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- 3 Sep 2002
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Guten Mittag allemale Gamespy.com hat ein Interview mit den Retrostudios und Shigero Miyamoto geführt echt interesant schaut es euch mal an.
It's not as universally popular as Mario Sunshine. It's not as unique as Animal Crossing. And it does not have the broad appeal of Mario Party 4. Yet Metroid Prime is probably Nintendo's most important title of 2002. Everyone -- fans, pundits, and competitors -- has their eyes on this title and with good reason. Fans have been eagerly awaiting the first Metroid game in eight years. Pundits are waiting to see if this will be the system seller that's vital to the GameCube's future. And competitors are wondering if this game has the goods to steal the spotlight from their systems and games. Just a week before the game's release, I was able to sit in on a videoconference with Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto and Retro's Steve Barcia (executive producer). Here are some of their thoughts on this monumental GameCube title.
Miyamoto: I'm very relieved and very happy to have Metroid out in the U.S. before the end of the year. It's been a long road, about three years on this game, and it's the first time we worked with a foreign developer so heavily and from scratch. Retro has put in a lot of hard work and has been very cooperative. They have developed a game that's been accepted by the Japanese media and will be embraced by the Japanese gaming community. It meets the high standards we're used to.
Metroid Prime's development saga has been quite the soap opera. There were all sorts of rumors floating about that Nintendo of Japan was unhappy with Retro's initial efforts. There were tales that well-known American talent was taken off the project by NOJ. Then there was the inner turmoil (i.e. layoffs) at Retro. The game's three-year cycle was due in part to the numerous bumps in the road that happened along the way. However, at the end of the day everyone pulled through. I could tell just by looking at the Retro employees I saw; they had the look of exhausted euphoria you see on a person that's just finished a marathon.
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Barcia: The overall design and effort was very much a cooperative effort. As far as the actually art and engineering, it was all done here at Retro.
Miyamoto: The only thing we handled fully in Japan was the music, which was composed by Yamamoto-san, who did the music for the previous Metroid games.
From a practical standpoint, this was a landmark title for Nintendo. It has never worked so closely with an American developer before. Both sides spoke of the countless emails, phone calls, and conferences that took place during the course of the game's development. Perhaps it wasn't the most ideal way to plan a game, but the result will speak for itself. It's also a bit telling about Nintendo's progress; typically viewed as a closed-off company, perhaps Nintendo is on its way to further opening its doors to even more international collaborative efforts in the future.
Barcia: A lot of it is mood. It has to feel creepy and eerie. Samus is a cool character and we want people to feel like Samus. There are lots of cool weapons and enemies. Our concern was what is the gameplay of the original games? Whether it's 2D or 3D, does it feel like the original? One of the big things was creating a desire for something you can't have -- a power-up you can't reach or a room you can't get to.
Although only a few of us in the office have played it, the ones that have definitely agree that Metroid Prime feels very much like a Metroid game. This is a bit astonishing since many 2D games do not translate well into 3D. Then again, Nintendo is far more successful at making the transition than any other company; its Mario and Zelda games have added the third dimension quite successfully. Still, Metroid was perhaps a bit trickier than those series since so much of it depends on jumping, puzzle solving, and exploration. The decision to go with a first-person perspective was viewed as curious at first, but it works shockingly well and I can't imagine the game any other way. That said, Retro had numerous obstacles and barriers to break by opting to make the game a first-person adventure.
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Barcia: We weren't trying to fit in that genre. We had to break down the stereotypes of what a first-person game is and make a fun Metroid game. First-person jumping was the biggest challenge. There aren't a lot of first-person games where jumping is fun at all.
Miyamoto: It's very natural for an exploration game to be in the first person. Many 3D games are difficult -- difficult to play, difficult to control. Retro has done a great job at making the game accessible.
Barcia: I think it's good that people have an expectation and are surprised. Originality and presentation are important.
Throughout the course of its development, early versions of the game were submitted in both the first and third person. When I first saw the game, I couldn't envision how a first-person perspective game could possibly feel like Metroid. After playing, I totally see it but it would be hard to convince the uninitiated.
One of the biggest hurdles Metroid Prime faces is the perception that it's a first-person shooter. For a gamer not familiar with the series, it's easy to make that mistake. Part of the problem is that there really isn't any other game that Prime compares to. There are loads of first-person shooters and some first-person adventures, but there aren't any first-person exploration games with an emphasis on platform and puzzle gameplay. Miyamoto said that his team had to stop thinking of Metroid as a jumping game and start thinking of it as an exploration game. In that context, a first-person view makes perfect sense. After all, there's a sense of detachment that comes with third-person games.
The end result pulls off quite an impressive task: bringing Metroid to 3D in a first-person perspective. Again, I didn't really think it could be done, but after playing it I've learned otherwise.
Miyamoto: We're very proud of the engine because we were able to put all these things in gorgeous environments and still have the game run at 60 frames per second.
This was perhaps Miyamoto's biggest understatement of the videoconference. This engine rocks hard. Metroid Prime is possibly the best-looking GameCube title on the market. When you consider what it does in terms of gameplay, as well as its framerate, the engine is remarkable. Best of all, it won't be the last time gamers see this wonderful engine. Both Retro and Nintendo have alluded that another game is already in the works and that gamers will not have to wait so long for the next Metroid game. One of my peers jokingly asked if a new Kid Icarus game would be next. It got a hearty laugh, but I think a 3D Kid Icarus would rock. Just think -- Eggplant Wizard in 3D! After years of being asked, "When's the next Metroid coming out?" perhaps this will be the new question that dogs Miyamoto. (I'm kidding.)
Barcia: There was a lot of pressure since there are lots of fans of the game, but it was chance to work on something special. We had to take the chance to make something great and we hope everyone likes it.
You can tell that the game was a labor of love -- Retro took up a stout challenge and dared to be great. I'm guessing almost everyone will like, if not love, Metroid Prime. It's a phenomenal title that I can't wait to play more of. I'm also dying to read Bryn's (our Nintendo editor supreme) review of the game. Be sure to check back next week when Bryn gives us the skinny on Metroid Prime.
It's not as universally popular as Mario Sunshine. It's not as unique as Animal Crossing. And it does not have the broad appeal of Mario Party 4. Yet Metroid Prime is probably Nintendo's most important title of 2002. Everyone -- fans, pundits, and competitors -- has their eyes on this title and with good reason. Fans have been eagerly awaiting the first Metroid game in eight years. Pundits are waiting to see if this will be the system seller that's vital to the GameCube's future. And competitors are wondering if this game has the goods to steal the spotlight from their systems and games. Just a week before the game's release, I was able to sit in on a videoconference with Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto and Retro's Steve Barcia (executive producer). Here are some of their thoughts on this monumental GameCube title.
Miyamoto: I'm very relieved and very happy to have Metroid out in the U.S. before the end of the year. It's been a long road, about three years on this game, and it's the first time we worked with a foreign developer so heavily and from scratch. Retro has put in a lot of hard work and has been very cooperative. They have developed a game that's been accepted by the Japanese media and will be embraced by the Japanese gaming community. It meets the high standards we're used to.
Metroid Prime's development saga has been quite the soap opera. There were all sorts of rumors floating about that Nintendo of Japan was unhappy with Retro's initial efforts. There were tales that well-known American talent was taken off the project by NOJ. Then there was the inner turmoil (i.e. layoffs) at Retro. The game's three-year cycle was due in part to the numerous bumps in the road that happened along the way. However, at the end of the day everyone pulled through. I could tell just by looking at the Retro employees I saw; they had the look of exhausted euphoria you see on a person that's just finished a marathon.
Advertisement
Barcia: The overall design and effort was very much a cooperative effort. As far as the actually art and engineering, it was all done here at Retro.
Miyamoto: The only thing we handled fully in Japan was the music, which was composed by Yamamoto-san, who did the music for the previous Metroid games.
From a practical standpoint, this was a landmark title for Nintendo. It has never worked so closely with an American developer before. Both sides spoke of the countless emails, phone calls, and conferences that took place during the course of the game's development. Perhaps it wasn't the most ideal way to plan a game, but the result will speak for itself. It's also a bit telling about Nintendo's progress; typically viewed as a closed-off company, perhaps Nintendo is on its way to further opening its doors to even more international collaborative efforts in the future.
Barcia: A lot of it is mood. It has to feel creepy and eerie. Samus is a cool character and we want people to feel like Samus. There are lots of cool weapons and enemies. Our concern was what is the gameplay of the original games? Whether it's 2D or 3D, does it feel like the original? One of the big things was creating a desire for something you can't have -- a power-up you can't reach or a room you can't get to.
Although only a few of us in the office have played it, the ones that have definitely agree that Metroid Prime feels very much like a Metroid game. This is a bit astonishing since many 2D games do not translate well into 3D. Then again, Nintendo is far more successful at making the transition than any other company; its Mario and Zelda games have added the third dimension quite successfully. Still, Metroid was perhaps a bit trickier than those series since so much of it depends on jumping, puzzle solving, and exploration. The decision to go with a first-person perspective was viewed as curious at first, but it works shockingly well and I can't imagine the game any other way. That said, Retro had numerous obstacles and barriers to break by opting to make the game a first-person adventure.
Advertisement
Barcia: We weren't trying to fit in that genre. We had to break down the stereotypes of what a first-person game is and make a fun Metroid game. First-person jumping was the biggest challenge. There aren't a lot of first-person games where jumping is fun at all.
Miyamoto: It's very natural for an exploration game to be in the first person. Many 3D games are difficult -- difficult to play, difficult to control. Retro has done a great job at making the game accessible.
Barcia: I think it's good that people have an expectation and are surprised. Originality and presentation are important.
Throughout the course of its development, early versions of the game were submitted in both the first and third person. When I first saw the game, I couldn't envision how a first-person perspective game could possibly feel like Metroid. After playing, I totally see it but it would be hard to convince the uninitiated.
One of the biggest hurdles Metroid Prime faces is the perception that it's a first-person shooter. For a gamer not familiar with the series, it's easy to make that mistake. Part of the problem is that there really isn't any other game that Prime compares to. There are loads of first-person shooters and some first-person adventures, but there aren't any first-person exploration games with an emphasis on platform and puzzle gameplay. Miyamoto said that his team had to stop thinking of Metroid as a jumping game and start thinking of it as an exploration game. In that context, a first-person view makes perfect sense. After all, there's a sense of detachment that comes with third-person games.
The end result pulls off quite an impressive task: bringing Metroid to 3D in a first-person perspective. Again, I didn't really think it could be done, but after playing it I've learned otherwise.
Miyamoto: We're very proud of the engine because we were able to put all these things in gorgeous environments and still have the game run at 60 frames per second.
This was perhaps Miyamoto's biggest understatement of the videoconference. This engine rocks hard. Metroid Prime is possibly the best-looking GameCube title on the market. When you consider what it does in terms of gameplay, as well as its framerate, the engine is remarkable. Best of all, it won't be the last time gamers see this wonderful engine. Both Retro and Nintendo have alluded that another game is already in the works and that gamers will not have to wait so long for the next Metroid game. One of my peers jokingly asked if a new Kid Icarus game would be next. It got a hearty laugh, but I think a 3D Kid Icarus would rock. Just think -- Eggplant Wizard in 3D! After years of being asked, "When's the next Metroid coming out?" perhaps this will be the new question that dogs Miyamoto. (I'm kidding.)
Barcia: There was a lot of pressure since there are lots of fans of the game, but it was chance to work on something special. We had to take the chance to make something great and we hope everyone likes it.
You can tell that the game was a labor of love -- Retro took up a stout challenge and dared to be great. I'm guessing almost everyone will like, if not love, Metroid Prime. It's a phenomenal title that I can't wait to play more of. I'm also dying to read Bryn's (our Nintendo editor supreme) review of the game. Be sure to check back next week when Bryn gives us the skinny on Metroid Prime.
