Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective launches this month, and it includes plenty of insight into how Retro Studios and Nintendo worked together on the famous trilogy, as recounted by series producer Kensuke Tanabe.
As spotted by our friends over at IGN, the book highlights some of the clashes that occurred between the North American studio and Nintendo itself during the development of the original Metroid Prime.
Tanabe explains that while “Nintendo retained the final decision-making authority”, there were “many instances early on where our approaches to the specifications did not align, leading to disagreements.”
He says that Retro would often push back on key decisions, telling Nintendo that “this is how Western studios approach and think about game development.” Tanabe countered this by explaining to Retro that “the game we are making now is a Nintendo game, and this is Retro’s first time working on one. I’ve been working on Nintendo games my whole career, so I believe I have the most experience in making Nintendo games. So please trust me first.”
Tanabe reveals that these disagreements would often result in day-long meetings ending in a stalemate:
“One day, during a video conference about the Meta Ridley battle, our discussions kept clashing, and we couldn’t find common ground. Time slipped away, and by the time the meeting (which had started in the morning) finally ended, the sun was setting. Many Nintendo developers have learned from Mr. Miyamoto that the appearance of enemy characters should be designed based on functionality… this had not yet been articulated quite so concisely. As a result, it took time for us to convey the concept clearly to Retro.”
Given that this was Retro’s first game, it’s remarkable that its staff felt bold enough to challenge Nintendo – but it would seem that this willingness to dig in is what helped make the three Prime games so memorable.
One example of stubbornness paying off is related to the game’s Morph Ball transformation, which shifts the player’s perspective to third-person. However, even then, a compromise was still reached.
“The transition animation for shifting from first-person Morph Ball mode was proposed by Retro,” says Tanabe. “However, Retro also suggested a skip feature to reduce morphing time, but Mr. Miyamoto directed that it should be unskippable, as it was one of the opportunities to view Samus in third-person. Retro also proposed the mechanic of rolling through half-pipes in Morph Ball mode. Initially, Nintendo was skeptical, questioning whether it would actually be fun. However, Retro responded, ‘Please try it first before deciding.’”
Ultimately, Retro and Nintendo were able to produce a game which is now regarded as one of the best ever made, and Tanabe is keen to acknowledge the contribution of both parties.
“[The Metroid Prime Trilogy] was made possible by Retro maximizing the hardware’s potential through expert engineering, incorporating countless ideas without compromise to refine game design, and setting new standards for graphics in Nintendo titles.”
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