[vivify93]

Hi Grimlock and the rest of the team, I've recently gotten into the Metroid series and wanted to express how fascinated and excited I am for Rogue Dawn to be released. I'm patiently yet eagerly awaiting the release and ask you not to rush yourselves.

However, upon reading the story synopsis (Stories' synopses?) I had questions regarding the plot. Did you take into consideration the manuals and Metroid manga when writing the story? Most of the questions you ask in the beginning that Rogue Dawn intends to answer have already been answered, either by the manuals or the manga. I know the Metroid games everyone loves "show" rather than tell, like the climactic fight at the end of Super Metroid, so Rogue Dawn will likely follow suit.

I'm not asking you to change the story, and likely the level design, just to accommodate the supplementary materials, but I wanted to make some kind of remark about it. If you have no intention of incorporating them, perhaps you should mention on the RHDN download page that Rogue Dawn is an alternate take on the story of Metroid, a "What if...?" story, as it were?

Thank you for your time, best of luck, and thank you all for your hard work!

[Grimlock]

Regarding the story I only took Metroid 1, 2, and Super Metroid into consideration.   The story in the Metroid 1 manual was adhered to closely to ensure the prequel would work seamlessly with it including the theft of the capsule and the bit mentioning the beta rays.  I only have limited experience with the Metroid manga and zero experience with the 3D additions in the Metroid series.  The concept behind this hack is of this mysterious character Dawn Aran, somehow related to Samus who's until now remained completely anonymous in Metroid history and lore.  Neither Samus nor Dawn knowing the other exists or existed.  Even after the incident on SR388  where Ridley acquired the Metroid specimen Dawns fate ensures the two never cross paths on Zebes where Samus confronts Ridley and Mother Brain.  The destruction of Mother brains facility takes with it the evidence of Dawns conspiring with them as well as her origins and fate keeping it from the Federation and Samus.  So I may not know the full Manga story but it's not too far of a stretch to insert a pocket into the Metroid storyline that includes a dark individual, an oversight by the Federation and Samus in the beginning of the series.  Something they missed that in the end could have been their greatest mistake.  Think about it, all this time Samus and the Federation have been chasing Ridley and the pirates... what ever happened to this shady dark character?   Rogue Dawn plants a seed at the beginning of the Metroid series that if Nintendo where to take up this concept could create a whole new branch to the Metroid series.  It appears that as is the Metroid series is pretty much complete, according to one of the founder's (I'll have to look up that quote later).  But imagine after all of Samus's efforts, thinking they've ridden the known galaxy of the Metroid threat only to have a deep space science vessel charting new systems come across the vast empire headed by a dark figure from the past, the very individual responsible for Ridleys original acquisition of the Metroid, a task he was incapable of completing himself.  Only this new threat is quite capable, as dark and vicious as Samus is decent and honorable, the ultimate opposite of Samus.  And with her decades of unfettered control, research and experimentation with the Metroid species.  All this time Samus was distracted by Ridley, the real threat was brewing, expanding, and growing more far more powerful than she could have ever imagined...

I would love to be a part of a project like that that injected some real life back into the Metroid series.  I think the Rogue Dawn concept is the perfect way to revitalise the series, introducing (creating a path for) a villain 10 times worse that Ridley ever was while offering a huge opportunity for creative freedom to work with the Metroid concept and threat as it would come from a quite developed and formidable force headed up by what would be Samus's ultimate nemesis.

Anyway, one can dream right... 

[vivify93]

Oh, I had no qualms about the Dawn character. She seems fascinating. From what I've read of the manga so far--I found out I should have started reading it after I beat Zero Mission--it's entirely plausible that Rodney and Virginia could have had another child. It was just that the questions raised in the story/stories synopsis/synopses opening post had been already answered by either Metroid or Metroid II's manuals or by the manga itself...

Spoiler:

"Why is Samus so obsessed with the Metroids?" Ridley killed Samus' parents, as well of the humanoid population, on a mining colony planet when she was 3 years old. She survived. The Chozo found her, took her to their home planet Zebes, and raised her as their own child. At the same time, the Chozo were creating the Metroids to wipe out the X-Parasite on SR388. The Chozo were doing this as they had lost their ability to reproduce and decided to become guardians of the universe.  "Why does she feel responsible for their eradication?"  I'm not sure what you're getting at here with this question, but she does kind of kill them all in Metroid II. "How did the mother brain facility end up with the species on ZEBES?" The Chozo created her to manage Zebes and help build along the Metroids. But she went renegade when Ridley's Space Pirates attacked the station and wanted to use them for her own needs in protecting the galaxy. She wanted to dispose of the Chozo, which is why Samus didn't agree to this plan. And why did Samus go to the planet SR388 in Metroid 2 to finish off the Metroids, how did she know to go there? Metroid 1 and Metroid II's manuals both state that the Galactic Federation had obtained the Metroid sample from SR388, so they knew where to send her.

For those who are curious, you can read Metroid, Vol. 1 in English here and Metroid, Vol. 2 in English here.

That was what I was talking about. I hope that makes sense and doesn't really give any cause for alarm. It wasn't my intention to crap all over you and the team's efforts--far from it, Rogue Dawn looks like a fantastic use of the NES' graphical hardware and is so gorgeously-crafted. It belongs in a hall of fame somewhere. I fully intend to not just play it, but savor it when it reaches fruition. I just had some questions about fitting it into canon, since even though this is a fan game, I would really love to believe Rogue Dawn actually "happened" in the Metroid-series universe.

Thanks again for your time.

Edit - Oh, and I just wanted to say that I also haven't played the Prime games or Other M, so I don't have any experience with them either. So we're on a level playing field there!

[Grimlock]

I understand, I should probably update that, everything including the "story" behind Rogue Dawn has evolved a lot since I wrote that (2 years ago  ) The original intention was to say Samus knew about Dawn but since I would like this to sync up to the original series as best as possible I believe keeping the two from ever knowing about eachother makes more sense. 

There are Federation personnel that Dawn encounters in Rogue Dawn, that could lead one to ask how Samus wouldn't hear of reports from those individuals after the incident on SR388.  Well, if I were to offer up an explanation to that it would actually be quite simple.  In the federation's attempt to capture Dawn they (not knowing any details about the Metroid species) inadvertently release the Metroids from a sealed area causing not only themselves but the survivors of the Federation science ship to become victims of the Metroids.  No detailed reports came from the operatives on the surface other than the fact that Ridleys pirates were involved.  Keep that in mind when you near the end of the game (the explanation syncs with the actual game).

I think Rogue Dawn in it's current state would fit quite well with the Metroid story.  I know some have asked how Dawn is able to use Chozo tech like Samus, again it's easy to explain since Ridley would have had ample opportunity to experiment with Chozo technology, as well as other unknown genetic manipulation and modification on Dawn from an early age.  Really the sky's the limit, she could be made to be even more powerful than Samus (in the long run) if one were to run with the story.  Samus would have to outwit her it some way to actually defeat her.

With that said I hope everyone enjoys the final product.  I think we did pretty good given the limitations of the NES and the Metroid 1 game engine.  Snarfblam just got the final ASM wrapped up today so we're going to get the final beta cleaned up and put some music in it and see if we can get this thing released!

[Thirteen 1355]

And what about beta testing/testers?
They won't be used at all?

[Gamerhenky]

Yeah, it's been long time.

[vivify93]

I understand, I should probably update that, everything including the "story" behind Rogue Dawn has evolved a lot since I wrote that (2 years ago  ) The original intention was to say Samus knew about Dawn but since I would like this to sync up to the original series as best as possible I believe keeping the two from ever knowing about eachother makes more sense.

[...]

[Edted the rest out for brevity.]

Alright, thank you very much for answering my concerns so kindly and gracefully. I hope you excuse my questions, I was just really getting into the series' lore. As I tend to do!

[Grimlock]

We're going to move forward with the beta testing soon, I'm just very limited on time right now.  I have to do a few things before passing it on for music integration.  Thank you for your patience everyone. 

[Spooniest]

I can hear the hushed silence over the crowd as this project nears completion. Perhaps some trepidation about recent Nintendo actions has some silent out of fear, but I feel most of us are waiting with bated breath.

You please take your time and get this thing humming. I can't wait to hear the music, too. So few people do original music for their projects, I bet because computers are lousy at performing human-composed music, though I've rarely looked into the guts of it.

[Thirteen 1355]

Optomon is amazing with 8-bit music!

[RandomHeretic]

Comment removed.

[snarfblam]

Optomon is amazing with 8-bit music!

I was suitably impressed with what he came up with. I hope other people will have the same reaction.

[DarioEMeloD]

Where can I listen to the music? Are you going to release a NSF file or something?
Also, hyped.

[Thirteen 1355]

Optomon's Youtube account has some songs, but most are probably earlier versions.

[Gamerhenky]

Where can I listen to the music? Are you going to release a NSF file or something?
Also, hyped.

Hmm... It should be included as well inside ZIP files (Like he did in Super Pitfall 30th Anniversary Edition).

[Ziko]

Optomon's Youtube account has some songs, but most are probably earlier versions.

They are. Optomon said that the final version has redone music and those versions are probably out of date audio versions that were just done as mockups kinda like licensed music that gets leaked all the time online but it's woefully incomplete and often not even close to the final product. Hopefully, there's a NSF that has it all since that would be the cherry on the cupcake!

[optomon]

Nah, they're the complete versions. If I had the ability to stop time, they'd be better. Sorry to disappoint you 

Some of the music from the game I deliberately decided not to put up on my channel though, mainly shorter tracks.

[bohdee]

The extension of the Rom will be in .NES or .IPS? I would like to use on my Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console with injection. Any tips?

[Gamerhenky]

The extension of the Rom will be in .NES or .IPS? I would like to use on my Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console with injection. Any tips?

The game will be in patch files (such as .IPS). For ROMs itself illegal.

[Asaki]

It appears that as is the Metroid series is pretty much complete, according to one of the founder's (I'll have to look up that quote later).

Wasn't it basically complete when Gunpei Yokoi left Nintendo?

Although it was rather nice of them to give us one more game, a remake, and a bunch of spinoffs.