. Comic Bom Bom was published monthly for little kids who threw them in the recycling when they were done. Metroid EX ran from May 2003 to April 2004, so that's over a decade ago - and very few are left. As a result, it was really hard to find these on auction, and when they did show up, it was typically $15-$30 per issue. When you take shipping fees and currency conversion fees into account, each PAGE costs about $1 apiece! Anyway, that's where all your ad clicks went -- and now we're giving it all back to you!

I know we've been hyping this for quite awhile, but it took us awhile to get all these cleaned up and typeset. However, we are absolutely on schedule to upload these on a more regular basis - once every week or two! Until then, stay posted!

By the way... The manga's author, Idzuki Kouji, posted about the translation project on his blog! Note this was back in May 2013... Has it really taken us six years to complete the whole thing???

Here's a rough translation of the post, along with some cool pics!

This happened awhile ago, but an e-mail came to me from a foreigner who visited my blog and said he teaches at a university in Florida in the US. I am told he translates as a hobby, and is translating an old manga that I wrote called Metroid: Samus & Joey for his friends.

Here you go. The one firing the beam is Samus, and the child is Joey.

The letter was written with hardly any problems in Japanese, and of course part of it had a foreign accent, but it was still good. [Yup - I can do Japanese to English OK, but not English to Japanese!]

Samus & Joey is a work that I have many special memories attached to from when I was writing it. As a manga artist, I am honored that someone outside of Japan is so thrilled with this work.

Since all three volumes of Samus & Joey were collected into a tankobon, it is possible to get them, but there is a sequel called Metroid EX that is the next part of the story to Samus & Joey that was not converted into a tankobon. Nevertheless, this individual has somehow managed to collect EX from Comic Bom Boms he got from somewhere, although he still hasn't obtained three chapters. [I managed to get the last one in June last year.]

Unfortunately, outside of the original manuscripts, I don't have clippings of each chapter from the magazine, but if I did, I would send them to this person. Sorry!

Aaah... Why wasn't Metroid EX published as a tankobon...? Metroid seems to be very popular in America, so it would be fine to do an English version...

I am happy to know that EX is being clicked on at the republication website mentioned above, but a click-through count is a far cry from being published.

"Someone click on this please~!" (Pleading)

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Nintendo have recently released a new piece of freemium software on the Wii U eShop in Japan, amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits. This software allows players to scan in their amiibos to unlock significant scenes from 30 different NES and SNES games from Nintendo. Naturally, both Metroid and Super Metroid are featured in the spotlight. Players in North America and Europe will be able to take part in the fun next week.

That said, I'm proud to officially unveil the newest part of Metroid Database's Features section; the amiibo page. This page chronicles all the different Metroid amiibos being manufactured as well as the games which they are compatible with. This is not just limited games with significant features Super Smash Bros., but every game which can recognize the amiibo. Like our other features, we will keep updating it as more amiibo compatibility is revealed.

--James Pierce

Samus & Joey fans! We have released the last chapter of Volume 3: "Lost Powers and a Determined Voyage" for your reading fulfillment. Samus becomes victim to an extremely heinous plot to steal her powers from her. And who could be behind this dirty deed? Read on, and find out! You don't want to miss this extremely intense chapter!

--Infinity's End

Here are the results from our "Out of these choices, which Power Suit design is your favorite?" poll. As you can see, the Varia suit from Prime 2 & 3 is the closest to what most of you feel is "perfect." Prime's and Super's style were very close in the poll, too. I personally prefer SSB Brawl's suit, because I just feel that one reaches a very close perception to how she would look in Super in 3D form, and even though it doesn't make too much sense proportionally-speaking, I'm willing to set my disbelief aside and enjoy it for what it is.

Thanks to all who voted in our poll, we encourage you to vote in our newest one, regarding our Social Media posting frequency.

--Infinity's End

No fooling this time folks! Fresh from Nintendo's Direct stream earlier today are three new Smash Bros. Wii U / 3DS Amiibo waves including - finally! - the long awaited release of Zero Suit Samus!

Nothing else Metroid related was announced, unfortunately, but Nintendo had plenty else on show for their fans. The big reveals for the rest of the year are likely to hit by E3 in June, so for now we make due with this morsel of an appetizer. Until then keep your eyes keenly locked to your favored retailers for your chance to pre-order Zero Suit Samus, as like with most Amiibo we expect her to sell out mighty quick!

GEOMETRY!
--Apothem

This just in... Metroid is a guy!! We secretly suspected this all along, and this manga proves it!!

Because it's on the Metroid Database, your Number 1 source for Metroid news, it MUST be true!!

This weird little manga is called Famiken Ryu, and it came out in 1985-1987, during the height of the Famicom boom. It stars Ryu, a kenpo master who first protected his classmates from the bullies of a rival school, but then applied his martial arts skills to beat Famicom games. This combination of Famicom games and kenpo is called...Famiken! This gives him superpowers like rapid-fire and lightning reflexes. Eventually, Ryu gets sucked into the games. There's even a giant evil brain supercomputer called Cobra. If that sounds as campy as Captain N, you're right!

Cobra is behind a conspiracy to conquer the world by kidnapping the top Famicom players in Japan and using their skills to play his videogames - which are modifications of hit titles like Tower of Druaga, Gradius, Legend of Valkyrie, and Metroid. The games have been modified to hack into America's - I mean, "A Country's" - defense system. By playing the games, you hack into a military computer system! He's also created an army of mutants - some of them failed game masters.

Some games have been converted into "Psychic Illusions" by Cobra's henchman, Dr. Madoh. You enter one of these, and you're basically inside a videogame, with all the cool powers and abilities of the hero. Unfortunately, that means if you get killed in there, you're dead for good! The only way to escape is by beating the game!

The manga is ultra-rare, but there were dozens of manga like at the time, which you can read about on this collector's blog (in Japanese). It was originally published by our favorite Comic Bom Bom (the same guys who did Samus & Joey and Episode of Aether 20 years later), then collected in five volumes. Sadly, we only have the first four, but that's OK since Volume 4 was the only one with Metroid in it. If you want to see what happens next, go here. We've scanned and translated those two chapters for you. Enjoy!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Nintendo has recently put out an ad campaign that takes the "strong, capable woman" Rosie the Riveter (A propaganda character the U.S. Army created in order to get more women interested in helping the nation) idea and puts her "We can do it!" moniker to images of famous female Nintendo characters. Why did they decide to do this? Well of course it's to celebrate Woman's History Month (March).

Unfortunately, but somewhat completely expected, the sentiment backfired in a few circles. I'll let you search for them on your own time, but be aware: these people know very little when it comes to anything game-related anyway. One woman in particular even alluded to calling Samus a character "no one's ever heard of."

Now that you're done facepalming, I've got a few things left to say: No matter what your ideologies about how the modern gaming industry portrays women are, and even if you are doing your best to tell everyone on the internet how you feel, the battle is a lost cause. Because you cannot fight arts and entertainment. You can certainly try, but you will not succeed. It is beyond your control, and will always be one step ahead of you. If there's anything all of this craziness has taught me it's that no matter what side you take, or how vehemently opposed you are to any particular thing, it's your passion and how you interact with others that defines you as a person, and if that passion includes playing some goddamn video games, then don't let anyone stop you from enjoying that.

--Infinity's End

Nintendo announced earlier today via video stream and on their corporate website an unprecedented partnership with prominent Japanese mobile developer DeNA to launch a "service" by fall this year wherein they will offer unique mobile-focused experiences based off Nintendo's stable of popular intellectual properties. The intention behind this new initiative is to offer mobile users an example of what they can expect from Nintendo's dedicated gaming hardware and hopefully encourage further adoption of their primary platforms. Apparently, all of Nintendo's properties are open to potential development at DeNA's discretion. There are presently no plans to port existing Nintendo games to mobile at this time, which most likely include potential ports of classic titles as well. The entirety of this new initiative was explicitly described as complimentary to Nintendo's existing Wii U and 3DS game development.

Preempting potential concerns regarding the company's new mobile focus, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata also reconfirmed that the company has a new system in works, presently codenamed "NX." As with their mobile initiative, details concerning this new system are all but nonexistent, however Mr.Iwata promises it to be an entirely new "concept" for the company. Anything further regarding the system is purely speculation at this point, but with the Entertainment Electronics Expo just around the corner we should expect to hear a good deal more about both projects through Nintendo's now signature Direct video series.

As with all things Nintendo related, both the new mobile initiative and hardware offer the potential for the revival of our favorite Nintendo franchise. Should anything Metroid related crop up in discussion of either of Nintendo's bold new plans moving forward, you can count on the Metroid Database to keep you up to date!

GEOMETRY!
--Apothem

Today I went to the SXSW Gaming Expo. I had a pretty good time, despite Nintendo being surprisingly absent compared to the last two years, and I got to meet and have a good chat with Dan Adelman of Axiom Verge fame. While that exposition will be coming very soon, I also noticed PDP had a booth. I saw you could buy one of their OFFICIALLY LICENSED Wired Fight Pads in all their different character themes from Smash. Seeing the Samus one, it took less than a minute's hesitation to decide that I was going to buy it right then and there - also for a slightly discounted price than at retail - only $20.00! NO TAX.

The controller OBLITERATED my expectations. The Samus pad - the first and only Samus-themed controller on the market as of this writing - is painted in a beautiful metallic yellow and orange, very reminiscent of the Samus Figma. While the top half of the controller is more of a "matte metallic" the lower half is a glossy metallic, making the colors very distinct from each other, and offsetting the controller's two halves in the best way possible. The D-pad is a metallic green color reminiscent of her arm cannon, and the -, HOME, and + buttons are a lime green color reminiscent of Samus's visor.

There is little doubt that the person designing this took much care in highlighting why we love Samus so much - including the emblazoned S-Logo symbol in the top middle of the pad. I honestly cannot give this controller a higher recommendation and you need to do whatever you can to pick them up - it is something any Metroid fan would be extremely proud to own.

And now, without further ado: pictures.

The Samus Wired Fight Pad by PDP will be released on March 20th for a MSRP of $24.99. Here's the listing on Amazon.

--Infinity's End

Fresh off the digital presses are two new rockin' additions to the already excellent Metroid Prime 2 section of our increasingly comprehensive franchise Bestiary:

Helping round out the roster of evil alter egos are the ever annoying Dark Wasps by Sabakusuna and the once Prime Metroid herself, the indomitable Dark Samus by Robert Powell. Both are expertly crafted additions to the project and we here at the MDb are proud to exhibit such talented work.

Take this opportunity, dear readers, to peruse our bestiary in earnest, let us know what you think of the project or specific works in our forums, or simply click "enter" to pay respects to the skilled artists that we tirelessly wrangle for your enjoyment.

GEOMETRY!
--Apothem

Nintendo of Europe have updated the Wii U eShop, and this time they've added a special treat for Metroid fans. Metroid: Zero Mission has finally been added to, nearly nine months after the game was made available in Japan. Metroid: Zero Mission can be purchased for €6.99/£6.29 off the European eShop.

We will naturally let you know when Metroid: Zero Mission is released in North America.

--James Pierce

Once Upon A Tee has a brand new Metroid-themed T-shirt on sale! "Epic Super Metroid" features Samus battling a ferocious Ridley.

Keep in mind Once Upon A Tee also offers these designs as mousepads, phone cases, and coasters!

Available now through March 16

only $12 for sizes S-XL!

For all your purchases, please sure you click through the image above so we are properly credited for the affiliation. Your purchases directly help affording the costs of our site. Thanks go out to Jason from Once Upon A Tee as well as any future purchasers!

--Infinity's End

Once Upon A Tee is once again offering brand spankin' new Metroid-themed T-shirts for their recent sale! Buy a T-shirt individually for $12 a piece, or grab all 4 in the "Zebes Collection" for a mere $44!

But that's not all!

Once Upon A Tee now also offers these designs as mousepads, phone cases, and coasters!

For all your purchases, please sure you click through one of the images above so we are properly credited for the affiliation. Your purchases directly help affording the costs of our site. Thanks go out to Jason from Once Upon A Tee as well as any future purchasers! These are only available until February 16th, and then they're gone forever, so don't miss your chance!

--Infinity's End

With this weeks eShop update, players in North America and Europe can now purchase Metroid Prime: Trilogy on Wii U. For one week only, players in both North America and Europe can purchase this game for 50% off as part of Nintendo's "Throwback Sale". If you haven't had the chance to play this before, now is the best time to try it out.

--James Pierce

A bit late but better than never: In an interview with The Fwoosh, Jakks Pacific has announced their newest line in the increasingly popular "World of Nintendo" series of affordable figures will include, among other Nintendo staples, a 4" Samus and 6" metroid figure!

The new line of figures is tentatively planned for "Spring" and like other products in the line the 4" figures will MSRP for $8.99 USD while the 6" figures will MSRP $14.99 USD.

In their interview, Jose Alvarez and Justin Mills-Orcutt of Jakks Pacific state that their company has the rights to a number of - unfortunately unspecified - Nintendo properties, known now to include Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid. They expressed interest in "delving" as far into each brand as Nintendo would allow, initially focusing on more well known characters from more recent games but ultimately intending to craft everything possible, from heroes to villains, basic enemies to even tile sets taken straight from the games themselves for their "micro" scale world builder series. They're also not adverse to retro styles and variants, and also assure fans that a single character has the potential of appearing in multiple scales.

That's all great for Nintendo properties in general, but what does it mean for Metroid in particular? Well, unfortunately nothing as of now, aside from Samus and her parasitic nemesis in plastic form. However, future possibilities are boundless, and Mr.Alvarez and Mr.Mills-Orcutt are keen on immortalizing all things "Nintendo" on our collective shelves. As such we can reasonably expect more Metroid representation in the World of Nintendo, and the franchise certainly offers more than enough inspiration with its various creatures and characters. Time will tell. For now, though, we wait in eager anticipation.

Closing out the day's news is one last little tidbit: Johnathan Holmes - Nicest Man in the Worldâ„¢ and present Editor-in-Chief at Destructoid - and Maddy Myers - a.k.a. "Samusclone" and increasingly prolific netizen - have conspired to bring their respective alternate personas to video in a recently launched YouTube series "Samus and Sagat." If you ever wondered what to separate characters from two wildly different series would ever have to talk about over breakfast, wonder no more.

GEOMETRY!
--Apothem

WiiU owners were met with this advertisement on their gamepads today.

Announced earlier today in the most recent Nintendo Direct, Metroid Prime: Trilogy is being released digitally on the Wii U eShop. This is NOT an HD remaster, but the actual Wii software being sold through the eShop.

Metroid Prime: Trilogy releases January 29 in North America and Europe. Players who purchase the game before February 5, will be able to receive a 50% discount!

--James Pierce

Here are the results from our "Who Needs More Cosplay Love?" poll. Surprisingly, there is a high demand for Rundas cosplay, but just barely moreso than Sylux, the fan-favorite from MPH. I'm not quite sure if people chose Rundas just due to the sheer complexity of the costume and the likelihood that no one has even attempted it yet, but no one's done Sylux or most of the other choices either, afaik.

Thanks to all who voted in our poll, we encourage you to vote in our newest one!

--Infinity's End