It really sucks when your name is omitted from the credits, especially in remasters of games you’ve worked hard on back in the day. That’s what’s happening with ex-devs of the Metroid Prime series.

Ex-Retro Studio senior gameplay engineer for Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2, Zoid Kirsh, has expressed disappointment about the Metroid Prime remaster because the original staff of the Gamecube original weren’t listed in the new credits.

Rather than listing everyone on the original game, the remaster just uses a single screen that says the following:

“Based on the work of Metroid Prime original Nintendo GameCube and Wii Version development staff.”

Kirsch said that “While many studios did amazing work on the remaster”, he’s “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.”

Others like ex-Retro Studio coder Jack Mathews also chimed in:

This is a travesty. 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. https://t.co/y6tXyCG3N1

— Jack Mathews (@jack_mathews) February 12, 2023

The topic of crediting developers in video games is still a point of contention, especially when it comes to remasters, remakes, and even online mobile games. For example, it’s common for people to get removed from the credits for mobile gacha games with each new update, because sometimes the old programmers and coders who worked on the original game will be replaced with new ones if the gacha game lives longer than 3 years. There’s really no regulation for this sort of thing, unfortunately. Here’s a quote from a Video Games Chronicle interview with ex-Alone In The Dark series programmer Katharine Neil on the subject of credits:

“Some gamers don’t realise how important this issue is for us professionally. Many seem to think it’s about bruised egos or something. No – like film and TV – it’s about getting hired for the next job and not looking like a liar on your CV.

There are still no industry standards that developers can count on their employers to adhere to. And I think the fact that many people still don’t even know that those IGDA crediting standards exist says something.

And one thing I can say for sure is it’s something game developers do worry about – i.e. will I get punished in the credits by a vindictive boss, or will I be unfairly credited if I have to leave this project early.”