Nintendo explains how Metroid Prime 4 came to be, talks development challenges – game was a request from Nintendo of America

Nintendo has provided some noteworthy insight into the origins of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond as well as challenges with the project.

Metroid Prime 4 is one of the more fascinating games the company has put out in recent years, and its development cycle is a big reason why. Although the game was announced in 2017, it only just released this year. The project being rebooted with Retro Studios played a major role in the time it took between reveal and launch, but there was more to it.

As far as how it initially came to be, according to a Nintendo developer interview published in this week’s Famitsu, it turns out that Nintendo of America actually requested for Metroid Prime 4 to happen originally. We also learn that when things were shifting to Retro, the studio “did not have the structure to make a Metroid Prime game”. New staff working on the game also had to learn about the essence of making a Metroid Prime title.

Our translation of the transcript can be found below. 

Please tell us about the development details of this title.

The project started as a request from Nintendo of America. It was a request to make a new mainline game in the numbered Metroid Prime series. We thought about how to make a game that kept the ‘Prime’-ness while also delivering a new experience. At the same time, we made the relationship between Samus and Sylux the main thread for the story, something we had wanted to do at some time.

Please talk to us about some of the toughest points and some of the things you paid extra attention to during the long development period.

Partway through, the development company changed, and the project was restarted with Retro Studios. However, at that time, Retro did not have the structure to make a Metroid Prime game, so first we had to begin by making that structure. Furthermore, we outsourced some of the background model and movie creation to external companies – particularly the background data required a lot of external support – so first we had to start by selecting those companies, and then following that, further management was necessary. The progress management staff were very helpful while considering both the schedule and quality. I have a lot of gratitude for them. I also have great appreciation for everyone at the studio who helped make the data.

As for things we paid attention to, I suppose it was making sure that new staff understood our design plan. This wasn’t just making a game, it was making an experience for the player, particularly it took time for everyone to understand the feel of ‘ma’ of Metroid Prime.

In the end I think they understand it, as well as the Japanese concept of ‘ma’.

* Note: this refers to the idea of the space between, for example between objects, time, sound, people etc. By appreciating that gap, people can better understand the passing of time, sense of beauty, etc.

Aside from the above, we also translated some comments from Nintendo in which the company commented on its overall approach to the game and why it didn’t take the fully open-world approach. Read about that here.

Translation provided by SatsumaFS and Simon Griffin on behalf of Nintendo Everything.