Haven't finished the video but that line "some fashion indeed" was totally brilliant. Seriously great breakdown of this story. I had no idea of any of this.
There was a good moment in Fusion that's often overlooked. Samus was originally going to self-destruct the space station which would kill her in the process, bus Adam intervened and suggested that Samus should alter the station's orbit to crash it into the planet. This would not only kill the X-parasites on the planet as well as the station, it'd also give her enough time to escape. Adam's superior judgement here gives the feel of a military genius, and possibly a reason why Samus respected him back in her military days.
+MrLCGO I haven't played Other M, and don't plan to in recent time. But reading and seeing the cutscenes, I can see that they tried to give her something, instead of being "dude bro with a gun killing aliens" to the new comer or face value. Maybe her PTSD was finally triggered with having so many thoughts and emotions.
i understood the PTSD moment with Ridley in Other M being so severe because she DIDN'T expect to ever see him again. At the end of Super Metroid The entirety of Planet Zebes, all of its wildlife, and the remains of the various Space Pirates she defeated are completely obliterated
This is awesome! I like it a lot! I liked the part where you explain why she tends to protect defenseless creatures. Motherly instinct seemed like an easy explanation when it could have been the way she was raised.
I always figured the PTSD breakdown in Other M was because, unlike all the other times before that, this time Ridley was 100% dead absolutely gone forever, body disintigrated, gravesite atomized, cosmic dust at best. So her guard was down and she was not even remotely ready to process seeing him again.
Great video, I felt like you did a good job tying together Samus's personality as it's been presented over the decades. I had pretty much come to the same conclusion about Samus as you did
I made a video on the subject a year ago and actually I saw the problem with Samus reaction in Other M in the Ridley scene, but... Is very well explained if you pay atention to details, in the previous games (I'm not counting Prime, I will always take Prime as a 'what if' saga) Ridley never die, in the manga it's explained he survived the Metroid 1/Zero battle, but in Super Metroid he was blown with the entire planet. In Other M Samus wasn't aware of Ridley being a Clone, so she wasn't not only in front of her worst enemy, she was in front of a DEAD entity, a ghost, her past, a ghost of her past, returning again, this obviously made her collapse and well, we know the rest of the story. In Fusion she didn't mention or collapse in front of Ridley because she was aware of X taking the body of the ship species, and we can find the Ridley corpse before in a cold room (corpse who is in fact, the clone from Other M). I'm sorry, but this is brilliant, and Other M feels more connected if the player pays a little more atention to detail. Sorry again for the bad english and anyway, really cool video!, keep up the good work :)
+Daniel San GMR But Samus ALSO wasn't aware that Ridley survived their battle from Metroid 1/Zero Mission. So... shouldn't she have freaked out when she saw him in Prime 1 (or Super Metroid if you insist on considering Prime non-canon)? I think it's pretty clear that the Other M scene was supposed to be a recreation of Samus's PTSD breakdown from the manga, but the problem with that is that Other M completely missed the point of that part of the manga. It was supposed to establish that Samus was coping with her traumatic past and getting over it. That message would be ruined if she just kept having meltdowns after already "conquering" her fear.
Gonayr2 Some people are like saying that Sakamoto did that in Other M because he couldn't do that with the limitation of Super Metroid. That would be a compelling argument if 1) if it was actually stated in the game she had a PTSD moment in Super Metroid 2) if Other M wasn't trying to be a fancy 3D with HD cinematics Super Metroid rather than trying to be it's own game, because, let's admit it, this game is just retro pandering every 10 second.
foeveryrealx The argument of not being able to use certain weapon during the mission reminds me of the excellet video of TheGamingBritShow which explains he finds it actually stupid she cannot use any of her equipment because Adam says they are people that could be in the station. Except all of them are dead and he never reminds multiple time in the game that they might be people alive, not once. It would be okay if he had to watch out a nuclear suit of armor in a crowded space but when everyone is fucking dead since the beginning, it's pointless to do so.
Great work on this video! I have always LOVED Samus. Both the design of her armor and cannon arm, as well as the fact that Nintendo pulled the rug out under people when Metroid first came out and showed everyone at the end that she was a woman. She always felt like a blank slate to me though throughout most of the games save for a few instances. Thanks for putting this together! I'd love to see more character studies like this one
Great feature as always! :D Wonderful analysis of such an important character, and going properly in-depth, instead of just making poor, vague inspections.
This is a great vid, with just great production values. One thing that I really think is great is that the sound quality doesn't get better or worse when you switch to the shot of just you from when your voicing over. It's a little pet peeve of mine when it switches when the type of voice over switches. Anyways, keep up the incredible work. It'll pay off!
I really liked this video! I can feel and understand your passion when you're talking about Metroid, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. I hope you continue on with making these profiling videos! (And by the way, you definitely deserve more subs and views, seriously!)
Yes this video was amazing and probably the most in depth character analysis of Samus you will find anywhere. I would honestly like to send this to the team who made the prime games just to hear their reaction about the video and about some of your points. Other than that maybe doing one for Link would be interesting to hear you talk about.
I really enjoyed this thought out and well put together video, great job! I loved the segment from 1:06 - 1:14 where you referred to the Pirates as "these assholes." I'd love to see this done again... but I can't think of a character off the top of my head. One thing to point out about Samus going back to Ceres to check on the Baby Metroid. In Other M's opening cutscene, Samus reports to a council of Federation officials, reporting a "mission complete." Either Samus just wanted to word it that way for them or she considered it a mission herself, that cutscene implied, to me, that Samus was given the mission by someone in the Federation to go to Zebes for Super Metroid, which just isn't true. Samus went to save the Baby Metroid because she wanted to, not because someone told her or paid her to do it. That's a contradiction/retcon that no one seemed to catch, or at least mention. Also, at 7:17 you refer to the Baby Metroid as an Omega Metroid, which isn't true. It's just a really big Metroid, a "Super Metroid", if you will.... I'm serious, it's actually called that.
Metroid is my favorite game series and I really enjoyed the character study, as far as other characters go I'd like to see anyone you're specifically attached to; it seemed like you put a lot of care into Samus because you love the character so much.
I enjoyed the format of this character analysis. One of Samus is a great way to start. Another character I think that may have just as bizarre and "controversial" backstory is Shadow the Hedgehog. Ridiculous as it may be, it is a chronicle of revenge, redemption, self discover, and acceptance. Throwing that idea out there and looking forward to your next video.
sir I understand your opinion but I can GUARANTEE you that those people have a GOOD reason to complain about other m EVEN the man in the video stated that this game does not protray samus in a correct manner
julius alexander I totally agree with you. I was just complimenting him on not being "that guy" who just complains to complain, but rather being the guy who comes at it from an unbiased/analytical standpoint.
Hey, loved the video! I just got to point something out: At 7:18 you said the baby had transformed into an Omega Metroid, which it is not. It just grew tremendously large. You fight an Omega Metroid at the end of Fusion
Very nice look at Samus as a character, and why a lot of us were disappointed with her portrayal in Other M. I'd love to see other in-depth looks at characters from games like this, especially ones that with similar situations to how fans like or dislike their portrayals, like Cloud's differences from FF7 and the other other games/media he's appeared in.
Yeah they never defined how it worked until Other M and I felt like it wasn't very well explained so I didn't cover that. I'd consider that part of them pushing a little too hard.
+Rated S Games Excellent video my man, definitely *Rated 'S'*. I got some suggestions about videogame characters for you to probably critique in the future. You do not have to review any of them of course and you can pick only one if you like, so here they are listed below....... ~ Olimar from PIKMIN ~ Solid Snake from METAL GEAR ~ Master Chief from HALO ~ Harry Mason from SILENT HILL ~ Ico from ICO ~ Harman Smith from KILLER 7
+Sunder Her power suit always worked like that. When you get a Game Over in 2D Metroid games, Samus doesn't explode, her Power Suit just disappears. Similarly, when she took off her Power Suit in a cutscene in Zero Mission, the suit once again just disappeared as if by magic (or telepathy).
+Sunder If I remember correctly they do explain in the official manga; Metroid Database translated it a while ago, but don't quote me on that: www.metroid-database.com/ More specifically: www.metroid-database.com/manga/listing.php
+Sunder Wasn't she able to telepathically remove her suit in the Prime games? I know she did it in Prime 2 if you got at least 75% of items and scans by the end.
Muy buen video. A pesar de no haber jugado (aún) Other M es el primer análisis sobre la "personalidad" de Samus que encuentro acertado. Eres la primera persona que subraya de forma tan importante que, salvo por 'Fusion' y 'Other M', Samus no tiene personalidad alguna sino la proyección de los sentimientos del jugador en el momento (sobre todo en Prime 1 donde además se juega en primera persona).
I understand the idea of how Samus could totally get a PTSD moment from Ridley since it can happen at any moment, the problem with this scene is in the fact that she fought him 6 (7 if you take in account the intro of Super Metroid) times in 3 different games. I will not debate about the fact she can't have a PTSD moment but the problem is that she probably had it in one of those fight, probably in either MZM (cause it's the first time she fights him) or Metroid Prime (seeing he came back to life and she's especially angry when she sees him escape) so why does she have it AFTER them ? It doesn't make a lot of sense, even for PTDS. Not only that, I think Samus probably holds more hateful and revengeful feelings toward Ridley rather than PTSD. She didn't become this warrior to protect herself, she did so to protect the universe and she is capable of fighting every odds possible (shall I remind that she defeated a God like cancerous entity, a poisonous alternate dimension and led the entire Galactic Federation to War and WON ? I mean, come on). I would have taken the scene more seriously and believable if she became absolutly furious toward the Galactic Federation for trying to revive Ridley since, I don't, isn't the plot of Other M that the GF is trying to bring back the Space Pirates too life and control them ? But I will give you props for actually making Other M believable because, while still stupid for multiple reason, it's true that PTSD can happen at anytime and you were capable of using Other M as a compelling argument, seeing how Other M is... fucking Other M. As always, it was a really good video (even if Other M tainted it) and now I'm just thinking of one thing : if as of Other M/Fusion, the Space Pirates are no more, who Samus will fight now ?
+Chips Light The Galactic Federation. She alludes to it at the end, that she's concerned about how the GF will respond to what happens in Metroid Fusion. Also, I totally see what you're saying, but as I pointed out in the video, I wanted to go on what's there in the games, not what I think makes more sense or is more inline with my own vision of Samus. The PTSD thing is tough to work with because they introduced it later to flesh out her character on top of this revelation of how the suit works, and that was a lot for people to accept. I'm glad you enjoyed the video still, though!
+Chips Light +Rated S Games I honestly feel that the player themselves may have gotten frightened when first seeing and fighting Ridley, it isn't conveyed in the game yet it could be conveyed by the players reaction. Of course it is just a game so most players wouldn't get a PTSD effect but there were probably children who played the game for the first time who may have froze up a little and wondered if they could beat Ridley even after beating Ridley in a game before, I mean that is usually why people lose on their first try at a boss. Even disregarding this maybe Samus knowing that she has beaten Ridley 6 times but having him still come back no matter what frightens her, like maybe she thinks she can never really beat him? Maybe she realised that in that moment of Other M and that just caused her to break down.
NewLegend But even so, she fought him 3 times (2 if you take the original Metroid rather than ZM), defeated Mother Brain and Kraid twice, exterminated the entire species of the Metroid and destroyed Zebes by HERSELF. She is perfectly capable of fighting Ridley a fourth time and she knows that so why would she be scared ?
+Rated S Games I'm on the camp that thinks that Other M would have worked a lot better if it was earlier (even first) on the timeline. A lot of things would have made more sense. The PTSD episode? It's the first time she's seen Ridley after he murdered her parents. Following orders blindly? She left the Space Federation recently and she hasn't developed that much independence and she's used to follow Adam's orders. Many characters traits could have been explained by her being younger and less experienced.
guys, in case you're unfamiliar with how PTSD works, its not something you can just get over after awhile. Imagine you go to war and all your friends die in front of you and you develop PTSD, and get sent into more battles where more friends die, but you keep fighting and winning the battles. Does that mean you eventually get over and are totally fine with seeing your friends dies in any further battles? Does the sounds of gunshots and explosions become less terrifying because you survived them last time? No, now imagine you went through this kinda thing when you were a young child (3 to 4 even in Samus' case!) and because of that had no way to fight back or help your friends? You'd get seriously messed up. And the way PTSD works is not that it reminds you of memories like a nostalgia trip, what it does is make you think you are actually THERE during the point that created the PTSD, as though you time travelled to that point except you also have the same feeling you had at the time, so in Samus' case she thinks she is back at where Ridley killed her parents and she thinks she is a defenseless child because that is exactly what she was back then and she doesn't realize she isn't because PTSD is that severe. That said, having PTSD doesn't make you weak, in fact since Samus was able to get over the bout of PTSD so quickly and fight Ridley is really impressive and shows a lot of strength. So I hope this helps you understand the severity of PTSD and why Samus would react that way, and only towards Ridley (since he is the one that ate her parents in front of her).
your vids have been kind of boring for me to watch, they're really good, just not my type of my vids. this one, this one was really well executed and enjoyed the story-telling you did to explain everything samus. great work, really liking this new format!!!
Totally dug the format and felt it a good balance of narrative and exposition to convey a whole on the character. I will say it's a nice contrast to DiGi Valentine's work, even if both your work and his have their strong suits. (...Ya get it cause Samus and the Power suit and never mind) Basically I'm saying keep doing stuff like this if you enjoy it, ya rock at it.
Hey dude - great vid, we just shared it. We would also appreciate some credit (at least to our main site) for providing you with the artwork taken directly from our Bestiary you used at 09:36. Ridley: www.metroid-database.com/bestiary/bestiary.php?b=107 MechaRidley: www.metroid-database.com/bestiary/bestiary.php?b=121
This kinda brought a new light to things for me a little bit. Samus is driven by duty and responsibility, and I think her personal ethics compel her to defend the defenseless and fight those that prey on them. That explains why she didn't finish off the baby metroid. There are some things that should be fleshed out in future games: 1)Her respect for life taught by the chocolate and reinforced by Adam is not evident when she slaughters almost every creature in her path regardless of if it actively seeks to harm her. Even the ubiquitous zoomers don't hurt her unless she outright steps on them. 2) Her determinator personality which makes her fight on in the face of overwhelming odds, because if she can't do it no one can. We rarely see her legit get the crap kicked out of her and then keep fighting. There was the fight with mother brain, her own battle with the Omega metroid in Fusion, and possibly the SA-X in the same fight, if it had absorbed parts of her personality.
I'm kindof confused as to why he didn't talk about Metroid Prime 3 and her relationship with the other bounty hunters as she was forced to kill them one by one. I thought those scenes really showed a different side to Samus.
Nice video, interesting character analysis... If you continue with this series, try reviewing the characters from transistor or bastion, both have interesting andawesome main AND side characters.
The best thing about games like non Other M Metroid games, to me, was the ability to feel like I was doing the adventuring and exploring etc. I don't want anyone taking a game series that I've always been able to, well, project onto and making the main character that you control make the decisions for me.
As far as I can tell, "bounty hunter" in the metroid universe mostly means "warriors that hunt space pirates", because space pirates are such a massive problem for the federation. And Samus is considered the absolute best of all of them.
The problem with Samus' PTSD attack is something you mentioned briefly but didn't go into much detail about-Samus had seen Ridley before. Five times. If she had PTSD from when her parents were killed, it would have manifested those times as well, not randomly show up the sixth time Ridley appears.
As someone who loathes otherM, I can agree quite a bit with this video. Good points there =) The issue never was PTSD, or respecting some jerkwad, or anysuch, it was just really poor writing. And the lack of exploring. Bad, that!
+Fen Y so how would they go on and fixing that, releasing a manga that will recon a few moments of the game and go and execute Other M events much better?
You know, I accept the general explanation of Samus's portrayal in Other M. It makes sense for what she's been through thus far in the series (although Nintendo implied that the Prime games, and most of the Chozo lore we have along with it, occurred in an alternate universe) But NOT turning on the Varia Suit (Or heck, the GRAVITY Suit) while she's burning alive in a volcano? I guess I understand forgetting about it, but I only do that because I've done Varia-less runs. Samus, in her own canon, does take the Varia Suit. It's just hard to ignore these problems
I feel like I'd be really interested on a metroid game that took place while Samus was still with the chozo.It would probably end up playing differently from a traditional metroid game but I'm intrigued to see what that span of time was like for samus presented in something more engaging than a flashback or monologue.
Here's a somewhat challenge, since you did a mostly silent protagonist... How about a character analysis of the three Mother protagonists? I'll bet Ninten and Ness will be a bit difficult, but you should be able to get more out of Lucas. And, of course, the overarching theme of the Mother series should provide plenty of clues for them all anyhow :)
+Magiseth That's a pretty good idea! Might be a ways off since I haven't played any of the Mother games, but I'm definitely not opposed to that. Thanks. :)
I'd love to see a character analysis of Mario. He's gotten some what of a bad rap from some people in the past with theories that he's communist or a psychopath making rounds. He's similar to Samus in the way that in most games Mario doesn't seem to have much characterization due to the lack of dialog. However, the cut-scenes in the main series games along with his portrayal in the "Paper Mario" series as well as the "Mario and Luigi" series shows he's actually do a decent job at exploring his relationship with other characters including Peach, Bowser, and Luigi. It'd be nice to see a video talking about Mario's character without saying he's secretly evil for once.
I love Samus's Character, and I also love really getting to know a character rather than having a blank slate. Metroid The Other M is probably the most decisive games in the series. However, unlike most people I think it was a great experiment/anniversary game and progression of the series. I might have to end up writing a thesis about that game and why it is great, I know there are problems. I know a lot of people did not like the game taking over for those story points. But time and time again I really look back on it quite fondly. As the bosses boss battles and the use of 3D in that game really changed how I looked at 3D gaming and the pace that Metroid is perceived to have. Every time I look at Samus Returns I just see all the mechanics and improvements that Other M brought to the table. Ultimately I tend to see people just be angry that it was not Super Metroid. However I had a great time with that game and it really got me thinking more about who Samus is than any other game in the series.
I still feel that Other M could have been slightly better if they put in a point where you enter the lava area, and Samus activates her Varia Suit on her own. Cue Adam arguing about her disobeying his order, her stating her reasoning and how that suit poses no threat to his crew, and then Adam conceding and trusting her judgement. BAM! Good, strong characterization on both ends.
There is an incredibly huge issue with the idea that Samus would face PTSD while fighting Ridley triggering a childhood memory when the games have never shown her to be facing PTSD before. Samus in previous games has been a highly respected individual. Why is she respected? Because she is intelligent, competent, and experienced in fighting many different species including the Space Pirates. She's fought Ridley many times. It got to the point where the federation frequently seeks her aid. Metroid Prime 3 practically had her leading an army of federation marines. Her very presence causes Space Pirates to quake as you can tell by reading their datalog journals. As others have stated before, including somebody below, PTSD would have made more sense earlier in the timeline. At that point, Samus would have lacked a lot of her experience and respect that the other games show that she has. I think that a lot of people saw her competence as a flaw. That people boil her character down to just a badass shows how little they actually paid attention. The older games however, utilized a form of story telling known as "show don't tell". The games showed her personality through her actions and her small amount of dialogue. Even the way she moved showed her personality. Other M however, utilized the opposite strategy of storytelling. Everything came out as exposition and inner monologues. The rest was told through dramatic cinematics. Unfortunately everything contrasts with the characterization of previous games, not just in the timeline, but in general. Other M ends up being an anomaly in other words even compared to Fusion. There would be a big problem if she was suffering from ptsd. I think maybe the intention was to show her suffering from ptsd, however, from my research on the topic, it is not a very accurate depiction of it or rather it seems to be missing a lot of details. For instance, from a website known as helpguide.org (for some reason youtube won't let me paste anything and that includes links.) it mentions several symptoms for those in combat and some for veterans. Samus has only exhibited one of the veteran symptoms possibly (the symptom many people seem to think she is suffering from.). The veteran symptoms are symptoms that surface long after the traumatic event. That symptom is Recurrent, intrusive reminders of the traumatic event. Basically it refers to reliving the event. It is important to mention that many people in the military suffer from ptsd, and makes reintegration into life as a noncombatant difficult. Samus is frequently in combat be it against attacking creatures local to wherever she is, metroids and other foreign invaders or even against space pirates. It would be very human to be affected by having to fight and kill these things including space pirates. I can understand the desire to make her seem more human. However, they misrepresented PTSD when doing so, and the effect ends up hurting her characterization rather than helping it. The other symptoms of PTSD that manifest long after the traumatic experience are A.) Extreme avoidance of things that remind you of the traumatic event or events. Samus is a bounty hunter who goes looking for space pirates or other issues in space. She's freelance, free to fight or choose another occupation. So one could easily argue that she does not suffer from that symptom. B.) Negative changes in thought or mood. This is referring to exaggerated negative beliefs about oneself or the world and persistent feelings of fear, guilt, or shame. Samus in Other M is largely emotionless imo. While she frequently monologues internally, she never expresses any fear guilt or shame, nor does she express exaggerated negative beliefs about herself or the world.C.) Being on guard all of the time. This includes being jumpy, easily irritable, prone to angry outbursts, and having reckless behavior, trouble sleeping or concentrating, hypervigilance, and an exaggerated start response. Samus never appeared to be anymore jumpy, or on guard compared to say the Prime series. It is important to realize that this point is in regards to normal life. Somebody out in the field who needs to be ready would understandably be vigilant and on guard, but somebody say eating at a restaurant who is so jumpy and on guard would feel out of place (which is a reason why reintegration is difficult). The other symptoms are suffered right after the traumatic event. Our bodies are built with the ability to handle stressful situations. As that page mentions, we have mainly two sets of defenses for stressful situations. Social engagement, or talking to others. When we do that, it can have a profound positive effect on us and can quickly calm us down from our other defense. The other defense is the fight or flight defense. We choose to fight or not. The main symptom of ptsd that occurs right after the traumatic event is immobilization. It is important to recognize that this is not referring to in combat, but rather right afterward. If Samus was facing ptsd against Ridley, it would have occurred right after the battle. As the page says, the physical danger may have passed, but the person finds themselves "stuck", unable to return to the pre-stress state they were in. From what I have learned by researching PTSD, is that it is more than the episodes people think. PTSD is from what I gather, something that people generally have suffered for the rest of their lives. If Samus' parents being killed caused her to have ptsd, she would have long already suffered the immobilization. Years after facing Ridley multiple times would not have caused immobilization unless she was facing new traumatic events. And again, immobilization occurs after the physical danger passed. And reliving the traumatic experience probably would have occurred during other encounters as well. Such would have dramatically lowered her chances of survival or success. Another peeve I have is that many seem to handwave the past games, like there was something she had that was different. Like many have said that Samus may have been triggered because she thought Ridley was dead. Of course, he was "dead" other times as well. And even then, from what I have seen, ptsd doesn't work that way. So yeah, people including myself have admitted that having Samus experience PTSD would be a very interesting and humanizing plot point. But Other M's version of it is incredibly misunderstood and limited. It hurt her character because it just made it seem more cliche rather than humanizing. If she had suffered a more accurate portrayal rather than something that on the surface resembles PTSD then it would have been humanizing. As for the humanization itself. Like I said above, previous games subtly told their stories and characterized the characters through action, aka "show don't tell". There have been others who have explained it better such as TheGamingBritShow. Good storytelling in gaming doesn't need a crap ton of inner monologues and exposition to tell itself. While a good story can be heavy on both of those things, more often than not those things get in the way. The best way is if it can be shown, that is preferable to exposition.
I've had the hardest time summing up why I don't hate Other M, you hit the nail on the head so well. Like none of the things are necessarily not possible, just somewhat incongruent with the majority's mindset about her One thing that I like to point out is A) I dont feel Prime is actually canon (especially in the fusion/other m timeline) and B) I feel Samus has some knowledge Ridley survives Zero mission, and doesnt have an attack when she sees him in Ceres because she's still fuelled by revenge. But when he dies and is blown up on on Zebes she finally lets go, lower her guard when he impossibly reappears on the bottle ship. tl;dr Samus knows Ridley could have returned after Zero Mission, but wholeheartedly believes hes gone for good after Super making her more susceptible to the attack in Other M
I actually enjoyed other m. It wasn't as good as the primes, but it was alright. I'm glad finally someone else has something good to say about the game. Also, every nintendo franchise has had a hiccup here and there, so I wasn't too disappointed.
im curious to where the existence of phazon fits in here, after all Samus went to war together with the galactic federation and all, and dark samus just appeared out of nowhere. (Not entirely out of nowhere but whatever) Prime 3 is my favorite metroid so thats where the curiosity comes from
I guess I don't really give a shit how scary an opponent is - if i brutally beat their ass 7 times in a row, i'm not going to become a panicked mess when i have to do it the 8th time. If anything, Ridley should have been the one with PTSD.
I want Samus to have some character, but let's face it, Other M was a terrible, TERRIBLE example of writing. There are subtle moments in the Prime games that convey Samus' feelings a lot better than a robotic expressionless woman in Other M. That part where Samus closes the Federation Trooper eye in Prime 2, the pain she felt while having to kill the other hunters in Prime 3 and her reflection about it in the end of the game and in the first Prime, when she follows Ridley into Tallon IV or when she closes her eyes at the end of the game after having to destroy the chozo temple. Nobody would've cared if Samus showed some emotion, but it was done in the worst possible way, full of dumb decisions and an inconsistent, almost painful to see. And the result is that we have thousands of angry people crying about Federation Force when they haven't even played the game.
JESUS Christ that was long but I totally agree with you samus portrayal in this game was very flawed and this sudden PTSD that she is facing makes no sense In the metroid universe she has faced many enemies and overcome them because of who she is, a trained veteran . now I understand the point that he made in the video but I'm sorry there are way too many other UA-camrs who have made videos explaining in MUCH more detail how other m is a terrible excuse for a metroid game that does not showcase what this franchise is know for. Their are more areas than JUST PTSD and how it in some inexcusable way show samus character, that other m fails at Exploration,Story,Accomplishment,Progression and the list goes on ..........uuugh basically other m is not a good metriod game and samus portrayal is strange and in no way makes sense.
I really don't understand why this isn't more widely known than it is but, from what I've gathered: Other M was based on one of the manga series in which Samus definitively has PTSD and isn't in the same canon as the Prime games so the argument about her having already fought Ridley 5 times isn't relevant because in that continuity; she hasn't, at absolute most it would be her third time fighting him but even then he genuinely died the last time they met so she's encountering a foe that has seemingly come back from the dead, albeit through cloning rather than actual resurrection. My point is, that game may be as awful as everyone says it is but the freak out scene isn't the culprit, it makes sense given the full context and is...relatively well done Although you certainly could yell at Nintendo and Team-Ninja for not making the specifics of the game's continuity more clear, especially for western audiences that wouldn't have access to the manga or even know of its existence and, well everything else that's wrong with that game
I really liked the character that was added in Fusion. I played it alongside Prime and it was fantastic. I thought the glances into Samus's psyche were excellent and non-jarring additions in that title. I haven't played Other M.
I have no problems with Samus actually being a human being. I openly invite it. But you can write about being stoic and and closed off emotionally. Maybe she does feel these things, like a mutual respect for adam, a motherly instinct towards the metroid infant, etc., but she's just really bad at conveying these things, especially to other humans. She was raised by bird people until the age of 16 for the express purpose of becoming a powerful warrior and not much else. Maybe in dealing with other people, she comes off as a hardass or just impossible to deal with given that she hates being ordered around. You can create narrative interest around those sorts of ideas. But one of the things I don't feel Samus should feel like is vulnerable. Especially by the time of other m, she's seen shit, she's done shit, and nobody in the entire galaxy does shit as well as she does. Her dealing with PTSD is perfectly reasonable (though having fought Ridley so many times beforehand makes the reaction to him in other m seem way too much), but I think maybe instead of deriving narrative interest from her doubting herself all the time, maybe you go the opposite direction: she thinks her way of doing things is better than everybody else's, and the marines on the station have a hard time dealing with her because of it. Idk, something like that, something other than turning her into a scared little girl. Course, we may never get something like this, because at this point, it seems like Nintendo is more intent on killing off the franchise all together than anything else.
Motherdragon64 Saying you want Metroid to be more story centric is like saying you want Mario Bros to be more story centric, It goes against what the series is meant to be about therefore you clearly can't be a fan if you want the games to be completely different from how they're meant to be.
Okay okay, I'll calm down, just seeing comments saying other m looks amazing infuriates me because it's a betrayal to the series. My point is fro example if I said I'm a true Zelda fan but I want Zelda to play more like metal gear would I still be a true zelda fan...no, no I wouldn't. And It really shows that you haven't played other m, because then you'd know the game literally tells you exactly where to go with no freedom whatsoever exactly the opposite of what metroid games are meant to do and the game literally has nothing in it metroid games are meant to have. Seeing "I hope future metroid games become more story centric" basically made me think you wanted future games to be just like other m and if that's the case then you can't be a metroid fan because other m is NOT a metroid game, it has the title but the gameplay has about as much to do with the metroid series and kirby does with god of war.
Adam Malkovich is Yoshio Sakamoto's self-insert. (He sees Samus as his daughter, so the first chance he gets he introduces a father figure that seems to exist solely to justify Sakamoto's poor design decisions.) This realization alongside his horrible writing and directing, and the way his attempt to build up to Metroid Fusion actually undermined the latter, it's more than clear that he was not the right person to take over the franchise after Gunpei Yokoi's departure and tragic demise.
How to fix Other M story wise: Put it earlier in the timeline and remove mentions of events in Super Metroid so it makes sense. The gameplay though, not as easy to fix.
Thank goodness for not making this all about how she is a woman. Her gender is not her most important characteristic and some make it a bigger deal than it is. It should be expected that women are capable of overcoming things like Samus, not a surprise that deserves tons of acclaim.
Good video, only thing is that according to Yoshio Sakamoto the metroid prime games are no longer considered canon (anther reason to hate other M) and basically the whole time line is questionable. I do believe that samus was meant to have other emotions and was not merely a soulless killing machine but she is definitely independent minded and stoic both things other M botched.
I'd like to see a video on Sheik/Zelda/Tetra. I'd love to learn more about her. After all, Zelda is the titular character of one of the most legendary video games ever made, but people still generally don't know much about her which is a shame since she's such an exceptional character: one moment she's damseling along as Princess Zelda, the next she's kicking ass as a pirate, and then as some sort of ninja _guy_. There aren't that many cross-dressing characters in video games to begin with, so she'd definitely make for an interesting episode: is she dressing up as a guy because...? Is Hyrule more hostile to women or...? Is she maybe a closet drag king? Of course some wonder if she's actually transgendered and only remains in more effeminate garb most of the time out of her sense of duty to her people/family/the crown? Is she even into Link romance-wise since she always seems to keep him at an arm's length? If not Link, does Zelda even have a significant other? And so on, I'm sure there are plenty of unanswered questions about her. Anyway, great video. Samus is definitely one of my favorites, and the Metroid series includes some of my all-time favorite games, so I'm always glad to see the franchise get some recognition. I'd main her in Smash if Sakurai didn't insist on keeping her firmly in the bottom tiers. Instead I main, surprise-surprise, Sheik. Keep up the good work!
I have many issues with Other M with its story. First would have to be Samus having a PTSD attack. This makes no sense when she has fought Ridley many times and even in the manga where she has a PTSD attack when she fights Ridley for the first time she manages to get over it and defeat Ridley. The second thing is Why the hell is Nightmare in Other M. Metroid Fusion makes it sound like Nightmare was a warmachine that can manipulate gravity and that only one was created. I find it hard to believe that there multiple Nightmares that were created by BSL. Being able to control gravity for a weapon sounds useful, but having multiple Nightmare units to manipulate gravity makes no sense when if they have figured out how to manipulate gravity they could make it into a more effective weapon.
...Uhh, the baby wasn't an Omega Metroid at the end of Super Metroid. I'm going to assume that was just an oversight in the writing process, this must have been a pretty long script.
Small quibble, in Other M she technically didn't go through the Prime trilogy because Nintendo dropped them from the canon since Other M's story conflicted with them. That said, I think that doing so was a poor decision since the Prime trilogy did a much better job of subtly but strongly characterizing Samus and are generally better than Other M as games and as stories, so I fully endorse just ignoring the fact that they're technically not canon.
Prime is a Metroid project by the Talon IV space pirates Prime is the name of the evil samus doppleganger from MPrime, and is finally defeated in corruption. Prime is also the source of all Phazon.
***** true. but the experiment found on Talon IV talks of a Metroid absorbing ancient technology and Metroid Prime is the final boss. plus, its been years since I played Metroid prime, now I think about it, isn't Metroid collection availiable on wii U? I might buy it, getting a bit rusty.
Other M is a powder keg as far as the fan base is concerned...One of which that people would like to see straight up officially struck from canon. Seemingly what Other M does is strike out in such a unwelcome way that it left such a sour taste it was silly. I also watched the full cutscenes for the game and I am...extremely unimpressed with the game.
Haven't finished the video but that line "some fashion indeed" was totally brilliant. Seriously great breakdown of this story. I had no idea of any of this.
There was a good moment in Fusion that's often overlooked. Samus was originally going to self-destruct the space station which would kill her in the process, bus Adam intervened and suggested that Samus should alter the station's orbit to crash it into the planet. This would not only kill the X-parasites on the planet as well as the station, it'd also give her enough time to escape. Adam's superior judgement here gives the feel of a military genius, and possibly a reason why Samus respected him back in her military days.
You nailed how I feel about other m, good ideas, awful execution.
+MrLCGO Like the better design for her suit. So much better, that they used it in smash?
+MrLCGO I haven't played Other M, and don't plan to in recent time. But reading and seeing the cutscenes, I can see that they tried to give her something, instead of being "dude bro with a gun killing aliens" to the new comer or face value. Maybe her PTSD was finally triggered with having so many thoughts and emotions.
Same feelings about the "awful execution" part.
i understood the PTSD moment with Ridley in Other M being so severe because she DIDN'T expect to ever see him again. At the end of Super Metroid The entirety of Planet Zebes, all of its wildlife, and the remains of the various Space Pirates she defeated are completely obliterated
This is awesome! I like it a lot! I liked the part where you explain why she tends to protect defenseless creatures. Motherly instinct seemed like an easy explanation when it could have been the way she was raised.
When I was scrolling down before I hit reply it said N U T S A C K L I C K I N B O I
I honestly REALLY enjoyed this. Character analysis is my jam, and you did an awesome job on it.
I would prefer if he talk more about it in fusion and I would like a remake with the very alst metroïd.
I always figured the PTSD breakdown in Other M was because, unlike all the other times before that, this time Ridley was 100% dead absolutely gone forever, body disintigrated, gravesite atomized, cosmic dust at best. So her guard was down and she was not even remotely ready to process seeing him again.
Great video, I felt like you did a good job tying together Samus's personality as it's been presented over the decades. I had pretty much come to the same conclusion about Samus as you did
I made a video on the subject a year ago and actually I saw the problem with Samus reaction in Other M in the Ridley scene, but... Is very well explained if you pay atention to details, in the previous games (I'm not counting Prime, I will always take Prime as a 'what if' saga) Ridley never die, in the manga it's explained he survived the Metroid 1/Zero battle, but in Super Metroid he was blown with the entire planet.
In Other M Samus wasn't aware of Ridley being a Clone, so she wasn't not only in front of her worst enemy, she was in front of a DEAD entity, a ghost, her past, a ghost of her past, returning again, this obviously made her collapse and well, we know the rest of the story.
In Fusion she didn't mention or collapse in front of Ridley because she was aware of X taking the body of the ship species, and we can find the Ridley corpse before in a cold room (corpse who is in fact, the clone from Other M).
I'm sorry, but this is brilliant, and Other M feels more connected if the player pays a little more atention to detail.
Sorry again for the bad english and anyway,
really cool video!, keep up the good work :)
+Daniel San GMR But the entire Prime Saga is actually canon ?
+Daniel San GMR But Samus ALSO wasn't aware that Ridley survived their battle from Metroid 1/Zero Mission. So... shouldn't she have freaked out when she saw him in Prime 1 (or Super Metroid if you insist on considering Prime non-canon)? I think it's pretty clear that the Other M scene was supposed to be a recreation of Samus's PTSD breakdown from the manga, but the problem with that is that Other M completely missed the point of that part of the manga. It was supposed to establish that Samus was coping with her traumatic past and getting over it. That message would be ruined if she just kept having meltdowns after already "conquering" her fear.
Gonayr2
Some people are like saying that Sakamoto did that in Other M because he couldn't do that with the limitation of Super Metroid. That would be a compelling argument if 1) if it was actually stated in the game she had a PTSD moment in Super Metroid 2) if Other M wasn't trying to be a fancy 3D with HD cinematics Super Metroid rather than trying to be it's own game, because, let's admit it, this game is just retro pandering every 10 second.
Chips Light I agree completely. I've always said that the best elements of Other M were the ones it stole from better games in the series.
foeveryrealx
The argument of not being able to use certain weapon during the mission reminds me of the excellet video of TheGamingBritShow which explains he finds it actually stupid she cannot use any of her equipment because Adam says they are people that could be in the station. Except all of them are dead and he never reminds multiple time in the game that they might be people alive, not once.
It would be okay if he had to watch out a nuclear suit of armor in a crowded space but when everyone is fucking dead since the beginning, it's pointless to do so.
Great work on this video! I have always LOVED Samus. Both the design of her armor and cannon arm, as well as the fact that Nintendo pulled the rug out under people when Metroid first came out and showed everyone at the end that she was a woman. She always felt like a blank slate to me though throughout most of the games save for a few instances. Thanks for putting this together! I'd love to see more character studies like this one
Great feature as always! :D Wonderful analysis of such an important character, and going properly in-depth, instead of just making poor, vague inspections.
This is a great vid, with just great production values. One thing that I really think is great is that the sound quality doesn't get better or worse when you switch to the shot of just you from when your voicing over. It's a little pet peeve of mine when it switches when the type of voice over switches. Anyways, keep up the incredible work. It'll pay off!
Great video. Definitely liked the format, and would like to see more. One about Snake would be cool.
+Noah Young Oh geezus Snake. X.x That'll be... we'll save that for the future when I'm like top tier awesome. What a profile that'll be, haha.
+Rated S Games You're already top tier awesome. Billions of more people just need to know you.
That was super cool, man. All very well put! It's interesting to hear what you have to say, and I hope to hear more in the future!
I really liked this video! I can feel and understand your passion when you're talking about Metroid, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. I hope you continue on with making these profiling videos!
(And by the way, you definitely deserve more subs and views, seriously!)
Yes this video was amazing and probably the most in depth character analysis of Samus you will find anywhere. I would honestly like to send this to the team who made the prime games just to hear their reaction about the video and about some of your points.
Other than that maybe doing one for Link would be interesting to hear you talk about.
I really enjoyed this thought out and well put together video, great job! I loved the segment from 1:06 - 1:14 where you referred to the Pirates as "these assholes." I'd love to see this done again... but I can't think of a character off the top of my head.
One thing to point out about Samus going back to Ceres to check on the Baby Metroid. In Other M's opening cutscene, Samus reports to a council of Federation officials, reporting a "mission complete." Either Samus just wanted to word it that way for them or she considered it a mission herself, that cutscene implied, to me, that Samus was given the mission by someone in the Federation to go to Zebes for Super Metroid, which just isn't true. Samus went to save the Baby Metroid because she wanted to, not because someone told her or paid her to do it. That's a contradiction/retcon that no one seemed to catch, or at least mention.
Also, at 7:17 you refer to the Baby Metroid as an Omega Metroid, which isn't true. It's just a really big Metroid, a "Super Metroid", if you will.... I'm serious, it's actually called that.
Metroid is my favorite game series and I really enjoyed the character study, as far as other characters go I'd like to see anyone you're specifically attached to; it seemed like you put a lot of care into Samus because you love the character so much.
I enjoyed the format of this character analysis. One of Samus is a great way to start. Another character I think that may have just as bizarre and "controversial" backstory is Shadow the Hedgehog. Ridiculous as it may be, it is a chronicle of revenge, redemption, self discover, and acceptance. Throwing that idea out there and looking forward to your next video.
That was a wonderful character analysis. Wouldn't mind seeing more in the future. This video is definitely rated 'S'....for Samus. ;)
This format is awesome! I'm love to see a character profile one someone like Ryu or even Chun-Li
Thank you for this. Thank you for not saying, "Meh meh Other M, bad because everyone says it's bad, meh meh." :D
sir I understand your opinion but I can GUARANTEE you that those people have a GOOD reason to complain about other m EVEN the man in the video stated that this game does not protray samus in a correct manner
julius alexander I totally agree with you. I was just complimenting him on not being "that guy" who just complains to complain, but rather being the guy who comes at it from an unbiased/analytical standpoint.
Been playing a lot of metroid lately. This video was perfect for me.
Hey, loved the video! I just got to point something out: At 7:18 you said the baby had transformed into an Omega Metroid, which it is not. It just grew tremendously large. You fight an Omega Metroid at the end of Fusion
love this. would like to see another one on captain falcon (:
Very nice look at Samus as a character, and why a lot of us were disappointed with her portrayal in Other M. I'd love to see other in-depth looks at characters from games like this, especially ones that with similar situations to how fans like or dislike their portrayals, like Cloud's differences from FF7 and the other other games/media he's appeared in.
I liked it... I guess you should make more in this style... Its entertaining and informing...
Great work on the video dude!
Now if we could only figure out why her Power Suit magically became some kinda telepathic projection just for Other M...
Yeah they never defined how it worked until Other M and I felt like it wasn't very well explained so I didn't cover that. I'd consider that part of them pushing a little too hard.
+Rated S Games Excellent video my man, definitely *Rated 'S'*. I got some suggestions about videogame characters for you to probably critique in the future. You do not have to review any of them of course and you can pick only one if you like, so here they are listed below.......
~ Olimar from PIKMIN
~ Solid Snake from METAL GEAR
~ Master Chief from HALO
~ Harry Mason from SILENT HILL
~ Ico from ICO
~ Harman Smith from KILLER 7
+Sunder Her power suit always worked like that. When you get a Game Over in 2D Metroid games, Samus doesn't explode, her Power Suit just disappears. Similarly, when she took off her Power Suit in a cutscene in Zero Mission, the suit once again just disappeared as if by magic (or telepathy).
+Sunder If I remember correctly they do explain in the official manga; Metroid Database translated it a while ago, but don't quote me on that: www.metroid-database.com/
More specifically: www.metroid-database.com/manga/listing.php
+Sunder Wasn't she able to telepathically remove her suit in the Prime games? I know she did it in Prime 2 if you got at least 75% of items and scans by the end.
Muy buen video. A pesar de no haber jugado (aún) Other M es el primer análisis sobre la "personalidad" de Samus que encuentro acertado. Eres la primera persona que subraya de forma tan importante que, salvo por 'Fusion' y 'Other M', Samus no tiene personalidad alguna sino la proyección de los sentimientos del jugador en el momento (sobre todo en Prime 1 donde además se juega en primera persona).
I understand the idea of how Samus could totally get a PTSD moment from Ridley since it can happen at any moment, the problem with this scene is in the fact that she fought him 6 (7 if you take in account the intro of Super Metroid) times in 3 different games. I will not debate about the fact she can't have a PTSD moment but the problem is that she probably had it in one of those fight, probably in either MZM (cause it's the first time she fights him) or Metroid Prime (seeing he came back to life and she's especially angry when she sees him escape) so why does she have it AFTER them ? It doesn't make a lot of sense, even for PTDS.
Not only that, I think Samus probably holds more hateful and revengeful feelings toward Ridley rather than PTSD. She didn't become this warrior to protect herself, she did so to protect the universe and she is capable of fighting every odds possible (shall I remind that she defeated a God like cancerous entity, a poisonous alternate dimension and led the entire Galactic Federation to War and WON ? I mean, come on). I would have taken the scene more seriously and believable if she became absolutly furious toward the Galactic Federation for trying to revive Ridley since, I don't, isn't the plot of Other M that the GF is trying to bring back the Space Pirates too life and control them ?
But I will give you props for actually making Other M believable because, while still stupid for multiple reason, it's true that PTSD can happen at anytime and you were capable of using Other M as a compelling argument, seeing how Other M is... fucking Other M.
As always, it was a really good video (even if Other M tainted it) and now I'm just thinking of one thing : if as of Other M/Fusion, the Space Pirates are no more, who Samus will fight now ?
+Chips Light The Galactic Federation. She alludes to it at the end, that she's concerned about how the GF will respond to what happens in Metroid Fusion.
Also, I totally see what you're saying, but as I pointed out in the video, I wanted to go on what's there in the games, not what I think makes more sense or is more inline with my own vision of Samus. The PTSD thing is tough to work with because they introduced it later to flesh out her character on top of this revelation of how the suit works, and that was a lot for people to accept. I'm glad you enjoyed the video still, though!
+Chips Light +Rated S Games
I honestly feel that the player themselves may have gotten frightened when first seeing and fighting Ridley, it isn't conveyed in the game yet it could be conveyed by the players reaction. Of course it is just a game so most players wouldn't get a PTSD effect but there were probably children who played the game for the first time who may have froze up a little and wondered if they could beat Ridley even after beating Ridley in a game before, I mean that is usually why people lose on their first try at a boss.
Even disregarding this maybe Samus knowing that she has beaten Ridley 6 times but having him still come back no matter what frightens her, like maybe she thinks she can never really beat him? Maybe she realised that in that moment of Other M and that just caused her to break down.
NewLegend
But even so, she fought him 3 times (2 if you take the original Metroid rather than ZM), defeated Mother Brain and Kraid twice, exterminated the entire species of the Metroid and destroyed Zebes by HERSELF. She is perfectly capable of fighting Ridley a fourth time and she knows that so why would she be scared ?
+Rated S Games I'm on the camp that thinks that Other M would have worked a lot better if it was earlier (even first) on the timeline. A lot of things would have made more sense. The PTSD episode? It's the first time she's seen Ridley after he murdered her parents. Following orders blindly? She left the Space Federation recently and she hasn't developed that much independence and she's used to follow Adam's orders. Many characters traits could have been explained by her being younger and less experienced.
guys, in case you're unfamiliar with how PTSD works, its not something you can just get over after awhile. Imagine you go to war and all your friends die in front of you and you develop PTSD, and get sent into more battles where more friends die, but you keep fighting and winning the battles. Does that mean you eventually get over and are totally fine with seeing your friends dies in any further battles? Does the sounds of gunshots and explosions become less terrifying because you survived them last time? No, now imagine you went through this kinda thing when you were a young child (3 to 4 even in Samus' case!) and because of that had no way to fight back or help your friends? You'd get seriously messed up. And the way PTSD works is not that it reminds you of memories like a nostalgia trip, what it does is make you think you are actually THERE during the point that created the PTSD, as though you time travelled to that point except you also have the same feeling you had at the time, so in Samus' case she thinks she is back at where Ridley killed her parents and she thinks she is a defenseless child because that is exactly what she was back then and she doesn't realize she isn't because PTSD is that severe. That said, having PTSD doesn't make you weak, in fact since Samus was able to get over the bout of PTSD so quickly and fight Ridley is really impressive and shows a lot of strength. So I hope this helps you understand the severity of PTSD and why Samus would react that way, and only towards Ridley (since he is the one that ate her parents in front of her).
your vids have been kind of boring for me to watch, they're really good, just not my type of my vids. this one, this one was really well executed and enjoyed the story-telling you did to explain everything samus. great work, really liking this new format!!!
Totally dug the format and felt it a good balance of narrative and exposition to convey a whole on the character.
I will say it's a nice contrast to DiGi Valentine's work, even if both your work and his have their strong suits. (...Ya get it cause Samus and the Power suit and never mind)
Basically I'm saying keep doing stuff like this if you enjoy it, ya rock at it.
You should make more of this.
It is very good.
Hey dude - great vid, we just shared it. We would also appreciate some credit (at least to our main site) for providing you with the artwork taken directly from our Bestiary you used at 09:36.
Ridley: www.metroid-database.com/bestiary/bestiary.php?b=107
MechaRidley: www.metroid-database.com/bestiary/bestiary.php?b=121
This kinda brought a new light to things for me a little bit. Samus is driven by duty and responsibility, and I think her personal ethics compel her to defend the defenseless and fight those that prey on them. That explains why she didn't finish off the baby metroid. There are some things that should be fleshed out in future games: 1)Her respect for life taught by the chocolate and reinforced by Adam is not evident when she slaughters almost every creature in her path regardless of if it actively seeks to harm her. Even the ubiquitous zoomers don't hurt her unless she outright steps on them. 2) Her determinator personality which makes her fight on in the face of overwhelming odds, because if she can't do it no one can. We rarely see her legit get the crap kicked out of her and then keep fighting. There was the fight with mother brain, her own battle with the Omega metroid in Fusion, and possibly the SA-X in the same fight, if it had absorbed parts of her personality.
This was really cool, I hope to see more like it. Maybe explore characters like Solid Snake, Master Chief or Princess Zelda.
I'm kindof confused as to why he didn't talk about Metroid Prime 3 and her relationship with the other bounty hunters as she was forced to kill them one by one. I thought those scenes really showed a different side to Samus.
I enjoyed this type of video. You should do Big Boss and/or Solid Snake. Also, Link.
Nice video, interesting character analysis...
If you continue with this series, try reviewing the characters from transistor or bastion, both have interesting andawesome main AND side characters.
+JesusOrly Heh! I miiiight be covering those games' story elements in a different way down the line. We'll see.
You always have different hairstyles and facial hair in every video.
+Daniel Homberset This is my favorite comment.
I don't know how into the Uncharted series you are, but profiles of Sully or Nate like this would be awesome to see
+JayGhoulz OOh, that'd be fun. I was looking them up for a thing a while ago. Another series I'd have to play start to finish but STILL that'd be fun.
Rated S Games its a great series. Plus with the Nathan Drake collection coming out soon, it's a great time to go for it.
Very balanced and respectable expression on your view of _Other M_.
The best thing about games like non Other M Metroid games, to me, was the ability to feel like I was doing the adventuring and exploring etc. I don't want anyone taking a game series that I've always been able to, well, project onto and making the main character that you control make the decisions for me.
I really enjoyed this! Can we see another one of these but with Link or possibly Zedla?
I meant Zelda I'm an idiot
As far as I can tell, "bounty hunter" in the metroid universe mostly means "warriors that hunt space pirates", because space pirates are such a massive problem for the federation. And Samus is considered the absolute best of all of them.
The problem with Samus' PTSD attack is something you mentioned briefly but didn't go into much detail about-Samus had seen Ridley before. Five times. If she had PTSD from when her parents were killed, it would have manifested those times as well, not randomly show up the sixth time Ridley appears.
As someone who loathes otherM, I can agree quite a bit with this video. Good points there =)
The issue never was PTSD, or respecting some jerkwad, or anysuch, it was just really poor writing. And the lack of exploring. Bad, that!
+Fen Y so how would they go on and fixing that, releasing a manga that will recon a few moments of the game and go and execute Other M events much better?
This is a very interesting synopsis of the character.
You know, I accept the general explanation of Samus's portrayal in Other M. It makes sense for what she's been through thus far in the series (although Nintendo implied that the Prime games, and most of the Chozo lore we have along with it, occurred in an alternate universe)
But NOT turning on the Varia Suit (Or heck, the GRAVITY Suit) while she's burning alive in a volcano? I guess I understand forgetting about it, but I only do that because I've done Varia-less runs. Samus, in her own canon, does take the Varia Suit. It's just hard to ignore these problems
Nice video. First time watcher now I'm subscribed, any character would be cool.
love the video, I started watching One Piece and your afro and look reminds me of Sengoku. XD
I feel like I'd be really interested on a metroid game that took place while Samus was still with the chozo.It would probably end up playing differently from a traditional metroid game but I'm intrigued to see what that span of time was like for samus presented in something more engaging than a flashback or monologue.
Here's a somewhat challenge, since you did a mostly silent protagonist...
How about a character analysis of the three Mother protagonists? I'll bet Ninten and Ness will be a bit difficult, but you should be able to get more out of Lucas. And, of course, the overarching theme of the Mother series should provide plenty of clues for them all anyhow :)
+Magiseth That's a pretty good idea! Might be a ways off since I haven't played any of the Mother games, but I'm definitely not opposed to that. Thanks. :)
Samus= Favorite female character in games
Other m Samus= Least favorite female character in games
I'd love to see a character analysis of Mario. He's gotten some what of a bad rap from some people in the past with theories that he's communist or a psychopath making rounds. He's similar to Samus in the way that in most games Mario doesn't seem to have much characterization due to the lack of dialog. However, the cut-scenes in the main series games along with his portrayal in the "Paper Mario" series as well as the "Mario and Luigi" series shows he's actually do a decent job at exploring his relationship with other characters including Peach, Bowser, and Luigi. It'd be nice to see a video talking about Mario's character without saying he's secretly evil for once.
I really dig this, I'd like to see an obscure character.
I love Samus's Character, and I also love really getting to know a character rather than having a blank slate.
Metroid The Other M is probably the most decisive games in the series.
However, unlike most people I think it was a great experiment/anniversary game and progression of the series.
I might have to end up writing a thesis about that game and why it is great, I know there are problems. I know a lot of people did not like the game taking over for those story points.
But time and time again I really look back on it quite fondly. As the bosses boss battles and the use of 3D in that game really changed how I looked at 3D gaming and the pace that Metroid is perceived to have.
Every time I look at Samus Returns I just see all the mechanics and improvements that Other M brought to the table. Ultimately I tend to see people just be angry that it was not Super Metroid.
However I had a great time with that game and it really got me thinking more about who Samus is than any other game in the series.
This was awesome. I agree with everything you've said.
Of course she's not just a badass. She's sexy AND and a badass.
I still feel that Other M could have been slightly better if they put in a point where you enter the lava area, and Samus activates her Varia Suit on her own. Cue Adam arguing about her disobeying his order, her stating her reasoning and how that suit poses no threat to his crew, and then Adam conceding and trusting her judgement. BAM! Good, strong characterization on both ends.
There is an incredibly huge issue with the idea that Samus would face PTSD while fighting Ridley triggering a childhood memory when the games have never shown her to be facing PTSD before.
Samus in previous games has been a highly respected individual. Why is she respected? Because she is intelligent, competent, and experienced in fighting many different species including the Space Pirates. She's fought Ridley many times. It got to the point where the federation frequently seeks her aid. Metroid Prime 3 practically had her leading an army of federation marines. Her very presence causes Space Pirates to quake as you can tell by reading their datalog journals. As others have stated before, including somebody below, PTSD would have made more sense earlier in the timeline. At that point, Samus would have lacked a lot of her experience and respect that the other games show that she has.
I think that a lot of people saw her competence as a flaw. That people boil her character down to just a badass shows how little they actually paid attention. The older games however, utilized a form of story telling known as "show don't tell". The games showed her personality through her actions and her small amount of dialogue. Even the way she moved showed her personality. Other M however, utilized the opposite strategy of storytelling. Everything came out as exposition and inner monologues. The rest was told through dramatic cinematics. Unfortunately everything contrasts with the characterization of previous games, not just in the timeline, but in general. Other M ends up being an anomaly in other words even compared to Fusion.
There would be a big problem if she was suffering from ptsd. I think maybe the intention was to show her suffering from ptsd, however, from my research on the topic, it is not a very accurate depiction of it or rather it seems to be missing a lot of details. For instance, from a website known as helpguide.org (for some reason youtube won't let me paste anything and that includes links.) it mentions several symptoms for those in combat and some for veterans.
Samus has only exhibited one of the veteran symptoms possibly (the symptom many people seem to think she is suffering from.). The veteran symptoms are symptoms that surface long after the traumatic event. That symptom is Recurrent, intrusive reminders of the traumatic event. Basically it refers to reliving the event. It is important to mention that many people in the military suffer from ptsd, and makes reintegration into life as a noncombatant difficult. Samus is frequently in combat be it against attacking creatures local to wherever she is, metroids and other foreign invaders or even against space pirates. It would be very human to be affected by having to fight and kill these things including space pirates. I can understand the desire to make her seem more human. However, they misrepresented PTSD when doing so, and the effect ends up hurting her characterization rather than helping it.
The other symptoms of PTSD that manifest long after the traumatic experience are A.) Extreme avoidance of things that remind you of the traumatic event or events. Samus is a bounty hunter who goes looking for space pirates or other issues in space. She's freelance, free to fight or choose another occupation. So one could easily argue that she does not suffer from that symptom. B.) Negative changes in thought or mood. This is referring to exaggerated negative beliefs about oneself or the world and persistent feelings of fear, guilt, or shame. Samus in Other M is largely emotionless imo. While she frequently monologues internally, she never expresses any fear guilt or shame, nor does she express exaggerated negative beliefs about herself or the world.C.) Being on guard all of the time. This includes being jumpy, easily irritable, prone to angry outbursts, and having reckless behavior, trouble sleeping or concentrating, hypervigilance, and an exaggerated start response. Samus never appeared to be anymore jumpy, or on guard compared to say the Prime series. It is important to realize that this point is in regards to normal life. Somebody out in the field who needs to be ready would understandably be vigilant and on guard, but somebody say eating at a restaurant who is so jumpy and on guard would feel out of place (which is a reason why reintegration is difficult).
The other symptoms are suffered right after the traumatic event. Our bodies are built with the ability to handle stressful situations. As that page mentions, we have mainly two sets of defenses for stressful situations. Social engagement, or talking to others. When we do that, it can have a profound positive effect on us and can quickly calm us down from our other defense. The other defense is the fight or flight defense. We choose to fight or not. The main symptom of ptsd that occurs right after the traumatic event is immobilization. It is important to recognize that this is not referring to in combat, but rather right afterward. If Samus was facing ptsd against Ridley, it would have occurred right after the battle. As the page says, the physical danger may have passed, but the person finds themselves "stuck", unable to return to the pre-stress state they were in.
From what I have learned by researching PTSD, is that it is more than the episodes people think. PTSD is from what I gather, something that people generally have suffered for the rest of their lives. If Samus' parents being killed caused her to have ptsd, she would have long already suffered the immobilization. Years after facing Ridley multiple times would not have caused immobilization unless she was facing new traumatic events. And again, immobilization occurs after the physical danger passed. And reliving the traumatic experience probably would have occurred during other encounters as well. Such would have dramatically lowered her chances of survival or success. Another peeve I have is that many seem to handwave the past games, like there was something she had that was different. Like many have said that Samus may have been triggered because she thought Ridley was dead. Of course, he was "dead" other times as well. And even then, from what I have seen, ptsd doesn't work that way.
So yeah, people including myself have admitted that having Samus experience PTSD would be a very interesting and humanizing plot point. But Other M's version of it is incredibly misunderstood and limited. It hurt her character because it just made it seem more cliche rather than humanizing. If she had suffered a more accurate portrayal rather than something that on the surface resembles PTSD then it would have been humanizing.
As for the humanization itself. Like I said above, previous games subtly told their stories and characterized the characters through action, aka "show don't tell". There have been others who have explained it better such as TheGamingBritShow. Good storytelling in gaming doesn't need a crap ton of inner monologues and exposition to tell itself. While a good story can be heavy on both of those things, more often than not those things get in the way. The best way is if it can be shown, that is preferable to exposition.
I was expecting: "But, who is she really? And is she rated S?"
I've had the hardest time summing up why I don't hate Other M, you hit the nail on the head so well. Like none of the things are necessarily not possible, just somewhat incongruent with the majority's mindset about her
One thing that I like to point out is A) I dont feel Prime is actually canon (especially in the fusion/other m timeline) and B) I feel Samus has some knowledge Ridley survives Zero mission, and doesnt have an attack when she sees him in Ceres because she's still fuelled by revenge. But when he dies and is blown up on on Zebes she finally lets go, lower her guard when he impossibly reappears on the bottle ship.
tl;dr Samus knows Ridley could have returned after Zero Mission, but wholeheartedly believes hes gone for good after Super making her more susceptible to the attack in Other M
Bruh I love this video ^.^
How about the Warrior of Light from the Final Fantasy series, particularly along 1 and/or 14?
GOSH SHE'S SO COOL ... now I feel like monster kid
I love this video. I just finished zero mission and fusion. Gonna play other m again. I actually liked that game
I actually enjoyed other m. It wasn't as good as the primes, but it was alright. I'm glad finally someone else has something good to say about the game. Also, every nintendo franchise has had a hiccup here and there, so I wasn't too disappointed.
im curious to where the existence of phazon fits in here, after all Samus went to war together with the galactic federation and all, and dark samus just appeared out of nowhere. (Not entirely out of nowhere but whatever)
Prime 3 is my favorite metroid so thats where the curiosity comes from
I guess I don't really give a shit how scary an opponent is - if i brutally beat their ass 7 times in a row, i'm not going to become a panicked mess when i have to do it the 8th time. If anything, Ridley should have been the one with PTSD.
I want Samus to have some character, but let's face it, Other M was a terrible, TERRIBLE example of writing. There are subtle moments in the Prime games that convey Samus' feelings a lot better than a robotic expressionless woman in Other M. That part where Samus closes the Federation Trooper eye in Prime 2, the pain she felt while having to kill the other hunters in Prime 3 and her reflection about it in the end of the game and in the first Prime, when she follows Ridley into Tallon IV or when she closes her eyes at the end of the game after having to destroy the chozo temple.
Nobody would've cared if Samus showed some emotion, but it was done in the worst possible way, full of dumb decisions and an inconsistent, almost painful to see. And the result is that we have thousands of angry people crying about Federation Force when they haven't even played the game.
JESUS Christ that was long but I totally agree with you samus portrayal in this game was very flawed and this sudden PTSD that she is facing makes no sense In the metroid universe she has faced many enemies and overcome them because of who she is, a trained veteran . now I understand the point that he made in the video but I'm sorry there are way too many other UA-camrs who have made videos explaining in MUCH more detail how other m is a terrible excuse for a metroid game that does not showcase what this franchise is know for. Their are more areas than JUST PTSD and how it in some inexcusable way show samus character, that other m fails at Exploration,Story,Accomplishment,Progression and the list goes on ..........uuugh
basically other m is not a good metriod game and samus portrayal is strange and in no way makes sense.
actually, the baby/the hatchling/whatever you want to call it didn't become an omega metroid. it just got really, REALLY big.
I'd like to see a character analysis about Link or Gordon Freeman please.
I really don't understand why this isn't more widely known than it is but, from what I've gathered: Other M was based on one of the manga series in which Samus definitively has PTSD and isn't in the same canon as the Prime games so the argument about her having already fought Ridley 5 times isn't relevant because in that continuity; she hasn't, at absolute most it would be her third time fighting him but even then he genuinely died the last time they met so she's encountering a foe that has seemingly come back from the dead, albeit through cloning rather than actual resurrection.
My point is, that game may be as awful as everyone says it is but the freak out scene isn't the culprit, it makes sense given the full context and is...relatively well done
Although you certainly could yell at Nintendo and Team-Ninja for not making the specifics of the game's continuity more clear, especially for western audiences that wouldn't have access to the manga or even know of its existence and, well everything else that's wrong with that game
Ah, now I realise why I like cosmonaut so much
I really liked the character that was added in Fusion. I played it alongside Prime and it was fantastic. I thought the glances into Samus's psyche were excellent and non-jarring additions in that title. I haven't played Other M.
Can you cover a character from the metal gear series?
I'm so hyped by Metroid Prime: Federation Force!
I have no problems with Samus actually being a human being. I openly invite it. But you can write about being stoic and and closed off emotionally. Maybe she does feel these things, like a mutual respect for adam, a motherly instinct towards the metroid infant, etc., but she's just really bad at conveying these things, especially to other humans. She was raised by bird people until the age of 16 for the express purpose of becoming a powerful warrior and not much else. Maybe in dealing with other people, she comes off as a hardass or just impossible to deal with given that she hates being ordered around. You can create narrative interest around those sorts of ideas. But one of the things I don't feel Samus should feel like is vulnerable. Especially by the time of other m, she's seen shit, she's done shit, and nobody in the entire galaxy does shit as well as she does. Her dealing with PTSD is perfectly reasonable (though having fought Ridley so many times beforehand makes the reaction to him in other m seem way too much), but I think maybe instead of deriving narrative interest from her doubting herself all the time, maybe you go the opposite direction: she thinks her way of doing things is better than everybody else's, and the marines on the station have a hard time dealing with her because of it. Idk, something like that, something other than turning her into a scared little girl.
Course, we may never get something like this, because at this point, it seems like Nintendo is more intent on killing off the franchise all together than anything else.
I haven't played Other M, but it honestly seems amazing. I hope future Metroid games become more story-centric
You're not a Metroid fan are you?
Max G I am. Has it ever crossed your minds that some people may have opinions that aren't the most popular. Jesus H. Christ.
Motherdragon64 Saying you want Metroid to be more story centric is like saying you want Mario Bros to be more story centric, It goes against what the series is meant to be about therefore you clearly can't be a fan if you want the games to be completely different from how they're meant to be.
Max G Except it doesn't. And making it more story centric doesn't mean it can't have exploration.
Okay okay, I'll calm down, just seeing comments saying other m looks amazing infuriates me because it's a betrayal to the series. My point is fro example if I said I'm a true Zelda fan but I want Zelda to play more like metal gear would I still be a true zelda fan...no, no I wouldn't. And It really shows that you haven't played other m, because then you'd know the game literally tells you exactly where to go with no freedom whatsoever exactly the opposite of what metroid games are meant to do and the game literally has nothing in it metroid games are meant to have. Seeing "I hope future metroid games become more story centric" basically made me think you wanted future games to be just like other m and if that's the case then you can't be a metroid fan because other m is NOT a metroid game, it has the title but the gameplay has about as much to do with the metroid series and kirby does with god of war.
It's scary how much you look like my English Teacher
Adam Malkovich is Yoshio Sakamoto's self-insert. (He sees Samus as his daughter, so the first chance he gets he introduces a father figure that seems to exist solely to justify Sakamoto's poor design decisions.)
This realization alongside his horrible writing and directing, and the way his attempt to build up to Metroid Fusion actually undermined the latter, it's more than clear that he was not the right person to take over the franchise after Gunpei Yokoi's departure and tragic demise.
Ridley= every game as long as it doesn't have a 2
wow!!!!U r my hero!! Why didnt you tell me! You r the badass😍
How to fix Other M story wise: Put it earlier in the timeline and remove mentions of events in Super Metroid so it makes sense. The gameplay though, not as easy to fix.
I hate Other M but love the video you made a lot of good points
Thank goodness for not making this all about how she is a woman. Her gender is not her most important characteristic and some make it a bigger deal than it is. It should be expected that women are capable of overcoming things like Samus, not a surprise that deserves tons of acclaim.
Good video, only thing is that according to Yoshio Sakamoto the metroid prime games are no longer considered canon (anther reason to hate other M) and basically the whole time line is questionable. I do believe that samus was meant to have other emotions and was not merely a soulless killing machine but she is definitely independent minded and stoic both things other M botched.
She loved Adam. Read her thoughts in him in fusion. And plus have you killed someone tying to kill you after a long while?
I'd like to see a video on Sheik/Zelda/Tetra.
I'd love to learn more about her. After all, Zelda is the titular character of one of the most legendary video games ever made, but people still generally don't know much about her which is a shame since she's such an exceptional character: one moment she's damseling along as Princess Zelda, the next she's kicking ass as a pirate, and then as some sort of ninja _guy_.
There aren't that many cross-dressing characters in video games to begin with, so she'd definitely make for an interesting episode: is she dressing up as a guy because...? Is Hyrule more hostile to women or...? Is she maybe a closet drag king? Of course some wonder if she's actually transgendered and only remains in more effeminate garb most of the time out of her sense of duty to her people/family/the crown? Is she even into Link romance-wise since she always seems to keep him at an arm's length? If not Link, does Zelda even have a significant other? And so on, I'm sure there are plenty of unanswered questions about her.
Anyway, great video. Samus is definitely one of my favorites, and the Metroid series includes some of my all-time favorite games, so I'm always glad to see the franchise get some recognition. I'd main her in Smash if Sakurai didn't insist on keeping her firmly in the bottom tiers. Instead I main, surprise-surprise, Sheik.
Keep up the good work!
Thank you.
I don't think the robotic Ridley in zero mission really counts as Ridley :P
The animals you save in Metroid fusion are actually x parasites. Metroid prime 4 dark Samus like antagonist confirmed?
I have many issues with Other M with its story. First would have to be Samus having a PTSD attack. This makes no sense when she has fought Ridley many times and even in the manga where she has a PTSD attack when she fights Ridley for the first time she manages to get over it and defeat Ridley. The second thing is Why the hell is Nightmare in Other M. Metroid Fusion makes it sound like Nightmare was a warmachine that can manipulate gravity and that only one was created. I find it hard to believe that there multiple Nightmares that were created by BSL. Being able to control gravity for a weapon sounds useful, but having multiple Nightmare units to manipulate gravity makes no sense when if they have figured out how to manipulate gravity they could make it into a more effective weapon.
...Uhh, the baby wasn't an Omega Metroid at the end of Super Metroid. I'm going to assume that was just an oversight in the writing process, this must have been a pretty long script.
Small quibble, in Other M she technically didn't go through the Prime trilogy because Nintendo dropped them from the canon since Other M's story conflicted with them. That said, I think that doing so was a poor decision since the Prime trilogy did a much better job of subtly but strongly characterizing Samus and are generally better than Other M as games and as stories, so I fully endorse just ignoring the fact that they're technically not canon.
Prime is a Metroid project by the Talon IV space pirates Prime is the name of the evil samus doppleganger from MPrime, and is finally defeated in corruption. Prime is also the source of all Phazon.
***** no, not trolling, that is the reason why its called "prime" it relates to the Metroid project "Prime"
***** true. but the experiment found on Talon IV talks of a Metroid absorbing ancient technology and Metroid Prime is the final boss.
plus, its been years since I played Metroid prime, now I think about it, isn't Metroid collection availiable on wii U?
I might buy it, getting a bit rusty.
6:54 less goo
Other M is a powder keg as far as the fan base is concerned...One of which that people would like to see straight up officially struck from canon. Seemingly what Other M does is strike out in such a unwelcome way that it left such a sour taste it was silly. I also watched the full cutscenes for the game and I am...extremely unimpressed with the game.
Wtf!?
Fusion was so good.
After playing other m I would think the chozo are nothing but chopped liver to Samus