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Concept art of the deleted Kraid boss-battle in Metroid Prime

Greg Luzniak was an artist at Retro Studios during Metroid Prime's development. On his blog he has this amazing concept art that I don't think has been made public before:

24_Metriod_Prime_Concepts.jpg


I've searched the Metroid sites and wikis and not seen it posted, so there you are. It's an awesome concept for a much-missed boss.

In case you haven't seen it, the only image in the public domain so far was this test render:

MP_Kraid.jpg


Either way, he's come a long way since the good old days:

Kraidchibi.png
 

Ysiadmihi

Banned
I've always been kind of glad that Kraid didn't make the cut for Prime. It would have just felt like they were shoehorning in as much stuff from older games as possible to draw Metroid fans in.
 

Salsa

Member
Ysiadmihi said:
I've always been kind of glad that Kraid didn't make the cut for Prime. It would have just felt like they were shoehorning in as much stuff from older games as possible to draw Metroid fans in.

Why would they need to draw Metroid fans in if its already a Metroid game ?
 

gdt

Member
Ysiadmihi said:
I've always been kind of glad that Kraid didn't make the cut for Prime. It would have just felt like they were shoehorning in as much stuff from older games as possible to draw Metroid fans in.

Eh, he would've probably been another fantastic boss.
 
Poor Kraid, always getting shafted for a 3D appearance. Apparently a 3D
Phantoon
and
Nightmare
(Other M spoilers!) fights were a higher priority. And like a gajillion Ridley fights.
 

Salsa

Member
Green Mamba said:
Poor Kraid, always getting shafted for a 3D appearance. Apparently a 3D
Phantoon
and
Nightmare
(Other M spoilers!) fights were a higher priority. And like a gajillion Ridley fights.

Those were awesome surprises though.
 
Phendrana was supposed to have another major boss battle?

I wonder if Magmoor was ever intended to have a boss. I've always felt it was missing something.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
strx said:
They were lame surprises. Very, very lame.

To hell with you, they were both friggen amazing. Especially
Phantoon
.
 

legacyzero

Banned
<3 Metroid!

Oh, and DAT ART. Some of the most impressive stuff I'd seen back in the Metroid Prime days.

Was anybody else really scared when they found out it was going to be FPS and was relieved at how purely awesome it was?
 
Kraid looks so happy in that render!

That ice world boss makes me really wish they had squeezed it into the game. That's some really nice concept art, but, then again, when is anything out of Retro not impressive?
 

Archaix

Drunky McMurder
Green Mamba said:
Poor Kraid, always getting shafted for a 3D appearance. Apparently a 3D
Phantoon
and
Nightmare
(Other M spoilers!) fights were a higher priority. And like a gajillion Ridley fights.


Kraid was offered a spot in Other M and he turned it down, preferring to take no work but keep his options open. It was the right career move for him, and I wish I'd followed the same idea when deciding to play the game.
 

MechaX

Member
strx said:
They were lame surprises. Very, very lame.

I dunno,
Nightmare
was a pretty interesting surprise, but it was strange how he was much smaller than he was in his original appearance. The magic kinda ran out when fighting him for the second time, though.
Phantoon
was interesting (albeit very random) but... not really "end of the game" material. And they definitely didn't have to make him a boss with Bullet Hell Shooter tactics.
 
Nightmare
for me was only ruined because
he lacked his theme song from Metroid Fusion, which is super creepy. Instead they opted for some really bland sci-fi music
 

Magnus

Member
_dementia said:
oh damn, could you imagine the theme they'd compose for him? :O

Wouldn't want to if it sounded as tinny and crappy as the rest of the Prime soundtrack.

Boss battle looks like it would've been cool.
 

MechaX

Member
balladofwindfishes said:
Nightmare
for me was only ruined because
he lacked his theme song from Metroid Fusion, which is super creepy. Instead they opted for some really bland sci-fi music

Like Other M had music to begin with.
 

qq more

Member
Wow, that concept art is awesome. Shame he didn't make it in Metroid Prime.

Mama Robotnik said:
Either way, he's come a long way since the good old days:

Kraidchibi.png
Wow, I never knew he had hair at some point. Mind blown.
 

MNC

Member
Mama Robotnik said:
Couple more but probably less rare - from the portfolio of Andrew Jones.

ajones.gif


ajones2.jpg
Those have been made public though, but still awesome. Saving all these concept arts in my dropbox
 
Z

ZombieFred

Unconfirmed Member
It still amazes me on how much Retro put into Metroid Prime. That game is probably one of the all time greats in the previous generation, and a game that defied the quality Retro would be known for since then. Just thinking back when visiting the orbital station again when it sunked, how the atmosphere and exploration kept me in awe for the whole journey in the game. It'e a game that was perfect and how it defied the use of first-person for me.

I am happy to see more stuff on Kraid and glad he wasn't in the game, if they didn't have enough time or it wasn't working for them. But this just shows how much time they invested in a short time scale for this game, for how big the final product was. Thanks Mama for doing these threads.
 

Shiggy

Member
I still haven't played any of the Metroid Prime titles :/
Didn't enjoy such titles with pad controls, it should be better with the Wii Remote.
 
Ultimoo said:
Wow, Ridley in Echo would have been amazing, LOL.
I actually enjoy the fact that Ridley isn't in it. The game is full of new encounters. It's very fresh. Ridley is in just about every other Metroid game.

MechaX said:
Like Other M had music to begin with.
I know. Plus, the Samus Aran theme was cockteased to the maximum.
 
Not concept art but nonetless something I've found in the last few minutes. They're from Metroid Prime 3 and very spoilerish so avert thou eyes if you never played it.

8.jpg

7.jpg

6.jpg

5.jpg

4.jpg

3.jpg

2.jpg

1.jpg


I found these on one of the Metroid Prime 3's modeller's portfolios, and they really show off the detail in the models. Retro are graphics gods.
 

Neki

Member
I actually enjoy the fact that Ridley isn't in it. The game is full of new encounters. It's very fresh. Ridley is in just about every other Metroid game.


I know. Plus, the Samus Aran theme was cockteased to the maximum.

But..the Ridley fights are probably some of the best stuff you get. Ridley in MP1 and Ridley in the shaft in MP3 was like the best fights ever. :p
 

KevinCow

Banned
I get that they had to cut Kraid from Prime due to time constraints, but I don't get why he didn't make it into either of the sequels. He totally should've been the Pirate homeworld leviathan boss in Corruption. Instead we got another Ridley fight.
 
Another find in the last few minutes though a bit of an oddity. Its from the site of Rick Kohler who used to work at Retro Studios. I'm not a hundred percent sure its meant to be Metroid or not, but the visor style, mist on the visor and weapon-cross in the bottom-left corner sure do look like it.

kohler.jpg


HD and very detailed, clearly not a Wii or Gamecube game. Bit of a mystery that one.
 
Mama Robotnik said:
Another find in the last few minutes though a bit of an oddity. Its from the site of Rick Kohler who used to work at Retro Studios. I'm not a hundred percent sure its meant to be Metroid or not, but the visor style, mist on the visor and weapon-cross in the bottom-left corner sure do look like it.

http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q432/mappster32/kohler.jpg[IMG]

HD and vert detailed, clearly not a Wii or Gamecube game. Bit of a mystery that one.[/QUOTE]
Probably an early concept pitching the visor POV.
 
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