Metroid Prime Remastered's credits have been criticized by a former developer for omitting direct mention of the original development team.
Metroid Prime Remastered stealth-launched last week after a Nintendo Direct presentation to critical acclaim, a welcome return for a long-lost GameCube title. One former developer at Retro Studios, Zoid Kirsch, isn't pleased with the remaster leaving out direct mention of the original developers in the remaster's credits.
While many studios did amazing work on the remaster, I'm let down Metroid Prime's Remaster does not include the full original game credits. I worked with so many amazing people on the game and everyone's name should be included in the remaster, not just a single card like this. pic.twitter.com/Yvojf9f9MqFebruary 11, 2023
Instead of mentioning each individual at Nintendo and Retro Studios who developed the original Metroid Prime, the remaster simply notes that the new version is "based on" the original GameCube game. That doesn't sit well with Kirsch and others on Twitter, who are also voicing their displeasure at staff from Retro Studios being entirely left out of the remaster's credits.
- Nintendo says it believes in "giving proper credit" as it gets called out for failing to give proper credit to the original devs behind Donkey Kong Country Returns
- 30 years on, developers reflect on Super Metroid's impact: "Like Zelda and Mario, there is almost nothing else out there like it in tone. Still to this day, even"
A fellow former developer at Retro Studios, Jack Mathews, points out in the tweet below that Metroid Prime Remastered will no doubt use the exact same code the original GameCube title used over two decades ago. Metroid Prime Remastered gives the 2002 title a fresh lick of paint, but doesn't alter any gameplay mechanics like boss animations or abilities, and will therefore likely use the exact same code.
This is a travesty. Not just for my credit (even though most of my code was probably replaced), but for people whose code and work are largely unchanged, like Mark HH, Steve McCrea, all of the uprezzed art and concepts, the game design. Shameful. https://t.co/y6tXyCG3N1February 12, 2023
Because of this, Mathews says, it's only common sense that Metroid Prime Remastered lists the original developers whose code they're still using today. Mathews is hardly alone in this opinion - many responses to Kirsch's tweet highlight how other remasters have credited the original development team by name, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered in 2016.
Elsewhere, Kirsch said he generally adores Metroid Prime Remastered - apart from the doors. Apparently there's something funky going on with the HD version of the blasts shields covering doors throughout the game.
Metroid Prime Remastered is finally a reality, but there's no such good news for Metroid Prime 4, which quietly rumbles on in development at Retro Studios over four years after it was rebooted.
