#07 - N-Europe: Let's Talk Games (Metroid: Other M)

[Fused King]

 

It's our first Metroid Game

 

Coming off of the praise for Resident Evil 4, I thought I'd pick a controversial outing in the Metroid series instead of the all-time classic Super Metroid to counter all this positivity:laughing:.

We'll get to that one over time.

 

I liked this game, but I might be one of the few who actually understood the angle they were going for with Samus and her inner monologue and stuff.

Edited February 23, 2014 by Fused King

[Oxigen_Waste]

I loved that Nintendo had the balls to try something new with the IP, but was ultimately disappointed, especially because the gameplay is quite a letdown. Still a decent effort that gets too much shit thrown at it.

 

Probably the worst Metroid game ever, which isn't saying much, since they're all good. No, wait, Hunters was worse.

[Cube]

I like this more than any of the other games in these threads. It clearly had some problems like those "you're stuck in one place until you spot something" scenes, and a couple of story elements were bad like the varia suit "permission" and some strange stuff happening at the end.

 

But, overall, the gameplay was still a lot of fun and I mostly enjoyed the story. Unlike most people, I actually loved the Ridley scene.

[Ike]

Gameplay wise the game was good (minus the find-the-1-pixel-hotspot already mentioned).

 

Story wise it was pretty bad. At least the permissions thing was a bit different to the "You lost your abilities, get them back again", even if it didn't make sense at times.

 

It's been ages since I lasted played it so I don't have much to say.

[M_rock]

I actually quite enjoyed other m, and I get the feeling they were going for!

 

BUT I just think it doesn't feel like a metroid game at all? It misses that isolation / loneliness that all other titles captured so well.

I feel like they wanted to add some depth to Samus character, but by revealing it all, they lost alot of the mystery/ fascination with her? I mean when you look at the prime series, you can feel Samus as a character as well, but it's much more subtle and less in your face. For example in prime 3 when you see samus' face slowly getting corrupted by the phason in the reflection of her helmet, when you see her reacting each time she has to kill one of her fellow corrupted bounty hunters.... Those things are so much better than the (sometimes) bad acting in other m.

 

Gameplay wise it felt really ok. It reminded me somewhat of super metroid with the faster action and actually seeing samus move. I did have issues with the parts where you have to find something rediculously small to advance, and I also didn't like using the D-pad to move as opposed to a decent stick. But those are minor complaints. Some of the battles were jawdropping and super cool though, especially the bosses.

 

So to sum it all up, I think it's a great game with some flaws, but it certainly holds up pretty well. It's just not the timeless classic that most of the other titles in the series are.

[S.C.G]

Where to start?

 

Metroid: Other M

 

Firstly it must at least be mentioned that I did enjoy the game, quite a lot at times as it had rather a lot going for it and I can definitely appreciate the angle that Team Ninja + Nintendo were going for... it's a good game that suffers from poor execution.

 

While I completely understand only having the Wii remote as the control option it still bothers me to this day, yes it was rather clever in the way that you could change perspectives at almost any given moment depending on the orientation of the controller but this also ended up damaging the game as a whole. Having to use the d-pad for 3D exploration was awful at times yet if you wanted to experience the game in its entirety you had to just lump it or pretend to like it genuinely I feel that it would have at least been an improvement to allow an alternative control scheme incorporating the nunchuk with a button remapped which would change your perspective instead.

 

The story actually had some decent parts, for instance the whole mission briefing scenes where Samus would give a 'thumbs down' was brilliant, plus the final scene from Super Metroid being redone in a flashback was spectacular and of course who could forget 'that final boss' along with that amazing Ridley confrontation which almost made up for all of the negative points in the game, for all of its flaws lack of fan-service isn't one of them.

 

But there are a fair few flaws including the much mentioned 'search for this' sections which really dragged the game down, combat which was literally hit & miss plus some of the god awful dialogue, make Samus speak fine but don't have her needlessly repeat the word 'baby' multiple times over, I would have preferred if she'd just said 'infant Metroid' each time instead or if they'd cut out most of the redundant dialogue; yes there were a few memorable scenes but I feel like they get lost quite easily in the chaos.

 

Oh and Samus asking for 'permission' to use her Varia suit?

 

I did still genuinely enjoy it though despite what might seem like a rather long list of complaints, the setting was brilliant with the whole 'Bottle Ship' making it possible to have many varied locations, the back-story at least added as much as it detracted so overall everything balances out and the series is not really that worse or better off for having attempted to take the series in a new direction. Ultimately in a lot of ways with this game there were many elements which made this feel like a more 'traditional' Metroid at times even if those moments are fleeting, scattered somewhat sporadically throughout the experience. : peace:

 

Verdict: Metroid: Other M is certainly worth playing, if only to satisfy your curiosity.

 

8/10

[nekunando]

..who could forget 'that final boss' along with that amazing Ridley confrontation..

 

I genuinely don't remember..

 

I definitely enjoyed Metroid: Other M and having forgotten most of it I'm pretty interested in playing it again soon

[Ealdst]

I only played this one last year, so I had heard more bad things about it than good so was actually pleasantly surprised by the amount I enjoyed the game. I think everything I found an issue with has already been mentioned (stand here til you find pixel x, 3d movement controlled with the d-pad), but the one thing that is always mentioned in a bad light that didn't bother me is the story element - although I'm the kind of gamer that apart from a few exceptions only see's story as an excuse to link gameplay segments together and really do not care much beyond that how generic/terrible it may be!

 

I'd sum this up by saying it's a lot of fun even if nowhere near as good as Super Metroid or Metroid Prime, and as it only cost me £8 brand new and can be found this cheap pretty much everywhere it's one of the best gaming bargains out there at the moment for anyone who hasn't yet played it.

[LostOverThere]

I'm finding myself disagreeing with a lot of the comments above so I figure I'd throw in my 2 cents.

 

Where do I begin. Other M gave me 9/11. It is without question the worst game in its series and perhaps even the worst Nintendo game of the last decade, if only because of how it managed to destroy the "holy aura" that Metroid seems to hold in the eyes of gamers.

 

I've spent the past few years trying to block the game out of memory to the best of my ability so forgive me if I can't remember all the intricate details, of which I've been trying to forget.

 

Without a doubt the biggest problem of the game is its story. It's beyond horrible for so many reasons and barely classifies as bad fan fiction. On the most bare bones scriptwriting level, the script is just awful. If you don't remember, almost every line in the script is pointless exposition. We're constantly told exactly what we're seeing on screen (or are about to see). Let's take a look at the opening cutscene, which disturbingly is perhaps the best scene in the entire game.

 

"Why am I still alive?"

Good question, Samus! It's a good thing you said that otherwise we wouldn't be able to see how hurt you are, what with your crashing vitals and that giant monster there.

 

"The baby..."

You mean that thing on your head? Thanks for telling us, or else we wouldn't be able to understand why it saves you in a few short seconds time.

 

"Mother!"

Oh, here we go. Samus is going to say something badass before she obliterates this one-eyed mother-fucker.

 

"Time to go!"

...or not.

 

 

And thus begins one of the most poorly written games in recent memory. In the Silent film era, filmmakers learned that exposition (on title cards) was dangerous for two reasons. 1) It was unnecessary. As humans we're constantly trying to put meaning into what we're being shown. and 2) Signaling things before they happen (ie: "The Baby!"), significantly undermines any intrigue or suspense the film/game/story may possess.

 

This is just one example of the lackluster story in the game. The others are obvious. The voice acting is cringe worthy, the writing is bizarre and there's a disturbing amount of misogyny lurking underneath ("you mean I'm getting burnt alive? Too bad I can't use my suit without express permission from my man!" -- creepy).

 

Which brings us to the next point which is: how does the story affect the atmosphere of the game?

 

Metroid is all about isolation. The first two Prime games encapsulates this perfectly. You're alone on a planet. It's lonely, and the only human contact we have is through scanning things or watching archival videos of humans past. Even if we can see people, we can't touch them, and we certainly can't interact with them. It's a lonely world out there.

 

The second point is fear of the unknown. We're scared, but not because of knowledge that there's a big scary monster out there, but fear that there could be a big scary monster. We simply don't know and this terrifies us.

 

Minimalism goes a long way in Metroid stories. It's not easy to do well, but with a little common sense, it's easy to understand what not to do. Despite best intentions, Other M ignores this. You're surrounded by others, you take orders and as a result that isolation, that fear of the unknown, evaporates like the Metroid in the opening scene.

 

I don't know what happened during the development of Other M, but I'm willing to bet Sakamoto suffered the Lucas syndrome. Thanks to his brilliant past glories, no-one was willing to question his decisions during the game's development.

[EEVILMURRAY]

^ Says pretty much everything I feel.

 

Have a sealed copy for sale if anyone wants to relive it.

[Hero-of-Time]

This is quite possibly my favourite Metroid game.

 

I never really got on with the Prime series. I thought the first one was pretty and alright, the second very average and the 3rd I never even finished. I'm not really a fan of backtracking in a huge world. It works well in Resident Evil because it's very contained but with Metroid I always think the worlds are too big.

 

This being the case Other: M was right up my alley due to how linear it was. I didn't get lost and everything was marked on the map for me. It made the game much more fun and streamlined and I enjoyed it more than I have any other Metroid game.

 

I wouldn't mind another play through of this. It's only around 8-10 hours long and could be done over a weekend.

[Dcubed]

It's really telling that almost all of the complaints about the game are about the story rather than the gameplay... It's so bad that it blinds people to the good qualities of this game.

 

And for those who do take issue with the gameplay, the majority of gameplay complaints always come down to one of three things; the linearity, the controls and the pixel hunt sections (as well as that second last boss battle... You know the one...)

 

For the former I put the blame squarely on Nintendo for marketing it as a Super Metroid sequel when in reality it's actually a Metroid Fusion prequel (along with everything that entails...). The game isn't really any more linear than Metroid Fusion really and like that game, there are plenty of secrets and shortcuts to find for those who enjoy seeking that elusive 100% rating.

 

For the second point, that is the player's fault. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the controls if you know what you're doing. The game is designed around the intentional limitations of the control setup; the 1st person missiles (where you have to stand still to use them) is a particular point that trips up a lot of players as you are supposed to focus on creating space between you and your foes before switching to 1st person. But so many players don't understand this and just try to pump them full of missiles as if they were playing Meteoid Prime; they seem hellbent on fighting the controls instead of actually learning how to play the game properly... There's lots of moments like this throughout the game that many people just don't get (the bee hive is another good example as what you're supposed to do is kill the bees with your normal beam before using your missiles on the hive, as the bees get in the way and intentionally trigger the lock-on function - preventing you from hitting the hive with the missiles - but many people don't seem to understand this and just end up getting frustrated when they can't figure out how to beat it properly)...

 

... which brings me to the 3rd complaint and is one I actually do agree with. The pixel hunt sections are not fun and are total BS (the same goes for the boss fight when you need to use the power bombs - there is NO indication of this being possible whatsoever and is easily the worst designed part of the game!)

 

I loved how the game brought back the acrobatic movement of the 2D games, I loved how it dared to explore an entirely new form of gameplay, I loved the focus on speed running, I loved the clever way it designed around the limitations of the controls and I loved the various clever moments throughout the game (the elevator shaft and the four different ways you can beat it was a particular highlight for me! )

 

But I said enough about the game in my top 10 Wii games list a few years back so I'll end my piece here. It's an underrated gem that doesn't get credit for the things it does right simply because people care too much about the story over the gameplay to see past its reletively minor (but plentiful) flaws.

Edited February 25, 2014 by Dcubed

[EEVILMURRAY]

It's really telling that almost all of the complaints about the game are about the story rather than the gameplay... It's so bad that it blinds people to the good qualities of this game.

They're both as shitty as each other really.

[Grazza]

First of all, I should say that I've enjoyed every Metroid game to some extent - in my opinion, there's not a bad one. I don't think, however, it's always acknowledged how much like an FPS Metroid Prime really is. Many fans prefer the term "FPA", which I can understand, but look at it this way - the maps are very like an FPS (albeit a thoughtful one) and Samus moves slowly. By the time of Metroid Prime 3, there is even aiming.

 

I mention this because I don't think Metroid: Other M was an attempt to make a 2D Metroid in 3D, as such. It was actually an attempt to put Metroid in general into 3D, as though it hadn't been done before. And this is what Other M doesn't get enough credit for - including the whole Metroid experience, not just some of it. Samus is fast and agile. By the end of the game, she is Speed Boosting and Shine Sparking around the environments like a leopard. That's what end-game Samus is supposed be like, but you wouldn't know it just from the Metroid Prime games.

 

It's not that I necessarily disagree with others' assessment of the game's flaws, it's just that they are so minor (and the game so good-natured) that it's hard for me to see how they would ruin it. Are the hunt-the-pixel sections bizarre? Of course. I also wasn't keen on scripted moments where it suddenly turns to 1st-person and you have to quickly work out the correct action. However, at least none of the bosses gave me any grey hairs. Whereas it sometimes felt like Retro Studios wanted to frustrate the player in their games, it at least feels like Team Ninja wants to entertain us in theirs.

 

Metroid: Other M might not be as slick as Fusion or Zero Mission, but I enjoyed it more than the other 3D entries (and, personally, more than any other Wii game). It's a shame that the game is considered a failure by so many, rather than simply in need of tweaking here and there, because to me it should be the blueprint for future entries in the series. Sure, switch to analogue control (if moves like Shine Spark would work as well, that is...) Yes, make the next one lonely and spooky. And of course, don't have any hunt-the-pixel moments. It's just that the game gets so much right on a fundamental level, why throw it all away?

[Ealdst]

This is just one example of the lackluster story in the game. The others are obvious. The voice acting is cringe worthy, the writing is bizarre and there's a disturbing amount of misogyny lurking underneath ("you mean I'm getting burnt alive? Too bad I can't use my suit without express permission from my man!" -- creepy).

 

This is one of the first things I always see people mention when discussing the story of this game, but also illustrates the point I made in my post that I personally only really look at story as a means to link sections of a game together. From a purely story point of view I will agree the section does not sit well, however I didn't even consider this until after reading people's opinions having already played it. My personal experience of this section was from a purely gameplay point of view where it was just a tense dash to make it out of the area alive, with only a few mistakes being the difference between success and game over. I genuinely think this was the intention behind the particular sequence of the game, and the permission thing was probably just because they wanted to do something a little different to the standard 'Samus starts the game then something happens that causes her to lose her abilities' setup.

[Zell]

My opinion of this game is that it sucked on all fronts: awful graphics, awful gameplay, awful controls, awful story.

 

I applaud Nintendo (or Team Ninja) for trying something different, but ultimately it was a failed experiment. And really it should never have had the Metroid name attached to it because it discarded so many elements of the franchise that make Metroid games unique and special.

 

I honestly can't fathom how people can think this is better than Prime.

[LostOverThere]

I genuinely think this was the intention behind the particular sequence of the game, and the permission thing was probably just because they wanted to do something a little different to the standard 'Samus starts the game then something happens that causes her to lose her abilities' setup.

 

Probably, but that's sort of the point I'm trying to make. No-one considered the consequences of anything in the game's story. The developers viewed it on such a base level that no-one thought to ask themselves how it could negatively affect the story, the protagonist or the game itself.

[Wii]

My opinion of this game is that it sucked on all fronts: awful graphics, awful gameplay, awful controls, awful story.

 

I applaud Nintendo (or Team Ninja) for trying something different, but ultimately it was a failed experiment. And really it should never have had the Metroid name attached to it because it discarded so many elements of the franchise that make Metroid games unique and special.

 

I honestly can't fathom how people can think this is better than Prime.

 

It may not be better than Prime but it is a truer Metroid title in terms of gameplay. It is not a failed experiment. It got a lot right, some parts were wrong, yes but it's on the right path. Even Retro when they first started working on Metroid experimented with 3rd person but couldn't handle it and it was decided to go with 1st person perspective. That game went through hell before Prime evolved.

 

It's no less than an 8 in my estimation. Metroid has to be 2D or 3rd person to fully realise it's potential, otherwise gameplay has to be sacrificed. Add in 1st person elements, I've no problem with that.

[Oxigen_Waste]

Metroid has to be 2D or 3rd person to fully realise it's potential, otherwise gameplay has to be sacrificed.

 

Completely disagree. Prime has the best gameplay in the entire Metroid canon and had to sacrifice absolutely nothing for it. I'm starting to think you just don't like 1st person games...

 

Super Metroid will always be THE de facto Metroid, but Prime is about as fully realized as Metroid has ever or will ever be.

[Wii]

Completely disagree. Prime has the best gameplay in the entire Metroid canon and had to sacrifice absolutely nothing for it. I'm starting to think you just don't like 1st person games...

 

Super Metroid will always be THE de facto Metroid, but Prime is about as fully realized as Metroid has ever or will ever be.

 

I do like 1st person games, shooters.

 

So Prime sacrificed nothing? Screw attack, shine spark, wall jumps, speed boost. Even the grapple beam is tame because of 1st person view, same goes for platforming. She's not as agile, she's meant to be like a cat, not a turtle.

 

You are right in one regard, Super Metroid is the Bible and while not perfect, that's why Metroid: Other M is more legitimate in terms of gameplay than the Prime series. There's a reason Retro tried 3rd person first. 1st person view has it's advantages but far more disadvantages. Metroid: Other M tried to meld the two perspectives. It can be improved upon, if they'll try again.

 

Ways to improve for a sequel: more isolation, better story, no pixel hunting, nunchuk support, button press to change between perspectives as opposed to constantly turning the remote, free movement in 1st person view. Some new abilities would be nice. Also consider what I've said elsewhere about 3rd person view on TV and 1st person on the gamepad.

[Dcubed]

Completely disagree. Prime has the best gameplay in the entire Metroid canon and had to sacrifice absolutely nothing for it. I'm starting to think you just don't like 1st person games...

 

Super Metroid will always be THE de facto Metroid, but Prime is about as fully realized as Metroid has ever or will ever be.

 

While I love the Prime series, it's not really right to say that it preserved everything. Retro did have to sacrifice the agility and fast paced platforming that defined the 2D games in order for the game to work in 1st person (of course it gained a lot for doing so, but it was still a necessary sacrifice).

 

That's something that wasn't really brought into 3D at all until Metroid Other M. The gameplay format is much closer to the 2D games than Prime was and indeed that was absolutely Sakamoto's intention. It was meant to be like "An NES Game with the Latest Technology" after all!

Edited February 26, 2014 by Dcubed

[EEVILMURRAY]

My personal experience of this section was from a purely gameplay point of view where it was just a tense dash to make it out of the area alive, with only a few mistakes being the difference between success and game over. I genuinely think this was the intention behind the particular sequence of the game, and the permission thing was probably just because they wanted to do something a little different to the standard 'Samus starts the game then something happens that causes her to lose her abilities' setup.

There were several things wrong with this I thought:

1] In fairness knowing Samus was about to go into a hot area/just entered one, it would seem that to be the logical point to give Samus "permission" to use her Varia Suit. Not only realising much later with a boss arrival. Some may consider that tension, I say infuriating.

2] I only found all this out on a whim since I'd explored everywhere else and it seemed stupid to have the only way forward was through a heated environment before getting said suit.

3] She's a Bounty Hunter, a rebel, she can tell the rules to go fuck themselves and activate whatever she wants whenever she wants. Yes, it's a different twist on the losing all powers and having to regain them concept. It was just handled piss poorly.

[Ealdst]

There were several things wrong with this I thought:

1] In fairness knowing Samus was about to go into a hot area/just entered one, it would seem that to be the logical point to give Samus "permission" to use her Varia Suit. Not only realising much later with a boss arrival. Some may consider that tension, I say infuriating.

2] I only found all this out on a whim since I'd explored everywhere else and it seemed stupid to have the only way forward was through a heated environment before getting said suit.

3] She's a Bounty Hunter, a rebel, she can tell the rules to go fuck themselves and activate whatever she wants whenever she wants. Yes, it's a different twist on the losing all powers and having to regain them concept. It was just handled piss poorly.

 

Retrospectively if I actually think about the story I would 100% agree with the criticism levelled at it, it's just not something I paid much attention to while I was playing the game so it didn't detract from my enjoyment of it. I do realise I'm very much in the minority as generally I do not care about storyline in most games, so just wanted to offer a different perspective on things.

[The Peeps]

The gameplay was average but did reach 'good' in some places... the story really let it down though. The story was so bad you couldn't get past it and enjoy the game. It was stupid.

[Sheikah]

I had never heard of this game until this topic.