Look: 10 stunning hand-drawn images from a new Metroid guide

Video Games Issue 2021 Artist Philip Summers brings the classic Nintendo game back to life. by Joseph Yaden Updated: Feb. 20, 2024 Originally Published: July 12, 2021 Philip Summers

Nintendo Philip Summers , the artist behind Hand-Drawn Game Guides is back, this time with a beautiful Metroid guide currently in production, announced on July 7 .

Nintendo Summers found success with full hand-drawn guides for Contra , Ninja Gaiden , and The Legend of Zelda . “I figured I'd see if I could get people to play through Metroid ,” Summers tells Inverse .

Philip Summers Here are 10 gorgeous images from Metroid: Presented by Hand-Drawn Game Guides

Philip Summers Summers says the process of creating a guide like this is a long one . “I played through the game and made notes about the order in how I progressed through it,” he says.

Philip Summers “I was able to break the game up into different sections,” Summers explains. “Once I had the sections figured out, I was able to map those areas.”

Philip Summers “It's a very complicated map, so on the detailed walkthrough I'm mostly showing the main path and kind of clouding out the other pieces of the maze .”

Philip Summers Once the maps were placed and colored , Summers “added all the objectives and important items around them.”

Philip Summers After the main map and objectives were complete, Summers finished by implementing “all the extra stuff, like how to play, story sequences, and enemy bios .”

Here we have an example of the enemy bios, including Zeb and Rio.

Philip Summers But how does Summers know which games to make hand-drawn guides for? “So far, I've picked games I'd consider myself very good at, and also love.”

Philip Summers “I'm not a pro by any means, but these are games I could play through briefly that most people tend to consider being difficult.”

Philip Summers But what about the future? “I'm toying with the idea of Mega Man 2 or a Castlevania . Maybe Castlevania 2 ,” he says, “but I think Castlevania 3 would make an awesome Choose Your Own Adventure-style book.”

Philip Summers Summers admits that NES games are “small in scope and manageable” compared to current releases. “I’m always open to whatever.”

At E3 2021, Nintendo announced Metroid Dread . Summers couldn’t be more excited about it. “I'm absolutely pumped and I can't wait to get it,” he says. “It almost doesn't feel real!”

Philip Summers Now read... Welcome to the Next Level 25 years ago, Indiana Jones met C-3PO in a game no one remembers The oral history of Banjo-Kazooie , the N64’s unlikeliest hit 25 extremely rare consoles and accessories FF7 Remake director reveals how he fought for Cloud’s “cool dance moves”

Philip Summers The Video Games Issue 2021 is an Inverse celebration of retro favorites, forgotten gems, and the latest and greatest in interactive entertainment.

Look: 10 stunning hand-drawn images from a new Metroid guide

Here we have an example of the enemy bios, including Zeb and Rio.

Thanks for reading, head home for more!

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head home for more!