Metroid: Other M
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 Game: "Remember me?"
Everyone: "No." | ||||||||||||||||||
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Metroid Other M is an action-adventure video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Nintendo in 2010 for the Wii. It serves as both the sequel to Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and a midquel to the Metroid series as a whole, setting between Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion, is the fifth 3D Metroid game and the ninth game in the chronological time-line, it is the first and(so-far) only 3D non-FPS entry in the series.
Plot
Metroid: Other M takes place between Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion. After awakening in a Galactic Federation facility, Samus Aran departs for space and picks up a distress signal from a derelict vessel known as the "Bottle Ship". Soon after landing, Samus encounters the Galactic Federation 07th Platoon; among the Platoon are Anthony Higgs, an old friend from her military career, and her commanding officer Adam Malkovich. After Samus saves the platoon from monsters, Adam allows Samus to cooperate in their mission, under the condition that she follow his orders. Samus and the 07th Platoon head to the Exam Center in the Biosphere, and learn that the Bottle Ship was conducting research on bioweapons and the person in charge of the project was Dr. Madeline Bergman. After being attacked by a large lizard-like creature, Samus is ordered to follow the monster to the Pyrosphere, but is quickly directed to the Cryosphere to search for survivors. While there, Samus encounters a young woman, but the two are attacked by a soldier piloting an industrial robot. Samus realizes that there is a traitor among the 07th Platoon and decides to call him the "Deleter" until she learns his true identity.
After returning to the Pyrosphere to follow the reptilian creature, Samus discovers that it is actually a juvenile stage of the dragon-like Ridley. Anthony draws Ridley's attention and challenges him, but is seemingly killed. Samus fights Ridley, who subsequently escapes. Samus leaves the Pyrosphere and realizes she cannot contact Adam. She follows the "Deleter" to the Bioweapon Research Center where she meets the same woman from before, who introduces herself as "Madeline Bergman". Madeline reveals that the scientists were propagating the Metroids in the Bottle Ship, reproduced from the remnants of the infant Metroid found on Samus's power suit after her return from the planet Zebes. Madeline adds that the scientists have created a Mother Brain-based artificial intelligence called "MB" in order to control the Metroids, which are hidden in Sector Zero, a recreation of Tourian. Before leaving Madeline informs Samus that Adam is the creator of the Metroid operation. Samus heads to Sector Zero, but Adam stops her from entering, warning her that the Metroids in Sector Zero cannot be frozen. When Samus asks Adam why he is credited as the as Metroid military report's creator, he explains that the Galactic Federation headquarters requested him to write the report. In his report he explained why the operation should not be attempted due to potential dangers. Adam states his intention to enter Sector Zero and to destroy it; he explains that, by causing enough damage to the sector, it will detach from the Bottle Ship before self-destructing, thus destroying MB and the Metroids. Before sacrificing himself to destroy Sector Zero, Adam commands Samus to secure a survivor in "Room MW" of the Bioweapon Research Center and to defeat Ridley.
Samus returns to the research center, where she finds the body of the "Deleter", whose real identity is revealed to be James Pierce, and the mummified remains of Ridley. She also finds a survivor, and defeats a Queen Metroid. Samus pursues the survivor, who reveals herself to be the real Madeline. Madeline explains that the woman Samus met earlier was in fact MB, an android created from Mother Brain's genetic material to establish control over the Metroids. Feeling betrayed by the scientists and Madeline (most likely due to Mother Brain's corrupting influence through her DNA), MB telepathically commanded the Space Pirate special forces to attack those on board and had managed to propagate the Metroids in Sector Zero. Samus and Madeline are then confronted by MB herself. A group of Federation troopers rushes into the room, and MB summons the Bottle Ship's most dangerous creatures to attack. Samus clears away these monsters to allow Madeline to shoot at MB with an ice cannon, leaving her defenseless and helpless for the Federation soldiers to finish her off, ending Mother Brain's reign of terror once and for all. The colonel compliments Samus's efforts but orders a soldier to escort Samus back to her ship; the soldier reveals himself as Anthony, the only surviving member of the 07th Platoon. Samus, Madeline and Anthony leave for the Galactic Federation headquarters in Samus's gunship.
Days after the incident, Samus returns to the Bottle Ship to retrieve something that is left there. After battling Phantoon, one of the monsters Samus had fought on Zebes, she arrives at the control room and recovers Adam's platoon helmet. The Bottle Ship's self-destruct protocol is remotely activated, which an armorless Samus escapes with Adam's helmet.
Bad Qualities
NOTE: Most of the game's flaws can be attributed to the game's director, Yoshio Sakamoto, and the way the game was translated from Japanese.
- Despite having the abilities from Super Metroid, Samus chooses to keep them deactivated under Adam's orders and activates them only when given permission, despite no longer being a Galactic Federation soldier. While this makes sense for super-powerful weapons, like the Wave Beam and Power Bombs, it's inexcusable for her to deactivate items that protect her, like the Varia Suit and the Gravity Suit, or stuff such as the Grapple Beam.
- The most infamous example is when Samus enters Sector 3 with the Varia Suit deactivated, despite the area's extreme heat causing Samus to slowly take damage, and its only at the end of the sector before the battle agents Goyagma.
- Speaking of the Gravity Suit, the game represents it as a purple aura, rather than an armor.
- One of the main selling points, which was combining the 2D gameplay of the classic Metroid games with the first-person perspective of the Metroid Prime games, doesn't work well, because the first-person mode feels clunky and you can't move while in that mode.
- Also, the first-person mode is the only way to fire missiles.
- The game is riddled with hallways, eliminating the feel of exploration, which the Metroid games are known for.
- For some reason, the game is controlled by using only the Wiimote, with no Nunchuk support whatsoever, meaning you control Samus by using the D-pad. This would've made sense if this was a 2D or 2.5D game, but in a 3D game, this kind of control scheme is awkward and outdated, as this game was made in 2010, not the mid-'90s.
- Now true, there HAVE been 3D games that do use the D-Pad previously in the PlayStation 1-era, but the difference is, they were made back when most of those games were design with a D-Pad, and even they DO support analog stick.
- Even worse, you can't even use the Classic Controller or the GameCube controller.
- Enemies doesn't drop any missiles, health pickups or items, unlike other Metroid games.
- To add insult to injury, the missile expansion pickup only adds one rocket, rather than five.
- Concentration restores missiles and health which, while a neat idea on paper and makes up for the lack of enemies not dropping any missiles, health pickups or items, is flawledly implemented, as not only does this makes missile expansions more useless, but also forces you to be the target of enemies and/or bosses, should you have very low health and/or missles.
- Additionally, you still have only one hit-point in your health-bar no mater how much health you concentration, leading to some extremely cheep one-hit knock-outs by enemies, bosses and/or enemy/boss attacks.
- There is a game-breaking glitch in the Pyrosphere where one of the doors permanently locks.
- Unlike most Metroid games, this game is very liner, you are always told were to go and you're limited to certain areas at a times due to doors being locked.
- The game is overloaded with unskippable cutscenes, making the game not feel like Metroid, which focuses on gameplay and exploration. While granted they are skippable, it's only after you beat it the first time!
- On certain occasions, you're not given any clue on what to do.
- An example is when the group of marines is gathered around one of their dead members. You'll think that you have to scan the marine that died, but instead, you have to turn around and scan a puddle of green slime on green grass.
- Another example is a corridor with a door blocked by ice, which can be destroyed with Super Missiles. You would probably expect to wait for Adam to authorize the Super Missiles, but you're actually supposed to get into a Morph Ball tunnel.
- The story is a mess, riddled with plot holes, Deus ex Machina moments, and parts that barely contribute to the story.
- An example of a part that doesn't contribute to the story is The Deleter. You'll think that Samus would face a soldier that killed the other marines, but instead, The Deleter gets killed off-screen in a cutscene and never gets mentioned again.
- The infamous moment where Samus paralyzes in fear upon seeing Ridley, despite having faced him six-seven times prior.
- Samus is referred to as an outsider by the Federation troops, despite the game showing cutscenes of her fighting alongside Adam and working alongside with them in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
- The English voice acting is cheesy at best and cringe-worthy at worst.
- The game keeps beating players over the head with themes about motherhood.
- Samus' characterization is handled terribly, as she goes from being an independent, skilled bounty hunter who saved the universe to a weakling who follows the orders of her former commanding officer without objection.
- Her narration throughout the game gets old really fast. Literally 95% of the cutscenes have Samus narrating over something simple like watching an animal eat, even events that would've worked with dialogue between characters has narration. Of course, previous games had narration, but it goes out of hand here.
- The infamous plot twist of which is revealed that Melissa Bergman is MOTHER BRAIN.
- Adam Malkovich is supposed to a skilled commander and father figure to Samus, but most of his decisions only put Samus in danger and complicate the mission. He also comes across as cold and condescending, to the point where it doesn't make sense as to why Samus looks up to him as a father figure.
- The final boss fight agents MB is extremely anticlimactic as basically, the final boss is beaten by... making Samus point her crosshair at MB and the battle will end.
Good Qualities
- The production values are top notch, as expected for a Nintendo game.
- The original Japanese version has better writing and a clearer story, with themes that were downplayed, altered or removed from the Western versions.
- The soundtrack composed by Kuniaki Haishima is amazing.
- The cutscenes are amazing to look at even for a 2010 title, both in-engine and D-Rockets' pre-rendered ones, it looks straight out of a movie.
- Its atmosphere is handled pretty well for a Metroid game.
- The Japanese voice acting is much better to listen to compare to their English counterparts, especially for Samus.
- The combat, while not as amazing as both the original and the Prime series, is fun.
- Anthony Higgs is pretty likable.
- Some of the boss fights are amazing.
- Nintendo has learned their lesson from this game when they properly brought the franchise back with Metroid: Samus Returns (ignoring Federation Force at least due to being a spin-off of the series), Metroid Dread and the up-coming Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
- People not familiar with the Metroid series at all may get some enjoyment out of this game.
- The Accelerator Charges, power-ups that let you charge your beams more quickly, are a nice addition.
Trivia
- Anthony Higgs's line "Remember me?" from the 2009 trailer became an Internet meme, as well earning the nickname MBD (Mysterious Black Dude).
- For fourteen years, this was the last 3D Metroid game to be created, that is until the announcement of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in Nintendo Direct of June 18, 2024.
- Samus actually pronounces the name of the planet Zebes in the intro. For a long time, fans have been pronouncing it as "Zee-bees" or "Zeebs" or "Zee-biss", but in the intro, Samus correctly pronounces it as "Zeh-biss".
Videos
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