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[Mael]

Yep, pretty much.

On a scale, FROM as a developer would be much closer to matching the core tenants of 3D Metroid games than someone like Team Ninja, at the very least.

Yeah, there's literally no overlap between what makes Metroid special and what Team Ninja usually does.
Level design is an afterthought for games like Ninja Gaiden while enemy design is what bring the game together...And of course because enemy design is not exactly mechanically interesting in the usual 2D Metroid they couldn't really try to make something worthwhile without making something utterly different from Metroid.

They don't have to reassure people at all, people should be smart enough to know what Metroid prime 4, a nom spinoff game should entail, FF Was a spinoff with a Artstyle that usually accommodates small handheld titles

People should have freaked out over a spinoff to begin with. People are dumb, expect the worst of them, every time.

And WORLD BUILDING. They are tops in the industry when it comes to that. And that is part of why the Prime games and Retro are so revered, and they would be the perfect ones to have the torch be handed to them.

The issue is that they're pretty heavily invested in network play and that's a horrible fit for Metroid. Otherwise they're indeed really close as to understanding what makes this type of games work.

I mean, their art is really good but it's typically dark fantasy and not sci-fi. Bloodborne might be closer but it's also much grosser and unpleasant than what Metroid goes for. I don't really see it. If you're just saying they have good artists then Platinum has good artists. Heck, Bayonetta also encourages exploration so you can find collectibles and challenge rooms. AND Platinum already has an existing relationship with Nintendo.

So I guess what I'm saying is that Platinum is almost certainly making Metroid Prime 4.

From is more than just Souls games.
Another of their long running franchise is Armored Core after all.
As far as design if you're looking at their products and try to pick what would fit in a Metroid game, you could fit Bloodborne and Armored Core together.
They have a great range on what they can do as well, I mean they did that Monhun chibi game on 3DS after all.
Platinium is usually prioritizing gameplay over everything else.
Then again anything is possible, I mean we're praising a series of games made by the people who were doing sports, racing games as well as a not that interesting looking rpg game because they reinvented what we expected from Metroid.
I don't think you could find a big dev house which wouldn't be capable of making a great Metroid Prime with the proper supervision... That includes HVS.

 

[Toxi]

I still don't understand the rationale of not using nunchuk controls in a 3D game. It was to make controls simpler?

You had to physically aim your controller in specific directions to do shit, that's complicated

Iwata Asks

IWATA: Why were you so focused on this idea of 'just one Wii Remote', Sakamoto-san?

SAKAMOTO: Metroid was originally a game for the Family Computer Disk System, and so could be played using just the +Control Pad and two buttons. Back then the game had simple controls: Move with the +Control Pad and use the two buttons to jump and shoot.

That's why I decided this time to make a game that just used one Wii Remote and didn't use the Nunchuk controller. Even in a Metroid world that ended up being constructed in 3D, the player feels more affinity with Samus when controlling her with the +Control Pad, even more so than with the Control Stick.

IWATA: What did you find difficult, as chief programmer, Aramaki-san?

ARAMAKI: All sorts of things, but as you can imagine, there was a lot of trial and error involved with making the game controllable with just one Wii Remote. Every time a new member of staff would join the project, they'd inevitably ask 'why aren't we using the Nunchuk controller?' Of course, there are only a few buttons that can be used on just one Wii Remote, so we had many, many button meetings about how Samus's diverse movements should be controlled.

SAKAMOTO: One Wii Remote doesn't really have enough buttons, though. There were times when some problems, such as trying to implement special actions, could potentially have been solved by connecting the Nunchuk. Even then though, we had an understanding that we would never 'resort to the Nunchuk'.

HAYASHI: That's right.

 

[13ruce]

The no brainer would have been to start work on a sequel immediately following 2. I still think they're making Prime 4.

Edit: Sorry for the double.

Yeah that would have been the best.

Damn, it sold that well? Nintendo must've been very pleased to see a sequel to a pretty niche Gamecube launch title sell that much :O

Yup well the gamecube one did not do too bad aswell i think that one is around 3 million or so but yup the 3DS game is a huge success with selling nearly 5m.

Glad to see that Luigi is not small time or the super lesser brother to Mario like some think seems like he is popular on his own as well wich is great.

Hopefully we will indeed see a Luigi Mansion 3 on Switch really enjoyed both previous games. And the success surprised me aswell i thought they were both around 1-2 million so when i looked it up on wikipedia i was surprised aswell.

 

[Eolz]

The Prime dudes were old Turok devs weren't they?

Yep.

They aren't known for their fps though, i can see them working on anaction adventure game

This.
If you look at the partnerships Nintendo did over the years, they choose devs for their expertise in specific domains, and for what Nintendo feels they can't do alone or on their own, even if they end up helping.
Like Hyrule Warriors, some sports games, some rpgs in the past, etc.
If From works on a game, it'll be on a genre they're known for. Just like when Platinum did 3 action games for Nintendo, or Namco working on fighting games for them...

 

[Sadist]

Really curious about the new Prime team. Wonder who they are.

 

[Mael]

This.
If you look at the partnerships Nintendo did over the years, they choose devs for their expertise in specific domains, and for what Nintendo feels they can't do alone or on their own, even if they end up helping.
Like Hyrule Warriors, some sports games, some rpgs in the past, etc.
If From works on a game, it'll be on a genre they're known for. Just like when Platinum did 3 action games for Nintendo, or Namco working on fighting games for them...

Retro Studios ended up working on Prime as a sort of fluke, they were originally working on other totally unrelated projects. I mean sure they worked on Aero the Acrobat but that's hardly reason to put them on Donkey Kong afterward.
Heck look up what Iguana entertainment did before, sure there's Turok but the rest ain't really related.
Also it was an partnership born from the old guard (at the time, the old NoA before Regie) that they stopped afterward.
There's a pattern of sort that you can point to but it's gone now.
Retro is the last holdover from that era, all the others like factor5, Rare or Silicon Knight are no longer partners.
They work differently now.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

The issue is that they're pretty heavily invested in network play and that's a horrible fit for Metroid. Otherwise they're indeed really close as to understanding what makes this type of games work.

That doesn't mean they have to apply that to every game they work on. And even if they insisted in including it, I would hope I could just ignore it. I played through all the souls games offline.

The Prime dudes were old Turok devs weren't they?

Yep.

Originally, when Retro was 250 people I believe a lot of them were. The final Prime team was whittled down to 40-50 and I'm not sure anyone outside of Pacini was ex Iguana.

 

[Combat Wombat]

You must feel a sense of ownership over Metroid. Do you feel this is a different branch to Metroid Prime, that they are quite separate?

Yoshio Sakamoto: That's quite difficult to answer. My experience of Metroid is the 2D type, so I would say they are quite different games. That said, whether a Metroid game is 2D or FPS, it's more about the ability for Metroid fans to have a blast and enjoy the game. And the more they do that, the better.

It doesn't sound like he has any hard feelings over the Prime series. Samus Returns even uses sound effects and music lifted straight from Retro's games which is cool to see.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

I still don't understand the rationale of not using nunchuk controls in a 3D game. It was to make controls simpler?

You had to physically aim your controller in specific directions to do shit, that's complicated

Iwata Asks

The other thing to take into consideration is Sakamoto originally wanted the game to play like Pandemonium!/Klonoa, which still restricted gameplay to a 2D Plane. In this case, the wiimote only scheme would have worked. However, Team Ninja put their foot down about the game being fully 3D (this may be in the Iwata Asks interview as well I think). So on one hand Sakamoto insisted on just the Wiimote and on the other Team Ninja insisted on full 3D, and it just didn't workout that great in the end.

 

[TheDinoman]

It doesn't sound like he has any hard feelings over the Prime series. Samus Returns even uses sound effects and music lifted straight from Retro's games which is cool to see.

The thing people don't seem to understand in regards to Metroid is that Nintendo essentially manages it in the same way they do with Mario. As in, they have different teams and producers working on each subseries.

In Mario's case, Koizumi (who leads the 3D Mario team) doesn't have anything to do with the 2D Mario/NSMB games. Conversely, Tezuka (who produces the 2D Mario games with Hiroyuki Kimura) doesn't work on the 3D Mario games. It's the same thing with Metroid. Sakamoto works on the classic 2D Metroid series (+ Other M) and Tanabe produces the 3D Prime series. It's not that Sakamoto ever had a grudge against the Prime games, per se, it's just that it's literally not the series he works on.

I suppose it's just more jarring in Metroid's case because it's supposed to be a more story/lore oriented and cohesive universe, wheras Mario's always played it fast and loose with its continuity, so ergo no one really gives a shit if NSMBWii doesn't reference the events of Mario Galaxy or whatever.

 

[Combat Wombat]

The thing people don't seem to understand in regards to Metroid is that Nintendo essentially manages it in the same way they do with Mario. As in, they have different teams and producers working on each subseries.

In Mario's case, Koizumi (who leads the 3D Mario team) doesn't have anything to do with the 2D Mario/NSMB games. Conversely, Tezuka (who produces the 2D Mario games with Hiroyuki Kimura) doesn't work on the 3D Mario games. It's the same thing with Metroid. Sakamoto works on the classic 2D Metroid series (+ Other M) and Tanabe produces the 3D Prime series. It's not that Sakamoto ever had a grudge against the Prime games, per se, it's just that it's literally not the series he works on.

I suppose it's just more jarring in Metroid's case because it's supposed to be a more story/lore oriented and cohesive universe, wheras Mario's always played it fast and loose with its continuity, so ergo no one really gives a shit if NSMBWii doesn't reference the events of Mario Galaxy or whatever.

Yeah it does feel odd that he never references the events in the Prime trilogy, even in this game. I do wish he would throw a nod to phazon in the introductory sequence at least, but it's not a huge deal.

 

[Dicktatorship]

What about Platinum Games developing Prime 4? They've worked with Nintendo in the past, and are totally open to developing games for other franchises.

EDIT: Beat me to it

I mean, their art is really good but it's typically dark fantasy and not sci-fi. Bloodborne might be closer but it's also much grosser and unpleasant than what Metroid goes for. I don't really see it. If you're just saying they have good artists then Platinum has good artists. Heck, Bayonetta also encourages exploration so you can find collectibles and challenge rooms. AND Platinum already has an existing relationship with Nintendo.

So I guess what I'm saying is that Platinum is almost certainly making Metroid Prime 4.

 

[yuoke]

What about Platinum Games developing Prime 4?

Platinum is possibly the absolute worst fit to make metroid prime 4. If you want a spinoff like other m, go for it. Keep platinum a 10 foot pole length away from prime though.

 

[FZZ]

Arzest confirmed.

In for Yoshi cameo

GOAT

 

[VLQ]

Damn, it sold that well? Nintendo must've been very pleased to see a sequel to a pretty niche Gamecube launch title sell that much :O

it sold even better, 5.38m copies

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

It doesn't sound like he has any hard feelings over the Prime series. Samus Returns even uses sound effects and music lifted straight from Retro's games which is cool to see.

The fan fiction surrounding video game devs is always amusing. Miyamato spending his days shaking his fist at Mario's story etc

 

[Mark1]

It doesn't sound like he has any hard feelings over the Prime series. Samus Returns even uses sound effects and music lifted straight from Retro's games which is cool to see.

Other M uses the Prime charge beam sound effect too.

 

[Turrican3]

They've made first person games before. The guys that were part of OG Retro did first person games before.

That doesn't explain how they were able to pull two excellent 2D platformers though (unless there's people at Retro who had significant experience with that genre), does it?

 

[Litri]

I feel like Samus Returns will end up crowning as one of the best 2D Metroids ever. I can feel it in every minute I have seen of footage.

 

[Mark1]

I feel like Samus Returns will end up crowning as one of the best 2D Metroids ever. I can feel it in every minute I have seen of footage.

Can't wait to see when Nintendo eventually remake Super Metroid...

 

[devonodev]

So I went to Spain and, discussing the project, I felt they really understood the series and that we could build a strong partnership to take on the project together. 

I get nervous at job interviews, I can only imagine if developing the next Metroid game was on the line! You don't wanna blow that meeting.

 

[Ansatz]

I'm not convinced about the 3DS game because a good metroidvania map, just like a good zelda dungeon, isn't about the quality of the individual 'rooms' but how they connect to each other in a macroscopic sense. The main reason why A Link Between Worlds was a bit of a letdown even though it's an excellent game was because the dungeons boiled down to a series of self-contained rooms (which were high quality no doubt), as opposed to say a dungeon like stone tower made you think about the room in a much larger context in addition to overcoming the obstacles in it.

This topic reminds me of how mindblowingly good level design Nintendo games used to have. We haven't had a satisfying Zelda dungeon since 2011 and Mario just hasn't been as good since Galaxy. For Metroid you have to go way back lol. I'm probably being unreasonable in my expectations given the circumstances (outsourced 3DS entry) but honestly I'm tired of these kind of filler-tier games. I mean Woolly World was okay and had fantastic production values but the new one? Meh, talk to me when you've get to Yoshi's Island level again, etc. I know this principle goes against Sakamoto's comments but sorry I don't really care anymore, no buy from me. I get more pleasure from replaying the old masterpieces.

 

[KojiKnight]

And the 2D entry on 3DS is painfully mediocre.

Nintendo has been pretty good about finding 'middling' developers who were more often than not held back by their publishers and letting them flourish.

Next Level Games
Monolith Soft
Monster Games
Brownie-brown/1-up studios

Though I guess a couple now have kind of become support studios, but before that they mostly made middling games and got the chance with Nintendo to make some of their best works.

 

[TheDinoman]

Nintendo has been pretty good about finding 'middling' developers who were more often than not held back by their publishers and letting them flourish.

Next Level Games
Monolith Soft
Monster Games
Brownie-brown/1-up studios

Though I guess a couple now have kind of become support studios, but before that they mostly made middling games and got the chance with Nintendo to make some of their best works.

Tis' a shame it doesn't seem to work all the time. See: Artoon/Arzest.

 

[Tarextherex]

I'm not convinced about the 3DS game because a good metroidvania map, just like a good zelda dungeon, isn't about the quality of the individual 'rooms' but how they connect to each other in a macroscopic sense. The main reason why A Link Between Worlds was a bit of a letdown even though it's an excellent game was because the dungeons boiled down to a series of self-contained rooms (which were high quality no doubt), as opposed to say a dungeon like stone tower made you think about the room in a much larger context in addition to overcoming the obstacles in it.

This topic reminds me of how mindblowingly good level design Nintendo games used to have. We haven't had a satisfying Zelda dungeon since 2011 and Mario just hasn't been as good since Galaxy. For Metroid you have to go way back lol. I'm probably being unreasonable in my expectations given the circumstances (outsourced 3DS entry) but honestly I'm tired of these kind of filler-tier games. I mean Woolly World was okay and had fantastic production values but the new one? Meh, talk to me when you've get to Yoshi's Island level again, etc. I know this principle goes against Sakamoto's comments but sorry I don't really care anymore, no buy from me. I get more pleasure from replaying the old masterpieces.

I get your sentiment and agree with pretty much all of it but Samus Returns seems pretty different from filler tier games. Not only it's not a 2D platformer like those other games but it's a remake of a game that was stuck on the original Gameboy, you can't even play it in colors nowadays. Apparently it was the most "Metroid" game of them all, you would get lost all day and such. Very different design from the self contained stuff in some of Nintendo's latest games. Now the remake will add a ton of new features and areas. This doesn't merely feel like some "retro throwback outsourced 3DS game" due to the circumstances. Despite it being a remake, this will be the first evolution of 2D Metroid in years. Since it will not be exploring Zebes over again, I doubt the game would make you feel like "I'd rather just replay Super Metroid". The demo of that 3DS Castlevania game was appaling af but now they are working very closely with Nintendo(this wasn't the case with Konami), and the game footage actually looks great. This is Nintendo actually coming with an interesting product both for the fans and for pushing the series forward, this doesn't seem like "oh here's a worse Yoshi's Island made by Arzest"

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Tis' a shame it doesn't seem to work all the time. See: Artoon/Arzest.

Hey! Pikmin was a big improvement over their past work, so hopefully they'll continue to get better.

 

[Astral Dog]

It doesn't sound like he has any hard feelings over the Prime series. Samus Returns even uses sound effects and music lifted straight from Retro's games which is cool to see.

Sakamoto hating the Prime series is fanboy blabbing, its just his games are mostly separate (except for Zero Mission) and are considered lower quality by fans. I mean it sounds like Iga hating the LoS games, obviously they care about the series and maybe have a different vision/experience but don't bash the work of another developer in secret.

Ideally we would have both 2D and 3DMetroid series working simultanously like Zelda and Mario. 😃

 

[TannerDemoz]

Update:

Bandai Namco employee lists an 'unannounced ip' for Nintendo Switch in his Linkedin profile.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bandai-namco-making-nintendo-switch-exclusive-fps-/1100-6456625/

 

[yesrushdt]

They say it's a first person shooter/adventure title which would certainly fit the description of MP4.

 

[elchebib]

But when it comes to FPS, are Bandai Namco a good choice if its true?

Does anybody know of any FPS games developed by Bandai Namco that are good or decent? I sure dont know of any game at all

 

[ChuyMasta]

They say it's a first person shooter/adventure title which would certainly fit the description of MP4.

Now THAT's interesting.

 

[iconmaster]

I feel like Samus Returns will end up crowning as one of the best 2D Metroids ever. I can feel it in every minute I have seen of footage.

It's in my top 3, along with Super and Zero. I played through it on both Normal and Fusion difficulties. I loved it.

I want Nintendo to give MercurySteam a crack at an all-new 2D Metroid for Switch.

 

[Spukc]

I just want more 2D Metroid

 

[VertigoOA]

I'm still hoping this is a massive swerve and the game is still being developed by retro. I have zero faith in a Japanese studio being able to create a first person game with any success. Nor do I expect any studio to match Retro's art direction.

 

[noqtic]

Please don't screw this up Nintendo.
This only makes me more curious to figure out what Retro is working on.

 

[Yagami_Sama]

Bandai Namco, sounds quite unusual. I don't recall any FPS done by them, actually it just came to my mind Time Crisis, but if Nintendo announces that they are developing Metroid Prime 4, people may riot.

One thing that I recall was that, back on last November, some guy from Reddit posted a lot of potential leaks and one those leaks was that Bandai Namco was developing Metroid Prime 4, this same user algo "leaked" that Soul Calibur VI for Switch would be announced on Game awards or the January Direct and he got this wrong and he also claimed that several other games were also coming to Switch , like Dragon Ball Fighter Z,Injustice 2 ,Call of Duty and a few others that I don't remember, but he did say that The World Ends With You would be released for Switch, and a lot of people mocked him / her, and that was spot on. So let's see how this will end.

I particularly thought that Bethesda would have been involved on Metroid Prime 4 development.

 

[evangd007]

But when it comes to FPS, are Bandai Namco a good choice if its true?

Does anybody know of any FPS games developed by Bandai Namco that are good or decent? I sure dont know of any game at all

This particular Bandai Namco studio is made up of a lot of the former LucasArts team that worked on Star Wars 1313. Make of that what you will.

 

[THE:MILKMAN]

Well done, Feffe. Did you know first hand or was it a educated guess?

 

[MoogleMan]

I want Nintendo to give MercurySteam a crack at an all-new 2D Metroid for Switch.

I really hope they do. Samus returns was held back badly by the aged 3ds hardware.

 

[Livia]

Aaaaaand its Bandai Namco who is developing it

 

[Andyliini]

It's in my top 3, along with Super and Zero. I played through it on both Normal and Fusion difficulties. I loved it.

I want Nintendo to give MercurySteam a crack at an all-new 2D Metroid for Switch.

Maybe they will, I think there were rumours running, that Sakamoto was pleased how Samus Returns turned out, and has began planning for a sequel. MercurySteam could be good candidate to squeeze out Metroid 5 for Switch, is they feel like continuing the main story of Metroid.

 

[TheShadowLord]

Would it be wrong for me to say I hope there is no zero suit samus even though I never played the series before? I think since games like horizon, uncharted lost legacy, prey ,tlou 2, and Dishonored 2 could have non sexualize women, then I would like to see that from metroid prime 4 too

 

[e0n]

Would it be wrong for me to say I hope there is no zero suit samus even though I never played the series before? I think since games like horizon, uncharted lost legacy, prey ,tlou 2, and Dishonored 2 could have non sexualize women, then I would like to see that from metroid prime 4 too

It's a classic gameplay mechanic, though. Slow, but powerful later turned to weak, but agile.

 

[TheShadowLord]

It's a classic gameplay mechanic, though. Slow, but powerful later turned to weak, but agile.

which kind of feels like they are trying to use fanservice in a game that doesn't look like it needs fan service.

 

[e0n]

which kind of feels like they are trying to use fanservice in a game that doesn't look like it needs fan service.

It's not necessary, but the chance of it appearing will be fairly high for multiple reasons. In Prime 3, I remembered the suit was only a part of a cutscene for a few seconds and never thought it pandered in any way.

 

[Terrible_Majesty]

The only devs that are worthy to do the next Metroid on Switch is VISCERAL GAMES x Neill Blomkamp

 

[TheShadowLord]

It's not necessary, but the chance of it appearing will be fairly high for multiple reasons. In Prime 3, I remembered the suit was only a part of a cutscene for a few seconds and never thought it pandered in any way.

Maybe but I worried Namco would try to double down on the fanservice for metroid in hopes it would be successful

 

[KevinKeene]

Would it be wrong for me to say I hope there is no zero suit samus even though I never played the series before? I think since games like horizon, uncharted lost legacy, prey ,tlou 2, and Dishonored 2 could have non sexualize women, then I would like to see that from metroid prime 4 too

Since all those games lack sexy, I want MP4 to have a sexy Zero Suit Samus (preferably the Other M-design) all the more.