04 Oct 2019
Uncategorized Permalink

Feature: Metroid Through My Eyes

October 4, 2019

We’re excited to share a very special guest feature with you today! Today, we are sharing a personal story from Danior Snyder, a passionate gamer and Metroid fan who lives with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). LCA is a form of blindness, but it has not stopped him from enjoying the Metroid series and games in general. Danior shares with us how he became a Metroid fan, how his condition impacts his ability to play, and offers ideas on how games can be made more accessible for players like him. Unfortunately, because he graduated from school, he lost access to the equipment that allows him to communicate in Braille, and he has set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe in order to buy it back.

We also reached out to Fight for Sight, a British charity that researches eyesight loss, for a quote to learn more about LCA and what progress has been made in finding a cure. We hope you enjoy Danior’s feature, and contribute to his crowdfund if you can. If not, spreading the word helps just as much!

Click here to read the feature

21 Sep 2019
Uncategorized Permalink

Community Spotlight: David Verstraete (Metroid fan artist)

September 21, 2019

Today we’re sharing our next Community Spotlight with you, for David Verstraete! Known in the Metroid community as Porvia, he is a talented Metroid artist whose work has ranged from humorous with a cartoon style, to serious pieces that pay tribute to the atmosphere of the series. David shares how he became a fan of the series and how he was inspired to start drawing the characters. His work is yet another example of the tremendous talent and creativity that thrives within the Metroid fandom. Please check out David’s story and see his artwork at the link below!

Click here to read the feature

13 Sep 2019
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Metroid Prime Trilogy Permalink

Feature: Metroid Prime 3 Made me a Completionist

September 13, 2019

Today we are sharing a new feature focused on a personal story from RoyboyX and his experience of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption from the Metroid Prime Trilogy release, detailing how it encouraged him to become a completionist. When Roy isn’t writing and working through content on Shinesparkers, he continues to rack up an impressive (perhaps slightly scary) Gamerscore on his Xbox, and how the Bonus Credit system of Corruption gave him a focus to complete games in their entirety.

Metroid Prime Trilogy recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. Perhaps its about time I went back to that impressive compilation of games, and did my best to complete it just as effectively as Roy did.

Click here to read the feature

09 Sep 2019
Metroid Prime 4 Permalink

Significant recruitment opportunities open up at Retro Studios

September 9, 2019

Several new job openings at Austin Texas based Retro Studios opened up in August, presumably in preparation for Metroid Prime 4’s development to begin. Since November last year, the company have been advertising the role of Art Director, which is still present on their website, along with Lead Cinematics Artist and Lead Graphics Engineer positions made available in April this year. The recent job openings could indicate that development of the game is now fully underway.

Art Director (November 12, 2018)
Lead Cinematics Artist (April 26, 2019)
Lead Graphics Engineer (April 26, 2019)
Senior Material Artist (August 09, 2019)
Senior Designer (August 09, 2019)
Environment Designer (August 09, 2019)
Director of Development (August 12, 2019)
Lead Engineer (August 20, 2019)
IT Manager (August 29, 2019)

Back in June, we reported that Metroid Prime 4 Producer Kensuke Tanabe was focusing on the upcoming Luigi’s Mansion 3, a title he is also producing. It seemed to indicate that Tanabe-san was focused on the release of that title, before his work on Metroid Prime 4 would begin. With Luigi’s Mansion 3 releasing on October 31st 2019, it is fair to assume that the development for that game has already wrapped.

Detailed information on all these job roles can be navigated to from the official Retro Studios website, or from the link source below.

 

Source: Nintendo of America Careers

30 Aug 2019
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Permalink

Feature: The Luminoth

August 30, 2019

We are very proud to share another great feature from our team member Quadraxis! His second feature, in what we hope will be a long and successful series of articles about the different races within the Metroid universe, he focuses on Luminoth civilisation, the impact of the Ing on their homeworld and offers his ideas on what the future may hold for them, beyond the events of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.

Click here to check out the feature

23 Aug 2019
Uncategorized Permalink

Community Spotlight: Habreno (Metroid: Other M speedrunner)

August 23, 2019

This month marks nine years since the original release of Metroid: Other M on the Nintendo Wii. We have authorised speedrunner Habreno to share his story about running one of the most controversial Metroid games to date. Habreno talks about how he was introduced to speedrunning through The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and how that lead him to beating Other M as fast as he possibly could. We continue to be amazed at how Metroid fans continue to impress us, and this is another fine example of that. We are delighted to be highlighting Habreno and his achievements in our latest Community Spotlight, available to read now!

Click here to read the feature

06 Aug 2019
Uncategorized Permalink

Feature: How Shinesparkers got into Metroid

August 6, 2019

Happy birthday Metroid! Thirty-three years ago today, the original Metroid game was released on the Famicom Disk System in Japan, and the world was introduced to one of gaming’s earliest female protagonists, Samus Aran. To commemorate this occasion, the team at Shinesparkers came together to look back on how they became Metroid fans. From receiving a Metroid game as a gift to discovering Samus through Super Smash Bros., we have all created memories and made close friends through being fans of the series. We would love to hear from you on social media how you became Metroid fans by visiting our Facebook and Twitter accounts!

Click here to read the feature

28 Jul 2019
Uncategorized Permalink

Metroid Prime 3 Samus Figma is getting a reissue

July 28, 2019

2017 saw the release of the third ever Figma of Samus, depicting her more “classic” appearance in the Metroid Prime series, as opposed to the Other M Power Suit design. These figures are quite popular and quite expensive, and they quickly sell out. If you didn’t get this Figma before, you’re in luck, because Good Smile Company has announced that they are reissuing the Figma to people who preorder it from July 24th to August 21st, 2019. Those who do will receive their Figmas beginning in January 2020. You can preorder it at the link below if you’re in the United States or Canada. If you’re in another country, here is a link to partner shops in other parts of the world: Good Smile

Source: Good Smile US