Nintendo spot shows off Samus' new look

Nintendo will soon be unveiling a new commercial for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the upcoming sequel to the GameCube classic Metroid Prime. Developed by Austin-based Retro Studios, Echoes continues the adventures of the popular armored heroine Samus Aran in a distant future rife with aliens and space pirates. To spread the word on the forthcoming title, Nintendo will be unveiling a commercial that puts a new spin on the iconic heroine. We recently had an opportunity to hear from the minds behind the upcoming clip.

The clip is a moody piece focusing on a young woman walking down an alley who becomes swathed in Samus' trademark armor. While the spot obviously has more than a little visceral appeal, courtesy of its shapely real-life star, the makers have worked to include some subtle ties to the light and dark themes that are central to both the gameplay and the story in Prime 2. The alley is lit by spotlights that are spaced out, creating pockets of light and shadow that play off the actress as she walks. It also incorporates elements of the "Who are you?" campaign that Nintendo has been using for the Game Boy Advance for the past few months.

To craft the piece, Nintendo turned to Aslyum Visual Effects, the veteran special-effects studio whose eclectic background includes work in commercials, such as many of Nintendo's own Game Boy Advance spots, as well as work on motion pictures like Master and Commander. To create the piece, the team spent roughly a month in research and development to decide on the best techniques to use to show the building of Samus' armor on the live-action actress featured in the piece.

To get the first look at the upcoming spot, visit our media page for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. To get the lowdown on the game, check out our previous coverage.