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Episode 28 – Super Metroid Audio Drama

Shinesparkers Metroid Podcast
Shinesparkers Metroid Podcast
Episode 28 - Super Metroid Audio Drama
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For our third and final podcast of 2023, Amanda and Roy recorded an audio drama based on the Super Metroid comics in Nintendo Power. Amanda voices Samus and Virginia Aran, while Roy voices Armstrong Houston and Rodney Aran, and Amanda’s husband Dan voices Old Bird. We also answer listener submissions to our mailbag about their thoughts on Metroid Prime Remastered.

Podcast is hosted by Amanda, with team member Roy and guest Dan VanHiel.

00:00 – Introductions
00:42 – Topic: Recap of the Year
08:02 – Super Metroid Audio Drama
16:25 – Mailbag
21:32 – Bloopers

08 Dec 2023
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Feature: In Search of Samus

December 8, 2023

Today’s feature has been two years in the making. Back in January 2022, we published an interview with Lenka Volfová, who portrayed Samus in the live-action commercial for Metroid: Other M. That we finally managed to identify her after so long made me realize it was possible to find the rest of Samus’s actresses. While the public is already familiar with most of her voice actresses, the majority of the actresses who portrayed Samus in live-action commercials had never been identified. I wanted to change that, and ensure they would at long last be recognized. In January of this year, I began my investigation, with the goal of discovering who they were and what they were doing now. While I didn’t quite find all of them – three remain unaccounted for at the time of writing – I am incredibly proud of what I managed to achieve, finding eleven previously unknown actresses.

This feature is the result of a year-long investigation. More than that, it is a celebration of Samus Aran, an iconic video game heroine, and the many accomplished women who have worn her Power Suit since 1986. I hope that if they read this, they can feel proud to have played this beloved character.

Click here to read the feature

25 Nov 2023
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Feature: The Chozo – Part One

November 25, 2023

The latest entry in our series of features on the races of Metroid is now available on Shinesparkers! Team member Quadraxis has written about the Chozo that settled on Elysia and developed SkyTown, before leaving the midair city for a simpler life on Tallon IV. As in features past, here Quaddy examines the history, physiology, culture and technology of this tribe of the Chozo, who eschewed weaponry and war for a life of peace and tranquility. We hope you consider reading this new feature!

Click here to check out the feature

17 Nov 2023
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Samus is still resting up for Mother Brain in Super Mario RPG

November 17, 2023

Those of you who played Super Mario RPG likely remember one of its most memorable cameos. At a later point in the story, Mario can return to Mushroom Castle after defeating Yaridovich, and before going to Land’s End, to find Samus sleeping in the guest room bed. She wears her Power Suit, with air coming out of her oxygen tubes, and when spoken to, she says “I’m resting up for Mother Brain.”

We are pleased to report that she is still in the faithful Super Mario RPG remake that came out today. She also has a new Scrapbook entry written from Mario’s perspective, with some humorous puns. Additionally, as we saw in the remake’s trailer from the Nintendo Direct this summer, the Samus doll in Booster’s Tower makes a reappearance.

You can see Samus’s appearances in the original game and the remake at the links below. Have you seen her yet? Let us know on our social media!

Original/Remake

27 Oct 2023
Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Permalink

Interview: LeRoy Strauss

October 27, 2023

We are thrilled to share an interview with former Retro Studios artist LeRoy Strauss this month! LeRoy was an Environment Artist for the original Metroid Prime, and a Character Artist for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. LeRoy talked about making some of the most iconic rooms and characters in the games, and shared his thoughts on Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime Remastered, among other topics. We hope you’ll give it a read!

Click here to check out the interview

12 Sep 2023
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Community Spotlight: PirateCrab

September 12, 2023

Our next Community Spotlight of 2023 is a tribute to Daniel Woodyer, also known as PirateCrab. He was a musician on our Harmony of Heroes and Harmony of a Hunter Returns albums who tragically passed away this past April. Shinesparkers team members Darren and Step, who worked with Daniel on the albums, wanted to share some words about collaborating with Daniel and their personal memories of him. We hope this Community Spotlight brings attention to this truly talented musician that was taken from us too soon.

Click here to check out the spotlight

03 Aug 2023
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MercurySteam co-founder says Metroid Dread has sold 3 million copies

August 3, 2023

The co-founder of MercurySteam, Enric Álvarez, has recently given an interview to the Spanish gaming website Game Reactor. When asked to respond to a report from Anait Games in which anonymous former developers claimed Metroid Dread had a “chaotic” production, Enric denied any rumors of a rocky development. He cited as proof of this the award Dread won for Best Action Adventure Game at The Game Awards in 2021, and said that it has sold more than three million copies. The last update we had on the game’s total sales was back in May 2022, when Nintendo announced it had sold 2.9 million units. While the exact figure is unknown, if it has sold more than 3 million, then it is the first Metroid game to do so. Congratulations to MercurySteam and Nintendo on a remarkable achievement!

Additionally, Enric praised the working relationship with Nintendo. He would not say whether MercurySteam is currently working on a sequel to Metroid Dread, but he did confirm that Dread’s Creative Director Jose Luis Márquez is still with the studio.

You can watch Game Reactor’s interview with Enric below. The article is in Spanish, but the video interview is in English. The Dread portion starts at 12 minutes in.

Source: Game Reactor

17 Jul 2023
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E.M.M.I. Figma preorders have opened

July 17, 2023

The E.M.M.I. Figma, the second of two announced Figma based on Metroid Dread, is now available for preorder from Good Smile Company. They estimate it will ship in Japan in May 2024, and the United States in Q3 2024. It is very posable, much like an E.M.M.I. in Dread, and it comes with accessories based on its faceplate and DNA extraction spike, as well as a stand. Sadly, it doesn’t look like Good Smile will be producing variants based on each color of E.M.M.I.

You can preorder the Figma if you’re based in the United States or Canada here, and from other countries here.

Source: Siliconera