Metroid Database.com

I'm sure you remember this commercial. Sexy and flashy, this was Nintendo of Japan's take on advertising Metroid Zero Mission. What you probably weren't aware of though was that Nintendo did a lot more than just make a commercial - they invited several journalists to get a behind-the-scenes look at the set. The original page has long been removed from the official Japanese Metroid Zero Mission homepage, but we found a copy in the archives and set about translating it. In addition, one of our users, VGM Studios, took scans of a magazine article he'd acquired. Both articles are chock-ful of behind-the-scenes photographs and information on the commercial. We are now proud to present this feature to you in English!

Samus is played by gravure idol Chisato Morishita. Although she has mostly starred in B-horror movies since then, the sexy no-holds-barred style of the commercial makes it stand out among fans of the series. One fascinating bit of information from the articles is that series director Yoshio Sakamoto hand-picked Morishita to play Samus, focusing specifically on Morishita's stare, which he felt communicated the spirit of Samus:

The power of Morishita-san's gaze was perfect for the convictions of game heroine Samus Aran, so this time, we asked her to perform. Morishita-san has really gotten right into the role of Samus.

While Sakamoto has been criticized for his portrayal of Samus in Metroid: Other M, this shows yet again that he had been slowly developing his ideas about Samus's psychology for years. Check out the full article here.

Until next time...
Captain Commando