Axiom Verge dev says Nintendo shot down Samus cameo, talks potential NX/3DS versions & more

Coming from Dan Adelman and creator Tom Happ...

On Nintendo shooting down a Samus cameo

DA: We would have loved to have a secret code to have Trace where a Samus costume. Some people inside Nintendo really liked the idea, but after a lot of internal discussion, they ultimately had to decide not to give us permission to do that. I think the idea that someone could play the entire game of Axiom Verge looking like Samus Aran was too big of a concern for them. There is a similar kind of callback, though. If you type JUSTIN BAILEY into the passcode tool, it has Trace in a leotard, just like in Super Metroid. ...We did propose having a Varia suit option but but it was a little too close for Nintendo's comfort!

On a 3DS version

DA: Once the Xbox One version launches, the only current gen one we'll have left is 3DS. We're currently looking into having someone do a port, but it might just be too big a game for that system.

On amiibo

TH: We floated the Samus cameo by them but it didn't get past a certain level of approval. We didn't do an AV amiibo since it's an out of pocket cost that probably wouldn't cover itself. As for the Samus Amiibo, I don't think it crossed my mind, but maybe Dan has something to say.

DA: We're looking into it, but we're not sure about the cost/benefit right now. What kinds of things would you like to see in terms of Amiibo support?

On porting to Wii U and why Wii U was supported

TH: Wii U doesn't support MonoGame, so we worked with a company called BlitWorks to port it. It was actually super smooth and easy from our side. They gave us a quote and a schedule, and those looked good to us. We then sent them the C# source code, which they then ported to C++. We got our first playable after about a month, and then there were a couple months for adding GamePad support, bug testing/fixing, optimization, etc. Everything went according to plan, and I think we even passed lotcheck/certification in one go.

DA: Because Axiom Verge has so many influences from the NES/SNES era, including of course Metroid, we really wanted to have it on a Nintendo platform. It also helped that Nintendo's third party team was very enthusiastic about it and told us they could include it in their different marketing initiatives like Nindies@Night, and a mention in the Nintendo Direct. Also on a personal note, I still have a lot of friends at NOA, and it was great being able to work with them again, albeit from the other side of the table. Also, as you mention, we knew that fans were very hungry for a Metroid-y game, especially in light of it being the 30th anniversary of Metroid, so someone had to bring the Metroidy goodness!

TH: Well it was only natural since NES/SNES games are largely the inspiration behind Axiom Verge (with some Sega Genesis inspirations thrown in for good measure). But purely from a financial standpoint it still makes sense, looking at similar games like Shovel Knight - Nintendo's player base is really into this kind of game and they sell well on their platforms. The timing before XB1 is more just due to the Blitworks port finishing first. But to generalize about Microsoft, it doesn't target this style of game the way that Sony and Nintendo do, and the gamers it attracts skew more towards high fidelity/AAA than retro/indie.

On a potential NX version

TH: We'll probably release it on upcoming consoles. As far as I know MS and Sony intend to just keep bumping the power on XB1 and PS4, so that leaves NX, which we still know little about, but will hopefully get announced soon.

DA: Once the Xbox One version is out, I think we'll be done with current gen systems, though we're still hoping there might be some way to bring it to 3DS. (* Shakes Magic 8 ball * * Outlook not so good *) We'd love to bring it to NX someday, but Nintendo's still being very tight with info on that system, so until we know more, I don't know what is or isn't possible.