Metroid Other M is certainly different from what we're used to, but that's not really a bad thing now, is it?
Metroid Other M transpires shortly after the events of Super Metroid-released in 1994 for the Super NES. Having obliterated Mother Brain and the Space Pirates on the doomed planet Zebes, Samus Aran recovers long enough to receive another distress signal from a direlect space station identified only as "the Bottle Ship". An uncomfortable reunion with her former Galactic Federation teammates---among them her old superior officer Adam Malkovich (a familiar mention for those who've played Metroid Fusion on the Game Boy Advance)----soon follows thereafter, with the realization that something had indeed gone wrong in the harrowed halls and corridors of the Bottle Ship, forcing an alliance of convenience between them. Aside from the main objective in unraveling the truth behind this latest mystery, the player will catch a glimpse into Samus Aran's mysterious past, her deep connections with Adam, her short-lived stint as a greenhorn in the Galactic Federation, and the emotional scars left behind by the tragic loss of the Baby Metroid she rescued way back in SR388 (chronicled in Metroid 2: Return of Samus on the Game Boy). You'll also be exposed to her thoughts and feelings in her own words through spurts of narrative dialogue and cutscenes that occur during important moments in the game. The story told therein is quite good, but these cutscenes tend to drag on longer than allowed and there is no option to bypass them. Furthermore, the voiceovers don't necessarily do a good job in convincing you of a character's believability---unfortunately, the worst offender is Samus herself; her voice is too squeaky-clean to represent the core of her solitary, lone-wolf nature. Still, the majority of the voice work is not entirely bad, the dialogue is appropriately written, and the characters themselves are likeable enough.
Shifting away from the trajectory of Metroid games past, Other M places its emphasis on heavy-handed, gut-busting action; which is clearly evident under the development hand of Team Ninja (the house responsible for the Dead or Alive series and Ninja Gaiden) You'll only use your Wii Remote (turned sideways) to control Samus and perform all of her traditional bounty hunter repertoire of actions. For the most part, it all handles decently well. Movement can often become imprecise using the D-Pad, but it isn't so much a hindrance as to break gameplay; though at times, it can prove a problem when you're trying to perform certain attack moves (Overdrives and Lethal Strikes, which I will discuss later) on fast-moving enemies. And while the first-person shooter trappings of the recent Prime trilogy have been all but left behind, pointing the Wii Remote directly at your TV screen will shift to the behind-the-visor mode remarkably similar to Prime; allowing for precision targeting of weak points and destructible obstacles as well as visual surveillance. You cannot scan items for a logbook as you could in the Prime games, and you can only fire your traditional missiles in this mode. Disappointing as this may seem, in all fairness, most boss fights demand the use of first-person views to locate weak points, and can only truly by damaged by well-placed missiles when traditional Photon beams prove ineffective. As a Metroid fan myself, I appreciate these unique controls as they breathe a great deal of innovation to a tried-and-true gameplay mechanic; bringing the best elements from both the traditional Metroid games and the Prime trilogy comfortably into one package.
At your disposal, you have access to most of your familiar bounty hunter tools----a Grapple Beam, the Screw Attack, Morph Ball, and chargeable Plasma Cannon. Interestingly enough, while you initially possess these tools on the outset, you must receive the proper authorization from Adam Malkovich in order to actually put them to use rather than simply finding them scattered throughout the ship as you would in past Metroid games. Not being able to use your awesome accumulated arsenal by order of some armchair spinster seems underhanded and cruel, but gameplay wise, it is a rather interesting and unique twist on the standard scheme of things. It also comes at the unfortunate expense of the familiar tune you'd hear whenever a new weapon or item is discovered. Stuff that you will indeed find strewn around in the Bottle Ship are the ever-important Energy and Missile upgrades; some obvious, others requiring some effort (like pointing the Wii remote to engage your visor-view). You might even find components of energy tanks (four pieces) that must be discovered; like the Heart Container fragments of Legend of Zelda. They aren't a requirement to defeat the game, but you'd be wise in making every effort in locating as many of them (if not every single one of them) as humanly possible if you hope to continue breathing and grow tougher for the challenges ahead-as enemies and bosses (per usual) tend to get ever more difficult as you make progress. Besides, it wouldn't really be Metroid without this optional added workload now, would it? You'll thank me later.
Further fueling the challenge meter is the fact that when you typically destroy enemies, you no longer find any sort of small compensatory recovery item as a token reward. No life givers, no missiles, nothing. Life replenishment occurs in two ways; finding save stations sprawled in various areas of the map, and demanding the player hold the Wii Remote in the upright position whenever their energy level drops to dangerously low levels (in the red, so to speak); consequently leaving you vulnerable during intense situations such as boss fights. (Missile replenishing is the same deal, but in this case, it's a heavensend.) Added challenge much appreciated, it might have been nice had the traditional (and extremely helpful) recovery items remained in place for this game.
And if you find that weapons just aren't enough, Samus Aran's got yet another attack maneuver up her sleeve---her bare hands. You are given opportunities to perform devastating Overdrive and Lethal Strikes---cinematic attack moves that usually kill most enemies in one blow. The trick is jumping on top of most larger enemies, allowing your gauge to fill up to its maximum and letting loose with a close-range Photon blast that's about as painful as it looks. Lethal Strikes occur when an enemy is staggered or downed, allowing for Samus to depend on her inherent physical strength (made even more so by her Varia Suit) to wrestle, toss, body slam and even kick the unfortunate monster to its demise. You can even finish off most boss monsters by means of these attacks; thus, upping the "awesome" meter by several decibels. If you've ever played Ninja Gaiden or the Dead or Alive fighting games, you can clearly see the Team Ninja touch in nearly every one of these cinematic attacks. (And no, you won't see Samus in a swimsuit.) Metroid fans will delight at seeing a combative side of Samus Aran that they never knew existed---even if it takes a little getting used to at times, especially when dealing with the inprecision of the D-pad as opposed to the Analog stick. In hindsight, however, with enough practice and trial-and-error, the player will grow accustomed to using Overdrives and Lethal Strikes whenever possible as they will prove invaluable against the tougher enemies found in later stages of the game.
Visually, Metroid Other M looks impressive. Unfortunately, without the added benefits of high-definition transfers, the graphics appear muddy and flushed; it's as if they can be handled by the GameCube hardware, making them appear somewhat aged and dated. That isn't to say they're horrible----far from it. Environments themselves are incredibly diverse with holographic jungles, ice vistas and fiery lava caverns; despite the fact that all of the action takes place onboard a seemingly abandoned space station. Exploration is still an important element here in Other M, but no longer the overlying emphasis---as level designs seem designed purely for combat in mind. Most of the time, you'll just run down long corridors shooting repsawning enemies as you go, and occasionally come to grips with a difficult mid-boss that must be defeated in order to tread any further. However, the explorative components found in the lot are still as interesting as what you'd normally find in a Metroid game, and the Bottle Ship itself is quite large. The character models look nice, and Samus herself looks quite good; with or without her famed Varia suit. The musical score is also quite nice with several nods to previous games---with the aforementioned exception of one memorable melody; a disappointing departure but nothing that would make you shed any tears.
I must admit----handing the coveted Metroid franchise to a developer like Team Ninja was an extremely risky gamble. But I am elated to report that the gamble paid off in spades. Metroid Other M may not be the greatest game ever developed in the franchise's storied history, but it is quite a crowning achievement. The emphasis on heavy-handed action blended with the traditional standardfare intersperses it as a worthy addition to the series' legacy while steering it into entirely new territory---the likes of which Metroid fans and newcomers have yet to see for themselves. And it is all the more acceptible for it. Whether you've loved the series since the beginning or are just starting out, Metroid Other M is worth the price of admission for any and every Wii owner.