Ever wondered what a modern-day online multiplayer Metroid game might be like? For our first feature of the year, team member Glaedrax shares his ideas for his perfect multiplayer Metroid game, which would include a death-match mode like Hunters, but with team missions too. It would obviously include Samus, but also feature a variety of different characters across the series. Glaedrax goes in-depth on the type of move sets these characters could have. Give this one a read, and let us know your own ideas via our social media channels!
Sam Tung (Rooster Teeth) joins Retro Studios as a Storyboard Artist
In October, we shared that Retro Studios was seeking a Storyboard Artist for Metroid Prime 4, a position which they’ve now filled. Sam Tung, a Storyboard Artist formerly at Rooster Teeth, announced that he joined Retro in that position yesterday. A longtime Metroid fan, Sam released a storyboard animatic he developed in his spare time back in late October. It’s a cool and flashy piece that shows Samus dealing with a secret Space Pirate base teeming with Metroids. You can watch it here.
Some of you may be worried about what this means, and whether this position getting filled just now means Prime 4’s development hasn’t been going well. Not to worry! In game development, the core gameplay is usually worked on first, and then cinematics are concepted, developed and animated afterwards. Think of it this way: with a Storyboard Artist at the studio, we are one step closer to a possible cinematic trailer for the game!
We want to congratulate Sam for joining Retro Studios and wish him the best in his new role. We can’t wait to see the no doubt gorgeous cutscenes he will work on.
Source: Sam Tung
Lego Metroid set could become a reality, if you vote for it (UPDATE: officially under review!)
Update: since this was posted, the Metroid set has reached 10,000 votes and will now be reviewed by LEGO! L-DI-EGO has expanded the set with several Ridley designs, minifigures of the Dachoras and Etecoons, and alternate Samus Gunship builds based on the versions used in Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime Hunters, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Metroid Prime: Federation Force. He also unveiled the Zero Suit Samus minifigure. Here’s hoping that LEGO will approve the project, and secure a license from Nintendo to produce it as an official set!
Original Post:
Lego Ideas is a site where fans of Lego products can submit designs based on properties, locations or other subjects in popular culture considered for an official release. One very creative fan’s idea for a Metroid range is quickly gaining support, but it needs your help for it to gain Lego’s attention.
The range includes custom Samus and Zebesian minifigures, as well the Morph Ball, the Baby Metroid’s iconic capsule and a constructible version of Samus’s Gunship. A “mystery” figure – likely Zero Suit Samus given the silhouette’s shape – will be unveiled when the project gains 9,900 supporters. It was first designed in December 2019 and shared in early 2020, getting halfway to where it needs to go this month.
For an idea to be considered by Lego, it must have 10,000 supporters in an allotted time limit. As of this writing, the project has 5,711 supporters, and it must gain 4,289 more in 514 days – that’s June 18, 2022. If you have not yet signed up to Lego and supported the project, please do so! It would be amazing to see an official Metroid range released by Lego while we await news of Metroid Prime 4 and future games.
Source: Nintendo Life/LEGO Ideas
Community Spotlight: Chernabogue
Our first Community Spotlight of 2021 kicks off with Chernabogue, a musician who was involved with our original album Harmony of a Hunter. Since then, Chernabogue has created tons of amazing video game remixes and arrangements, and in this feature, we highlight his great work and showcase some of his music. We hope that you’ll check it out and support this great musician by checking out his work in more detail by following the links in the feature.
Nintendo to acquire Metroid Prime Federation Force Developer Next Level Games
Nintendo have confirmed in a statement that it is to take control of Metroid Prime: Federation Force developer Next Level Games, and has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of outstanding shares of the company, with the acquisition expected to close on March 1st, 2021. The Canadian studio was already a close partner of Nintendo for many years, working with some of their well-loved properties, such as Luigi’s Mansion, Mario Strikers and Punch-Out!!
Next Level Games released Metroid Prime: Federation Force back in 2016 for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, which included Metroid Prime: Blast Ball, and most recently was responsible for Luigi’s Mansion 3 on Nintendo Switch.
Source: Nintendo (Japanese), Nintendo (English)
Super Metroid reference in Super Meat Boy Forever
A fun Metroid reference has been included as part of Super Meat Boy Forever, which released just before the holidays. The game features parodies of various video game intros within its cutscenes, which include Super Metroid and many other titles such as Super Mario RPG, Contra 3, Kirby’s Adventure and Chrono Trigger. You can check out the full cutscene and support Team Meat by purchasing this fun and challenging game right now, as a digital download on Nintendo Switch for £15.99/$19.99 RRP.
Feature: End of Year Feature 2020
Our final piece of content for the year is now available! Our annual End of Year feature focuses on the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic, and how the Shinesparkers team have contributed to the website this year, which many have done in an effort to distract themselves from the difficult circumstances we have all been facing.
As the Creative Director of Shinesparkers, I want to congratulate my team for their amazing work this year, they have been incredible. Together, we have been working on a range of content for Shinesparkers, and have put together some great interviews, features, community spotlights and a podcast for our readers to enjoy. Additionally, thank you to all the people involved in our content and allowing us the opportunity to share their contributions. Finally, I want to thank our readers for engaging with us in 2020 across social media and by listening to our podcast on the website, iTunes and Spotify. We hope that you have enjoyed what we have produced, and can’t wait to begin working on new content for 2021!
Click here to read our End of Year 2020 Feature
On behalf of the team, we want to wish everyone a Happy New Year!
Episode 11 – End of Year 2020
For our eleventh podcast, the team close out 2020 by discussing a year of working on Shinesparkers, and how Metroid has helped them through the challenges of the global pandemic. The team also highlight the tenth anniversary of the community and their favourite features, and highlight some of your comments in our mailbag! This podcast features host Amanda, and team members Darren, Roy and TriforceGuy!
01:45 – Topic: A year of Shinesparkers
21:23 – Mailbag: How our readers have dealt with the pandemic
30:03 – Topic: Ten years of Shinesparkers
49:30 – Bloopers
Nordisk Games acquires 40% share of Metroid: Samus Returns developer MercurySteam
Nordisk Games have become a minority shareholder in MercurySteam, taking a 40% share in the company responsible for developing Metroid: Samus Returns with Nintendo, which released back in 2017. MercurySteam have confirmed the news in a recent blog post, welcoming Nordisk Games as their new partner. The blog also shares quotes from Enric Alvarez (CEO and co-founder of MercurySteam) that both parties shared the same DNA, ambition and objectives; and from Nordisk Games Senior Partner Martin Walfisz that his company was very proud to have the company join their portfolio. Walfisz also confirms that MercurySteam have new games currently in development that are promising and exciting.
We warmly welcome Nordisk Games as a new MercurySteam partner. Since the first time we met with them, we were very clear that both parties shared the same DNA, ambition and objectives and we are convinced that we are entering a new era of consolidation and growth for our studio. The saying “The best is yet to come” takes on all its meaning now – Enric Alvarez, CEO and co-founder of MercurySteam
After meeting the founders and team at MercurySteam we immediately recognized their fantastic talent and creativity at work. The studio is undoubtedly one of the premier PC and console game developers in Europe, and we’re very proud of having the company join our portfolio. MercurySteam’s track record speaks for itself, and the games they now have in development are extremely promising and exciting – Martin Walfisz, Senior Partner at Nordisk Games
Source: MercurySteam blog
Feature: Civilisations Lurking Beyond
The universe of Metroid is a pretty large place, and outside of Samus Aran, Dark Samus, Ridley and other recurring characters, there are several that we still don’t know a great deal about. There are a number of cool facts out there though, some of which were revealed through official marketing materials, or through our own interviews and investigations here at Shinesparkers! Our team member Quadraxis has attempted to highlight some of the lesser-known characters referenced in Metroid Prime Hunters, such as the Kriken, Vhozon and Phrygisians for his latest civilisation series of features for Shinesparkers. We hope you will check it out, and hopefully learn a few things about these cool additions to the series!