Metroid Prime Dev: Wii U is a Powerhouse, We're Making a New Game For it

[Steven Bogos]

Metroid Prime Dev: Wii U is a Powerhouse, We're Making a New Game For it

Retro Studios says the perception that the Wii U is not a powerful console is "just not true."

While the constant bickering of framerates and resolution [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/132275-MGSV-Ground-Zeroes-to-Run-at-1080p-on-PS4-Only-720p-on-Xbox-One] is a hot point of contention between the Xbox One and PS4, a lot of people seem to be neglecting that other next-gen console when discussing the next-gen console's computing power. Retro Studios, the developers behind Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, says that the Wii U is an underestimated powerhouse that can easily hold its own with its next-gen brothers.

"Unfortunately, the perception is that [the Wii U is] not a very powerful machine," said Retro Studios president and CEO Michael Kelbaugh. "That's just not true. It's a powerhouse. It's more than adequate to make great games on." He added that his team had to overcome a steep learning curve that came with transitioning from Wii to Wii U, but, was happy to see his artists become "uncorked" and free from the "traditional limitations" they'd been under for so long with the original Wii.

Furthermore, Kelbaugh said that his studio is hard at work developing a new game for the system, now that they are finished with Tropical Freeze. Although he neglected to give any more information on the nature of the new game, last year, Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto singled out Retro as a "high-priority" studio to make a new Metroid game. He also claimed that it "could be possible" for Retro to make a new Zelda title.

"We love working with Donkey Kong. It's a great character. It's a lot of fun. We love working with Metroid Prime, with Mario Kart; those are fun, fun games to work on. So, you know, you can't lose," added Kelbaugh. "Every one of those IPs have been a lot of fun to play with and work on and [we'd] love to come back to them sometime."

Source: Gamespot [http://www.gamespot.com/articles/donkey-kong-metroid-prime-dev-calls-wii-u-a-powerhouse-confirms-new-game/1100-6418032/]

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[AntiChri5]

"more then adequate to make great games on"

What console or PC in the last 20 years hasn't been? If current gen hardware were required to make a great game, the entire industry would have died off long ago. We would never have gotten to this point.

Actually, ARE there any great games on the Wii U so far? Shit that will be talked about in ten years time.

 

[Brian Tams]

It seems like Nintendo is finally ready to open the floodgates and start pumping out the first party games.

Its about damn time!

 

[Sean951]

"more then adequate to make great games on"

What console or PC in the last 20 years hasn't been? If current gen hardware were required to make a great game, the entire industry would have died off long ago. We would never have gotten to this point.

Actually, ARE there any great games on the Wii U so far? Shit that will be talked about in ten years time.

Depends. I enjoy Mario 3D World, but it's more like a Mario Sunshine than 64 or Galaxies. A lot of fun, but not quite the same nostalgia trip. That said, it's only just over a year old, so I'm gonna give them more time before expecting a classic that will last throughout the ages. Hopefully the next Zelda will be, as that is my true love in gaming.

 

[oldtaku]

Oh come on. Of course you can make great games with it. You could (and did) make great games on the SNES. And you can make great games on the Wii U. But it is in no way a 'powerhouse' and it is not a powerful console unless you compare it to a Gamecube. That's the wrong tack to take in defending it.

 

[Skeleon]

It would certainly be good for Retro to take the reins of Metroid again, especially after Other M, eh? As for Wii U, I doubt it's a powerhouse, but I one could certainly make great games for it. Performance and graphical fidelity never made games great on their own and many of the greatest games suuucked graphically.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well I imagine it is quite mind blowing processing power for a Wii dev, but on the general market they are yet again far behind.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

It might help if they made games targeted at a demographic besides the 6 to 12 year olds.

 

[RA92]

Well, considering that all game devs have managed to do so far with the new generation hardware is make whatever they've already been making last generation just with prettier particle effects, I guess I can't argue...

 

[Guffe]

Yes!!
A new Metroid. This is great news
I really enjoyed the Prime trilogy, and didn't actually think OtherM was that bad... *activate flameshield*
So yes, waiting for this one!

 

[Andy Shandy]

Well I suppose it may well seem like a powerhouse when the only hardware you've worked on before is other previous Nintendo consoles.

So yeah, excuse me if I don't take the "Nintendo-owned company compliments Nintendo hardware" seriously. Still, I'd love a new Metroid if that's what they are working on. They've been wasted on Donkey Kong, in my opinion.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

Of course great games will be made on the Wii U. Question is, will they follow the formula of previous Nintendo IPs and change very little?

 

[Scars Unseen]

Well Retro possibly making the next Metroid game is definitely news that could nudge me towards a WiiU purchase.

 

[Quellist]

Anything that keeps the system viable until 'X' arrives is good in my book, the fact that it might be a new Metroid game on the way makes it a win-win!

 

[Colt47]

It might help if they made games targeted at a demographic besides the 6 to 12 year olds.

This is definitely a problem on their part more than anything else. The younger generations of gamers are playing games on smart phones and tablet computers more than on the 3ds despite what Nintendo's statistics board wants people to think. The generation that really loved Nintendo is now probably in the teen demographic at the very youngest.

Also... really wishing nintendo had an official trade up program for going from a 3ds to a 3ds XL.

 

[Kingjackl]

'More than adequate to make games on' is something that could be said for any console post-Playstation 2 era. It really goes to show that constant strives to big up graphics with each passing console generation (and the concurrent increase in system requirements in PC games) have been more trouble than they're worth. Props to these guys for giving the less powerful but by no means useless console a go.