Metroid Dread announced for Nintendo Switch, coming October 8th 2021 (Gameplay at Threadmarks)

LinkStrikesBack

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,250
Only problem with this is that Samus needs the mobility of a gymnast type athlete which a bodybuilder generally wouldn't have.
Yeah, kinda like why Chadwick bosemans physique made more sense for a nimble jumping around black panther than say, Winston Duke (M'Baku) would have been a hard sell for the movement of the character of T'Challa, if nothing else changed. Of course it's a movie so they can do whatever they want, but still.
 

4859

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,817
In the weak and the wounded
Only problem with this is that Samus needs the mobility of a gymnast type athlete which a bodybuilder generally wouldn't have.
In the real world sure, ok. In science fiction and fantasy? Sure she would. I remember seeing this all the time.

Look at my boy Conan pull off a backflip down stairs when kicked off balance. God damn I loved the shit out of this show.


Heh. Take that snake guy!

He man knows whats up.


Blankas got flips for days.
 
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Beth Cyra

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,750
In the real world sure, ok. In science fiction and fantasy? Sure she would. I remember seeing this all the time.

Look at my boy Conan pull off a backflip down stairs when kicked off balance. God damn I loved the shit out of this show.


Heh. Take that snake guy!

He man knows whats up.


Blankas got flips for days.
There is this.

However even more so Lithe/Thin characters get to be crazy strong all the time, like far beyond what there muscle mass would allow for often going blow for blow in strength contests with people much more muscular than them all the time in Japanese media be it games or anime.

Samus being buff and also being a gymnast level mobility is no more insane than Cloud Strife cutting through buildings or Knuckles having the power he does. Hell even Nintendo with Rosalina often rates her as powerful as Bowser (like in the new golf game) despite her just being a tall average build lady.

It’d be really nice to see a more rare body type for Samus along the lines of a body builder/Abby Anderson.
 
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Servbot24

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
29,732
In the real world sure, ok. In science fiction and fantasy? Sure she would. I remember seeing this all the time.

Look at my boy Conan pull off a backflip down stairs when kicked off balance. God damn I loved the shit out of this show.


Heh. Take that snake guy!

He man knows whats up.


Blankas got flips for days.
Fair enough, can't argue that :)
 

HeyNay

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,571
Somewhere
After watching the Treehouse videos again, I've come around on the art design and presentation. I think it looks really good, actually. All I need to hear now is a sample of the music.
 

m4st4

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,531
There's something about the concept and setting of Metroid and Samus that just completely evaporates decades of 2D-vanias from my mind, modern entries included.

M E T R O I D D R E A D I S C O M I N G

And it feels good. This might be a start of a whole new generation of Metroid games, Dread first, HD Prime Trilogy... then afterwards possible 2D sequel to Dread and of course Prime 4.
 

Neoleo2143

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,092
After watching the Treehouse videos again, I've come around on the art design and presentation. I think it looks really good, actually. All I need to hear now is a sample of the music.
Preferably all the variations of an area theme too if we get it. The game does that classic super metroid and metroid fusion thing of having specific music for different rooms to set particular moods alongside specific versions of the general area theme for different environments in a given area (so no more "time for norfair" that samus returns did a lot)
 

Peace Tea

Member
Feb 17, 2018
265
i know Dread is not supposed to be 2d-pixelized metroid, but i just noticed that the most-forwarded areas are just blacked out, instead of texured.
 

Curt Baboon

Avenger
Mar 13, 2018
1,261
After watching the Treehouse videos again, I've come around on the art design and presentation. I think it looks really good, actually. All I need to hear now is a sample of the music.
I'm not always up for reusing music from older games, but give me as many new renditions of the Lower Brinstar theme as possible.

By the way, some of the covers for that on YouTube are so good:


 

HeyNay

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,571
Somewhere
i know Dread is not supposed to be 2d-pixelized metroid, but i just noticed that the most-forwarded areas are just blacked out, instead of texured.
That's what was throwing me off as well. Having all that black on the screen can make some areas look empty, visually. However, after watching the videos a little more I think the black gives the scene a kind of diorama effect. Like, they're meant to fade out so you focus on the lit areas in-between.

It seems like a style choice anyways.
 

ShinJohnpv

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,166
So I read the mission report.

So Samus is NOT a fugitive?
I know I am late in replying to this, but she never was. I don't know why people inferred this from the ending of Fusion, but its not there. She talks about there being tribunals and investigations, that doesn't mean she's on the run and a fugitive. An entire space station was just destroyed of course there's going to be an investigation into it.
 
That would be great. Nintendo opts for generic 3D art for their 2D games.

Mario should be pushing 2D art in new directions, but you have to get studios like Moon with Ori to do that. Nintendo opts for the full price shovelware look.
comments like this are the reason why so many industry professionals grew to absolutely despise GAF during its height
 

Spring-Loaded

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,938
this is probably giving too much benefit of the doubt, but I took oatmeal’s post to refer specifically to the New Super Mario Bros. subseries, not Dread, and though Dread looks good, it isn’t cel-shaded, handrawn sprites, etc. It’s “just” 3D in a 2D plane.

Metroid Prime looked and still looks incredible, but I guess I would describe it as “generic” 3D in that it doesn’t have a fundamentally distinct art style—Dread’s doesn’t have a visual style akin to the yarn and crafted aesthetics in recent Kirby and Yoshi games, for instance. I’m sure there’s a better word than “generic” to describe that though.
 
Jun 24, 2021
14
I think the blue on the new Dread suit looks great too, but it doesn't really match up with how we last saw Samus at the end of Fusion.


Also, since people are discussing how Samus should appear outside of her power suit, Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow remains exactly how I'd like to see Samus portrayed if they're going to keep her blonde and white.

Sorry for replying to a days old post but I saw it before my account was approved.

What do you mean by “if they’re going to keep her blonde and white”? Do we have any reason to believe Nintendo might change Samus’ race?

Unlike the multiple Links/Zeldas justification that does open the possibility, lore wise, to have different races of Links/Zeldas because each is a different person in most games, it’s more complicated with Metroid, isn’t it? Especially when the Metroid game in question is a direct sequel to four previous games dating all the way back to the 80s, so it’s not like it’s even a reboot.

I will say this: I hope with all my heart the Zero Suit or whatever she’s wearing underneath her Dread suit does not come included with high heels. And yes give her some muscle, I’m tired of her Barbie figure. Smash Ultimate and her depiction in her ZS in Samus Returns (minus, again, the stupid high heels) is a good omen of things to come though.
 
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RagnarokX

Member
Oct 26, 2017
10,707
I know I am late in replying to this, but she never was. I don't know why people inferred this from the ending of Fusion, but its not there. She talks about there being tribunals and investigations, that doesn't mean she's on the run and a fugitive. An entire space station was just destroyed of course there's going to be an investigation into it.
Well, the implication is she believes she will face charges, but the implication is also that the Federation itself isn't evil since Samus and Adam believe the Federation will ultimately believe her story and not throw her in prison forever. Sakamoto clarified that point further in Other M.
 
Jun 24, 2021
14
Anyone agrees with me that opting to keep dark all the sections in the game that’s not walkable for Samus makes the word look… boring? Like if it’s not a tunnel, it’s just pitch black instead of us seeing a wall or overgrown soil and stuff like in every other 2D Metroid before this.

I know they probably took that decision because it helps make navigating less confusing but I wish they could’ve made that without darkening everything.
 

Neoleo2143

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,092
I mean it looks interesting but I really wish they would have stuck with pixel art and not 3d polygons. I get why they do but so many indies can do it so I wish Nintendo would as well.
I mean they didn't do it to be cheap or anything. They simply wanted 3d animated cutscenes with a camera that could seamlessly transition in and out of them and an animation style that would work fluidly as in the case of the EMMI (I'm not even sure how this thing could be animated in pixel art gameplay without it being really janky)
 

Aurc

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,718
it's not like sprites are cheap
If anyone has the capital to fund a game with high-quality, sprite-based 2D graphics, it's Nintendo.

Put me in the camp that is sad there seemingly won't be another pure 2D Metroid game again. Super, Fusion, and Zero Mission have aged superbly, in the visual department. Samus Returns... not so much, and it's only been a few years. Wild how that works.
 
Oct 26, 2017
6,827
My only issue is how the robot's head clips through its own legs when it does that funky turn. Would look fine in 2D, but they show it in a cinematic closeup scene.
And I know its only like a single frame but it still irked me!
 

Beth Cyra

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,750
I have recently rewatched Zero/Fusion/Super and while they aren’t hideous, I strongly disagree that they still look gorgeous/amazing.

Seeing Samus move, the detail in her suit and overall look of Dread looks fantastic, and much better than the 2D games so I’m pretty happy with the choice they made here.
 
Oct 27, 2017
3,503
Yeah they showed the floating islands but the trailer mostly just showed what we’ve been doing in the first botw. They needed to show completely new enemies, maybe the inside of a dungeon for a few seconds, etc.
I keep seeing people here talking about how disappointing the trailer was but yet everywhere else online I see people just hyped about it lol

Anyways, I finally beat Metroid Prime for the first time and wow that was a phenomenal game. I get now whypeople consider it one of the best games ever. My only large annoyance is how the game grinds to a halt in momentum to grab the rest of the artifacts
 

Barrow Roll

Member
Oct 25, 2017
276
Sorry for replying to a days old post but I saw it before my account was approved.

What do you mean by “if they’re going to keep her blonde and white”? Do we have any reason to believe Nintendo might change Samus’ race?
None at all. People around that time were just discussing what they thought could be improvements to Samus' out-of-Power Suit appearance, and there were also a few members that either presented the idea of a race swap, or just a more interesting face or design if she remains white. I don't think anyone seriously believes that Nintendo will drastically redesign the Zero Suit or Samus' appearance, it's just wishful thinking for fun.
 
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Oct 25, 2017
3,030
I keep seeing people here talking about how disappointing the trailer was but yet everywhere else online I see people just hyped about it lol

Anyways, I finally beat Metroid Prime for the first time and wow that was a phenomenal game. I get now whypeople consider it one of the best games ever. My only large annoyance is how the game grinds to a halt in momentum to grab the rest of the artifacts
Congrats on beating the game but I will forever defend the artifact hunt to the death. You could have actually completed it organically while progressing through the game as soon as you unlocked the missiles. What's more is that the game shows you the locked missile door to start the quest at the very beginning of the game.

Echoes' hunt is a different story but even then, I get why they did it.
 

NotLiquid

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
25,817
Samus Returns was already dated visually when it released so it was never a point about the graphics aging well. Dread will age infinitely better by virtue of its clean resolution and high frame rate alone, but even its art design is already more striking and unique.

On the topic of whether or not Nintendo could fund a 2D Metroid with sprites - I'm sure they could, but they're not just making games with the basis of "we have money". They want Metroid to cut a profit here, that means being mindful of budget considering this series has never been that large. I'm sure a full scale Metroid with KOFXIII styled sprites would be absolutely salivating to imagine, but that's probably not worth the money to put in. Beyond having to fund money into a field that's more expensive and way more specialized these days, you miss on a lot of opportunities to do seamless animated cutscenes and set pieces, and for being a game that's already kicking up controversy about "why should we pay $60 for a game that's 2D", a sprite-driven $60 game would probably be an even less appealing prospect for the common consumer.
 

TreIII

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,986
Columbia, MD
On the topic of whether or not Nintendo could fund a 2D Metroid with sprites - I'm sure they could, but they're not just making games with the basis of "we have money". They want Metroid to cut a profit here, that means being mindful of budget considering this series has never been that large. I'm sure a full scale Metroid with KOFXIII styled sprites would be absolutely salivating to imagine, but that's probably not worth the money to put in. Beyond having to fund money into a field that's more expensive and way more specialized these days, you miss on a lot of opportunities to do seamless animated cutscenes and set pieces, and for being a game that's already kicking up controversy about "why should we pay $60 for a game that's 2D", a sprite-driven $60 game would probably be an even less appealing prospect for the common consumer.
The other thing is that I can easily imagine a scenario where one of the reasons Dread got cancelled in the first place was because Sakamoto, himself, wasn't completely satisfied with what they could've accomplished with 2D sprites. That likely was the reason he and others were shopping around for partners like Team Ninja, and later, MercurySteam, in the first place.
 

Nessus

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,100
Samus Returns was already dated visually when it released so it was never a point about the graphics aging well. Dread will age infinitely better by virtue of its clean resolution and high frame rate alone, but even its art design is already more striking and unique.

On the topic of whether or not Nintendo could fund a 2D Metroid with sprites - I'm sure they could, but they're not just making games with the basis of "we have money". They want Metroid to cut a profit here, that means being mindful of budget considering this series has never been that large. I'm sure a full scale Metroid with KOFXIII styled sprites would be absolutely salivating to imagine, but that's probably not worth the money to put in. Beyond having to fund money into a field that's more expensive and way more specialized these days, you miss on a lot of opportunities to do seamless animated cutscenes and set pieces, and for being a game that's already kicking up controversy about "why should we pay $60 for a game that's 2D", a sprite-driven $60 game would probably be an even less appealing prospect for the common consumer.
And I mean, Nintendo's firmly been on the "polygonal graphics make more sense economically" wagon for a long time now. They really don't seem to have any reverence for pixel art except for purely retro/nostalgic appeals.
 

sanstesy

Member
Nov 16, 2017
2,232
Nintendo not making sprite-based 2D games has nothing to do with budget - not sure where that misconception is coming from. They just prefer them for multiple of reasons.

DKCR/DKCTF and NSMBU are some of the most expensive 2D games ever made in terms of manpower and general budget. Dread will surely join that list after we see the credits plus how long it took to make.
 
Jun 24, 2021
14
None at all. People around that time were just discussing what they thought could be improvements to Samus' out-of-Power Suit appearance, and there were also a few members that either presented the idea of a race swap, or just a more interesting face or design if she remains white. I don't think anyone seriously believes that Nintendo will drastically redesign the Zero Suit or Samus' appearance, it's just wishful thinking for fun.
I see. That makes sense. I do think there’s a decent chance we’ll see a significant redesign of Samus if not for Dread then for Prime 4. She’ll of course be the same character so don’t expect different colored hair (much less skin) but by judging her most recent appearances in SSBU and Samus Returns I’m confident we can kiss goodbye the Barbie doll and expect a more muscular and toned Samus moving forward. Just don’t expect full on Abby from The last of us 2, not because I do or do not want that but because I don’t think Nintendo would go that far. Still I think the worst days of Samus and her ZS are behind us.

If only they would finally get rid of the stupid integrated high heels!
 
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Watershed

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,122
I am really looking forward to the fluid movement and traversal. I do hope the combat is less reactive/defensive than Samus Returns where there was a lot of waiting to use the counter move to defeat enemies.
 

Neoleo2143

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,092
I am really looking forward to the fluid movement and traversal. I do hope the combat is less reactive/defensive than Samus Returns where there was a lot of waiting to use the counter move to defeat enemies.
It seems like instead of making every enemy really tanky and mostly one at a time, they make encounters generally have more enemies with less health to deal with so the counter isn't as good but still potentially useful.