Nintendo’s Metroid Prime: Federation Force was first revealed during the company’s digital E3 event for the Nintendo 3DS but suffice to say, the reception wasn’t that good. Blame the game’s severe departure from Metroid’s gameplay and art style but several fans just weren’t buying into it.
Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime spoke to Kotaku about the same and revealed that it “will also push the envelope in developing something that we know is high-quality and that we know will deliver in the marketplace.”
Fils-Aime related recent protests to those against the art style for The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker when it was first revealed for the GameCube. “Remember when that art style was first shown. The uproar from the Zelda community was intensely negative. If there had been social media then, there probably would have been a petition to make that game go away.”
Nonetheless, Fils-Aime says the company knows that fans want a traditional Metroid title. “Look, we know that the fans want a straight Samus Aran game,” he said. “We also know that the best way to launch a game like that is to surprise and delight them, to give them a launch date, in an environment like this let them play it versus what other companies do, which is to announce a project that you may not see for five, six years. It’s just not the way we do things.”
“We know the community wants to see a straight-up Metroid game. We know it.”
Of course, the question then arises – if it’s known, then why not develop and showcase that alongside Federation Force? It’s not like the Wii U has just come out or that it isn’t in need of top-tier exclusives.
Thoughts on Metroid Prime: Federation Force? Let us know in the comments.
