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[Princess Skittles]

I just finished the game too and was trying to read through some of the earlier thoughts in the thread and it's truly embarrassing, even for GAF standards.

So, any complaints I could have had about the linearity and/or story I got out of my system playing Metroid Fusion for the first time, so I pretty much got to enjoy the game a lot knowing full well ahead of time that it probably wasn't going to be another Super Metroid/Zero Mission. I feel an analog stick would have worked better for 3D movement but otherwise, I loved almost everything the game did gameplay wise. I loved seeing Samus being agile again after three Primes and the kicked-up action was a welcome addition to the series.

That SAID, if you think that Sakamoto designed Zero Mission right after Fusion.. if they pushed ahead with a sequel (is there time in the Wii's life still?) that was another pure non-linear specifically-designed-for-sequence-breaking game using this engine, I'd be in Metroid Heaven.

 

[jufonuk]

This Game keeps getting better and better.

really liking it

 

[ZealousD]

So I finally got around to beating this last night. 100%.

There's a lot of things to like about Other M. The d-pad controls and combat felt a little weird going into it but that improved over time. The layout and "architecture" of the game is incredibly solid. By that I mean how the levels are laid out, how good the backtracking is, how well items are hidden, etc. It's probably one of the best Metroids in this regard. When the controls finally click, the game has the great speed and feel of the 2D metroids even though it's in 3D. Spinesharking is awesome! And of course there's a lot of great nods to past Metroid games.

But there's so many other little things that knock it down a notch. B-tier for the series. The story is kinda dumb. I always sorta pictured Samus to be a badass ice queen and that isn't what she really is in this game.

Spoiler

Her reaction to Ridley in particular was kinda pathetic.

She just gets too emotional for my taste. The implementation of missiles in the game is bad. The need to go into first person mode to fire them just means that you use charged shots the entire time until the game absolutely requires them. There's basically no reason to ever need more than 20-30 missiles. The health system is dumb. The hell is this concentration business? It's a bit annoying when you're trying to regain health during a boss fight. Also thought that the "post game" with collecting the rest of the items and using power bombs was poorly implemented. The game basically needed to end better. The music seems like it's not even there. It's all ambient and absolutely nothing is memorable. The art direction needed work. The Prime series was excellent in this regard, but the look of Other M is a bit flat and unimaginative.

So basically, the game has an extremely solid Metroid core. But there's a lot of changes that feel unneeded, the story gets in the way, and there's a lack of artistic polish.

 

[Silkworm]

Just a heads up for anyone wanting to try Metroid: Other M, but maybe not for $50. Nebraska Furniture Mart is selling the game for $20 (+tax if you live in Nebraska, Omaha, or Kansas + shipping). Still, that will only tack on ~$7-10, which only raises the price to $30 which is still $20 less than the current going price. If you are interested you can see the product on sale at http://www.nfm.com/DetailsPage.aspx?ProductID=31908551

I still need to finish MP3 before I tackle M:OM, but I already have my game from Amazon (with the $20 credit). Oh well, I took advantage of NFM's current sale on SMG2 for $20. It ended up costing ~$27 after shipping.

 

[MechaX]

Since I've been playing a lot of Bayonetta and Nier lately, I decided to come back to Other M to try out hard mode!

And so far... Hard Mode is kinda boring.

I'm starting to feel like this game was definitely not meant to be played in a methodical manner; it was meant for Samus's flashy moves like the Sense Move, Overblast, Fatal Strikes, etc, etc. In Hard Mode, I have absolutely no incentive to try to utilize a lot of these moves when considering that the Charge Beam will always be ridiculously slow unless used after a Sense Dodge (in which I have little incentive to play that way when considering that a single misstep means a one-hit kill or a hit that takes off more than Samus's life). Instead, I'm finding myself playing more methodically by going far away and spamming what little missile supply I have. That method is by far less time-consuming and is even more safe than just... doing battle in the way that I hope it was meant to be played.

Of course, this issue doesn't really come in for most of the boss battles (even if I have to question if one sequence with a certain furry lizard was even play-tested on Hard Mode). With boss battles, you usually have to take advantage of Samus's array of moves. Too bad 80% of the game is spent trekking through hallways fighting enemies that can almost OHKO Samus pretty easily (especially in some cheap shots where enemies just seem to spawn on top of Samus).

Then I also realized why Zero Mission's hard mode worked so well for me. It halves the quantity of any upgrade you can get and boosts damage dealt by enemies. This means that you'll conceivably have to collect more items and explore more to stand a better chance against enemies. This way, you still have an incentive to do exploration parts and it doesn't go as far as Other M does to essentially force a limited % run on you (which is weird, since having a forced low % run kinda goes against the willful virtue self-imposition of the practice to begin with). With items forcibly out of the mix, Other M really does just become straight linear corridor fest.

And it really sucks that they didn't do the Team Ninja approach to difficulty levels (new enemies, rearranged enemies, some items changing location, even new bosses at some points).

I'll probably go through it for the bosses alone, but Other M without the exploration and item collecting is a really soulless product.

 

[heringer]

Since I've been playing a lot of Bayonetta and Nier lately, I decided to come back to Other M to try out hard mode!

And so far... Hard Mode is kinda boring.

I'm starting to feel like this game was definitely not meant to be played in a methodical manner; it was meant for Samus's flashy moves like the Sense Move, Overblast, Fatal Strikes, etc, etc. In Hard Mode, I have absolutely no incentive to try to utilize a lot of these moves when considering that the Charge Beam will always be ridiculously slow unless used after a Sense Dodge (in which I have little incentive to play that way when considering that a single misstep means a one-hit kill or a hit that takes off more than Samus's life). Instead, I'm finding myself playing more methodically by going far away and spamming what little missile supply I have. That method is by far less time-consuming and is even more safe than just... doing battle in the way that I hope it was meant to be played.

Of course, this issue doesn't really come in for most of the boss battles (even if I have to question if one sequence with a certain furry lizard was even play-tested on Hard Mode). With boss battles, you usually have to take advantage of Samus's array of moves. Too bad 80% of the game is spent trekking through hallways fighting enemies that can almost OHKO Samus pretty easily (especially in some cheap shots where enemies just seem to spawn on top of Samus).

Then I also realized why Zero Mission's hard mode worked so well for me. It halves the quantity of any upgrade you can get and boosts damage dealt by enemies. This means that you'll conceivably have to collect more items and explore more to stand a better chance against enemies. This way, you still have an incentive to do exploration parts and it doesn't go as far as Other M does to essentially force a limited % run on you (which is weird, since having a forced low % run kinda goes against the willful virtue self-imposition of the practice to begin with). With items forcibly out of the mix, Other M really does just become straight linear corridor fest.

And it really sucks that they didn't do the Team Ninja approach to difficulty levels (new enemies, rearranged enemies, some items changing location, even new bosses at some points).

I'll probably go through it for the bosses alone, but Other M without the exploration and item collecting is a really soulless product.

As I said a few pages back, the bosses are the real stars of hard mode. It's a shame there isn't a boss rush mode. Oh well.

 

[Kard8p3]

Found this at the site you GO to for NINTENDO news

The cause of the locked door glitch is going back to save at the bottom of the cargo lift. After winning the short battle with a boss, saving after the boss battle on the cargo lift in sector 2, if you continue forward and do not go back down the cargo lift and save, the glitch will not happen. Saving AFTER the small battle at the bottom of the lift causes the glitch.

So apparently the cause of the locked door glitch has been found.

 

[gamingeek]

Nvmd

 

[dankir]

Just beat it and honestly I feel very underwhelmed. I've played and completed every Metroid game out there and this one... .just didn't feel a Metroid game

Spoiler

1. Very short, beat it with about 75% items around 9 hours 15 minutes.
2. No real sense of urgency boss fights were pretty meh.
3. Story got a little silly in the end, very silly actually was hoping you would fight some infused Metroid Ridley hybrid thing.
4. Last boss was very underwhelming and I actually couldn't believe when the the credits started. I was like already??
5. Was very surprised you didn't fight mother brain ,or the girl who is mother brain etc.
6. Section after credits was cool, but the Octopus boss from Super Metroid came outta nowhere, I dunno it was just missing something.
7. I read what happens when you get a 100% and I don't even feel like it

I thought it was pretty fantastic looking Wii title, first person was done pretty well, although I wish you were able to fire missles outside of 1st person. Maybe more action in the zero suit would have been nice

Good but by no means great.

 

[Fuzzy]

Found this at the site you GO to for NINTENDO news



So apparently the cause of the locked door glitch has been found.

Thank god. Now I feel like going back to the game.

 

[jufonuk]

ohh man I am really liking this, heard about the glitch but I think I got passed it..

Spoiler

Just got to Ridley and holy fuck is he immense, love the way the game tell you Adam is dead by you dying and you not getting a "samus Respond ressspoond" at the end", damn anthony is dead

 

[jaundicejuice]

Just beat it and honestly I feel very underwhelmed. I've played and completed every Metroid game out there and this one... .just didn't feel a Metroid game

Spoiler

1. Very short, beat it with about 75% items around 9 hours 15 minutes.
2. No real sense of urgency boss fights were pretty meh.
3. Story got a little silly in the end, very silly actually was hoping you would fight some infused Metroid Ridley hybrid thing.
4. Last boss was very underwhelming and I actually couldn't believe when the the credits started. I was like already??
5. Was very surprised you didn't fight mother brain ,or the girl who is mother brain etc.
6. Section after credits was cool, but the Octopus boss from Super Metroid came outta nowhere, I dunno it was just missing something.
7. I read what happens when you get a 100% and I don't even feel like it

I thought it was pretty fantastic looking Wii title, first person was done pretty well, although I wish you were able to fire missles outside of 1st person. Maybe more action in the zero suit would have been nice

Good but by no means great.

If you don't play the post-game content, you're straight up denying yourself the most epic boss battle in the game.

 

[vermadas]

I got to the credits in this game today. Frankly, I'm surprised to read so many people enjoyed this game. Though it had a few fun sequences and boss fights, it was dragged down by so many terrible design choices. I think the game is crap, honestly. I regret not taking the negative impressions more seriously and canceling my pre-order when I had the chance.

 

[stuminus3]

Holy shit, it really is Metroid X Ninja Gaiden. And it works!

4/4 on Wii this year, Nintendo (EO2, SMG2, S&P2, this). Shame the next first party Wii release in North America is PokéPark. :lol

 

[dankir]

If you don't play the post-game content, you're straight up denying yourself the most epic boss battle in the game.

Read my point number 6. I did fight that boss, felt out of place and random.

 

[evilromero]

After revisiting Fusion last week I've come to the conclusion that Other M definitely takes the story shit too far. Even Fusion, despite all the criticism it received back in the day, managed to maintain the overall Metroid experience.

 

[ecierif]

Shame the next first party Wii release in North America is PokéPark.

Pokepark is November 1. The next ones are Wii Party on October 3 and Kirby on October 17.

 

[Nelo Ice]

finally got around to playing this after having it since launch and its fun so far but whoevers idea it was to add the stupid scanning sections needs to burn!

also need to beat this by next friday so i can still get like $30 from amazon since i got it free after using up $50 in promo credits :lol

 

[_Alkaline_]

After revisiting Fusion last week I've come to the conclusion that Other M definitely takes the story shit too far. Even Fusion, despite all the criticism it received back in the day, managed to maintain the overall Metroid experience.

Honestly, I think Other M maintains it just fine. It's certainly more streamlined than Super, but the core Metroid formula is in there. The new stuff is hit (combat moves, ability to switch perspectives) and miss (Where's Waldo and over the shoulder segments)

I've played them all countless times and Other M doesn't feel out of place. I don't quite understand what Other M lacks compared to other 2D Metroids, sans of course sequence breaking.

It may not do it quite as well as Super but the general gist of what makes a Metroid game is still there.

 

[IceMarker]

I've said it once and I'll say it for the 5th time.

Metroid: Other M is in essence Metroid Fusion + Metroid Prime.

 

[SlipperySlope]

I got to the credits in this game today. Frankly, I'm surprised to read so many people enjoyed this game. Though it had a few fun sequences and boss fights, it was dragged down by so many terrible design choices. I think the game is crap, honestly. I regret not taking the negative impressions more seriously and canceling my pre-order when I had the chance.

I love your Avatar. One of the best NES games.

 

[SlipperySlope]

Found this at the site you GO to for NINTENDO news



So apparently the cause of the locked door glitch has been found.

So if you saved at the wrong spot and the door won't open, is there a way to correct the issue after the glitch has occurred?

 

[ZealousD]

I've said it once and I'll say it for the 5th time.

Metroid: Other M is in essence Metroid Fusion + Metroid Prime.

Not really. I mean, yes, it tries to straddle the line between the 3D and 2D efforts. But it's not really a "_____ + _____" situation. If there's a formula, it's much more complicated then that. It's not entirely like Fusion because it's less linear and focuses even more on story (the second part to a fault). Yes, the 3D layout, the morph ball stuff, the way items are hidden, and the brief snippets of first-person are very much like Prime. But Other M lacks the solid art direction and atmosphere of the Prime games.



(Super Metroid + Metroid Fusion)/2 + Metroid Prime + New Combat System + Bad Story - Art Direction - Atmosphere

 

[boiled goose]

finished the game today with 100%

what an awesome post game.

The game is on the whole undoubtedly awesome. anyone who doesnt think so simply doesnt like metroid.


there are a few control issues that should get resolved for the sequel.
hold B to both look and lock on.
somehow improve first person controls for missiles.
get rid of over the shoulder parts.
automatic lock on usually works, but i could use a bit more control.

Minor issues with the game:
detective parts
writing (over narration by samus makes it bad)
Samus a bit too whiny ( mostly in that one scene :/ )
invisible walls (seriously annoying)
locking me off from certain sections at certain points. (tell me where to go if you want to make it straighforward and linear, but u dont have to force me!)


The rest of the game was pretty good:
shinespark = most awesome thing ever
combat is great
collectibles are plenty and nicely hidden (even when u sometimes know the room)
graphics are great. looks perfect on my hdtv.

Add in some retro style goodness with logs and scans , make the changes suggested above, and we have a near perfect game.

Edit: I cant believe people are saying this doesnt feel like a metroid game :S
As a big skeptic of the game I have to say all or you are crazy if you dont think this game feels like a metroid game. it feels more like super metroid than the prime sequels and fusion...

 

[Bizzyb]

If you don't play the post-game content, you're straight up denying yourself the most epic boss battle in the game.

Read his post again, he did.

 

[jarosh]

i disagree with both the idea that other m is just like fusion in 3d and that other m is LESS linear than fusion. the similiarities are mostly superficial.

i just replayed fusion and it struck me just how much better its level design is. it's just beautiful how much of your progression depends on discovering hidden nooks and crannies. in other m so often when you were given the task to go from point A to point B that was literally all you could expect. running through corridors, fighting enemies, until you reach your target. in fusion you get your basic objective, but most of the time actually getting there is anything but straightforward. it is never ONCE the most obvious route. you usually end up standing in front of an impassable obstacle pretty soon after trying to reach your destination. and then you have to explore your environment and find alternate routes, discover hidden passages, tunnels, mazes, destructible blocks, backdoors etc.

in other m all the surprises and unexpected gameplay twists can be boiled down to one thing: battles. the progression and pacing in other m is incredibly straightforward and practically all the surprises involve some sort of boss fight. there was hardly any other significant interruption or unexpected element outside of the (mini) boss fights. in fusion there are so many moments in which your expectations are cleverly turned upside down. and there is also a large chunk in the second half of the game where you are on your own and have to figure out how to progress. there is hardly ever a hint as to how environmental puzzles have to be solved or secret passages should be uncovered. these are all MUCH more obvious in other m, but worse yet often simply non-existent.

the level layouts are so clever in fusion. the way you would often see rooms and wonder how you'd be able to get there. the way some bigger rooms are separated and allow a glimpse into another area that you MUST BE ABLE TO REACH SOMEHOW! and those long vertical shafts or oddly designed rooms with suspicious looking tiles, those areas that you just KNOW carry the secret to an item or a shortcut or simply the hidden passage to your objective. many areas were connected in often unexpected ways... and then you'd discover surprising shortcuts or later you'd break from one area into another and suddenly you'd understand how and why these places are connected and you'd think: ah yes, that's what this blocked off area was all about, that's what this hidden room was for etc...

all of the above? missing from other m. all of it.

 

[echthegreat]

If any lurkers in this thread (like me) are still on the fence about this game, it is currently $20 at Nebraska Furniture Mart. It's sold out of their online store, however. I think they only have three giant locations, so good luck getting there.

P.s. Mario Galaxy 2 is also $20. Bioshock 2 is $5.

 

[Bending_Unit_22]

I think I'm about halfway through and at this point I'm struggling to finish. I will because it's not that hard, on normal at least, and because I've beaten every Metroid game except Prime 2 and this one won't be an exception (or 2nd exception). All I'm doing is running to where I'm told blasting everything in my path so I can find out to where I'm to go next blasting everything in my path. The only times I've been stumped by a "puzzle" were a couple times I didn't know I could do something (my fault in both cases, should have read the manual better).

EDIT: Also, everything Jarosh said.

I don't mind the controls except I wish B was charge instead of pointing the remote up and pressing A. I've gotten killed several times simply because the wiimote catches a light source from somewhere briefly sending me into 1st person mode. Probably a problem with my room set up, but there's a free button so it shouldn't matter.

The game is on the whole undoubtedly awesome. anyone who doesnt think so simply doesnt like metroid...

Edit: I cant believe people are saying this doesnt feel like a metroid game :S
As a big skeptic of the game I have to say all or you are crazy if you dont think this game feels like a metroid game. it feels more like super metroid than the prime sequels and fusion...

I've only owned every Metroid game (some in 2 versions), beaten all except Prime 2, and love the series so I never knew I didn't like it.

I wouldn't say it's not a Metroid game, but it does feel different than most. Being a different style isn't a bad thing to me, it's just weighted more to gameplay elements I'm not that big a fan of and less towards those I am (unlike most Metroids). That is it seems more combat oriented and less exploration/puzzle solving. That may change later in the game, as noted I'm only half way through at this point.

It's certainly a well made game and I can see why people more interested in what it is love it. I simply don't (so far).

 

[balladofwindfishes]

I bought Zero Mission for 10 dollars yesterday at gamestop

I loved it! I loved it so much I beat it in 4 hours!
Low and behold, I unlocked the original Metroid in all its not-fun-to-play glory

I feel like I stole the game at 10$

Now I'm off to go find all the powerups. I didn't even realize you could beat the game without the Varia suit, but I did it. I thought it was intentional lol. Man, Ridley (the area) was a lot harder than it needed to be I guess, since I beat the entire game with the power suit, only getting it when I got my gravity suit back at the end. It does feel kind of like an expansion pack or DLC of Super Metroid


So yea, if you don't have it already, Zero Mission is 10$ at Gamestop, but there aren't that many of them floating around, what with it being such a late GBA game.

 

[mantidor]

I tried to go for 100% and I got bored, which surprised me a lot, this never happens with a Metroid game. Some items are really hard, which is nice, but the absolute lack of clues on how to get them is discouraging, which is really odd, because this is not something that stopped me before, I don't know if it's the boring environments, or the lame reason to get 100%, or what. I will give it another try, but this is not something I expected.

 

[_Alkaline_]

It's amazing how much this game picks up steam in the second half. The last five hours can hold their heap up high.

 

[evilromero]

I tried to go for 100% and I got bored, which surprised me a lot, this never happens with a Metroid game. Some items are really hard, which is nice, but the absolute lack of clues on how to get them is discouraging, which is really odd, because this is not something that stopped me before, I don't know if it's the boring environments, or the lame reason to get 100%, or what. I will give it another try, but this is not something I expected.

Same here. Very uninspired everything.

 

[_Alkaline_]

Same here. Very uninspired everything.

Seriously?

Come on man. Surely you didn't hate everything .Even the most cycnical bloke would have loved the

Spoiler

gravity section

.

 

[Maxrunner]

Been playing this and im really liking it......dont know whats the fuss about it besides some cheese in the cut scenes

 

[Azure J]

I really really really want to post a really meaty response on my time with Metroid: Other M, but everytime I start to, my mind wanders and I don't get to say exactly what I want to, so today, I'm gonna do something different. First off:

I just finished the game too and was trying to read through some of the earlier thoughts in the thread and it's truly embarrassing, even for GAF standards.

So, any complaints I could have had about the linearity and/or story I got out of my system playing Metroid Fusion for the first time, so I pretty much got to enjoy the game a lot knowing full well ahead of time that it probably wasn't going to be another Super Metroid/Zero Mission. I feel an analog stick would have worked better for 3D movement but otherwise, I loved almost everything the game did gameplay wise. I loved seeing Samus being agile again after three Primes and the kicked-up action was a welcome addition to the series.

That SAID, if you think that Sakamoto designed Zero Mission right after Fusion.. if they pushed ahead with a sequel (is there time in the Wii's life still?) that was another pure non-linear specifically-designed-for-sequence-breaking game using this engine, I'd be in Metroid Heaven.

I agree like 1000% with all of this and would go so far as to say that I hope the next Metroid game is more of an expansion of the things they started with this game and a pull back on the exposition. In all honesty, Other M had a good premise for a story, but the way they story as told was the only thing responsible for its cheese. Another thing I want to say without getting anyone worked up (hopefully) is that I hope that they would allow Retro to handle art and assets in the game next time. The game world, while serviceable, would have been just so much cooler for me if it had tried to reach some of Retro's environmental designs. (Humans were undeniably better modeled in Other M, but creatures and environments were definitely Retro's point in this match. Also, call me silly, but I really miss their Varia Suit design. :lol) This game is also so fucking amazing at making you feel like a badass. It's like from the time you unlock the grapple beam onward, it's just nonstop "holy shit".

Two side notes I'd like to address though. First off, the transitions between cutscenes and gameplay. They were so expertly done that sometimes, there'd be moments where I didn't know what the fuck I was to do and either realize "oh it's a cutscene now" or get hopelessly ass beaten by an upcoming event. (Most memorable example of the latter is flying into one room guns ablaze and shinesparking out the door into the face of that fucking annoying seeker missile boss, not realizing that his jumping out at me wasn't a cutscene... :lol) Honestly though, there were some times where it worked as a detriment against the type of gamer I am, but I can seriously respect how well done these transitions were between game play and cutscenes.

The last point I want to bring up is a funny one, does anyone else here think that the Other M style of game play would make for an amazing foundation for a Megaman/Megaman X game? There were parts of the game where I would seriously just stop and think "damn this is so. Fucking. COOL." and wonder how other shooter platformers would work in a similar design. :lol

 

[BigJonsson]

Mega Man - Other M would be AWESOME

 

[GregLombardi]

I really really really want to post a really meaty response on my time with Metroid: Other M, but everytime I start to, my mind wanders and I don't get to say exactly what I want to, so today, I'm gonna do something different. First off:



I agree like 1000% with all of this and would go so far as to say that I hope the next Metroid game is more of an expansion of the things they started with this game and a pull back on the exposition. In all honesty, Other M had a good premise for a story, but the way they story as told was the only thing responsible for its cheese. Another thing I want to say without getting anyone worked up (hopefully) is that I hope that they would allow Retro to handle art and assets in the game next time. The game world, while serviceable, would have been just so much cooler for me if it had tried to reach some of Retro's environmental designs. (Humans were undeniably better modeled in Other M, but creatures and environments were definitely Retro's point in this match. Also, call me silly, but I really miss their Varia Suit design. :lol) This game is also so fucking amazing at making you feel like a badass. It's like from the time you unlock the grapple beam onward, it's just nonstop "holy shit".

Two side notes I'd like to address though. First off, the transitions between cutscenes and gameplay. They were so expertly done that sometimes, there'd be moments where I didn't know what the fuck I was to do and either realize "oh it's a cutscene now" or get hopelessly ass beaten by an upcoming event. (Most memorable example of the latter is flying into one room guns ablaze and shinesparking out the door into the face of that fucking annoying seeker missile boss, not realizing that his jumping out at me wasn't a cutscene... :lol) Honestly though, there were some times where it worked as a detriment against the type of gamer I am, but I can seriously respect how well done these transitions were between game play and cutscenes.

The last point I want to bring up is a funny one, does anyone else here think that the Other M style of game play would make for an amazing foundation for a Megaman/Megaman X game? There were parts of the game where I would seriously just stop and think "damn this is so. Fucking. COOL." and wonder how other shooter platformers would work in a similar design. :lol

Completely agree with this post. Metroid: Other M is the best game on Wii not because its a perfect game, but because the direction of the series was changed in a demonstrable, superior manner to the Prime games. It isn't better than Prime 1's jump into 3D, but Other M is in my view better than Prime 1 on strictly a gameplay and fun level (and herein lies why I think it is the best game on Wii), though not on a critical level(it didn't execute its change to the series in as flawless of a way that Prime 1 did).

Please Nintendo, take Other M's good ideas and run with them.

 

[Lone_Prodigy]

First ending was kinda =/

Spoiler

anticlimactic since last battle is Queen Metroid rather than Ridley, final fight is just a scan which I realized after a few deaths

Epilogue ending was =(

Spoiler

nice touch in playing as ZSS at the end

The piano music at the end is really nice. Wonder if there's sheet music for it.

Also, the last few hours makes up for all the issues I had with the beginning. Maybe it's the fact that you can literally plow through everything with your awesome items and moves (speed booster everywhere, screw attack everything).

 

[Xellos]

i disagree with both the idea that other m is just like fusion in 3d and that other m is LESS linear than fusion. the similiarities are mostly superficial.

i just replayed fusion and it struck me just how much better its level design is. it's just beautiful how much of your progression depends on discovering hidden nooks and crannies. in other m so often when you were given the task to go from point A to point B that was literally all you could expect. running through corridors, fighting enemies, until you reach your target. in fusion you get your basic objective, but most of the time actually getting there is anything but straightforward. it is never ONCE the most obvious route. you usually end up standing in front of an impassable obstacle pretty soon after trying to reach your destination. and then you have to explore your environment and find alternate routes, discover hidden passages, tunnels, mazes, destructible blocks, backdoors etc.

in other m all the surprises and unexpected gameplay twists can be boiled down to one thing: battles. the progression and pacing in other m is incredibly straightforward and practically all the surprises involve some sort of boss fight. there was hardly any other significant interruption or unexpected element outside of the (mini) boss fights. in fusion there are so many moments in which your expectations are cleverly turned upside down. and there is also a large chunk in the second half of the game where you are on your own and have to figure out how to progress. there is hardly ever a hint as to how environmental puzzles have to be solved or secret passages should be uncovered. these are all MUCH more obvious in other m, but worse yet often simply non-existent.

the level layouts are so clever in fusion. the way you would often see rooms and wonder how you'd be able to get there. the way some bigger rooms are separated and allow a glimpse into another area that you MUST BE ABLE TO REACH SOMEHOW! and those long vertical shafts or oddly designed rooms with suspicious looking tiles, those areas that you just KNOW carry the secret to an item or a shortcut or simply the hidden passage to your objective. many areas were connected in often unexpected ways... and then you'd discover surprising shortcuts or later you'd break from one area into another and suddenly you'd understand how and why these places are connected and you'd think: ah yes, that's what this blocked off area was all about, that's what this hidden room was for etc...

all of the above? missing from other m. all of it.

I had a great time with Other M but I do agree with all of this. The overly-linear layout of the Bottle Ship is IMO M:OM's main shortcoming (along with the

Spoiler

MB pointer section that closes the main campaign. A new Mother Brain and no boss fight, seriously?

). Other M feels as though the designers spent most of their time designing each individual room but not enough coming up with clever ways to put the whole map together. There are plenty of cleverly hidden areas within the rooms but they usually dead-end with a power-up instead of continuing as a hidden path to another room/sector. I think it might have something to do with the NoJ Metroid team's inexperience with 3D games. I'm hoping that they get a chance to make a sequel and come up with a more intricate map for that game.

 

[evilromero]

Seriously?

Come on man. Surely you didn't hate everything .Even the most cycnical bloke would have loved the

Spoiler

gravity section

.

Best moments were

Spoiler

the Nightmare, Ridley, Queen Metroid and Phantoon

fights. The section you mentioned was neat but a very isolated moment.

 

[Version 3.0]

The game is on the whole undoubtedly awesome. anyone who doesnt think so simply doesnt like metroid.

As a big skeptic of the game I have to say all or you are crazy if you dont think this game feels like a metroid game.

You're right. I don't "like" Metroid. I love it. Is that the difference? People like yourself who only "like" Metroid are thrilled with this mediocre (at best) entry?

 

[GregLombardi]

Honestly I think this thread can be boiled down into 2 camps: Those who like change, and those who don't. Neither is more correct. This game is a huge change from past Metroid games, but I am on the side of the fence that embraces it for some reason.

 

[eXistor]

Honestly I think this thread can be boiled down into 2 camps: Those who like change, and those who don't. Neither is more correct. This game is a huge change from past Metroid games, but I am on the side of the fence that embraces it for some reason.

I like change, but not when it's for the worse. Metroid: Other M changed things that never needed changing and it did so badly. There's some fun to be had here and the tech behind it all is fine, but on the whole, the game wrapped around the tech is rife with bad decisions.

 

[MadOdorMachine]

I tried to go for 100% and I got bored, which surprised me a lot, this never happens with a Metroid game. Some items are really hard, which is nice, but the absolute lack of clues on how to get them is discouraging, which is really odd, because this is not something that stopped me before, I don't know if it's the boring environments, or the lame reason to get 100%, or what. I will give it another try, but this is not something I expected.

I thought the end sequence was the best part of the game. It sucks that you're blocked from getting it all until then, but I still had fun running thru everywhere. There are clues, but some are harder than others. I thought it was the most Metroidy part of the game.

Being that Metroid is almost always compared to Castlevania and there's a new one coming out this year as well, I find some striking similarities between this one a Lament of Innocence. They both were the first games by there respected master if you will to bring them into 3D. Both of them drew a lot of praise and criticism for a lot of the same stuff. I think LoI has a far better story and music but MoM has better level design and combat.

Honestly I think this thread can be boiled down into 2 camps: Those who like change, and those who don't. Neither is more correct. This game is a huge change from past Metroid games, but I am on the side of the fence that embraces it for some reason.

I couldn't disagree more.

 

[GregLombardi]

I like change, but not when it's for the worse. Metroid: Other M changed things that never needed changing and it did so badly. There's some fun to be had here and the tech behind it all is fine, but on the whole, the game wrapped around the tech is rife with bad decisions.

See, I agree with your statement on the fact that there were some bad decisions. Namely, I don't think that it was necessary to "unlock" suit functions, but I understand why the designers did it. There were also other bad decisions such as poorly placed Samus dialogue, though on the whole I welcomed the cinematic aspects of Other M.

However, I disagree with you completely that the changes which occurred did not need to happen. I'm sorry, but backtracking in Metroid games should be eliminated entirely -- its boring, tedious, and I think it detracts from the games except if it is done as perfectly as it was in Metroid Prime 1. However, the chances of a game being put together that well, at least at this juncture, are minute. Its a 1 in a million game IMHO. As such, take out the tedium until someone else figures out how to make backtracking new and fresh again. Other M is the best game on Wii for having discarded an old, tired system for new, fun gameplay that kept me coming back to it even more than I did to Super Mario Galaxy or Galaxy 2. Even though 25% of the game was very mediocre, I have to give it honor for keeping my attention.

 

[victreeb3l]

Honestly I think this thread can be boiled down into 2 camps: Those who like change, and those who don't. Neither is more correct. This game is a huge change from past Metroid games, but I am on the side of the fence that embraces it for some reason.

Agreed, I love the change and I hope the game moves towards a more fast paced direction such as Other M. I've never seen Samus so badass before and when you attack someone you can really feel the weight of it. It's awesome.

 

[jarosh]

Honestly I think this thread can be boiled down into 2 camps: Those who like change, and those who don't. Neither is more correct. This game is a huge change from past Metroid games, but I am on the side of the fence that embraces it for some reason.

oh shut up. seriously. if that's all you have to contribute, don't bother. WAH WAH THIS THREAD CAN BE DIVIDED INTO 2 CAMPS: THE SMART PEOPLE WHO ARE TOTALLY OPEN FOR NEW THINGS AND TOTALLY COOL (LIKE ME!!!) AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE AND DON'T LIKE ANYTHING NEW AND ARE STUPID.

it's cute how you choose to ignore 90% of the arguments of people who didn't like other m or thought it was mediocre, that have NOTHING to do with "change". the idea that people who dislike other m are simply "afraid of change" is a complete fabrication. i see it brought up at least once on every page by someone who summarily wants to dismiss everyone criticising the game.

in my opinion other m is ANYTHING BUT a daring and bold new direction for metroid. hell, i wish it was! it has: a god awful plot and some of the worst writing and storytelling in recent memory, boring, samey level design, dumbed down, simplistic controls, plenty of inconsistent or inconsequent gameplay mechanics and terribly unexciting gameplay in general... that's how i see the game.

but wait, all or most of those things were not present in previous metroid games! so this truly IS change! i guess i am afraid of change after all! it's that simple, isn't it?

let's say you have pizza for lunch and you love it. so tomorrow you'll get poo for lunch. what? you don't like it? well, jeez, guess somebody doesn't like change. i guess you just want pizza every day!

 

[GregLombardi]

oh shut up. seriously. if that's all you have to contribute, don't bother. WAH WAH THIS THREAD CAN BE DIVIDED INTO 2 CAMPS: THE SMART PEOPLE WHO ARE TOTALLY OPEN FOR NEW THINGS AND TOTALLY COOL (LIKE ME!!!) AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE AND DON'T LIKE ANYTHING NEW AND ARE STUPID.

First of all, you clearly completely mis-characterized my post. I said that neither is more correct than the other. You can choose to believe that you are more correct than everyone else by throwing around insults (which, might I add, surprises me coming from you since I've been reading your posts for a long time), or you can listen to reason when I tell you that I've had more fun with Other M than I've had with all other single player Wii games that I've played (perhaps with the exception of Resi 4 but that doesnt' really count as it was a gamecube game).

it's cute how you choose to ignore 90% of the arguments of people who didn't like other m or thought it was mediocre, that have NOTHING to do with "change". the idea that people who dislike other m are simply "afraid of change" is a complete fabrication. i see it brought up at least once on every page by someone who summarily wants to dismiss everyone criticising the game.

I happen to believe that people's dislike for the game may be related in a majority sense for a dislike of change. If that's not your beef then that's fine.

in my opinion other m is ANYTHING BUT a daring and bold new direction for metroid. hell, i wish it was! it has: a god awful plot and some of the worst writing and storytelling in recent memory, boring, samey level design, dumbed down, simplistic controls, plenty of inconsistent or inconsequent gameplay mechanics and terribly unexciting gameplay in general... that's how i see the game.

You're viewing Metroid Other M through a very critical lens, which is fine, but honestly I'm simply viewing it through the lens of:

1. Is the game fun?
2. Does the game hold my attention?
3. Did I beat it?

For most major games this generation, the answer to 1. is yes, 2. is many times not, and 3. is No, for me specifically. These games include Uncharted 2, Red Faction Guerilla, Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 etc., -- many of the most revered games of the generation.

For Metroid Other M, the answer is a resounding Yes to all three. It is a fresh look at gameplay that I haven't seen much of this generation, fresh enough to keep my attention. Not a masterpiece, but definitely not the terrible game you are making it out to be.

but wait, all or most of those things were not present in previous metroid games! so this truly IS change! i guess i am afraid of change after all! it's that simple, isn't it?

let's say you have pizza for lunch and you love it. so tomorrow you'll get poo for lunch. what? you don't like it? well, jeez, guess somebody doesn't like change. i guess you just want pizza every day!

This is a poo-filled comparison for sure. Firstly, the game isn't crap. Secondly, if it is crap to you, that doesn't mean it is crap to other people. Thirdly, your generalizations are just as bad as the one you are accusing me of making.

 

[jufonuk]

I am actually really liking this game , does that make me a bad person? :lol

 

[KevinCow]

backtracking in Metroid games should be eliminated entirely

What the fuck.

"Guys, the next Mario game shouldn't have a jump button.
Also the next Halo game shouldn't have guns.
And the next Gran Turismo shouldn't have cars."

Seriously they say that opinions can't be wrong, but then you have statements like this.