Metroid fans are you ready for a 2D remake of the game cube classic, Metroid Prime? Well then, you are in luck. An experience called Prime 2D (led by a group called Team SCU) has shown up online (over 14,000 DL’s so far as of this posting). However, I’m taking bets on how long before Nintendo sends a cease and desist.
I get it, Nintendo. I understand why you would be upset. We haven’t seen a legit quality Metroid game in…what? Well over a decade now? Yeah, yeah, I know we got Samus Returns but 1) it was a remake and 2) it jacked up a lot of what made the original fun to play. I feel like many have been waiting forever for another really good, non-remake Metroid game to hit the shelves and you can’t tell me a well put together 2D Metroid wouldn’t make a boatload of money were it released for the Switch.
Maybe Team SCU is just going by the cease and desist numbers here.
As follows…
Step One: Release a video for an unfinished Metroid Prime-based game, maybe a playable demo as well.
Step Two: Get covered on the flavor of the month gaming sites, not to mention social media.
Step Three: Receive C&D and go dark for several weeks (I.E. a quarter.)
Step Four: Re-reveal your “new” game with similarities to Metroid Prime, but without any Nintendo IP, maybe with a name like “Primary Encounter”; this was always where you intended to end up.
Step Five: Get covered again on the new flavor of the month gaming sites, not just for your game, but for the fact that you used to be the Metroid Prime-based game; you get more attention than you would have if you had started with this version, also you look like a victim of Nintendo’s much-disliked C&Ds.
Step Six: Actually finish the game and hopefully profit.
Most of the time these are always passion projects that people with a deep love and respect for the IP engage in even though they know that a C&D is as sure as the sun rising. A game has to really – REALLY – be something special to get noticed when it’s an original IP and most people with the talent to do these games are less then interested in bringing some random yahoo’s ideas to fruition, but toying around with a rarely used IP? That’s something else.
There are pros and cons for these types of projects, but I assume most of the people who spend this much time on a project like this understand what they’re doing. I’m not attempting to dictate how these awesome people should invest their times. However, It is the AWESOME fandom of the Metroid Prime game that led to this. And well, there is still time.
Go ahead SCU, Just change Samus’ sprite a little bit and re-work the enemies, sound and some of the UI and BOOM … you have an original game you can sell!
Even if you are a casual Metroid fan, seek out the playable demo now as it could be gone tomorrow.
-Dagobot
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