Metroid Prime developer reveals intense crunch on Nintendo classic Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Metroid Prime developer reveals intense crunch on Nintendo classic "Two times I was there for 48 hours straight with one hour of sleep." News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 9 Sep 2021 30 comments A former Retro Studios developer has recalled the intense period of crunch he experienced before the launch of Metroid Prime. Speaking on the Kiwi Talkz podcast (thanks, IGN), former senior game designer Mike Wikan recalled occasions back in 2002 where he had just one hour of sleep over a 48-hour shift. Thankfully, Nintendo's subsequent buyout of the studio helped turn things around, with the parent company enacting change and cutting crunch in subsequent sequels. Watch on YouTube "I had two times where I was there for 48 hours straight with one hour of sleep, and then a couple of 36 hour days," Wikan recalled. "The last nine months we were pretty much there 24/7, working on the game. "To their credit, Nintendo realised what was going on, and they came in and took over the company, [they] bought it out." Wikan also recalled his work on Metroid Prime Trilogy, the Wii re-release of all three Metroid Prime games to date. It was the work of a core four-person team, he said, with Nintendo heavily consulting on the project to ensure its lore files fitted with its wider Metroid plans. 20 years later, Retro Studios is now back on Metroid Prime development duty, after a run of work on Donkey Kong and other Nintendo projects. This time around, Nintendo brought Retro Studios in to reboot Metroid Prime 4's development, after an earlier stab by Bandai Namco was decided to be not up to standard. Originally announced at E3 2017, we've seen nothing of the project since beyond a logo. There's no word on when the rebooted game will surface. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 3 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 3 Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store