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My research into Metroid Prime’s gargantuan cut content.

Velti

Neo Member
I think some of the theorizing is flat-out ridiculous*, but it's a great collection none-the-less!

*IE: the "friendly creature" seems to be concept art for the lumigeks in the impact crater. The multiple environmental thumbnails from said crater are exploring the look and feel for the environment, not necessarily suggesting a huge area. The "speed booster" images look more like double jump and dodge mechanics to me, but who knows. The "flying boss" looks like early concepts for the aero-pirates, which have very similar faces, and the "friendly chozo" looks like a portfolio piece giving us a better look at the models of the chozo ghosts, which, frankly, rocks my face b/c i loved them, and we never got to get a good look at them.
 
Hope it´s ok to post in this old thread, but i think it´s the most fitting one for my question.

I´m currently replaying Metroid Prime (Wii Edition) and i stumbled upon this room:
img_20140311_024859v1j81.jpg
It was a Missile Expansion room hidden behind some leaves, that you could only find via X-Ray visor. So normally you wouldn´t notice the wall.

I´m kind of baffled about this, the symbol is nowwhere to be found in the entire remaining game and I never saw it used in the Metroid series.

So why would Retro put the insignia of the german Bundeswehr into the game?
(That also the Nazis used)
 

troushers

Member
Great work. Hate the "Meyroid" prime logos. That animation of the robot/android chozo is very well done - the suggestion of birdlike movement through some head angles and the speed of movement in looking around is excellent.
 

MDX

Member
Hope it´s ok to post in this old thread, but i think it´s the most fitting one for my question.

I´m currently replaying Metroid Prime (Wii Edition) and i stumbled upon this room:

It was a Missile Expansion room hidden behind some leaves, that you could only find via X-Ray visor. So normally you wouldn´t notice the wall.

I´m kind of baffled about this, the symbol is nowwhere to be found in the entire remaining game and I never saw it used in the Metroid series.

So why would Retro put the insignia of the german Bundeswehr into the game?
(That also the Nazis used)


I see a snow angel
 
Just a bump to add a bit of new content. Michael Wikan, who was a senior game designer at Retro Studios, has posted two of the earliest Metroid Prime concepts that I have ever seen, from one of his old notebooks:

vmo6wp3.jpg


Back in 2000 I was doing the initial pass of level layouts for Metroid Prime. This was one of the scribbles in my notebooks exploring a room idea I had. It survived in a modified form in the final game.

Just found this long lost illo in an old sketchbook.

S4zRh1x.jpg


Found one more Relic from my Metroid Prime days. This was my original Sheegoth sketch as I was working out how it should act in the game.

This is how it ended up in game.

ImCSHeD.jpg

It really shows how far the game developed, from the earliest rough notebook sketches through to the best game of its generation.
 
Just a bump to add a bit of new content. Michael Wikan, who was a senior game designer at Retro Studios, has posted two of the earliest Metroid Prime concepts that I have ever seen, from one of his old notebooks:

vmo6wp3.jpg




S4zRh1x.jpg




It really shows how far the game developed, from the earliest rough notebook sketches through to the best game of its generation.

Thanks for linking; nice to see folk hold onto those original drawings.
 

Ein Bear

Member
Just a bump to add a bit of new content. Michael Wikan, who was a senior game designer at Retro Studios, has posted two of the earliest Metroid Prime concepts that I have ever seen, from one of his old notebooks:

vmo6wp3.jpg




S4zRh1x.jpg




It really shows how far the game developed, from the earliest rough notebook sketches through to the best game of its generation.

Thanks for posting these, I find every little nugget absolutely fascinating. Do you happen to know which room in the final game that sketch turned into? I can't place it off the top of my head.
 

Appleman

Member
Thanks for posting these, I find every little nugget absolutely fascinating. Do you happen to know which room in the final game that sketch turned into? I can't place it off the top of my head.

Center part looks like a pool that's reminiscent of a room in Chozo Ruins
 

Rodin

Member
Thanks for the update, the bump made me see this thread. All this incredibly awesome stuff about my favorite game of all time is almost making me cry.

And that Mother Brain concept...
 

LordOfChaos

Member
That Chozo concept is gorgeous. Love how it blends sci-fi with what look like traditional themes (though I may just be thinking that because it's feather based...Which makes sense because they're birds, but it reminds me of Mi'kmaq ceremonial wear) I would love to see them explored more. There's the manga...But ehh. I wonder if something like, a left behind Chozo that wants to take the galaxy for himself could happen...

Nnqn6.jpg
 

LiamR

Member
Super Metroid

B6xkN.jpg


(Source: Danny Richardson)

This image would appear to confirm that more connectivity content was intended for Metroid Prime. It seems that when connected to Metroid Fusion, the Gamecube would allow full access to the transcendent Super Metroid. Had this been implemented on release, it could be argued that the Metroid Prime disc would consequently contain the two very best Metroid games in existence.

An update on this one. I spoke to someone formerly of Retro Studios about this. It was 100% built into the game, but Nintendo had Retro remove it over a policy they had which prohibited use of third party emulators. I did a video on it with a bit more information here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9YnKOGsmQ
 

ugoo18

Member
That Chozo concept is gorgeous. Love how it blends sci-fi with what look like traditional themes (though I may just be thinking that because it's feather based...Which makes sense because they're birds, but it reminds me of Mi'kmaq ceremonial wear) I would love to see them explored more. There's the manga...But ehh. I wonder if something like, a left behind Chozo that wants to take the galaxy for himself could happen...

Nnqn6.jpg

That looks amazing
 

Neiteio

Member
I've never been able to get into the Metroid lore, and I think it's because of the term "Space Pirates." I just... I just can't take it seriously. Like it's easier for me to take Mario lore seriously.

Seriously.
 

SolVanderlyn

Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
I love when great threads get bumped, so I can read them again.
 
Good shit. Reminds me of the hours I spent looking at the concept art pages. The level of detail that went into some of these practice designs is absolutely insane.

The Trilogy is on the E-Shop, it's a great experience for people who haven't played the games!

Oh wow this thread is old as hell, I didn't even realize.
 

Red Hood

Banned
I don't even like Metroid Prime (I prefer the 2D entries), but I have nothing less than the utmost mad respect for your research. That's fucking crazy.
 
A bump for a new concept piece discovery:

A detailed concept of the cut Sheegoth-style boss from Phendara (the one that was replaced with Thardus in the final game). We have seen this image before, but smaller and with much less detail.

g43MUAj.jpg


(Source: Greg Luzniak)

It was planned to be MASSIVE.
 

Iced

Member
I would pay handsomely for a Metroid artbook in the style of Hyrule Hystoria. Did you hear me, Nintendo?

HANDSOMELY.
 

PetrCobra

Member
This makes me wonder if they'd be able to pull off an accomplishment like Metroid Prime today, in that genre, or if the constant talent turnover over the years means that they are such a different studio nowadays that it's best not to try going back to their roots at this point.
 

ChaosXVI

Member
Man, I hope Retro gets to do another Prime game someday. There's still enough people there from the old days for them to know what they're doing, but plenty of fresh blood that have joined since 2007 who could contribute plenty of new ideas if their DKC games are anything to go by.

Having said that, I'd love to see Queen Sheegoth (or whatever) be resurrected as a boss concept for a new Metroid game. Metroid needs more insanely complex/massive bosses. I want something that shits on Quadraxis!
 

SolVanderlyn

Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
A bump for a new concept piece discovery:

A detailed concept of the cut Sheegoth-style boss from Phendara (the one that was replaced with Thardus in the final game). We have seen this image before, but smaller and with much less detail.

g43MUAj.jpg


(Source: Greg Luzniak)

It was planned to be MASSIVE.
Oh, wow.
 
It doesn't look much like a metroid villain for whatever reason, so I see why it was cut. Still, it's a pretty cool design and hopefully it pops back up somewhere. Definitely looks like a boss you couldn't take many hits from, no matter how big your life gauge was.

Thanks Mama, your research is greatness in action.
 
This makes me wonder if they'd be able to pull off an accomplishment like Metroid Prime today, in that genre, or if the constant talent turnover over the years means that they are such a different studio nowadays that it's best not to try going back to their roots at this point.

There are still a hell of a lot of people at Retro that worked on the Prime games still there.
 

ChaosXVI

Member
It doesn't look much like a metroid villain for whatever reason, so I see why it was cut. Still, it's a pretty cool design and hopefully it pops back up somewhere. Definitely looks like a boss you couldn't take many hits from, no matter how big your life gauge was.

I would imagine it was probably cut for time/system capabilities couldn't meet their vision for it. The boss it was replaced with has some early artwork of it being a lava themed boss in Magmoor Caverns, which is the only area in the game without a boss of any kind, let alone a major boss.
 

Kindekuma

Banned
Holy smokes there's a lot of cool content about MP that never made it to the light of day.

That Prime Sheegoth boss looks rad as fuck.
 
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