Metroid Prime Remastered is amazing, but not everyone is completely happy with the state of this Switch release. You may recall that the original Retro Studios development team voiced their displeasure with the game’s credits – note that the full original credits are not included.
Many team members talked about it when the remaster was released. Jack Matthews, now co-technical lead of his engineer, elaborated on how much the original developer contributed to the project in an interview with his YouTube podcast, Kiwi Talkz. By Reese Riley.
Here’s what he had to say in relation to the remaster, calling out Nintendo and the “top” people who make these decisions, but not trusting the original development staff:
It’s petty and ridiculous not to give credit to the people who did it… Think of all the designs, scripts, AI code, UI code. Artwork based on the original artwork by the original artist of the game. This is not just a concept or design that makes art, but something that they build on their own ideas.
Looking at the Talon Overworld, near the start of the game there is a large vertical tunnel with an X-ray visor on top. You know, a cool wooden bridge. It’s a bridge that looks like a giant tree branch…even if remade, it’s a work of art made from the mind of the artist who built it, not its concept artist, not necessarily its designer, but actually the first. and the remastered version largely traces it back to You know, why isn’t that original artist credited? It’s pretty deep.
The way Nintendo appears to be doing credits now is intentionally called staff credits. So basically I’m just trying to put the names of the people who were in the seats when the game was made. There are a lot of people listed in the staff credits who have nothing to do with the game.
Mathews also noted that the credits for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD included an “original staff” credit, which could be because many of the employees are still at Nintendo. I believe there is. I stood up for their team.”
He also noted that some of the deceased original Metroid Prime team members (Mark Hay Hutchinson and Andy O’Neill) were “directly represented” in the remaster but apparently uncredited. Many other team members also worked directly and indirectly on Switch releases.
Original team member Clark Wen (the original sound designer for Metroid Prime) was also recalled as a contractor for the remaster. According to Mathews, this proves that staff who “actually care about the legacy” worked with the original developers who contributed to the game.
It’s more than a 5 minute job, but it’s insignificant.Even if they make another screen in the extras menu, just like any other unlock they have when you beat the game , unlocked after you beat the game…a game that was only staff credits in the original…plays the same looping movie that plays behind the full game credits, and the original full Just insert staff credits. It’s that simple.
This sort of story seems to be happening more often these days, and it’s not just video games. Last week, legendary video game composer and DK Rap creator Grant Kirkhope discovered that his name was left out of his Mario Movie ending credits for Nintendo and Illumination. .
