Metroid. A series that has helped define Nintendo. Ninja Theory had a lot to live up to while making this game, and they did not disappoint.
Other M takes place immediately after the events of Super Metroid from way back on the SNES in 1994, which, as it turns out, was a brilliant move. The play style feels a lot like Super Metroid did and the enemies are all very stylishly similar. Even the environments, save for the snow area, feel like you've been put back into the classic Super Metroid world. And imagine my surprise when one of Samus' old nemeses from 1994 showed up at the end of the game. Kudos to you, Ninja Theory, for including Phantoon at the very end.
Other M really plays heavily on the nostalgic, classic feel of the old side-scrolling Metroid games. The blend of side-scrolling and 3D combat is actually one of the best features in the game. Holding the Wii Remote sideways, like a classic controller, lets you run around and shoot things like a normal Metroid game would but then pointing it at the screen causes you to shift into first person mode.
First person combat is all stationary, which has been known for a while, but it's not as debilitating as you think. For starters, if you're in heavy combat and you switch perspectives you get a slight moment where things slow down, allowing you to aim and lock on your missiles and jump out of the way of incoming attacks.
Which reminds me, the dodge feature was a great addition to the game. It's as easy as could be: when an attack is incoming, press the d-pad in any direction before the attack hits you and Samus jumps out of the way. Not good enough for you? Well, if you happen to be holding the charge button at the time you dodge, your charge beam flies up to full charge. Really effective in intense combat.
I think the best part about this installment of the series was Samus as a character. This is the first time players really get to see Samus Aran, the character, rather than Samus just as a tool for killing aliens. The game play might be simplistic and the auto aim feature might have some players bored out of their minds, but the story in this is really well put together. The characters, other than Samus, are from Samus' past, but you haven't heard about them until this game. The way the story is written, it doesn't matter. You still feel something for each of them at the end of the short story.
And it is a short game. I managed to get through it in just under 12 hours. Granted, that was without finding everything there is to find, which is a lot. I'd say there's at least another 3-5 hours left in my game play just running around trying to find everything that's been hidden.
I have to give this game a solid 8/10. The length and ease of Other M dropped the score a little and really bad voice acting didn't help either, but when you're engrossed in a story as compelling as this, all of that flies out the window. All you want to do is know how it ends. Plot twists will keep you interested the whole way through and epic boss battles will challenge even the most experienced of players, even if the normal enemies are easy. Metroid: Other M is a worthy successor to the franchise.
You can find Metroid: Other M at any of these stores around Anoka County.
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