Nintendo fans have been frothing at the mouth ever since Nintendo announced at this year’s E3 that a new Metroid would hit store shelves in the fall. Well fanboys and fangirls, the time has come. After months of anticipation, Samus Aron has returned to the console–this time bringing with her a very different game. Yes it’s Metroid; yes it has many familiar characters; and yes it features our favourite heroine. But, mark my words, this is not the Metroid of yesteryear.
The Story
Metroid Other M is actually a sequel to Super Metroid of the SNES era. You have just killed Mother Brain and escaped the Space Pirates and Planet Zebes. After awakening on a Galactic Federation vessel, you set off into space once again. That’s when you hear it: a distress call coming from somewhere deep in space. Following the call brings you to what appears to be a deserted spaceship. It’s not until you board that you realize you’re not alone. Members of the Galactic Federation are already on board, some of whom are very familiar to Samus. In fact, one of them was her Commanding officer when she was in the Federation Army. Samus is asked to help search the vessel for survivors and the cause of the distress signal. Not only does this scenario set the table for another adventure, but, for the first time, Nintendo reveals the origins and back story of our favourite Metroid hunting heroine Samus Aron.
The story of Metroid Other M is much more mature than previous Metroid titles. The plot really centers around Samus and her past relationships and involvement in the Federation Army. It’s clear Nintendo has realized many fans of the series have grown up since they first played the NES classic, and, just like the fans, the story has matured as well. In fact, the game does little to continue the Metroid storyline. Rather, it acts as a way to flesh out the character of Samus Aron.
The Gameplay
While Metroid started out in the early days as a side-scrolling adventure game, it quickly transformed into something else. As consoles became more powerful, Nintendo eventually brought Samus into the world of 3D and gave us a first person shooter. While the transition into 3D worked, some people complained the series lost the feeling of the original title which made the franchise so popular. Now Nintendo brings the two worlds together, sidescrolling action with first person perspective.
Most of the game is played as a sidescroller on a 3D plane, with the player holding the Wiimote horizontal. This gives players a classic side-scroller view, with some depth. Most of the fighting and exploring is done in this mode. Enemies are gunned down through the use of an auto-aim feature–a Godsend when so many are coming at you at once. You can also dodge enemy attacks with a quick last-second flick of the D pad.
Everything changes when you point the Wiimote towards the screen. Now, the game enters a first person perspective allowing you to fire missiles, shoot grappling hooks, and scan the environment for clues. You can toggle back and forth between the two modes on the fly by simply adjusting how you hold the Wiimote.
I will admit the controls feel awkward at first, especially when trying to maneuver on a 3D plane with a D pad. It took about an hour to get used to the new look and feel, but once you play for an extended period of time, it becomes second nature.
Traditionally, Samus gets all her weapons by finding upgrades hidden throughout levels. Not this time around. Samus has all her weapons right at the start, the problem is she isn’t authorized to use them. You can only use them after her Commanding Officer gives the orders can Samus fire her ice beam, grappling hook, or wave beam. That’s annoying when you’ll see places you can’t access early on in the game, knowing full well you’ll have to come back because some clown hasn’t told you it’s alright to use a key tool in your arsenal. It’s not very believable, but a different twist on earning upgraded weapons.
The Graphics
As far as Wii titles go, Metroid Other M looks pretty good. The cutscenes are nicely detailed and some of the best graphics we’ve seen to date on the system. However, the actual gameplay doesn’t look quite as nice. Low resolution textures are evident throughout much of the game–a sign the Wii just doesn’t have the horsepower of its console rivals.
The musical score does get high marks creating an eerie, yet familiar, atmosphere. Tones and samples from previous Metroid titles are present and die-hard fans of the series will take pride in picking out the familiar tracks.
The Down Sides
My biggest issue with Metroid Other M has to be a new feature included by developer Team Ninja. Every once in a while you have to scan areas for clues using Samus’ visor. In theory, it’s kind of neat. You have to find a clue to figure out where the story is going. The problem is the clues can be next to impossible to find. I found myself scanning areas over and over again unable to find the item I was supposed to scan. On more than one occasion it turned out the item was a very obscure area of the screen which doesn’t get picked up by the Wiimote unless you move the cursor across it at a snail’s pace. Pass over it at any higher speed and it won’t register, preventing you from progressing in the game.
First person perspective also makes combat tricky. There are certain enemies you must weaken with your plasma beam in side-scroller, then switch to first person to finish them off with a missile. The problem is that when you go into first person, you never have the enemy in your sight. You are often turned around and have to find the enemy. Once you track it down, aim and prepare to fire a missile, the enemy has already recovered forcing you to start all over again. The transition in battle isn’t as seamless as it should be.
The Bottom Line
I played through the first few hours of Metroid Other M seriously questioning the direction of Nintendo’s latest title. The game felt quite different from previous Metroid titles with somewhat awkward controls. Yet, as I continued to play I realized it actually did feel quite familiar. With huge levels to explore and some nice character development (heck, we even get to hear Samus talk for the first time ever) the game is yet another solid Nintendo title. The game does have design flaws which are quite noticeable and even frustrating at times, but, if you can bare with it, there is an enjoyable game to be had here. There’s a reason why Metroid has such a loyal fan base. Although not perfect, Nintendo has yet another winner on its hands.
The Good
Unique Gameplay
Easy Controls
Plenty of hidden items
Finally! Voice Acting!
The Bad
Unskippable cutscenes
Flawed scanning mode
8/10