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[Dr.Hadji]

Not when you have multiple enemies with different animations coming at you full bore. Most games show a clear and concise indicator, I felt this game didn't do that. Oh and don't get me started on dodging INTO enemy attacks, there's no way you can avoid that shit. Ridiculous.

Again, action game 101. The more baddies the harder it is. And you can pick the direction of your dodge. There is no need to dodge into an enemy attack (if one is attacking at one time). Otherwise again the more baddies......

 

[MadOdorMachine]

Spoiler

Having re-watched the ending, it sounded to me like there was a second queen. They said "she was able to propagate the metroids in sector zero, even creating a queen metroid." I read it as there being two queens on the ship, the control queen kept by the normal staff, and an ice-proof queen kept in Sector 0 that you never encounter. Adam's explanation of why he could freeze that one Metroid, namely that oh it was an infant, sounded like a filler explanation what with his "maybe not" after it. The real explanation was that it was from the control-queen, which necessarily had to be created well before any of this craziness on the ship. If MB indeed created a queen, in the midst of propagating freeze-proof metroids, I think it was indeed a second queen.

Really, MB's whole explanation speech actually didn't have any lies in it at all (barring her first name). She just neglected to say that SHE was MB. She was very forthcoming in general.

Spoiler

There's a possibility there was a second queen. There's also the possibility that all of the Metroids were queens and that Adam died in vane like I previously said as well. I think the most likely answer is that these ideas are false and that the Queen MB created is the same one you fought and that Adam had to be the one to destroy Sector Zero. Although it isn't as clear cut as I'd like it to be (at first I wondered why Samus couldn't destroy Sector Zero) that seems to be what they're insinuating.

The problem is that the story wasn't directed properly and clearly laid out. There was something lost in translation. The details of the story changes as you get toward the end of the game until you finally see the whole picture. Up until that point, they keep throwing curve balls at you to keep you guessing. The thing is, it's really hard to discern what they were trying to say which is why so many people have conflicting ideas of what actually took place.

 

[A.CHAP]

Other M could be a different IP, it could also defy everything that is Super Metroid and it would still be considered a substandard game. Metroid has nothing to do with it. Now the fact that it is Metroid isn't even part of why I consider it a failure, it's the design choices behind it all. Metroid: Zero Mission is my favorite game to date, and it's one of the least popular out of the bunch. Other M cannot be saved because it's trying different things, like Rez originally stated, they experimented, and this time they failed...hard.

This is quite clearly crap. Opinion only goes so far and no matter how much you dont like it the critical reception does not suggest that this games is a failure and we can wait and see what the sales are like.

Even if you dont enjoy the game i would think everyone can see that real skill has gone into the design of it. The camera is brilliantly done and the way 2d movement works in 3d environments works very well. I think anyone developing for the Wii should be made to study the way this game does so much with so few buttons.
The wheres wally and over the shoulder bits are poor but so infrequent that the do very little to bring down the overall quality.

If it wasnt called metroid I think it would have avoided a lot of the complaints people have made about it.

 

[The Technomancer]

Actually, for anyone who had trouble with FPS view, did you try holding down the B trigger as you flipped into it? That's what I've been doing all along, and it means that a.)you're already in rotation mode if you need to refocus, and b.)you lock on to anything in front of you right away.

If I wasn't doing that then some of the complaints about FPS would make more sense.

 

[MadOdorMachine]

Other M could be a different IP, it could also defy everything that is Super Metroid and it would still be considered a substandard game. Metroid has nothing to do with it. Now the fact that it is Metroid isn't even part of why I consider it a failure, it's the design choices behind it all. Metroid: Zero Mission is my favorite game to date, and it's one of the least popular out of the bunch. Other M cannot be saved because it's trying different things, like Rez originally stated, they experimented, and this time they failed...hard.

I wouldn't say it's a complete failure though. The action is welcomed imo and I like the psuedo 2D/3D thing they have going on. Finishing moves, seamless camera transitions and minimal load times are all keepers as well. I think if they fixed all the other problems (controls, story, music, etc.) it would be the game everyone wanted. I hope they give it another shot.

Man, after reading the past few pages or so, I fear how bad the Castlevania: LoS thread is going to turn out. :lol Meltdowns to crying to absolute praise. You just can't please everyone.

I think Castlevania fans are getting pretty used to being burnt though. Most people expect it to be a God of War clone and are cautiously optimistic that the mood will be right. The mood is my biggest concern. It will be interesting.

 

[sprsk]

oh man, i wish the embarrassing story, laughable characterization and the complete lack of subtlety actually were the game's main problems for me. all of that i can ignore, but the unexciting gameplay, awkward controls and limited interactivity i can't. i had very low expectations as it is... now that i've played it, many of the mechanics make even less sense to me than they did in theory. the first person switching is distracting and disorienting, the over the shoulder sections unnecessary, the automated shooting makes every fight boring; i'm really bothered by the fact that i can't target individual enemies without going into fps mode, especially when i want to focus on the bigger ones. and the d-pad controls don't feel right, this just isn't a 2.5d game. i'm fighting a horde of small enemies and all i can think about is: how much fun would it have been to target them with the remote and shoot them one by one? there is so little satisfaction in "aiming" in a general direction with the d-pad and mashing the shoot button. right now, i feel like i don't even wanna go back to the game.

I don't think I agree so much about the aiming part. I look at it as, if this game was 2D those little dudes would be just as disposable as they are in this game. They are in front of you so they are in your firing line.


My issues span the whole game design really.

Much like you said, the story segments are sooooooooo poorly done. Every cutscene is an overly explanatory chore. Have you ever seen a movie where every scene was just the characters in the movie explaining everything? Of course you haven't!

My biggest gripes though, are about the world you're thrown in itself.

First of all, GREY CORRIDORS PIPES AND SHIT. There was more atmosphere in the beginning of Super Metroid than the whole game.

Second, "You can use your blahblahblah" all sense of discovery completely stripped from the game. Nevermind how it's a pretty dumb plot point, but it's just not what Metroid is about.


In closing. Metroid shouldn't be about Samus Aran. The only way to rescue this series now is to ditch the chick and start fresh. There's only so many times you can make the same fucking game with the same suit and same upgrades.

 

[MadOdorMachine]

This is quite clearly crap. Opinion only goes so far and no matter how much you dont like it the critical reception does not suggest that this games is a failure and we can wait and see what the sales are like.

Even if you dont enjoy the game i would think everyone can see that real skill has gone into the design of it. The camera is brilliantly done and the way 2d movement works in 3d environments works very well. I think anyone developing for the Wii should be made to study the way this game does so much with so few buttons.
The wheres wally and over the shoulder bits are poor but so infrequent that the do very little to bring down the overall quality.

If it wasnt called metroid I think it would have avoided a lot of the complaints people have made about it.

That would be fine if they didn't last as long as they do. Some people got stuck on these segments for a very long time. Don't even get me started on some of the instant deaths and infinite continues needed to get thru some sections. Had this been any other game, it wouldn't have received the attention it has. Most people (if they tried it at all) probably wouldn't have even finished it do to the controls, abysmal voice acting and game stopping "Waldo" moments. Seriously, who would have sat thru that if it weren't a Metroid game? There are too many other games to play and people would have chosen something else.

Actually, for anyone who had trouble with FPS view, did you try holding down the B trigger as you flipped into it? That's what I've been doing all along, and it means that a.)you're already in rotation mode if you need to refocus, and b.)you lock on to anything in front of you right away.

If I wasn't doing that then some of the complaints about FPS would make more sense.

Yes, and that's the problem. The auto lock in first person sucks. They should have made free look default and B to lock on. Instead you have to hold it for both, the result of which often causes you to lock onto the wrong thing. They should have just copied Metroid Prime 3's control for that part. It's one of the best examples of how to use first person on the Wii.

 

[robor]

Again, action game 101. The more baddies the harder it is. And you can pick the direction of your dodge. There is no need to dodge into an enemy attack (if one is attacking at one time). Otherwise again the more baddies......

I understand that. I'm not complaining about more enemies making it difficult, I want that. My problem is the lack of indication knowing when to dodge. Multiple enemies obscures that approach because you can dodge one enemy and receive an unavoidable blow from the other. Sometimes the animations our out of sync and you can't dodge the second assault in time. It doesn't occur a lot but when it does......damn. Action game 101 would have a doge mechanic that's not timed and thus versing multiple enemies isn't as much of a hindrance.

This is quite clearly crap. Opinion only goes so far and no matter how much you dont like it the critical reception does not suggest that this games is a failure and we can wait and see what the sales are like.

Even if you dont enjoy the game i would think everyone can see that real skill has gone into the design of it. The camera is brilliantly done and the way 2d movement works in 3d environments works very well. I think anyone developing for the Wii should be made to study the way this game does so much with so few buttons.
The wheres wally and over the shoulder bits are poor but so infrequent that the do very little to bring down the overall quality.

If it wasnt called metroid I think it would have avoided a lot of the complaints people have made about it.

The game has received a great deal of polish, I recognize this. It is also very responsive but unfortunately, I feel this game has been pushed down by an arbitrary decision that has cost the fabric of this game's existence quite dearly.

*edit*

Alright. Failure was a bit harsh, let me reiterate. Let's just say that I think it's quite banally average.

 

[dark10x]

Eh, I dunno, game felt very smooth to me. I definitely noticed a few moments where it struggled to maintain the framerate, but they definitely weren't frequent. Maybe my eyes aren't good for this kind of stuff.

And I found the camera to be pretty damn flawless, so I'm a bit surprised to see that anyone would think that it's unpolished in any way. Feels a bit like nitpicking coming from someone who is (apparently) used to some of the shittiest cameras in the industry. I mean, I understand your complaint wasn't about the camera per se, but still.

None of the technical problems felt as irritating as the infamous loading doors of Corruption.

There is slowdown between virtually every room and during most battles. It's minor and doesn't detract too much from gameplay, but it's there. That's why I said it's unpolished rather than broken.

The Metroid Prime games held 60 fps 99% of the time without any hiccups.

Camera framed the action well, I agree, but the way it faded through walls simply did not LOOK nice. Very functional, but ugly. Again, a polish issue rather than a design flaw. I feel they could have handled this smoother without making it seem as if the camera is flying through geometry.

 

[MarshMellow96]

There is slowdown between virtually every room and during most battles. It's minor and doesn't detract too much from gameplay, but it's there. That's why I said it's unpolished rather than broken.

The Metroid Prime games held 60 fps 99% of the time without any hiccups.
.

I'm disagreeing with both of these..

 

[heringer]

There is slowdown between virtually every room and during most battles. It's minor and doesn't detract too much from gameplay, but it's there. That's why I said it's unpolished rather than broken.

The Metroid Prime games held 60 fps 99% of the time without any hiccups.

Camera framed the action well, I agree, but the way it faded through walls simply did not LOOK nice. Very functional, but ugly. Again, a polish issue rather than a design flaw. I feel they could have handled this smoother without making it seem as if the camera is flying through geometry.

Fair enough. I do think the Prime games are more polished than Other M (though the loadings in Corruption bugged me more than anything in Other M) . And you are right, I was playing it again right now and there's a very subtle framerate drop for like half a second when you change rooms. I only noticed that because you brought it up though.

 

[sdornan]

That's not what Other M looks like. :lol

 

[heringer]

Finished on hard. Awesome stuff.

 

[Boney]

I wake up to a pissing contest?

I miss etiolate.

 

[_Alkaline_]

You know what's great?

This game. This game is great.

 

[Tenbatsu]

Finished on hard. Awesome stuff.

Yeah hard mode is awesome

 

[heringer]

You know what's great?

This game. This game is great.

Damn straight.

 

[LowParry]

You know what's great?

This game. This game is great.

Of course it is. It's not the best, but it is great.

 

[Kai Dracon]

Of course, re: the story in the game, it strikes me that this is a franchise in which a girl in a suit of giant tacky gold and red space armor fights purple alien bugs, and her arch enemies are space pirates who are literally named The Space Pirates. As a species name. Controlled by Mother Brain; a giant floating brain with an eyeball. In a tank. For The Galactic Federation, generic Star Wars/Star Trek entity of generic-ness.

Metroid, in terms of story and setting, has always been a Nintendo cartoon. It's just that it's the most serious of the Nintendo cartoons in on the sliding scale. The reason why Retro's games succeeded in mood and setting is that they didn't try to westernize it, making it Mass Effect. They went with the cartoonishness and idealized nature - but fleshed out in ways that didn't violate the characterization.

I said earlier in the thread that the quality of the dialog and voice direction in the game is not bad by game standards and way above average for a Japanese game. That's true; but the spade in the corner is that it's also just about in line with how Metroid has always been, though perhaps not in the mental view of some fans.

 

[SlipperySlope]

Am I the only one that finds this game difficult? Thank god for the continue system.

There's one part, a bit before you get the wave beam, where you have to beat one of the bull type enemies (the ones that charge you). This one was more difficult than the others because the room you are in this time is
1) A narrow corridor
2) There's a wasp nest behind him, and some of those regenerating enemies shoot projectiles at you.

I just got really fucking pissed off at this part. There's no time for missiles, so you just have to rely on your charge beam. If you try to take out the wasp nest, the bull will attack you.

I got to the point where you can start doing the auto-kill attacks on him, but it wasn't killing him. Then the wasps started hitting me from behind and I died.

After my 2nd try, I threw my controller, keyboard, and TV remote at the wall. Luckily my cell phone wasn't on my desk, because that would have been thrown too.

I eventually beat it, but it made me very angry. Another annoying part was the

Spoiler

plant boss

.

 

[King Chozo]

This thread is really making me wonder. I had no problems with the controls at all. After the first boss, I had the first person switch and dodge mechanic down and never had a problem with it. As for the person who said there's no set time to hit dodge because some enemies attack at different rates... THAT'S THE POINT! If they hadn't done it that way, you'd never take damage because you could just keep tapping directions and dodge. As for the Where's Waldo moments. I don't know whether I just have a good eye for these things or what but none of them ever took more than 1 minute for me to find. I never noticed a frame rate drop either. I'm sure if I paid enough attention I'd catch a few but honestly if you have to look that hard, it isn't a big deal. And to the person who said prime held 60fps 99% of the time, you obviously haven't played them recently. The Prime games are without a doubt better than Other M, don't get me wrong though. To the person who complained about the gray pipes and corridors... YOU'RE ON A SPACESHIP! Only experimentation rooms have anything but Gray corridors unless they been overrun. Yes the game has many flaws but you guys are trying to hard to find things wrong. The voice acting is bad, you don't hunt for anything but missiles and energy tanks, and some of the things (like Varia activation) don't make sense. But that's about it IMO.

 

[dark10x]

I'm disagreeing with both of these..

It's a fact, though, not an opinion.

 

[AniHawk]

http://i52.tinypic.com/qz13lt.png[/]

That's not what Other M looks like. :lol[/QUOTE]
:lol

 

[SlipperySlope]

One thing I don't like too much is that the Full Energy Tanks are too easy to find. Most are directly in your path of continuing the game. Like, you can't even continue unless you get that energy tank.

The only ones decently hidden are the Energy Parts.

 

[farnham]

That's not what Other M looks like. :lol

thank god

 

[MarshMellow96]

It's a fact, though, not an opinion.

I've played Other M recently, there isn't slowdown in every room...

I've played Prime quite recently. There is more slowdown than 99.9% would permit...

Blah...

 

[Boney]

One thing I don't like too much is that the Full Energy Tanks are too easy to find. Most are directly in your path of continuing the game. Like, you can't even continue unless you get that energy tank.

The only ones decently hidden are the Energy Parts.

That's no different than any metroid game.

 

[MadOdorMachine]

Am I the only one that finds this game difficult? Thank god for the continue system.

There's one part, a bit before you get the wave beam, where you have to beat one of the bull type enemies (the ones that charge you). This one was more difficult than the others because the room you are in this time is
1) A narrow corridor
2) There's a wasp nest behind him, and some of those regenerating enemies shoot projectiles at you.

I just got really fucking pissed off at this part. There's no time for missiles, so you just have to rely on your charge beam. If you try to take out the wasp nest, the bull will attack you.

I got to the point where you can start doing the auto-kill attacks on him, but it wasn't killing him. Then the wasps started hitting me from behind and I died.

After my 2nd try, I threw my controller, keyboard, and TV remote at the wall. Luckily my cell phone wasn't on my desk, because that would have been thrown too.

I eventually beat it, but it made me very angry. Another annoying part was the

Spoiler

plant boss

.

The first play thru can be hard. There may be a few more points where you die repeatedly again until you figure out what the game is trying to make you do. That's why they gave you infinite continues. By the end of the game you'll be so powerful that most of these guys won't even phase you. For people saying the game is too easy either never experienced these problems (lucky you) or forgot just how much of a pain in the ass some of these designs were now that they know how to get thru them. A second play thru (on normal difficulty) is too easy because you already know the games quirks.

 

[SlipperySlope]

That's no different than any metroid game.

I remember then being pretty well hidden in Metroid 1.

 

[sdornan]

I'm not bothering with most missile tanks. I see the blinking dots, but I just want to get on with it. That won't really come back to bite me at all, will it?

 

[MarshMellow96]

From this months EDGE. Sorry for the crummy cell pics but...

You've got to give them credit for sticking with it - even the ads are melodramatic! :lol

 

[MadOdorMachine]

I'm not bothering with most missile tanks. I see the blinking dots, but I just want to get on with it. That won't really come back to bite me at all, will it?

Not unless you're a completist. You have to get all of them (100%) to unlock hard mode.

 

[Red]

I'm not bothering with most missile tanks. I see the blinking dots, but I just want to get on with it. That won't really come back to bite me at all, will it?

You can finish the game comfortably with 20 missiles, honestly.

The most useful upgrades for me were the accel charges. Health power ups are always welcome, but the accel charges really help to increase the pace of the game. Missiles were useful, but you don't really need a huge initial supply since you can recharge them whenever you want (I don't think I ever used more than 15 in a single fight).

 

[Mdk7]

At E3 i thought this game was pretty much a huge disappointment (and i wrote it here of course)...
Now that i'm playing it in the comfort of my living room i still think that they really fucked up lots of things design-wise.
It's just not clicking with me, after having played the Prime series it's pretty hard to get excited by something like Other M IMHO.

 

[Red]

At E3 i thought this game was pretty much a huge disappointment (and i wrote it here of course)...
Now that i'm playing it in the comfort of my living room i still think that they really fucked up lots of things design-wise.
It's just not clicking with me, after having played the Prime series it's pretty hard to get excited by something like Other M IMHO.

Most of us here agree there are a few poor design choices, but I hope you end up getting as much enjoyment out of the game as I did. In the end, I thought the pros far outweighed the cons. I was ready for something fresh after Prime.

The idea on the last page about the SMG team taking over production for an Other M sequel is pants-fillingly awesome. What I wouldn't give for that kind of spin on the series...

 

[Boney]

I remember then being pretty well hidden in Metroid 1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k63WVzilq5U&feature=related

check the 1:40 mark.

there are plenty of stuff like that in the games.

 

[Mdk7]

Most of us here agree there are a few poor design choices, but I hope you end up getting as much enjoyment out of the game as I did. In the end, I thought the pros far outweighed the cons. I was ready for something fresh after Prime.

The idea on the last page about the SMG team taking over production for an Other M sequel is pants-fillingly awesome. What I wouldn't give for that kind of spin on the series...

Yeah we'll see... after E3 i had a bad impression about the game, but i was sincerely ready to change my mind (or better to say i was HOPING to change my mind...).
Yet i'm still getting that feeling.

Nintendo Tokyo should bring a breathe of fresh air to Zelda IMHO.

 

[Red]

If nothing else, I hope the criticisms of Other M help to refine the Metroid formula in future games.

 

[_Alkaline_]

I remember then being pretty well hidden in Metroid 1.

Not entirely correct.

Unlike later Metroid games, the original leaves many of its tanks out in the open and easy to grab. There are only a couple (namely the one in Kraid's Lair and the famous one in the early tunnels of Brinstar where you have to freeze the Skree and use it as a platform) which you have to 'find' - the rest are easy to see and find. Some are right in your path and you would have to make an effort not to grab them.

This goes for the missile tanks too, except none of those are hidden at all.

 

[Red]

Not entirely correct.

Unlike later Metroid games, the original leaves many of its tanks out in the open and easy to grab. There are only a couple (namely the one in Kraid's Lair and the famous one in the early tunnels of Brinstar where you have to freeze the Skree and use it as a platform) which you have to 'find' - the rest are easy to see and find. Some are right in your path and you would have to make an effort not to grab them.

This goes for the missile tanks too, except none of those are hidden at all.

Super Metroid has the best-hidden items I can recall (probably biased), but Zero Mission has some of the trickiest to get to. Other M's are tougher to figure out than Corruption's, overall, but they're pretty straightforward as far as the rest of the series is concerned.

Metroid 1 didn't go out of its way to hide things from you. There were a few tricky spots, but most things are right in your path.

 

[_Alkaline_]

Super Metroid has the best-hidden items I can recall (probably biased), but Zero Mission has some of the trickiest to get to. Other M's are tougher to figure out than Corruption's, overall, but they're pretty straightforward as far as the rest of the series is concerned.

Metroid 1 didn't go out of its way to hide things from you. There were a few tricky spots, but most things are right in your path.

Yep.

Most if not all Metroid games (can't remember exactly right now) will hand over to you at least one or two energy tanks to make your life easier. Even Echoes, which features some very eleborate puzzles, gives you some easy ones early on.

Other M isn't much different at all. Certainly the placement is easier and more obvious than most other Metroid games, but the balance is still somewhat there.

The difference with the original Metroid is that around 75% of its tanks are right out in the open.

 

[Boney]

They still strike a great balance between rewarding exploration and and offering enough easy upgrades so you can continue the game. Other M does this well too.

 

[Red]

They still strike a great balance between rewarding exploration and and offering enough easy upgrades so you can continue the game. Other M does this well too.

Personally I think it would have been more rewarding if suit abilities were still discoverable (besides the diffusion beam and seeker missiles). Much of the sense of accomplishment in past games was due to finding power ups that significantly changed the way you could explore the game world. It made you really feel like you were achieving something, some tangible increase in power. It facilitated exploration and doubled as a dangling carrot kind of motivator: find one thing, know you now have access to a place where there's likely something even better, and so on and so forth.

I suppose that's a topic that's been debated plenty in this thread, though.

 

[rhino4evr]

I've played through each Prime game only twice. In part 1 and 2 I ended the game with 90%+..and found the rest of the items. Part 3 basically shows you where the items are.

Now ive played Super Metorid, Fusion, and Zero multiple times..and the highest I can ever get is like 70%. Some of the shinespark puzzles are downright brutal.

 

[Boney]

Personally I think it would have been more rewarding if suit abilities were still discoverable (besides the diffusion beam and seeker missiles). Much of the sense of accomplishment in past games was due to finding power ups that significantly changed the way you could explore the game world. It made you really feel like you were achieving something, some tangible increase in power. It facilitated exploration and doubled as a dangling carrot kind of motivator: find one thing, know you now have access to a place where there's likely something even better, and so on and so forth.

I suppose that's a topic that's been debated plenty in this thread, though.

Oh yes, absolutely. I was refering to regular powerups like health and missiles.

As for suit upgrades, Other M streamlines this to the most basic level, and the map works around it. Power ups are activated when you need them and the maps naturally guides you to an old place where you needed it. It takes away the feeling of exploration and memory and instead offers a more direct, clean and streamlined approach. Fusion, Zero Mision and partially the Prime series has gravitated towards this angle, but this one is the easiest and most basic approach to the formula. I can see why this might frustrate people because you can never go "left", but instead, you're always pushing forward.

For me, it stands as elegant design, in which they can maintain the overall Metroid feel of exploration and power up based driving force, while maintaining it simple to navigate. They do the same thing with the 100% item hunting. It never reaches the genious of Super Metroid's map design, but instead opts for a more simple, uncomplicated design.

 

[dark10x]

I've played Other M recently, there isn't slowdown in every room...

I've played Prime quite recently. There is more slowdown than 99.9% would permit...

Blah...

Ah, you're being completely literal.

Regardless, I said "virtually" every room in that there is always slowdown when transitioning between areas which means that there is at least a bit of slowdown present in every room. Even just walking from an empty hallway into the save room is enough to produce this (heck, the framerate drops while panning around Samus during the save sequence even). Doesn't ruin the game or anything like that, but it definitely makes it feel less polished.

I've also played Prime recently and, for all intents and purposes, the framerate is perfect. You can make it slow down, sure, but it very rarely crops up. The game runs MUCH smoother than Other M. I don't see how anyone could deny that much.

 

[Red]

Oh yes, absolutely. I was refering to regular powerups like health and missiles.

As for suit upgrades, Other M streamlines this to the most basic level, and the map works around it. Power ups are activated when you need them and the maps naturally guides you to an old place where you needed it. It takes away the feeling of exploration and memory and instead offers a more direct, clean and streamlined approach. Fusion, Zero Mision and partially the Prime series has gravitated towards this angle, but this one is the easiest and most basic approach to the formula. I can see why this might frustrate people because you can never go "left", but instead, you're always pushing forward.

For me, it stands as elegant design, in which they can maintain the overall Metroid feel of exploration and power up based driving force, while maintaining it simple to navigate. They do the same thing with the 100% item hunting. It never reaches the genious of Super Metroid's map design, but instead opts for a more simple, uncomplicated design.

Super Metroid's map design is immaculate. It is unmatched. Frankly I think its success in large part was luck, as I seriously doubt any of the developers realized how rife it was for sequence breaking (obviously they would have some idea of what was possible, but the tricks that have come up over the years have really pushed the limits of what I think they'd have predicted). Essentially every Metroid game has the same progression system: the player is intended to find one item, which them allows them to find the next, and so on. But the fact that Super Metroid simply dropped Samus into a world with seemingly no restrictions but the player's ability to traverse the environment made it feel far more "open" than the other games. Other M never reaches that kind of openness, and progression seems claustrophobic rather than sprawling. It works for the game, as you've said, because it is designed around its restrictions. I wish there would have been more effort into making those restrictions transparent, however. Metroid Prime did a much better job at creating the illusion of freedom. I would have loved to see that kind of philosophy integrated with Other M, even fleetingly so.

 

[MarshMellow96]

Ah, you're being completely literal.

Regardless, I said "virtually" every room in that there is always slowdown when transitioning between areas which means that there is at least a bit of slowdown present in every room. Even just walking from an empty hallway into the save room is enough to produce this (heck, the framerate drops while panning around Samus during the save sequence even). Doesn't ruin the game or anything like that, but it definitely makes it feel less polished.

I've also played Prime recently and, for all intents and purposes, the framerate is perfect. You can make it slow down, sure, but it very rarely crops up. The game runs MUCH smoother than Other M. I don't see how anyone could deny that much.

I can agree with you on Prime running smoother as a whole, definitely. All the loading was done with the doors and some corridor rooms, no? OM seems to load whilst you're moving in-between the rooms, which is why you tend to see 'now loading' after you get the Shinepark. Although I didn't have framerate problems per se, I definitely found loading a little more intrusive during the latter half of the game; nonetheless, it didn't bother me that much.

But anyway - I wasn't trying to be an ass about it, although I did come off like that at first. Sorry about that.

Also,

Spoiler

did I miss Ridley getting attacked by the Queen Metroid or is it something that appears in Theatre mode exclusively?

 

[JadedOne]

Ah, you're being completely literal.

Regardless, I said "virtually" every room in that there is always slowdown when transitioning between areas which means that there is at least a bit of slowdown present in every room. Even just walking from an empty hallway into the save room is enough to produce this (heck, the framerate drops while panning around Samus during the save sequence even). Doesn't ruin the game or anything like that, but it definitely makes it feel less polished.

I've also played Prime recently and, for all intents and purposes, the framerate is perfect. You can make it slow down, sure, but it very rarely crops up. The game runs MUCH smoother than Other M. I don't see how anyone could deny that much.

Are you sure something's not wrong with your copy of the game? I mean I've seen slowdown in the game but not as bad as you're describing. And I'm big on consistent framerates too since slowdown bothers the hell out of me. Does anyone else have these same problems?

 

[mantidor]

The idea of EAD making the next Metroid game just because they did SMG is completely insane. That's not the way things work. Mario games are a completely different beast compared with Metroid games.