Metroid Other M Review

Game: Metroid Other M

Developer: Nintendo/Team Ninja

Publisher: Nintendo

Available on: Nintendo Wii

Think of some strange combinations. For example, Heston Blumenthal’s white chocolate & caviar, jeans paired with a blazer and Anna-Nicole Smiths’ marriage to J. Howard Marshall (this is going somewhere, hold on). As strange as it was at the time when Retro Studios were handed the reins to the Metroid franchise during the Nintendo Gamecube era, no one could’ve envisaged that it would turn out so well, especially from an outfit with no real pedigree. So here we are, eight years on from what many have seen as a landmark entry in Samus Arans foray into 3D we have another re-boot in the form of an unlikely partnership with Team Ninja…minus Itagaki-San, but plus Sakamoto-San (co-creator of the Metroid series). Is it a match made in bounty hunter heaven or should it be thrown into space pirate hell? Read on for the full review.

[singlepic id=103 w=320 h=240 float=left]STORY: With this particular entry into the series, the emphasis is on what makes Samus who she is, and what kind of person lies underneath that cold exterior. This leads to some lengthy cut scenes that detail her history with the Galactic Federation, and her relationship with previous colleagues. The events of Other: M take place after the battle with Mother Brain at the climax of Super Metroid, where Samus awakens from unconsciousness (having relived the finale in the form of a dream) on the Galactic Federation med-bay. She is then swiftly taken through her paces via a battle tutorial, and afterwards we’re treated to a short exposition into her background before deciding to leave the star ship. Soon after departing, she picks up a distress signal. The ‘Baby’s Cry’ as it’s known, she then decides to investigate the source immediately on the ‘Bottle Ship’, located within a remote area of space. However, Samus is unaware that her previous unit is also investigating this anomaly.

While Retro Studios decided that delivering the story via scanning Chozo lore, Space Pirate logbooks to give you a bearing on what you’re up against, this feature is all but diminished now with scanning being relegated to just brief item descriptions. With no extra information gleaned, you can’t help but think that some of the character and charm that was formed in this type of information has been lost. That’s not to say scanning doesn’t exist in Other M, it’s just taken a huge backseat in this rendition. Unfortunately that’s just one of the casualties in keeping the emphasis on being very action based and cut scene driven, without being bogged down with constant scanning.

GRAPHICS: One thing that will strike you about the Other M is that it runs at a very nice frame rate. Even though it does hit some hitches on the odd occasion, it maintains that pace while there’s hectic combat going on. Aesthetically, it’s what you would expect from a derelict spaceship 101 design. Lots of greys and neon’s, and even when the locale changes it sticks to formulaic templates such as lava pools, heat hazes, stalactites and frozen wastelands with a mix of tropical shrubbery that gets thrown in the mix. Nothing that hasn’t been seen before. But it’s the main protagonist and supporting cast of friend and foe that has the most characterisations and depth to them. Samus as you would expect is the star, along with a villain list that’s in the atypical Metroid vain. Also being a first for a Metroid title, CG cut scenes make their long awaited arrival. They’re crisp with very little artifacting (considering the hardware it’s on) and even on a few occasions they seamless blend from CG to real game without much notice. Presentation wise, it certainly is no slouch.

[singlepic id=104 w=320 h=240 float=right]SOUND: Hearing long standing heroine Samus Aran talk for the first time will take you by surprise. Think of some silent protagonists that have been given a voice and worked for the better. Mario is a great example, where Mr. Charles Martinet compliments the character. Conversely, Sonic’s street-style badass attitude of a skate punk does not. And here we have Samus’s first spoken role. While some may say she very monosyllabic in delivery (hell, you would probably be if you’ve been slaughtering Space Pirates day in day out) and that it suits Samus’ cold battle-worn demeanour. Though it’s an acquired style, many will disagree with this bold move and preferred her to remain the silent protagonist.

The soundtrack is fully orchestral, though you would be forgiven if you didn’t even notice it at all. I couldn’t think of one memorable track, compared to the Super Nintendo/ Gamecube versions. The trademark ‘loading game’ and gaining new missile boosts and health tanks chimes make a lovely cameo however.

GAMEPLAY: If Metroid Prime went left-field and made a first person adventure, Nintendo & Team Ninja have brought it back to its roots, with a little help from first person aiming. And here’s where it gets interesting. On the whole Other M will be played like a typical adventure game, with the Wii remote held horizontally. However, by pointing the Wii remote at the screen you’ll enter first person perspective. From here you can aim precisely and check out the environment to get clues on where to head next or what switch needs to be hit so the next area is unlocked. However in doing so your movement is restricted, in that you can’t physically move Samus. Your only functions are shooting your charge beam (or rockets if you’ve got a lock-on) and panning that camera around. With regards to shooting in third person, you are given a hand with a generous auto aim. That’s not to say everything will be a 100% hit, as you still have to direct Samus in the general direction.

With the game harking back to its 8-bit roots, the navigation of the environment is largely left to right (vice versa), away from the screen and towards the screen. The camera angles do a good job of leading the player through the environment due to them being carefully placed, even at times shifting angles in an area you’ve already discovered to make the player focus on where to go. It’s strange in this era of gaming to be using the directional pad (as opposed to the analog stick) to control your character. Initially I thought the movement would be hugely compromised (especially moving around in 3D space) but it works better than expected.

[singlepic id=105 w=320 h=240 float=left]This incarnation of Samus is incredibly quick and nimble, as you would need to be since this time it’s heavily combat orientated with more close range abilities, such as being able to perform finishing moves for varies foes. It controls rather well being restricted to the digital pad and three face buttons. The variety of smaller enemy’s wont trouble Samus as a few shots from the charge beam will soon dispatch these types of cannon fodder. It’s the medium sized and full scale bosses that will tax your reflexes and your ability to defeat them. As mentioned a little earlier, Samus has the ability to perform finishing moves on weakened or stunned enemies. This involves charging your beam, and then it’s a simple case of running (or jumping) onto your target to witness a brief ballet of swift justice being exacted. The main bosses however, require you to incorporate frantic combat via third person, and then switching to first person to highlight the weak spots to fire your missiles for massive damage. It can be quite bewildering, and some would say frustrating to be constantly switching to and from third person to first person camera angles, especially during boss encounters. As you have to make sure you face Samus the right way, before you initiate first person mode to get a decent purchase on your locked missile.

Another welcome manoeuvre (borrowed straight from Bayonetta/ Ninja Gaiden and similar titles of its ilk) is a last gasp dodge technique called ‘SenseMove’. It works on a similar basis, in that as soon as the enemy strike is about to hit you, you tap the directional pad (in any direction) and if you time it correctly, Samus will leap to one side without taking any damage. Another bonus from performing SenseMove is that your Charge Beam will fill up to maximum straight away, so there’s another incentive to time your dodges correctly. This makes for an incredibly stylish ballet of action. It’s a great feeling when you consecutively dodge all manner of attacks and then finding a safe moment to break out a fully charged beam shot for a swift counter attack.

The main themes of Metroid games are of isolation and exploration. With Other M you get neither, or more specifically you don’t get enough of both. The Isolation is lost since you’re there with Galactic Federation troopers (albeit, they’re not always following you, as you will bump into them on regular occasions) and the exploration which is a staple of Metroid franchises is lacking. Any Metroid game worth its salt is all about exploration, and this time it’s very linear and direct. That’s not to say the path to the end is as straight as a die. There are some forks in the road, though these are just very small diversions to getting various missile and health upgrades. For completists, finding most of the ‘hidden’ energy/ missile tanks should prove no problem, as they are highlighted on your minimap. The ‘Bottle Ship’ is not as interesting to explore as say Talon IV (Metroid Prime) it retains many location clichés such as a rudimentary star ship corridors, a lava environment, a frozen tundra locale. Whilst there is a range of environments, they are also very sparse in terms of exploration.

[singlepic id=106 w=320 h=240 float=right]With Samus constantly losing her weapons and powers (again) at the beginning of every Metroid, this time though it’s a little different. While under the command of Adam Malkovich (CO of Galactic Federation Team 7) you’re not instructed to use your weapons until his say so. Yeah, yeah, you could say it’s another lousy way for Samus to attain those power ups again, but at least it doesn’t have anything to do with some stray buckshot shattering her Varia suit over the map, so you can go on a paper chase to reclaim them.

One new feature you’ll encounter is the ‘investigation’ scenes, where on certain occasions your viewpoint will be forced in first person mode, and the viewer has to basically scan one important point of focus to progress. However, some of the objects that you have to scan are not immediately obvious. So in turn you will probably spend a minute, or even a few, trying to figure out ‘what’ you’re meant to be focusing on to advance the game. The idea is fine, in terms of trying to break up the pace of nonstop action.

LONGEVITY: With the main story taking a good 9-10 hours (on first play) some will argue that it fares quite short on length compared to Metroid games of past. The pace is very direct, in that you’ll have no problem on which area you’re meant to be going next, as you’re informed by helpful markers on the map screen. There’s no doubt it lacks exploration as seen in Super Metroid and the Prime trilogy, but that’s not to say it’s a negative. Since the story is the main driving force, you feel it’s pushing you forward at a quicker rate than you want, with little down time to explore the (rather bland) Bottle Ship.

VERDICT: With new ideas in terms of using the Wii remote and the bold move to give Samus a back story with spoken dialogue, these are aspects that are surely going to divide Metroid fans. Even when Retro Studios were given the keys to Metroid there were cries of derision over the jump to a 3D adventure come shooter, but look how that turned out.

Other M has taken significant risks in trying to portray Samus in a different light, as well as going back to basics with its approach on NES style controls and feel of the first Metroid. There is much to praise in Other M in terms of production values, core gameplay mechanics and controls, even if they are a bit alien at first. The lion’s share of criticism will probably be aimed at the choice of giving our precious Samus a personal history and voice, but that’s merely a personal preference. Overall, Other M is an entertaining title which fans of the Metroid series and newcomers should enjoy.