To complete this week dedicated to Metroid Prime Hunters, here is a little interview with Richard Vorodi (Game Designer at Nintendo Software Technology) and Kensuke Tanabe (Series Producer), in order to learn a little more about Metroid Prime Hunters…but also Metroid Prime 3 and the Nintendo Wii.



Hello, I'm very glad to talk with you, thank you for granting us this interview. First, could you present yourself ? What is exactly your job in the development team and what are the games that you have created previously ?

Richard Vorodi : Hello ! My name is Richard Vorodi. I work at Nintendo as a Game Designer.

What do you think of the success of the Metroid Prime franchise since the first episode on the Nintendo GameCube ?

Richard Vorodi : Actually Metroid has been around since the days of the NES. As far as the Prime series is concerned though, I'm one of those people who love it. I think the fans were excited to finally get a new Metroid adventure !

Do you think that your game could bring something new to the Metroid franchise ?

Richard Vorodi : That was our goal ! The introduction of the Bounty Hunters and how we flesh out a little more of Samus' world is truly the signature mark of Metroid Prime Hunters.

How many people worked with you on Metroid Prime Hunters project for Nintendo DS ? How long did the development last ?

Richard Vorodi : Development lasted roughly 2 years with about 25 or so people give or take a few.

Why making an all 3D game similarly to the GameCube episodes, instead of using the two screens in a more traditional 2D game, just like Sonic Rush for example ?

Richard Vorodi : Many factors went into our decision to make it fully 3D. One was because of the DS hardware being perfect for multiplayer games, and we wanted to take full advantage of that. Secondly, we instantly got hooked on the idea of using the touch screen as a mouse-like interface for the controls.

The technical possibilities of the Nintendo DS are limited, did you encounter some technical difficulties during the development ? Did you have to make sacrifices or did you manage to include all the ideas in the final game? Was it difficult to make a 3D game for Nintendo DS ?

Richard Vorodi : To say that the Nintendo DS is limited is not quite accurate. We found that if we just spent enough time with the hardware and got to learn how it works, that we could exploit every ounce of power out of it for whatever we wanted to do. Most of our ideas got in the game, but a few really cool things had to get dropped. They would definitely get used though if we ever do a sequel !

Beyond the solo adventure, Metroid Prime Hunters offers a multiplayer mode playable via Lan and Internet. Can you tell us more about this multiplayer feature ? Was the game imagined as a solo experience or as a multiplayer experience ?

Richard Vorodi : From the start we set out to make both an incredible single player and multiplayer experience. That was not easy ! It felt like making two games at once ! In the end though we ended up with a ton of gameplay variety no matter what mode you play.



Samus Aran is no longer the only heroine, and 7 hunters can be picked up in the multiplayer mode. If one of them should become very popular to the fans, do you think it might be possible to realise a spin off game with that Hunter, in order to make players discover the evil side of Metroid Prime ?

Richard Vorodi : A lot of effort went into designing the Hunters and developing their back stories for just that reason. We would love it if the players grew really attached to one of the new Hunters. I think if a strong enough request came to do something starring that Hunter, we would have to do it.

Where did the idea of creating these Hunters for the Metroid franchise came from ?

Richard Vorodi : There was a strong need for playable characters in Multiplayer mode and a strong desire to expand the Metroid lore.

Many players would love to see the franchise evolve in some kind of MMOFPS. Is this possible ? How would you like to see the franchise evolve ?

Richard Vorodi : That's a really interesting point. I didn't know that many players wanted to see a Metroid MMOFPS. I would imagine that anything is possible if there's a solid gameplay idea there. We can expect the series controls to evolve even more on the new Nintendo Wii.

Can we expect a scenaristic link between Metroid Prime Hunters and Metroid Prime 3 ?

Kensuke Tanabe : I think Metroid Prime series is one means to expand Metroid franchise. In that sense, it should be ideal if each title has some kind of connections each other.

What do you think about Nintendo Wii ? Did you try the new controller ? Do you think that a Metroid Prime game could work with the Nintendo Wii concept ?

Richard Vorodi : I can't wait to finally own a Nintendo Wii ! I'm excited about everything about it from the new controller to the virtual console. This thing is really going to change the way people play games in the future, including Metroid.

Will Metroid Prime 3 be presented at E3 2006 ?

Kensuke Tanabe : It is hard to answer this question until our official announcement is made. At this point in time, what I can affirm is only the fact that it is under development.

What do you expect of the E3 2006 ?

Richard Vorodi : A ton of loud bass and $13 cheeseburgers !

What are your current projects ? Any projects on 'Next Gen'?

Richard Vorodi : NST is always cooking up something new. In time you'll hear about it.

What do you think about gaming industry today ?

Richard Vorodi : Because I love videogames, I really think that we need to find a way to include more people into this great hobby. Videogames are getting bigger and bigger, but I'm not sure that they are expanding demographics much. I'd really like my mom to be excited about a new game and go out and buy it for herself. That's when I'd know the game industry is doing great !

One last word for our readers at JEUXFRANCE.COM ?

Richard Vorodi : I play by the name NST Rich. If we meet up, look out ! See you online !

Thank you.