Metroid: Other M attempts to inject more narrative than we have ever seen before in a Metroid game. Through the use of beautifully made CGI cut-scenes, in-game scripted moments, and a lot of Samus’ narration, we get a real sense that the Metroid universe is a living breathing thing. The story in this game is a tricky thing, however, it takes place IMMEDIATELY after the events of, the now 16-year old, Super Metroid. We find Samus flying towards a distress beacon and reliving the end of Super Metroid. She believes she’s still connected to the consciousness of the baby metroid that saved her life. When she gets there, she is met by a squad of Galactic Federation soldiers. You then work with and without the soldiers, to complete missions. Unfortunately, the narrative is the weakest part of the game, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s just that you won’t care about it until the end when “all is revealed,” and when that happens, there is a good emotional punch to the story. You’ll feel satisfied when it’s all over, but until it gets to that point, you wont care because you’ve seen this generic space marines vs. aliens story 1,000 times before.

I have a confession to make. The reason I’m so bad at third-person action games is because I’m terrible with blocking and combo systems. Maybe I’m mildly dyslexic or something, but I have a really hard time learning the block, combo, block, combo systems of most games of this style. So, how did I get through Metroid: Other M, which offers no difficultly level select and can, at times, be very challenging? SenseMove. SenseMove is one of the great innovations in Other M’s control scheme. When an enemy fires at you or lunges at you, you just tap the D-pad in the direction you want to get out of the way, and Samus effortlessly jumps out of the way. If you do it while holding down the attack button, she will emerge from the jump with a fully charged blaster, allowing you to effortlessly avoid taking damage and take out the enemy.

By now, you have heard that for the majority of the game you hold the Wiimote in the classic controller style, and you can point the Wiimote at the screen to do things in first person ala the Metroid Prime series. At first, this seems like it will be daunting, but it works so smoothly that it just becomes natural. I detected hardly any lag between pointing and holding, and the game seems to account for the small amount of time that the change takes. While it does add some tension to the more difficult moments, I never died because I was switching in between the third-person and the first-person views. It being four years into the life of the Wii, I thought we had waggled all we can waggle. I never thought anyone would be able to come up with another outstanding use of the Wii’s motion control, but Metroid: Other M proved me wrong.

If diehard Metroid fans are going to have any problem with the game, it’s the lack of exploration. There are some forced perspective first-person portions where you play a “Where’s Waldo-esque find the thing that’s out of place” mini-game to progress the story. What you won’t find are lots of hidden doors to explode or walls that you can super-missile to find hidden items. All the hidden power-ups in this game are pretty obvious, and you either have the right weapon, or you don’t. You do get the opportunity to go back through the game at the end and try to find everything, but by then, what’s the point? If you’re doing that, you’re just doing it because that’s what the other Metroid games let you do. Personally, I enjoyed the ease of finding power-ups. In any other Metroid game, I hardly find any.

Graphically, Other M does a great job of taking the Metroid Prime aesthetic and translating it to 2D. The side scrolling portions of the game play like classic Metroid, but have a grittier feel. A sort of combination of Retro Studios’ and Team Ninja’s sensibilities. It feels fresh and comforting all at once. While the game looks good overall, the game suffers when the camera pulls way back so you can do complex 2D jumping. Samus looks grainy, and the backgrounds lose most of their texture and definition. Bosses are the most impressive looking things in the game. They are all cleverly designed and can be very imposing. They are the very definition of what a classic video game boss should be. Nintendo spared no expense when it came to the CGI cut scenes either. They are on par with SquareEnix’s cut scenes. They could be released separately on DVD as a movie, if there wasn’t already a mode you unlock after you beat the game that lets you watch them cut together as a movie.

Metroid: Other M is what happens when video game companies think outside the box and put together elements that don’t make sense on the surface and turn it into something wonderful. The 2D side scrolling portions are fantastic, the third-person fighting is just as satisfying as what you find in Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden games, and the first-person segments are an excellent nod to the stellar Metroid Prime series. The addition of an emotional narrative that pays off excellently by the end and a brilliant use of the Wii’s controls make this a game that, when the Wii has finally run it’s course, will be looked upon as one of the greatest games for the console.

PROS:

Innovative use of the Wii’s controls

Satisfying combat and puzzle solving

Another new take on the Metroid franchise that feels fresh and exciting

CONS:

Story while good, can be told in hokey ways

Fans of older Metroid games may find this game too linear

FINAL VERDICT:

Classic

Yoshio Sakamoto explained to 1UP that Metroid: Other M will feature a theater mode that will allow you to watch all of the cutscenes in the game at once. This will equate to about 2 hours of uninterrupted, passive entertainment. Theater mode will only be available once the game has been completed. The cutscenes will be interspersed with actual gameplay, but not from you. Sample gameplay clips from testers will be used to show you how they played, giving you ideas for different strategies should the desire for a second play-through come over you.

via 1UP

video via Joystiq

Bad news Metroid fans, the Team Ninja/Nintendo collaboration Other M has been pushed back from June to August. August 31st to be specific. I guess that gives me more time to play through Metroid Prime Trilogy, but also more time to longingly stare at Other M from afar. It’s going to be a rough Summer knowing I could have been playing Other M, but instead will have to play something else. Or dump 100s of hours into Monster Hunter Tri. You might also want to know that the Sin and Punishment sequel has also been pushed back to June 27th from a May release if that’s your thing.

Nintendo has released this gameplay footage trailer of Metroid: Other M Nintendo’s collaboration with Team Ninja. The trailer shows off the 2D “classic” Metroid portions while a hand holds the controller sideways. It also shows off some of the first person stuff that is done when the controller is pointed at the screen. The effect is pretty impressive, and the game looks like a great mix of the Prime series and the 2D games of yesteryear. Metroid: Other M is in stores June 27th.

I have to admit, Metroid: Other M is pretty high on my list of most anticipated games this year. Everything I’ve heard about it since it was formally dated last week has made me even more excited. Well now I’m on excitement overload, because we finally have this trailer to share with you. Don’t worry, I watched it too, it’s really good. I hope Team Ninja can pull this off, otherwise I’m going to be totally bummed.

Metroid: Other M is also coming this Summer with a just announced June 27th release date. The game can be played in 2D like those old Metroid games or can be played in 3D like those newer Metroid games. The perspective can be changed at any time. The most intriguing thing about the game might be that you hold the controller sideways when playing in 2D, but when switching to 3D you point the Wii Remote at the screen like Metroid Prime 3(or Trilogy for that matter). Either way what looks to be the most promising Metroid game since Metroid Prime on the Gamecube is due sooner than we imagined.

Released this past August, the “Citizen Kane of video games” Metroid Prime Trilogy is no longer being produced by Nintendo. I have one, and it’s a slick little package. It comes in a steelbook case, with a nice poster and instruction manual. All wrapped up in one of the rare slipcovers so nice I didn’t throw away as soon as I got in the house. I remarked when it came out that it was pretty incredible they could do all this for $50. Well it turns out that “Trilogy” was a limited time offer, and that if you want one, you should go hunt one down now. I know the Target by me has a few copies. Metroid Prime Trilogy “Collector’s Edition” really could turn out to be an actual collectors item. Now, who wants to buy mine for 500 bucks?

Via Coffee With Games