12th May 2004, 1:54 PM
IGN has a MP2 intereview up, and here are some of the more interesting quotes:
Cool, looks like the multiplayer will be more than just straight-up deathmatch. And those are some very interesting comments regarding Dark Samus. I'm definitely looking forward to finding out what that is all about.
It's interesting that he said that you should look forward to the DS game for a bounty hunting aspect, so perhaps the single-player game will be more non-linear than regular Metroid titles? I'd love that, to fly around from planet to planet, collecting bounties and stuff.
And N-Space working on Hunters... interesting.
Quote:
May 12, 2004 - We're smack-dab in the middle of the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2004. A full level of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is playable at Nintendo's booth. We meet the game's producer Kensuke Tanabe shortly after lunch and he brings us up to date on the first-person adventure sequel.
In case you're wondering, Tanabe joined Nintendo Japan in 1986 and worked for the company's Entertainment, Analysis and Development (EAD) group up until last year. He directed Super Mario 2 on the Nintendo Entertainment System and then worked on A Link to the Past on Super NES. He later worked on Star Wars Shadows of the Empire on Nintendo 64. He oversaw the production of Metroid Prime and is currently entrenched in the creation of the sequel.
Following, our interview:
IGN: Are you based in Texas now or do you work out of NCL in Japan?
Kensuke Tanabe: At NCL in Japan.
IGN: What is the goal of Metroid Prime 2? What is the game really about?
Kensuke Tanabe: Our obvious goal is to build another game for people who enjoyed Metroid Prime -- just an enjoyable game to play for people who loved the franchise.
Quote:IGN: Why is the game called Metroid Prime 2: Echoes? Does this relate to the new visor mode that lets you see sound?
Kensuke Tanabe: There is going to be an Echo Visor and you're right that it does let you see sound in certain ways, but that is not where the name came from. The name itself refers to the two planets existing simultaneously and that each one is an echo of the other.
Quote:IGN: Will there be any link functionality between Metroid Prime 2 and the Nintendo DS Metroid Prime Hunters?
Kensuke Tanabe: No, there's no plan to have any connectivity between the DS and GameCube.
Quote:IGN: Speaking of the screw attack, how does it work and can you execute it any time you want?
Kensuke Tanabe: Once you get the item that allows you to do the screw attack you can do it wherever you want. But it's designed to allow you to wall-jump up chasms and things like that.
IGN: Can it also used as a weapon?
Kensuke Tanabe: It's not one-hundred percent finalized yet, but our feeling now is that it's not really designed to be a weapon, but more of an exploratory device.
Quote:
IGN: We came across 'hacking mode' in the multiplayer demo, but we didn't have time to figure out what it's use was. What's it for?
Kensuke Tanabe: That's a multiplayer feature. In multiplayer mode there's really no place to use the visor, but they really wanted to so this was their solution. Through scanning you can infect your opponent with the virus and that makes the character take damage.
Quote:IGN: How will the game's storyline be delivered? Will there be more cut-scenes or voice work?
Kensuke Tanabe: We don't have any voice or narrative planned. However, I believe there are more cut-scenes in this game than in the previous game. But the scan visor is used to drive the story elements as well.
Quote:IGN: We take it that Dark Samus will be a prominent figure in the game, always hunting Samus.
Kensuke Tanabe: [Laughs] I've had that question a bunch, actually. In the video we released, Dark Samus is featured really prominently, but in the game not as much as the video suggests. The role of Dark Samus is not limited to a hunter or the hunted. It's more mysterious than that.
Quote:IGN: How big would you say the game is overall?
Kensuke Tanabe: I haven't played it from beginning to end, so I can't give you a definitive answer. But I think it's pretty close to the first one -- roughly the same amount of gameplay.
Quote:IGN: Have you focused at all on Samus Aran's bounty hunter aspect? Have you implemented anything in the game which spotlights this particular side of the character?
Kensuke Tanabe: We didn't really focus on anything to do with Samus as a bounty hunter more than we have in other games. Other than that she's a hired gun and she comes to the planet for a reason. People looking for the bounty hunter aspect should probably look at the Nintendo DS title Metroid Prime Hunters.
Quote:IGN: Who is developing the DS game?
Kensuke Tanabe: It's not Retro. They obviously have some Retro assets though. If Mr. Iwata says okay, then I can tell you.
[Editor's note: IGN has learned that Hideki Konno, deputy manager at EAD and producer of Metroid Prime Hunters, is also working with N-Space on Geist. It's therefore possible that N-Space could also be the developer of Metroid Prime Hunters. We have not yet been able to confirm that possibility.]
Cool, looks like the multiplayer will be more than just straight-up deathmatch. And those are some very interesting comments regarding Dark Samus. I'm definitely looking forward to finding out what that is all about.
It's interesting that he said that you should look forward to the DS game for a bounty hunting aspect, so perhaps the single-player game will be more non-linear than regular Metroid titles? I'd love that, to fly around from planet to planet, collecting bounties and stuff.
And N-Space working on Hunters... interesting.