RyougaSaotome
Member
Awesome thread Mama. This is some killer stuff.
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My research into Metroid Primes gargantuan cut content.
- Thread starter Mama Robotnik
- Start date
IISANDERII
Member
My favourite part of the game was reading the logs and I would've loved to see this.A surviving Chozo?
(Source: Metroid Prime Instruction Manual)
(Source: Martin LHeureux)
This intriguing image and animation would suggest that at some point, at least one Chozo (or a sleek robotic recreation of one) was operating on Talon IV. The animation seems to suggest caution and stealth, a far cry from the deranged Chozo ghosts seen in the final release.
Could secret sabotage from this creature be the reason for the various failures and delays reported by the Space Pirates in their logs?
A lot of content was cut...makes me want to play the sequel now, even after all these years.
This thread delivers.
legacyzero
Banned
Love me some Metroid Prime! Still surprised at how awesome it was. I remember how reluctant to accept it that I was because I loved 2D Metroid the way I did. Boy was I ever wrong.
Yeah, that's my take as well. "Cut" seems a bit strong of a term, they're mostly exploratory ideas or designs that were either taken in slightly different directions in the final product, or just brainstorms that never got fleshed out.
I think you'd find almost every game has a similar clutch of alternate designs and concepting that doesn't make it into the final product. Probably a lot more on average, actually.
Holy shit at Sheegoth Prime and Chozo Suit Ridley. I definitely think the former would have been a really kick-ass encounter if they could have implemented it.
Also, the Omega Metroid being unlockable via Metroid Prime - Fusion connectability actually would have been a fairly awesome idea (albeit, a bit problematic for playability on the Wii or through the Trilogy version).
Also, the Omega Metroid being unlockable via Metroid Prime - Fusion connectability actually would have been a fairly awesome idea (albeit, a bit problematic for playability on the Wii or through the Trilogy version).
The Main Event
Member
Makes this amazing game even more amazing.
FunkyPajamas
Member
Full HD remake, two generations from now with all these assets properly incorporated into the game. <3 I'd love that.
Mama Robotnik
Member
Thanks for the enthusiastic comments, really glad you guys enjoyed it! Such positive reception only encourages more exploration.
Just to echo the sentiment, Metroid Prime is my favourite game of the last generation. I've raved on elsewhere about its considerable strengths, so I won't repeat myself. Exploring this excised content is not intended to be critical, more to give us a deeper understanding of a majestic game.
Though some of the content was undoubtedly cut for budget and time reasons, a lot of it was almost certainly down to certain ideas having a detrimental affect on the game. Perhaps Sheegoth Prime was simply not a fun battle? Perhaps the Chozo incarnate or possessed Ridley were too convoluted?
What I would love would be a chance to see a HD remix of the game, with some of these elements re-implemented as an alternate quest. I'd be giddy over a chance to explore the Impact Crater, to understand Mother Brain's machinations, to battle Kraid in the third dimension, and to meet a living/robotic Chozo. The idea of a spiritually ascended Ridley is tantalising!
However, Retro produced a near-perfect game, and if they felt this content resulted in a less quality product, I absolutely trust their judgement.
Just to echo the sentiment, Metroid Prime is my favourite game of the last generation. I've raved on elsewhere about its considerable strengths, so I won't repeat myself. Exploring this excised content is not intended to be critical, more to give us a deeper understanding of a majestic game.
Though some of the content was undoubtedly cut for budget and time reasons, a lot of it was almost certainly down to certain ideas having a detrimental affect on the game. Perhaps Sheegoth Prime was simply not a fun battle? Perhaps the Chozo incarnate or possessed Ridley were too convoluted?
What I would love would be a chance to see a HD remix of the game, with some of these elements re-implemented as an alternate quest. I'd be giddy over a chance to explore the Impact Crater, to understand Mother Brain's machinations, to battle Kraid in the third dimension, and to meet a living/robotic Chozo. The idea of a spiritually ascended Ridley is tantalising!
However, Retro produced a near-perfect game, and if they felt this content resulted in a less quality product, I absolutely trust their judgement.
Mama Robotnik
Member
Just to add, I've done a bit more digging into the Metroid Wiki site, and some clever person has had this idea before we did:
http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Thardus#Trivia
That speculation makes sense to me. I remember during a playthrough thinking those rooms were rather unusually big for no reason.
I've done a scan around for any concept pieces or animation snippets that show Thardus in his original environment, no luck unfortunately.
Wow, I thought I had seen all your previous work, but it's obvious I missed some things.
It's funny, until now I had never really thought of Prime as lacking in anything, but after looking at all this cut content, and your speculations on each piece (which I fully agree with), it seems like it would have been so much richer.
Magmoor and Impact Crater being larger and with added content, each major area having a boss, Kraid being in the game, I never previously thought of as serious omissions, but I don't think I'll ever quite look at the game the same way now.
That is not to disrespect the game at all, I still revere it highly, but there literally nothing in that OP that would have seemed like too much, or out of place if it all had been included.
It's not only a testament to Retro's creativity, but also to how amazing the game still is.
It's funny, until now I had never really thought of Prime as lacking in anything, but after looking at all this cut content, and your speculations on each piece (which I fully agree with), it seems like it would have been so much richer.
Magmoor and Impact Crater being larger and with added content, each major area having a boss, Kraid being in the game, I never previously thought of as serious omissions, but I don't think I'll ever quite look at the game the same way now.
That is not to disrespect the game at all, I still revere it highly, but there literally nothing in that OP that would have seemed like too much, or out of place if it all had been included.
It's not only a testament to Retro's creativity, but also to how amazing the game still is.
There is a difference between cut content and completed stuff that is on the disc or ready for download on day 1.
Anyway fantastic thread Mama Robotnik, I can't wait to see more.
Fimbulvetr
Member
Fantastic thread (though you spelled Tallon wrong in the opening 
). I'm curious about that Mother Brain concept; what is there to tie it to the first game rather than the sequels? That Samus design used for scale in it wasn't around for the first game (it's also weird that it doesn't sport an arm cannon).
Another interesting tidbit from all this is the presence of the original Space Pirate design in action in Martin L'Heureux's showreel. The design is much more reminiscent of the Zebesian look from the earlier games, down to the claw cannons, and it can be seen in the instruction manual for the game, though the only hint of its existence in the game itself is some decaying body parts in a container in the Phendrana pirate base (there's a giant claw cannon among them, maybe there was an Elite Pirate design based off the older model at some point as well?).
). I'm curious about that Mother Brain concept; what is there to tie it to the first game rather than the sequels? That Samus design used for scale in it wasn't around for the first game (it's also weird that it doesn't sport an arm cannon). Another interesting tidbit from all this is the presence of the original Space Pirate design in action in Martin L'Heureux's showreel. The design is much more reminiscent of the Zebesian look from the earlier games, down to the claw cannons, and it can be seen in the instruction manual for the game, though the only hint of its existence in the game itself is some decaying body parts in a container in the Phendrana pirate base (there's a giant claw cannon among them, maybe there was an Elite Pirate design based off the older model at some point as well?).
Very nice work. I really love Retro's concept art. It's pretty amazing that they went from doing that type of art to the uplifting art of Donkey Kong Country Returns. I want to see them make a new Metroid for the Wii U.
Does anyone here prefer the GCN controls over the motion controls on the trilogy disk? I played through Metroid Prime with motion controls and I don't know which way I should play Metroid Prime 2.
Does anyone here prefer the GCN controls over the motion controls on the trilogy disk? I played through Metroid Prime with motion controls and I don't know which way I should play Metroid Prime 2.
I'm in the minority that prefers the GC controls, myself. I just get tired of the Wii controls after a short while. Personal preference, not a knock against them.
Awesome thread like the last one; there are definitely some animations and pieces of art that I have never seen before in this bunch. I'm definitely looking forward to what else you can uncover.
That Magmoor speculation is quite intriguing, and if true, I like how they were able to turn both those rooms into something that is still fun and functional. My memory is a bit foggy at this point, but didn't the Triclops Pit even begin on an elevated level like Quarantine Chamber (or whatever Thardus' room was called) before dropping you off in the main room? I too must echo the sentiment of needing to replay Prime… Interesting to think that Thardus was possibly meant for Magmoor when his battle works so well in the snow in the final game.
Mama Robotnik, I also noticed while multi‑quoting your post that the link in your tag extends all the way to the post information (i.e. Today, 6:00 PM). I can't say I've ever seen that before.
I think that the motion controls really make the Prime games a better experience, but at the same time when I replayed the first two after Prime 3 I was certainly able to adjust to the old controls. Having said that, I would definitely recommend the Wii controls for Prime 2; in my opinion Prime 2 is a transitional game that starts to push Prime's control scheme a little far in terms of combat. By that I mean that the game is a little combat‑heavy for the lock‑on controls and there is a certain powerup that works far better with Wii controls than on GCN. Prime was certainly designed around its controls, but I think Echoes pushed those controls a little too far at times. Starting Echoes on Wii also means you can begin with a lower difficulty level than was originally offered if you think the potential frustration of the game may be too much for you (and otherwise you can opt to ignore it). Of course I am somewhat biased in that I really longed for a Wii port of the original games after playing Prime 3, and don't really see myself returning to the GCN setup in the future, but that's my take on the matter.
That Magmoor speculation is quite intriguing, and if true, I like how they were able to turn both those rooms into something that is still fun and functional. My memory is a bit foggy at this point, but didn't the Triclops Pit even begin on an elevated level like Quarantine Chamber (or whatever Thardus' room was called) before dropping you off in the main room? I too must echo the sentiment of needing to replay Prime… Interesting to think that Thardus was possibly meant for Magmoor when his battle works so well in the snow in the final game.
Mama Robotnik, I also noticed while multi‑quoting your post that the link in your tag extends all the way to the post information (i.e. Today, 6:00 PM). I can't say I've ever seen that before.
I think that the motion controls really make the Prime games a better experience, but at the same time when I replayed the first two after Prime 3 I was certainly able to adjust to the old controls. Having said that, I would definitely recommend the Wii controls for Prime 2; in my opinion Prime 2 is a transitional game that starts to push Prime's control scheme a little far in terms of combat. By that I mean that the game is a little combat‑heavy for the lock‑on controls and there is a certain powerup that works far better with Wii controls than on GCN. Prime was certainly designed around its controls, but I think Echoes pushed those controls a little too far at times. Starting Echoes on Wii also means you can begin with a lower difficulty level than was originally offered if you think the potential frustration of the game may be too much for you (and otherwise you can opt to ignore it). Of course I am somewhat biased in that I really longed for a Wii port of the original games after playing Prime 3, and don't really see myself returning to the GCN setup in the future, but that's my take on the matter.
dancrane212
Member
Once again fantastic thread. I'm really looking forward to the next one, MP3 was my favorite and I'd love to see some of the behind the scenes info from the game.
I wonder how they were gonna have you fight Thardus in Magmoor. It must have been completely different, seeing how the Thermal Visor completely shits itself in Magmoor.
Also, on this:
I love how bird-like its movements are. Great attention to detail. It makes me want to see a game where the Chozo aren't extinct.
Also, on this:
I love how bird-like its movements are. Great attention to detail. It makes me want to see a game where the Chozo aren't extinct.
The first thing that crossed my mind was how scary that concept was. Jesus, Retro had (has?) such kickass artists.
Mama Robotnik
Member
The OP has been updated with more content that I just discovered, including some more animations, images and other stuff that I think is pretty interesting.
I've also discovered something that has (personally) blown my mind a bit for the next thread, will try and have it up later.
I've also discovered something that has (personally) blown my mind a bit for the next thread, will try and have it up later.
That's amazing Mama, you really are a legendary poster.
What a brilliant design. Such a shame this enemy couldn't make it into the game.
Again a brilliant design. Just goes to show how much of a fine line it must be between ensuring you put out the best game and meeting a reasonable deadline. So much of this content looks like it could have stayed.
It kinda reminds me that Magmoor Caverns really did need a boss (even though it was mostly just a through-way).
What a brilliant design. Such a shame this enemy couldn't make it into the game.
Holy shit, Chozo Suit Ridley
Again a brilliant design. Just goes to show how much of a fine line it must be between ensuring you put out the best game and meeting a reasonable deadline. So much of this content looks like it could have stayed.
It kinda reminds me that Magmoor Caverns really did need a boss (even though it was mostly just a through-way).
Mama Robotnik
Member
It's actually strange that, even without its boss, Magmoor might be my favourite location in the game. The music, the thrill of leaping over lava and the atmosphere that the place could overflow with lava at any moment, is amazing!
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I also prefer the GC controls. So much so that I'm probably going to pawn off the Trilogy and rebuy the original versions. I liked that the lock-on just snapped your aim to a target -- there's no real need for aiming. Switching weapons/visors also felt a lot better. Minor things, sure, but they add up. And apart from that, the Trilogy's missing various visual effects. Oh well...
beelzebozo
Jealous Bastard
i love the design of that jetpack on the space pirate a LOT. the idea of using a captive metroid's abilities for flight is so questionable where eco-ethics are concerned that it fits right in with the space pirate modus operandi. i kind of wish that had been kept in.
m.robotnik, this is spectacular work, and makes me long for more quality metroid.
m.robotnik, this is spectacular work, and makes me long for more quality metroid.
StoppedInTracks
Member
Incredible thread for a incredible game from incredible studio.
Mama Robotnik
Member
In typical fashion, I've discovered more things after the fact. The OP now also contains:
-Early concepts for Samus' suit, gun, beam upgrades (Crocomire!) and the appearance of Tallon IV.
-A higher quality image of one of the Ridley designs.
-The Space Pirate organic weapon designs.
-An early opening animation.
-Animation from the alternate Parasite Queen battle.
-A fantastic concept piece of what may be a living warrior Chozo (or something wearing its battle armour).
The OP also includes links to the Metroid 1.5, 2 Remake, 2 Echoes, 3 Corruption, Hunters and "Toon Metroid" threads.
-Early concepts for Samus' suit, gun, beam upgrades (Crocomire!) and the appearance of Tallon IV.
-A higher quality image of one of the Ridley designs.
-The Space Pirate organic weapon designs.
-An early opening animation.
-Animation from the alternate Parasite Queen battle.
-A fantastic concept piece of what may be a living warrior Chozo (or something wearing its battle armour).
The OP also includes links to the Metroid 1.5, 2 Remake, 2 Echoes, 3 Corruption, Hunters and "Toon Metroid" threads.
Mama Robotnik
Member
A bump to add the following new discoveries:
Very Very Early Title Screen and Menu Themes
(Source: Bernardette Lacarte)
These images represent some of the earliest concepts I've ever seen from Metroid Prime. I'd guess they were throwing out lots of different ideas of the game's "look".
Alternate UI
Alternate station landling pad
The station Samus lands at during the opening sequence, was dramatically changed in development.
Nintendo of America unused Promotional Logos
(Source: Tim Garet)
N.O.A were focus testing the above logos to promote the game. The ones with ticks next to them were approved by focus groups. In the end, none of these were used.
Very Very Early Title Screen and Menu Themes
(Source: Bernardette Lacarte)
These images represent some of the earliest concepts I've ever seen from Metroid Prime. I'd guess they were throwing out lots of different ideas of the game's "look".
Alternate UI
Alternate station landling pad
The station Samus lands at during the opening sequence, was dramatically changed in development.
Nintendo of America unused Promotional Logos
(Source: Tim Garet)
N.O.A were focus testing the above logos to promote the game. The ones with ticks next to them were approved by focus groups. In the end, none of these were used.
PinkCrayon
Member
All this just makes me wish so much harder for a new Metroid game.
Those menus are so cool, get a real steampunk feel from them.
Those menus are so cool, get a real steampunk feel from them.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
Mama I love your threads.
Just finished reading the whole thing. Fantastic stuff.
Just finished reading the whole thing. Fantastic stuff.
Samurai_Heart
Member
How did I miss a Mama Robotnik thread? Love these threads =D, will savour it =)
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