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Why is the Metroid series not more popular in Japan?
- Thread starter dan2026
- Start date
Monster Hunter maybe though it has the communal aspect that's amplified in a dense country like Japan but Dragon Quest is pretty easy and straight forward.
It's been a niche series in Japan with gameplay that appealed more to western audiences, especially North America where Metroid 2 was released first, then advertised as "popular in America" in the Japanese commercial, and Metroid's popularity in NA influenced the creation of the SNES version.
It's probably similar to how Dragon Quest was never as popular as it was in Japan, and RPGs didn't really get popular in the west until Final Fantasy 7.
It's probably similar to how Dragon Quest was never as popular as it was in Japan, and RPGs didn't really get popular in the west until Final Fantasy 7.
SquirrelWide
Member
Thread was over after this. We have a winner.
TheProudCanadian
Neo Member
I hadn't considered these two franchises before, but imagining the oft-speculated "Space Souls" taking place in the Metroid universe fills me with curiosity and excitement.
Hell, even the vagueness of the Chozo/Space Pirate lore fits perfectly with the Souls' series style of storytelling through shreds of evidence derived from observation and deduction.
Combat would be very, very different from DS however, as I really don't see a good way to mesh the weapon variety of that series with the Beams + Missiles arsenal that characterizes Metroid.
I think the focus on exploration and isolation as you said could really go somewhere though.
It's still not really a falsity.
Other M still outsold Prime 3 there, and Prime 3 had a headstart.
The more boggling number is Hunters being higher than any of the other Prime games. Japan embraced the DS so hard, I'm surprised Nintendo never made a Hunters follow-up for Japan.
Simbabbad
Member
What about Fusion and Zero Mission then?
I didn't realise Metroid 1 didn't come out for Nes/Famicon in Japan. Now that is bizarre.
I just feel that Metroid hasn't had its due yet in the way Donkey Kong did for example.
There has been no triumphant comeback. Just weird odd mediocre games.
There doesn't seem to be any passion from developers anymore for the series since in GBA.
Hell it blows my mind that there was no mainline Metroid game on the DS. Considering how absurdly poplular it was.
I just feel that Metroid hasn't had its due yet in the way Donkey Kong did for example.
There has been no triumphant comeback. Just weird odd mediocre games.
There doesn't seem to be any passion from developers anymore for the series since in GBA.
Hell it blows my mind that there was no mainline Metroid game on the DS. Considering how absurdly poplular it was.
pretty done
Member
Samus isn't a 10 year old school girl
The first Metroid was a million seller in Japan.
Other M has her act like one.
Neither did the original Zelda games or Super Mario Bros. 2
Nintendo was baking the disk system hard, Zelda 1 didn't saw a cartridge release until 1994.
wild wild rice
Member
"Permission to act like a 10 year old girl, Adam!"
Do any games like this do well in Japan?
It's not like Japanese people were running out and buying Castlevania or even something like Mega Man by the truckload in recent times.
For the 3D iterations, first person shooters (or even first person games in general) aren't exactly the top of the pack in the region either.
I imagine most of the original audience for the series has long since abandoned console and handheld gaming as well given that this seems to be a way more frequently thing to happen in Japan than overseas.
It's not like Japanese people were running out and buying Castlevania or even something like Mega Man by the truckload in recent times.
For the 3D iterations, first person shooters (or even first person games in general) aren't exactly the top of the pack in the region either.
I imagine most of the original audience for the series has long since abandoned console and handheld gaming as well given that this seems to be a way more frequently thing to happen in Japan than overseas.
Compare the explosion of Metroid-style games in the Indie scene in North America to Japan. Even Japanese games like La Mulana find most of their popularity overseas.
Asking for permission has not been authorized.
It's apparent you don't know what you are talking about.
How can you really state "Other M was actually one of the better-selling installments of the franchise in Japan" when it sold 75K while the first Metroid broke 1 million units in Japan?
The truth is that Metroid sold well in Japan until the SNES and did decently with Metroid Fusion but afterwards it always failed to even break 100K.
Oh and it's delusional to think that a difference in 1K sales really matter when talking about the japanese market (even nowadays when the japanese market for dedicated gaming is in severe decline).
OnimaruXLR
Member
Japan's favorite genre are RPGs, especially the kind where you are a dashing young hero who gathers a group of friends and venture out into a colorful fantasy world filled with helpful and charming NPCs
Metroid is a game series where a stone cold professional ventures deep into the dark crevices of a nightmare planet and spends the entire time down there alone to clean up other people's messes
Metroid is a game series where a stone cold professional ventures deep into the dark crevices of a nightmare planet and spends the entire time down there alone to clean up other people's messes
Hell at one point Metroid must of been so popular it dictated an entire genre of games.
And the Castlevania series changed itself massively to be more like it.
There is a list of games a mile long that were influenced by it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Metroidvania_games
And yet Nintendo are like 'eh whatever', nobody wants that type of game apparently.
And the Castlevania series changed itself massively to be more like it.
There is a list of games a mile long that were influenced by it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Metroidvania_games
And yet Nintendo are like 'eh whatever', nobody wants that type of game apparently.
To people asking why they didn't make a sequel to Hunters on DS for the Japanese market?
the question is why they didn't make 1 at all until FF.
I mean why would they even bother appealing to the Japanese market when it's a magnitude more popular in the West anyway?
Looking at this chart is like looking at the SaGa chart...
Either japan taste changed or the games did.
the Prime games can be chalked to FPS being popular after Prime 3 was released, would be interesting to see if they perform better in the current environment.
For the others, Other M is a disaster that even Japanese couldn't be fooled into supporting,
Zero Mission was a remake that didn't look that interesting either.
It would have performed better if it was a brand new game, why they thought people cared enough about Metroid story and lore that people would prefer a retelling of the 1rst game you could have for free with MP or for little cost with the NES classic line I have no idea.
Probably killed the market for more Metroid too.
Metroid can be popular, it just requires hard work and not phoning it in like the last 2 Metroid games made in Japan.
Metroid FF is clearly not geared toward the Japanese market I doubt it's going to perform well there.
the question is why they didn't make 1 at all until FF.
I mean why would they even bother appealing to the Japanese market when it's a magnitude more popular in the West anyway?
Looking at this chart is like looking at the SaGa chart...
Either japan taste changed or the games did.
the Prime games can be chalked to FPS being popular after Prime 3 was released, would be interesting to see if they perform better in the current environment.
For the others, Other M is a disaster that even Japanese couldn't be fooled into supporting,
Zero Mission was a remake that didn't look that interesting either.
It would have performed better if it was a brand new game, why they thought people cared enough about Metroid story and lore that people would prefer a retelling of the 1rst game you could have for free with MP or for little cost with the NES classic line I have no idea.
Probably killed the market for more Metroid too.
Metroid can be popular, it just requires hard work and not phoning it in like the last 2 Metroid games made in Japan.
Metroid FF is clearly not geared toward the Japanese market I doubt it's going to perform well there.
Kowashitai
Banned
Castlevania's change started with Vampire Killer on the MSX2 which was released the same year as Metroid and already was moving towards the open "Metroidvania" style. Simon's Quest built off of it.
ienjoyrawfish
Member
The "lost in space" sci-fi/horror films, which Metroid takes a lot of its cues from, has never been popular in Japan as far as I'm aware, so that may partly explain it.
Other M is many shitty things, but "phoned-in" isn't one of them.
I found this old shipment data but it was unsourced:
Metroid: US: 1.35 million, Japan: 1.04 million, Europe: 340k, total: 2.73 million
Metroid II: total: 1.72 million
Super Metroid: US: 460k, Japan: 780k, Europe: 180k, total: 1.42 million
Vampire Killer was actually developed alongside Castlevania 1, the latter just released first. You can argue it wasn't even really a change for the series.
Gangster Bastard
Member
Metroid is pretty niche in the west too, I don't think the whole metroidvania concept has that wide of an appeal to be honest.
I have to disagree. Just look at Shadow Complex.
It was a massive blockbuster on Xbox Live. And even got a remastered version.
Apparently it set the record for the fastest selling xbox live arcade game at the time.
They weren't huge productions like Prime, so they were unlikely to rekindle interest in the series on their own, given the long gap between Super Metroid and them. Other M was meant to be the big-budget return that would make Japan care again, but it was too late by that point.
On Nintendo's part, it absolutely is.
Nintendo provided Sakamoto for the story who couldn't be arsed in actually having an editor and some guy who supervised the level design.
That latter guy was clearly sleeping at the wheel.
It's kinda misleading for the EU market as Nintendo had a very minimal presence here at the time.
(Wii sold more than NES/SNES/N64/GC combined for example)
Gangster Bastard
Member
Wikipedia says 600 000 copies, I'm sure that was great for XBLA but Metroid games sell more than that. It doesn't suggest mainstream appeal to me.
Astral Dog
Member
Its based on a sci fi western movie, FPS,and a bit niche even on other territories.
I think, even ZELDA is not that popular in Japan, not always.
I think, even ZELDA is not that popular in Japan, not always.
Listen, Souls is phenomenal. One of my favorite series.
But it's not Metroid. And Metroid ain't Souls.
If Nintendo wants to know why people love Metroid, they just need to look at Super Metroid.
To be fair they have choices here, they can look up the prime games, Metroid, Metroid 2 or Super Metroid really.
It's not that hard, they can build on what they already have.
If we're lucky we'll get a Zelda BotW moment and they'll give us what we want instead of this unending focus on shitty narrative no one gives a shit about.
The bigger question to me, is why it still matters so much to a global company like Nintendo that every game they make should sell well in Japan first and foremost. (Yeah, I get that they are based in Japan and are run largely by Japanese people, but looking at them as a whole there are strong reasons for seeing them as a company that serves a global audience with its products I feel.)
If Capcom of all companies can let their US branch hold one of their most well loved IP and also spearhead the newest game's development (i.e. Street Fighter V), why can't Nintendo let their US or EU branches greenlight a game like Metroid once in a while to appease their local fans?
Metroid, F-Zero, Wave Race, 1080, Punch-Out: all IP that are largely ignored nowadays while fans outside of Japan would lap up new iterations. Zelda, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, Mario Kart: all IP that get plenty of new games because Japan loves them too. Splatoon? Guaranteed of a sequel now that it is very popular in both Japan and the west, but if Japan had not taken to it, I have a feeling things might be looking differently. Seems a bit unfair for a company that has over 30 years of history trying to win the hearts of customers outside of Japan, a company with offices around the world and one that, as a result, themselves created the fans that are now clamouring for new games in those dormant series, to sometimes just outright ignore the wishes of large subsets of their customer base because their original subset is deemed more important.
(Also, am I the only one bummed out that Kid Icarus never became one of Nintendo's universally recognised tent pole action-adventure series either? Why didn't it get a SNES game that helped define the series like most other series did? Or any 3D game before Uprising? Did Japan not buy the first two games perhaps? Just imagine how cool a Breath of the Wild caliber KId Icarus game could be, with AAA budget etc. Or more KI games in general.)
If Capcom of all companies can let their US branch hold one of their most well loved IP and also spearhead the newest game's development (i.e. Street Fighter V), why can't Nintendo let their US or EU branches greenlight a game like Metroid once in a while to appease their local fans?
Metroid, F-Zero, Wave Race, 1080, Punch-Out: all IP that are largely ignored nowadays while fans outside of Japan would lap up new iterations. Zelda, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, Mario Kart: all IP that get plenty of new games because Japan loves them too. Splatoon? Guaranteed of a sequel now that it is very popular in both Japan and the west, but if Japan had not taken to it, I have a feeling things might be looking differently. Seems a bit unfair for a company that has over 30 years of history trying to win the hearts of customers outside of Japan, a company with offices around the world and one that, as a result, themselves created the fans that are now clamouring for new games in those dormant series, to sometimes just outright ignore the wishes of large subsets of their customer base because their original subset is deemed more important.
(Also, am I the only one bummed out that Kid Icarus never became one of Nintendo's universally recognised tent pole action-adventure series either? Why didn't it get a SNES game that helped define the series like most other series did? Or any 3D game before Uprising? Did Japan not buy the first two games perhaps? Just imagine how cool a Breath of the Wild caliber KId Icarus game could be, with AAA budget etc. Or more KI games in general.)
You really have a problem with my semantics.
Yes, compared to the entirety of the franchise, Other M IS one of the "better selling Metroid titles in Japan". Not the best. Not close. I wouldn't even call it "good" (I wouldn't call anything post-Super "good" since Super itself was considered disappointing there). But it's sitting comfortably in the upper-half of the installments that have come out.
And the fact remains, 1K difference or not, Other M outsold 2/3 of the Prime games.
Metroid dating sim: Now Draygon can be your waifu.
So basically stuff Metroid full of waifus people can obsess over?
If that's what it takes to get a classic Metroid game out of the door....any port in the storm at this point.
It's already Gundam influenced. Go look at the armor deisgn for the 2D games and then look at stuff like the Zaku and Big Zam.
Bruno MB
Member
Media Create.
GMB Metroid II: Return of Samus - 102,550
SFC Super Metroid - 508,698
Code:
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/5ClHZMv.jpg[/IMG]Thanks. I'm surprised with that number that the focus for the series shifted to North America.
Also, what period are those Metroid 2 sales over?
Media Create began collecting data since 1992 (I'm not sure from which month though).
Oh that explains it, I was wondering why they were so low.
Really appreciate actually having some solid numbers for Super.
nkarafo
Member
Most Metroid games are easy but not straightforward.
There is a difference, see. Ninja Gaiden (for instance) is much harder but also much more straightforward.
Maybe Japan prefers straightforward games that can also be challenging. Maybe they get bored easily by things like exploration, slowly figuring things out, uncovering a map, slow paced progression etc and prefer more fast paced, linear challenges?
Because since the SNES era Nintendo EAD has eaten most of the budget. R&D1 was relegated to Game Boy projects while Miyamoto's team was developing cutting edge games like F-Zero and Star Fox and AAA titles like A Link to the Past. With the exception of Super Metroid (which was published late in SNES life) every R&D1 games were low budget efforts. And they didn't get to develop ANYTHING for the N64!