dickroach
Member
sounds about right.
I remember loving Fusion, and then I didn't hear about Zero Mission till months and months after it came out and I already had a DS
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Why didn't Metroid: Zero Mission sell well (or at least sell over a million units)?
- Thread starter TheDinoman
- Start date
sounds about right.
I remember loving Fusion, and then I didn't hear about Zero Mission till months and months after it came out and I already had a DS
D.Lo
Member
That's not true at all. Batman AA was Metroid lite (the sequels even more so) and TR was Metroid ultra-lite. They're also full of cinematic bullshit. Exactly what people complained about in Other M.
HawthorneKitty
Sgt. 2nd Class in the Creep Battalion, Waifu Wars
You guys don't remember the tv commercial?
Metroid is an excellent series that is not appreciated by the masses for the most part. Zero Mission came towards the tail end of GBA's lifecycle and we had a Metroid releases by that point.
DS and DS Lite could play all GBA games. That is how I played the game.
DS and DS Lite could play all GBA games. That is how I played the game.
People tend to forget that Metroid Prime was something of a bait and switch for the "casual" (terrible world, but let's go with it) buyer at the time. People bought it because of the hype and marketing expecting something like Halo and were completely turned off by what they got.
-shadow-
Member
I think it was relatively low print. I remember wanting to purchase it back in 2004 after loving Fusion, but couldn't find a copy even if my life depended on it. It was in stores one day, gone the next and never restocked. I gave up all hope for a physical copy when the price started to skyrocket shortly after that.
Nitpicker_Red
Member
Having had my first Metroid as Fusion. (As a kid, the beep and blips in the silent rooms were the most impactful parts, because that's the kind of sounds you can hear at night nowadays.)
I didn't have Zero mission but I saw someone else play it at school and...
I remember at the time thinking that the "Zero suit" thing was weird and didn't fit, and the tone of the game seemed totally different from Fusion's (or Super that I played on emulator).
The enemies designs and color schemes seemed more "lighthearted" and colorful? The bold cartoonish design of the supplementary drawings also gave that same impression.
They somehow added a second suit and a whole temple area in what was supposed hostile environment?
There were weird 2x2 blocks with unreadable symbols on it that just "disappeared" when you shot them with the right "key" upgrade? (unlike the specific blocks reacting to a specific weapon with a symbol representing said weapon)
It just seemed weird compared to my previous Metroid experiences, at the time.
I didn't have Zero mission but I saw someone else play it at school and...
I remember at the time thinking that the "Zero suit" thing was weird and didn't fit, and the tone of the game seemed totally different from Fusion's (or Super that I played on emulator).
The enemies designs and color schemes seemed more "lighthearted" and colorful? The bold cartoonish design of the supplementary drawings also gave that same impression.
They somehow added a second suit and a whole temple area in what was supposed hostile environment?
There were weird 2x2 blocks with unreadable symbols on it that just "disappeared" when you shot them with the right "key" upgrade? (unlike the specific blocks reacting to a specific weapon with a symbol representing said weapon)
It just seemed weird compared to my previous Metroid experiences, at the time.
Steve McQueen
Member
Beats me. The game is still awesome as ever. One of my most beloved games on GBA and it looks glorious on my AGS 101
perfectchaos007
Member
I saw Other M at Walmart today. Still $50!
$49.88
Lord_Byron28
Member
While I'd say the GBA and GCN games had poor marketing. I felt the Wii games were well marketed. Especially Other M, it probably had the more commercials aired than the entire franchise combined had received.
Yeah Prime 2 doubled down on certain elements that made things more inaccessible. The dark world being the biggest one. I'd also argue that sales fell in half in large part due to not being that interested in the game. Metroid's appeal takes time to understand and fully explain. It's also not one of those games that are particularly exciting for most people to watch over your shoulder and play. Which is why it is harder to market. Also Nintendo has tried experimenting with the series which has only backfired. Metroid Prime Hunters was an interesting idea that deserved a full budget Wii game. That type of game was not suited for the DS but the product and reception would've likely been much better on Wii. Other M should've been a DS title.
VendettaRed07
Member
I remember not being interested in it at the time it came out because a remake of the first game just didn't seem appealing to me. I wasn't a fan of it and just thought it was sort of a throw away release
When I played it later I was blown away. I don't think Nintendo marketed it very well as it's pretty much a brand new game
When I played it later I was blown away. I don't think Nintendo marketed it very well as it's pretty much a brand new game
peanutbutterlatte
Member
In any case here's hoping that we don't get another 7-9 year sleep for the series after Samus Returns and MP4 come out...
Linkstrikesback
Member
Reminder that this was the same gen that 3d Mario was just short of 6m and 3d Zelda didn't reach 4.5m. Prime 1 being just short of 3m was doing very well for a GameCube game.
TheMoon
Member
This took way to long to come up. Halo is why Prime never made as big of a splash again after the first.
GBA wasn't "late in its life" when Zero Mission came out. Early 2004 is three years into a six years cycle. And what DS hype? There was no DS hype. There was DS anti-hype if anything. The argument you could make would be 16bit 2D graphics fatigue, people interested in those games moving on to consoles at the time.
ronaldthump
Member
Well, i think a lack of digital distribution for its time is an issue for these backlog titles - if they were available on an e-store; that + any sort of online sale would help to push it easily past a million.
Klappdrachen
Member
I would love to blame the awful Zero Suit or the too cartoonish comic book art style that killed the atmosphere, but it was probably because 2D games were becoming less popular back then. It's easier to sell a 2D game now than at the time ZM came out. Don't know if piracy was a factor as well.
But still, I really liked the game.
But still, I really liked the game.
Spukc
always chasing the next thrill
scorpio
BassForever
Member
I always thought zero mission was weird since Super Metroid already felt like a remake of the og Metroid with more so ANOTHER remake of the og Metroid with more didn't really scratch an itch. The fact zero mission was worse then Super with less content didn't help either. It was also shocking linear thanks to the stupid "go here" chozo statues that constantly halted your progress and limited your ability to explore.
HawthorneKitty
Sgt. 2nd Class in the Creep Battalion, Waifu Wars
I wish we knew what the budget for Prime games were.
Agent_Carnage
Member
People complained about the BAD cinematic bullshit in Other M. Cinematic isn't inherently bad. In fact most of the best games of the last few years have been cinematic and benefitted from it. Games like Zelda are the exception.
Edit: on subject. Because Metroid isn't that popular...why would you expect it to do 1m without a ton of marketing?
Lights and Waves
Member
Emulation.
I wouldn't hold your breath, Samus Return is not going to reach Fire Emblem Awakening sales and save the series.
It will get a modest sales at best.
Both Batman and Tomb Raider are cinematic heavy and simple to play, furthermore Batman went open world in the later games.
This pretty much, Metroid is a niche franchise with a very vocal fan base.
But if you skipped it how did you play it...unless you're admitting that you pirated the game.
Well then you better hope that they sell enough to encourage Nintendo to produce another Metroid game.
decoyplatypus
Member
I wasn't on GAF at the time, but I don't recall much excitement about Zero Mission leading up to its release. I have no idea what the marketing campaign was like. I doubt its ambiguous status as a remake of Metroid 1 helped.
Taking a wider perspective, the Metroid series has never been all that popular. It's possible Nintendo has to really work to rally new players to each game in order to break a million. Over time that gets harder to do. And I don't know that the 2D series has many big moves it can pull off to attract more attention (waifus are not an option here). The 3D series, at least, may get another shot at glory when Nintendo embraces VR..
Taking a wider perspective, the Metroid series has never been all that popular. It's possible Nintendo has to really work to rally new players to each game in order to break a million. Over time that gets harder to do. And I don't know that the 2D series has many big moves it can pull off to attract more attention (waifus are not an option here). The 3D series, at least, may get another shot at glory when Nintendo embraces VR..
I'd go with this as well.
Several factors:
-Metroid Prime & Fusion enjoyed a fair bit of hype simply because Metroid hadn't been seen in ages. Zero Mission didn't get that bump.
-Less advertisement. Fusion piggybacked on a shiny new console game's marketing budget, which is inherently going to be bigger than a handheld game's. ZM didn't. I still have a lanyard from when I was working retail at the time that Nintendo sent out for Prime, the badge on it had "Ask Me About Metroid Prime" on one side, and "Ask Me About Metroid Fusion" on the other. ZM just got a no-frills oversized game box to throw next to the demo units. (Which I also still have.)
-The GBA at the time of Fusion didn't have a ton of standouts, if only due to its relative infancy. ZM was entering a much more crowded market, the GBA release schedule was absolutely packed with instant classics once it hit its stride.
-Hovering around that same point, lots of franchises on GBA were firing in rapid succession. Lots of "Goddamn, another one already?" going around, and Metroid ZM's relative closeness to Fusion may have grouped it in with some of this sentiment.
-Holiday release vs. February release. The market was even more weighted toward holiday sales then than it was now, which is saying something.
-The artstyle was perceived as a step down from Fusion in screenshots, and streaming video to show off how it looked in motion wasn't exactly widespread or accessible. Youtube hadn't even been founded yet.
Looking back on it, even as a huge Metroid fan, I didn't jump on Zero Mission on day one. I wasn't hurting for things to play on my GBA by that point, I guess; To say nothing of the releases hitting for other consoles at the time. I didn't get it until later in the year, bundled with Circuit City's holiday exclusive Pearl White GBA SP. (I wonder if those sales counted towards the game's total, incidentally? I'm sure CC sold thousands of those across the chain that year.)
-Metroid Prime & Fusion enjoyed a fair bit of hype simply because Metroid hadn't been seen in ages. Zero Mission didn't get that bump.
-Less advertisement. Fusion piggybacked on a shiny new console game's marketing budget, which is inherently going to be bigger than a handheld game's. ZM didn't. I still have a lanyard from when I was working retail at the time that Nintendo sent out for Prime, the badge on it had "Ask Me About Metroid Prime" on one side, and "Ask Me About Metroid Fusion" on the other. ZM just got a no-frills oversized game box to throw next to the demo units. (Which I also still have.)
-The GBA at the time of Fusion didn't have a ton of standouts, if only due to its relative infancy. ZM was entering a much more crowded market, the GBA release schedule was absolutely packed with instant classics once it hit its stride.
-Hovering around that same point, lots of franchises on GBA were firing in rapid succession. Lots of "Goddamn, another one already?" going around, and Metroid ZM's relative closeness to Fusion may have grouped it in with some of this sentiment.
-Holiday release vs. February release. The market was even more weighted toward holiday sales then than it was now, which is saying something.
-The artstyle was perceived as a step down from Fusion in screenshots, and streaming video to show off how it looked in motion wasn't exactly widespread or accessible. Youtube hadn't even been founded yet.
Looking back on it, even as a huge Metroid fan, I didn't jump on Zero Mission on day one. I wasn't hurting for things to play on my GBA by that point, I guess; To say nothing of the releases hitting for other consoles at the time. I didn't get it until later in the year, bundled with Circuit City's holiday exclusive Pearl White GBA SP. (I wonder if those sales counted towards the game's total, incidentally? I'm sure CC sold thousands of those across the chain that year.)
Gotdatmoney
Member
Please Port Hunters with expanded online component. God I love that game.
2D Castlevanias were never that popular to begin with, sadly.
it's like 8 on ebay
Because I was a stupid kid and didn't realize that the game would've been worth buying a million copies of.
I dunno, man. I think everyone was just in that Metroid Prime hype train at the time, and just wanted more first-person Metroid. I'm also not sure about the general public, but I remember myself thinking "it's just a remake of the first game with a short Zero Suit section tacked on at the end", when it's actually way more than that. It's my favourite Metroid game ever now.
I dunno, man. I think everyone was just in that Metroid Prime hype train at the time, and just wanted more first-person Metroid. I'm also not sure about the general public, but I remember myself thinking "it's just a remake of the first game with a short Zero Suit section tacked on at the end", when it's actually way more than that. It's my favourite Metroid game ever now.
There was a movie planned in the heady days after Metroid Prime came out (so around holiday 2002 and winter 2003), it just never got anywhere.
SoundPulse
Banned
It had less of a marketing push than Prime/Fusion, if I recall.
The US commercial doesn't really tell you anything about the game. The Who Are You? campaign always felt kind of silly to me.
The US commercial doesn't really tell you anything about the game. The Who Are You? campaign always felt kind of silly to me.
Metroid games in general don't get any marketing. That is and was the main reason. The only game actually getting decent marketing with an actual good trailer was Other M and that bomb for other reasons. I never saw an ad for Prime 2 for example. And i watched a lot of TV back then.
thestopsign
Member
February 2004-September 2004
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $4,364,623 151807
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $2,535,471 86543
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $1,238,107 41483
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $938,681 31619
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $969,208 32300
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $690,559 22947
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $478,030 15,912
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $400,301 13,482
Total = 396,093
It sold okay in the US. That's what I have for the first months on the market. It probably ended up over 500k total in the US alone and I bet it was super close to a million world wide. The series suffers from not being popular in Japan, so it doesn't have the benefit most Nintendo series have of being world wide properties.
Series data in Japan:
FC Metroid [Famicom Disk System] 1.040.000 Nintendo 8/6/1986
GBA Metroid Fusion 49.680 155.528 Nintendo 2/14/2003
NDS Metroid Prime: Hunters 32.613 90.028 Nintendo 6/1/2006
GBA Metroid: Zero Mission 39.112 85.045 Nintendo 5/27/2004
NGC Metroid Prime 39.829 78.384 Nintendo 2/28/2003
WII Metroid: Other M 44.103 75.578 Nintendo 9/2/2010
WII Metroid Prime 3: Corruption 34.151 74.647 Nintendo 3/6/2008
GBA Famicom Mini 23: Metroid 14.900 50.353 Nintendo 8/10/2004
NGC Metroid Prime 2: Echoes 17.680 40.355 Nintendo 5/26/2005
WII New Play Control! Metroid Prime 5.200 20.607 Nintendo 2/19/2009
NDS Metroid Prime: Pinball 15.541 Nintendo 1/19/2006
WII New Play Control! Metroid Prime 2: Echoes 1.700 12.427 Nintendo 6/11/2009
3DS Metroid Prime: Federation Force 4.286 6.090 Nintendo 8/25/2016
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $4,364,623 151807
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $2,535,471 86543
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $1,238,107 41483
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $938,681 31619
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $969,208 32300
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $690,559 22947
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $478,030 15,912
GBA METROID ZERO MISSION $400,301 13,482
Total = 396,093
It sold okay in the US. That's what I have for the first months on the market. It probably ended up over 500k total in the US alone and I bet it was super close to a million world wide. The series suffers from not being popular in Japan, so it doesn't have the benefit most Nintendo series have of being world wide properties.
Series data in Japan:
FC Metroid [Famicom Disk System] 1.040.000 Nintendo 8/6/1986
GBA Metroid Fusion 49.680 155.528 Nintendo 2/14/2003
NDS Metroid Prime: Hunters 32.613 90.028 Nintendo 6/1/2006
GBA Metroid: Zero Mission 39.112 85.045 Nintendo 5/27/2004
NGC Metroid Prime 39.829 78.384 Nintendo 2/28/2003
WII Metroid: Other M 44.103 75.578 Nintendo 9/2/2010
WII Metroid Prime 3: Corruption 34.151 74.647 Nintendo 3/6/2008
GBA Famicom Mini 23: Metroid 14.900 50.353 Nintendo 8/10/2004
NGC Metroid Prime 2: Echoes 17.680 40.355 Nintendo 5/26/2005
WII New Play Control! Metroid Prime 5.200 20.607 Nintendo 2/19/2009
NDS Metroid Prime: Pinball 15.541 Nintendo 1/19/2006
WII New Play Control! Metroid Prime 2: Echoes 1.700 12.427 Nintendo 6/11/2009
3DS Metroid Prime: Federation Force 4.286 6.090 Nintendo 8/25/2016