Metroid Creator Talks Up Metroid: Other M

Artwork from the Metroid: Other M official site.

Nintendo's flood of game announcements last week included little in the way of new information regarding Metroid: Other M. Unfortunately, that hasn't changed much despite a one page interview with Metroid co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto in this week's Famitsu.

Sakamoto recapped some of what's known about Metroid: Other M. For this new Metroid title, Nintendo has teamed with Tecmo's Team Ninja and CG studio D-Rockets. Nintnedo and Team Ninja are working on the actual game content, with D-Rockets handling the movies.

Said Sakamoto, "This project between three companies, which we call Project M, is progressing extremely well." It's a big project, he explained, so there has been some trouble here and there. However, the development staff works through the problems together.

Sakamoto went into just a bit more depth when pressed by the magazine.

"This Metroid is being developed with the aim of the ideal form of the old Metroid," said Sakamoto. Team Ninja's knowhow is being put to use in creating the Metroid world and in moving the "2D jump action game" into "3D action." Sakamoto believes the quality will fully satisfy players.

More intriguingly, he said "It's a game that can be realized because of the Wii."

Famitsu pointed out that Metroid is more successful overseas than in Japan. Sakamoto admitted that this is the case, but added, "However, different from the rest of the series, this time we're strongly depicting the human side of Samus through such things as movies. She's a strong woman, but she also has a fragile side. We want to make a game whose charms can be felt from the story areas and these human touches as well. It's an action game, but it's capable of having a clear emotional side."

Sakamoto hopes to release the game this year, something that Nintendo confirmed last week.

While Japan may not have the largest Metroid fanbase, one of Sakamoto's other titles did end up being a massive hit last year. Sakamoto was producer on Friend Collection, which has sold over two million units and shows no sign of letting up.

Regarding this title, Sakamoto said, "A lot of people are playing it, so we're planning a lot of things. We haven't clearly finalized a followup or anything, but we'd like to do some new things."