• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Understanding Metroid Prime, why it was the way it was.

M

Monk

Banned
A lot of people say X-game did this before, but many don't see that the tree main designers had a lot to do with said X game.

The three senior designers from nintendo power's interview:
Karl Deckard, Jason Behr, and Mike Wikan


Mike Wikan

Games Credited

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004), Nintendo
Metroid Prime (2002), Nintendo
Slave Zero (1999), Atari Europe S.A.S.U.



Karl Deckard

Games Credited

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004), Nintendo
Metroid Prime (2002), Nintendo
Diablo II (2000), Blizzard Entertainment
Half-Life: Platinum Collection (2000), Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Half-Life (Game of the Year Edition) (1999), Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Half-Life (1998), Sierra Entertainment, Inc.



Jason Behr

Games Credited

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004), Nintendo
Metroid Prime (2002), Nintendo
South Park (1999), Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (1998), Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.




Each of these guys put elements from their game into metroid prime from the controls(Slave Zero) to the first person deep storytelling(Half life) to the cool weapon functions(Turok).

But the main motivation for the light and dark worlds was directly inspired by ALTTP:

Karl: That's the one. That's the only one we needed. That's one of our all-time favorite games, it still holds up well today and we're all huge fans or it. But that kind of thing is always risky: you can't just do something another game did just because it was fun. You have to take that kernel of information from it and make it yours and do things that make sense for your game. Obviously our game and that game are completely different, so what we do with light and dark will be different than what they did. But that's definitely one of our biggest inspirations.

Mike: One thing [A Link to the Past has] is characters that you recognize as people. When you look at Link and his world they're human-type beings. We've got alien worlds and we have to portray this conflict and make the player care about what happens to these creatures that are wholly dissimilar to humans, and make the player say "oh wow, this is really big. How will I influence the outcome of this?". So that's a challenge that we've got that they didn't and I think we really pull it off.
Click to expand...

http://www.nintendo.com/gamedev?gameid=m-Game-0000-1699&
 
Monk said:
Karl Deckard

Games Credited

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004), Nintendo
Metroid Prime (2002), Nintendo
Diablo II (2000), Blizzard Entertainment
Half-Life: Platinum Collection (2000), Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Half-Life (Game of the Year Edition) (1999), Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Half-Life (1998), Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Click to expand...

That's quite the pedigree.
 
The answer probably revolves around a design choice by Mike Wikan. It most like was because it made them control the direction the game goes. I hope they change their design philosophy on that. One of the great things about the original Metroids was that it didn't hold your hand throughout the game.
 
to the first person deep storytelling(Half life)
Click to expand...
Metroid Prime has deep storytelling?

*scan*
"CHOZO WUZ HERE"
*scan*
"BAD THING COME"
*scan*
"POISON WE DIE NOW"
*scan*
"KILL SPACE PIRATES KTHNXBYE"

Mmmmmm, so compelling... it should be a novel or something.
 
Dice said:
*scan*
"CHOZO WUZ HERE"
*scan*
"BAD THING COME"
*scan*
"POISON WE DIE NOW"
*scan*
"KILL SPACE PIRATES KTHNXBYE"
Click to expand...

:lol

So true... great game but not because of the "story" or "plot".
 
Dice said:
Metroid Prime has deep storytelling?

*scan*
"CHOZO WUZ HERE"
*scan*
"BAD THING COME"
*scan*
"POISON WE DIE NOW"
*scan*
"KILL SPACE PIRATES KTHNXBYE"

Mmmmmm, so compelling... it should be a novel or something.
Click to expand...
true... but i think the point is that Metroid Prime isn't your typical shooter and is a little more cerebral
 
Metroid Prime has a story as deep as you want to make it, sort of like the Half Life games. You either pay a shit load of attention throughout the game and try to figure out what is going on or you can pay no attention and just play it. Though i have to admit, neither game really gives you much information outside of a little back story and what's going on around you.
 
sirris said:
Metriod Prime = #2 Greatest console game ever. (Barely edged out by Zelda: OoT)
Click to expand...

I would say I agree with that. Metroid Prime is definitely my favorite game of this generation.
 
When I bought it I didn't like Metroid Prime at all. But that's only because I was expecting a totally different kind of game. I had never played any Metroid title, I was expecting a linear 3D fps shooter and I got a world in which I got lost in notime and it involved a lot of backtracking. I put it down for a year.
Last week someone obsessed with Metroid games explained me the whole point of the game. I started a new game of Metroid Prime last Friday and guess what.. I'm addicted
 
Drek said:
Its lack of fun, much like said South Park game.
Click to expand...

oh wow, looky here guys, he is making fun of a beloved game, how edgy.

But yeah, Metroid Prime had me captivated for months, but sadly, I never bought echoes. I think I should do that one of these days.
 
I couldn't stand the inability to look around and move at the same time. Totally turned me off the game (it makes it feel slow and clunky). Hope its changed for MP3 (I assume it wasn't in MP2, not that I've played it).
 
Dice said:
Metroid Prime has deep storytelling?

*scan*
"CHOZO WUZ HERE"
*scan*
"BAD THING COME"
*scan*
"POISON WE DIE NOW"
*scan*
"KILL SPACE PIRATES KTHNXBYE"

Mmmmmm, so compelling... it should be a novel or something.
Click to expand...

Yeah, we should have cut-scenes! With pirates aliens spacies! Talking about their motivations to kill you! Long cut-scenes!

You are a fucking bounty hunter. The less story the better it is. If you want to understand why they created this omega pirate, you can. It was also very cool to see you as a threat when you read the pannel.
 
Mike Wikan

Slave Zero (1999), Atari Europe S.A.S.U.
-Involvement-Designer


Karl Deckard

Diablo II (2000), Blizzard Entertainment
-Involvement-Was in the closed beta

Half-Life: Platinum Collection (2000), Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Half-Life (Game of the Year Edition) (1999), Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Half-Life (1998), Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
-Involvement-"With Thanks To"


Jason Behr

South Park (1999), Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
-Involvement-Tester

Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (1998), Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
-Involvement-QA Manager (Manager of the testers)


So yeah, other than Wikan, none of these guys did anything with their other games.

:p
 
I still can't understand how someone cannot like Metroid Prime, my theories are:

1) Blatant fanboys of other FPS games or systems
2) People who are too braindead to play an FPS that has puzzles
3) People who have heard 1 negative thing about the game so they deem it's crappy without ever playing it.
4) People with short attention spans, a.k.a people who didn't make it to this phrase
 
e pluribus scrotum said:
how about

a) shitty ps1-era Controls
b) lame Scanning and Visors shit
c) tedious Backtracking through mediocre Levels
d) terrible end-game Scenarios
Click to expand...

tedious backtracking? Welcome to GAMING my boy. Shitty Ps1-era controls? What does that mean anyways?
 
anyone who has actually played the game should know that the controls work perfectly, nintendo calls it a FPA for a reason.
 
e pluribus scrotum said:
it mean you have a second Analog stick, use it

the days of mapping ten zillion functions to a seperate button each are Over
Click to expand...

So you think the control scheme of MP1 and 2 is shit because it's not like every other fucking FPS? Wow, did Nintendo kill your dog or something?
 
e pluribus scrotum said:
grammer is for chimps who lose Arguments to me

if nintendo is too dumb to figure out how to use the 2nd Analog stick fuck em
Click to expand...

If you're too dumb to open your mind to new control scheme, fuck you, then?
 
e pluribus scrotum said:
why should i open my mind to a Bad new control scheme

if you want to make a fighting game with the Attacks on the second stick should i like that too for being New

besides metroid primes controls are like those crappy ps1 fps but with a sloppy lock, its been done before and Reject for dual Analog

your dumb
Click to expand...

No, you are dumb because you always come back with the same argument.

You could like that fighting game, if it plays well. Metroid Prime plays well. The focus isn't on fighting and shooting ennemies, but on exploring and puzzle solving. That's why they used lock-on. To simplify everything.
 
e pluribus scrotum said:
what does it Simplify
dual Analog is the simplest

extra buttons = complexety
Click to expand...

It simplifies the puzzle solving. Have you ever tried to shoot 5 small circles in Timesplitters? If you can do it easily, power to you.
 
e pluribus scrotum said:
grammer is for chimps who lose Arguments to me

if nintendo is too dumb to figure out how to use the 2nd Analog stick fuck em
Click to expand...

You should meet this guy called Reirom, he seems to be right up your alley.
 
rainer516 said:
oh wow, looky here guys, he is making fun of a beloved game, how edgy.

But yeah, Metroid Prime had me captivated for months, but sadly, I never bought echoes. I think I should do that one of these days.
Click to expand...

Buy it. The 1st 25-30% is somewhat slow, but once you get through that, you WILL be rewarded. Exceeds MP1 in alot of ways.
 
e pluribus scrotum said:
power to me then, also its called aiming Assist

are u also trying to tell me the visor Switching and omega pirates are n00b freindly, cuz if so wtf
Click to expand...

Visor switching is a lot easier than pressing the black button 3 times to get the right vision. I didn't have problems with the Omega Pirate myself (I had some with the last boss in MP2 though).
 
Fightning omega pirate ruled, there were lots of ways you could fight off the hordes of space pirates attacking you.

You could dodge then and hit them with their weakness.

You could go into a morph ball , roll to the other side of the room, and hit them from afar, where they couldn't hit you as easily.

You could take them out with bombs.

You could take them out with powerbombs. :D

Man, that battle was intense.
 
e pluribus scrotum said:
how about

a) shitty ps1-era Controls
b) lame Scanning and Visors shit
c) tedious Backtracking through mediocre Levels
d) terrible end-game Scenarios
Click to expand...
i'll agree with the last point and add the annoying color-coded enemies, but everything else has been debated to death already.
 
If you find the controls for Metroid Prime "too difficult"...that's your fault, not the makers of the game.

Yeah, some of it may seem rediculous to some, but to those who can fully grasp and understand the controls it puts us in a league of our own. Metroid Prime isn't for everyone, just people with skills.
 
When so many people complain about the most important part of a fps, aka the control, you know there's a problem. Calling it perfect is foolish.
 
Best game this gen,the game doesn't need dual analog sticks for free look,the game is designed around the control scheme and works perfectly.

I'm the biggest Halo 2 whore around here,and I have no problems with the control scheme,adapt to it and quit fuckin crying.
 
the game was mediocre at best. It's an overall rather tedious game. I really don't think the series works well in 3d at all.

I also got all the way to Ridley (the fight on the balcony overlooking the .. crater? I forgot) before I gave up more out of boredom more than anything.
 
Nerevar said:
the game was mediocre at best. It's an overall rather tedious game. I really don't think the series works well in 3d at all.

I also got all the way to Ridley (the fight on the balcony overlooking the .. crater? I forgot) before I gave up more out of boredom more than anything.
Click to expand...


Next your going to say that HALO was not boredom on most levels....
 
Metroid Prime was a one of a kind classic. While the deep and engrossing storyline pulled me in, I think it was the never-ending backtracking, enemies with no AI, limiting first-person controls, and Tomb Raider-esque puzzles that won my heart

Metroid Prime isn't for everyone, just people with skills.
Click to expand...
:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

Challenge in a game should never come from the nature of its control interface. That's a shit way to design a game.
 
Controls are perfect. User inability to adapt is not the game's fault. Blame dead neurons for that one.
Click to expand...
See, I have no problems with the controls, adapted to them almost instantly. But the game was just piss easy. Auto-aim on this, auto-aim on that. Where's the gameplay? Its an interesting GUI for what amounts to a point and click adventure game, with a little touch of action thrown in, just enough to tease. I wouldn't even care about it being a point and click adventure, I like the genre, but Prime has a comparatively horrible storyline. Deep for an FPS, sure, but then when a game like Halo is considered to have a great FPS storyline too that tells you where the genre is sitting at in terms of writting. The story just isn't compelling enough to make me want to continue playing the game, unless you're a hardcore Metroid fan or Nintendofile.

That or you enjoy piss easy games, I'm not a big fan of them myself.
 
metroid prime was infinitely better than mp2...mp2 just couldn't incite the same awe as mp1 when entering new places. the exploration factor wasn't as interesting
 
yoshifumi said:
metroid prime was infinitely better than mp2...mp2 just couldn't incite the same awe as mp1 when entering new places. the exploration factor wasn't as interesting
Click to expand...

Agreed, combat also seemed to be better and worse in some areas.

Boss battles weren't anywhere near as good as the first one. The only battle that came close was the one with
Quadraxis
.
 
Drek said:
See, I have no problems with the controls, adapted to them almost instantly. But the game was just piss easy. Auto-aim on this, auto-aim on that. Where's the gameplay? Its an interesting GUI for what amounts to a point and click adventure game, with a little touch of action thrown in, just enough to tease. I wouldn't even care about it being a point and click adventure, I like the genre, but Prime has a comparatively horrible storyline. Deep for an FPS, sure, but then when a game like Halo is considered to have a great FPS storyline too that tells you where the genre is sitting at in terms of writting. The story just isn't compelling enough to make me want to continue playing the game, unless you're a hardcore Metroid fan or Nintendofile.
Click to expand...

So tell then why the game was rated so damn high by reviewers? Or do you consider all reviewers Nintendofiles? Nice trolling.


Boss battles weren't anywhere near as good as the first one. The only battle that came close was the one with
Quadraxis.
Click to expand...

That boss battle was the best of both games imo.
 
Bluemercury said:
Next your going to say that HALO was not boredom on most levels....
Click to expand...

no, the level design in lots of places in Halo was cookie cutter and poor. The difference was that Halo had interesting combat, which is something that MP lacked (by design - the game is not supposed to be about combat, it's supposed to be about adventure). Comparing the two is stupid and ridiculous, and something only the worst Nintendo / MS fanboys do. I just think the exploration aspect of Metroid games isn't as fun in 3d as it was in 2d.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Nintendo Suggests Metroid Prime 4's Tortured Development Meant It Was "Divorced From The Changing Of Times"
Game Dev  2
60
229
simpatico replied
Longstanding Metroid Fans: Was Metroid 4 Beyond Worth The Wait?
2
93
359
Matsuchezz replied
Metroid Prime 4 disappointment
Opinion  2 3
111
2K
Kuwitzzer replied
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond The Launch Streams
25
510
Buggy Loop replied
Metroid Prime 4 Cross Gen
2
62
571
daninthemix replied
Top Bottom