Metroid: Other M - Worst Metroid Ever?

[jfe2]

I beat the game today and I thought it was awesome. I really don't get all of the shit that gets thrown its way.

[optmusprimenumber]

maybe i'll have a better comment after playing it... but after recently getting into the series and falling in love with the 2D gameplay... and after watching some youtubage of other m, i'm thinking it would have been a good idea to build it more like wild 9 ( ), where everything is 3D but the controls and gameplay are strictly 2D, it's good. i dunno. oh yeah, play wild 9.

[flamepanther]

maybe i'll have a better comment after playing it... but after recently getting into the series and falling in love with the 2D gameplay... and after watching some youtubage of other m, i'm thinking it would have been a good idea to build it more like wild 9 ( ), where everything is 3D but the controls and gameplay are strictly 2D, it's good. i dunno. oh yeah, play wild 9.

Other M almost might as well be in 2D. There's a fair amount of automation put into how button presses translate into in-game actions. Samus will automatically aim at enemies that are in the general direction she's facing, automatically adjust to curving paths so that you don't have to change the direction you're pressing, etc. I see where you are coming from though. I think it would have made the controls cleaner and easier in terms of platforming. On the other hand, it would not have allowed the dynamic combat system the producer wanted. The combat sequences can be really fun once you get used to them, and it would be a pity to strip them out.

Imagine that they're trying to strike a compromise between having Samus act as she did in the 2-D Metroid games, the Prime trilogy, and, uh, Smash Bros.

[optmusprimenumber]

maybe i'll have a better comment after playing it... but after recently getting into the series and falling in love with the 2D gameplay... and after watching some youtubage of other m, i'm thinking it would have been a good idea to build it more like wild 9 ( ), where everything is 3D but the controls and gameplay are strictly 2D, it's good. i dunno. oh yeah, play wild 9.

Other M almost might as well be in 2D. There's a fair amount of automation put into how button presses translate into in-game actions. Samus will automatically aim at enemies that are in the general direction she's facing, automatically adjust to curving paths so that you don't have to change the direction you're pressing, etc. I see where you are coming from though. I think it would have made the controls cleaner and easier in terms of platforming. On the other hand, it would not have allowed the dynamic combat system the producer wanted. The combat sequences can be really fun once you get used to them, and it would be a pity to strip them out.

Imagine that they're trying to strike a compromise between having Samus act as she did in the 2-D Metroid games, the Prime trilogy, and, uh, Smash Bros.

i can dig that. perhaps they should also make a metroid in a sort of wild 9 way... the 2D fun plus the 3D levels with the camera swinging around as you turn a corner(...), that would be cool

[flamepanther]

i can dig that. perhaps they should also make another metroid in a sort of wild 9 way... the 2D fun plus the 3D levels with the camera swinging around as you turn a corner, that would be cool

I'd like to see them go that route in a title for 3DS. Other M or Prime style would be OK with me too, but that would be really nice.

[optmusprimenumber]

i got it! 3D but 2D wiiware Metroid!! come on nintendo!

[D.D.D.]

I beat the game today and I thought it was awesome. I really don't get all of the shit that gets thrown its way.

Thank you~

[optmusprimenumber]

i think i'll rent before buying... i hope it rocks

[prfsnl_gmr]

I beat the story mode last night. While it is not my favorite game in the series, I thought that it was very good. I thought that the gameplay, for the most part, was spectacular, and it was awesome to see modern renditions of some classic Metroid enemies. Anyway, here are the things that worked and the things that fell flat on their face.

Pros:
1. Great mix of 2D and 3d gameplay. It played like Super Metroid with a touch of Prime thrown in for good measure.
2. Fantastic, and frequent, boss encounters. The boss encounters in this game really are the highlight (along with the totally bad-ass Ninja Gaiden-style finishing maneuvers).
3. Great atmosphere. The bottle ship is a very haunting environment, and it fits perfectly with other Metroid games.
4. Instant deaths and more difficult "standard" enemies that do not drop power ups. There are several areas where you can be killed instantly. Moreover, the "standard" enemies in this game are more difficult and aggressive that previous Metroid games, and they do not drop power ups. The instant deaths add a lot of tension to the game, and the characteristics of the "standard" enemies incentivizes fleeing. This give the game a slight survival horror feel.
5. The story syncs up with the other Metroid game flawlessly.

Cons:
1. The "pixel hunts", areas where you scan the room until you find the right thing, bring the action to a grinding halt.
2. The ability to recharge your missiles automatically means that there is no real incentive to finding missile tanks. In addition, the game is very beam heavy and I think that it could have required the use of missiles in more boss and enemy encounters.
3. The ability to recharge your energy repeatedly - which somehow makes the boss battles both easier and more tense - means that there is no real incentive to locate more than a few energy tanks.
4. The story mode is very linear and the game plays best if you rush from one area to the next. While this adds a sense of urgency, it inhibits some of the exploration and discovery that has been a staple of the Metroid series.
5. The voice acting is spotty. There is no excuse for that in a game with a budget like this.
6. The story introduces too many plot points at the end. The early parts of the game have a "mystery" feel to them, but they cram in too much information and too many characters at the end of the game. While the story does not go completely off the rails, they drive it dangerously fast.

Anyway, I would like to see another Metroid game that uses this engine. I think they could take it from "good" to "excellent" with a few tweaks to the gameplay and pacing.

[flamepanther]

2. The ability to recharge your missiles automatically means that there is no real incentive to finding missile tanks. In addition, the game is very beam heavy and I think that it could have required the use of missiles in more boss and enemy encounters.
3. The ability to recharge your energy repeatedly - which somehow makes the boss battles both easier and more tense - means that there is no real incentive to locate more than a few energy tanks.

I agree with you on pretty much all points except these two (I also would have liked at least a few powerup drops in some places, but I appreciate what the lack of them is supposed to do).

2. Because the switch from third- to first-person can sometimes be tricky in the middle of a fight, I feel they showed the proper amount of restraint. It can be tempting for developers to overdo it when it comes to targeting and weapon-switching gimmicks, especially in boss fights, and I feel this was one of the few weaknesses in the Prime Trilogy. I was afraid there would be an excessive amount of switching perspectives during boss fights with little time to fire off a shot, and I was relieved that there was actually very little of this.

3. Only the earlier bosses give you any time to use your Focus ability. Since the bosses' destroyable projectiles or henchmen never leave item drops anymore, I find it even more important to collect energy tanks later on in the game.