Metroid Recon

Other M interviews with Nate Bihldorff

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:59:43 GMT

I'm really behind on this, but it's been crazy trying to keep up with everything these past few weeks... Previews and interviews have been popping up everywhere for Other M since the Nintendo Media Summit - check any of your favourite gaming sites and there's surely something there.

Two interviews with Nate Bilhdorff (Localization Producer for Nintendo of America) are definitely worth checking out if you can spare a few minutes. The first is an interesting piece over at Bitmob talking about how and why Nintendo decided to give Samus a voice and a fleshed-out backstory. The second interview was performed by GameTrailers during the Media Summit itself and Nate does a fantastic job to build hype for the upcoming game - watch it below! Special thanks to the MDb for the links!

New Reviews and Metroid: Other M Trailer

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:17:01 GMT

Continuing our run of new reviews, I've recently completed reviews for Metroid Prime Hunters and Metroid Prime Pinball. I'm hoping to have all the reviews done well in advance of Other M's release, and with only four left on the to-do list that should be an easy challenge.

Nintendo have also kindly released a new Metroid: Other M trailer for all of us who missed out on the behind-closed-doors demo showcased at the recent Media Summit. We finally get to see some new footage of the game's cinematics (no gameplay footage sadly), but it's a nice piece with more of Samus' inner thoughts brought to light. It's so strange to finally begin learning more about Samus' character after ten games in the series... but enough pondering, check out the trailer itself in your favourite flavour: locally in our Metroid: Other M section, at the official site or over at the MDb's YouTube channel.

Update: Added downloadable versions of the trailer.

New Metroid: Other M media and info

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:01:45 GMT

Whoa... where to start? The Nintendo Media Summit has produced a healthy batch of new screens for Metroid: Other M and a very nice piece of artwork (very special thanks to Kotaku for coming through with unwatermarked copies!)

Impressions of the game demo playable at the event have also started doing the rounds, and boy does this game sound promising! From controlling the game by using just the Wii Remote held sideways to having the ability to switch between first-person and third-person views at will is just the icing on the cake... be sure to check out a range of impressions for all the details (too much for me to handle here now, I'll update the Other M section with more details soon). Just watch out for spoilers!

The official Metroid.com website has also been given a facelift to match the recent change to the Japanese version, complete with our first audio glimpse of Samus' voice (better get used to it!) and a pleasant-but-very-alien piano overture. Story details of the game will likely continue to arrive over the next four months (like the identity of the infamous Remember Me Guy) so I'll add more info in due course. Good times!

Metroid: Other M Release Date Announced

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:14:33 GMT

Exciting times! Nintendo have just wrapped up a media summit in San Francisco with some very welcome news for us. Among the announcements are the releases dates of the Nintendo DSi XL (March 28) and Super Mario Galaxy 2 (May 23), but the one we all want to know about is Metroid: Other M's release date: June 27, 2010. The title is also reported to be playable at the summit event (impressions should start popping up across the web soon) and hopefully Nintendo will continue the goodness with new screenshots and trailer(s) soon. In the meantime enjoy a look at Nintendo's press release:

"Metroid�: Other M, the incredible new Metroid game developed for Wii through a collaboration by Nintendo and the world-renowned Team Ninja, launches June 27. The game looks at the classic franchise from a new perspective: While much of the game is reminiscent of 2-D side-scrollers, players can switch the perspective into 3-D at any time as they explore the twisting passages of a derelict space station and delve deep into a cinematic, never-before-told story of bounty hunter Samus Aran's past. This new approach uses a new control scheme in which players use the Wii Remote� controller held sideways to battle enemies and navigate the expansive, gorgeous environments in classic Metroid fashion, then aim at the screen with the Wii Remote pointer to blast foes in first-person and hunt the world for clues and hidden passages."

Another space station eh? Is that the one we've seen in the E3 trailer from last year? Looking good!

First feature article and the Metroid Wiki

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:32:04 GMT

Working on mostly strategy guide material for the site over the past few years has had me craving to try out a few different things now that we're in quiet mode waiting for the release of Metroid: Other M, so today I'm kicking off our first feature article!

To start with I've written a piece discussing some interesting life lessons one can learn from Samus' Phazon corruption plight in Metroid Prime 3. I've had a great time writing this inaugural piece, so please enjoy the read! More articles will pop up over time if I can find other interesting Metroid topics to dicuss.

We also have a new addition to the online Metroid community with the recent launch of Metroid Wiki. This is an independently-run wiki from the team at Zelda Informer and the Zelda Wiki, and while the knowledge base has only just started out, there's plenty of room for expansion so be sure to contribute if you feel like joining in. Wikitroid has been around for some time now so this might seem a bit odd to have another Metroid-specific wiki, but it's always good to have variety and if fans out there want to express their appreciation for Metroid and contribute to the community we should appreciate their enthusiasm.

Wallpaper update and the Make-a-Metroid contest

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:58:36 GMT

We've got a few updates for the wallpapers section today. Firstly, I've started adding widescreen 1680x1050 versions for bigger monitors (they actually look quite nice in the larger format, I can see why widescreen displays are so common now). We also have a few new iPhone-sized wallpapers courtesy of Nintendo Kid, with potentially more on the way.

If you've been following the MDb's Make-a-Metroid contest, be sure to drop by for the results. There's some fantastic entries on show, congratulations to the winners and the MDb for their inaugural contest!

New reviews and Metroid Prime Hunters maps

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:41:47 GMT

Happy new year! Let's start off 2010 with something new. Firstly, I've started getting back into writing some sorely overdue reviews, starting with Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission. I've also finalised the finishing touches on a set of Metroid Prime Hunters maps, so that ends all the cartography work for both the Prime and Classic series (yay!). I also found two missing tracks in our Hunters soundtrack (of course), so I've added them in (#58 - Arcterra Depths and #60 - VDO Speed Run). As always, just grab those two if you already have the rest. Have a great new year!

Merry Christmas and final update for 2009

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 03:22:04 GMT

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is having a great Christmas Day and enjoying this time of year. Guess what? More updates for those crazy soundtracks...

As it turns out, the Meta Ridley theme presented in the bonus Soundtrack gallery is the same slightly-modified track used in the UK trailer of the Metroid Prime Trilogy. Josh Corbett has also kindly reminded me that the Dark Trooper theme from MP2 was also slightly modified in the Trilogy version. So I've grabbed both those tracks and added them to their respective music pages (right at the very bottom of the lists). If you've already downloaded the full soundtracks recently, just pick up these tracks individually to complete your collection. Enjoy the new year!

New updates for Metroid Prime Trilogy

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:23:43 GMT

Over the past few weeks I've been slowly moving through the Metroid Prime Trilogy, taking note of any changes or additions to the original versions of the games. To that end I've updated most of the Trilogy's individual game sections to take note of any changes present in the Wii version (like Logbook changes, the new control system and the credits system for unlocking extras). Here's a quick summary of all the additions to date:

Metroid Prime Trilogy manual (accessible from any of the three games' sections)
Metroid Prime Trilogy music (at the bottom of any of the three games' music sections)
Metroid Prime Log Book Guide (updated to include the original NTSC version too)
Metroid Prime Credits Guide
Metroid Prime Secrets and Tips
Metroid Prime 2 Logbook Guide (changes were made to the placement of Luminoth Lore scans)
Metroid Prime 2 Credits Guide
Metroid Prime 2 Secrets and Tips
Metroid Prime 3 Logbook Guide (changes were made to the placement of GF Lore scans)
Metroid Prime 3 Secrets and Tips (changes were made to some of the extras content)

That's it for the major changes. There's also one or two other notes throughout the other guide sections whenever applicable. Thank you again to everyone who sent in all the other noticeable changes in the Trilogy, next up I'll prepare pages to summarise the changes to each game. But I think now is the ideal time to wrap this intense year up with a massive sigh of relief. We've had the fantastic release of Metroid Prime Trilogy in 2009 and a big year to look forward to with Metroid: Other M next year, so on behalf of all of me here at Metroid Recon, have a fantastic festive season and a wonderful new year!

Update: Ok, so maybe I should've checked first how long it would take to piece the game version pages together. As it turns out they didn't take long at all:

Any new details found will be added in due course. Enjoy the festive season!

Metroid Prime Trilogy soundtrack additions (Updated x3)

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:23:59 GMT

There's been plenty of minor changes and updates to Metroid Prime 1 and 2 in the Metroid Prime Trilogy besides the control overhaul, and while the music in the original Metroid Prime seems unchanged, a few tracks were modified in Metroid Prime 2 (like the themes played when picking up the Energy Transfer Module and any Dark Temple Key). Although chances are these tracks may have been changed in the original Japanese release of Metroid Prime 2: Dark Echoes and just carried over into the trilogy... I've recorded these changes and added four extra tracks to the Metroid Prime 2 soundtrack, they're all right at the bottom so if you've already picked up the big zip archive before just grab the four individually.

Along with these I've also prepared the Wii Menu Theme and Title Theme from the trilogy itself - grab these from the bottom of any of the music pages from the trilogy's individual games. I also found some annoying glitches in the Metroid Prime soundtrack too (gah), so I've refreshed it again with fixed tracks. Apologies to anyone who needs to download it again :( Enjoy!

Update #1: Special thanks to Damian for letting me know that I'd missed the multiplayer theme from Echoes that plays with only one minute or score left in a match - all fixed now.

Update #2: Another very big thank you to Caploand who has kindly provided us with the Wii Menu Themes of the Japanese versions of Metroid Prime 1 and 2 - both tracks are presented with the other two Trilogy themes at the base of each of the main games' music pages. Enjoy!

Update #3: Phew, I really hope this is the last one. As it turns out there were a few musical changes for Metroid Prime 3 in the Metroid Prime Trilogy too... I've added the extended Bryyo main theme and Natives of Bryyo (which if you listen closely was altered slightly from the original) to the end of the list. Unlike most tracks the Bryyo theme only runs for one loop otherwise it'd end up beyond 14 minutes long. The beginning of the Phaaze main theme track needed fixing too, so if you've already downloaded it before grab it individually for the final version. Now hopefully that should finally be the end of all the music updates...

Metroid Prime 3 soundtrack update

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:04:49 GMT

Wrapping up all the soundtrack updates today is the reworked Metroid Prime 3 soundtrack. As with all the updates, this one introduces most tracks looping at least twice and some handy album art.

If that's not enough to keep you busy on the music side of things, drop by Metroid Metal to pick up their latest track: Super Metroid Ending. There's also the recently-launched Metroid Reorchestrated (fans of Zelda Reorchestrated should be familiar with this). They specialize in remixing any songs from the Metroid universe - and while there isn't much on offer at the moment, keep an eye out for more tracks in the future. Some of the music at ZREO is really special, so let's hope these guys can capture the magic again.

Metroid Recon turns 3

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:03:56 GMT

Today marks our third anniversary! Hard to believe it's been so long since November 2006, and we've certainly been spoiled with all the craziness of Metroid Prime 3, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Metroid Prime Trilogy's releases since then. With Other M shaping up for release next year there's still plenty to look forward to.

A big thank you to all our visitors over the past three years, especially to everyone who submitted some sort of fan work or offered a hint for the guides (or pointed out any mistakes). I do hope to continue the ride for as long as possible, and while I haven't got anything prepared to help celebrate the occasion there's a few bits and pieces planned for later this month and December. Here's to another year!

The Metroid Database has also been busy celebrating their 13th year online (congratulations guys!), and have a special competition running for the remainer of the year. The Make-a-Metroid contest tasks entrants with building a phyiscal model of one of those floating parasites (a Metroid) - there's some very nice prizes up for grabs, but I wonder if winners will get any bonus for outdoing the Chozo and making a real one? The contest is only open for US residents and ends December 31, 2009.

Metroid Prime 2 soundtrack update

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:20:09 GMT

Phew, another one down. The Metroid Prime 2 soundtrack has been updated, with longer looped tracks and snazzy album art. Enjoy!

Metroid Prime soundtrack update

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:14:21 GMT

To help celebrate the (at last!) release of the Metroid Prime Trilogy in Australia, I've finished the Metroid Prime soundtrack update. Each track now possesses some handy album art, and all looping tracks now loop at least twice. Drop by the Metroid Prime music page for the results. Updated soundtracks for Echoes and Corruption will follow over the next few weeks/months (...but hopefully not months).

Special thanks again to everyone who sent in changes seen in the Metroid Prime Trilogy - once I've taken a breather from all this crazy soundtrack shenanigans I'll collate and present all the info together for the site. I'm also really behind on this one, but Metroid Metal's new album Varia Suite is now readily available at their website and even via iTunes, so be sure to support their team with an album purchase if you can spare a few dollars (thanks TJ!).

Metroid Prime Hunters soundtrack update

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:42:35 GMT

The remastered Metroid Prime Hunters soundtrack is now ready to roll and weighs in at over three hours long (!) - but if you're a fan of the game's mostly moody atmospheric take, that number won't be too daunting. Drop by the MPH music page to pick up the new soundtrack.

The MDb also picked up on a special performance of Video Games Live in Rio De Janeiro - check out the magnificent Metroid orchestration complete with a surprise guest!