Don't miss Joystiq's up-to-the-minute live coverage of E3!
Posts with tag metroidprime3

Metroid Prime senior engineer passes away

Unless you're the type of person who carefully analyzes a game's credits upon completion (we only know one such man), you probably don't know who Mark Haigh-Hutchinson is. His most recent achievement is the titles in the Metroid Prime series, where he served as senior engineer and created the camera system for the game. His other past projects include Zombies Ate My Neighbors (who doesn't love this one?!), Paperboy and Star Wars: Rebel Assault.

Mark passed away on Tuesday at the age of 43 due to pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Best of 2007: First-party games [update]


With the end of 2007 approaching at near lightning-fast speed, we thought it would be nice to check out what you, the excellent reader, thought about the games of this year. First up, we have the obvious: first-party games. We have a good idea which game you're going to say, but in the name of healthy debate, check out all of the choices past the break.

Continue reading Best of 2007: First-party games [update]

Despite Wii's success abroad, Nintendo to keep development in Japan


Now, you might want to take a seat before reading this next sentence. The Wii is very popular. Can you believe that? We surely couldn't upon reading about it and hearing from others regarding its incredible appeal both in Japan and abroad. So, considering that demand for the console is highest in the U.S., it would make sense for Nintendo to think about focusing some of their development over here, right? Well, Nintendo doesn't have any such plans, apparently.

We can understand that first-party titles are most likely going to need to be directly overseen by Iwata or Miyamoto, but what about Metroid Prime 3? It was one of the Wii's biggest titles this year, why wouldn't Nintendo want to make more titles exclusively like it, geared toward the Western gamer? Well, Nintendo thinks that's what third-party developers are for.

George Harrison (is he even leaving anymore?) commented that "They're [third-party developers] doing a great job both on DS and on Wii. They tend to provide product in categories that we aren't particularly good at doing, like sports or other genres. And since they're Western publishers, they tend to be more in tune with Western tastes." So, for the time being, it looks like Nintendo's first-party development is going to stay confined to the Land of the Rising Fun.

[Via CVG]

N'Gai Croal reimagines the Wiimote for Metroid Prime 3


Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, who you may remember hating for his shockingly-worded preference of 2D Metroid, still really likes Metroid Prime 3. In fact, he likes it so much he came up with an alternate button placement on the Wiimote for ideal Prime playing, one that puts the - and + buttons around the A button like the GameCube's layout. He even suggested, during the same discussion that sparked the original outrage, that Nintendo could have shipped such a 'special edition' Wiimote with the game. He backed up this discussion with a Photoshopped Wiimote that Newsweek put together.

We think that's a pretty fun idea, despite being a collector's nightmare. If the function of the thing doesn't really change, why not let people spend their money on weird one-off controllers? It's no different than, say, the Guitar Hero controller or the $200 Steel Battalion doodad, except that it could still be used with other games.

Dennis Dyack wonders where Wii will be years from now

A lot of the industry folk are concerned with the longevity of the Wii, the latest of which is Silicon Knights' Dennis Dyack. He understands the console is popular right now, thinks it's hip, but wonders if the system can keep it up in the long run. Dyack seems to think the platform isn't capable of providing deep, rich experiences. We guess he didn't get to try Metroid Prime 3 yet.

But, even if the console only provides Wii Sports-like experiences, if it sells well, is that really a problem? We may not like it in quantity, as we're more than happy to sit down (or stand up, rather) every now and then and throw down in Wii Sports, but overall want more meaningful experiences from the system. But, if we're not happy and a billion grandparents are picking up the system for Wii Sports or other quick, mass-appeal titles, is that really a bad thing?

Retro: Metroid Prime 3 was all about proving the controller


Not only were Retro trying to make a great game in Metroid Prime 3, they also set out to prove that the Wiimote could be a viable control method for not only the FPS genre, but on the whole, apparently. And, if we had any say in the matter, we'd say they did an excellent job on both counts easily. But, it's not like they didn't run into their fair share of problems.

"When we went to Japan and first saw the controller for the first time I got really concerned because there weren't a lot of buttons," says game director Mark Pacini. But, that didn't turn out to be an issue, as most will agree the game controls wonderfully.

So, do you think Metroid Prime 3 proved that the Wii's control method is a viable solution for genres outside of minigame compilations? Or, do you think that Retro just doesn't settle for anything less than the best in what they do?

See also: Taking a stroll through Retro Studios

Croal: Metroid should never have gone 3D


The latest "Vs. Mode" exchange between Newsweek's N'Gai Croal and MTV's Stephen Totilo compares Metroid Prime 3 with BioShock (a.k.a. the game that people won't stop talking about). They're up to part 3 now, which mostly covers the morality of the two games. Almost in passing, Croal makes the following remark: "'Metroid' is a franchise that should never have made the jump from 2-D third-person to 3-D first-person."

He goes on to say that the first-person format works best for games involving forward motion (shoot, go through door, shoot, etc.), and that the Metroid games' trademark backtracking is most easily conceivable in a side-scroller.

And even though we can almost hear you rummaging in the closet for your Indignant Commenter hats, we mostly agree. While Metroid Prime is a great series of games, they aren't great Metroid games. The emphasis on storytelling (via scanning) and the reduced platforming required of a first-person game make for a fundamentally different experience from a real Metroid game. We admit we have big problems with the 3D maps, too, which hampers exploration significantly. For Croal, the change is enough to keep him from making progress in Prime; for us, we can enjoy both independently, but at no point do we really feel like we're playing a 3D Metroid.

Wii Warm Up: Have you regretted the lack of DVD playback?

Some people considered it a big deal when it was confirmed that the Wii would not feature DVD playback on release, but now that you've had one for a while (we hope), has it bothered you? There's been only one time when this blogger lamented the lack: the DVD player had been unhooked temporarily in order to offer up the progressive scan inputs* for Metroid Prime 3 (y'know, when we bought this television years ago, we thought the bank of connections on the back looked like more than we'd ever use), and we didn't feel like unhooking anything or putting the DVD into another game system due to the unwieldy DVD controls. For a moment, we discussed how convenient it would be if the Wii featured DVD playback -- after all, it's got a built-in remote! -- but it was a fleeting wish, and changing out the hookups isn't much of a problem. Beyond that single time, we've never even thought about the Wii lacking DVD playback.

Have you ever wanted to shove a DVD in there, for whatever reason?

*Yes, yes, we could get a switch, but it's rare when we really need all the connections at once ... it was really just the one time! Perhaps it's a sign of changing times, however ....

August NPD: The view from on high

Even in a month when hardware sales are down, Nintendo's Straight Up Success bus just keeps on rolling. Let's hope this keeps on challenging Iwata and company to avoid "doing the easy." Even the re-priced Xbox 360 couldn't compete with the Nintendo juggernaut.
  • Nintendo Wii: 403K
  • Nintendo DS: 383K
  • Microsoft Xbox 360: 277K
  • Sony PS2: 202K
  • Sony PSP: 151K
  • Sony PS3: 131K
In software, however, the story was different. After Metroid Prime 3's moment in the spotlight, Bioshock's longer release window won out between those two. Nintendo games barely even struggled into the top five, with Wii Play and its extra controller snapping up that spot. Madden, which is its own juggernaut, dominated sales last month. To see the top ten titles, slip past the break.

Continue reading August NPD: The view from on high

WRUP: Finding something to drink in the desert edition


This week's releases hardly present an opportunity for those of us who want something new to play to enjoy our favorite console. Sure, we could enjoy Sonic 3, but the game isn't something that can't be utterly dominated over the course of a single day. What's a gamer to do?

What will you be playing? Going to enjoy some Virtual Console games this weekend, or will you be enjoying a retail release game? Dare we ask if you still have as of yet to complete Metroid Prime 3?

Metroid Prime 3: Corrupted


Reader fatherb sent in this video of his sad encounter with one of the bosses in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Apparently, he isn't the only one experiencing this horrible glitch in the game, which we won't go into detail about for those of you who have yet to come into contact with this boss. In fact, since this is chock full of spoilers, we've gone ahead and tucked the video past the break.

Watch at your own risk.

Continue reading Metroid Prime 3: Corrupted

WRUP: Minnesota Fats edition


With only one game releasing this week, many of you might be looking to it for something new to play. Or, maybe many of you are still playing Metroid Prime 3. We'll only know if you bother to tell us.

So, what are you playing? As for us, well, we've only been able to scratch the surface of Metroid Prime 3. Maybe if we didn't have to blog all of the time, we might get a chance to give it a play through ...

Hype isn't everything: MP3 punks down BioShock


Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and BioShock ... what a pair, eh? Both shooters, both with their own unique spin on the genre, both flagship titles for their respective systems, at least for a while -- since both are followed by even bigger titles soon to come. So what's the difference? Well, one (BioShock) was hyped to the stratosphere, and the other seemed to suffer (according to some) from a lack of attention until just before release. BioShock's other advantage was that the title "suffered" from controversy over content, which often boosts sales.

So which one came out on top in the sales charts last week, when Corruption debuted? The less-hyped Metroid pulled out the top spot. Big Daddies are no challenge for Samus.

It looks great for us, and will give the Wii some attention in regard to "hardcore" success, but it's not as simple as outselling a competing title. BioShock had a week's head start and is on two platforms to boot, so it's no surprise that a johnny-come-lately could sneak in and snatch the top spot. It doesn't make Metroid less awesome, but it's not a clear-cut situation. Still, let's take our moment in the sun and spare some time to bask in the Wii's success in all markets, casual and traditional.

Wii Warm Up: All things Metroid

And so Metroid Week comes to an end. For those of you who picked it up, how far along are you now? How are the controls treating you? The difficulty? For us, exploring has really been the only thing we've had a little trouble with -- sometimes it takes a bit to find what we're looking for -- but we haven't found anything difficult otherwise. This is both good and bad.

For those who don't have it yet, did you see anything this week that colored your opinion of the title? If nothing else, at least you get to read everyone's reviews first.

Wii Warm Up: New release nostalgia


All this talk about Metroid Prime 3 made us want nothing more than to get reacquainted with the original NES Metroid. Nothing against Prime, of course-- it's awesome, and we look forward to getting to play it for real-- but this happens a lot. Hype for a new game always instills in us the desire to play through the whole series, or at least our favorite entry. These feelings are often stronger than our desire to play the actual new game.

Are you like us (in this one specific regard)? Do you ever get pulled towards the back catalog when you hear about a new game? Or is this just another case of this blogger's intractable retrogaming tendencies getting in the way of logical behavior?

Next Page >

Features
Another Week in ... (50)
Born for Wii (7)
Brawl Stage of the Week (15)
Contests / Giveaways (96)
Friday Video (68)
Game Night (28)
It's-a Mario World (4)
Metareview (41)
Mii Spotlight (17)
Point/Counterpoint (3)
Revolutionary (39)
The VC Advantage (54)
Top Five (3)
VC Monday Madness (143)
Virtually Overlooked (73)
What are you playing? (87)
Wii Fanboy poll (37)
Wii Warm Up (503)
Bits
Channels (66)
Cheats (6)
Controller (410)
Fan stuff (1070)
Features (277)
Homebrew (84)
How-tos (61)
Imports (411)
Interviews (298)
Meta (65)
Mods (128)
News (3279)
Nintendo Wi-Fi (121)
Peripherals (268)
Reviews (117)
Rumors (443)
Sales (105)
Screens (618)
Tech stuff (136)
Video (835)
Virtual Console (459)
Walkthroughs (31)
WiiWare (222)

RESOURCES

RSS NEWSFEEDS

Powered by Blogsmith

Sponsored Links

Featured Galleries

Ultimate Band
Brawl Stage of the Week: It's a Car
Born for Wii: Four Swords Adventures
Animales de la Muerte
Cooking Mama World Kitchen
Datel's Retro-Inspired Classic Controllers
Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers
Dead Rising
Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- Lightsaber Duels

 

Most Commented On (14 days)

Recent Comments

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in: