That Metroid Prime Logo looks so perfect and appropriate for the game that you probably never really noticed or thought about it. It’s just one of those things that looks like it always existed or came into this universe fully formed. But the designer behind the iconic logo is here to remind us that even the smallest things, like a logo, can be frustrating.
When discovered by NintendoLife, graphic designer Jim Worell sat down and chatted with YouTuber KIWI TALKZ an interview uploaded earlier this week
But while the game and its logo are fondly remembered today, Wornell spoke about how frustrating it was to create, explaining that it took 53 different iterations to finally get one that Nintendo and the game’s developers approved .
“There were times I wanted to blow my brains out, yeah,” Wornell joked. “And you know, to be fair, 53 versions, yes there were 53 versions, but some of those versions were a blue ball or a red ball or a red ball with the ‘S’ or a red ball without the ‘S’ . About version…30, I was a bit tired of that but, uh, you know, it was a big title back then. There were a lot of people watching that. So…I understand why there were so many versions of the logo, from start to finish. You want to do it right, you know, it’s important.”
He also stated that he was personally very excited Metroid Prime at the time, which helped him overcome the stress and frustration of designing the logo.
“It was a big game. It was interesting for me. I played Metroid back in 1986 on the NES, so you know that was a game to definitely “freak out” about.”
According to Metroid Primefor which Wornell later created the logos Metroid Prime 2, Metroid Fusionand Metroid Prime fighter. And according to Wornell, these were easier to design. If it ever stops being worth having your logo appear in big trailers or used in beloved games, Wornell admitted it never gets old.
“Yeah, it’s always cool. It’s always cool.”