WorthPlaying posted an interview with Nintendo's Nate Bihldorff, the localization producer at Nintendo of America who is overseeing the US release of the game.
"WP: Metroid: Other M is a little bit of a throwback because it ties in as a sequel after Super Metroid rather than the Metroid Prime games. How do the Metroid Prime games relate? Do they happen after this, or do they belong in a separate timeline altogether?
NB: I think the Metroid Prime games exist on their own timeline. This game is very clearly married to the 2-D Metroid timeline. It starts out with a flash back to the end of Super Metroid, which, of course, continued the plot of the original Metroid and Metroid 2. Some indeterminate amount of time passes, and then we have the events in this game. It's set between Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion, specifically because in Metroid Fusion, you basically hear about Adam Malkovich's death and Adam Malkovich is alive in this game, so it's somewhere in that time period between the two."
Nintendo had given Retro Studios the task of remastering the Metroid Prime Trilogy after the studio's unannounced music RPG was canceled.
Maybe it will happen after Metroid Prime 4 launches. Put Metroid Prime 2 & 3 on Switch and Switch 2.
"If you're not directly working on the game, go away" - former Retro world artist, Nate Purkeypile
Then there is Microsoft's approach which is just to piss in the wind and 95% of their stuff turns out bad. Developers might like that personally but you'll be out of a job quicker than you know it through badly shipped products.
First party Nintendo titles are held to a specific standard for a reason. It could be argued that both Sony and MS could benefit from doing the same, but you are right with MS nonchalant approach and "it scored well internally" and then putting out something like Redfall. Even Halo, MS' flagship series, wasn't overseen with the fine tooth comb to ensure it was top notch quality.
Nintendo first party games are very rarely duds, let alone non functional ones. You don't get that without a little (or a lot) of micromanaging. Is it annoying? No doubt. Their track record speaks for itself though and you can't deny that.
I think there is good evidence for both sides of that argument, really.
Japan Studio didn't have much oversight and that studio produced pure magic. Financially, it wasn't a cash cow studio, but I sense that anyone who played their games really felt the care and passion for their creation at work. Media Molecule is another one. I personally feel that Sony and Microsoft micromanagement tends to be overly negative. It might work for Nintendo because they're big on making a fun and engaging game first and entice people that way.
Sony as of late and Microsoft for at least two generations now, when they get into the micromanagement, it seems like a profoundly anxious experience.
i dunno if i agree with that.
i think some leeway is necessary to achieve atleast some sort of spectacle.
"Metroid Prime Trilogy, the Wii compilation of Retro Studios' first-person take on the Metroid series, launched in North America on 24th August 2009, exactly 15 years ago.
In honour of that sparking release (well, a little less sparkling than the originals in some places due to a few missing effects), we're taking the opportunity to recap Samus' story so far in the Metroid Prime games while we wait for the fourth numbered entry..." - Ollie Reynolds | NintendoLife
my most anticipated game.
just started playing the Trilogy on WiiU again (love the motion controls with wiimote)
amazing series!
if they aren't going to remaster all 3 titles prior to 4, it would have been nice if they just gave us a bare bones Switch port of the Wii U Trilogy. Thankfully I own that so I can still replay all 3 before 4 comes along.
all 3 titles remastered would be awesome.
i would still miss the motion controls though :(
They talk about Other M gaving 2D-centric gameplay, which is at odds with Wired's hands on:
"Other M is a more traditional game, but not entirely: It incorporates some first-person elements, but is largely played in third-person 3-D. The levels don’t keep you locked to a 2-D plane of movement as in previous games — you can always walk in four directions wherever you are."
http://www.wired.com/gameli...