Nintendo game’s ‘shameful’ credits snub

Former developers of a game recently remastered by Nintendo have criticised the company for not including them in the remaster’s credits.

The remastered version of Metroid Prime has garnered some criticism from former employees who worked on the game as they were seemingly left out of the remaster’s credits.

The heavily rumoured Metroid game got a surprise release last week, with a new version that completely overhauled the game’s graphics, controls, audio, and more. The credits are also seemingly different, according to former Metroid Prime developer Zoid Kirsch.

Kirsch acted as a senior engineer on the original release of Metroid Prime, which was developed by Retro Studios, an American subsidiary of, and first-party developer for, Nintendo.

“While many studios did amazing work on the remaster, I’m let down Metroid Prime’s Remaster does not include the full original game credits,” Kirsch said on Twitter, “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”.

While many studios did amazing work on the remaster, I'm let down Metroid Prime's Remaster does not include the full original game credits. 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. pic.twitter.com/Yvojf9f9Mq

— Zoid Kirsch (@ZoidCTF) February 11, 2023

Game publishers typically include everyone who worked on a game in the game’s credits, although some controversy has arisen in recent years over the inclusion of developers who left a company before a game was complete. Some developers have claimed that they worked multiple years on a project and still weren’t included in the credits, even if they only left the company a few months prior to the game’s release.

Another developer on the original release of the game, former lead engineer Jack Mathews, echoed Kirsch’s post, saying the omission was “shameful”.

“This is a travesty,” Mathews tweeted, “Not just for my credit (even though most of my code was probably replaced), but for people whose code and work are largely unchanged, like Mark HH, Steve McCrea, all of the uprezzed art and concepts, the game design. Shameful”.

Nintendo has not yet publicly commented on the claims, but growing pressure from social media could cause the company to change the credits in a future update.

Metroid Prime Remastered has been called one of the best-looking games on Switch. Picture: Nintendo

Nintendo’s February Direct, where Metroid Prime was announced and released, included a host of highlights, including the announcement of classic Game Boy games getting added to the Nintendo Switch.

It also featured a new Zelda trailer, showing off slick new gameplay for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The game is a direct sequel to 2017’s smash hit Breath of the Wild, and is set to be released in May.

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.