Metroid: Other M Impressions

Nintendo is good at showing its audience just enough to get us excited for what's in store for the future. At its E3 2010 press conference, it continued to torment us with short looks at anticipated games, including a new trailer for Metroid: Other M. The trailer showed us a few images we've seen before, but it also focused a lot more on the exploration elements of the series, including the morph ball and the visor. In fact, Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Aime concluded after the trailer was shown that when it comes to Metroid: Other M, "What hasn't been lost is the sense of isolation and exploration." And if the trailer is any indication, Reggie speaks the truth.

Like many of the trailers Nintendo showed off, the one for Other M consisted mostly of quick cuts between cutscenes and gameplay. We did catch glimpses of things we've seen previously. For example, we saw a giant monster rise out of a pool of molten lava, and as part of this battle, Samus ran across its hulking form. We also saw plenty of other thought-provoking sights: jungle environments, puzzles revolving around the morph ball, and shooting sections viewed from both a first- and third-person perspective. There were also wall-jumping and platforming sequences intercut with dramatic views of Samus falling from the air and landing with a commanding thud. The trailer wasn't as packed with action as previous ones, however. There was a greater emphasis on the visor, which will be used to scan the environment as it was in Metroid Prime, and we saw more of the environmental puzzle-solving that has made the series such a success.

Fils-Aime ended the presentation by informing us that Metroid: Other M will feature important elements of that franchise but also explore new emotional corridors. We won't need to wait long to travel down these new paths; Metroid: Other M will hit store shelves on August 31, 2010. And if what we saw is any indication, it will be good to catch up with Samus and see where she's heading next.