Metroid: Other M

[zircon]

A "true successor" to Super and Prime? Didn't we already have 3 Prime games, Zero Mission and Fusion, not to mention the Castlevania GBA/DS series and Shadow Complex (especially Shadow Complex) which are all basically the same thing?

[TheKrow]

Because the scene is being forced on me in order to play the game? Because worse, Sakamoto's flat out stated that he wants to make Metroid more like this permanently?

Yes, Other M doesn't ruin the previous games, aside from the obvious retconning about Samus' attachment to the larva, but if this means there won't be a true successor to Super and Prime (no, not a clone, not Super all over again - a true evolution of the franchise in an appropriate direction, with emphasis on the things Metroid's always been about), then yes, I am going to get rather annoyed over it.

Other M is the successor to Super Metroid, I thought that would be obvious.

[EC2151]

I'd say Other M is the slightly-more-attractive-but-personality-wise-much-less-desirable sister of Metroid Fusion.

I mean heck, line the two plots together and you see a bunch of things recycled from Fusion.

Protip:

the proper counter to that argument is NOT saying "WELL LINE THE PLOTS OF METROID 1 AND SUPER METROID TOGETHER" because Metroid 1 is a bare-bones 4 sentence plot, while Super Metroid is an evolution of that plot along with a lot more depth.

Sometimes I do wonder how a man who pioneered story-telling in games and was in charge of Super Metroid could write scenes like "CONFESSION TIME."

Sigh.

All said, I'm still playing and still enjoying exploring in this game (working towards 100% right now... almost there!). It's fun to play, and I think it's a good game.

However, it's just that with this series I've really come to expect efforts that are more than just 'good'. Oh and without a lot of horseshit exposition.

[Elrinth]

I just had to login and comment (I haven't been here in a LOOOONG time).

I think it was an awesome game (I've finished it almost 100%) but the amount of mini/mega-bosses were far too great and far too close. Two bosses were f*****g ugly and shouldn't have made it into the game as they looked. But still they worked because it was a joy to blast them to hell.

I always liked the exploration and puzzle stuff and this one is lacking a bit in that department. I didn't like the fps mode because I was many times aiming the wrong direction when I entered that mode. I'm a pretty damn pro gamer at both fps and platformers so I've been crippled by a system which should have fit right into my profile.

The good stuff was that it has the best camera system I've ever seen for the platforming part. The cut scene graphics are gorgeous and have very vivid colours. The whole new reload missiles and health system is great. But the restore health system doesn't really work during boss fights as you are never left alone for the required loadup time. If you die you have a checkpoint really close so it's really never cumbersome to die.

[Nabeel Ansari]

Mutericator, the scene is not being forced on you... what IS being forced on you is an opportunity to take a break, go get some tea or cookies or something. By the time you get back cutscenes should be over, they ain't that long.

I mean, taking a break from video games is never a bad thing... it's just a largely undesirable thing.

[Malaki-LEGEND.sys]

So I finally finished the game and now I can actually post and not worry about spoilers.

DAMN that was an awesome game in terms of pretty much everything. The narrative itself had me choked up towards the end, and you really gain an appreciation for the baddass that Samus Aran really is. This game was pretty heavy, and I applaud Nintendo and Team Ninja for its accomplishment.

Of course that isn't to say that there weren't issues with the story(why don't you have an entire regiment of galactive federation troops on a facility engaged in dangerous bioweapon research for example). A few of the CG scenes, notably the first, had some serious old sci-fi movie cheese going on(but I like the cheese ).

I expected Metroid meets Ninja Gaiden with some great background for Samus, and that's exactly what I got. Way to breathe some fresh air into the series, Nintendo. Excellent job.

[Nabeel Ansari]

So I finally finished the game and now I can actually post and not worry about spoilers.

DAMN that was an awesome game in terms of pretty much everything. The narrative itself had me choked up towards the end, and you really gain an appreciation for the baddass that Samus Aran really is. This game was pretty heavy, and I applaud Nintendo and Team Ninja for its accomplishment.

Of course that isn't to say that there weren't issues with the story(why don't you have an entire regiment of galactive federation troops on a facility engaged in dangerous bioweapon research for example). A few of the CG scenes, notably the first, had some serious old sci-fi movie cheese going on(but I like the cheese ).

I expected Metroid meets Ninja Gaiden with some great background for Samus, and that's exactly what I got. Way to breathe some fresh air into the series, Nintendo. Excellent job.

Galactive Federation?

Mostly because more troops = more witnesses = more opportunities for the truth to get out. And also, they probably were there and all got eaten/ killed by the alien bio weapons.

[The Mutericator]

Other M is the successor to Super Metroid, I thought that would be obvious.

Other M is a successor by removing free roam, adding invisible walls EVERYWHERE, and adding unnecessary and terribly written drama? No.

Mutericator, the scene is not being forced on you... what IS being forced on you is an opportunity to take a break, go get some tea or cookies or something. By the time you get back cutscenes should be over, they ain't that long.

I mean, taking a break from video games is never a bad thing... it's just a largely undesirable thing.

I... I never thought of it that way. Good call.

[Nabeel Ansari]

Other M is a successor by removing free roam, adding invisible walls EVERYWHERE, and adding unnecessary and terribly written drama? No.

Terribly written drama? I think not. The story isn't bad, it's just that the fact that you and other diehard fans believe there should be NO story. I agree, that's what makes it a Metroid game: no story. But the story in this game regardless isn't bad. For a story to be bad it needs to have wtf moments. Other M doesn't have that.

Also, just saying in a 2D game there's no need for invisible walls... you can't compare a 2D game to a 3D game in terms of invisible walls.

And i have no idea what you're talking about... Super Metroid doesn't have free roam, nor does any other Metroid game. You get your upgrades in a fixed order. Before you yell at me, I don't consider sequence breaking as free roam.

[EC2151]

You say Metroid games have the defining trait of no story, but you seem to forget that, oh, Metroid II, Super Metroid, Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime: Echoes*, and Metroid Fusion all told stories and actually told them very well, and that those stories are what endeared the character of Samus Aran to us in the first place. It's not that a Metroid game should have no story; it's that I wish Sakamoto would've gotten his head out of his ass and actually allowed a few people to actually LOOK at and EDIT this story so it could've been something better than what we got.

Free Roam does not imply sequence breaking. Free Roam implies NONLINEARITY. All the Metroid games are on the sliding scale of nonlinearity (with Metroid 1 being the most nonlinear) but that still means that in Super Metroid you could pretty much go where you want.

And still some fans I've talked to say that sequence breaking is one of, if not THE most important aspect of Metroid! Heck I just played/beat Metroid 1 last night and got the varia as soon as I got the bombs; it felt great!

*Didn't include Corruption because while it is a beautiful game, it's the weakest of the trilogy, storywise. On an aside, I heard that people have found ways that you can sequence break in Corruption now, of all games!

[BardicKnowledge]

*Didn't include Corruption because while it is a beautiful game, it's the weakest of the trilogy, storywise. On an aside, I heard that people have found ways that you can sequence break in Corruption now, of all games!

Apparently you can skip the Hazard Suit in prime 3.

In any case, I'm sure that some sequence breaks will be discovered for other M, but it's likely going to be along the lines of metroid fusion's early expansions, not Super Metroid's crazy awesome stuff (imo the most useful of these being mockball to bypass various speed gates). Along this line of thought, everyone needs to stop saying "Other M isn't Super Metroid in 3d like I wanted." Of course it isn't -- that game is Metroid Prime. Other M is analogous to Metroid Fusion in 3d instead. You know, the game with a plot, no (well, very little) sequence breaks, and a main area where you take elevators to different sectors?

Note that I'm not arguing that Prime is inferior in any way -- I much prefer both Super Metroid and Metroid Prime to Fusion and Other M. But let's use the correct 2d reference game when we talk about the new game.

[RDX]

The story isn't bad, it's just that the fact that you and other diehard fans believe there should be NO story.

I really hate it when people oversimplify the other side of an argument for pretty much no other reason than to feel smart.

No one thinks there shouldn't be a story. Most of us think that it was just presented in poor fashion and that a good number of the scenes were written terribly.

[Malaki-LEGEND.sys]

I guess it makes sense then that I love this game so much being that Metroid Fusion is(was) my favorite game in the series. I feel like they've taken Samus Aran all the way up to my favorite female game lead along with Aya Brea and Terra Branford.

That being said, I kinda want to go through all the Prime games now(I only played and finished Echos). Pity Nintendo had to actually make their limited edition limited.

[JCvgluvr]

Alright, I just beat Ridley last night. I'm going to put in my 2 spoilerific cents, whether you folks like it or not.

Are the complaints about this scene justified? I think so. Absolutely, and completely. There really is no reason for such an overreaction from Samus. None. Do you know why? It's called Desensitization. This women is a battle-hardened warrior, at this point in the canon. She's not a fledgling explorer with something to prove. This isn't the first time she's fought Ridley, back from the grave and fully reconstructed. (That happened in Prime 3/Super Metroid, remember?)

Blaming things like PTSD is complete BS. There were way more likely scenarios for this to be happening. Like I said, seeing Ridley for the first time would have been a justified moment for Samus to lose it. Seeing Meta Ridley for the first time could be unnerving. Or how about the first time Ridley came back from the dead, fully healed?

But no, Samus doesn't have any excuses. This Ridley is doing nothing new. There's no twist to this appearance. He's back...again. Fully healed...again. For Samus, it's been there, done that. Nothing new, nothing shocking, and not even remotely traumatizing.

So why does she revert to the mindset of a 3-year old? I can easily explain why. Sakamoto was doing his best to hammer this idea into our heads: "SAMUS IS A HOOMEN, GUYZ. SEE? SHE HAS EMOSHUNS TOO, JUZT LIKE JOO. DONTCHA FEEL SO BAD FER HER? BAWWW!" Yes, we get it Saka-san. There's a woman inside that suit. But you're overdoing it. You've gone too far.

This woman is NOT like us! Samus lost both of her parents to an evil space pterodactyl/dragon. She has the blood of an advanced alien civilization running in her veins. She has destroyed countless aliens species, like Kraid. Fricking Kraid! Then there's all of the other aliens she's killed. Not to mention 2 freaking PLANETS! I'm pretty sure I never destroyed a planet. Samus is not like us, she should not freak out like us. She is stronger, and braver than that.

And how about Anthony's death? That was completely moronic! She JUST saved him from dying, a few minutes ago! You're telling me she can't do it again? You see him falling off the ledge, and Samus does nothing. She could have easily turned on Space Jump, or even grapple-beamed him to safety. I'm sure she could attach the beam to him, because she's grappled living things before. His death was completely unnecessary, and yet another attempt to make us get upset. Booty hooty hoo, it's too obvious and cliche. Screw that. (Note: I haven't finished the game yet, but I suspect that Anthony isn't actually dead.)

I'm not gonna say that I don't want ANY story in my Metroid. But I certainly don't want THIS story in my Metroid.

[LuketheXjesse]

I'm just gonna say to those who are disappointed with/complaining about the story:

You're playing a Team Ninja game, what did you expect? Gameplay > everything with them. I never had high hopes for the story and expected the gameplay to be awesome. (I was totally right)

But yeah the story pretty damn weird.

[Admiral_C]

This Ridley is doing nothing new. There's no twist to this appearance.

That's inaccurate. Did you expect Ridley to be there? Personally, I didn't see that one coming.

[The Mutericator]

Terribly written drama? I think not. The story isn't bad, it's just that the fact that you and other diehard fans believe there should be NO story. I agree, that's what makes it a Metroid game: no story. But the story in this game regardless isn't bad. For a story to be bad it needs to have wtf moments. Other M doesn't have that.

Also, just saying in a 2D game there's no need for invisible walls... you can't compare a 2D game to a 3D game in terms of invisible walls.

And i have no idea what you're talking about... Super Metroid doesn't have free roam, nor does any other Metroid game. You get your upgrades in a fixed order. Before you yell at me, I don't consider sequence breaking as free roam.

"For a story to be bad it needs to have wtf moments."

No. See: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/960554-metroid-other-m/56305892

Also go back and replay Super, you don't get them in a fixed order, even without sequence breaking. YOU might, out of habit, but if you actually look there are the Spazer and X-Ray, both optional upgrades, as well as things like the Ice Beam (which you can get any time after the Speed Boost and before entering Maridia, as far as I remember).

I'm just gonna say to those who are disappointed with/complaining about the story:

You're playing a Team Ninja game, what did you expect? Gameplay > everything with them. I never had high hopes for the story and expected the gameplay to be awesome. (I was totally right)

But yeah the story pretty damn weird.

Team Ninja didn't do the writing or anything but the battle system, basically. Nintendo did most of the work and left that little detail to them. And it worked well, don't get me wrong - the battle system has a few kinks it definitely needs to work out, but it's still the strongest point of the game (not saying much, compared to the plot, the linearity, and the generally terrible characters).

[Nabeel Ansari]

And how about Anthony's death? That was completely moronic!

I didn't know Anthony dies in this game... I just beat the story and I never got a scene where Anthony died.

I think I played it wrong...

[LuketheXjesse]

Team Ninja didn't do the writing or anything but the battle system, basically. Nintendo did most of the work and left that little detail to them.

...wow really?

Okay forget anything I said then.

[Nabeel Ansari]

Also go back and replay Super, you don't get them in a fixed order, even without sequence breaking. YOU might, out of habit, but if you actually look there are the Spazer and X-Ray, both optional upgrades, as well as things like the Ice Beam (which you can get any time after the Speed Boost and before entering Maridia, as far as I remember).

You still follow a general outline of the plot. You have to fight bosses in a certain order, correct?

[Calpis]

I think the main difference is everyone's expectations from the game.

When I think of playing Metroid, I expect:

- Fun gameplay, (check)

- Moody atmosphere, (check)

- A story (however minimalist or not) that I don't really care about. (check)

The story part goes for the Prime series as well. I just didn't care about it because in it's essence, it's all just another adventure about a girl in a robot suit that kills ugly aliens. That's why I think it's ridiculous that all the people who hated this game are going to such lengths to explain why the game sucked. Things like characterization, motive, and reasoning which are all the things being picked apart in this (things that were also not picked apart before this game) just don't matter to me, because it doesn't affect how the game is played. I don't remember people going into such depth analyzing Fusion, Zero Mission or any of the Prime games.

However, a few more months (or more) could've really helped things that actually matter in a Metroid game: polish to the background graphics, music, and level design. Hopefully the next one will get more attention in those areas.

[Nabeel Ansari]

However, a few more months (or more) could've really helped things that actually matter in a Metroid game: polish to the background graphics, music, and level design. Hopefully the next one will get more attention in those areas.

This ^

I was very disappointed with the lack of a soundtrack. That is a legit, non-diehard fandom complaint.

[Overflow]

This ^

I was very disappointed with the lack of a soundtrack.

Oh, I don't know, I thought that Mystery Creature/Rhedogian, Desbrachian, "Stage 4", Sector Zero Escape, Approaching MB, Kihunter Hive, and Tracking The Deleter were all pretty good. If nothing else, they certainly made for a better atmosphere than most of the other Metroid game's music.

[The Mutericator]

You still follow a general outline of the plot. You have to fight bosses in a certain order, correct?

"Plot" is kind of a loose term here. In terms of following the plot, yes - Ridley takes the Metroid, you go to Zebes, you kill Ridley, you have final battle with Mother Brain over dead Metroid's body. But the bosses don't actually have to be fought in the same order - generally, Kraid comes first, because killing him nets you the Varia Suit, which in turn gets you Speed Boost, Grapple Beam, and Wave Beam (you have to kill Crocomire in there too somewhere). Killing Phantoon in the Wrecked Ship nets you the Gravity Suit, which gets you into Maridia and lets you kill Draygon, netting you the Space Jump (which presumably lets you down to Ridley).

So yes, in terms of complete and total nonlinearity, no, you still have to fight the bosses in the same order (assuming we're following your rule of "no sequence breaking"). Still, it's a hell of a lot less linear than Go To Save Room -> Get told where to go next -> Get led on a perfectly linear path forward regardless -> get to Save Room, repeat.

[EC2151]

You know, the retort "Why are you picking apart the story IT'S A GAME" doesn't hold as much water when you consider that in ALL the months leading up to this game, the creator (and story-writer) Yoshio Sakamoto had been repeatedly REPEATEDLY stating that the story for Other M was going to be the best thing about it, and about how proud he was of the STORY and how we're all going to love the STORY.

So if something like that is SO emphasized, you'd damn better believe people are going to scrutinize it if it's not up to par. He had me friken pumped that I'd finally see Adam Malkovich, that I'd see Mother Brain, that I'd see KL2...

Gah.

There wasn't as much picking apart in the other games, because they DIDN'T need to be picked apart. You could speculate on things not exactly told but implied. Unlike here where they tell you everything, throw subtlety out the window, and make some scenes unintentionally hilarious (and not like the good way, like in Corruption- SPACE PIRATE GRAY JUST ISN'T MY STYLE).

However, on a different note:

Some of the songs on the soundtrack are actually pretty damn great.

Yes, I too wish there were more melodic elements, but some things like:

Nightmare

Tracking the Deleter

Escape from Sector 0

Approaching MB

KiHunter Hive/KiHunter Fight

Pyrosphere

Vorash battle

Are really awesome in their own right.

EDIT: Looks like someone agrees with me. Good find on the "Stage 4" song- that's pretty damn cool too!

I mean, heck that Kihunter fight song is pretty bitchin', though my favorite tracks are Tracking the Deleter and Approaching MB.

I don't think the OST is getting enough credit; it IS professional and some tracks are good.

However, I think we were all wishing for Mr. Yamamoto to work his magic again.

Too bad he and Retro are working on the new Donkey Kong game, which I have a feeling will be nigh perfect.