Metroid: Other M Options

[Scan_Man]

Decided to pick this up at the last minute yesterday.

First impressions.

LOL@ this game. It is so bizarre in a lot places. I don't think I have ever played a game quite like this. Where every other room I'm either getting stumped/stuck, frustrated, or a combination of both. It is like Team Ninja purposely tried to make the most frustrating game possible while still being accessible to non-hardcore gamers (by that I mean non-Ninja Gaiden gamers). It has to be intentional. What other reason would you put that in a game? No one would put certain elements into a game without realizing how players will react. I mean damn just play through your game, you will see how it tries your patience at almost every corner. Not really bad things, just bizarre gameplay mechanics.


That or I am totally spoiled by modern day games with hints systems, or objectives displayed somewhere, in place (Prime had two with the map and scanning, Metal Gear Solid has codexs etc). This game gives you no hints whatsoever, and hardly anything is apparent on first, second . . . tenth inspection. In some areas, the game will outright kill you when you encounter something for the first time. Traps and shit. Like it is Impossible Mario or I Wanna Be The Guy. It kind of works because the game gives you this fast pace, run & gun, feel. However, it will punish right when you think you can just coast through it. When you die it means you should of been more careful. Except when something one shots you randomly. . .


This game is more like Fusion, and to a certain extent Prime 3, than Metroid, Super Metroid, and Prime. Meaning it is linear. Exploration and backtracking is mostly for gathering hidden items. And trying to get hidden items is frustrating in its own right too. Freakin carrot on the stick. I've learned to ignore them because I realized most of them are put there to mock me.


The big thing in this game though is the boss and mini-boss battles. You get one every other room. And I love how the game plants seeds on the next boss you are going to fight, or fight for a 2nd time. Keeps you on your toes. You never quite know when you are going to walk into a boss battle. Don't be surprised if after boss battle you are at critical health with zero energy tanks left, and have to fight another boss in the next room.

The pacing is fantastic in the regard. Just there is this one part with the over-the-shoulder third person camera, and the part afterward, that is the dumbest thing in the history of all gaming. That part of the game, and Team Ninja can go fuck themselves. You will know this sequence of the game when you get to it.

Alright. Full review after I complete the game.

This post has been edited by Scan_Man: Sep 1 2010, 05:40 PM

[AC9breaker]

Seems pretty cool so far. Now this game ACTUALLY looks good for a wii game. Totally better then Monster Hunter. It's cool how the game goes from CG to gameplay, like they took some notes from Uncharted and latest resident Evil games. I'm enjoying how the exposition is being told so far and I really like Samus's voice. She's mah waifu btw. More impressions once I spend more time with the game.

[Scan_Man]

Yeah it is not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. Seems more like they are trying to evolve the series via trying new ideas. This game seems like it was an experiment in that way. I applaud Nintendo and Team Ninja for taking a chance with a series like this, in a industry that likes to pump out the same old shit over and over .

There is an excellent Metroid game buried some where in this formula. I hope they listen to lots of feedback and give it another go for a sequel. But, there is a lot of rough parts in this game that stops it from being excellent. It seems testing and Quality Assurance dropped the ball here.

[HC82]

I stopped playing Metroid after the SNES. The formula is pretty much the same thing again and again; you see it in Castlevania: SotN and it's addicitive. The whole exploration/backtracking is kind of what makes Metroid. Although, it's become easily identifiable, which is why Metroid is getting this face lift.

Yeah, sometimes we want that classic experience, but it gets old. It doesn't hurt to try new things from time to time. Personally I won't be getting the game, just because I don't feel like it. If by chance its in a bargain bin somewhere in the future and there's a dry spell for gaming, "Metroid here I come!"

It's nothing personal against Metroid. There's a lot of great games out now that I just won't buy for no other reason then "I don't feel like playing it."

I had to pull my own teeth to buy Super Mario Galaxy 2, which is touted as like the best platformer EVER!!!11!
I really didn't feel like playing it nor getting it, but I felt guilty for not having a mario game that's supposedly really good. FYI, it's still in the shrink wrap sitting right next to me. I'll get around to it eventually.

[Alisha]

last metroids i played were prime on gamecube and the gba ones i enjoyed them but samus looks kinda weird in the flashback scenes where she is in the army. its like they wanted to have a princess tri of peach zelda and samus D:

[Crushinator]

last metroids i played were prime on gamecube and the gba ones i enjoyed them but samus looks kinda weird in the flashback scenes where she is in the army. its like they wanted to have a princess tri of peach zelda and samus D:

So... you're saying the last Metroid games you played are the ones that came out before Other M? And what the hell are you talking about, princesses? Samus isn't the the princess of space. Team ninja was responsible for the character design of Samus in Other M, so of course she will fit to their "traditional" style. tittyballs mayne

[Ether]

If you want to get technical there was was Metroid Prime 3 on Wii and Metroid Prime Hunters on the DS, so there have games between Cube/GBA and Other M.

I actually thought Samus looked really good in the flashbacks, but they were pointless in the story and full of absolutely cringe worthy-dialogue. "The thumbs up is a common gesture in the Galactic Federation, I however, choose to give the thumbs down!" Ooh, you're so damn edgy Samus.

While I enjoyed the gameplay, the story was absolutely garbage and the whole game pretty much falls apart towards the end.

[Crushinator]

If you want to get technical there was was Metroid Prime 3 on Wii and Metroid Prime Hunters on the DS, so there have games between Cube/GBA and Other M.

I actually thought Samus looked really good in the flashbacks, but they were pointless in the story and full of absolutely cringe worthy-dialogue. "The thumbs up is a common gesture in the Galactic Federation, I however, choose to give the thumbs down!" Ooh, you're so damn edgy Samus.

While I enjoyed the gameplay, the story was absolutely garbage and the whole game pretty much falls apart towards the end.

This is actually a line in the game? Gimme a god damn break. Also good to see you back around here, Ether! Its been a while.

[Scan_Man]

Yeah the dialogue and story reminds me of FFXIII. It is very Japanese. But, I actually thought the stuff ending was actually the best parts except Samus inner dialogue that goes on and on and on. Its like the 100+ endings in Return of the King, accept instead of showing it is just dialogue. And the whole time you are like "How does Samus know this." For the whole game I feel immersed as Samus, a trait that is present in the Prime games, then she opens her mouth. She speaks about things in a tone of "As you know" or "As you should remember." No Samus, I don't know. All this info is new to me

The cutsceens are well done though. Looking at the credits it seems they spent a buttload of money producing them. My main complaint though is if this were a Prime game the story would encompass the whole game. There would be no flashbacks that have nothing to do with the main plot because the gameplay would cover that. The Prime games are like 25 to 50 hours adventures. This game is about 10 hours. Obviously they thought Samus' days in the Galactic Federation.


As for the ending. The real ending is after the credits (which offers about another 3-5 hours of gameplay). What a surprise, and totally Metroidish. It probably the best part of the game. Weird that it is after the credits, as I think it should of been woven into the main game. But it seems they had the story, and made the gameplay around the story. Which is totally the opposite of what Nintendo does.


Oh and hardmode feels like a totally different game. This is another plus.


I have to say this game is somewhere on the line between purchase and really great rental. I'm mostly likely going to trade it in after I beat hardmode.

[Crushinator]

[Vitamin D]

Black dudes in space!

[Scan_Man]

LOL! Samus has a boyfriend! Oooooooooooo!

[AC9breaker]

I beat the game a few days ago.

So the game is very Objective based, making it feel like fusion. Combat is great, although it feels like it's missing something when your fighting regular doods; it totally shines with boss fights though.

The story is competent enough and does it's job as being the vessel for this game, it was touted that this game would touch on Samus's back story but no it doesn't. The main thing the game does is fleshes out her personality; and if you've read any of the mangas or the backstory to the Metroid universe you'll agree they do a good job on that, although as others have stated the dialog is silly, while it may have sounded cool in japan it loses it's effect in our language and just seems childish, like a little kid trying hard to be cool. Then overall the game feels short, like I beat it in under 9 hours. With a 53% item completion though.


The overall pervasive feeling I have with this game is that its lacking. It feels like it was meant to be on a handheld rather then as a console game. As a Metroid fan, I really enjoyed it. As an honest gamer, I've gotta say this game fucks up too much to warrant buying it and should be treated with caution. Rent it first, use gamefly. It's Definitely a solid rent since you can beat it fast and send it back and get the next game on your que sooner. At the very least, it's a competant game and like Naba said,"it does things."