Metroid: Other M - Worst Metroid Ever?

[irixith]

I still don't get all the hate over this game. It plays really well, gfx & sfx are great, and the story is no better nor worse than any other Japanese-made game with theatrics.

Are you familiar with the Metroid series?

The games have always been about exploration, finding every last corner and possible power-up. Exploring every nook and cranny for that one item you need to open up a whole new part of the world. A feeling of seclusion, a true 'you against the world for the better good' motif. Super Metroid pulled this off brilliantly, as did Prime (1). As the series has progressed, it has unfortunately tried to add story and backstory elements that never really fit. Fusion marked the real beginning of it, portraying Samus as this weak femme who was pining away for her old commander Adam. Thankfully those portions of that game are few and far between, and the game itself manages to rise above the poor attempt at storytelling.

Other M takes those story elements, adds CG movies, and really goes to town expanding on a story that a) no-one really cares about, b) is excruciatingly boring, and c) actually halts otherwise interesting gameplay sequences to shove more inane bullshit down your throat. The game itself is OK, even though it throws away much of the real exploration for heavier action and a ridiculous upgrade path. That's not so bad. The movies really go a long way towards ruining the experience. There's a patch out there that rips all the movies out in the interests of making it a DVD-5 game instead of a DVD-9, and it's remarkable what an overall improvement to the game it makes.

This is one of those games in a series that really shouldn't have the name attached to it. Like those PS2 Castlevania games -- nothing really wrong with the games, but a terrible entry when considered as part of an established series.

I would say that Other M is an OK game based on its own merit, but a terrible Metroid.

[Opa Opa]

So is it safe to say that Other M is the least enjoyable Metroid of all time?

I wouldn't say this if I haven't played it yet.

[ShadicChao]

I think hunters and pinball are worse than other m

I like i but way too easy

[vash23n]

I still don't get all the hate over this game. It plays really well, gfx & sfx are great, and the story is no better nor worse than any other Japanese-made game with theatrics.

Are you familiar with the Metroid series?

The games have always been about exploration, finding every last corner and possible power-up. Exploring every nook and cranny for that one item you need to open up a whole new part of the world. A feeling of seclusion, a true 'you against the world for the better good' motif. Super Metroid pulled this off brilliantly, as did Prime (1). As the series has progressed, it has unfortunately tried to add story and backstory elements that never really fit. Fusion marked the real beginning of it, portraying Samus as this weak femme who was pining away for her old commander Adam. Thankfully those portions of that game are few and far between, and the game itself manages to rise above the poor attempt at storytelling./quote]

I wonder if this is a similar debate to the one of the old Zelda games vs. the New. I love them all, the new ones just as much as the old, but there are those who refuse to like the new ones because they veer away from the gameplay made famous by the old ones. Yet there seems to be even more people out there who hate Zelda, Metroid, and even the Super Mario games because they still reuse too many of the same elements as the originals. I imagine there would be even more haters if these games never changed. Seems like the wise thing to do is to do the best you can at appealing to all parties. Not perfect for each individual perfect, but still pretty good all around. For instance, I miss the old Space Jump ability - it is by far my favorite ability in Metroid and I get more excited when I gain the Space Jump than when I gain the Varia Suit. I also love the awesome detail in the new Metroid games and, even though I agree about the FPS thing, I love the view from inside the helmet.

Staying the same would appeal to a handful of retro gamers, like myself, but I can't see a franchise surviving that way. I may be in the minority, but I would rather have new Zelda, Metroid, and Mario games that are still great games despite being different from the originals than no more Zelda, Metroid, and Mario games.

[irixith]

It isn't so much that I want to keep playing the same games over and over again -- far from it. However when I pick up a Metroid title, I'm expecting a deep level of exploration regardless of the outer coat of paint. There are plenty of ways to bring in new gameplay ideas to keep things fresh while retaining the spirit of the series -- and Other M basically does away with all that. (In addition to superimposing an awful CG story on it all.)

Maybe that explains it a little better. :p

Edit: Zelda, for all the iterations and love/hate for particular games, has always kept the same adventuring/puzzle solving spirit that makes it Zelda. It's explored in different ways, but it's that core that makes it a "Zelda" game.

[Kemiroch]

I can't really say whether or not is the least enjoyable Metroid, and I've played all of them in the last two months.

I'll say right off the bat that it was certainly the most frustrating Metroid (whoever said it was too easy, you must be some kind of alien). The boss fights in particular were tough for me, until I learned to abuse the sense-move thing. In the other Other M thread, someone mentioned that it was the difference between being able to take hits while figuring out the boss patterns in previous Metroids, and being expected to dodge every possible attack in this one, that ups the curve a bit.

On the other hand, when I finished Other M, I had a strong desire to play through it again. That says something, I think.

As for the story, I was disappointed here. I was hoping for more information about Samus' upbringing in particular, which (beyond the Nintendo Power comic) hasn't been explored to my satisfaction. The story we got was kind of standard anime sci-fi stuff, although it picked up a bit for me right near the end. All in all, it was enjoyable for what it was, but does not come close to Super. I actually think it was a mistake for me to play the other Metroids leading up to Other M. I should have played it on its own first.

I think, for the next Metroid, they should focus on the 3rd person aspect. That was pretty enjoyable. Maybe Samus as a youngster among the Chozo? Hehe.

[Mr.White555]

I played this for about 30 minutes and I have no desire to pick it up the game again. This game is not fun. The game is way too linear for any interest as metroid game. That didn't necessarily make it bad considering if they made it fast pasted, but it isn't. The game kills its own passing with forced FPS sequences of finding the perfect pixel or atrociously asinine cut scenes. Basically the story goes " I'm a girl.. in a man's world... I don't put my thumb up in salute cause I being a cliche." Bah! Children's cartoons have had better dialogue and execution than these. Maybe I'm being a little to knit picky about the story but goddamn they could have gotten a better person to read the dialogue.

////rant of immaturity*spoilers?*///

DERP! DERP! The baby went boom and they cleaned my suit! DERP! I keep looking for the baby on my hand cause it ker-sploded! Derp! I don't put my thumbs up cause I'm an outsider mercenary/bounty hunter! blah blah blah bull shit about Adam Malkovich blah blah blah blah this would be more interesting if it was John Malkovich... blah blah the military salutes with thumbs up which makes em look like morons! hurp! did I mention the baby is dead?! BAAAAAAABY! Look a black guy who I know! I need clearance to use weapons SWEET!

///////end rant of immaturity/////


Shadow Complex is better than this!

[Gamerforlife]

I was always skeptical when I heard members of Team Ninja were working on this. I would keep them as far away from a Metroid game as possible

[Kemiroch]

I was always skeptical when I heard members of Team Ninja were working on this. I would keep them as far away from a Metroid game as possible

Probably true. Nintendo should assemble a crack in-house Team Metroid (which would include me!)

[racketboy]

I think hunters and pinball are worse than other m

I like i but way too easy

I liked Pinball