Huh?? Sakamoto constantly talks about how this is set between Super Metroid and Fusion, how could it be before the first Metroid?

the segment on the space station is the core of the game and it takes place after super metroid, but there are going to be a lot of flashbacks to samus' earlier life, so you'll see her at different stages during the cinema scenes.

Ohhh! That explains a lot, thanks. Yea, that makes much more sense then.

I just realized that although you have to go to 1st person mode to aim and fire missiles in M:oM, it won't be that different to players who played the first two Prime games on the GCN because you had to hold down R to aim and while aiming you couldn't move at all.so i dot see this game as being that different from other Metroid games in that respect

No, but it's still a step back, in a sense, for anyone who played Corruption or Trilogy. Of course, I didn't like Corruption and didn't play Trilogy, so it's fine by me, as odd as it is.

there's a 16 minute developer interview on youtube... of course, you won't understand a word of it if you don't speak japanese, but there's plenty of new footage to see. it's worth it for the moment you see an actual orchestra recording the soundtrack; i'm really glad yamamoto isn't doing the score this time.

http://www.youtube.com/user/NintenDaanNC#p/u/1/6_X96bYLIgo (in 2 parts)

I was only to able to understand a little bit of the interviews but it's still cool.

I don't understand why we need orchestras to do every game. It might be appropriate for a fantasy game like Zelda, but I think electronic ambient music of the old games is more appropriate to moody sci-fi. Haven't heard the music from the video though yet.

the prime games went towards techno because the size limits forced yamamoto to use extensively looped music; when the wii allowed for better audio quality yamamoto went back to orchestral arrangements again. aphex twin-type techno matches extremely well and belongs in the games too, but that epic classical sound has defined metroid the most. the great thing is that they can both be together at the same time.

the reason an orchestra is good is that video game musicians often use classical sounds in games, but through midi, which sounds corny these days. if you're going to make classical compositions you may as well use the real instruments and get something that sounds much more real; i'd kill to hear what skytown's theme would sound like with a real choir singing it...

Back to orchestra? Metroid has always been known for its sparse, ambient, creepy music, not epic classical sound. That's what sets its soundtrack apart. In the original, they did this intentionally, not because of limitations. Sure, NES couldn't handle "epic classical," but it could do more than they did. They've said the goal was to illustrate the uneasiness and loneliness of exploring a hostile, alien planet alone, and epic classical doesn't fit into that picture at all.

Of course, the new game does not seem to be set on a planet (unless there are multiple locations?), but I still hope this live orchestra is not over the top and still hearkens back to the old sounds somehow, creating tension not bombast.

But aside from the opening of Super Metroid, I don't hear anything classical in these games at all. Maybe in the Prime games, which I've mostly forgotten, but those are also not the "defining" Metroid games, at least as far as the current team is concerned.

Has anyone seen (or posted) these Japanese trailers?

@Adam: The trailers show several different outdoor sections, such as the jungle, rainforest, ice, and lava environments. :3

New to me, Pix. Looks good.

And yea, I don't know how I forgot all those parts. For some reason I was thinking it was going to take place in a space station again like Fusion.

sure sounds like classical music to me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIwG-BH3DeE based on flute and glockenspiel sounds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFbgcPcQ3-s strings and brass

there are only a few songs in the game that don't make use of actual instrument sounds; even the ones that sound creepy and ambient are still fully based on orchestra instruments. i'm not arguing that there isn't a lot of electric music too, it's just that more often than not it just sounds electric when it really isn't because of how odd the compositions are.

there's nothing bad about having a real orchestra this time. the electronic sounds will still be there, but the organic stuff will sound much better for it, so it's win-win. some of the orchestrated super metroid songs we've heard so far translate so well that it's as if you're hearing them pulled right out of midi:

the metroid theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8RFUgCveJA
super metroid theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB1PybgcOWw&feature=related

i keep wanting that super metroid theme to get to the good part, but it's not in the clip... >

i think it's the same thing as fusion, where there are different artificial environments aboard the ship, so you never really leave. i'm hoping you get out at some point, but nearly every place we've seen, like the jungle and forest, is still on board.

Ah, well, the first song isn't really an "orchestra" by any means. I wasn't saying there was anything wrong with using actual instruments, but a full orchestra seemed over the top for Metroid, and the second song is the one exception I was talking about.

If they're doing Super Metroid-style music, that would be great. I love that soundtrack, too, and real instruments would certainly work well. It's just that when I "orchestra" in connection with video games, I think stuff like Galaxy's soundtrack. There's nothing really "epic" about Maridia's theme or the vast majority of Metroid themes, and that's how I like it. Samus's theme is amazing, but I like that it is the exception to the overall trend.

Speaking of orchestrated Metroid, I always thought this was awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-qzr5pG0ko

that's what i was getting at. orchestration doesn't mean it's got to be big and loud, it can still be eerie and quiet just the same.

i found a translated summary of the video:

• _Because you have a very limited amount of buttons on the Wii-remote, the controls have to adapt to your environments a lot. For example, depending on the enemy a different finishing move is possible.
• Goal was to make the movement from cinematics to gameplay seamless.
• Bombing walls to discover items in the 2D Metroids and investigating the environments in the first-person view to find items have the same kind of feeling to them.
• Because Samus is not "very good at living like a normal human being", and doesn't talk much, when it came to choosing the voice actress (Koeda Ai) they wanted someone who could speak in an unsophisticated, direct manner, rather than someone with very good technique.
• Because Sakamoto wanted Other M to have the same feeling as the 2D Metroids, the shooting animation (Samus raising her hand to shoot) was made as quick as possible.
• The guy from D-Rockets wanted to have more Zero Suit in there. While the armour protects Samus during battles, it also covers her feelings, and thus is not so good for human drama. However, Sakamoto was adamant that Samus would not take of her armour unless it really suited the story and the situation. They wanted to portray a strong, cool Samus, who has powers other human beings don't._

Sigh
One more reason the Japanese are awesomer than us.

Nice artwork.

Japan always gets the coolest art.

i still like our box art better:

and for what it's worth, i think this:

kicks the crap out of this:

@romulux Ha ha I think the exact opposite.