Some more news. Some different impressions on the game so far so it just tells me, as always, Metroid games aren't for everyone! No nun-chuk in this game either. Just the Wii-mote.
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Source: wii.ign.com/articles/107/1077916p1.htmlGDC 10: Second Opinions: Metroid: Other MThe upcoming adventure was playable at Game Developers Conference. Find out what other editors thought of the demo
by Craig Harris March 16, 2010 - A few weeks ago myself and Matt Casamassina got full hands-on with Metroid: Other M at the Nintendo Media Summit and provided our full synopsis of our playthrough of this limited demo.
Behind closed doors at the Game Developers Conference, Nintendo of America had that same demo playable for members of the media who weren't fortunate enough to be at the company's Media Summit to play the Metroid: Other M demo in its debut. A few IGN editors made the mad dash to Nintendo's hotel room for some one-on-one time with Samus and her upcoming Wii adventure.
Fran Mirabella, IGN Video: Why read even more Other M impressions? Because I am probably the biggest Metroid fanatic in the IGN offices. I used to work directly with Matt Casamassina on the N64 and GameCube channels here at IGN, and he'll argue that he is the true fanboy, but the point is I will punch him for saying so. I'll also punch Wii-leader Craig Harris if I have to. I want to get all of this out of the way, because you should have some fair perspective on what I'm about to say. Unlike many franchise fanatics, though, I'm a very hard critic; in my mind, it's hard to top Super Metroid. I thought Metroid Prime was going to be a disaster when I first heard it was handed off to the, then-burgeoning, Retro Studios and would be a first-person experience. Wow, was I wrong.
So, here I am again. I got my hands on Metroid: Other M. And -- again, it's been handed to a new developer, Team Ninja. Unlike like my first experience with the Metroid Prime revamp, however, I'm left with mixed feelings after one play-through. There are things I really like, and other things I don't understand yet. Hopefully you know by now the demo is pretty much a tutorial, some basic exploration and a boss fight. You don't really solve the classic Metroid "puzzles," get major upgrades or see anything too advanced. So there is a lot more to see before we can really get a sense of the gameplay.
What I do get a sense of is that Other M is a bit lost in translation. Director, Sakamoto-san, seemed to want to do something like the Metroid-inspired Shadow Complex (on Xbox Live), and keep things heavily aimed at being a throwback to the original Super Metroid. Meanwhile, Team Ninja loves its over-the-top cinematics and has pushed for third- and first-person elements. Other M has a lot of things that merge as one. It's got 2D and 3D, casual and hardcore elements, and non-traditional includes like pre-rendered cut-scenes and a heavier, dialogue-driven storyline. It all looks beautiful by Wii standards. It's vivid and the engine runs well. The opening cut-scene, which recreates the ending of Super Metroid, had me drooling -- it's just so awesome to see a retro moment like that recreated in fully glory. But, even then, the cinematics are a bit cheesy. I mean, I'll take what I can get, but you've got to like the Japanese quirkiness to get into them.
What's important is the gameplay, though. It's exciting that there is a focus on side-scrolling. Metroid has always been heaving in the jumping-around department, and this harkens back to the old days of nailing your jumps and going vertical. What you lose out on here, is the precision aiming and shooting we've all become accustomed to via Metroid Prime and, let's face it, modern gaming. In this demo, you often find yourself in a room filled with enemies and what do you do? You jump around like crazy and let the auto aim-take its toll. You can charge your beam, and do some cool new tricks like actually jumping on to an enemy and smack them around with melee, but it feels a bit too mindless (at this early stage of the game, anyway). And, you know what you probably won't be doing in these fights? Switching to a first-person perspective. It is best for examining the world around you -- that much I like -- but if you're thinking it's going to be a tool in most of your fights, you might want to join me in the skepticism. I did use it a bit in the boss fight, but it left me feeling a bit frustrated because you can't move while you use it.
This is a good example of what has me wondering how it will all turn out. Other M seems torn between being a casual game-for-all on Wii, and a throwback for Metroid fans. It leaves me wondering why they couldn't have made it a nanchuk and Wii remote game, allowing you to move a bit in the first-person perspective. But, then again, that might make the case worse that the game has a bit of an identity crisis. Plus, we're all afraid of change when it comes to series works we love, and I admit that.
So, as I reconsider my impressions here, I can see that I'm sounding negative. Let's get something straight: I'm a fan, and I want this game done right. It's easy to talk about all the things that stick out as different. What I have glanced over, is that Other M is indeed promising. It looks great visually, and the effort to be true to Super Metroid is very exciting. I want to see a lot more of that puzzle and platform gameplay. Plus, the boss fight actually reminded me of Zelda. Not a bad thing at all, right? So, the jury is still out. The question is: how long do we have to wait for that? And, more importantly, why does Nintendo always hold back on showing off the more advanced, impressive parts of its games to the press? Surely the first level isn't the only thing playable in a game that's due to come out in three months. See you at E3, Samus.
Greg Miller, Editor: I was a SEGA kid growing up, so I have no soft-spot for the Metroid franchise. That said, Metroid: Other M didn't do much for me. Samus talks like she's the dead girl from The Lovely Bones (see: emotionless), the rest of the voice acting is equally as bad (see: "Remember me?"), and just blasting purple spider-creatures doesn't intrigue me. I liked the speed Samus had and her gadgets, but the first-person mode seemed a bit slow. The biggest issue I had with the game was the fixed camera. In general, it wasn't a pain, but when I had to run at the screen and had creatures popping up in my path, it was annoying. As a non-fan, I wasn't blown away.
Ryan Clements, Editor: I'll be honest in admitting that my experience with the Metroid series flickered after my dedication to Super Metroid on the SNES. I didn't keep up with Samus' adventures when the iconic character hit the GameCube and then Nintendo's Wii, so Metroid: Other M was a refreshing title in a number of ways. As I watched our own Nate Ahearn (Sports Editor and Cool Dude) play through the hour-long demo, I noted how reminiscent Other M is to the old Metroid games.
Abandoning the constant first-person perspective was a wise decision, as a return to form is always a smart move when dealing with such an old franchise. But gameplay mechanics, surprisingly, weren't my primary concern when viewing the demonstration. I was actually more taken with the cinematic direction of Other M's introduction, which features a flashback to Samus and her climatic moments on Planet Zebes. This particular cutscene was brilliant in its execution, with a sense of uncertainty, nostalgia and disbelief all woven together delicately.
I was disappointed by the rest of the cutscenes, however, as the soldiers in the Federation were characterized less delicately. Here's hoping that other parts of Other M borrow from the subtlety of the opening.
Daemon Hatfield, Editor: I'm impressed with what I've played of Metroid: Other M so far. The opening CGI movie that recreates the ending to Super Metroid totally gave me chills. Talk about fan service -- to see that iconic boss fight with modern animation is an absolute joy. Once I got into the game I was happy with the controls for the most part, although there are one or two areas that give cause for concern. Not being able to control the camera creates problems when, say, you are running towards the camera and can't see the enemies in the foreground until it's too late. But I very much appreciate the horizontal remote control scheme, and whipping it forward to enter first-person mode works great.
Samus has all her powers at the beginning of Other M -- but she's not allowed to use them until this General dude (who Samus has a history with) authorizes them. This seems to be how Samus' advanced powers are rolled out to us, instead of finding them along the journey. But I'm not sure I like the idea of taking orders from some jerk. Metroid games are usually solo adventures, but now we're supposed to wait until this guy tells us it's okay to use our bombs? I'm keeping an open mind and an eyebrow raised.
Levi Buchanan, Editor: Metroid: Other M has been on my radar since E3 2009 and so I was excited to go hands-on with it at GDC last week. As much as I like the Prime trilogy, I definitely prefer my Metroid as a side-scroller. In this respect, Other M does not disappoint. Even through Other M is 3D, it feels much more in sync with Super Metroid – lots of side-scrolling. And even when Samus enters a room that moves toward or away from the camera, it still has that pleasing 2.5D style. Seeing Samus at almost all times certainly makes platforming smoother, and it seems easier to remember backtracking-adventure spots because you can view Samus occupying a physical space. I think that makes it easier to remember locations you have to go back to after unlocking a power or weapon.
My prime concern with Other M is the constant switching between third-person/side-scrolling and first-person. Will this be effective in firefights? For example, during my demo, I was trapped in a room with three large bugs. Each could be taken out with a single missile versus several shots, so I dropped into first-person missile-lock mode, accomplished by pointing the remote at the screen. Big problem: Samus was facing a wall. So, while a futzed around with turning Samus, I got smacked around by the bug trio. What are the possible fixes here? An auto-targeting when going into first-person that zeroes in on the biggest or the most missile-prone target? Faster turning when in first-person? I'm not sure, but I hope this gets ironed out because I found it jarring and unfriendly in an otherwise enjoyable demo.
(Small side note: I really liked the brief over-the-shoulder sequence with Samus moving through a corridor in the demo. Felt very Epic and had me thinking about seeing Samus in a gritty third-person shooter ala Gears of War.)
And one last thing about assigning voices to Nintendo characters. Nintendo has stated the reason why Link never talks is because we all have versions of him in our heads. Well, guess what. Hearing Samus actually speak with other characters in Other M did not magically ruin some sort of mystique. If anything, it made it easier to identify with the character in terms of this particular narrative.
Jack DeVries, Contributor: I've never been a big Metroid fan. It was always a game I recognized as great, but just didn't get into. but I will say that Super Metroid is one of the finest video games ever made, and Metroid: Other M feels like the continuation of that. I was skeptical of the controls, but they work really well, and it's clear even from this demo that there is going to be a ton of exploration. Running around, shooting alien bugs was fast and fun. And the ability to just switch to first person mode on the fly was a cool feature. Not sure how I feel about the voice acting, but it's cool that Samus is getting more personality, something that Nintendo needs to do with its silent, stoic characters.
I haven't been excited for a Metroid game in years, but Other M has piqued my interest.