--Infinity's End

As promotional material for the newly released, grail-status NES Classic Edition console, Nintendo has actually taken the time to translate an originally Japanese developer interview, with the two most famous Metroid developers in history, Yoshio Sakamoto, and Hiroji Kiyotake. Read it by clicking the image below.

The interview itself offers very little new information to hardcore Metroid fans, beyond a very small tidbit: the explanation of the "Special thanks" credit TOHRYU MAKO BENKEI. This credit doesn't refer to a person, but is a reference to takeout dining restaurants that the team ate from during the late nights of the game's final 3-month crunch. The restaurants were Tohryu, Sometime Mako, and Benkei Dining.

--Infinity's End

--Infinity's End

This tweet made by one of the pixel artists who worked on the game. Unsurprisingly, Pokemon Uranium was also removed from the list of nominees.

--Infinity's End

Introducing, the Nintendo Switch.

More as it comes.

--Infinity's End

Another year down - and I can definitely say that 2016 has definitely been the most tumultuous in American history, as long as I've been alive. Regardless of the outcome of our over-stimulating election, we hope we've done a good job in providing y'all with tons of great Metroid content over these past 20 years.

20 years is a long ass time to maintain a fansite, especially one as small as ours, with an extremely small, almost non-existent budget. We pride ourselves in making sure that we will always be the premiere spot for your Metroid news.

Confession time: I had originally planned on releasing an overhaul of this entire site to be released today. Obviously that didn't happen. Website redesigns aren't an easy task. And when you have very little spare time and an extremely small staff that share the same spare time constraint, things just don't go as well as you hope all the time. We promise we will eventually get there - with Sm4sh and Metroid Prime Federation Force sections, of course. We appreciate your patience until then.

Design a Boss Contest

In other news, our 5th contest begins today! We are excited to unveil the Design a Boss contest which asks you creative Metroid fans to create your own boss that would fit in the Metroid series. I'm super excited to see what you come up with! And for those who have won our past contests, please refrain from submitting this year as to give some other folks a chance.

Cheers, good luck, and happy 20th anniversary to all our fans, my co-staff, and the Metroid community at large. We definitely wouldn't still be here if it weren't for your continued love and support over the last 20 years! HERE'S TO 20 MORE YEARS ONLINE!

Special Thanks

• Devin: We've had our share of ups and downs. You're one of my best friends and I'm very proud of how far we've come.
• Matt & Philipp: You guys have really killed it when it comes to our social media outreach. Your hard work is deeply appreciated. Please continue to do what you're doing!
• Tim: You have been a pillar in all this and I seriously doubt we'd still be around had it not been for your help.
• Jesse & TJ: I am completely in awe by all the work you've put into this site in the past. You will always have my most deepest, profound respect.
• Aaron: You have been the most generous person for hosting the MDb after IGN kicked us to the curb years ago. We will be forever in your debt!

--Infinity's End

In case you don't follow our social media accounts, we were given a taste of the upcoming Figma based on Metroid Prime 3's version of Samus. The figure seems to be a near-perfect recreation. As many fans have noticed, her waist/lower torso area seems very thin - a bit thinner than usual. Her helmet also doesn't quite seem perfectly accurate but I feel like that's nitpicking. Seeing as it is a prototype and is specifically noted as "Pending Licensor Approval," we have hopes that this will be something that will be remedied before the final release. Look forward to this one, likely coming out sometime next year.

Special thanks to Anime Toy News for these beautiful shots from NYCC!

Here's another shot from the official Good Smile Company tumblr.

--Infinity's End

Vice Gaming has recently published a very deep, all-encompassing article on the life and history of Another Metroid 2 Remake, with interview quotes by Milton and myself when we were hit with the DMCA. If you're in need of some recap on the whole story, you can find it here. Definitely worth a read!

--Infinity's End

Awesome video comparing and pointing out all the games' musical themes and references (Including AM2R!). Check it out below:

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Keychains are sold out. Thank you for ordering!

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Please welcome the newest member of our Bestiary team, Tea Galaxy! Tea Galaxy has started by creating two beautiful new entries to the Prime 2 list. Thanks so much for these awesome contributions!

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This one's not quite as "high budget" or "well produced" as Rainfall Films' masterpiece, but still contains the same amount of heart. The channel is Ideas For Hollywood, where they create short films in order to imagine hypothetical Hollywood films based on famous franchises. Check out the video below!

--Infinity's End

Keychains are sold out. Thank you for ordering!

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Seems like demand for a Metroid anime is a no-brainer, big surprise. As always, we encourage to vote in our newest poll.

--Infinity's End

I managed to snag a copy of Federation Force today from one of two Gamestops in this little town I moved to. Nobody preordered the game, and I guess corporate thought it wouldn't exactly fly off the shelves... Anyway, I sat down with single-player mode for a couple hours, and here are my observations.

TL;DR, Federation Force is NOT a Metroidvania. There's no backtracking, no items to access new areas, and no scan visor. It's basically Metroid Prime with just the shooting and jumping and minimal puzzles and exploration. But that doesn't make it a bad game. Instead, it's kind of interesting: a fairly entertaining squad-based shooter set in the Metroid universe. Since I've only played two levels and haven't tried multiplayer mode, my verdict is still out, but it feels better than average, and that's not bad.

The controls are fairly smooth, but definitely not something you'll pick up and master in thirty minutes. I feel I'll get much better after two or three more hours of play (and I've played less than two so far, spending about 20 minutes a mission). The circle pad moves you around, and holding R lets you tilt the screen to look around. Unfortunately, the tilt function means you'll likely want to turn off 3D, which is too bad, since the graphics look pretty good on a small screen. It also isn't intuitive to tilt to look up or down, so you can't conveniently check out the architecture like in Metroid Prime.

Hold L to lock on to enemies, and you can lead them a little by holding down R and tilting, which is new. Actions are much simpler: shoot using A, charge shots or interact with items by holding down A, jump with B, hold B to hover, Y uses special items (be careful not to get trigger-happy!), and X selects items. The D-pad issues commands. Unfortunately, moving orbs around is just as obnoxious as I thought it would be, particularly since you have to bounce them up stairs and over pits, but thankfully, you can lock on, lead, and charge.

There are hidden power-ups you can get by solving puzzles (like melting ice or freezing lava), but no real in-depth exploration. There's a certain amount of replay value, since you can earn up to three medals depending on how many enemies you destroy, your accuracy, speed of completion, and accomplishing mission-specific tasks.

The menu system is pretty good, too. In addition to customizing your loadout, MODs, and paint job, you can also change your voice from male to female in five different languages, including Japanese and Italian!

Ultimately, if you're looking for a new Metroid, you won't find it here. But if you're looking for a decent squad-based shooter on a handheld, Federation Force seems to fit that quite nicely, and I am looking forward to playing some with our Facebook guru Matthew Sharpe and Darren from Shinesparkers.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

In celebration of Metroid's 30th anniversary and the launch of Metroid Prime: Federation Force, Nintendo has released a series of Metroid-themed costumes on Miitomo. Every Miitomo user gets a Metroid hat and 8-bit Samus t-shirt for free, but other outfits can be obtained through either the Miitomo Drop minigame or by using Miitomo points. The presence of Metroid-themed costumes in Miitomo shouldn't be too surprising, considering the game was developed by Yoshio Sakamoto's team.

• Samus Badge (6 colors): 1080 coins
• Mech Suit Helmet (4 colors): 50 Miitomo Points
• Mech Suit Body (4 colors): 50 Miitomo Points
• Metroid Logo Tee: 200 Miitomo Points

Check out the official page here.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

It's out. Whether you love it or hate it, the game is out and it's your choice whether you should buy it or not. We weren't able to receive a review copy so you will have to wait a while before we publish a review of the game. In the meantime, happy gaming!

--Infinity's End

CapCom and myself were recently interviewed over at Swedish-based gaming news website, The Gaming Ground! Check out the full interview here right here!

--Infinity's End

Host Shesez breaks out of Metroid Prime's camera system to show you a little behind the scenes of the game's many mysterious environments and 3D models. Definitely worth a watch for any Prime fan!

--Infinity's End

Samus and the Metroid series are celebrating 30 years of games this year, but could she have been fighting dangerous alien creatures before 1986? Long time reader Pete Rawbone has been doing some reading, and found an interesting precursor to Samus.

Dating back to 1937, science fiction writer Arthur K. Barnes wowed readers with stories of the interplanetary hunter Gerry Carlyle. Much like Samus, Gerry faced hordes of horrific creatues, with only her true identity known to her comrades.

Illustrator Ron Miller even created this striking image of Carlyle for his 1994 card series, Ron Miller's Firebrands: Heroines of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Doesn't she resemble a certain bounty hunter?

If you want to learn more about Gerry Carlyle, Amazon is offering a collection of stories for free on their Kindle app. Our thanks to Pete for bringing this interesting bit of science fiction history to our attention!

--James Pierce

Twitch Stream

--Infinity's End

Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka, the composer of Metroid, Kid Icarus, and Mother, released a special 30th anniversary composition based on his most iconic work. He also took some time out of his busy schedule to reminisce with Darren Kerwin of Shinesparkers.net about the legacy of what may well be the most famous soundtrack he composed.

I can only speak about the very first Metroid game, but...

Around the time of the original release, I never got the impression the game was especially popular. However, as time passed and the Internet came around, I became aware of just how popular it was, especially overseas.

The music in Metroid, I feel personally, was very different from the music in other games of the time; the sense of an individualistic sound design is very strong. I received some criticism - about the lack of melody, or how dark it sounded - but I felt I adhered to the tone of the game's story as I composed.

The fact that a piece of music containing only three notes has remained with everyone so long is really surprising to me. I think it's because that even before the music was in place, the game world of Metroid was fascinating. I have a lot of respect for the development staff from back then.

Knowing that even after thirty years the game is still supported by all sorts of people from around the world is a continuing source of courage for me as I continue to compose music; it gives me the confidence to believe in my own abilities, and pushes me forward.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank all the fans. The Metroid series continues to this day. I hope you will all continue to enjoy playing it.

We certainly will, Mr. Tanaka! Keep making great music for everyone to enjoy!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

August 6 marks the 30th anniversary of Metroid's original release in Japan, and in celebration DoctorM64 has released his masterwork, AM2R: Another Metroid II Remake! AM2R reimagines the Game Boy classic with Metroid Fusion and Metroid: Zero Mission-style graphics, a much expanded world (two whole new areas!), along with new bosses and powered-up Metroid mutations. In short, it's the sort of remake fans have been hoping for since Zero Mission was announced a decade ago. I am grateful to DoctorM64 for providing me with a preview copy so I could write a review. While it's not as polished as an official title, it is quite an achievement and certainly has the Metroid spark, so is well worth exploring. AM2R is free to download, and you should go and get it immediately to see for yourself!

UPDATE: We were hit with a DMCA from an attorney on behalf of Nintendo and were forced to take down the file links.

Before you begin, here are the options I was happiest with:

• In Control Options, enable Classic Spider Ball (a must for M2 veterans) and set Missile Select Style to Hold.
• Under Joypad Settings, set your controller to use LB and RB for Super Metroid-style aiming.
• Set RT to Arm Weapon (Zero Mission-style Missile select).
• In Display Options, turn on VSync—otherwise, the screen may look choppy.
• I also set the screen to 4X rather than Stretch.

Be sure to test out the different configurations if something doesn't feel right to you.

For those of you who want to know what the resident Metroid II expert thinks, read my review!

UPDATE 8/7: Our servers have been so slow I can't add even a single php file to the site! But looks like I can still update the news post here for a review!

Back when Nintendo announced they would remake the original Metroid for the GBA, players have been hoping for a similar upgrade to Metroid II. As the black & white (or rather Gatorade green) sheep in the Metroid family, this innovative Game Boy title may not have been as technologically amazing as its sequel, but it remains a central part of the Metroid story and an evolution in gameplay. Fueled by dreams of how a reimagined Metroid II might look, several indie designers picked up the concept and ran with it—and many failed in the process. AM2R: Another Metroid 2 Remake is the only one to actually be completed. This singular achievement is amazingly well-polished and not only contains the original levels, but also adds two new areas. The Metroid attacks and weak spots have been greatly enhanced as well, and there are plenty of secrets in familiar areas. In lieu of an official remake, this makes AM2R the ultimate Metroid II experience. AM2R is also free to download—so you should get it immediately and see for yourself!

AM2R plays pretty much like the GBA titles, with ledge grips and all the staple power-ups. The Spider Ball is activated by default through a separate button, but GB fans will want to switch to Classic Mode. Like Super Metroid, you can also customize your controls for aiming and missile select, and the advanced options really improve fluidity.

The level design is also excellent. All the classic areas there, now enhanced with hidden areas. I found myself remembering a Missile upgrade or some other item being hidden nearby and realizing there was now a new trick to obtaining it. There are also two completely new areas and one sub-area, which add an incredible amount of depth to SR388. The Spider Ball is also essential to gameplay—there are many places where you NEED the Spider Ball to proceed and not even Space Jump will help. Shinespark puzzles return, but thankfully aren't as numerous as in Fusion and Zero Mission. Two new mechanics have been added (one a puzzle involving bombs, the other warp pipes), and while fun, they felt a little gimmicky.

Unfortunately, like in the original, there are many dead zones where there aren't any enemies to fight, and most of the generic enemies from Metroid II don't have any new attacks added. TPO is an exception—blast it apart, and the ends will fly towards you. The Gunzoo never seemed to attack me. The Blob Thrower is missing completely. A better balance would have made navigating the caves more interesting.

AM2R also seemed a little easy—I was playing on Normal and only died in two cases, once against a Zeta Metroid, and a few times against the Queen Metroid, at least until I figured out the secret. Since only Missiles can defeat a Metroid, being able to escape when you run out is necessary, but since save points automatically fill your items, you can easily play it safe. Granted, this was a late pre-release copy, and DoctorM64 was still polishing item drops, but you may want to try setting it to Hard if it feels too easy.

The best new addition by far is the visual and thematic reimagining of the original ruins areas. Instead of simply the same old ruins, there are now a shrine, hydroplant, robot factory, and weapons research center. The deep caves are now creepy Metroid breeding grounds rather than monotonous caves. Log entries fill in the details further. Although I would have liked logs for all the regular enemies ala Castlevania, this is something I hope to see in future 2D Metroids. Although each area now has a different sound, the music is more subdued and has a distinct synthetic, MIDI quality that detracts a little from the experience.

AM2R's graphical upgrades come primarily from Zero Mission and Fusion. All the SR388 enemies from Fusion are here. Samus's animations come from Zero Mission and include several new frames for even more detail (for instance, an idle animation). Tiles and backgrounds are a combination of GBA and original images. There are also several original character designs, although the visuals can feel a little crude at times. Part of this comes from the large numbers of artists on the team, all who seem to draw in different styles, and also from the diverse range of graphics used. Coupled with SFX from Super Metroid, AM2R often feels like a hodgepodge. Granted, it is absolutely gorgeous in places, particularly the original ruins areas, but feels strained with some of the larger enemies and weaker tiles. A more consistent art style would have definitely polished things. You will also want to turn on V-Sync; otherwise, the scrolling will look choppy.

The biggest stars of the show are the Metroid Mutations. Alphas now have a harder carapace and can only be attacked in the abdomen, which makes them much trickier to kill—and a lot more fun to fight. Gammas are significantly tougher, since it is much more difficult to get a clean shot. Zetas and Omegas no longer fly, but have some intense physical attacks. Sadly, most of the mutations are a drab olive, unlike the colorful Omega from Metroid Fusion.

Ultimately, AM2R is a solid Metroid title, and that's what really matters. Although it isn't as polished as Super or the GBA games, it more than holds its own against the original Metroid II, and the themed areas make it feel fresher than your average Castlevania...this is essential to keep in mind considering it was largely made by one person rather than a fully-funded team! However, the true test is whether you feel that Metroid bug. I spent an entire day clearing almost the entire game, finishing in about seven hours, including restarts, with 98% completion rate—and I want to play again! If you haven't tried it yet, download AM2R right away! Get that Metroid bug...before THEY get YOU!

Until next time...
Captain Commando

WOW! Blown away by how fast that was. We are temporarily out of stock but rest assured we will try to have more made for y'all. We appreciate your patience until then and will let you know when they become available once more. :) Thank you all so much from the bottom of our hearts. We are so grateful to have fans like you.

--Infinity's End

This video is very special because it is narrated by Jason Damron, aka the narrator from the Fallout series!

--Infinity's End

MHQthon 2016 is already underway! Come watch the dudes over at MetroidHQ play all the Metroid games for charity. Laugh at their antics and donate some money! The prizes on this year's stream have also been donated by yours truly. Here's the schedule:

--Infinity's End

The Blast Ball demo is available now for download on the Nintendo eShop, so you can give this new game a try. Find out more information at the Blast Ball page on Nintendo's website.

In addition, the official English Metroid Prime: Federation Force homepage has gone live! The site is chock-full of information about the game, including plenty of videos, concept art, and descriptions. Looks like the Federation Force advertisement mech is finally rolling out! The August 19 release date is coming up quickly...

Until next time...
Captain Commando

A few pages from a Dutch edition of Club Nintendo Magazine were graciously donated by long-time (18 yrs!) MDb reader, Mad Mega. He also translated the 2-page comic advertisement for Nintendo products, which has a brief Metroid cameo at the end. Thanks Mark!

You can also find the scans in our Metroid 1 Library section.

--Infinity's End

Shigesato Itoi's Hobonichi Shimbun has published all six parts of his interview with the director of Miitomo, Yoshio Sakamoto. Whether you're a long-time adopter or stopped using Miitomo a long time ago, it is surprising to learn that the creator of Metroid is also the creator of Miitomo (which in itself is an extension of Tomodachi Collection).

We also know the idea for Miis originated way back on the NES, but it's fascinating to hear that the Mii creation software as we know it originated with one of Sakamoto's Game Boy Color era projects, Otona no Onna no Uranai Techo (Women's Fortune Telling Pocket Notebook). Part of the project was to allow users to create avatars that looked like themselves. Although the game was ultimately never completed, when Sakamoto showed the face creation software to Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's president immediately saw its relation to one of Shigeru Miyamoto's projects. Iwata showed it to Miyamoto, and the team eventually went on to create Mii Maker. Pretty cool stuff!

There are many interesting bits of information in this interview. Hopefully we'll soon hear if Sakamoto's team is working on anything connected with Metroid...

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Project AM2R finally has a solid release date: August 6, 2016! That's right, the biggest Metroid II fan remake will be coming out just in time for the 30th anniversary of Metroid! Metroid II is one of my favorites in the series, and I have always dreamed up playing an enhanced version, so have been keeping my eye on this one since I first heard about it a few years ago. You know what I'll be playing come August 6!

Check out the latest demo here to further whet your appetite.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

On July 1st, entries opened up for Uniqlo's annual t-shirt competition, the UTGP '17. This year's theme is - you guessed it - Nintendo. Grand prize winner gets $10k, a meet and greet with Shigeru Miyamoto, who is also one of the judges, AND "a new concept game console NX from Nintendo specially autographed by Miyamoto." Which means the NX is likely going to be released in 2017.

Anyway, the promo video for the contest features art from pretty much every major Nintendo franchise, including Metroid, thankfully, and at the 0:50 mark, you will see an image of Zero Suit Samus that, as far as I know, has never been released in any promotional artwork before - because it is the full color version of the ZSS "shadow" in the background of the Japanese boxart. Make sense? Here's what it looks like.

Here's the video:

Official site is here.

Nintendo has all this hi res artwork, it's so unfortunate they keep it all to themselves....

--Infinity's End

A few days ago, YouTube Channel It's Super Effective released a new video, focusing on 25 Super Metroid facts that you may or may not know. Some information and artwork was taken directly from the MDb, which they have thankfully credited us. Despite a few inaccuracies here and there, it's worth a watch. Check it out below.

--Infinity's End

In celebration of the holiday, we are having a temporary sale on our MDb buttons!

They are now 50% off.
1.25" = $0.75 ea.
1.5" = $1.00 ea.

The sale ends soon though - it will go from now until July 5th @ 12:00am PST.

ORDER HERE

As always, thank you so much for your continued patronage to our website.

--Infinity's End

Another announcement Nintendo made was how MPFF interacts with Amiibo. The Samus and Zero Suit Samus Amiibos will give your Federation soldiers an appropriately-themed skin in the game as well as upgrades your character. If you use any other Amiibo, it will give the Blast Ball mechs a custom paint job.

Japanese commercial:

Official Nintendo Tweet: Samus and ZSS Amiibo
Official Nintendo Tweet: Other Amiibos

--Infinity's End

Nintendo of Japan released a whole slew of new marketing content for Metroid Prime Federation Force. Their official website is far more complete and detailed than anything we've seen on the game thus far. Check out the trailer below (warning: Japanese dialogue and text):

We may be able to provide you with a brief translated summary of what goes on in the trailer at some point in the near future, but we do not have plans to subtitle the entire video.

--Infinity's End

In 2009, Archie Comics (gamers should know them for publishing the Sonic the Hedgehog and Megaman comics) tried pitching a Metroid comic to Nintendo. All we know about the pitch was from the brief description:

Archie Comics about around 2009 tried to pitch an idea to Nintendo to have the rights to publish comics based on the Story from the Metroid games. Unfortunately, Nintendo turned it down. I for one wished they didn't. I think a Metroid comic would be great.

This pencil sketches were been released by Tracy Yardley, who drew some panel and concept sketches for the pitch. We don't know much more about it beyond the obvious outcome, which was Nintendo turning down the pitch. Check out the artwork, which has been somewhat light-corrected in Photoshop for better visibility.

Source

I for one would welcome a new Metroid comic series. If done properly, of course, it could be a very awesome thing. Without proper budget, a passionate, competent team, or time, however, we're left with stuff seen in the Nintendo Power comics. As far as I can tell, fans of the Sonic and Megaman comics have been very satisfied overall with the way they have turned out so I truly believe they would have been capable of handling the IP properly.

Thanks to Assad for the tip on Facebook!

--Infinity's End

Preface: Sorry for the late news on our main site - if you follow us on our social media outlets, we are much more active there.

On Tuesday, 6/14, preorders for the upcoming Zero Suit Samus figurine went live. You can preorder the figure, which is due out in December of this year, at somewhat varying prices on the following websites:

• Big Bad Toy Store
• Good Smile Shop
• Amiami
• Hobby Link Japan

Pics:

--Infinity's End

Just watch it.

Thanks to LordDirk from the forums for the link!

--Infinity's End

Poll #11 has now been closed. I have also just added a poll archive page so you can easily see all the past poll results. The link will live directly below the poll section.

As always, thanks for participating in our newest poll and we hope you continue to do so!

--Infinity's End

NST's hand cramp inducing, wannabe Prime game is now out on Wii U. Multiplayer is of course, absent from this version due to Nintendo not wanting to re-develop the game to run on custom servers. Who can blame them? If you want a fun shooter multiplayer experience on Wii U, go play Splatoon.

Hunters was released on June 2nd and goes for $9.99. Better late than never, eh? (It came out on Japanese Wii U's last September.)

Official MPH Nintendo DS page
Official MPH Wii U VC page

--Infinity's End

Howdy folks! The Metroid Database is proud to announce that for a limited time, we are offering pinback buttons for our fans. They come in two sizes: 1.25" and 1.5" and feature art from the MDb Bestiary. Click the banner below to get started.

The proceeds made from these buttons directly helps the MDb with site costs. We appreciate you all for visiting us all these years and hope that you appreciate these buttons in return!

--Infinity's End

A few months ago at WonderFest in Japan, a prototype image of the Zero Suit Samus figma was unveiled. Now we have finally been graced with a fully painted image of this figma in all her glory:

No word yet on when preorders will be available, but rest assured it will be here on this site when we find out!

Source: Sakai_max on Twitter

--Infinity's End

GO HERE FOR THE EXCLUSIVE!

GO HERE FOR THE REGULAR!

Exclusive cost = $429.99 USD
Regular cost = $384.99 USD

COUPON CODES:
Exclusive - VARIAEX30 = $30 Off
Regular - VARIAREG20 = $20 Off

--Infinity's End

Arne Niklas Jansson (Android Arts) has a pretty slick re-imagining of the original Metroid, complete with concept art, sprites, and a story/tech manual explaining the Metroid universe and gameplay ideas for a remake. Oldtimers might remember Jansson's Planet-Zebes page from 1999/2000, but this latest version has been an ongoing project that's really hit off in recent months. It's a really cool project, and well worth a look-see. You can check out the project, Galactic Federation Police, here.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Yes folks that's right. The Bestiary will never die! We were lucky enough to be graced with some new art entries to our ongoing Bestiary project.

Zurginator has remade his Serris.

Rundash has made a sweet Dark Pirate Commando.

Methuselah3000 has returned with an incredible rendition of the Dark Grenchler

We hope you enjoy these latest entries!

--Infinity's End

For those of you who missed the joke, the page can still be viewed here.

--Infinity's End

Metroid: Other M is now available for download on the Nintendo E-Shop in Japan for Wii U for 2,700 yen (about $30). No US release has been confirmed, but the game is currently selling for under $20 new on Amazon. E-Shop support for this ill-fated title suggests to me that Nintendo is pushing to completely fill out the first-party library for digital download, at least in Japan.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

--Infinity's End

--Infinity's End

We've got a couple galleries here featuring screenshots and artwork from Metroid Prime: Federation Force, including some custom wallpaper. Click on the images above to enter the artwork and screenshot galleries.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

--Infinity's End

The Federation Force segment begins at 50:28.

Kensuke Tanabe: "This game absolutely belongs in the Metroid Universe. That I can promise."

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Metroid Construction's Begrimed, known for his seminal hack, Super Metroid Project Base has once again created something incredible and important for the hacking community. He calls it SMMM and since I'm only loosely familiar with the Super Metroid hacking scene, I will let him tell you himself why this guide is an important resource:

I wrote SMMM to take everything that's been learned about Super Metroid hacking over the last thirteen+ years and present it in a way that hopefully makes the hobby incredibly more accessible to people who have never modified video games before, but always liked the idea of trying it. A lot of the concepts explained throughout the guide apply to ROM hacking in general. SMMM is the result of nearly a year of writing and creating images for sometimes hours daily, and many more years of gathering information from the Metroid Construction forum and #metconst/#MetroidCloud IRC channels.

And there you have it. You can find the guide here.

--Infinity's End

To help celebrate Metroid's 30th anniversary, Darren Kerwin of Shinesparkers has collaborated with Radio Nintendo to stream Metroid music at random 24/7. Check it out here.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

Ever since 2012, Good Smile Company has had a license to develop Nintendo themed merchandise as part of that product line. The first figure to see release was the Samus figma based off of her Other M appearance. Shortly after that a scale figure of Zero Suit Samus was released. Since then GSC has mostly released figures for The Legend of Zelda and Fire Emblem, but now we have two more Metroid figures on the way.

First up is this Zero Suit Samus figma announced way back in 2014. After nearly two years of silence, here is our first look at the prototype of that figure (courtesy of vapwaazu).

In addition, Good Smile Company has announced that a new Samus figma, based off of her armour from Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is also in development (courtesy of Dengeki Online).

--James Pierce

Once Upon a Tee has a new design theme this week featuring powerful female characters from pop culture. The designs were made by Gui Seignmartin, and he has drawn many other girls in this same style such as all the Sailor Scouts, Rey from SW:TFA and Wonder Woman.

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

Available now through January 25th @ 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

400 voters later, our manga readers poll was almost split down the middle on who read our Samus & Joey scanlation and who didn't. Now that the saga is over, we're happy to have been a part of this landmark in Metroid fan history by providing the world with an English scanlation of the series. As always thank you for voting, and please feel free to enter in our newest poll, which focuses on Virtual Console sales.

--Infinity's End

Metroid: Zero Mission is now available on the North American Wii U eShop for $7.99.

Play it, enjoy it!

Remember too, if you get stuck, we have the official strategy guide available here!

--James Pierce