Metroid Other M is Out!

[NayusDante]

I picked up my copy first thing this morning, but it's still sitting on my desk. I'm about to crack it open and play it now, though. I've been looking forward to this one since the E3 announcement, and I've been eagerly awaiting a story-focused Metroid game since I was a kid. The reviews seem to bash the ubiquitous monologues, but that's actually a selling point for me.

Has anyone else picked it up yet? Your thoughts?

[c0ldb33r]

I'm waiting to get caught up on a few others, but I'm really looking forward to this! :)

[thegamezmaster]

I pay more attention to the opinion of actual game players that have to spend their own hard earned money for the game. Plus they don't seem to be as jaded as "professional" reviewers.

[NayusDante]

Still haven't played it yet... It apparently requires System Menu 4.3. Update your Homebrew Channel to 1.0.8 before you update the System Menu.

Then when you install the update on the game, it adds the Everybody Votes and Check Mii Out channels. That's... interesting...

[c0ldb33r]

I pay more attention to the opinion of actual game players that have to spend their own hard earned money for the game. Plus they don't seem to be as jaded as "professional" reviewers.
huh?


Then when you install the update on the game, it adds the Everybody Votes and Check Mii Out channels. That's... interesting...
Can you uninstall them?

[NayusDante]

As far as critical reviews go, the game has gotten mixed to positive, but nothing particularly amazing. People complain about Samus' character being too naive and subordinate. GameSpot praised the creative elements and fun gameplay, and made notes about the character quirks. G4 ignored the gameplay and used the character quirks as an excuse to tear the game apart. Nobody cares what G4 thinks, though, so I'm still optimistic.

I'm sure that I can uninstall the channels... I don't see why you couldn't.

[emceelokey]

Story means little to me so any complaints about that are meh but one of the common complaints I hear about the game is the controls. I officially don't like Nintendo anymore so I don't have ny of the current Nintendo systems but this game is one that has piqued my interest but there seems to be an overwhelming mixed reaction to this game and again makes the Wii not appealing to me.

[Voliko]

I picked up my pre-order today, and am around 2 hours in. It took some getting used to, but I am liking it a lot so far. I actaully like Samus' character a lot, from what I have been presented with so far.

[retroman]

im gona get it..

[joshnickerson]

I give it the worst grade imaginable... an "A-MINUS-MINUS"!

Nah, I'm liking it so far, y'know, when I'm not getting my ass handed to me. The cut scenes are a bit cheesy and un-necessary, but once you get past those, it's still Metroid. The only thing that bugs me about the controls, and it's not the 3rd to 1st person switch, it's that Samus runs full tilt EVERYWHERE! You'd think a girl with that much energy would have a bit more fire in her voice. ;) But I'm getting used to it. I'd rather Samus run too fast than too slow.

The game has it's flaws, but they're nowhere near as bad as the internet is blowing them up to be.

NayusDante, I stopped giving a flying f*** what G4 thought a LOOOOONG time ago.

[NayusDante]

You mean there was a point where you DID care what G4 thought? :)


The opening gave me goosebumps. Not many games have done that in the past few years. I'm definitely enjoying this game.

Yes, there are a few flaws, but nothing serious. Just little design choices that make you go, "hmmm, not sure if I would have done that." I'm not very far, but Samus' personality isn't bad at all. I can understand what people were expecting, but this is closer to what I was hoping for. She's not a female Rambo, and I never wanted her to be. Imagine trying to write a dialog-heavy story around that, it wouldn't be pretty.

While I haven't progressed enough to make a fully-informed analysis, the game really feels right. I liked Prime, and it felt inspired by Metroid, but this actually is Metroid. This feels like the proper evolution of the series, and I'm amazed at how little awkwardness there is in the transition to 3D.

The cutscenes look damn good, but there's a few little bits of the game that look slightly lacking in comparison. It might just be the colors they chose, but there's some areas that just look drab. Then, I walked into the save room and it's overwhelmingly vivid. Metroid has always implied that dark sci-fi feel, but this is the first time it actually looks that way. It's not quite as easy to look at as, say, Fusion. Still, I like how they use it, and it's not a huge issue. Maybe it's just my LCD.

[NayusDante]

Let Team Ninja do Mega Man X9 with this engine. Seriously, I cannot express how amazing that would be...

[Bojay1997]

Frankly, most of the reviews haven't been that bad. Other than Game Informer, most reviewers gave the game an 80 or above. Having said that, I'm in the camp of people who think the game portrays the franchise and the character in a light inconsistent with the Prime trilogy or what I imagined this character to be in the original NES/SNES series, which I found disappointing. There are also just some dumb levels and objectives that make no sense whatsoever given the abilities you should have from the beginning of the game. If you just take this title as some weird side story and you like this kind of gameplay, you're gonna enjoy this game. If you really enjoy story development and consistency or enjoyed the Metroid Prime trilogy, this is probably not the game for you. Overall, I would rate it a solid B. I'm glad my copy from Amazon came with a discount and $20 video game credit as I think I would be disappointed if I paid full price for this one.

[NayusDante]

I played until 1:00 AM last night. At first, I leaned to my right to see the time on my router, which is obscurred by my monitor. All I could see was 0:56, so I figured it was only 11. Then I leaned further right, and didn't see a 1. Yeah, any game that makes me lose track of time is a winner.

If you enjoyed the oldschool Metroid more than Prime, or Prime felt more like a spinoff to you, this game is for you. I hope it sells well, because there is so much that Team Ninja could do with the series in this engine.

Starbu.. er, young Samus is definitely hot, and I wish they had kept her looking like that. I never did care for the Zero Mission art style, they look like two different people.

Some of the creature design here is downright creepy. Thanks to this game, I now have a fear of giant red-eyed turds coming out of the wall and trying to eat me. Reminds me of the ending of Eraserhead.

[joedick]

I wasn't really feeling the game for the first couple of hours, but I'm really starting to enjoy it now. Yeah, the monologues can be quite rough, and I really hate that COPS-style 'shakey cam' they use from time to time. But then some of the cut scenes are well done, so it's a mixed bag for me. Some reviews said the cutscenes break up the flow of the game, but I haven't really found that to be the case so far. One scene per hour of play isn't really bad.

I've also seen some reviews that were upset about the lack of music in the game. For me though, the subtle ambient + atmospheric soundtrack really helps set the mood. In fact, my favorite so far had no music at all - Just the sound of your feet walking on the snow, an animal howling in the background along with some little alien chirps.

Like others have mentioned the gameplay is fun and the more I play the more I feel that classic Metroid alienated and isolated feeling.

[rbudrick]

I now have a fear of giant red-eyed turds coming out of the wall and trying to eat me.

Quote of the year!

-Rob

[The 1 2 P]

So it looks like this game is getting just as much of a mixed reaction from DP members as it has from the larger gaming press. I haven't picked it up yet but I'm definitely going to be doing so in the future, although that "future" may not be until next year.

[Voliko]

I just beat it today, and I thought it was an excellent game. I loved it. Sure, it may not be as good when compared to the AAA titles out there, but I feel it shouldn't be compared in that way.

[DreadIsReal]

The game play and game itself is great. The story however leaves much to be desired. The way Samus is portrayed in the game doesn't seem like how she is in the rest of series. There were cut scenes in the game that I rolled my eyes at and just should have skipped. The ending also seemed very anti climatic and the final boss should have been much harder and more than what it was, especially compared to some of the other bosses in the game. The voice acting is also pretty lame, but seems to fit some of the cut scenes, but that's not saying much. Overall though the game play is top notch and it feels like a Metroid game, which in itself is enough to satisfy me. I'm still hoping for Dread though. ;)

[deltoidsteep]

I"m only 3 or 4 hours in but i'm throughly enjoying it. Despite other people's complaints, i think the controls feel perfect, and i'm definitely getting much more of an authentic metroid vibe from this over the prime series. Combat is a lot of fun. Can't wait to get home and play more.

[The 1 2 P]

I just got a $15 off coupon for this game to use at Best Buy. It expires at the begining of October so I hope this game gets atleast one temperary sale price drop before then so I can get a good deal on it.

[NayusDante]

I don't know exactly how far I am, but the last boss I fought was the big yellow lifter thing, and I've since made my way back to the elevator hub.

This game is bloody amazing. I don't care if the story isn't absolutely stellar, it's fun, challenging, and it's freakin' Metroid with cinematic dialog! This is exactly what I've been waiting for all these years, and I hope that we get a full trilogy out of it.

[c0ldb33r]

hey guys I don't have this yet, so I'm not 100% sure what I'm talking about, but I guess there's a game breaking bug that if you go back and save after the third boss, you'll be stuck forever.

I heard it on a youtube video (I think it was KWing).

So... heads up!

[NayusDante]

hey guys I don't have this yet, so I'm not 100% sure what I'm talking about, but I guess there's a game breaking bug that if you go back and save after the third boss, you'll be stuck forever.

I heard it on a youtube video (I think it was KWing).

So... heads up!

What, like Twilight Princess?

I'm just after Sector 0. Frickin' amazing. This has been the most enjoyable game this generation for me.

[NayusDante]

I just finished it. I can see where some people would have issues, but I absolutely LOVED this game. It's not until the end of the game that you see who Samus really is in the game's timeframe, but I'm reminded of how she looked out of her suit in Super Metroid. THAT is what I have been wanting from a Metroid game ever since.

There's definitely more that they could have done with the characters and story, but what we're left with is still good enough for a Metroid game. The gameplay is simply a joy to behold, and even when I was dying over and over again at the bosses, I was still having fun. Like I mentioned before, it reminds me of what the 3D segments of Mega Man X7 would have been like if they were absolutely amazing instead of what they were. With the wall sliding and charge shot, the mechanics of the game really felt more like Mega Man than Metroid at times. If Team Ninja doesn't get permission to do a sequel, I would seriously love to see them approach Capcom.

Samus's personality in Other M has taken a lot of fire, but I think it's spot-on. It makes perfect sense for her to be somewhat vulnerable and awkward, considering how solitary she is. I have never imagined her as a strongwilled action hero, and it bothers me when people expect that. If she were as badass as the negative reviews seem to want her to be, she'd just be Lara Croft in power armor.

I ended up with 45% completion. That's pretty average for my Metroid runs, but I feel like getting 100% would be absurd. Do you REALLY need that many missiles?

[joedick]

I ended up with 45% completion. That's pretty average for my Metroid runs, but I feel like getting 100% would be absurd. Do you REALLY need that many missiles?

It's pretty worth playing a bit more after it's finished. Some more rooms get opened up and there's an extra boss battle that's totally worth it IMO. And you even get a cutscene that's actually kinda touching, a nice change of pace from the cheese we were treated to most of the game. You don't have to get 100% to trigger the boss battle and the extra ending.

[NayusDante]

Oh I finished the extra bit, that was one of my favorite parts of the game. You don't actually get your item percentage unless you do.

[Lady Jaye]

Bumpity-bump! Got a copy of the game today at EBGames (they had it as a door crasher for $10 new, and yes, my copy was sealed).

I've played a few hours already and so far I like it. The cut scenes don't bother me, and I like how it's a mix of third-person and side-scrolling, depending on where you are in the game. The switch from controlling Samus with the sideways Wiimote to the first-person POV can be tedious in faster-paced bits (like when trying to scan a monster to hit it with missiles), but I still find that it controls generally well.

For the price, I'm not gonna complain. :)

[joshnickerson]

I give it the worst grade imaginable... an "A-MINUS-MINUS"!

Nah, I'm liking it so far, y'know, when I'm not getting my ass handed to me. The cut scenes are a bit cheesy and un-necessary, but once you get past those, it's still Metroid. The only thing that bugs me about the controls, and it's not the 3rd to 1st person switch, it's that Samus runs full tilt EVERYWHERE! You'd think a girl with that much energy would have a bit more fire in her voice. ;) But I'm getting used to it. I'd rather Samus run too fast than too slow.

The game has it's flaws, but they're nowhere near as bad as the internet is blowing them up to be.


You're a F**KING IDIOT, me from over a year ago! Yeah, I remember this post, it was when I was an hour or so into the game. And it was shortly after when it pretty much just started crashing down on me... the stiff controls... the REALLY bad dialouge... the BABY... the forced first person pixel hunts, one of which required you to find green blood on GREEN GRASS... the BABY... the QTE scenes that you didn't know were QTE scenes until AFTER you were dead... the BABY... and the perspective switch became a serious problem when I started getting swarmed with enemies that required a missile shot to take down.

I won't say the gameplay is bad... I can get why people might enjoy it. But the story and writing was BAD. REALLY BAD. I ended up dying about ten times in a row against the same minor enemy, so I checked out a story summary online to see if it was worth struggling through the rest of the game. It wasn't worth it. But maybe it's just me. And maybe I'm just pissed because I had blown $50 on this game when I could've spent it on a game I would've enjoyed far more, like Kirby's Epic Yarn or DKC Returns.

Lady Jaye, I say you probably paid just about what the game is worth. I do hope you enjoy it more than I did though.