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Can't wait for Metroid Dread? Play Other M ( hear me out)
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So wouldn't that make this Metroid 4 And Dread 6? That's where I'm thrown off.
Fusion was already Metroid 4. It's in the opening. Other M is 3.5, if you want to give it a number.
I didn't make the timeline. I personally don't think it's as bad as people make it sound like it is, but I'm also not going to go out of my way to play it again.
Agreed, I really dug the combat on it. I actually went back around and 100%'d it after too, the only Metroid I have done that for. Admittedly that's in part due to it being fairly easy to get those last points for.
The worst thing in the game (if you ignore the messier story bits) is the pixel hunt sections but they're not that common. I don't even remember firing missiles in first person as being an issue.
Yup. The story stuff can be ignored but the mandatory pixel hunts suck. I legit got stuck at the one in the field like area for ages because I couldn't find what I needed and had to look it up online. I investigated every point of interest except a tiny thing directly behind where it faced you as default.
I think that's literally the same one I got stuck at. What makes it worse is it's trying to ape the scan visor, which is my favorite thing in Prime.
3d movement on a D-pad is absolute trash, late game sections are worse for it.
I paid 5 bucks for the game waay after it came out thinking that criticisms were overblown, they were not, the game is trash.
I paid 5 bucks for the game waay after it came out thinking that criticisms were overblown, they were not, the game is trash.
Zero Mission, SR/RoS, Super, and Fusion are all numbered titles in a chronological story. Prime series, Other M, and the like are offshoot stories. They all are within the same timeline, yes, but not mainline entries.
Think of it as Metal Gear Rising just after MGS4. Not necessarily canon (IMO it is) but takes place after/between a major numbered entry.
Nooooooo. Fuck no. Play Fusion if you're that desperate to tide yourself over, even if it's more linear it's a significantly better game in every respect. Even the narrative is way better, and not just because there's less cutscenes, Samus isn't submissive, and last I remember, she actually came off as kinda reluctant and annoyed about having to take orders from a Federation AI rather than doing her usual thing, rather than the submissive waifu in Other M. But the fact that Sakamoto wrote such a godawful story for Other M and was so controlling of how his vision would come across in English makes me wary of his supervision of Metroid Dread, on top of Mercury Steam having questionable writing chops themselves (the Castlevania Lords of Shadow games were all sorts of dumb in its writing as well), with potential problems only being avoided in Samus Returns because they kept the story in that game to an absolute minimum.
Other M's scenario isn't inherently terrible, I could easily think of numerous ways to rework the narrative and characterizations to be significantly better, and gameplay wise, while it wouldn't have worked all that well with the Wii, I think a fast-paced third person shooter would be perfectly viable for Metroid and possibly the best way to handle transitioning 2D Metroid faithfully into 3D.
But yeah, as for what I'd do differently:
Other M's scenario isn't inherently terrible, I could easily think of numerous ways to rework the narrative and characterizations to be significantly better, and gameplay wise, while it wouldn't have worked all that well with the Wii, I think a fast-paced third person shooter would be perfectly viable for Metroid and possibly the best way to handle transitioning 2D Metroid faithfully into 3D.
But yeah, as for what I'd do differently:
- Third person shooter gameplay, with Samus bottom-center of the screen, and speed and agility comparable to DOOM 2016/DOOM Eternal.
- Samus starts off being a bit regretful about the infant Metroid, but not that broken up about it, considering she handed it to a bunch of scientists for study. She decides to take the BOTTLE SHIP investigation contract to get her mind off what happened, since, as far as she's concerned, the space pirate threat is finally done and dusted.
- She encounters Adam's team on the ship, gets annoyed that she wasn't informed that they'd be there, and when Adam requests that she operate under his command, she rebukes him and goes off on her own, since operating under him isn't what she was contracted to do. However, shortly after, she encounters what appears to be a surviving crewmember, only to discover too late that it's a hostile android (later discovered to be under the control of MB, who has gone haywire), which viciously ambushes her and damages most of her suit modules, resulting in her typical loss of upgrades. The engineer in Adam's squad offers to repair said modules, but Adam forces Samus to comply with his orders as a condition for doing so.
- Speaking of Adam, he starts off as a hardass, but softens up to Samus over the course of the game, as they reminisce over their previous professional relationship and Ian's death, eventually mending their relationship fully. He even revokes his command over her later on out of respect, but she continues to adhere to his leadership regardless for old time's sake. He would be significantly more professional and respectful of Samus, even if their torn relationship makes their dialogue rather frosty at first.
- A lot of the story would be conveyed in Metal Gear Solid CODEC style as Samus explores, with Samus mainly talking to Adam and Anthony, which would help a lot for making the gameplay less linear, using a central hub as a place Samus regularly returns to retrieve repaired modules and engage in the story more directly. The map design would have to enable a lot of interconnection so returning to the hub doesn't cause problems.
- The Deleter would play more of a gameplay role, as he tries to ambush Samus in several locations randomly, before retreating via hidden passageways that Samus won't be able to access until much later. She may even be able to save multiple members of Adam's squad from the Deleter. She eventually kicks his ass one last time, unmasking him, but he briefly gets away, only to get killed by MB anyway.
- Her encounter with Ridley causes a brief relapse of PTSD, which rolls over into sheer rage as she tries to kill him, but the anger causes her to be sloppy and Anthony has to bail her out of a tight spot, causing her to calm down, remember her Chozo training, and re-engages Ridley in proper fighting form.
- Adam's sacrifice involves Samus having to deal with two big problems urgently that she can't do simultaneously, causing Adam to decide to put his surviving squadmembers before himself and sacrifices himself to destroy the Metroids, who are on the verge of escaping. Samus is reluctant about letting him to it, but he eventually forces her to agree to this course of action through logic, and they part ways respectfully, both of them barely able to contain their emotions despite their best efforts.
- Eventually, at the end, Anthony calls in Admiral Dane from Metroid Prime 3, who pulls rank on the Colonel and has his own men secure the Bottle Ship.
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There was a thread made last September about the following Other M critique, which I think is highly relevant to this one as well:
It's very long but worth a watch. Don't worry, the reviewer will not try to convince you to like the game, neither did they. What they will do is criticize it from a much more professional perspective, one that is a lot more sympathetic towards the developers.
Basically, instead of assuming - like most reviewers did at the time - that Sakamoto, Team Ninja and Co. were either completely clueless about the franchise or intentionally set out to ruin it, which is a very consumer oriented point of view, the video looks at their multiple attempts to introduce novel and ambitious ideas into a long running franchise.
Many of these ideas are still ambitious and novel a decade later, but it takes a more mature level of discussion to separate the vision from the end product, and this is unfortunately something the Metroid audience is still largely incapable of doing.
On a personal note, I have to add that as a creative work made by auteurs, I find Other M positively thrilling in its willingness to try so many completely new things at once. A large part of what excites me about art is the vision driving the work and it takes huge balls to try to make something as new as this game.
If, on the other hand, your primary satisfaction from videogames comes from seeing your own personal vision capably executed by someone else, then you will understandably be more likely to be offended by this game. I believe it's a question of whether you value games more as art vs. more as consumer products.
It's very long but worth a watch. Don't worry, the reviewer will not try to convince you to like the game, neither did they. What they will do is criticize it from a much more professional perspective, one that is a lot more sympathetic towards the developers.
Basically, instead of assuming - like most reviewers did at the time - that Sakamoto, Team Ninja and Co. were either completely clueless about the franchise or intentionally set out to ruin it, which is a very consumer oriented point of view, the video looks at their multiple attempts to introduce novel and ambitious ideas into a long running franchise.
Many of these ideas are still ambitious and novel a decade later, but it takes a more mature level of discussion to separate the vision from the end product, and this is unfortunately something the Metroid audience is still largely incapable of doing.
On a personal note, I have to add that as a creative work made by auteurs, I find Other M positively thrilling in its willingness to try so many completely new things at once. A large part of what excites me about art is the vision driving the work and it takes huge balls to try to make something as new as this game.
If, on the other hand, your primary satisfaction from videogames comes from seeing your own personal vision capably executed by someone else, then you will understandably be more likely to be offended by this game. I believe it's a question of whether you value games more as art vs. more as consumer products.
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Nah game's trash. Gameplay is too average to make up for the utter butchering of Samus. Most badass woman in video games was shit on and I'll never forgive them for it or play that game a second time.
Like if you should play anything before Dread it should be Fusion.
Like if you should play anything before Dread it should be Fusion.
My ex shared Other M with me back in the day. Never beat it, but I really enjoyed my time with it. Though I am totally critical of the way Samus is handled in this game. Part of me wants to go back and finish it.
EDIT: Lots of people in this thread going "ohhh nooo", so I do want to add that I'm playing through Fusion atm. Will be playing Samus Returns next. If anything, this one would be after I beat Dread.
EDIT: Lots of people in this thread going "ohhh nooo", so I do want to add that I'm playing through Fusion atm. Will be playing Samus Returns next. If anything, this one would be after I beat Dread.
I stand by this, gameplay of Other M was amazing. It was a 3D/3rd person shooter Metroid that at times played like a 2D Metroid. It is the most mobile, fluid, and powerful I've felt like as Samus before. Jumping around, dodging everything thing just before I quickly point the remote at the screen to blast them away with a missile...it was phenomenal.
I like this. The part that Samus is forced to work with Adam and his team makes more sense than she just accepting taking orders from a dude who doesn't mind Samus being burned alive. Also better to have her lose her equipment than not being authorized to use it.
Only thing I would change is the Ridley PTSD. How many times she has faced Ridley already? 4, or 5 if you don't ignore the manga, and even more if you add the Prime games to the timeline. It doesn't make sense that this far she would lose it when facing Ridley. She sees her nemesis and it is business as usual for Samus: shoot him with her beams and missiles and kill him.
Also, replace the freaking name of Bottle Ship. It is horrible.
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The game
Wow! I remember finding this game bad, but after watching this video, just saying bad is being too generous. The game is really really bad.
And honestly, if people is thirsty of Metroid, they should avoid this game at all cost and play other Metroid games. Super Metroid, Fusion, Zero Mission, Samus Returns, Prime games,... There is no point on playing the worst Metroid game ever made while there are many great Metroid games out there.
Wow! I remember finding this game bad, but after watching this video, just saying bad is being too generous. The game is really really bad.
And honestly, if people is thirsty of Metroid, they should avoid this game at all cost and play other Metroid games. Super Metroid, Fusion, Zero Mission, Samus Returns, Prime games,... There is no point on playing the worst Metroid game ever made while there are many great Metroid games out there.
I don't think this solves the shit progression, bland level design, shit encounter design and the myriad of other things that makes the game one of the worst way to waste money on Wii.
Like seriously even if you didn't care about the story, the game is shockingly bad still and the controls are not even a 10th of the issues here.
Like seriously even if you didn't care about the story, the game is shockingly bad still and the controls are not even a 10th of the issues here.
Damning with faint praise.
Hmm.
If I'm going to play a previous title to satiate my thirst for Metroid Dread (aka Metroid 5), and I don't mind if that title is more linear than the typical Metroid, and it has a bit more narrative, and takes place on a space station run amok, and is set after Super Metroid (aka Metroid 3), then I think I'm going to play...
-The one that has the best atmosphere
-The one that controls the best and would likely feel closer to Super or the upcoming Dread
-The one that feels less like a rehash of setting and bosses
-The one with the less intrusive (and less try-hard) narrative and cutscenes
-The one that doesn't feature some federation trooper doing serial killings and then actually thinking he could possibly threaten Samus
-The one in which Samus isn't crippled by PTSD upon sight of Ridley, variations of whom she'd already curb-stomped most bossily some 5-7 times already, depending on if you count originals or remakes of certain games
-The one in which Samus isn't emotionally compromised by mommy/baby issues
-The one in which Samus isn't so submissive to Federation troops that she would allow herself to get hurt until given explicit permission to use the item that prevents her from getting hurt
-The one that doesn't beat me over the head so hard with its theme that it became a meme (the baby, baby's cry, bottle ship, mother, baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby)
-The one that is Metroid 4.
I am baffled that anybody would suggest Other M over Fusion in the run-up to Dread--especially (Fusion being the far better game aside) given that Other M is a side game (which, before playing, seemed so much like a blatant rehash of Fusion anyway) and Fusion is actually main series, Metroid 4.
If I'm going to play a previous title to satiate my thirst for Metroid Dread (aka Metroid 5), and I don't mind if that title is more linear than the typical Metroid, and it has a bit more narrative, and takes place on a space station run amok, and is set after Super Metroid (aka Metroid 3), then I think I'm going to play...
-The one that has the best atmosphere
-The one that controls the best and would likely feel closer to Super or the upcoming Dread
-The one that feels less like a rehash of setting and bosses
-The one with the less intrusive (and less try-hard) narrative and cutscenes
-The one that doesn't feature some federation trooper doing serial killings and then actually thinking he could possibly threaten Samus
-The one in which Samus isn't crippled by PTSD upon sight of Ridley, variations of whom she'd already curb-stomped most bossily some 5-7 times already, depending on if you count originals or remakes of certain games
-The one in which Samus isn't emotionally compromised by mommy/baby issues
-The one in which Samus isn't so submissive to Federation troops that she would allow herself to get hurt until given explicit permission to use the item that prevents her from getting hurt
-The one that doesn't beat me over the head so hard with its theme that it became a meme (the baby, baby's cry, bottle ship, mother, baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby)
-The one that is Metroid 4.
I am baffled that anybody would suggest Other M over Fusion in the run-up to Dread--especially (Fusion being the far better game aside) given that Other M is a side game (which, before playing, seemed so much like a blatant rehash of Fusion anyway) and Fusion is actually main series, Metroid 4.
Only Metroid game I've forced myself to finish and I can't even tell you why I did that.
The gameplay was so bad that I ran through most of the rooms trying not to shoot anything, just so I could run through it faster. As far as I can tell, this mod doesn't even fix this issue (not that I'm holding it against the fans for trying, they've done a lot more than I thought possible with the game). I can't believe anyone would try to rationalise that this game could be good.
It's earned its place and is best left as an ignored footnote in an otherwise stellar series of games
The gameplay was so bad that I ran through most of the rooms trying not to shoot anything, just so I could run through it faster. As far as I can tell, this mod doesn't even fix this issue (not that I'm holding it against the fans for trying, they've done a lot more than I thought possible with the game). I can't believe anyone would try to rationalise that this game could be good.
It's earned its place and is best left as an ignored footnote in an otherwise stellar series of games
just to hammer home how bad story is told in Other M.
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep manages to tell its story in a way that makes it look like one of the best works of fiction in comparison.
It centers around a trio of friends that drift apart due to circumstances.
In comparison to all *gestures wildly at Other M* that, you know that they're genuine friend and the character development is believable and you can tell that it could have ended differently and all that.
Again Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep.
I played that game "just" after Other M, the contrast is enough to make me feel like BBS is one of the best story in video game.
I know it is not, but that is how it made me feel after Other M so thoroughly shat the bed.
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep manages to tell its story in a way that makes it look like one of the best works of fiction in comparison.
It centers around a trio of friends that drift apart due to circumstances.
In comparison to all *gestures wildly at Other M* that, you know that they're genuine friend and the character development is believable and you can tell that it could have ended differently and all that.
Again Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep.
I played that game "just" after Other M, the contrast is enough to make me feel like BBS is one of the best story in video game.
I know it is not, but that is how it made me feel after Other M so thoroughly shat the bed.
No, it's a piece of propaganda that the Federation commissioned after Fusion happened.
Timely post. I've been watching a longplay on youtube (games looks gorgeous emulated in 4k on PC btw). I may start my own playthrough. I like what I see. I'm not a fan of how they made samus out to be, especially after Super Metroid, but it looks good and the story is interesting enough to keep me playing/watching.
Funnily enough, Adam being a jackass over the Varia Suit is actually a localization issue (the original writing is still terrible, but the terrible localization makes it even worse). He advises Samus to explore the ship to her ability within reasonable boundaries and his tone in the Japanese version when ordering her to activate the Varia Suit is more along the lines of "turn it on already!" But yeah, the authorization thing is still dumb and while Samus losing her upgrades again is a bit of a cliche in the series, it still makes more sense.
As for Ridley... Honestly, if it were up to me, I'd do the whole Ridley subplot completely differently, and have the Ridley clone be, at least for a bit, an ally who Samus befriends when he's still in his growing stages, because she seems to have a knack for befriending critters who don't immediately try to kill her, and the Other M Ridley isn't the same Ridley, the original was permanently killed and his body obliterated, and when Other M!Ridley actually comes to Samus' aid later on, it's a realization to her that things have changed and she can finally let go of the past, and also becomes kind of tragic when, say, she's forced to fight him anyway when MB takes control of him or some shit, because the frozen body that the X Parasites consume in Fusion had to come from somewhere. (Then again, Ridley being shoehorned into every Metroid game is honestly kinda exhausting, it was especially trite when he was inserted as a post final boss in Samus Returns.)
And... Yeah, I'm not a fan of the name myself, but I'm not sure what would be better. It doesn't help that it's basically a copy of the station from Fusion.
