Other M deserves better

There are a ton of things wrong with Other M (story, writing, controls, linear design, boring power-ups, weak exploration, voice acting, music, etc) but the visuals were something that annoyed me just as much. I think the series has never looked worse, artistically and technically. I hate the sterilized, bland, poorly textured look of almost every area in the game. Character models and enemy designs were lame too. Just an all around terrible game.


And not being able to move in first-person view? Really? Really!!!? I have to freaking stand-still to look around?
 

The Lamp

Member
having finished the game..
i'd say it deserves better/more respect

first of all, people complaining about 'thebabythebaby', complete bullshit
not saying it wasnt repeated, but way, way over exaggerated

the gameplay/controls were ok:
the non-pointer stuff, ie, the dpad controls were pretty good
i felt that the 2d metroid's control/gameplay was really captured in these controls
the pointer stuff was a mess, good thing there wasnt THAT much in it, though i thought it was interesting

the health regen only when low and missile recharge was stupid, it made killing enemies useless, but, it definitely made the game more streamlined
one of the things I hated about 2d metroid was grinding for health and missiles when i desperately needed it

the story was pretty good
there were 2 stupid moments i felt:
1) when samus froze when she saw ridley, then anthony saved her, that was definitely 'out of character', the entire scene was retarded
2) when the cpt sacrificed himself, again, samus was 'out of character' but not as bad
i didnt see the value of killing off him, felt unnecessary, BUT, it added to the ending of the game, which was pretty nice
they wanted to make samus more human, i think they accomplished it very well
i actually enjoyed the samus narrative, the entire cast's voice acting was pretty good, which was surprising

my last complaint is that there were no new powerups or anything like that, real missed opportunity there

Level-headed truth being spoken right here. I approve, OP.
 

etiolate

Banned
The design and flow aren't like Fusion. Prime 2 is far more like Fusion than Other M. The design and flow of Other M is that of your basic 2d small budget action title.
 

Mzo

Member
There are a ton of things wrong with Other M (story, writing, controls, linear design, boring power-ups, weak exploration, etc) but the visuals were something that annoyed me just as much. I think the series has never looked worse, artistically and technically. I hate the sterilized, bland, poorly textured look of almost every area in the game. Character models and enemy designs were lame too. Just an all around terrible game.
I'm surprised more people don't make this same complaint. The game has always looked amazing in 2D, and Prime was always gorgeous. I wasn't expecting much from the Wii but goddamn. Ugh.
 

Tyeforce

Member
Just view it as gloating that he knows he's right. He'll go play Super Metroid, and have the obvious realization that it is superior and come back here to proclaim Jello's correctness.
Why is it so hard to believe that I prefer the type of game that Other M is over Super Metroid? I prefer the linearity. I prefer the focus on story and the way the story is presented. I prefer the more action oriented gameplay.

Don't get me wrong, I really do like the others. The 2D Metroid games are great, but I tend to like 3D games more...unless it's first person. That's what I hate about the Prime games. But they're still fantastic. Other M is like a perfect middle ground, and I absolutely love the controls and game mechanics.
 

The Lamp

Member
It doesn't have to be like the other Metroid games. It was fun on its own and very unique.

Though I do agree that Metroid fans deserve better.
 

Ridley327

Member
The same manga that contradicts Other M and the same Prime that according to Sakamoto himself is canon.

I think the evidence suggests that Sakamoto was struggling to characterize Samus in a way that humanizes her, leading to the "Ridley ate my parents!" retcon post-Fusion, which, on top of being a strange development for someone who has slaughtered the crap out of him at that point in previous games, is a very strange thing to have as a major plot point in a game that's designed to be welcoming to newcomers, as you would have to be a fairly hardcore fan to even know that's a thing in the first place. That's why Other M is really frustrating to talk about, as I don't even know who the game is for; it's a horrible starting point for new fans, and it's a horrible Metroid game for old fans.
 

DDayton

(more a nerd than a geek)
How they handled power bombs. You need to use a power bomb to defeat the Metroid queen, but the game never tells you that you can use them, or even reminds you how to use them The only time you used it was waaay back at the beginning during the tutorial.

Yes, that is one of the stupidest things I've come across in a game in ages -- although, in all fairness, it DID show the move early on... not that I remembered. Really stupid design.

Granted, I think the MGS "the code is on the game case" was MORE stupid, but I will give you the very poor design choice in Other M with regards to that move/power/item.
 

Anony

Member
You know what pissed me off the most about this game?

How they handled power bombs. You need to use a power bomb to defeat the Metroid queen, but the game never tells you that you can use them, or even reminds you how to use them The only time you used it was waaay back at the beginning during the tutorial.

Then after the credits, when you go back for the dumb helmet, the first thing the game tells you is how to use power bombs. So freaking dumb.

haha, happened to me to, i figured it out on the 2nd try though
was obvious because you're stuck the morphball mode
you restart right before that scene anyways, so it wasnt that big of deal
but yeah, i was dumbfounded when afterwards where they pop up the message on how to use powerbombs
 

Toa TAK

Banned
Why is it so hard to believe that I prefer the type of game that Other M is over Super Metroid? I prefer the linearity. I prefer the focus on story and the way the story is presented. I prefer the more action oriented gameplay.
I'll give you that, though. You had your own reasons why you liked it and that's that. You're not trying to BS everyone into why it was so much better or anything like that. You just like it more.

I'm cool with that. Respect.
 

Roman

Member
I think the evidence suggests that Sakamoto was struggling to characterize Samus in a way that humanizes her, leading to the "Ridley ate my parents!" retcon post-Fusion, which, on top of being a strange development for someone who has slaughtered the crap out of him at that point in previous games, is a very strange thing to have as a major plot point in a game that's designed to be welcoming to newcomers, as you would have to be a fairly hardcore fan to even know that's a thing in the first place. That's why Other M is really frustrating to talk about, as I don't even know who the game is for; it's a horrible starting point for new fans, and it's a horrible Metroid game for old fans.

That's exactly what I thought back then. It ends up being a game for nobody except very few - it's terrible for newcomers because it doesn't even explain any of the flashbacks and supposedly references a Manga it contradicts, and is loaded with cutscenes and taking control away from the player, and it's terrible for series fans for reasons I don't think I still have to outline.

It just ends up a failure on every conceivable level and I maintain it's the only time in my life where I've been angry at a game after finishing it.
 
Why is it so hard to believe that I prefer the type of game that Other M is over Super Metroid?

I wasn't jumping in to the argument, just jokingly suggesting how to read Jello's post. Super Metroid is absolutely one of my favorite games ever. I still fully believe your feelings of Other M being superior to be valid. Opinions and all. I think you're fucking crazy. But I get it.
 

jello44

Chie is the worst waifu
I wasn't jumping in to the argument, just jokingly suggesting how to read Jello's post. Super Metroid is absolutely one of my favorite games ever. I still fully believe your feelings of Other M being superior to be valid. Opinions and all. I think you're fucking crazy. But I get it.

haha, thanks.

But yes, I agree with what you just said.
 
Oh, I forgot to mention the atrocious monologues we're forced to listen to throughout the entire game. How anyone can forgive the lifetime original movie b.s. is unbelievable.
 

Teknoman

Member
The soundtrack alone puts it at the bottom of the Metroid ranking list.

I wouldnt mind a Metroid meets Ninja Gaiden style game at all, but a soundtrack that stood up to the rest of the series standards along with a better dodge system that wasnt so easily spammable. I also feel the graphics could have been better.
 

Ninjimbo

Member
Other M is a good game. Sometimes great. Time will be kind to it and it will get a fair amount of love.

I mean, NES Metroid and Metroid II get looked back at fondly and those games are hella bad. Other M is a lot better than those two.

Thank Nintendo for letting Sakamoto do Zero Mission. Now if only he could do a similar remake for Metroid II.
 

HoodWinked

Member
I agree, the best part for me is the end. How I wish they had released that song.

33620283.jpg
 

Tyeforce

Member
I'll give you that, though. You had your own reasons why you liked it and that's that. You're not trying to BS everyone into why it was so much better or anything like that. You just like it more.

I'm cool with that. Respect.
Yeah, I'm not going to try to tell people that Other M is the best Metroid game, it's just my personal favorite, lol.

Of course, I wouldn't say it's a bad game, but rather a different type of game, but I know many people would argue with that statement. I don't care. If I enjoy a game, then it's a good game to me because it did what it was made to do—entertain me. I found Other M to be a fantastic game. It's different from the others, but that's why I love it so much. I've fallen in love with the Metroid world, and if I had to choose a style of game to explore it in, it'd be Other M's for sure.

I wasn't jumping in to the argument, just jokingly suggesting how to read Jello's post. Super Metroid is absolutely one of my favorite games ever. I still fully believe your feelings of Other M being superior to be valid. Opinions and all. I think you're fucking crazy. But I get it.
Oh, sorry, I must have misread it and thought you were referring to me, lol.
 

Emitan

Member
Other M is a good game. Sometimes great. Time will be kind to it and it will get a fair amount of love.

The game was a commercial and critical bomb. It had massive fan backlash. Nintendo was actually running damage control about its sales numbers.

I don't see how time can be kind to it. Do you think we will look back fondly on Sonic 06 as well?
 

rekameohs

Banned
I mean, NES Metroid and Metroid II get looked back at fondly and those games are hella bad. Other M is a lot better than those two.

Metroid 1 has indeed aged very badly, but Metroid II is a fantastic game that still holds up today, lack of color/music aside. Metroid 1 had the problem of being a completely open ended game, which of course was what made it iconic. But it just became too labyrinthine and confusing and the repeated level design hasn't been to kind to it as the years have gone on. It's a definite case of a great concept that hadn't been fully fleshed out yet.

Metroid II, however had a much more clear direction. The game was far more linear, with clear levels that you would travel to. The objectives within the levels could be done at any sequence, but the progression from level to level was done in a linear fashion. This concept stuck through Super Metroid and the Primes, and was a far better direction to take the series in. Metroid II also was the first to have many of the items that would become staples in the series: the round shouldered Varia Suit, the Plasma Beam, Spazer, Spring Ball, and Space Jump. Plus much tighter controls, and a great atmosphere for a Game Boy game. The enemies grew in difficulty as the game progresses in a way that Metroid 1 did not, and the sense of power that you would get with each new beam upgrade was great. These are things that the series has become known for, but they really didn't first appear until Metroid II. I feel that Super Metroid was where they took the ambitions that Metroid II had set and really perfected them.

I still think of Metroid II as one of the most ambitious games in the series, and up there with some of the best in the series. An underrated classic, in my opinion.

What did Other M add to the series? A shitty dodge mechanic?
 

etiolate

Banned
If Tyeforce really loves Other M then Tyeforce most likely doesn't really like Metroid and wouldn't enjoy Super Metroid. They'd be better served playing Metal Gear Solid. or God of War.
 
Yeah, I'm not going to try to tell people that Other M is the best Metroid game, it's just my personal favorite, lol.

Of course, I wouldn't say it's a bad game, but rather a different type of game, but I know many people would argue with that statement. I don't care. If I enjoy a game, then it's a good game to me because it did what it was made to do—entertain me. I found Other M to be a fantastic game. It's different from the others, but that's why I love it so much. I've fallen in love with the Metroid world, and if I had to choose a style of game to explore it in, it'd be Other M's for sure.


Oh, sorry, I must have misread it and thought you were referring to me, lol.

Don't worry pal, I'm with you. Gaf does appear to be a hivemind sometimes, and I'm sure a lot of people calling the game shit probably just saw the cutscenes on youtube.
 

linko9

Member
I thought it was a pretty good game, but a very sub-par metroid game, and the story/character elements were just terrible. I think the game does get what it deserves, though it is true that in a vacuum, the game is still a good one.
 
One thing I hated about OM was that so much of it felt like a fan-game of Fusion -- Adam, space station, space station that was primarily breeding grounds, trying a story, etc; but failed so hard at being any where near as good as Fusion.
Fusion was linear in the sense of what you had to do, but outside of the beginning you never knew how to do it. It was, "Look at this floating dot. Find a way there, good luck, you'll do something kinda like this there maybe". Not, "Here's a straight line to said dot, follow it exactly." Story was terrible and, despite obviously trying to be like Fusion, completely ignored it's story. Nightmare, the prototype BOW that was in it's infancy in Fusion? Yeah it did a time warp and is just chillin on the Bottle Ship. Samus being stunned in Fusion by the Federation cultivating Metroids? Yeah she must have amnesia because that happened just 3 weeks ago!
Although it did explain the frozen dried out Ridley carcass, so eh.
 

Ninjimbo

Member
The game was a commercial and critical bomb. It had massive fan backlash. Nintendo was actually running damage control about its sales numbers.

I don't see how time can be kind to it. Do you think we will look back fondly on Sonic 06 as well?
Sonic sucks. He always has.

Other M has good parts to it. The combat is speedy and fluid. The bosses have fun and aggressive patterns. You get a decent characterization of Samus. For however long it last, it's a pretty good ride. I had fun. A lot of people I know liked it too. Since we're all reasonable people, I'll assume reasonable people appreciated what it had to offer.

People years from now, free from bullshit bias, will look back on it and conclude that it was an alright game.
 

Tyeforce

Member
If Tyeforce really loves Other M then Tyeforce most likely doesn't really like Metroid and wouldn't enjoy Super Metroid. They'd be better served playing Metal Gear Solid. or God of War.
Why can't I like Other M AND Super Metroid? Why?? Why does preferring Other M mean I'm not a Metroid fan?

I don't dislike the other Metroid games, I just prefer Other M more. Doesn't mean I can't like the other Metroid games. And I certainly do like them. I wouldn't have continued playing more Metroid games after Other M if that wasn't the case.


And I've played some Metal Gear Solid (Snake Eater 3D). It's good, but not really my thing. I wouldn't lump Other M together with MGS just because it's more linear and story focused. The two are very different.
 

etiolate

Banned
Why can't I like Other M AND Super Metroid? Why?? Why does preferring Other M mean I'm not a Metroid fan?

I don't dislike the other Metroid games, I just prefer Other M more. Doesn't mean I can't like the other Metroid games. And I certainly do like them. I wouldn't have continued playing more Metroid games after Other M if that wasn't the case.


And I've played some Metal Gear Solid (Snake Eater 3D). It's good, but not really my thing. I wouldn't lump Other M together with MGS just because it's more linear and story focused. The two are very different.

Because Other M and Super Metroid/Metroid Prime are very different. Outside of using the same characters and enemies, the games aren't much alike. The ways in which they differ are also very opposed to each other, so liking one would likely mean you dislike the other one.

Basically, really liking Other M doesn't mean you like Metroid games. Really liking whats different about OTher M from other Metroid games would likely mean you dislike Metroid games.
 

rekameohs

Banned
Because Other M and Super Metroid/Metroid Prime are very different. Outside of using the same characters and enemies, the games aren't much alike. The ways in which they differ are also very opposed to each other, so liking one would likely mean you dislike the other one.

Basically, really liking Other M doesn't mean you like Metroid games. Really liking whats different about OTher M from other Metroid games would likely mean you dislike Metroid games.

I would imagine that a fan of Other M would enjoy Fusion quite a bit, since it's essentially the same idea as Other M, but executed much better.
 

Roman

Member
Sonic sucks. He always has.

Other M has good parts to it. The combat is speedy and fluid. The bosses have fun and aggressive patterns. You get a decent characterization of Samus. For however long it last, it's a pretty good ride. I had fun. A lot of people I know liked it too. Since we're all reasonable people, I'll assume reasonable people appreciated what it had to offer.

People years from now, free from bullshit bias, will look back on it and conclude that it was an alright game.

Are you really saying the people in this thread who didn't like it aren't reasonable and/or are blinded by "bullshit bias" ?

What is your basis for assuming it will be looked back upon fondly?
 

JoeFu

Banned
Because Other M and Super Metroid/Metroid Prime are very different. Outside of using the same characters and enemies, the games aren't much alike. The ways in which they differ are also very opposed to each other, so liking one would likely mean you dislike the other one.

Basically, really liking Other M doesn't mean you like Metroid games. Really liking whats different about OTher M from other Metroid games would likely mean you dislike Metroid games.

This is such a stupid post... People have different tastes and can like multiple things.
 

Madao

Member
what Other M deserved was someone slapping some sense into Sakamoto to keep him from doing his thing.

having Miyamoto onboard here would have fixed a lot of the problems of the game. too bad he was busy elsewhere.
 

Madao

Member
Metroid 1 has indeed aged very badly, but Metroid II is a fantastic game that still holds up today, lack of color/music aside. Metroid 1 had the problem of being a completely open ended game, which of course was what made it iconic. But it just became too labyrinthine and confusing and the repeated level design hasn't been to kind to it as the years have gone on. It's a definite case of a great concept that hadn't been fully fleshed out yet.

Metroid II, however had a much more clear direction. The game was far more linear, with clear levels that you would travel to. The objectives within the levels could be done at any sequence, but the progression from level to level was done in a linear fashion. This concept stuck through Super Metroid and the Primes, and was a far better direction to take the series in. Metroid II also was the first to have many of the items that would become staples in the series: the round shouldered Varia Suit, the Plasma Beam, Spazer, Spring Ball, and Space Jump. Plus much tighter controls, and a great atmosphere for a Game Boy game. The enemies grew in difficulty as the game progresses in a way that Metroid 1 did not, and the sense of power that you would get with each new beam upgrade was great. These are things that the series has become known for, but they really didn't first appear until Metroid II. I feel that Super Metroid was where they took the ambitions that Metroid II had set and really perfected them.

I still think of Metroid II as one of the most ambitious games in the series, and up there with some of the best in the series. An underrated classic, in my opinion.

What did Other M add to the series? A shitty dodge mechanic?

i just had this weird idea.

Metroid II is the F-Zero X of the Metroid series. introduced a lot of what is standard in the series but was held back by the hardware it was made on and the sequel was the one that became famous for all the innovations.

i'm still bitter we never got a remake of it. after playing it, the lack of a remake stings even more.
 

Tyeforce

Member
Because Other M and Super Metroid/Metroid Prime are very different. Outside of using the same characters and enemies, the games aren't much alike. The ways in which they differ are also very opposed to each other, so liking one would likely mean you dislike the other one.

Basically, really liking Other M doesn't mean you like Metroid games. Really liking whats different about OTher M from other Metroid games would likely mean you dislike Metroid games.
Uh...I just said that I DO like the other Metroid games. I've played quite a few of them, and I like them all. I just like Other M best, that's all. I'm capable of liking more than one type of game.

I would imagine that a fan of Other M would enjoy Fusion quite a bit, since it's essentially the same idea as Other M, but executed much better.
I did enjoy Fusion very much (Nintendo 3DS Ambassador FTW), but I still preferred Other M to it. Other M felt a lot more fleshed out than Fusion. But Fusion was still fantastic.
 

RagnarokX

Member
But think about Samus' character, man! Her character!

There's nothing really wrong with the character. She's a socially awkward girl who was raised by birds who has trouble relating to other people. She believes she just completed her entire purpose for living (eradicating the metroids, space pirates, Mother Brain, and Ridley) and it's left her feeling kind of empty and caused her to contemplate her past. She's still as badass as, if not more badass than, she's ever been in doing her missions. The only difference is you can hear her thoughts.

The story was poorly written and forgettable, but it's not offensive and is salvageable.
 
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