Metroid: Other M Hands-On
By
Giancarlo Varanini, Senior Editor
Samus has a case of the baby blues in this sequel to Super Metroid.
Metroid: Other M--codeveloped by Nintendo and Team Ninja (of Ninja Gaiden fame)--is best described as a culmination of all the Metroid games that came before it. It interweaves plot points and gameplay mechanics from those games into a sequel that takes place after events of Super Metroid, but despite bringing all of these familiar characteristics together, Other M feels anything but familiar. The game forges its own identity that rests somewhere between Super Metroid and the Metroid Prime series, with the end results amounting to something that most fans will probably find surprising. A warning: This write-up includes some minor story set-up spoilers.
Our demo begins with a brief CG cinematic where the camera pans to the depths of space to find a person--bounty hunter Samus Aran--curled in the fetal position (like the scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey). After uttering the question, "Why am I still alive?" Samus awakens to find herself in the ending sequence of Super Metroid. An appropriately disgusting and angry Mother Brain stomps around as the baby Metroid (that originally appeared in Metroid II) holds Samus above ground within its maw. Just seconds before Mother Brain releases a devastating beam of energy from her massive eyeball, the baby Metroid drops Samus and takes the brunt of the blast. Its gooey remains drip down onto Samus as she readies her arm cannon and says, "It's time to go." Mother Brain is defeated.
In the following scene, Samus (shown in her Zero Suit form) awakens in a quarantine room and later remarks that she constantly dreams about her confrontation with Mother Brain, as well as the fate of the baby Metroid. In fact, a large part of developing and growing Samus as a character for Metroid: Other M seemingly stems from the loss of the baby Metroid to the extent that it's a focal point of her remaining monologue in the introduction--a suggestion of her growing motherly instincts, perhaps?
As the scene ends, Samus transforms back into her Varia suit and the tutorial begins. In it, we learn about some of her basic movements and abilities--most of which are controlled by holding the Wii Remote sideways so the layout resembles the NES controller setup. The action in Metroid: Other M takes place in 3D space from a third-person perspective, so Samus can move around much as she did in Metroid Prime by using the D pad. You can fire her arm cannon using the button 1 (button 2 performs jumps) and hold it down to perform a stronger, charged shot. By throwing a few enemies at us, the tutorial revealed that there's seemingly no manual way to target enemies, so where you shoot is a combination of where you're facing and which enemy has priority over another for the auto-aiming system. Samus also has some evasive skills--by pressing left or right on the D pad just before a projectile hits, she quickly leaps to the left or right. Lastly, changing into the morph ball is as simple as pressing A on the Wii Remote, and like previous games, Samus can plant regular or superbombs while in this state. Also of note, you can recharge missiles by simply holding the Wii Remote vertically and simultaneously holding down the B button (a similar functions works for recharging health when it gets dangerously low, but it doesn't appear to refill all of your health).
The tutorial also included a section explaining Samus's search mode, which should be immediately familiar to fans of Metroid Prime. By pointing the Wii Remote at the screen, the camera automatically transitions to a first-person, in-the-visor mode that lets you look around by holding the B button. Not only can you use this mode to investigate your surroundings, but you can also use it to lock onto and combat enemies either by using Samus's default arm cannon attack or her missiles. It's worth pointing out that when you search a room and happen to come across a special item (such as an energy tank or missile capacity upgrades), it will be marked on the map shown at the top-right portion of the screen.
By
Giancarlo Varanini, Senior Editor
I am error.
274 comments
Looks very interesting, the top of my wii list for 2010, along with Super Mario Galaxy 2. I would have to say that Metroid's predecessors were somewhat repetitive, what with retrieving weapons and fighting a corresponding boss. The proposed different views, stunning graphics, story, and more should be enough to save this game....we'll see.
I'm excited about this game. It looks great and the gameplay sounds very interesting. I can't wait to get my hands on it.
Metriod always had some action, but the main things have been the platforming and the off-the-beaten-track exploration. Action is okay, just as long as it isn't like the mindless shooting and pathetic exploration of Metriod Prime Hunters. Not that hunters isn't a bad game.
@ShootTheCore Oh yes, Metroid games in the past have never had any action what so ever, I don't know why they would start with this game...sheesh *facepalm*
I love metroid and im looking forward to this...but i do not like the control scheme they have described here. PLEASE let me use the nunchuck over the dpad for the 3d or first person mode.
Sounds, and looks like it's going to be a great game...this is definately going on the "games I gotta get" list!
Are you sure what you say is true, smooth81_basic...? I think the Prime series is a standalone, and not part of the storyline, I think...
SuperfastSonic: Metroid Timeline as we know it today: Metroid (or the update, Metroid: Zero Mission) Metroid Prime Metroid Prime Hunters Metroid Prime 2: Echos Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Metroid II: Return of Samus Super Metroid Metroid Fusion And, according to this article, Metroid: Other M takes place between Super Metroid & Metroid Fusion.
@SOG_DJmorphosis yeah, I totaly agree. If it sounded really pornogenic that would ruin the whole game maybe the giant breasts/blonde outlook may give people ideas...
sounds to me like they are going to give her a voice now. Team ninja better make sure whoever does it does it justice becuase one that doesn't do a good job would really ruin it for me
looks pretty cool...but i still would prefer a full 3d one like the past 3.....still can't wait till that and SMGalaxy 2 come out
I cant wait for the new type off gameplay but what kinda stinks is that when you are in first person view you cant walk but still looks awsome!
To us old fashioned gamers this is a must buy. With the Zelda and Mario series, this one wont disappoint.
Now if only Nintendo would reveal the time line these games take place in order - or they could just not tell us like they did with Zelda.:P
You know it's gonna be an awesome Metroid game , Have you ever known Nintendo to release a " bad " Metroid game ? I don't recall any. GOW III and SMG 2 are gonna be new eye candy , but same ol , same ol......This game will be Wii's game of the year ! The Budweiser told me so !!!
About 10 years ago, Metroid fans cried foul when Prime was going to be first person. Now some of those same fans are complaining about it going back to what it 'should' be?
looks great! ... but why can't I shake the feeling that it might fail... epically...? =/
Okay okay i'm kinda excited about this as my Wii is getting kinda dusty - but i can't help but to laugh abit at the nintendo fan boys going "yep it's a good thing they are returning to the old school blablbalbalabla" that is stupid :P Games are suppose to step forward and always get better, not stand still and stay the same, and if that's what i fear MOSTLY about Mario Galaxy 2 -
Definitely showing alot of promise. the seem to have some good game mechanic ideas down.
Why is everybody so excited about a game which looks like such an obvious step back from Metroid Prime?
I love Metroid Prime. And I have watched one trailer on Other M, I'm not watching this one because I want to know nothing when it comes out, but it seems like Metroid is finally being brought back to "Super" status. Word.
For some reason I feel like I was more excited with this game on the E3 Trailer than now guess I must wait and see then
this game doesn't excite me i mean i just stick to buying monster hunter tri and super Mario Galaxy 2
ahh this game looks awesome =D can't wait, but my problem is... Super mario Galaxy 2 or Metroid: Other M..... i know God of War 3 is on my list atleast =D
I for one am glad for the more historic roots for the game in both game play and story line. While Metroid Prime was a fine series to me it felt like a deviation from what the series was and should be. I understand a lot who are into the Metroid series will be upset with the loss of the 24/7 3D world and interactions that was Metroid Prime but this game looks really sweet and it's a nice return to what the series was and in my opinion should be. It will be a nice mixture of everything from every Metroid game out there previously and be user friendly for everyone who wants to play it. Sorry I just didn't enjoy Metroid Prime that much compared to even the GBA Metroid games. Like I said they were all sweet and fun and all but this is the game I have really been waiting for in the Metroid series to fit todays standards and I think it will be a really great game. I for one can't wait and am quite excited about it. Hopefully those who only see graphics and 3D as being a reason for a game being good can look past those things and see that this really will be a nice addition to the Metroid series if not one of the best. If not, worry not folks, as I'm sure you haven't seen the last of Metroid in 3D only type setting.
I love how 360?PS3 fanboys come onto Wii game updates and thumb every single comment down. XD Just shows how pathetic they can get. Anyway, I'm looking forward to this.
I would just really like to play a demo. the d-pad isnt the most comfortable thing to use in a 3D environment but it seems like the majority is in 2D. Its metroid so im excited but ill wait til i play it to give my final two cents. ps the story element i think is gonna be sweet
WTF! THIS after the awesomeness that was Metroid Prime trilogy?! Did this franchise just take 5 generational steps back? This is not 1989 and my big screen plasma TV is not a handheld. So why make a game that looks like it was made for psp?
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Metroid: Other M
Not Following
- Publisher(s): Nintendo
- Developer(s): Team Ninja
- Genre: Action
- Release:
- ESRB: T
Metroid: Other M Navigation
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