Nearly a year ago, icons based on Metroid Prime Remastered were shared through Nintendo Switch Online to mark the game’s release. Now, they’ve returned. If you didn’t pick them up the first time and want them, this is your chance! They are available once again until January 4th at 4:59pm PST, so stock up on your Platinum Points!
Source: NSO Icons Alerts
Every December, we close out the year with our annual End of Year feature. In this we have highlighted the Metroid news we got in 2023, primarily the surprise release of Metroid Prime Remastered, and all of the interviews, Community Spotlights, features and podcast episodes we shared. We interviewed a total of seven Metroid developers, including Kit and Krysta, LeRoy Strauss and the directors of multiple live-action commercials. Additionally, we published five Community Spotlights, and our Creative Director Roy led an investigation that identified the vast majority of all previously unknown actresses who have voiced or portrayed Samus.
On behalf of the Shinesparkers team, we want to thank all of our readers for their continuing support this year. From all of us, Happy New Year! May we all receive the Metroid news we have been awaiting in 2024, namely, a trailer/release date for Metroid Prime 4.
Our last interview of 2023 is with Yasuo Kanemaki, the director of the Japanese Super Metroid commercial! While it was only ever aired in Japan, the commercial has become very popular with Western fans since being uploaded to the internet. This was the last of several interviews conducted as part of the investigation to identify Samus’s actresses. Kanemaki-san had a lot to say about the commercial, from the production design to the story concept, and even a frightening incident that occurred on set. We hope you’ll enjoy the interview!
For our third and final podcast of 2023, Amanda and Roy recorded an audio drama based on the Super Metroid comics in Nintendo Power. Amanda voices Samus and Virginia Aran, while Roy voices Armstrong Houston and Rodney Aran, and Amanda’s husband Dan voices Old Bird. We also answer listener submissions to our mailbag about their thoughts on Metroid Prime Remastered.
Podcast is hosted by Amanda, with team member Roy and guest Dan VanHiel.
00:00 – Introductions
00:42 – Topic: Recap of the Year
08:02 – Super Metroid Audio Drama
16:25 – Mailbag
21:32 – Bloopers
Today’s feature has been two years in the making. Back in January 2022, we published an interview with Lenka Volfová, who portrayed Samus in the live-action commercial for Metroid: Other M. That we finally managed to identify her after so long made me realize it was possible to find the rest of Samus’s actresses. While the public is already familiar with most of her voice actresses, the majority of the actresses who portrayed Samus in live-action commercials had never been identified. I wanted to change that, and ensure they would at long last be recognized. In January of this year, I began my investigation, with the goal of discovering who they were and what they were doing now. While I didn’t quite find all of them – three remain unaccounted for at the time of writing – I am incredibly proud of what I managed to achieve, finding eleven previously unknown actresses.
This feature is the result of a year-long investigation. More than that, it is a celebration of Samus Aran, an iconic video game heroine, and the many accomplished women who have worn her Power Suit since 1986. I hope that if they read this, they can feel proud to have played this beloved character.
The latest entry in our series of features on the races of Metroid is now available on Shinesparkers! Team member Quadraxis has written about the Chozo that settled on Elysia and developed SkyTown, before leaving the midair city for a simpler life on Tallon IV. As in features past, here Quaddy examines the history, physiology, culture and technology of this tribe of the Chozo, who eschewed weaponry and war for a life of peace and tranquility. We hope you consider reading this new feature!
Those of you who played Super Mario RPG likely remember one of its most memorable cameos. At a later point in the story, Mario can return to Mushroom Castle after defeating Yaridovich, and before going to Land’s End, to find Samus sleeping in the guest room bed. She wears her Power Suit, with air coming out of her oxygen tubes, and when spoken to, she says “I’m resting up for Mother Brain.”
We are pleased to report that she is still in the faithful Super Mario RPG remake that came out today. She also has a new Scrapbook entry written from Mario’s perspective, with some humorous puns. Additionally, as we saw in the remake’s trailer from the Nintendo Direct this summer, the Samus doll in Booster’s Tower makes a reappearance.
You can see Samus’s appearances in the original game and the remake at the links below. Have you seen her yet? Let us know on our social media!
Our last Community Spotlight of 2023 focuses on the incredible illustrator Pajarona. Much of her work depicts Samus’s Power Suits, particularly from Metroid Dread, and Ridley. You can check it out at the link below.
We are thrilled to share an interview with former Retro Studios artist LeRoy Strauss this month! LeRoy was an Environment Artist for the original Metroid Prime, and a Character Artist for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. LeRoy talked about making some of the most iconic rooms and characters in the games, and shared his thoughts on Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime Remastered, among other topics. We hope you’ll give it a read!
Our next Community Spotlight of 2023 is a tribute to Daniel Woodyer, also known as PirateCrab. He was a musician on our Harmony of Heroes and Harmony of a Hunter Returns albums who tragically passed away this past April. Shinesparkers team members Darren and Step, who worked with Daniel on the albums, wanted to share some words about collaborating with Daniel and their personal memories of him. We hope this Community Spotlight brings attention to this truly talented musician that was taken from us too soon.
