Jacobo Luengo

Jacobo Luengo Gomez is a Spanish Game and Level Designer. He worked for MercurySteam from 2015 to 2020, as one of two designers for Metroid: Samus Returns, and Principal Game Designer for Metroid Dread. In both games, he was credited as Jacobo Luengo. His work included concept, story, characters, controls, UI, target market and prototyping.
Gomez participated in an interview with Retro Gamer magazine in 2024, regarding the 30th anniversary of Super Metroid.Jones, Darran. 9 May, 2024. Super Metroid: An Enduring Legacy. p.18-27. Retro Gamer. United Kingdom. Future Publishing. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
Gomez left MercurySteam in 2020 and has since worked at Out of the Blue Games on American Arcadia, before leaving the studio in 2023. In the past, Gomez worked at Atom Studios, Virtual Toys and Freedom Factory Studios primarily on licensed games, such as Kick-Ass 2 (for which he was audio and senior game designer). 
==Metroid: Samus Returns==
Gomez designed the in-game controls of the main protagonist, Samus Aran, ensuring she felt fluid and responsive. He designed her base arsenal and upgrades, the way they interact with enemies and the environment. Additionally, Gomez redesigned more than 35 enemies in Samus Returns, updating the appearance and behavior of those that originated in Metroid II: Return of Samus. Their attacks were reimagined to encourage use of the new Melee Counter and Aeion abilities. He balanced the boss battles, including their attack patterns, frequency and conditions - such as flying or grounding, or escaping the room - and designed the majority of Metroid fights from scratch, while modifying the environments they were in to guarantee the best combat experience. Gomez designed two areas of SR388 from scratch, all boss rooms, and puzzles in different sections of Samus Returns. Lastly, he designed the Samus Data Screen, in-game screens, the minimap and the Heads-Up Display on the bottom screen of the Nintendo 3DS.Luengo, Jacobo. Metroid: Samus Returns. Jacobo Luengo's Game Design Portfolio. Retrieved May 18, 2024. https://jacoboluengo.blogspot.com/2017/09/metroid-samus-returns.html
==Metroid Dread==
As with Samus Returns, Gomez designed Samus's movements and abilities, adding several new upgrades in addition to her classic arsenal. He worked closely with the director, programming and art teams to expand on their work for Samus Returns and take advantage of the more powerful Nintendo Switch hardware. He designed environmental obstacles such as Sensor-Lock Doors, Grapple Beam Blocks and Doors, secrets, puzzles and combat. Enemies were designed around the new Dash Melee mechanic, to be sturdier against basic Beam weapons until more powerful Beams are acquired, and to be more reactive than they were in Samus Returns. This is seen in the different types of mechanical enemies, such as docile drones that patrol an area, as compared to hostile counterparts like Robot Chozo Soldiers and the E.M.M.I. In a blog post, Gomez commented on the challenge of reimagining the X Parasites into something new while staying true to their previous appearance in Metroid Fusion.
Gomez also designed levels and the boss battles with Kraid, Drogyga, Experiment No. Z-57, Raven Beak and Raven Beak X. He balanced the Central Units, Corpius, Robot and organic Chozo Soldiers, Escue, Golzuna, and the Elite Chozo Soldier.Luengo, Jacobo. Metroid Dread. Jacobo Luengo's Game Design Portfolio. Retrieved May 18, 2024. https://jacoboluengo.blogspot.com/2021/10/metroid-dread.html
==Gallery==
File:Jacobo Luengo MSR portfolio page.png|Samus Returns portfolio page, onto which the Accolades Trailer is embedded.
File:Jacobo Luengo MSR screenshot - Melee Counter.jpg
File:Jacobo Luengo MSR screenshot - Alpha Metroid.jpg
File:Jacobo Luengo MSR screenshot - Zeta Metroid.jpg
File:Jacobo Luengo MSR screenshot - tunnel and Gravitt.jpg
File:Jacobo Luengo MSR screenshot - Varia Suit.jpg
File:Jacobo Luengo MSR screenshot - Free Aim at Gullugg.jpg
File:Jacobo Luengo MSR collection.jpg|Luengo's Samus Returns collection, including the game's Legacy Edition, amiibo, Samus Edition New Nintendo 3DS XL, poster, Hobby Consolas and Games Tribune magazine with artwork. Luengo, Jacobo (JacoboLuengo). "Hoy ha sido un día lleno de emociones. El broche de oro a algo muy bonito de lo que me enorgullece haber formado parte #MetroidSamusReturns" 15 Sep 2017 4:07 p.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/JacoboLuengo/status/908769326546767873
File:Jacobo Luengo photo of MercurySteam with Alpha Metroid cake.jpg|Luengo and the Alpha Metroid and Samus cake created for MercurySteam.
==External links==
*Blog
*Luengo on LinkedIn
*Luengo on MobyGames
*Luengo on Twitter
==References==
Category:MercurySteam employees
Category:Artists and Designers