Nintendo: New Metroid Is NOT Metroid Dread
Longtime Metroid director Yoshio Sakamoto acknowledged that the long-rumored Metroid Dread is real and may some day be released.
During a Metroid interview yesterday with series director Yoshio Sakamoto and Team Ninja producer Yousuke Hayashi, we slipped in a question that was not about the newly announced Metroid: Other M.
Well, we thought it might be related.
For a few years, there have been rumors that Nintendo was working on a new side-scrolling Metroid game called Metroid Dread. There was even an easter egg reference to entities known as "Metroid Dreads" tucked into Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
So, we wondered, could the long-incubating Metroid: Other M, which we learned was conceived in 2006, be the Dread project?
"He's very familiar with that [game,]" Sakamoto's translator said after posing our question to him. "No, this is different."
We pressed for details on what Dread is. Sakamoto's response: "The day may come when Dread hits the stores, but this one is something that's completely different. This is other M."
http://kotaku.com/5277377/nintendo-new- ... roid-dread
E3 2009: Metroid: Other M Heavy on Action and Story
Interview: Director Yoshio Sakamoto says the game will be the ultimate Metroid experience. Also, Metroid Dread lives!
by Matt Casamassina
June 4, 2009 - At E3 2009 in Los Angeles we had the chance to chat with famed Metroid series influencer and Metroid: Other M director Yoshio Sakamoto about the forthcoming Project M-developed game. Sakamoto spoke candidly about the ambitious title's focus and also confirmed that Metroid Dread for DS is not yet forgotten.
IGN: Metroid: Other M was a huge surprise for us at E3 2009 and we're really excited for it. We're wondering how the partnership with Team Ninja came about.
Yoshio Sakamoto: I've been working on Metroid games for quite awhile, but in 2006, having seen the Wii, its capabilities and the features available through it, I wanted to challenge myself to see what I could produce for that particular system and it was at that point that I started mulling other concepts. My team and myself have had experience working on Metroid game, but it's all been in the handheld realm and it's all been in 2D, so we lacked both the experience and the manpower to create a 3D Metroid experience. It was at that time that I realized I needed to find a partner help me realize my concept.
When I was considering what I was going to look for in this partner, I not only wanted to find somebody who was going to understand my concept as it existed, but could also contribute based on their own experience and expertise and I was very fortunate when I proposed this idea to members of Team Ninja and they seemed to really be able to understand and grasp my idea and they were happy to jump on board as well.
During those initial meetings, I did not approach Team Ninja knowing that they were Team Ninja and had that experience behind them. Granted, I appreciated the fact that they did have game development experience, but not specifically with regard to action games. What I was looking for was a partner that could contribute their strengths and possibly balance out our weaknesses, assuming we could do the same for them. We have the experience of creating Metroid games. They have the experience of creating action games. Together, instead of being Nintendo and Team Ninja, we became Project M. And our goal is to create the best Metroid: Other M that we can.
IGN: How is Project M separated between the teams? How big is the overall team?
Yoshio Sakamoto: In addition to the members of the staff from Nintendo and Team Ninja, as you saw in the trailer, there are a lot of cinematics that help us tell the story within Other M so we're also working with a company called D-Rockets, led by a director named Mr. Kitaura. In total, with the the three companies combined that make Project M, we have over 100 people on our staff.
IGN: We're all huge Metroid fans. We loved Super Metroid and Metroid Prime. So we're really psyched that we're finally going to get some real back story on Samus. How much in terms of story and cinematics can we expect?
Yoshio Sakamoto: One thing I need to explain is that I was really not that involved directly in the development of the Metroid Prime series. What I was involved in was the development of the initial NES Metroid, the GBA Metroid, Super Metroid and then finally Metroid Fusion. And within that timeline, the Other M story will take place between Super Metroid and the Fusion stories. What I hope to achieve with Other M is answer those questions -- you know, who is Samus? What is her background? Who are the characters that made her what she is? All these questions and more will be answered. I could tell you a little more about the details of what you might expect, but I don't want to ruin it for you so I'll just leave it at that.
IGN: Can we expect a lot of storytelling and cinematics in the game?
Yoshio Sakamoto: That's actually a really interesting question. A lot of times movies within games are handled as decorations as augment the experience, but my goal is to make the whole experience very seamless. So when you're going from an action sequence where you're controlling it and then the game will naturally progress into the cinematics. So I hope the experience is very seamless and natural.
IGN: Has working with Team Ninja brought about a more action-oriented Metroid with less focus on adventure?
Yoshio Sakamoto: I think Metroid has always been a little bit of action as well as adventure, but because we are teaming up with Team Ninja, I do think that they will bring things to the table that we haven't been able to do in the past. But again, a huge part of Metroid is the adventure aspect and we do want to stay true to that as well.
IGN: Can you give us some idea of how the controls work?
Yoshio Sakamoto: I'm terribly sorry, but I can't give you details on the controls at this time.
IGN: How do the third-person and first-person action coexist?
Yoshio Sakamoto: Unfortunately, I can't give you details on how the perspective is going to be used in the game either, but if you take the time to really dissect the trailer, you should get a pretty good idea of maybe how the game is going to play. Our goal ultimately is to create the ultimate Metroid experience so really pay attention to the trailer and I think it should give you some good impressions. That said, though, development is progressing at a pretty good pace, so I'm think I should be able to supply a demo for you guys to experience pretty soon.
IGN: When you beat the original Metroid, there's a warning of 'another Metroid.' Is that what 'Other M' refers to in the title of the Wii game?
Yoshio Sakamoto: The NES Metroid? I don't remember.
IGN: [Laughing] We guess that answers it then. Okay, we have to ask about Metroid Dread. It popped up on an internal Nintendo release list awhile back and we haven't heard anything about it since.
Yoshio Sakamoto: This is quite awhile ago. A few E3s back. I can only say right now that this is Other M, it is not Metroid Dread. But as a concept the Metroid Dread idea does still exist within my mind so maybe sometime in the future I will be able to bring that to you.
IGN: Are you burned out on the prospect of doing another 2D Metroid, or does the possibility still excite you, maybe for WiiWare or DSiWare, if nothing else?
Yoshio Sakamoto: It's not as though my team or myself have grown tired of creating 2D games, but I think it's all what the concept is, what the game design is, and what best suits that whether it's on the Wii or DS. So moving forward, if an idea comes up that is best suited for DS then we'll pursue that.
IGN: Great. Any final comments on Metroid: Other M that you really want Metroid fans to know about?
Yoshio Sakamoto: What my team and I are shooting for is the ultimate Metroid experience. Up until now we've created the Samus who, yes, is indeed a strong, charming and very cool heroine. But what we're hoping to create is a Samus now that not just fans of Metroid will appreciate, but everyone who is experiencing the game. So I'm hoping that everyone looks forward to exploring that Metroid world and experiencing Samus as a character.
http://wii.ign.com/articles/991/991793p1.html
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager ... 3174587&p=What's our take? You got your Ninja Gaiden in my Metroid! (You got your Metroid in my Ninja Gaiden.) As flashy and exciting as the trailer for Other M looks, many Metroid fans were left feeling ambivalent about the prospect of Team Ninja -- known for its violent, high-octane action games -- creating a new entry in the iconic Metroid series. The trailer shows lots of Ninja Gaiden influence, with anime-style cut-scenes, large 3D arenas for boss battles, and surprisingly brutal deathblows that show Samus grabbing an enemy's head, jamming her arm cannon into its face, and firing away. Then again, a team of Texans managed to turn the series into a first-person shooter and make it work, so who's to say this won't as well?
Shortly after the game's debut, I had the opportunity to speak with Other M's creators, Metroid co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto and Team Ninja head Yusuke Hayashi about their goals with this latest chapter in bounty hunter Samus Aran's story. In 30 minutes' time, my feelings on Other M shifted from ambivalent to ardent. Though much remains to be seen of Other M, it's clear that Sakamoto and Hayashi are working to ensure this adventure lives up to their fans' expectations.
1UP: If somebody had told me twenty years ago that Metroid and Ninja Gaiden would be teaming up, I don't think I would have believed it. How did you guys decide to get together to create Metroid: Other M?
Yoshio Sakamoto: My team is actually part of the handheld Metroid side...separate from Metroid Prime. So, when the Wii came out, it was my desire to create a Metroid game for this new console. But our roots were in the handheld -- more of the 2D realm. When we were thinking of different concepts and ideas that we could make into reality with this new Metroid, we realized that we didn't actually have the know-how to produce something that was 3D.
It wasn't that I didn't think my team was up to the challenge, I just wanted to find the perfect partner to help make that a reality. So after consulting with Nintendo, I decided to approach Tecmo and Team Ninja with that proposal. I'm very grateful that Team Ninja accepted. I'll let Mr. Hayashi continue with the story.
Yusuke Hayashi: Team Ninja has always tried to push the limits of the 3D action genre -- tried to make the ultimate experience for the player. When Mr. Sakamoto approached Team Ninja and me, we saw it as a new challenge that we'd like to take on. We felt it was a natural progression and definitely a challenge, but something we'd like to take on and something that would be beneficial for everyone. That's why I decided to accept the proposal.
Also, on the Team Ninja side, there are a lot of Metroid fans!
1UP: When I think of the two series, they seem very different. Metroid is very slow, methodical, exploratory, while Ninja Gaiden is very fast, violent, and action-oriented. How do you reconcile those two and create something that takes advantage of your strengths, but still feels like a Metroid game?
YH: We want to try and take the best of both. As you progress through the game, there will be more action-oriented, faster-paced sequences. But then you'll have your careful, exploratory parts of the story as well. We actually used it to our advantage to try and marry the two concepts together.
YS: When I brought the proposal to Team Ninja, I had no idea what their response would be. As we progressed through development, of course there were differences of opinion, but we were able to work through those and ultimately create something that's better than either of us could have expected. It's been a really collaborative, creative process, and I feel that the result is something that's very positive.
1UP: What most people love about Metroid is that it offers a huge, open world. It's non-linear, there's so much to explore, and you can move about at your own pace. Is that something you're going to be retaining for this game, or is it going to be more of a linear, level by level progression?
YS: If you think about this one as being maybe similar to Metroid Fusion, then I think you'll have an idea of how the story will play out. It's still linear in the sense that there's a progression, but there are side areas that players can go into. It will retain that true, Metroid feel.
1UP: Team Ninja is known for their cinematics and storytelling. Is that something that will factor in heavily?
YS: As I mentioned before, it's kind of similar to Fusion in that there's an overarching story that the player will experience as they progress through the game. It is a game, but within it is a larger story that will unfold as the player progresses.
1UP: So is this being positioned as a spinoff game? Or is it really the next game in the series -- Metroid 5?
YS: It's part of the flow, storywise, between Super Metroid and Fusion.
1UP: When I saw the trailer this morning, I knew it was Metroid as soon as I heard, "Any objections, Lady?" which I recognized from Fusion. Will Other M delve into Fusion's backstory and Samus's relationship with Adam?
YS: Yes, it will reveal a little of Samus' backstory and also what happened between Super Metroid and Fusion. In Fusion, Adam was no longer there, so it'll explain what happened.
1UP: There was another character who seemed to be a...bounty hunter, maybe? Can you talk about his role?
YS: He's a Galactic Federation Soldier. He's one of Adam's soldiers.
1UP: The Metroid series chronology has become pretty long and complicated with the Prime games and the games you've created directly. Are you taking into account all the titles that have come before, or are you sticking to the story that you, as R&D1, have developed?
YS: Actually, the Prime games are just one incident within the greater story that I've worked on personally. It's not as if I was really thinking about how the Prime games fit into the sequence because, they were just one incident. But Other M will be more part of the R&D1 produced games. Maybe in "grand scheme" it would be around...3.5.
1UP: Ah okay, Super Metroid And A Half. What is the "Other M" in the subtitle?
YS: Other M has several meanings. As the story unfolds, those meanings should gradually reveal themselves.
1UP: I noticed that at the end of the trailer there appeared to be another Samus. What role does she play?
YS: She's not actually a second Samus, but she's a very, very important character within the game.
1UP: Ninja Gaiden has a reputation for being extremely difficult, and while Metroid has been difficult, it doesn't pride itself on breaking players. Do you intend it to create a challenging Metroid, or will you go easy on us?
YH: Our goal isn't to make something that will break players. It's for Metroid fans and new players alike, so we're not taking the same approach as with Ninja Gaiden.
1UP: Mr. Sakamoto, you've mentioned a few times that your expertise and experience lie with handhelds. So, why is this a Wii game? Will we see a more traditional Metroid on DS or a future handheld system at some point?
YS: Each platform has different things to offer to the player. And because this game is being developed for the Wii, it offers things that cannot be done on the DS. I can't say whether there will or won't be a portable title, but, if we were to create something for a handheld system, it would definitely include features that couldn't be done in Other M, and vice versa.
1UP: Thank you very much for your time.
(Everyone moves to leave, but Sakamoto signals for us all to sit again.)
YS: We have three companies collaborating on this game; a team we've dubbed Project M. With Nintendo, Team Ninja, and another company that's focusing on the cinematics working together, we've broken down the walls that define each company and joined forces to form a separate entity. It's unlike anything that's ever been done at Nintendo; It's more than just a collaborative effort -- it's one group working toward a common goal.
