Please insert credits
Metroid Prime Remastered shadow-dropped as part of last week’s Nintendo Direct. And while players have been enjoying the refreshed version of Samus’ adventure, some developers are calling out issues with credits for the work on both Metroid Prime Remastered and its origins.
Former Prime developer Zoid Kirsch shared this screenshot of the credits over the weekend, which uses a blanket phrase to credit the teams that worked on both Metroid Prime and its Wii version.
“While many studios did amazing work on the remaster, I’m letdown Metroid Prime‘s Remaster does not include the full original game credits,” said Kirsch. “I worked with so many amazing people on the game and everyone’s name should be included in the remaster, not just a single card like this.”
You can see the credits for yourself in uploaded game completion VODs like this one. Though it attributes Retro staff, as well as Airship Images Limited, Gamesim, Iron Galaxy Studios, and others who worked on the project, it does close with one solitary block for the original GameCube game and the Wii version.
Former developer Jack Mathews called it a travesty, not just for his own work on the original that could have been replaced, but for others’ that may have stuck through to the final remaster.
The credits issue in games
Games have, historically, had issues with crediting the work developers have done on them. Reports at sites like Kotaku have highlighted how credit for contributions have been used as both rewards and punitive measures.
Metroid as a series even encountered this with Dread, as several developers claimed they weren’t credits for their work on the project. Other developers have also seen accusations of withholding credits.