A MOST AGREEABLE PASTIME

I appear as a guest on the Tokyo Game Life podcast this week, talking about the rather obscure Famicom title Metal Slader Glory. This visual novel was released by HAL Laboratory right at the end of the Famicom’s lifespan, a year after the launch of Super Famicom, and it had a somewhat protracted four-year development.

Although visually astonishing, it flopped hard, and its long development and subsequent failure was one of the factors contributing to HAL Laboratory’s financial woes at the start of the 1990s, which led the company to flee into the arms of Nintendo. Although Nintendo didn’t buy HAL outright, it certainly helped to put HAL on its feet, as well as taking on marketing duties for its games, and the two firms remain inextricably linked today. Satoru Iwata was installed as HAL’s CEO after the rescue deal, and subsequently went on to become head of Nintendo itself several years later. It was during his turn at the helm of HAL that the firm created the mega-hit series Kirby, Earthbound/Mother and Super Smash Bros., helping to turn around the company’s fortunes.

Looking back, it’s interesting to examine the role of Metal Slader Glory in all this, and to wonder what might have happened if HAL had never taken on this ill-fated game. Would it have weathered the financial storm, or was that inevitable? Would Satoru Iwata have become CEO? Would HAL have such a close relationship with Nintendo now if Metal Slader Glory had never happened?

Have a listen, and see what you think. And you can also take a look at this feature on Metal Slader Glory I wrote for Nintendo Life, in which I go into detail about the ins and outs of its creation – and the consequences of its release.

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