Metroid Dread patch 1.0.2 released

A new update for Metroid Dread is now available. It contains some general fixes, which will be applied to the game once you connect your Switch to the internet. Nintendo have outlined the changes coming in 1.0.2 on their support page, listed below:

  • Fixed an issue where retrying after a game over would cause the play time to be added only when retrying a specific boss fight.
  • Fixed an issue where the game would force-quit if you hit an enemy frozen by an Ice Missile with the Shine Spark in a certain way.
  • Fixed an issue that caused Samus to move strangely when jumping at certain times in the Morph Ball Launcher.
  • Fixed an issue where the final boss would get stuck on a wall and not be able to move during a certain attack, making it impossible to progress in the game.
  • Fixed an issue where Samus would get stuck in the wall when defeating the E.M.M.I. in Ferenia in a certain position.

What do you think to the update? Share your thoughts with us on our social media channels!

Source: Nintendo Support

Feature: Nintendo Switch OLED Model Review

For our latest feature, we are happy to share our first ever video game hardware review for Shinesparkers: the Nintendo Switch OLED Model! The console launched on the same day as Metroid Dread, and features a beautiful OLED screen which helps games look even better when playing in handheld or tabletop mode. But what did we think to it? Is it worth upgrading your current hardware? Are the new features and improvements worth the price? How does Metroid Dread compare on the new console?

Be sure to check out our review and make an informed decision by clicking here

Metroid Dread demo now available

In a surprising move, Nintendo have released a demo for the recently released Metroid Dread, that launched on October 8th 2021.

Nintendo Switch owners who have yet to experience Samus’s latest adventure, can now do so by navigating to the Nintendo eShop and downloading it to their consoles.

While we are sure many of our readers already have the game, or have the intention of picking it up in the future, this may be the perfect opportunity to convince others who may be undecided.

Source: Nintendo

Tetris 99 crossover with Metroid Dread announced

The hugely popular Tetris 99 title for Nintendo Switch is having a crossover with Metroid Dread! Face off against 98 other players online and drop those Tetrominoes to destroy your opponents, with a Metroid Dread themed board complete with music and characters from the Metroid Dread game.

The theme will be available between October 29th and November 2nd 2021, but players who manage to rack up 100 event points during this time, will be able to unlock the Metroid Dread theme permanently!

Check out the trailer for the Tetris 99 X Metroid Dread Grand Prix event below!

Metroid Dread patch 1.01 released

Metroid Dread has just received a new update to fix a specific glitch which made the game crash near the ending, along with some other unspecified issues.

General Fixes
  • Fixed an issue where, if a map marker is placed on a specific door on the map screen (the door destroyed with the beam obtained at the end of the game), destroying that door at the end of the game would cause the game to forcefully quit with the message “The software was closed because an error occurred”.
  • Fixed several other issues to improve overall gameplay experience.

Source: Nintendo Support

Metroid Dread nominated at the Golden Joystick Awards

The Golden Joystick Awards are taking place on November 23rd this year, and Metroid Dread has been nominated in two categories! It’s up for Nintendo Game of the Year, and Ultimate Game of the Year. Voting on nominees has now opened, and you can cast your vote for your favorite games, actors and companies until November 5th. After you finish voting, you’ll have a chance to win a free gaming ebook of your choice.

Winners will be announced during the award show on November 23rd. With any luck, Metroid Dread will go on to win both Game of the Year awards!

Click here to vote

Source: GamesRadar

Episode 18 – Flat Egg

Shinesparkers Podcast
Shinesparkers Podcast
Episode 18 - Flat Egg
Loading
/

Our eighteenth episode of the Shinesparkers Podcast is now available! In this episode our team discuss their thoughts on the newly released Metroid Dread, delving deep into the lore of the game, and the controversy surrounding MercurySteam and crediting. We also answer some messages from the mailbag! Darren takes on hosting duties this time around, with team member Roy. Our social media manager and Community Spotlight manager Glaedrax is also here, making his debut podcast appearance!

Please be aware that this episode will contain major spoilers from Metroid Dread. If you wish to avoid spoilers, please listen to this episode later.

01:09 – Main topic: Our thoughts on Metroid Dread
22:37 – Topic: MercurySteam crediting controversy
30:53 – Mailbag: Where do you want to see the traditional series of Metroid go next?
36:56 – Bloopers

New interview with Yoshio Sakamoto from Gamespot

Video games news website Gamespot had the opportunity to interview Metroid Dread Producer Yoshio Sakamoto. In this interview, Sakamoto speaks about how much of the final game reflects his concept from the early 2000’s, the reasoning behind the name of the game and its overall design, or how it felt making a sequel to Fusion almost twenty years later (which he agrees was way too long!).

Click here to check out the interview!

Feature: Shinesparkers Reviews Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread has been out for just over a week, and the team have been playing through Samus Aran’s latest adventure, Metroid Dread since it released. Now that we have had some time to formulate some views, several members of  the team have come together to give their thoughts on Metroid Dread. We didn’t score our review, but we hope that you will take the time to read our thoughts and understand how we felt about the game.

Click here to check out our group review of Metroid Dread

We spoke to MercurySteam on developer credit in Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread has been out for one whole week, and is already showing signs of being one of the most successful launches for a Metroid game in the series history. But in addition to the positive news surrounding the game’s release, there are reports of developer MercurySteam failing to list names in the credits of Metroid Dread, if they have not worked on 25% of the total development time, as per company policy. This was first reported on Spanish gaming website Vandal, who quoted some former developers who weren’t credited in the final game.

Developer, Roberto Mejías, who credits themselves as a former Senior 3D Artist at MercurySteam, quoted on his LinkedIN profile as follows:

“I would like to sincerely congratulate the Metroid Dread team for putting out such an outstanding game. I’m not surprised of the quality of the game though, since the amount of talent on that team was through the roof. I know this first hand because, despite not being included on the game’s credits, I was part of that team for for eight months.”

Another developer, Tania Peñaranda Hernández who credits themselves as a 3D Character Animator at MercurySteam is quoted to say the following on their LinkedIN profile:

“I am very happy and proud to finally be able to see my work on the project, a job that I did with great love and enthusiasm! I am also very proud of the whole team!
But it also saddens me to see that I am not reflected in the credits for this work that I did. It has been hard for me to see that they have considered that it should be like this when I keep seeing a lot of animations that I made in every gameplay.”

Another developer who doesn’t wish to be named, mentions in the original article by Vandal to say  they were working for more than 11 months on Dread, and do not appear in the credits.

Shinesparkers reached out to MercurySteam, and asked for clarification on the policy:

MercurySteam: “We accredit all those who stay with us a minimum time in a particular project, usually the vast majority of them-. We set the minimum at 25% of dev time. We also credit those who, even though they have not been in the project for too long, have had significant creative contributions.A game development is a complex, hard, exhausting endeavour. We understand any of us needs to contribute at a minimum to it to be accredited in the final product.”

Shinesparkers responded to clarify what they meant by “significant creative contributions” and why a minimum of 25% was chosen as the total development time for credit in the final product. MercurySteam responded:

MercurySteam: “A significant contribution might mean A LOT of things: from designing a playable character, writing dialogues, lore.. anything substantially important to the game. On the 25% this is something based on our experience. Of course it can be seen differently elsewhere.”

It should be noted that it is common across the video game industry for developers not to be credited for various reasons, likely outlined in their contracts in advance of any work undertaken. It is also likely that company policies are created for specific reasons that we are simply not entitled to know. That being said, we believe that, at the very least, anyone who has contributed to Metroid Dread, and whose work is present in the final game, should be given acknowledgement in the credits, as doing so could greatly enrich the individual’s career prospects, especially for one as notable as this game, which has had nothing but positivity so far.

While this may be common practice in the video game industry, we feel that that MercurySteam could be a catalyst for change, and relax their policy to make things right, updating the in-game credits for Metroid Dread to include the talented inviduals who worked on the game, and has their work present in the final product. We ask that they allow people to see who was responsible for creating this game, and allow these people the opportunity to show their connection to a massive hit that we have enjoyed so much.

We have a lot of respect for everyone at MercurySteam, and the work that went into Metroid Dread. The Shinesparkers team have had a blast playing through the game, and we believe they have delivered a solid Metroid experience. But they now have an opportunity to impress us once again, and show the industry how crediting should be done. We have asked MercurySteam if they have any further comments they wish to make, and will ensure these are updated on this page if they are able to provide them.

We want to thank MercurySteam for their response, and look forward to any further comments they may have on the matter.

Source: Vandal, MercurySteam