Spanish studio MercurySteam turns 15 this year, and it's about to have the busiest week of that impressive lifespan. The company's contribution to the Metroid universe - Metroid: Samus Returns - launches on 3DS on September 15th, while Raiders of the Broken Planet - an entirely new, self-owned IP created for PS4, Xbox One and PC - touches down on September 22nd.
For MercurySteam boss Enric Alvarez, these two releases are significant in that they show two sides to his studio; one which is entrusted with some of the biggest brands in the business, and another which has the talent and resource to create exciting new properties at a time when publishers are taking less risks than ever.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Alvarez points out that MercurySteam - which also created Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate for the 3DS - has plenty to be pleased about:
We are the only studio, ever, to have made a Castlevania and also a Metroid. And there is not going to be another one, I can tell you that.
He's equally chuffed at the fact that Nintendo has chosen to work so closely with MercurySteam to create an update to the Game Boy classic, Metroid II: Return of Samus:
It is an incredible achievement for a Spanish studio. Nintendo is a one-of-a-kind publisher that make one-of-a-kind games. They're special. They are unique. They care about games. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that after two years, 80 or 90% of all the conversations we've had were about stuff that gamers care about. Only the remaining 10 or 20% were about business or usual publishing stuff. That ratio is unique to Nintendo. When you deal with them at a close distance, you understand why they are who they are. I'm not going to lie to you; they are extremely demanding. They require the very best constantly, all the time, and beyond. But it's been a great experience.
We've worked in the past with other publishers, with Codemasters, with Konami, and they were very different experiences. We had a great experience with Konami, but Nintendo is another thing. There are many, many Nintendo fans who don't like any other games except for their games. Now I fully understand why that is.
It has been a pleasure, we have learnt a lot. Honestly, they have made us a better developer.
However, despite the impending release of Raiders of the Broken Planet, MercurySteam producer Dave Cox still insists that the studio is a "work for hire" company and that means we could see more collaborations like Metroid and Castlevania in the future:
We need to do those work-for-hire [projects] because we still need to pay the bills. We are talking to publishers here [at Gamescom] about projects. But at the same time, when you have a success like we had with Castlevania, it makes us reinvest into something else. But we're still a work-for-hire studio, fundamentally.
Alvarez concludes by pointing out that taking on this label shouldn't be seen as a negative, and that there will always be two sides to MercurySteam - and that's a good thing:
Labelling is always simplistic. I understand the need of human beings to label stuff. But... I don't know if that label is negative. It's the first time someone asked me this question. Certainly, we are the only studio that has done both [Castlevania and Metroid]. But we have done other stuff. We've done Raiders of the Broken Planet, which is - for us - as important as Metroid. So I'm fine with it.
You'll get to play Metroid: Samus Returns very soon. Are you looking forward to it? Let us know with a comment.
[source gamesindustry.biz]
Comments 55
But still... Sakamoto continues to destroy Metroid.
Work for hire isn't a bad thing. Make a game for someone else and use that money to pay the bills while you work on your own projects. If you get enough of your own projects to be a success then you have the freedom to do what you want but nothing wrong with doing projects for others to help you along.
Well it's not going to make them worse. Of course some of that Nintendo magic will rub off on them.
Would love for them to remake Super Metroid for Switch next.
@Lina-MG Thankfully he's not involved in Prime 4, which is a massive relief for me.
I'm glad to hear they're evolving into a more capable studio.
How well received was their Castlevania game though? I only played like a few minutes of the demo and it didn't really grab me.
I am putting faith into their Metroid game though so don't fail me guys!
I do wonder what they think of the whole amiibo thing? Was that part of their business discussions? Did they support it or not? Or do they know something we don't?
@AlexOlney To be fair, Sakamoto has done excellent job with 2D-Metroids. You can't deny that.
@NewAdvent I think that if MSR does well, they will hire them to do Metroid 5 for switch.
I was initially nervous when Nintendo handed MercurySteam the keys to Metroid (given some of their lackluster work in the past), but clearly they took good direction and delivered. Now if only there was a way to accelerate this next week...
@KoopaTheGamer it was the writing that let Other M down. If it had been a 2D game it would have been no different.
In fact, I quite enjoyed the gameplay for Other M. Sure, it's no Prime, but it's not bad at all.
@McHaggis I'm always gratified when somebody else admits to liking Other M. The story was a complete mess, but if you take away all the cutscenes what's left is a very entertaining gameplay experience. Most people get so hung up on that one Ridley scene that they can't appreciate the game for the good things it did.
@FX102A It was one of a very small handful of games that I actually traded back, after I swore I'd never trade in games again back in '94. It's not a totally bad game, but the platform>fight>platform again (and not really mixing the two) flow of the game didn't feel right for a Castlevania game. Like all the non-boss encounters lock you into a room until you kill everything, and then it lets you go on. I suspect it was a performance workaround on their part. On that note, it was ambitious in its presentation. But with all the assets clearly bogging down the framerate, 3D on or off, and the lack of replayability made it a candidate for me for trading while it was still new-ish. Oh, and boss battles with checkpoints are a huge no-no in my book.
If the game came out like 2 years later, after performance gains on the 3DS seem to have been found by many devs across the board, then that probably would have boosted its popularity.
All that said, I like how they're focused on growth and I'll still give them another shot because they're following the Metroid II framework this time and I like the new stuff I've seen so far.
@KoopaTheGamer
No, he did not.
The numbers show this. Heck. Even in one of Iwata Asks he showed us that he really do not know what is the true essence of the franchise.
@Lina-MG The numbers? What numbers are you referring to? Sales?
In my opinion Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion and Metroid Zero Mission are the best Metroids. They were all directed by Sakamoto. That is why I have faith in Samus Returns.
Now that this developer has made games in both Metroid and Castlevania, maybe they can come up with a new term that combines elements of gameplay from those two series that doesn't needlessly link them to those two series.
"They require the very best constantly"
That's why Amiibo Festival exists?
@Ultra128 Contextually speaking, I'd say they require the very best from outsourced projects.
@AlexOlney I mean these guys gotta be, right?
@Ultra128 Even Amiibo Festival was a higly polished title with fun ideas.
Too bad it also had many dumb ideas thrown into it.
"We are the only studio, ever, to have made a Castlevania and also a Metroid. And there is not going to be another one, I can tell you that."
Micheal Bay seems to be the only guy to make both a Ninja Turtles AND a Transformers movie. Some people have a greater radius of childhood destruction than others. I'm still gonna give Samus Returns a chance but let's not pretend these guys are Metroidvania masters all of a sudden.
I have the LE preorded. It's going to be a long week.
@Lina-MG You do realize he has been with the Metroid series since its inception in 1986. The only games in the series he had no input on were the original Metroid 2 & the Prime series.
@AlexOlney @Lina-MG What in the world are u guys even talking about? He directed and wrote Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion, Metroid: Zero Mission, and Metroid: Other M. None of which I consider ruined, but masterpieces instead. Did I miss something, or are u joking? lol.
The more I read about this game, the more interested I have in potentially buying it. Nice article.
@masterLEON Took the words right out of my mouth. I HATED MercurySteam's 3DS Castlevania. I thought it was outright terrible and was incredibly worried when they were announced as the Studio behind this remake. It does seem like with Nintendo's high standards and guidance that they are making a very good game this time around. I have high hopes
@sp_initiate-001
Sean Malstron nailed it:
@audiobrainiac
Other M a masterpiece?????
Are you joking???
@Lina-MG Fusion and Zero Mission may not be the best selling Metroids, but they're one of the most loved ones. 2D-Metroids have a strong fanbase, and Fusion and Zero Mission are one of the most well-received 2D-Metroids.
I think there is demand for 2D-Metroids. And who would be a better producer for a 2D-Metroid than Sakamoto? Any ideas?
@thesilverbrick Yeah, I love Other M for its gameplay. I played through it a while back just skipping the cutscenes, and I had a blast. In fact, I did it again the very next day. That said, I really don't mind the story even though it's far from perfect. I'm pretty flexible when it comes to that sort of stuff.
@Lina-MG I'm sorry, but Fusion and Zero Mission harmed the series? That's crazy talk.
Great stuff. And this is likely true of any developer working with Nintendo. I'm willing to bet the shooting sections of Nier: Automata were made better thanks to P* getting involved with Star Fox Zero.
@lina-mg lol, because random guy Sean Malstron is to be believed more than the very company who said Fusion and Zero were successes. A guy who has a clear hate-on for Nintendo/Sakamoto just from reading a couple of his tweets. Riiiight. Let's ignore that they've been re-sold as digital titles through the eShop and likely gained even more sales as well as acclaim from actual gamers.
I played Metroid: Samus Returns last weekend at PAX. It was pretty awesome! The melee counters were fun to use but also not guaranteed to hit. You need to know the right timing for every enemy. I played the original on Game Boy and completed it, so to play this new upgraded version was pretty awesome. I made my own map on grid paper back then, but having the map on the bottom screen is perfect!
I also played their Castlevania game and completed it. It's definitely worth picking up if you haven't played it yet.
@Lina-MG I'm deadly serious. In my mind, the Prime series is a spinoff, albeit a great one.
I know, opinions and all that, but pixel hunting, the roundabout way to use missiles and controlling a 3d game with a d pad destroyed other m (M other o__O ) for me.
If we add to that the terrible story and mistreating samus character...
yeah, lets talk about MSR, it looks great and best wishes to that spanish company =D!!!!!!!
@BraveFencerZan
lot at "actual gamers".
If someone plays something, he is a 'gamer'. There is not something like actual/true gamer. lol
@Lina-MG Give it up dude, Sakamoto is Metroid's Daddy along with Gunpei Yokoi and two other developers no one cares to remember.
Yokoi sadly passed away so Sakamoto is here to keep their creation well and alive. If you don't like it, then Metroid is just not meant for you and you need to play something else. lol.
Even trying to be humble they still come off as jack *****.
Well working with a storied dev such as Nintendo, especially with one of their iconic IP can only help improve skills. Its like a job and a mentor program all in one. I suspect Grezzo feels the same and that helped lend to them putting out such a good game in Ever Oasis (shame it was sent out to die though).
Sakamoto is a genius, and that needs to be acknowledged. He made all the great classics. Let's not pretend because one game had a story people didn't like that suddenly wipes the floor with 30 years of history.
Like saying Miamoto is worthless because of Star Fox Zero, ignoring all the other incredible work he's done.
And kudos to Mercury Steam. People were so quick to write them off because Castlevania Mirror of Fate wasn't some 10/10 epic masterpiece. I personally played the game and thought it was really good- but the thing is they had a lot of creative control over that game- and a lot of times very talented studios simply need someone to shepherd their ideas and facilitate their talent to produce a true masterpiece... enter Sakamoto. And if anyone doubts he has what it takes to steer their talent, just take a look at the latest trailer for Samus Returns.... Right. It looks like an insta-classic. Nuff said.
To think that a game director can go from Super Metroid to...THAT. That is scary.
I think that they are giving themselves too much importance, honestly. Was Castlevania Lords of Shadows Mirror of Fate a real success? How can they assure you that there will never be another studio that makes a Castlevania and Metroid game? I hope that the GB remake is good but that doesn't seem an incredibly difficult goal to achieve. Most importantly, let's see if their new game Raiders of the Broken Planet delivers.
If Samus Returns is a huge hit (which it better be. Buy it, people!!!) I can see MercurySteam becoming a major player in Nintendo's future development plans.
I only started playing Metroid with Metroid Prime so I'm not the best person to judge the series. I loved the three Prime games, the second being my favourite. I have also played Fusion (good) and have Super Metroid on Wii U but haven't played it yet. I have also played Other M and I think it's a disaster, most of all the controls.
I think Prime should be a priority for Nintendo because they focus on casual games and 2D games lately and don't pay attention to the genres and styles that appeal to other people like Prime, F-Zero, Wave Race... With Prime they had the FPS genre covered.
@Lina-MG yea umm sorry but if you played Fusion or Zero Mission at all then i think it would be much clearer that they were both fantastic games and most definitely didn't hurt Metroid. Fusion expanded on the lore and had a great story to tell and stands as my favorite 2D Metroid to date and Zero Mission was dope af fuck. A remake with the graphics of Fusion was excellent. Whether or not they didn't sell as much as what the industry considers to be successful doesn't discount the quality and excellence of the games any less. It's like saying ever oasis or mainline Pikmin games suck cuz they don't sell as much, yet they still get great scores. Gtfo here.
I am intensely on the lookout for reviews of the game even though I realize it's coming in the mail (the post) regardless. One thing I've noticed: Both 3DS titles MercurySteam developed seem more combat-focused than previous entries in their respective series'. It will be interesting to see how exploration is handled. I bought the first three Metroid games from 3DS eshop just to experience it.
Anybody who can make a GBA game have tension and feel like genuine horror gets a tick in my book (SA-X, Fusion).
I'm really looking forward to this game. From watching videos I love hearing the Prime sound effects when you pick up items.
My Legacy Edition and Amiibo pre-orders are all ready for next week. Shame Europe doesn't seem to be getting the awesome looking reversible cover that the US Special Editions has, but I shouldn't complain as we get loads more. Morph Ball key ring!
How does Enric know there won't be another one? Nintendo have gone back to developers once they received sales. Koei being the most recent example.
They might help MercurySteam again if Nintendo get enough money back on this.
I hope they really improved from what they were.
@BlueOcean A producer is proud of his studio, of course it's super important to him! The mixed reception of their Castlevania game led to other better projects for his studio, making it a huge success for their company. and although it's a bit hyperbolic to make a future prediction like the castlevania/metroid thing, it's a pretty reasonable guess.
It might come off as pompous I guess? But, only if you don't think about the context, and if he wasn't so gracious and humble about Nintendo. I'm happy for the guy and his studio.
@BlueOcean Oh, and at this point, pleasing Metroid fans with a game release is a difficult goal for anyone to achieve.
@Lina-MG If this game is a tremendous success, will Sakamoto suddenly have nothing to do with it? Like @JaxonH suggested, you seem to be taking a simplistic view that throws out all the success and focuses on particular failures. So far, I've seen nothing that suggests this game has gone down some sad, continually declining path under the direction of Sakamoto.
So, yeah, the story in Other M had some silly bits and some missteps for sure. With ambition and risk comes the possibility of missing the mark with gamers. I prefer Nintendo to take risks, though. Without it, a safer version Star Fox might have pleased more gamers, but Splatoon wouldn't exist.
Federation Force was a misstep in presentation, timing, and audience-targeting more than anything else. If it had released after this game and the announcement of Metroid Prime 4, the fans would have been far more forgiving... but that chibi look would also have to go.
The point is, I'm not sure how much Sakamoto had to do with those decisions. They sound like marketing decisions — make this platable to the kids — and he couldn't control what projects get greenlighted when and how fast the Wii U declined, for instance, all of which were big factors.
Meanwhile the premise and the game play are good enough that I'd love to see it reimagined on Switch... though, it's anathema to many fans, now, so that would be mistake.
@aaronsullivan Yes, that's more or less what I mean.
Do you think they can mess up a GB remake?
It is disappointing to see many adverse comments made about MercurySteam and Castlevania.
Mirror of Fate is a beautiful game, with great artwork and 3D effects. This Castlevania game could have been the first time that some players have been introduced to the series.
If Mercury Steam was as bad as people make out, then why would Nintendo have given them the Metroid job.
Based on their Castlevania work, I have great expectations for the release of Metroid.
Great article. I already have the Samus Returns Special Edition on pre-order. This article perfectly displays why the gaming industry needs Nintendo, "Nintendo is a one-of-a-kind publisher that make one-of-a-kind games. They're special. They are unique. They care about games. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that after two years, 80 or 90% of all the conversations we've had were about stuff that gamers care about. Only the remaining 10 or 20% were about business or usual publishing stuff. That ratio is unique to Nintendo. " Quality is never an accident and that definitely applies to Nintendo. I don't know where the video gaming industry would be without Nintendo which is why I am glad the Switch was so well received.
BTW I loved Mirror of Fate on the 3DS and even more playing on the New 3DS with the stable 3D. I also got the HD release for the Xbox 360.
This reminds me of Silicon Knights, Factor 5 and Left Field which they were all producing quality titles with Nintendo but as soon they decided to go at alone the games were turning out to be crap.
I can't believe this is coming this week. SO EXCITED!
Tap here to load 55 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...