If you appreciate the work done within the wiki, please consider supporting The Cutting Room Floor on Patreon. Thanks for all your support!

Prerelease:Metroid Prime Hunters

From The Cutting Room Floor
Jump to navigation Jump to search

This page details pre-release information and/or media for Metroid Prime Hunters.

Hmmm...
To do:
Plenty of prerelease screens and vids, among other dev details.

As Retro Studios was busy with their own stuff, it was up to Nintendo Software Technology to bring Samus's 3D action to the Nintendo DS.[1] As the multiplayer ended up being a priority in the game's development, Hunters ended up being something of a black sheep in the series, let alone the other Prime games, due to it coming off as more of a standard arena shooter akin to Quake or Unreal Tournament. Not to mention Robert Champagne, lead programmer of Faceball 2000 for the Game Boy, was a producer for the game.

Development Timeline

2004

  • May 11-14 - E3 2004 happens. Among other games and tech demos for the yet-to-be-released DS, a multiplayer demo of Metroid Prime Hunters is playable, with touch controls for aiming and shooting, and graphics adapted from the original Metroid Prime.[2][3]
  • May 12 - IGN reports that Nintendo Software Technology is developing the game, and Retro Studios is providing visual assets.[4]
  • September 21 - Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt is revealed to be a pack-in demo for the Nintendo DS.[5]
  • November - The First Hunt demo is shown off at Nintendo Enthusiast Summit 2004.[6][7]
  • November 11 - The full version of Metroid Prime Hunters is listed as scheduled for Q2 of 2005.[8]
  • November 21 - Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt is released as a pack-in title with the Nintendo DS in North America.

2005

  • January 10 - The full version of Metroid Prime Hunters now has its release listed as TBD.[9]
  • February 24 - Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt is released as a pack-in title with the Nintendo DS in Australia.
  • March 11 - Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt is released as a pack-in title with the Nintendo DS in Europe.
  • May 18-20 - E3 2005 happens. Metroid Prime Hunters appears in multiplayer-only demo form once again. According to IGN, the interface has reportedly changed slightly, and the maps are reportedly different. Spire and Noxus appear in this build, as does what seems to be what became the Nodes multiplayer mode in the final game. IGN also mentions the release window being October[10] There is apparently criticism over the lack of Wi-Fi support.[11]
  • August - Nintendo reveals that the game is delayed to 2006 to give the developers time to implement Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection capabilities.[12]
  • August 26-28 - A demo of the singleplayer campaign is playable at Penny Arcade Expo 2005, which also serves as the reveal of Sylux, Trace, and Weavel.[12]
  • November 3 - A trailer for the game that looks quite close to the final game is released. Only minute details such as weapon icons and a sound effect in the Cretaphid FMV are different. The music used also sounds like a unique variation of the "Hunter Incoming" music.

2006

  • February 9 - Nintendo reveals that the game will support voice chat.[13]
  • March 20 - Metroid Prime Hunters is released for Nintendo DS in North America.
  • May 5 - Metroid Prime Hunters is released for Nintendo DS in Europe.
  • May 25 - Metroid Prime Hunters is released for Nintendo DS in Australia.
  • June 1 - Metroid Prime Hunters is released for Nintendo DS in Japan.

2007

  • December 6 - Metroid Prime Hunters is released for Nintendo DS in Korea.

Concepts

Multiplayer

Director Masamichi Abe and Lead Technical Engineer Colin Reed both elaborated a bit about the multiplayer aspect of the game in an interview with Nintendo World Report a few weeks before the game's initial release. As wireless functionality was apparently one of the main focuses of the DS hardware early on, the team knew pretty much all along that the multiplayer aspect was important. The multiplayer was local wireless only until feedback following E3 2005 led the team to implement Wi-Fi support. Voice chat was added while finishing things up, and was apparently "really easy" to implement.[11]

The Hunters

The initial idea for the different hunter characters was a result of brainstorming new ideas to fit in with the multiplayer focus.[11] The creation of the bounty hunters other than Samus was a collaboration between NST and NCL, while Retro Studios handled the concept art and character models.[1]

According to Richard Vorodi, numerous names for the hunters were considered that didn't get used. In particular, Noxus was originally named "Nox".[14]


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 E3 2005: Metroid Prime Hunters Creator Interview
  2. ↑ Nintendo E3 2004 Press Kit - Nintendo DS Software Fact Sheet
  3. ↑ E3 2004: Hands-on: Metroid Prime: Hunters
  4. ↑ E3 2004: NST's Metroid Prime: Hunters
  5. ↑ Metroid a DS Pack-in
  6. ↑ Nintendo Enthusiast Summit 2004 - nsidr
  7. ↑ GameMethod.com: Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt (DS) Preview
  8. ↑ Nintendo DS Release Dates for 2005
  9. ↑ Nintendo's DS First-Half Line-up
  10. ↑ E3 2005: Metroid Prime Hunters Hands-on
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 NST Discusses Metroid Prime: Hunters
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Metroid Goes Wi-Fi
  13. ↑ Metroid Gets Voice Chat
  14. ↑ Interview: Richard Vorodi | Shinesparkers
Retrieved from "https://tcrf.net/index.php?title=Prerelease:Metroid_Prime_Hunters&oldid=1772265"