The road to corruption: Retro Studios and the making of Metroid Prime

by Candace Savino { Nov 29th 2007 at 2:15PM }

As gamers, our focus is often on playing games and not the subtleties that go on behind the scenes. If we only knew about all those details, though, we might be shocked to find out how something like the Metroid Prime series almost never came to be.

Retro Studios president and CEO Michael Kelbaugh recently talked about the Prime arc at the 2007 Montreal Games Summit. In the conference, he explained the pressures of having his (at that time) rookie studio pick up such an important franchise, and how Miyamoto was influential in taking the series from third person to first person.

Fans of the series, however, will know that Metroid Prime isn't strictly a first-person shooter. In fact, there are certain times when the player is taken to third person, like when Samus uses her morph ball powers. Retro Studios game director Mark Pacini recalled, "Miyamoto's first directive was if we don't make the transition between the ball and first-person seamless, then we can't do this game." If the team hadn't been able to do this, then Miyamoto would have never green-lighted the project.

When the first game was completed and became a success, the studio began working on their second project. So, what did they learn from MP2: Echoes? "The game was too damn hard. And gamers got lost too easily, too."

Finally, with Metroid Prime: Corruption, the biggest challenge was the integration of the Wiimote. It took a year for the studio to get the controls right, and game had to be pushed back from a launch release in order to refine them. The studio also decided not to include a multiplayer mode so that the developers could put their focus in perfecting the single-player experience.

Now that the trilogy has come to an end, though, one has to wonder: what's next for Metroid?

Tags: Corruption, mark-pacini, Metroid-Prime, Metroid-prime-3-corruption, metroidprime, michael-kelbaugh, mp3, mp3c, prime, retro-studios

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

gamerz22 @ Nov 29th 2007 2:35PM

My hopes are for a full multiplayer game! After all, it would be awesome with the WiiMote! It was the only downside of MP3...

Ramirez @ Nov 29th 2007 3:04PM

I don't care what's next, as long as it's true to the series and we get more Metroid. Personally, I'd prefer an elaborate 2D game like the GBA Metroid releases. If it was on the Wii and encompassed an enormous world all the better, especially without superfluous motion controls.

Jonathan Tran @ Nov 29th 2007 3:14PM

I would LOVE to see say a new 2D Metroid, as WiiWare, with Metroid Zero Mission controls and graphics, only 3x bigger than Super Metroid and with some new elements.

gevenstaines @ Nov 29th 2007 3:28PM

"too damn hard"? there's no such thing. i quit the DS version half way through 'cause it was too easy. i started MP3 recently, though, and i enjoy it. the controls work very well. i'd like to see a perfect dark or james bond title for the wii...

Garst @ Nov 29th 2007 3:42PM

I'd like a way to mark on the maps like in Phantom Hourglass. It really help to remember where things were, like Grandpa's house and where the invisible floors were.

James @ Nov 29th 2007 5:01PM

I got through about 80% of the game before I realized you *can* mark the maps. You just select a room with the analog stick, then hit (I think?) A to select the room. You can "bookmark" the room, and it will turn a different color. Repeat the process to remove the "bookmark". I don't think this in the manual, or mentioned by the tutorial voiceovers, but it helped me find a number of pickups that I saw but couldn't (yet) get.

Trogdor @ Nov 29th 2007 3:52PM

Yeah, if they made a full on multiplayer Metroid Prime for the Wii,, with the Hunters from MPH, and like 60 maps, with 6 player (at least) online mode, then I would buy it in a heartbeat.

Mr Khan @ Nov 29th 2007 4:49PM

Honestly, i would like to see Metroid Prime continue, just with a different story arc, or a Metroid prequel (not like Zero mission, a real prequel)

I think the first person perspective can't be improved upon, in terms of another 3D metroid

But seeing Metroid Dread go somewhere on the DS would be good, too

Crazylink @ Nov 29th 2007 6:25PM

What we need is an actual continuation of the series after the events of Fusion. Samus and Adam are pretty much traitors now.

TWiNKiE @ Nov 29th 2007 9:28PM

I want a Metroid game so long, and so hard, I will never be able to beat it. I would gladly wait it out for this game.

Shad0wguy @ Nov 30th 2007 12:57PM

I just beat Prime 3 2 nights ago. That game really impressed me with what the Wii can do.

At a point in the game, one of the things you can scan says "Project Dread nearing completion."

I love the Metroid series and would buy a new game in a heartbeat when they decide to release it.