History Trivia / MetroidPrime

* RoleEndingMisdemeanor: Retro Studios founder Jeff Spangenberg was forced out of his own company by Nintendo months before the release of the game when they realized what he had and hadn't been doing throughout not just the TroubledProduction of ''Metroid Prime'', but every other project at his studio since its inception: Spangenberg was frequently absent as both a developer and a manager, instead spending his time and Nintendo's money [[HookersAndBlow enjoying the high life with yacht parties, strip clubs, and drugs]] -- one frequent story by former employees recounted that during the chaotic pre-production phase of a project that would eventually be cancelled so they could work on ''Prime'', [[ConspicuousConsumption Spangenberg pulled up in a new Ferrari he won at an auction]], having done so solely to outbid Creator/JohnCarmack. Nintendo eventually learned about Spangenberg's behavior in the summer of 2001 because of a website that he made documenting all his latest partying, photo-ops with topless woman, and cocaine habits, all hosted ''on Retro's own servers''. Due to his high position in Retro, he wasn't immediately fired, but Nintendo bought out all his shares (reclassifying Retro as a first party developer and division of Nintendo) and Spangenberg was quietly forced to leave. Spangenberg ended up forming his own development studio Topheavy Studios, which ended up creating the controversial ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guy_Game The Guy Game]]'', before leaving the gaming industry for good.

* RoleEndingMisdemeanor: Retro Studios founder Jeff Spangenberg was forced out of his own company by Nintendo months before the release of the game when they realized what he had and hadn't been doing throughout not just the TroubledProduction of ''Metroid Prime'', but every other project at his studio since its inception: Spangenberg was frequently absent as both a developer and a manager, instead spending his time and Nintendo's money [[HookersAndBlow enjoying the high life with yacht parties, strip clubs, and drugs]] -- one frequent story by former employees recounted that during the chaotic pre-production phase of a project that would eventually be cancelled so they could work on ''Prime'', [[ConspicuousConsumption Spangenberg pulled up in a new Ferrari he won at an auction]], having done so solely to outbid Creator/JohnCarmack. Nintendo eventually learned about Spangenberg's behavior in the summer of 2001 because of a website that he made documenting all his latest partying, photo-ops with topless woman, and cocaine habits, all hosted ''on Retro's own servers''. Due to his high position in Retro, he wasn't immediately fired, but Nintendo bought out all his shares (reclassifying Retro as a first party developer and division of Nintendo) and Spangenberg was quietly forced to leave.

* KillerApp: ''Prime'' was one of the reasons to own a UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube.

** Retro wanted to include ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' as a secret EmbeddedPrecursor, but Nintendo shot it down because they lacked an in-house way to emulate [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] games on the [=GameCube=]. While it was possible with third-party software, they didn't want to deal with any potential legal issues. They settled with adding the original ''VideoGame/Metroid1''.

* DuelingGames: ''Remastered'' was one to ''VideoGame/DeadSpaceRemake''. Both are remakes of acclaimed science-fiction games from the TurnOfTheMillennium. Both games have many similarities in both story and gameplay. On the story side, they both involve main characters who respond to a distress call on a remote planet and end up having to stop TheCorruption. Their gameplay is also complementary as well, with ''Metroid Prime'' being a primarily exploration-based game with some minor horror elements, and ''Dead Space'' being a primarily horror-based game with some minor exploration elements.

* CreatorBacklash: The original game's developers had [[https://twitter.com/ZoidCTF/status/1624487320132136960?s=20&t=APuHtmNXn9cR01ABTvMtAg expressed disappointment]] in having their names be unlisted in the credits for ''Remastered'' despite being alluded to there.

** During a livestream with Sean Booth, it was confirmed that Music/{{Autechre}} were initially considered to compose the game. While Nintendo declined, both band members were thanked in the credits.

* CutSong: The original NTSC version of ''Prime'' only has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSM2F6JTHgA the first 36 seconds]] of Flaahgra's BattleThemeMusic. Other releases, including the PAL, Japanese versions, the ''Trilogy'' rerelease, and ''Remastered'' have [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhnrH30411A the full song]].

* ExecutiveMeddling: A rare positive example. Despite resistance from basically everyone else involved, Miyamoto insisted the game be a first-person shooter. To say this mandate from Miyamoto paid off is a gross understatement.

** Retro Studio didn't start out by developing a Metroid title. Rather, one of the first titles they worked was an action-adventure title that starred three {{Action Girl}}s who fought genetically-enhanced terrorists on Earth. It was then retooled to an alien working for Earth to fend of an invasion from a different alien race. Shigeru Miyamoto saw this pitch, and suggested turning it into a ''Metroid'' game.
** Retro Studio developed the game with the mindset of it being a ContinuityReboot rather than being canon within the then-current trilogy. It was Nintendo who brought it into the timeline, setting it between the first two games.
** There were no plans originally to have bonuses tied to connecting the game with ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'', because ''Fusion'' didn't even exist, much less be in development. Incidentally ''Fusion'' exists because of the positive reaction to ''Prime'''s Spaceworld 2000 trailer.

** This game has voiceovers that were supposed to introduce each area by name; all are still on the disc, but the scripting is broken. The only trigger that actually works is transitioning from Tallon Overworld to Impact Crater or vice versa. This feature would be restored in the remastered version.

** During a livestream with Sean Booth, it was confirmed that Autechre were initially considered to compose the game. While Nintendo declined, both band members were thanked in the credits.

** Retro Studio didn't start out by developing a Metroid title. Rather, one of the first titles they worked was an action-adventure title that starred three {{Action Girl}}s who fought genetically-enhanced terrorists on Earth. It was then retooled to an alien working for Earth to fend of an invasion from a different alien race. Shigeru Miyamoto saw this pitch, and suggested turning it into a Metroid game.

-->''The look of the Phazon Suit was just one of those things that happened because we were running out of time. One thing I became known for our team was that I could create cool looking shaders or surfaces that just looked interesting. We didn't have time to concept or model a new suit for Samus so Todd Keller came to me and said, "make a cool looking suit by messing with the shaders and textures."\\
\\
So, the Phazon Suit came about because of time constraints, but sometimes the most creative ideas just happen when you're not given the time to over think it. I think I only worked on the Phazon Suit idea for a couple of days at the most.''

-->''"It wasn't Miyamoto's favorite game, and it was kinda dormant among Nintendo franchises for a while. It wasn't until the news came out that they were doing [Metroid Prime] and people really started talking about it that they said "actually, this is a franchise we overlooked" and realized [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff how much legs it had here in the west]]. And that's when they decided to do [[VideoGame/MetroidFusion the GBA Metroid game]] as well. But when we were first working on [Metroid Prime], they had no plans for doing anything like that... it was the buzz that was continually being generated about Metroid that got them to inject something else into the franchise."''

* CutSong: The original NTSC version of ''Prime'' only has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSM2F6JTHgA the first 36 seconds]] of Flaahgra's BattleThemeMusic. Other releases, including the PAL and Japanese versions and the ''Trilogy'' rerelease, have [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhnrH30411A the full song]].

** Retro wanted to include ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' as a secret EmbeddedPrecursor, but Nintendo shot it down because they lacked an in-house way to emulate [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] games on the [=GameCube=]. While it was possible with third-party software, they didn't want to deal with any potential legal issues. The settled with adding the original ''VideoGame/Metroid1''.

** Kraid was going to be a boss in the Phazon Mines. [[http://images.wikia.com/metroid/images/b/b6/MP_Kraid.jpg He got far enough in development that he was modeled and textured]], but was cut for time. According to the modeler, Gene Kohler, he was ''not'' replaced by the Omega Pirate; he was already planned to appear before Kraid's cut. Kraid's exclusion here meant that it take nearly 2 decades before he would appear in a ''Metroid'' game again, in ''VideoGame/MetroidDread''. Concept art also shows a giant version of Mother Brain and different versions of Ridley (one showing his muscles and organs while another had him look more robotic), implying that those could have been in the game.

** Retro wanted to include ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' as a secret EmbeddedPrecursor, but Nintendo shot it down because they lacked an in-house way to emulate [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] games on the [=GameCube=]. While it was possible with third-party software, they they didn't want to deal with any potential legal issues. The settled with adding the original ''VideoGame/Metroid1''.

** Apparently, it took so long to find a composer for the game that the team was ready to leave the game without any soundtrack at all, if need be. Music/KenjiYamamoto finally stepped up late in development and composed the game's soundtrack.
** During a livestream with Sean Booth, it was confirmed that Music/Autechre were initially considered to compose the game. While Nintendo decline, both band members were thanked in the credits.

** Equipping different Beam weapons would have caused the Arm Cannon to transform entirely - for example, the Ice Beam would've turned it into a claw and the Wave Beam would've turned it into a tapered alien shape. Renders can be found [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/metroid/images/6/68/Gene_Kohler_Samus_weapons.png/revision/latest?cb=20180719023615 here.]]

** This game has voiceovers that were supposed to introduce each area by name; all are still on the disc, but the scripting is broken. The only trigger that actually works is transitioning from Tallon Overworld to Impact Crater or vice versa.

** There no plans originally to have bonuses tied to connecting the game with ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'', because ''Fusion'' didn't even exist, much less be in development. Incidentally ''Fusion'' exists because of the positive reaction to ''Prime'''s Spaceworld 2000 trailer.

** Apparently, it took so long to find a composer for the game that the team was ready to leave the game without any soundtrack at all, if need be. Creator/KenjiYamamoto finally stepped up late in development and composed the game's soundtrack.

*** During a livestream with Sean Booth, it was confirmed that Music/Autechre were initially considered to compose the game. While Nintendo decline, both band members were thanked in the credits.

*** That being said, both members of Autechre were credited under Special Thanks, with seemingly no explanation for why. It was only during a livestream with Sean Booth that the truth emerged: Retro had contacted the duo to compose the game, to which they agreed. Nintendo disagreed.

** Retro wanted to include ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' as a secret EmbeddedPrecursor. Nintendo shot it down because emulating ''Super Metroid'' at the time required 3rd party software, and they didn't want to deal with any potential legal issues. They still managed to get ''VideoGame/Metroid1'' in though.

-->''"It wasn't Miyamoto's favorite game, and it was kinda dormant among Nintendo franchises for a while. It wasn't until the news came out that they were doing [Metroid Prime] and people really started talking about it that they said "actually, this is a franchise we overlooked" and realized [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff how much legs it had here in the west]]. And that's when they decided to do [[VideoGame/MetroidFusion the GBA Metroid game]] as well. But when we were first working on [Metroid Prime], they had no plans for doing anything like that... it was the buzz that was continually being generated about Metroid that got them to inject something else into the franchise."