Author Topic: Metroid Pinball DS, Metroid Prime: Hunters Delayed (Read 21556 times)

NWR_Lindy · « **on:** February 10, 2005, 07:28:40 AM »

A new Metroid game appears out of nowhere, and an already-announced Metroid game seems to slip further into the future.

A recent perusal of the Nintendo DS games catalog on EBGames.com revealed a title called "Metroid Pinball DS". It's listed as having a release date of 12/05/2005 at a price of $29.99. Nintendo is listed as the publisher, and the developer is currently unknown. We'll have more on this title as news is revealed, but the premise of a pinball game based on the Metroid universe sounds mighty cool indeed.

Also on the release front, both EBGames.com and Gamestop.com have Metroid Prime: Hunters set for an August release (EBGames lists 08/22, and Gamestop lists 08/01). This is further out than the May/June timeframe we've seen floating around the web for a while now.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #1 on:** February 10, 2005, 07:53:26 AM »

A Metroid pinball game?! Does anyone else see this as total blasphemy?

Metroid isn't Mario. It isn't meant to be whored out to every genre available. It's one of the few Nintendo franchises that has so far managed to remain "pure" in that aside from SSB it has stuck to the main series and nothing more. It's bad enough they decided to make a generic FPS but a pinball game? Is Metris far behind?

It's clear Nintendo only cares about the name on the box. Innovation and quality don't matter anymore. It's all about the familiar franchise title and putting it on as much product as possible. Nintendo has turned into Capcom.

If Metroid has gone all spin-off on us Zelda can't be too far behind.

Ages · « **Reply #2 on:** February 10, 2005, 08:13:16 AM »

I wouldnt go that far Ian, but believe me, I do feel your rage. Metroid is Nintendo's "teh mature" franchise and a pinball game sounds like a horrible thing to do to the franchise. That's like making a Zelda racing game. it does not work and Nintendo is really overusing the franchise. One of the reasons Halo 2 sold so well (besides being hearlded as the greatest game ever..i dont share that opinon) was that people waited 3 years for the second one. Time between releases brings anticipation back to the franchise. Ya hear that Nintendo? We want Star Tropics and Kid Icarus.

Artimus · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2005, 08:22:17 AM »

Nintendo DS is now officially the gimmick mini-game system. PSP is a real handheld gaming system.

LouWeeJee · « **Reply #4 on:** February 10, 2005, 08:28:18 AM »

Well keep in mind guys, this wouldn't be the first time Metroid and pinball have joined forces.
...not that the first attempt was all that successful.
Galactic Pinball at PlanetNintendo

joshnickerson · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2005, 08:44:47 AM »

Is it just me, or is there pretty much a pinball game for EVERY gaming icon these days?

This is just wrong. I can see it already... slapping Samus around in morph ball form into Kraid's mouth. Sigh.

But to be honest, bitching about it isn't going to change anything. If you don't like it... don't buy it. Simple as that.

And Ian, I'm just asking, have you ever written a letter to Nintendo about your feeling about them lately? I mean, the old fashioned paper kind, which would more than likely be treated with more respect than the thousands of "Nintendo is teh sux" emails they probably get daily.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #6 on:** February 10, 2005, 08:54:10 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Artimus
Nintendo DS is now officially the gimmick mini-game system. PSP is a real handheld PS2.

Fixed...Let's hear it for assumptions! (And also basing your "arguments" around a few games rather than the rather innovative ones like Another and Yoshi Touch and Go, for example)

KnowsNothing · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2005, 09:03:10 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
A Metroid pinball game?! Does anyone else see this as total blasphemy?

Metroid isn't Mario. It isn't meant to be whored out to every genre available. It's one of the few Nintendo franchises that has so far managed to remain "pure" in that aside from SSB it has stuck to the main series and nothing more.

Yes, Metroid seemed to be a series which had remained pure; that is, it stuck true to its roots and upheld its legacy (even after making the transition to first-person.) But having a spinoff - a pinball one at that - is a bad idea, even if the game turns out to be a quality pinball title (which it probably will).

Quote
It's bad enough they decided to make a generic FPS but a pinball game? Is Metris far behind?

Except for the fact that that MP is NOT generic. Hell, people complained that it wasn't generic (controls, backtracking, scanning...) google tells me metris is a company that specializes in 3d scanning. REVOLUTION?

Quote
It's clear Nintendo only cares about the name on the box. Innovation and quality don't matter anymore. It's all about the familiar franchise title and putting it on as much product as possible. Nintendo has turned into Capcom.

Disagreed. It seems that Nintendo is doing this, but they still churn out quality games. They do slap on the name for boosted sales, a strategy which they won't be able to do for too much longer, but even without the name the games are still good. Like I said, Metroid Pinball will probably be fun.

Quote
If Metroid has gone all spin-off on us Zelda can't be too far behind.

Tetra's Trackers? =p Naw, I don't see a Zelda pinball/racing/backgammon game coming out (although I'd kill for some Hyrule themed craps)

Oh, and artimus? You're an idiot =p The DS WILL have gimmick games, but it's not like you have to buy them. There are plenty of other gmaes you'll be able to choose from.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2005, 09:10:19 AM »

"And Ian, I'm just asking, have you ever written a letter to Nintendo about your feeling about them lately?"

I once emailed them when they released the first Cube demo disc and only allowed it to obtainted "officially" by buying a new Cube. I think I got some standard form letter response and in the end I was able to find a copy anyway. And recently they had some survey on the DS and in the comments section I mentioned the reason I didn't have one yet is because the launch lineup was so slim and I didn't want to buy Super Mario 64 again.

I don't know if writing a letter would do much good since NOA doesn't have complete control over what games are released and NCL probably is only interested in what Japanese consumers think. But then this is Metroid which is viewed by Nintendo as mostly an American franchise so it might be relevent in this case.

The best thing to do obviously is, like you said, to not buy it. But that ultimately accomplishes nothing because so many people will buy any Nintendo franchise game. Mario Party for example despite its infamy is consistently a high seller. But then I haven't bought a DS yet and don't really plan to in the near future. That's a purchase that I think Nintendo will miss somewhat.

I think eventually enough will lose interest in the constant milking of franchises that Nintendo will feel forced to change. Some of us are just losing interest quicker.

Edit due to new post: "Except for the fact that that MP is NOT generic." I was talking about MP Hunters. I love Metroid Prime 1 & 2.

Pale · « **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2005, 09:15:16 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
A Metroid pinball game?! Does anyone else see this as total blasphemy?

Metroid isn't Mario. It isn't meant to be whored out to every genre available. It's one of the few Nintendo franchises that has so far managed to remain "pure" in that aside from SSB it has stuck to the main series and nothing more. It's bad enough they decided to make a generic FPS but a pinball game? Is Metris far behind?

It's clear Nintendo only cares about the name on the box. Innovation and quality don't matter anymore. It's all about the familiar franchise title and putting it on as much product as possible. Nintendo has turned into Capcom.

If Metroid has gone all spin-off on us Zelda can't be too far behind.

Haha, I came in here hoping for a first post that was gonna be something along the lines of "Cue Ian's bitching". It's fitting that he's the one who beat me to the punch. =) (no fences)

vudu · « **Reply #10 on:** February 10, 2005, 09:19:48 AM »

Quote
Except for the fact that that MP is NOT generic. Hell, people complained that it wasn't generic

I believe Ian was referring to Hunters, which doesn't control like the console MP's. However, I don't think it's fair to judge a game based on a ten-minute demo that was more of a technical showcase than anything else.

As far as Metris goes, please see the Penny Acrade comic I assume Ian was referring to. Count Your Lucky Stars

KnowsNothing · « **Reply #11 on:** February 10, 2005, 09:33:30 AM »

"I was talking about MP Hunters"

Oh, makes more sense now >_> I probably assumed that you would judge a game only after having actually played it. The demo we played isn't how it's going to turn out, and I'm surprised that you thought it would be.

EDIT: Yeah, what King posted while I was typing....also I knew what was meant by Metris =P

SgtShiversBen · « **Reply #12 on:** February 10, 2005, 09:42:53 AM »

There is one pinball title that is looking to be awesome. Odama. I think Metroid Pinball could be like this, but then again, why can't Nintendo have fun with things they created? I'm sure when Leonardo did the Mona Lisa he was all doing sketches where he put her on a bucking bronco ;-) Personally, I don't really care what they do with their games, if it's fun, kickass. If not, it's funny to smack the hell out of Samus (or even metroids).

Artimus · « **Reply #13 on:** February 10, 2005, 09:46:31 AM »

I think the DS will be the last Nintendo system I buy just because its Nintendo. I'm only buying Revolution when it proves to have a strong game library.

I never thought I'd ever say that.

Mario · « **Reply #14 on:** February 10, 2005, 09:49:00 AM »

Haha! I've always thought a Metroid Pinball game would be cool, a lot of morph ball parts in Metroid Prime 1 & 2 felt they had pinball potential.

By the way, maybe THQ are making this? I hope not though, cause I want it to be good. This has a lot of potential, think of all the things Samus can do...

KDR_11k · « **Reply #15 on:** February 10, 2005, 09:54:23 AM »

My first thought when reading "Metroid Pinball" was "someone needs a damn good kick in the face". I stand by that.

Nintendo MUST stop this if they want to have any customers left in the next few years. This is insulting, especially considering that Nintendo's characters aren't very likeable in first place. They are all flat as paper and designed pretty much as placeholders. Daisy and Zelda, the humanoid McGuffins, Mario, Link and Samus the ridiculous heroes that show no realistic reactions and cannot be identified with, Pokemon, a whole load of random critters designed to fill a collector book, etc. Come on, it's not like those stupid characters enhance the gaming experience, in fact they do exactly the opposite. Metroid Prime suffers from Samus's stupid design, Mario is just plain out annoying, Link has a pretty boring design as well and his grunts are annoying, etc. Those characters come from a time when sophisticated designs or complicated back stories just weren't possible. Times have changed, 3d characters that take up a large part of the screen just need different design philosophies than 16 pixel high sprites. Nintendo's old characters look out of place in the modern world and need to be put to rest, replaced with characters that fit into modern games better and don't stand out like a rainbow-colored poodle.

NWR_Lindy · « **Reply #16 on:** February 10, 2005, 09:56:50 AM »

I hope Metroid Pinball turns out to be like Alien Crush on the TurboGrafx-16. Now THAT was an awesome pinball game (Devil's Crush was too, for that matter).

I may be the only one, but I'm excited to see how this game turns out (especially if it's developed by Nintendo). I love pinball games and I love the Metroid franchise, so I couldn't ask for much more.

silks

Mario · « **Reply #17 on:** February 10, 2005, 10:04:51 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
My first thought when reading "Metroid Pinball" was "someone needs a damn good kick in the face". I stand by that.

Nintendo MUST stop this if they want to have any customers left in the next few years. This is insulting, especially considering that Nintendo's characters aren't very likeable in first place. They are all flat as paper and designed pretty much as placeholders. Daisy and Zelda, the humanoid McGuffins, Mario, Link and Samus the ridiculous heroes that show no realistic reactions and cannot be identified with, Pokemon, a whole load of random critters designed to fill a collector book, etc. Come on, it's not like those stupid characters enhance the gaming experience, in fact they do exactly the opposite. Metroid Prime suffers from Samus's stupid design, Mario is just plain out annoying, Link has a pretty boring design as well and his grunts are annoying, etc. Those characters come from a time when sophisticated designs or complicated back stories just weren't possible. Times have changed, 3d characters that take up a large part of the screen just need different design philosophies than 16 pixel high sprites. Nintendo's old characters look out of place in the modern world and need to be put to rest, replaced with characters that fit into modern games better and don't stand out like a rainbow-colored poodle.

It's a VIDEOGAME

vudu · « **Reply #18 on:** February 10, 2005, 10:12:54 AM »

Is anyone else excited about the possibility of a metroid-themed pachinko mini-game?

Hostile Creation · « **Reply #19 on:** February 10, 2005, 10:17:49 AM »

I thought this was an obvious game to make. I'm disappointed that it's happening, but if I see that it's coming along in an interesting manner (Odama) I won't have any qualms, so long as they don't milk it too much.
Nintendo should definitely be more reserved with their franchises.

PJ gamer10 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 10, 2005, 10:20:26 AM »

KDR, you make some pretty good points. I think gamers go back to those games not because of the expressions and stories of the characters but because of the worlds that come with them. It great for me to go to the Mushroom Kingdom or to Hyrule because of what all those worlds bring. I do agree that as games become more sophisticated there should be some backbone behind the games and that includes detailed stories and character.
Now on to the topic, the Metroid pinball is a bad idea. As a DS owner im not interested in it and im getting very disappointed with the lack of original or fun games for it. Im getting Wario and Yoshi but Nintendo can't do it all on their own. They need third parties to do things on the system besides ports or gimmicky software.

Jonnyboy117 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 10, 2005, 10:36:28 AM »

Zelda has already been spun off. It failed with the CD-i games, but it worked brilliantly with the multiplayer games on GBA and GameCube. Despite a bizarre premise, if Metroid Pinball is done very respectfully, looks and sounds as cool as the other games, and is innovative and fun, I have no problem with it...and I am a HUGE Metroid fan.

Hostile Creation · « **Reply #22 on:** February 10, 2005, 10:45:43 AM »

I think you put it better than me, Johnnyboy. I basically agree with you.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #23 on:** February 10, 2005, 10:49:35 AM »

My mind flashes back to Sonic Spinball, and what a fun (but incredibly hard) game it was...I'm kind of hoping Metroid Pinball works the same way(where you don't just pull a plunger but actually move around to your objectives)...

couchmonkey · « **Reply #24 on:** February 10, 2005, 11:39:45 AM »

To me it's not a matter of whether or not Nintendo's characters are "good" characters, in fact I think the fact that Nintendo's characters don't have too much personality often works in their favour. To me the issue here is that soon I might be looking at the Nintendo shelf in my local shop and see nothing but Nintendo franchises lining the walls. Variety is a good thing, that's why Nintendo needs more third party support in the first place.

This particular game announcement doesn't bother me too much. I actually think it's a good thing to see Nintendo exploiting a franchise other than Mario for a change. As someone else said, if you don't like it, don't buy it. But I do feel that Nintendo is starting to get way too comfortable with cramming its franchises into mediocre games.

News:

Author Topic: Metroid Pinball DS, Metroid Prime: Hunters Delayed (Read 21556 times)