Nintendo and Story Telling

[Zechs Merquise]

With Metroid: Other M being released today and reviews of the game coming in over the last week or so it seems odd to me that there has been as much discussion over the game’s story and the development of the lead character as there has over the actual game and how it plays.

 

I have been a Nintendo fan since the age of 8 and owned the original NES Metroid. Since that seminal game we’ve seen a Super Nintendo sequel, two Gamecube sequels, a Wii sequel and a Wii collection of previous Gamecube and Wii titles. All of these games have found a special place in my heart, especially Super Metroid and Metroid Prime, the later being made even better when it was polished up in the Wii Trilogy release.

 

My anticipation for new Metroid titles has always been huge, I remember getting Super Metroid the weekend it was released and was shocked at the huge box it came in. I felt the same anticipation for the Gamecube and Wii iterations, even though they were released in more regular sized cases.

 

The reason I anticipated these games so much was not because of the story, not because I wanted a huge expose of Samus and the deep and meaningful reasoning behind her war with the space pirates. I wanted these games because they promised to be engaging and griping titles filled with great game play. Much like the Legend of Zelda series, another series which I began playing on the NES, I have never really felt the need for huge expanses of back story or a twisting story book plot.

 

The reason that Metroid and The Legend of Zelda have such a strong place in my heart is not because I identified with Link or Samus, but because the feelings I got playing as Link and Samus. I remember playing many shooters on the NES, but none of them played like Metroid. The feeling of figuring out how to get through the colour coded doors, working out how to get to hidden ledge using the ice beam to freeze enemies, using the morph ball to climb through a partially broken wall to get another missile expansion – this was gaming gold and it rewarded you with the feeling of great achievement.

 

Bosses weren’t just there to give you a fight or drop a key, but held onto an item that gave you powers to actually enhance the game play experience and let you explore deeper into the game world. Unlike the myriad of other shooters a boss battle actually had a point, it had a goal and beating that boss was rewarding not just for the challenge but for what you could do after that challenge. These rich gaming staples went on to influence the way gaming developed not just at Nintendo, but in the industry as a whole.

 

It seems that with Metroid: Other M Nintendo have been almost pushed into developing Samus as a character. I’m not sure whether this will be helpful to the series or whether it will detract from what Metroid is all about and what Metroid games have always focused on. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against story telling in games, for some franchises the story is just as important (if not more so) as the game play. Just look at Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy and even Nintendo’s own Fire Emblem.

 

Story telling in certain titles fits those games and drives progression through the game itself. In certain titles the game play is there simply as a way to progress to the next chunk of story and unravel the winding tale further. I can’t imagine many saying that Final Fantasy or Fire Emblem were bad games, but strip back the story and the game play alone would not stand up as to why those titles are so fondly remembered.

 

Metroid, Zelda and Mario on the other hand are different. They have always stood up on the strengths of their game play and I for one don’t think it’s necessary to change that. There is a place in the industry for both types of games – those driven by story and those driven by game play.

 

I think Nintendo have made a bold move by deciding to go down the route they have with Metroid: Other M. But turning their silent bounty hunter into a fully fleshed out character is a risky move. Part of the charm of Link and Samus was the fact they were essentially blank canvases, their struggle was your struggle and your imagination filled in the gaps. As Nintendo now fill in the gaps for us, Samus’s personality and traits will no doubt upset some as they won’t be in keeping with just how they have imagined her over the years.

 

Regardless though, I am looking forward to Metroid: Other M, but as a long time fan of the series it isn’t the cut scenes or the script that have me eagerly anticipating the arrival of this game. I’m looking forward to the game play – exploring new worlds, fighting new foes and trying to get all of the missile expansions – as that is what the Metroid series is famed for delivering on and is why I have been such a huge fan for so many years.

 

Samus has brought us so much joy over the years. Her adventures across the galaxy have spoken far louder than words ever could and as far as I’m concerned she never needed to say a thing. She is gaming proof that actions speak louder than words.

[Hero-of-Time]

With Metroid: Other M I can honestly say all of the bad press its getting in terms of the story and acting is OTT. Its no worse than the majority of games out there and it hasn't really bothered me much...well apart from the baby thing. But then I watch alot of anime so im used to wacky stories with bad VO.

 

Someone said in the Metroid topic that it's a east VS west thing. Western developers seem to get the whole voice acting/script thing more than what their Japanese counterparts do. There are a few exceptions such as Konami's Metal Gear Series. Sure the plot is wacky and the script sometimes cheesy but the voice acting is great. The same goes for Kingdom Hearts where S-E hire alot of movie stars to do some voice over work.

 

You just have to look at the Uncharted series. These games IMO set the bench mark for how VO and a script should be in a videogame. Its like Naughty Dog really cared about the games story and characters. They didn't just slap a voice on and hope for the best and you can tell by how well the characters sound in the game.

 

I think what most people have a problem with is what Zechs talked about. People grew up with the Metroid games and shared in Samus' adventures as a lonely bounty hunter. Now the times has come for her character to be fleshed out fans of the series don't know how to take it, as each of them have their own vision on what Samus should be like.

 

If Nintendo decided to do the same with Zelda I wouldn't mind one bit, just aslong as they think carefully about who they should hire for Link. If they can't decide then just do what alot of companies do and hire Nolan North.

[mcj metroid]

Well I think it was the series creator that pushed this change to be fair. If Miyamoto had control over the series this most certainly would not have happened..

 

I haven't played other m yet but every complaint i've heard of it just sounds daft when they say it... I highly doubt changing from 3rd person to first person is awkward for one.. you just er... point at the screen no?

 

But regards of the quality of the screen acting. I'm glad they tried this. It seems like one of the most fresh nintendo titles in years because of it and let's face it,

 

Sales wise I'm pretty sure this will end up being the biggest selling metroid game in a long time and the series could do with a bit of recognition.

[LostOverThere]

People grew up with the Metroid games and shared in Samus' adventures as a lonely bounty hunter. Now the times has come for her character to be fleshed out fans of the series don't know how to take it, as each of them have their own vision on what Samus should be like.

This is probably the most profound thing I've read about a video game in quite a while.

 

While I haven't played the game yet, I feel this will be a very important title for Nintendo. Honestly speaking, this is probably the first title they've really done a "next-gen" job with the story in terms of VO and CGI. I'm sure many people at Nintendo will be feeling like this was a very important learning experience - something that will benefit them when they inevitably make more story-rich games in the future.