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Prerelease:Metroid

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This page details prerelease information and/or media for Metroid.

Hmmm...
To do:
There's a lot more out there.


Manual Screenshots

Menu Screens

Prerelease Final
FDS Metroid Prerelease Title Screen.png FDS Metroid Title Screen.png

This shot of the title screen shows that the start game prompt originally wasn't centered properly.


Prerelease Final
FDS Metroid Prerelease Save Screen.png FDS Metroid Final Save Screen.png

This shot of the continue screen shows a different, slightly sloppier sprite of Samus crouching. Also seen here, in the name selection screen, is an earlier iteration of the game's font. Namely, the kana Ha (ハ) is the more noticeably different, whereas the equal, period, interrogation/exclamation mark, and slash symbols are all missing.

(Source: Enhanced manual scans provided by GamingAlexandria.)


Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Title Objective Prototype.png NES Metroid Title Objective Famicom Disk System.png

This shot of the Mission Objective text featured in Famimaga Issue 18 shows that Samus was originally present there. Meanwhile, in the final game, she only appears in the ending.

(Source: Famimaga Issue 18 - August 1986])


Samus Sprites

Scan Mock-Up Final
NES Metroid Manual FrontFacing Samus.png NES Metroid MockUp FrontFacing Samus.png NES Metroid Final FrontFacing Samus.png

This early front facing sprite is pretty much identical to final, aside from the plastron and some of the detailing on the ankles and feet.


Scan Mock-Up Final (Unused)
NES Metroid Manual SideFacing Samus.png NES Metroid MockUp SideFacing Samus.png NES Metroid Final SideFacing Samus.png

The sideways Samus sprite shows her less hunched over, and features extra plastron details as well as straps for her ankle pads. This sprite is worth noting due to it being a unique left facing one, whereas the final game simply mirrors the right-facing one to save on memory. However, unused unique right-facing Samus sprites still exist in the final game, though go unused. This sprite can also be seen in early promotional material, showing that the devs did originally consider using those. Moreover, this particular sprite also seems to have served as the basis for the "enhanced" Samus sprite seen in the game's US boxart.


Scan Mock-Up Final
NES Metroid Manual CurledUp Samus.png NES Metroid MockUp CurledUp Samus.png NES Metroid Final CurledUp Samus.png

The frame of Samus curling up into her Morph Ball form was redrawn, namely making her taller and shifting the helmet's sheen the other way around.


Enemy Sprites

The game's manual is kind enough to not only include a bestiary, but one which also features early sprites for a handful of enemies. Worth noting is the Multiviola, which takes on the form of a fireball instead of an orb, making it look closer to its larval counterpart, the Viola. This is actually reflected in its promotional art, which was made prior to the game's release. Moreover, this early sprite actually remains in the final game's data, though there it goes completely unused.

Another mention goes to the yellow Zoomer enemy, whose early sprite also seems to have been used as the basis for its "enhanced" depiction in the game's US boxart. This can most notably be seen by its rather goofier eyes, as well as the extra shading present on its spikes.

Name Scan Mock-Up Final
Zeb NES Metroid Prerelease Red Zeb Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Red Zeb Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Red Zeb Sprite.png
NES Metroid Prerelease Yellow Zeb Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Yellow Zeb Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Yellow Zeb Sprite.png
Zoomer NES Metroid Prerelease Red Zoomer Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Red Zoomer Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Red Zoomer Sprite.png
NES Metroid Prerelease Yellow Zoomer Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Yellow Zoomer Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Yellow Zoomer Sprite.png
Rio NES Metroid Prerelease Rio Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Rio Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Rio Sprite.png
Side-Hopper NES Metroid Prerelease Side-Hopper Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Side-Hopper Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Side-Hopper Sprite.png
Dessgeega NES Metroid Prerelease Dessgeega Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Dessgeega Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Dessgeega Sprite.png
Waver NES Metroid Prerelease Waver Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Waver Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Waver Sprite.png
Nova NES Metroid Prerelease Blue Nova Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Blue Nova Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Blue Nova Sprite.png
NES Metroid Prerelease Yellow Nova Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Yellow Nova Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Yellow Nova Sprite.png
Multiviola NES Metroid Prerelease Purple Multiviola Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Purple Multiviola Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Purple Multiviola Sprite.png
NES Metroid Prerelease Red Multiviola Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Red Multiviola Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Red Multiviola Sprite.png
Rinka NES Metroid Prerelease Rinka Sprite.png NES Metroid Mockup Rinka Sprite.png NES Metroid Final Rinka Sprite.png


Scan Mock-Up Final
NES Metroid Manual Energy Orb.png NES Metroid MockUp Energy Orb.png NES Metroid Final Energy Orb.png

The sprite for the energy orbs dropped by enemies is also slightly different. Namely, its inner portion is white instead of being black.

(Source: Sprite reconstructions provided by FrenchOrange.)

Early Room Layouts

A few earlier layouts of rooms can be seen in magazine coverage, commercials, and even the back of the international NES box. These go from changes to the actual layouts, to the way enemies are arranged in said rooms.

Brinstar

Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Brinstar 1 Prototype.png NES Metroid Room Brinstar 1 Final.png

Seen at the back of the NES box. The room is mostly the same layout-wise, but features two yellow Rippers instead of a singular red one.


Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Brinstar 2 Prototype.png NES Metroid Room Brinstar 2 Final.png

Seen in the Japanese commercial. The room lacks a row of breakable blocks, and features changes to the enemy variety, namely having a Skree on the ceiling.


Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Brinstar 3 Prototype (Edit).png NES Metroid Room Brinstar 3 Final.png

Another room seen in the Japanese commercial. A minor layout difference can be seen on the far left, with the gray platform being made taller in the final game.


Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Brinstar 4 Prototype.png NES Metroid Room Brinstar 4 Final.png

Also seen in the Japanese commercial. It features a couple of changes, with the metal bars being closer to each other, requiring the Morph Ball to navigate through.


Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Brinstar 5 Prototype 1.png NES Metroid Room Brinstar 5 Prototype 2.png NES Metroid Room Brinstar 5 Final 1.png

There's a part in the Japanese commercial where Samus is falling down through this repeating room type. This build features both differences to the placement of the platforms, as well as differences in the enemy variety. Most notable is the presence of the Skree, an enemy only ever seen on ceilings in the final game.

(Source: Japanese Metroid Commercial)


Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Brinstar 5 Prototype 3.png NES Metroid Room Brinstar 5 Final 2.png

The same layout as the previous room shows up once again in a screenshot from a late 1988 Nintendo Buyer's Guide. This is however a lot closer to the final layout, the biggest difference being the color variant of the Zoomers.

(Source: Game Player's Nintendo Buyer's Guide - Winter 1988)


Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Brinstar 6 Prototype.png NES Metroid Room Brinstar 6 Final.png

This room can be seen in Famimaga Issue 19. Most notably, it features a completely different palette, suggesting that this room layout was either featured in the west part of Brinstar at one point in development, or that the palette change seen in zones such as Brinstar (West and Eastern) and Norfair (North and South) hadn't yet been fully implemented.


Unused Used
NES Metroid Unused Waver.png NES Metroid Used Waver.png

Another notable difference is that the Waver featured in the screenshot is using its unused sprite from the Kraid's Hideout enemy sprite set.

(Source: Famimaga Issue 19 - September 19 1986)


Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Brinstar 7 Prototype.png NES Metroid Room Brinstar 7 Final.png

This room can be seen in a screenshot featured in a 1986 Famimaga Metroid map poster. The tile layout matches the final game, but notably there's a red Rio instead of a yellow one as well as a Skree not found there in the final game.

(Source: Famimaga Metroid map poster )


Norfair

Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Norfair 1 Prototype 3.png NES Metroid Room Norfair 1 Final.png

Seen at the back of the NES box, as well as in Famitsu Issue 9 and Famimaga Issue 18. Mostly the same as final, aside from enemy variety.

(Source: Famitsu Issue 9 - October 17 1986)


Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Norfair 2 Prototype.png NES Metroid Room Norfair 2 Final.png

A room layout that can be seen at the back of the NES box, and shows that the enemies where shuffled around slightly.


Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Norfair 3 Prototype FDS Manual.png NES Metroid Room Norfair 3 Final.png

This room, featured in Famimaga Issue 18 as well as the manual, had its Ripper II replaced by three Novas, and the leftmost platform went from one block tall to three.


Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Norfair 4 Prototype.png NES Metroid Room Norfair 4 Final.png

This room is featured in Famimaga Issue 18, and features some notable differences to both platform and enemy placement. Most notably, it lacks the pipes which spawn red Gamets.


Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Norfair 5 Prototype.png NES Metroid Room Norfair 5 Final.png

This room can be seen in the Japanese commercial, and features a red Geruda not seen anywhere in the final game, as well as a red Dragon instead of a purple one. The palette used here is also that of purple Norfair (North Area), instead of green Norfair (South Area).


Tourian

Prerelease Final
NES Metroid Room Tourian 1 Prototype FDS Manual.png NES Metroid Room Norfair 6 Final.png

Found in the manual is a small screenshot of Tourian, which shows the rightmost lower platform with a red palette instead of a grey one.

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