Metroid Database.com

Begrimed is one of the founders of MetroidConstruction.com and has been working on a Super Metroid hack called Project Base since 2009. Project Base is unlike most other hacks out there, as it does very little in terms of direct changes to the level design of Super Metroid - it's mostly focused on specific gameplay changes to make the experience of Super Metroid more enjoyable to modern audiences, or even those who might have grown tired of SM's nuances over the years. Here's a short list of some of the changes that have been made:

• No more 7-second "Got Item" jingle when you acquire a new item.
• All graphics/sprites have been given new colors/palettes.
• All rooms have ben given new custom backgrounds.
• Modified animation speeds for most things, including enemies and Samus.
• Charge Beam has "vacuum effect" on pickups ala Metroid Prime.
• Morph Ball only rolls while moving, and Bombs detonate quicker.
• Sounds have been edited and changed.
• Elevators, doors and room transitions move quicker.
• Backflip move! While crouching, hold the run button, then press jump and hold left or right, depending which direction Samus is facing.
• Instant Morph move! Hold the item cancel button and press down. Samus will morph into a ball instantly without needing to crouch or aim down first. Works on the ground or in the air. Quick morphing in the air can also be done by holding L and pressing down, for players who might find item cancel annoying to use.
• Shinesparking can be done much quicker and easier.
• Boost Ball can be achieved by holding run while in Morph Ball (after acquiring Speed Booster & Spring Ball)
• Other edits to physics and beam shooting speeds.
• Much much more!

You can read the full list over on Begrimed's website. Here are some screenshots below for some graphical changes Begrimed has done:

Project Base is the newest addition to our fanapps page. Go there for more screenshots. Download this great hack today! Questions and concerns, feedback, etc, should be taken to the official thread on Metroid Construction Forums.

--Infinity's End

For all Wii U owners, Super Metroid is available today for the Wii U virtual console! Between now and June 14, the game can be purchased for the very low price of $0.30 as part of Nintendo's 30th Anniversary for the Famicom. Super Metroid is also available on the Japanese and PAL Virtual Console for the equivalent local price.

The Miiverse channel for Super Metroid should also be opened now, so even if you don't have the game, share your thoughts on the series and see what other people are talking (and drawing) about.

UPDATE: It should be also noted that affiliate site Shinesparkers is holding a month-long campaign starting today. The goal is to go into the Miiverse community for Super Metroid and show that a demand is there for getting a new Metroid game on the WiiU or 3DS. For all WiiU owners we urge you to participate and show Nintendo that Metroid fans do still exist!

--James Pierce

I don't read too many blogs, so I didn't know about this until today. Starting at the end of last month, Jeremy Parish, former EIC of 1-up.com (and also owner of Metroidvania.com) has dedicated some recent posts on his blog into deciphering the nuances and subtleties of the first Metroid on the NES. His posts go into great detail on subjects like level design choices, item placement and importance, and enemy designs, proving that Metroid is clearly a game that doesn't get nearly as much credit as it deserves, and is seemingly overshadowed by its SNES sister, considered by many to be a masterpiece of game design.

As this is a series called "Anatomy of a Game," Jeremy has written 4 posts so far and plans on writing many more. They're truly great reads; and I recommend to anyone interested in critically studying game design.

• Anatomy of Metroid I: Welcome to Zebes
• Anatomy of Metroid II: Shafted
• Anatomy of Metroid III: Set up us the Bomb
• Anatomy of Metroid IV: Ugh, wrong way, slick

Looking forward to reading more, Mr. Parish.

--Infinity's End

Although the last new Metroid game was almost three years ago, there has been a slew of Metroidvanias recently on Kickstarter to whet your appetite.

A.N.N.E. is a cross between Gradius and Super Metroid - fly around in an upgradeable ship to explore new areas, then jump out of your ship to travel on foot. The developer's main inspiration was, "Why doesn't Samus get back on her ship in Super Metroid?" Although he cites Guardian Legend, the mechanic of exiting an upgradeable vehicle and walking around sounds more like Blaster Master. With jets. You can fund it and get the game for as little as $10. This one is in need of support - it is $20k short of its goal.

Rex Rocket looks like a mash-up between Mega Man and Cave Story. There are plenty of weapon and item upgrades that unlock new areas of the ship, lots of NPCs to talk to, and some catchy chiptunes. This one can be funded for as low as $10 with soundtracks available at $15. It has already reached its funding goal.

Oh yeah, they're also making a fantastic Zelda-inspired game called Blossom Tales. They talk about it in another interview.

Chasm has almost closed, but there's still time to fund it (5 days left). It's Castlevania-inspired, with a whole lot of medieval spelunking, swords, and fantasy monsters. Funding here starts at $15. The game will also be available on Steam. Indie Gamer Chick interviewed the developer a few months back. Funding starts at $15. It has already reached its goal.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

If you need a little more help to get into that Cinco de Mayo spirit, let me just stop you there to recommend the totally awesome Guacamelee! This fantastic action-adventure is probably the greatest thing to happen to Metroidvania since Outland. You play as a luchador (masked Mexican wrestler) who must save the world from evil skeletons. Along the way, you grab a ton of abilities such as wall-jumping and wall-dashing, all with fantastic goat-themed names (seriously!). Your new powers will allow you to break down walls or perform new moves, giving you access to new areas of the game. It will take a considerable amount of exploration to track down all the nooks and crannies. And that's not all! The game is chock-full of cameos to other classic games, including Mario, Zelda, Mega Man, Castle Crashers, and Metroid!

That's right, there are statues of Metroids, along with 'Choozo Statues' that contain all your great power-ups! Oh, and did I mention it's two-player co-op???

Guacamelee! is a beat 'em up, and you'll spend most of your time beating up skeleton hombres with a wide array of kicks, punches, and head-butts. The environments are fantastic - lush forest, burning desert, and mountain passes are just three, and they're all painted with elegant Latin watercolor, all accompanied to epic Mexican ballads. It really makes you realize how awesome the culture is. This variety is also deeply refreshing for a genre that has largely been limited to the same old renditions of lava area, jungle area, rock area, and ice area (or more stuffy old castles, as with Castlevania). Since one of the great things about Metroidvania is exploration, it's pure joy to travel through a land completely new.

Since the game is based around the Dio de los Muertos (Day of the Dead, an important holiday in Mexican culture), there is also a great mechanic where you can go back and forth between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Unlike A Link to the Past, however, there is no puzzle-solving involving changing things in one world to affect the other. Rather, it is a tool for exploration - switching between the worlds will open up new paths forward. In later areas, there are some tricky wall-jump action that will make Super Metroid fans proud.

The only real downside is the game's length (five dungeons that can be cleared in about 5-6 hours, depending on how much exploring you do). However, the game boasts a lot of replay value through hard mode and speedruns - and it even ranks you against all other players. That's a feature we'd like to see in the next Metroid, too! Still, it's a good price at $15, and any Metroid fan would be doing themselves a favor by picking it up. And who knows - if they sell enough copies, we can probably expect a bigger, better Guacamelee 2! You can play the game on PS3 or Xbox 360.

Until next time...
Captain Commando

So yeah, back on the 15th, there was this huge event called METROID METAL TURNING 10 YEARS OLD!!! that we kind of forgot to cover (sorry Stemage!!!). I'll just put the blame here on getting sick and our staff's new work schedules... (Or maybe we just want to be like Capcom, who's Mega Man anniversaries last for like three friggin' years! *ahem!*)

Anyway, Metroid Metal's been one of the greatest things that's ever happened to the series, and I've spent countless hours listening to their stuff. If you somehow missed some of the songs over the past 10 years, here's a convenient zip chock full of every single MM track released so far (well, except Varia Suite - but you get that for like $8 over at Bandcamp). That's like thirty gajillion songs. Seriously, until a couple months ago, I even forgot they did Tallon IV Overworld, and it's pretty badass. Their latest track is Sector 4 from Metroid Fusion. It's also awesome.

As if that wasn't enough, there's a neat three-track arrange album of Metroid Metal music called appropriately enough Metroid Metal: 10 Years of Inspiration. It includes the Theme, Lower Norfair, and Ending. They're pretty fun, and you can pick the EP up for however much you want to pay. That means anywhere from $0 to the friggin national debt.

BTW, if you haven't checked out Metroid Metal live yet, you better keep posted to their upcoming shows page, since it's an experience like no other. If you thought listening to the CD was awesome, just wait until you see them live. I saw them at MAGFest back in January, and it was something incredible. It's like watching prehistoric tribal warriors do voodoo magic, and the music is played over speakers the size of a friggin' Volkswagen. They've also got some fantastic new animated videos by Nate Horsfall. (Protip: Stand on the left side of the stage; that's where all the action is!) This grainy YouTube stuff doesn't do it justice.

Metroid Metal will be playing at Bit Gen Gamerfest in Baltimore on June 30 and again at Nerdapalooza on August 3-5 in Orlando (which is awesome, since I live down there now!).

Until next time...
Captain Commando

According to retailer Big Bad Toy Store, a licensing issue over the Nintendo Figma's released beginning with Samus Aran has finally been hammered out. What this means is that both the Samus Figma and the Zero Suit Samus Figure will be available for purchase without having to pay import fees. Of course, Link has also become available alongside Samus.

Check out IE's review of the Zero Suit figure by clicking on the image below.

--James Pierce

It has been some time since Metroid Database has released an original feature. However I am proud to announce the latest addition to our growing collection. Was There a Heroine Before Samus? takes a look at an often forgotten old school Nintendo game in hopes of finding an answer. Click the image below to find out more!

--James Pierce

In a recent interview with ONM about Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Nintendo producer Hiro Yamada briefly mentioned Retro Studios' new game. While he naturally did not reveal what they are working on, he did mention that he hopes to show it off "in the not too distant future". Incoming E3 Nintendo Direct? Hopefully, we'll find out what Retro is working on by E3 this June.

In the same interview Retro Studios gave their seal of approval to Monster's port of Donkey Kong Country Returns. If you haven't played it already, now is a great time to jump in without fear of Retro's vision being lost. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D will be available on May 24 and 25 in North America and PAL territories respectively.

--James Pierce

A year ago, we told you about NeoGAF member Mama Robotnik who unearthed some awesome assets from the Metroid Prime series. A year later, and Mama Robotnik has uncovered some more goodies. This time, we get a glimpse at an early title screen, some very early screenshots, and a series of logos Nintendo of America tested for the game.

Keep at it Mama Robotnik! I think I speak for all of us at Metroid Database when I say that you seriously rock!

--James Pierce