I’m a huge fan of Super Metroid. Released in 1994, Super Metroid fixed everything that didn’t work well in the original Metroid, but still allowed for some pretty cool tricks for those who took the time to learn all of the possibilities. Even today, I’m learning new ways of completing the game, finding all the items, and pulling off crazy cool moves. No sequel, including the Metroid Prime trilogy, could capture the same magic that Super Metroid brought.
After playing Metroid: Other M, I can see that they are drawing on that same inspiration, but so far doesn’t seem to match the title from 1994. Granted, I only played one level and one boss. I was also rushed through the demo a bit, but I wasn’t immediately hooked. It was still kind of cool, though.
Other M was introduced at last year’s E3, and it was a complete shock to everyone because it was also announced that it was being co-developed by Team Ninja. Team Ninja is a game studio headed by Yoshio Sakamoto, famous for his work on the Ninja Gaiden series.
Other M really delves into the back story of Samus Aran, the enigmatic main character of the franchise. In the very first game, released by Nintendo in 1986, kept the main character in a suit of full-body armor, complete with a helmet that concealed the main characters identity. Most gamers didn’t even give it a second thought until the end of the game revealed that the character you had been kicking but for hours on end was a woman! Awesome! There was no other back-story or history, however she has developed as the silent hunter in a large galaxy. Now we are finally going to learn what made Samus what she is.
For fans of the series, I’m sure this will be met with mixed feelings. One of the things that made Samus so great was how quiet she was. Up until the latest Wii installment, Metroid Prime: Corruption, no one in her world spoke a word. All of the story unfolded through tapping into computer data banks and reading about the world.
Another thing the Other M does is take the game back into 2D…sort of. The side scrolling portions are still in a 3D setting. The camera is off to the side of the action, but you can still move in all directions. You shoot enemies all around you by aiming up, down or at at angle, just like in Super Metroid. As I played the demo, there seemed to be some sort of auto lock in place, but it was hard to tell if that was the case, or if my gaming prowess was that good. I honestly think it was the former.
In an odd choice, you can switch over to a first-person perspective by pointing the controller at the screen. You can’t move around while in this mode, but you can look around. While this will be useful when looking around environments, it leaves you completely vulnerable during combat. The boss I played required you to use this mode to blast your missiles at the enemy. It took a moment to adjust each time, but the game was forgiving enough at this stage to make it possible to do without getting hit.
In previous games, you had to hunt around an open environment to find upgrades to your equipment. The upgrades would allow you access to other areas, where new upgrades could be found, and so on. It was hard to tell if that formula will be in place for this game because the demo didn’t really leave room for exploration. Maybe it was just the area I was in, but the game seemed to be more focused on combat and a more linear experience. At one point in the game, the Commanding Officer you are with states that you are now authorized to use missiles. This leads me to believe that the days of hunting down the ability to use missiles is gone, however missiles could be the only item in which that mechanic is used. I will hold my judgment on this until I get my hands on the full game.
Getting back energy seems to be a little strange too. Before, enemies would drop energy units that would fill the energy tanks you found in the environment. In this game, there were energy tanks to find, but it looked like you recharged them by point the controller up. It was kind of strange and couldn’t quite get used to it in my limited demo.
Overall, I enjoyed the demo and am excited to see more. I think I would have gone easier on the game if I wasn’t such a fan of Super Metroid. I’m secretly hoping that this game will give me that same feeling of mystery and exploration. Okay, not so secretly hoping, but you get my point. Please stay tuned as we get you more coverage on this exciting new release by Nintendo.
Recent Comments