Can’t believe I forgot to mention sensemove, but just lump it in with overblast and lethal strike - my feelings on it are the same. In fact, I actually want to follow up here with a few more preemptive counter-arguments based on responses I predict and have seen elsewhere but forgot to address in the video itself. PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE COMMENTING if you think you’re about to put me in my place lol: You: “Wow, this is some peak copium.” Me: Wow, you’re so right, I’m totally still coping on a game I bought back in 2010 and enjoyed at launch as well. You: “Metroid is both Samus AND the exploration. One without the other is worthless.” Me: There is a massive difference between 0% and 50%. If you had to choose between a 0% chance to live, and a coin flip, which would you choose? Also, again, Federation Force - which ACTUALLY scores a 0% on this scale - is getting more moderate online commentary with hindsight now. Don’t be a hypocrite. You: “Well, Federation Force was going for its own thing with the multiplayer coop angle.” Me: Okay, well Other M was going for its own thing with the more story and action focused linear experience. It was never a numbered title. Again, double standard. You: “Combat’s the focus? It’s not even that complex!” Me: Not everything needs to be Devil May Cry. Other M’s combat has its own rhythm: Move around as you charge beam shots, find moments to plant yourself, lock on and fire a missile, go in for the kill with lethal strike when relevant. The game still has exploration mechanics, so even if combat is more of a focus than usual, it’s not the sole focus as it is in DMC. DMC needs its combat to be complex because combat is LITERALLY all you do. Personally I don’t even like DMC, so the thought of adding DMC style combos and scoring into anything Metroid makes me wanna vomit. You: “You don’t have to scan in Prime. It’s optional.” Me: Fair enough, but the scan log affects completion percentage, and let’s face it, many if not most players feel some level of obligation to engage with scanning. Be honest - do you or don’t you scan everything on most playthroughs? You: “If you only care about playing as Samus, then just play Smash. You’re not a true Metroid fan.” Me: Reductive argument is reductive. While I do still enjoy playing as her in Smash, obviously a fighting game doesn’t bring the same type of satisfaction as getting immersed in a game environment built from the ground up for her. Using her arsenal for dispatching specially tailored trash mobs, bosses, and environmental interactions, is still important to me. I love Metroid - it’s unquestionably a top 3 franchise for me. You: “Missile Tanks are less satisfying to collect because they only give you 1 more missile.” Me: So, you’ve keyed in on something called “good game design.” The way missiles work has changed, so their stock has been rebalanced to compensate. For one thing, because they now require better timing and more of a commitment to fire, individual ones pack more of a punch, and early bosses are no longer sponges who eat them by the dozen. As a result, you don’t need as many by default. Additionally, your missile count is now a measure of how many you can fire off before you have to reload. Being able to fire more before recharging becomes increasingly important as enemies get tougher, and upgrades like the Super and Seeker Missiles eat through more of your ammo. The tanks are still satisfying to collect if you can look past the “lower number equals bad” mentality and understand the basic reason why the number has been lowered. If this was LITERALLY any other game, I wouldn’t need to explain this. You would have all figured it out on your own, and then other pretentious UA-camrs with more established clout than me would have redundantly brought it up anyway. You: “Switching to first person is so awkward that they had to slow the game down temporarily to help orient yourself.” Me: Once again, you’ve keyed in on good game design. Let me rephrase that for you: “The devs realized that people might get a little disoriented when switching perspectives, so they added a brief time slow effect to help mitigate that.” Please refer back to my “shit-tinted glasses” point. You: “The controls are uncomfortable!” Me: I don’t love the way the Wii remote’s D-Pad feels on my left thumb, but it’s no more uncomfortable than the controls of games like Metroid Prime Hunters or Kid Icarus Uprising (in fact I’d argue it’s MORE comfortable since my hands don’t cramp up after 5 minutes), and again, people seem able to separate the unideal control scheme from the game’s overall quality when it comes to those other titles. Double standards strike again! Also, this is literally nothing a remaster couldn’t instantly fix. You: “The map sucks! It’s too vague and makes it difficult to track down the upgrades.” Me: Yes, it does make it difficult to find the upgrades. I thought you liked exploring. You: “I don’t care if you like the gravity aura, it’s inconsistent with the rest of the series.” Me: Remember the SA-X? That was supposed to be Samus “at full power,” and yet the purple paint job was conspicuously absent. On top of that, the SA-X was immune to literally everything other than a charged plasma beam, which is insane, so her defense was clearly maxed out, despite not being purple. On top of this, Samus’s power suit receives both subtle and prominent design changes from game to game - for example, even the Varia suit looks a little different between Prime 1 and 2. My point is that some amount of ludonarrative aesthetic jank was present in Metroid long before Other M came along. You: “The final boss, MB, is a joke.” Me: The only thing that’s a joke is the fact that you think MB is the final boss. The final boss of the initial story is clearly the Queen Metroid. MB is a SET PIECE, similar to a traditional escape sequence (which you also get in the postgame). And then of course, you have Phantoon as the final boss of the postgame. You: “Other M completely ruins Samus’s character!” Me: It doesn’t “ruin” her character, it just shows another side of her that we hadn’t seen prior to it. What it showed wasn’t what you expected, but if anything it just adds depth - it doesn’t inherently undo everything we’ve seen up until that point. Having someone whose opinion matters to her doesn’t take anything away from her character. In the real world, not having a single person whose opinion matters to you doesn’t make you cool - it makes you an antisocial freak. Also, Samus is clearly still portrayed as the most capable warrior in the galaxy, and barring the admittedly misplaced PTSD scene, she’s still extremely cool under pressure. Beyond that, she is literally just as fun to PLAY AS as ever, and this is still a VIDEO GAME, so maybe focus on that part instead. You: “You’re really underselling how annoying the Wave Beam backtrack is.” Me: *Glances at the Boost Ball, Space Jump, Wave Beam and Spider Ball, Ice Beam, Gravity Suit sequences in Prime 1, as well as every time Prime 2 has you leave a Zelda dungeon midway through to get the dungeon item on the other side of the world.* The Wave Beam backtrack in Other M is at most 5 minutes of your time. Again, double standard. You: “Well maybe the papercuts DO ruin the product for me.” Me: You’re entitled to not enjoy the game, but you’re not entitled to conflate a smattering of minor nuisances with foundational flaws. For example, I’ve seen a TON of extremely high quality Metroid related videos on UA-cam. And yet, if I were to leave a dislike and nasty comment on every one that mindlessly threw an offhand insult towards Other M, it would be LITERALLY ALL OF THEM. Even The Geek Critique’s. Does that seem fair to those videos or their creators? To ignore EVERYTHING that they nailed because of that one decision that got on my nerves? Does the 1% of the video that I didn’t like invalidate all their other points? You: “I’d hardly call the story a minor nuisance.” Me: You can literally skip the cutscenes. You: “Well I can’t skip the forced walking sequences.” Me: *Glances at Revengeance - a game which everyone adores.* You: “For someone who likes Other M, you sure spent a lot of this video qualifying your opinions with its bad points.” Me: My fundamental argument is not that Other M is a flawless masterpiece. My argument is that the fanbase completely overreacted to it, and has continued to hold it in contempt despite holding it to a number of extremely blatant double-standards as compared with other entries in the series, and just other games in general. You: “If you have to make a 40 minute video and then write a mountain of text in the comments just to justify yourself, isn’t that a sign that you’re on the wrong track?” Me: I’m the one with the hot take here, so the onus is on me to be as thorough as humanly possible to defend my position. Frankly, I shouldn’t even need to explain over half of this stuff as far as I’m concerned. Thank you for taking the time to read all that - especially if you’re a dissenter. I genuinely appreciate it. Now go forth and attempt to explain to me how Other M is actually an endless dumpster fire and the single player campaign in Metroid Prime Hunters is 50 million times better somehow, or whatever you were going to do lol.
Yeah no Federation Force is a clear spinoff it getting more moderation commentary isn't hypocritical at all. It's not a double standard, Other M was it's own thing and wasn't numbered but it was a MAINLINE ENTRY you compared it to other mainline games all the time, Federation force is very much a prime spin off. People criticized those controls too....you talk about double standards but I don't see any, Other M didn't even have the most complaints about controls in a Nintendo game, try Star Fox Zero where that game despite being decent had much more hated controls. You thought people liked exploring? Oh yeah that's what I mean about sounding condensending, it can make it difficult to find upgrades but when it's too vague? Well there is clearly a right way and a wrong way to handle difficulty and just because something is difficult doesn't mean it's well designed. Otherwise by that logic Simon's quest (from the other genre founding Metriodvania franchise) is a masterpiece with it's game design. What would Samus at her most powerful look like then? It may not look purple. And her Varia design changes at times over the course of the series, it's a suit that may happen. I disagree strongly about Samus's character in other m. It tried to add depth to her character but it failed pretty badly at that tbh. Having someone mattering to her absolutely isn't the issue, that is a neat idea and is something we already saw with the baby metroid before but with how Adam acts toward Samus and how he treats her it just doesn't make much sense here, like he's a jerk and her just taking all of those orders without questioning them at least once is stupid, again cool ideas are one thing but the execution is another. I dunno...they didn't seem that bad in Prime tbf, Prime 2 just has a big backtrack issue, I don't see a double standard here when people already acknowledge the flaws of those games. You can only skip said cutscenes after you beat said game....and if someone already hated a game the first time they played through it why would being able to skip through them NOW be a fix since they likely won't want to play the game again? There really aren't that many double standards, maybe some but not as many as you make there out to be tbh.
Damn, I know I am taking the bait on this one, but I really just have to point out those obvious efforts to milk an emotional response out of people at the beginning of this video. Because some people take bait seriously. So much strawmanning. Even if you were attempting to be hyperbolic, it was a poor attempt. Metroid fans don't treat this game like it "killed their parents", not in this era. They treat it as meaningless garbage and toss it to the side, because that's what it is to most of them, and that's how it's going to stay. They don't even consider it to be canon. They actively choose to IGNORE IT. Because they recognize that there's no reason to to draw attention to other M when the Metroid series has pretty much recovered and is starting to thrive. That's pretty much the opposite of what you described. The peak of Other M discourse I've seen today is the exact complaints that you yourself made. And then the occasional "oh yeah it sucks." They complain about the narrative inconsistencies and the fact that their attempts at explaining things actively make the story structure crappy. I enjoy playing as samus because I think she's an amazing protagonist and I want to be her. When a game guts her lore, makes unexplained and inconsistent changes to her demeanor, and has the entire story with her working under bizzare and incompetent authority, WHY WOULD I WANT TO PLAY THAT GAME? And yeah, story is important. Even if a story has details that are simple as hell, it is important not to absolutely butcher it. At least when samus' equipment vanishes between games, or is stripped by an explicit external force, you can find your own rationalizations for how that works. When the game straight up tells you "oh your dumb boss needs you to do this the hard way, that's why", you are actively throwing logic in the dumpster and lighting it on fire. And in my opinion, that detail ALONE would be a rational reason for people to hate this game.
Honestly, while simple in implementation, the Sensemove, Overblast and Lethal Strike are all pretty cool looking, and make Samus look appropriately badass.
@@p4rm3s34n 1) Metroid fans 100% act like OM killed the franchise. There are people in this very comment section touting that stupid viewpoint. 2) You would want to play as her in that game because it's still a GAME and she still PLAYS like herself, independent of the story. 3) This is an issue of framing. It's shitty and unideal, but it's strictly framing. I have a whole video about this, and if you can believe it, what you've perceived as "the entire point of this channel" is woefully inaccurate - most of this video's tone and structure is an outlier on this channel. OM haters like you just consistently come on so strong and stubborn that I decided to give a little back to you. Which frankly I'm well within my rights to do.
@@Jdudec367 Lol if you think I'M condescending you better not be a fan of the much larger GamingBritShow channel. Talk about condescending being someone's whole brand. And nobody ever complains about it there, where he echo chambers normie opinions. I somehow doubt you'd be complaining about my tone if you agreed with my message. As for the rest of this, you're either incorrect or missing my point. It's not that nobody complains about the controls in those other games - they just don't consider them game ruining. Whether or not you think of OM as a spinoff, it's much closer in quality and mechanics to what you ostensibly like about Metroid. Double standard. I don't even know what you're on about with the gravity suit - that's a flat out nonsequitor from my argument. You're underplaying the absolute hell out of those Prime backtracks. High hell. Now who's strawmanning lol? And skipping the cutscenes on subsequent runs is huge because the cutscenes are at least half of what everyone complains about. This is so obvious I can't even believe I have to spell it out. If most of your problem with the game was the cutscenes. and now you can skip them, that's a HUGE incentive to replay. That's your biggest issue chopped right out. Imagine if you could skip the artifact hunt in Prime on subsequent runs. Well you can't. But you CAN skip the cutscenes in OM. There are plenty of double standards.
Fun fact: originally Other M was supposed to take place much earlier in the timeline. A younger Samus still working for the Federation would explain narrative choices like having her strictly follow all of Adams orders and having a PTSD attack when encountering Ridley.
I feel like setting it up more this way would have made the game much more comprehensible for the audience. I deduced it all by myself given her past traumas and the military environment she logically evolved in but if you don't make this effort of deduction, some things might stay quite incomprehensible I suppose. Also I think reading the 2 Metroid mangas before playing this game helps a lot because it develops her relationship with Adam and the time she's passed in the Federation.
Adam was her commanding officer. She viewed him as a friend and father figure why would she not listen to him. Also she gets there after the federation so technically they have jurisdiction. They are the GALACTIC Federation after all who she occasionally does jobs for. As for the PTSD moment, how do we know it was pstd and not this guy is still alive moment.
I been a Metroid fan since 2004, Fusion was my first game and I loved it back then still play it over the years and i have played all the other games even the one on Nes and honestly the Prime series i never really loved kinda liked the 2D ones more. But recently started playing Other M on a Odin handheld with upscale graphics. It feels just like it's on a switch I really love the 3rd person aspect of this one really wish they make another one like this It's amazing to me to see Samus 360 Game play feels so good regardless of the story potholes it's good I recommend 💯 We need another one like this or a port to the switch.
Uncommon knowledge is that panic attacks can come out of nowhere, meaning you could encounter the source of your trauma multiple times and feel fine before it actually triggers you. Not falling apart the first or even second time doesn't invalidate that the trauma is still there. And honestly, if I were in her shoes, I myself would be wondering if I'm cursed to be stuck dealing with this demon in my shadow forever.
To be fair, Samus being "cursed to be stuck dealing with this demon in her shadow forever" is not inaccurate, given how he's one of her most popular foes, he's very likely to show up in anything she appears in.
Exactly, people don't dig enough into the psychological approach of Samus characterisation so some things aren't as incoherent as they seem to be. Also Samus isn't a complete stranger to panic attacks, she got one in the Metroid manga, which is maybe even the inspiration for this scene in Other M. Having PTSD is in Samus character. Also this is commonly known from soldiers in particularly rude environments.
I would honestly love to see another Metroid game with this camera angle and gameplay style tbh! It's one of a kind and the game is super vibrant, more vibrant than nearly any other Metroid game to date I think.
I really wish they would do this tbh because it feels like the evolution of the original games and going back to 2D with Dread to ME felt like a step back.
It's always weird to see people say Samus is supposed to be a silent emotionless hunter: We saw how she reacted to the baby in Metroid 2, we saw what she did when the baby was kidnapped in Super Metroid, and we saw all the dialog in Fusion.
She’s both, in my opinion. She’s a hardened warrior who can lower the exterior and show sympathy. Other M fails hard due to the melodrama layered into everything
@@justarandompurplefox3243 This is the most stereotypical dissenting Other M comment. You literally say Samus is EXACTLY what Other M shows her to be, and then proceed to shit on Other M for “doing it wrong” with some vague, dismissive statement.
I'm pretty sure the personality in Other M was based on the manga (10/10 would recommend) which has a pretty big focus on her traumatic encounters with Ridley. Samus was a little wooden in Other M but I'm much more bothered by the characterization of Adam after how he was described in Fusion.
@@justarandompurplefox3243 Before Other M's development, Sakamoto did not think too much about "what kind of person Samus Aran was and how she thinks and her personality", particularly because the games tried to depict Samus as a mysterious person.[38] Sakamoto and Team Ninja put much focus on backstory in the game to present Samus as an "appealing human character". This explains why Samus barely talks in Dread.
I'd like to add to your thoughts and say she was also given 2 types of DNA. One was a gentle soul and the other was a maniac. So it is totally understandable for me that she has both feelings.
My goodness. Everything you've said about this game I have felt for years. I don't get how walking around in first person mode scanning everything every 5 sec and strafing from side to side was more fun than the mechanics in this game. I hate fps for this reason for not bringing anything new to the table. Hell, even the button layouts in those games are the same, no matter the contoller or system. You've played one you've played them all, which is why I never went back to play MP 2 and 3 after completing MP 1. I have played other m more times than I can count because of the gameplay.
This is one of my favorite videos on UA-cam. Other M's flaws are well documented. But as you pointed out, there is SO much potential with this style. I hope Nintendo gives 3rd person, 3D Metroid another chance some day.
Nothing is ever going to defend how Adam watched Samus suffer heat damage a whole bunch, authorized the ice beam for her, and waited several more rooms to finally let her use the Varia suit. That will never not be stupid and unexplainable.
@@ThrillingDuck Ahhhh. I didn't know that. I just wanted to get that out there because I always felt like that was the dumbest move in other M. All it does is make Adam seem like an uncaring jerk and Samus like a moron for ignoring common sense.
@@infinite1up389Its pretty wild how much was actually lost through English localizations. There was an entire storyline of samus dealing with weakness that we barely get any of, the specific connections to the BSL station in fusion, and (in a way) the explanation of phantoon's presence in the post-game.
I honestly really loved how much more powerful missiles were in Other M. That's why switching to 1st person, once you got the hang of it, actually felt good to me. Honestly, if the game had a tighter narrative (like earlier placement in the timeline to explain Ridley PTSD, and take out Adam permission thing), cutscene skip-ability, and better music, it would be a god-tier game. Notice I said nothing about the gameplay cuz it's so good imo. Maybe a button to trigger 1st person would be cleaner but I still liked the original set up for the most part.
Damn, I LOVED the controls. Playing with the wiimote in reverse immediately reminded me of the nes/snes joycon and added a really nostalgic feel for the entire duration of the game. The switching point of view when using missiles was FANTASTIC, it really made me feel the bossfights fast-paced, frenetic and relentless. This actually made me immerse a lot in the fight. It's not even cluncky, you just have to simply get the hang of it and *get good* ! Furthermore you can actually dodge the attacks in first person, you only have to move away the Wii cursor! For the love of God, nowadays there are a lot of games more difficult like the souls-like games, you can't possibly tell me that the controls are hard to master, and I say it as a total noob!
@@Matt-vx1mz Sounds like you really got the feeling Sakamoto was going for haha. I love this control scheme as well (Wii remote turning and all), and since I understand the point behind the design decision not to use the nunchuck, I have no real issues with it. I really don’t love the Wii remote’s D-pad, but that’s because it’s a little on the stiff and pointy side, not because the controls themselves are poorly mapped or unresponsive or anything.
@@ThrillingDuck Yes, absolutely! Other M to me really felt like a meeting of old and new. Nostalgic, but at the same time really innovative. As a child I grew up replaying costantly Zero Mission (and later on, Fusion). That's where all started. That shit was the GOAT to me at the time (still is, actually). 2D Metroid will always have a special place in my heart. So, like you said, Other M was really the only game in the series where I could actually experience a 2D Metroid in 3D and even an evolution for the franchise. When this game came out, it actually felt like it tried to remind us that 2D Metroid was not a less important side series, distant from the much bigger and popular home console releases and that it still had plenty to say after all those years of hiatus. *Thankfully Dread accomplished this* , and I hope that, slowly but surely, it will lay the foundation for a new Metroid that will inherit what was good about this game.
At this point I would like to see a director's cut of Other M, skippable cutscenes some minor changes and explain why Samus was able to regeneration health and missiles. I really enjoyed Other-M, even if I am not good at action games.
@@robbyrhodes4572 Nah. That was Federation Force lmao. Y'all prime cultists are just salty Prime 4 is likely not happening at this point but Dread did and was way better than Prime in most ways.
@@robbyrhodes4572 the toxic fanbase killed the franchise, thank god not all the fandoms are like that, if zelda had the same fandom of metroid then breath of the wild would be overhated and considered a terrible game
@Matt-vx1mz Not all Metroid fans are toxic. Also the game did fail to be a success. Pinning the blame on fans is a dumb idea. This open-minded BS needs to end.
I actually like the voice actor they got for Samus in Other M. I think the problem is mainly the voice direction. The voice itself I think is good. I feel like a lot Metroid fans have this idea that Samus is never allowed to fail because she is a badass. Samus is indeed and badass and is the coolest Nintendo character by far but she isn’t perfect and she is still a human. I’ve met fans that hate it when Samus shows any emotion or talks at all but I like it when she does those things. It shows that even though she is a space warrior, she is still human. Also I feel like people forget that Samus has failed multiple times in the past. Hell she gets knocked down at the beginning of every game so she can lose all of her powers. I feel like a good example is federation force. Samus is the final boss of that game and fans threw a hissy fit over that. Samus got captured by the space pirates and they mind control her to fight Federation. A lot of people have a problem with this because it makes Smaus this damsel that needs to be saved but that just isn’t true at all. If Smaus got captured by the space Pirates in a really stupid way then yeah I would understand it, but we have no idea how she got captured. Furthermore there are multiple times throughout federation force were Samus saves the federation so them saving her for once isn’t that big of a deal. I am also one of the few people that have actually played federation force and the Samus boss fight is one of the best boss fights in the entire series. It’s a little lame she’s in her morph ball the whole time but we’ve already gotten to fight an evil Samus a few times throughout the series so it’s not that big of a deal to me. Also the canonical reason she is in her morph ball throughout the entire fight is because the space pirates are controlling her and they have no idea how to use her power suit and that’s just hilarious
I mean that's like saying 'the movie lead might be a bad actor but they are handsome'. Voice direction is the entirety of the voice 'acting'. Otherwise it's just someone reading a script.
@@Hugsloth that’s not what I said at all. I said I like the voice actor, but I don’t like the voice direction. I agree that direction is very important but I was just saying I like the voice actor herself. Also that comparison doesn’t even make sense. Bad writing can make even the best actors look like terrible actors and there is writing so good that it can make even the worst actors look good. Looks have nothing to do with it
@@barelyhere7200 A good voice actor can still do good acting even if the script itself sucks. In fact a good actor can lift up a bad script, as often occurs in film.
@@Hugsloth That's just blatantly untrue, voice direction is incredibly important for voice acting especially for video games. You clearly have no clue what you're talking about man, and the good actor bad script example does not transfer mediums at all. An actor gets so much more control than a voice actor, it's a completely different medium. It's not the same at all.
Y’know, over time I came to regret defending this game as a teenager, but your video really put into perspective why I felt like I HAD to at the time. Other M is obviously flawed in a lot of ways, but fan reactions can really turn the atmosphere around a piece of fucking ENTERTAINMENT to pure acid. At that point, trying to be at all nuanced will get you laughed out of the room. Other M is a pretty fun game, and I largely agree with your comments on the gameplay. Honestly, I’ve always thought the story even flirts with some interesting sci-fi concepts related to bioethics and artificial intelligence, even if I wouldn’t go to bat for the writing. And yeah, some scenes are pretty well-directed in a vacuum. I legitimately remember tearing up at the scene where Adam sacrifices himself the first couple of times I saw it-not because his character was executed well, but because it’s so damn emotionally intense lol
Ok, it's been a bit since I played this so I may be misremembering, but isn't Samus being a team player and listening to orders because she regrets being mega cringe and having a chip on her shoulder during her time with the feds. I don't think people understand ( probably because most of their interaction with the game was second hand through UA-cam videos ) that Samus ALSO thinks that her dumb thumbs down shit was lame and that maybe she was too quick to think everyone was out to get her ( I may also be projecting lol ). What's funny is that people say that she no longer has agency, but she does, it's HER decision to listen to orders ( because it's really not her mission, she's just being nosey), the ONLY person who doesn't have agency is the player, and that makes them mad. It's Ironic that a major complaint with the authorization is "Samus no longer has agency", because THEY can no longer tell Samus what to do. She's her own character, with a voice and feelings and everything. At least that was how I saw it. Now, is this idea taken a bit far in some areas, yeah lol.. she really should have used the wave beam when the alternative could have been death, but remember she also doesn't have eyes on the whole ship and using a gun that travels though walls is pretty risky, so even then, she is probably making the right decision waiting for confirmation from Adam........ but like you said, not using the varia suit is dumb, and there is no way around it besides saying "it's a video game". Anyway, I'm going to miss this more mature and self reflective Samus cuz from here on out its going to nothing but cool poses and a minimized voice. I'm also not saying that Metroid Other M's story was perfect, but it's more interesting than people give it credit for and was not the total character assassinations as people claim, she's just a person getting older and reflecting on her younger days. PS. Other parts of the story are pretty rough, like building up the "deleter" ( Samus is apparently horrible at coming up with nick names ) only to have them like killed off screen with no fanfare was a HUGE bummer. TLDR: Haters need to not focus on her voice direction and actually listen to what she is saying and I think you will find a much more interesting character than people realize.
What I find more hilarious is those who put the prime trilogy on a pedestal despite it having, by far, the absolute WORST backtracking and platforming in the franchise(Even Fusion's was done way better honestly), and especially Prime 1's linearity(Unless you have stupidly high skill to do the handful of sequence breaks, otherwise enjoy the singular available path until you get the needed upgrade to open a few doors). Also, all we really need is Super Metroid to be given a graphical overhaul with QoL that can be toggled on or off. Would sell like hotcakes.
I mean her voice actor was good but she was just given terrible direction to sound robotic. But I wouldn't consider most monologs to be good anyways. She would have saved a lot of headache by just shooting the white pokemon that became Ridley instead of saying something dumb and obvious about scavengers being scavengers, or that she felt bad about being called and outsider. I mean after it roared at her should have been enough excuse to shoot it. I would have felt bad for her but understood it even better if Samus instead monologed about a little history with Adam and why they called her outsider, because of course she would feel bad and could idk reveal that in her posture while mentioning her past just anything better than "the way they said "outsider," pierced my heart." It's just poorly written through and through, and I dislike the words she speaks regardless of the voice except for the time she basically said "eff you adam" and turned on her space jump without authorization.
@@CommanderRedEXE Prime's backtracking mostly wasn't that bad honestly but it could get annoying at times especially in 1. Prime 1 isn't that lieear or singular once you start opening up multiple paths and really look around though.
Something almost nobody seems to know about, is the Varia suit dynamic was reversed in the English and Japanese versions. Adam was begging Samus to enable her Varia suit in the Japanese version, while in the English version he was granting her permission to use it. And neither works. In one, Adam was being a dumbass, in the original, Samus was being a childish dumbass.
The "Where's Waldo" segments were mostly an issue because the game released when many players had CRTs, too low resolution to actually see the thing you were looking for. The issue crops up within seconds of the start with the GFS logo. It doesn't ruin the game in retrospect now that better screens are ubiquitous, but it was a painfully thoughtless mistake at time of release That said, I fully agree that the moment to moment gameplay loop is a way better translation of the 2D experience to 3D, and I'd love to see an evolved take on it
I really, really appreciate your take on Other M, it's such a breath of fresh air. And as someone who actually likes the game it's just nice to hear nice things for once 😭
The "YOU killed Metroid" point at the end hit me like a punch to the gut, cuz it's true. I was one of those purist, Other M haters in the early 2010s (even though I secretly loved the gameplay), and the suspicion we all shared for the Metroid drought that ensued was that Other M sucked cock so hard, it decimated the franchise. In reality, it was our overly hateful reaction to it that launched Metroid into a painfully long drought. Mostly I can imagine, in the form of discouragement for series producer Sakamoto. Some things weren't executed well in Other M, but it really didn't deserve the amber turd-level hate, considering the risk they took to bring so many awesome gameplay ideas to the table.
You highlighted something that always bothered me: the game always looked so cool to play. Everytime I watched critiques of this game, I found the gameplay awesome, and couldn't understand how a game that looked to play this good be as bad as people say.
Loved every minute of this video. It felt cathartic to me because it's great to finally hear someone say the things I've always thought. Never could understand the hate this game received. I had a blast with it at the time and still enjoy going back to it. Like you said I'd love a sequel or a remaster. Never gonna happen probably, but a guy can dream, right?
FINALLY!!!!! Someone who gave Other M some praise. This game isn’t bad. I have always liked this game. I got it when it released and thought it was really good (Granite with some flaws, but what game doesn’t, right) and Metroid is my favorite video game franchise. Actually, I think this game should be the built upon for Metroid “6”. I don’t think Metroid should stay 2D for the next installment, but instead take this 2D-3D hybrid, but with full 360 movement. This would literally follow Other M’s gameplay and push the Metroid gameplay to new levels, in my opinion at least.
The focus on the negativity of internet discourse drags this essay down a bit, If I can be honest. That's just what happens on internet fora. Your line "Throwing THE BABY out with the bathwater" is such a fantastic joke though, could have just used that to punctuate a 5 minute rant and then dropped the mike. But good on you for making essays about what you care for, I hope to see more.
Honestly you could probably make it a meme just by showing a clip of Samus Cosplay tossing a Metroid baby/plushie into a bathtub over and over with that dialogue.
It's funny, but i actually loved this game so much more than prime for all the reasons you described. I never understood how much hate and vitriol was hurled at this decent and fun game. Thank you for taking time to talk about how good this game actually was, beyond the negative opinions.
The whole why does Samus listen to Adam thing kinda makes me really mad that people dont get it. This dude was her commanding officer. As a bounty hunter she cant just do what she wants. You think Dog the Bounty Hunter doesnt have to answer to local police and that he wouldn't have to listen to any of their commands? I know its a wierd analogy but it s really the same thing. Imagine instead of the federation its the Cops about to arrest someone. Dog is tracking the same person. When he gets there police are already there. Real life tells us that police in this scenario would be the ones in charge. So why do people think Samus shouldn't have to listen to authority thats already in place? Its also very clear in the beginning that she is tagging along and not the one in charge of this mission.
I had someone try to make the argument that Samus is an illegal mercenary. Like, sure, she’ll bend the rules during a mission, but she’s not about to make an enemy out of what is essentially the galactic government. She literally STATES at the beginning of Other M, that since the federation is directly involved, she has to follow orders if she wants to stay on the mission, and ensure Platoon 07’s safety. Hell, Samus is the type to ALLOW the federation to arrest her if they saw fit, full cooperation, à la Superman, not wanting to hurt anyone.
Just finished it for the first time and this game is fantastic. The combat is much better than the other metroids and I love that samus is now an actual character instead of just a mute puppet that you move around.
What you have said in this video have been my thoughts for many years. I also thought about making a video as an anti-hatred movement but I was too lazy and couldnt have a similar job like you did. Thanks!
When I saw this video in my recommendeds I thought, "Oh boy, this should be good." and I wasn't disappointed. One thing I realized while watching this video was I don't remember much about Other M, I know I 100% the game which hit me as odd since in most Metroid games I don't. Not because I don't try, I just try to find everything I can on my own but I don't force myself to get everything. In terms of how I felt about the game, I thought it was fine, still do, no real big reaction. The game weirdly felt short, like after beating Phantoon, I was like "wait, that's it" not sure what that says about me or the game honestly. Something funny I realized, while writing this, is that the more action style of combat of Samus Returns and Dread kinda started with Other M. The snappier movement started in Fusion, but both it and the Primes followed the more slow and floaty style combat from 1, 2, and Super, and the counter and quicker Samus combat started in Other M.
The melee counter in modern Metroid definitely feels like it shares some DNA with Other M's mechanics - especially when it leads into cinematic takedowns during bosses.
@@ThrillingDuck Hell, they pulled power-ups straight out of it, like the diffusion beam. There was another one I'm forgetting, I just remember another Metroid 'Tuber 'joking' that the items were "totally original" because he didn't want to attribute them to Other M.
Thank you! I'm so glad to see someone stand up for Other M. It wasn't the best game but I really loved a lot of the ideas they had. I'm on board with your points. Bad translations, some poor design choices, and a lackluster narrative don't validate the level of hatred the game got. It BAFFLED me how quickly the fandom turned on it. Personally the way the actress was made to voice Samus drives me crazy but the gameplay was phenomenal for me at least
I found this video completely by accident, but I have to say: As a long time Metroid fan that felt ostracized from the wider fanbase because of my love for Other M.... THANK YOU! You are the first person I've ever heard besides my brother to clearly layout a defense for Other M, and logically! Other M at the time and till this day beat out the Prime games for me because of the combat and movement of Samus. Other M nails the feel of Samus in a way that the Prime games have never done justice. Again thank you so much for this video. I just hope that we can change the minds of enough people that this overcorrection doesn't continue forever...
Thank you so much! And yes, exactly on the Prime stuff. I still like them, and I think they have objectively better design, but whenever I do a 3D Metroid marathon I always END on Other M, cuz I just love it and want it to cap off the experience :)
Yup, good video. So 12 years ago I wrote a 10k document defending Other M. I intended to put it out there for people to read, or turn it into a video script, but neither ended up happening. I say this so you know I have given the game much thought over the years, and I replay it at least once every couple years. I’ll hit your major points that I have thoughts on. 1. The Story overall. I don’t want to get too deep into this, but suffice it to say, Other M suffers from a pretty botched translation job. If you check out a more faithful translation of the story, you’ll find it to have much different subtext. Samus is presented as much more of a stubborn, rebellious character, who more-so put up with Adam rather than viewed him as a father figure. If you haven’t, I encourage you check out the UA-cam video of the cutscenes with the more accurate translation. It actually helps explain the Varia Suit scene much better, which I’ll get to. 2. Authorization. I never had a problem with this, for multiple reasons. First, the Metroid series makes it clear that Bounty Hunters are a sanctioned group by the Federation, meaning they are basically under contract to report for work whenever called upon, in exchange for certain protections and privileges in their work. And even if she’s an independent bounty hunter, but she’s joined a Federation led mission, as a temporary member of their team. If she wants to be allowed to keep working there and not break multiple laws, she has to follow his orders, so yes, she is actually legally obligated to follow his orders. Finally, this is a man she respects and clearly cares about, from whom she used to take orders, so it seems completely reasonable she’d continue to follow them now out of respect if nothing else. As for Adam not authorizing protective, non harmful gear/equipment, I’m willing to suspend disbelief just enough that there’s probably mountains of paperwork every time any piece of equipment is used, not to mention he was probably using it as a bit of a test of Samus’ ability to obey commands. Furthermore, as we know the Chozo suit is tied to Samus’ mental and emotional state, it’s reasonable to believe that the more abilities activated, the larger a mental/emotional strain it is on Samus. At the start of Other M, the threat level is minimal, and she has much on her mind with the destruction of her homeworld, loss of the baby Metroid, and meeting Adam and Anthony again. She’s not in the most stable emotional or mental place, so for multiple reasons, I can believe that she’s keeping her activated equipment to within Adam’s boundaries. I want to get into Adam’s character a little later. Also, don’t forget the scenes where she mocks Adam and activates her Space Jump and Screw Attack expressly without his permission. 3. The Varia Suit scene. Like mentioned above, the original Japanese translation actually has the scene play out differently. In that version, Adam is more clear: Don’t go into areas your current equipment doesn’t allow for, I.e. don’t go into the fire zone until I say so. Through gameplay, both the player and Samus actively disobey his orders, by going into the fire zone but keeping her varia suit deactivated as a sort of way to mock Adam’s orders. When he calls to tell her to activate it, it’s much more of a “Good Grief, Samus! Fine! Turn on your varia suit already!” Than what we got here. I understand the issue in discussing “what could have been” vs “what we got” but I think this is an important point, to show just how a slight misunderstanding in translation and loss of subtext can badly damage a story. 4. The Ridley PTSD scene. This is one I actually have very strong opinions on, as someone who actually was diagnosed with and suffers from PTSD. The prevailing belief is that Samus should have just gotten over it, after her 5th encounter with Ridley. But that’s not how PTSD works. It doesn’t just stop or go away after repeated exposures. In many people, it can actually become worse. It did for me. There’s also 2 other reasons this incident felt believable for me. First, in EVERY other Metroid game (except Samus Returns, but I’ll get to that), Samus has forewarning about Ridley’s presence before encountering him. Having that warning gives her time to prepare. Zero mission: The manga is her first encounter, PTSD breakdown, and in-game she’s ready for him when she fights him. Prime: She sees him on the ship, then spends the whole game chasing him down. Prime 3: Sees him flying in the distance on Norion, small encounters before an actual fight. Samus Returns: Doesn’t know about him, but having just saved the Baby Metroid, she’s in a new head space, one where she has something/someone else to fight for right now, and thanks to that is able to more quickly overcome her potential panic attack for the sake of another being. Super Metroid: Doesn’t expect him on the the space station, especially after JUST taking him down in Samus Returns, so she’s caught off guard, but the Baby Metroid’s peril gives her the strength to fight, just not at her full strength (again, remember her suit and powers are often tied to emotional/mental states) so she loses the fight. Fusion: Sees the Ridley corpse become infected by X and fly away, giving her time to prepare for his appearance. Other M however, he literally just appears, no warning, no time to mentally or emotionally brace herself, just bam, Ridley. Furthermore, remember: Samus lost the Baby Metroid to Mother Brain, an encounter which still resonates strongly for her. It’s probably the first time anything gave its life for her, this creature that viewed her as a parent. It’s sinking in how alike she and the baby were, both having lost their families to invaders from another world, and now that child gave its life for its family’s murderer. Then, she kills Ridley once and for all, and is forced to destroy the very world on which she was raised, severing her last connection with her Chozo parents. THEN, being suddenly reunited with the man who acted somewhat as a father figure and guided her through important years of her life, alongside her friend Anthony, and on top of that, being faced with the possibility that either of them could be a traitor looking to kill her. She is NOT in a good place right now. For Ridley to appear and cause her to break down, especially after she FINALLY believed him to be gone for good, I found to be extremely believable. The way she is able to overcome it so quickly and fight despite this, makes her even more heroic to me. 5. The lack of the Chozo. Yup, that bothered me a lot. Not much to say other than I wish they addressed that. 6. Adam. I know you didn’t really dwell on him, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts. This is getting long so I’ll try to keep it brief. I’m not convinced Adam is meant to be some perfect, all wise and kind character. I think there’s plenty of reason to believe some of Other M’s story suffers from unreliable narrator, that Samus views him as fatherly and perfect while he’s actually a bit abusive. He shoots her in the back rather than call out to her, and takes her place even though she could have handled the task ahead. I think Samus craved validation from him, for him to finally respect her after her galaxy saving efforts, and yet he still treated her like a child. I don’t want to get too into it here but I think there’s reason to believe that Adam was jealous, and manipulative of a vulnerable person, and used his position of authority to, intentionally or no, hurt Samus more than help her. 7. Cutscenes, Cinematography, etc. Yup, I love all these. It was the first game I played that blended gameplay and cutscene in such a cool, fluid way. 8. Linearity, etc. I think a missing component in your analysis is atmosphere. The Metroid series is nearly unmatched in its ability to showcase alien worlds and creatures, letting you explore worlds and locations that are so creative and otherworldly. Zero Mission and Metroid Prime blew my teenage mind, and Prime 3 still has some of the most gorgeous, alien worlds I’ve ever seen in any game or piece of media ever. 9. Believability/video gamey aspects. Actually, this stood out to me as well. Prime is my all time favourite game, but it’s hard to ignore the perfectly placed slots exactly the size of the morph ball everywhere. Other M tried to make every exploration aspect feel more believable. Broken holes in walls, no power drops, etc. I respect the attempt. I don’t have much more to speak on right now, I pretty much agree with everything else you’ve said, and hopefully this message has made it clear that I deeply love the Metroid series, and have given this lots of careful thought. I can see others calling it Copium, but honestly I think it’s just a case of not being charitable to what Other M was trying to do. It’s not a perfect game. I get frustrated with certain elements. I think the ending would be much stronger if it didn’t have the credits breaking it up, and just went straight from the MB encounter to her victory lap and Phantoon boss fight. Everyone I’ve played the game with has felt the “oh, that’s it?” Feeling from that final cutscene and encounter. The small things do add up, but I strongly agree that with a remaster which more closely sticks to the original script, adds more control and gameplay options, and polishes it up would be amazing. I’ve played bad games. Other M is not a bad game. It’s an imperfect attempt at an extremely ambitious idea. But y’all best watch yer tongue when bringing up Metroid prime pinball. That game raised me and I won’t be having no disrespect to the ‘ball!
On point #6, I don't remember where I read it, probably the comments of another Other M analysis video, but I've seen it explained by someone who was examining Other M from the Japanese cultural perspective: part of the growth Samus is supposed to be going through in Other M is the realization that Adam was never actually a father to her, that he really was just another CO, and that the filial bond she had developed was really just a construction of her naive teenage self (keeping in mind that she really did develop fraternal bonds with other soldiers like Anthony and Ian, who were like big brothers to her) that, because she had struck out on her own and buried that period of her life away, she was never able to resolve or bring closure to those feelings or have that important realization and growth until she was forced to by the events of the game. When Adam suddenly reappears in her life during a very vulnerable and uncertain time for her, all those buried feelings come flooding back and she regresses mentally, falling into the comfort of old, unhealthy habits. And she suffers for it. Her validation-seeking behaviors are childish, and unhealthy to the point of being needlessly reckless with her own life to fulfill a martyr complex (wanting to save Ian even though logically it was a hopeless rescue, wanting to enter Sector Zero even though she would die a needless death against the unfreezable metroids, and devising a plan to blow up BSL without considering her own self-preservation). The only cure to this behavior is not for Adam to relent and feed that need for validation, it's for Samus to realize it's not healthy and stop. And Metroid fans themselves suffer the exact same misconceptions of Adam too, because all our knowledge of the character comes from the rosy, nostalgic description Samus gives us in Fusion. So players go into Other M expecting to learn about Qui-Gon Jinn the father figure, and both player and Samus are met with the reality of Mace Windu the unattached (which contrasts pretty well with Grey Voice now that I think about it).
@@7QWERTY13 yeah, excellently put. It gets so difficult to determine the author’s intent in a situation like this however. It feels like either the author tried and failed to make Adam a cool father figure who boldly sacrifices himself, or the author was a secret genius playing 4D chess with the storytelling and contrasting what we’re told with what we see. Considering the subtext and theming in Fusion (as pointed out by the Geek Critique, being that the SA-X represents everything Samus used to be, and the game is literally about breaking the orders and restrictive linear pathing the game wants you to follow), I’m more inclined to be charitable and assume the best of the author, and accept the failure on the part of the translation team (although from what I understand, Sakamoto was also in charge of that, despite his unfamiliarity with English.) Either way, I’ve found in recent years that the story of other M is much more complex and rife with conversational potential than many give it credit for. Rather than just brush it off as poor storytelling, I think especially comparing it with the Japanese translation and digging deeper into the psychology presents some interesting revelations. I especially like that you mention how she regresses into a more naive and childlike state due to all the sudden stresses around her. Then we see the culmination of it all when Ridley appears, and we are shown exactly how she views herself in that moment.
@@TheTotalOverflow I've always felt the biggest issues with Other M's narrative, even after fixing the localization issues and putting aside the choice to ignore the Chozo, boil down to two points: 1. The movie (because let's be honest, that's what Other M is) assumes that the viewer has never played Fusion and has absolutely no idea who Adam is or what his moral character is. This is your first and only introduction to the character with no preconceptions, and 2. The plot utterly depends on point 1 to make the Sector Zero scene, the emotional climax, work. The Deleter plot ONLY exists so that the movie can point the viewer towards believing that Adam is the villain, that he's shooting Samus in the back because she's the last witness (oh no!), and so that it can maximize how much narrative tension it can subvert when it reveals "Adam was a good guy all along, wow!" That is the intended reading of the movie. That Sector Zero scene is what was conceived first, and the entire rest of the plot is built around and bends over backwards to make that scene happen. But it can't build that dramatic weight it all depends on if the viewer goes in just KNOWING that Adam is a good guy. It can't even wind up its punch. That's why everyone thinks of the Deleter plot as "a useless subplot that goes nowhere and is suddenly dropped". Because the mere suggestion, the intended implication, that Adam could be a villain or was even a valid suspect NEVER crosses their mind. But Sector Zero IS the intended resolution of that plot. Once the "twist" is executed, the Deleter has completely run its course as a plot device. It just doesn't work.
I really wish Nintendo would give Other M the same treatment they gave Prime. I also wish they would give Zelda Oracle of Ages/Seasons the same treatment they gave Link's Awakening.
I mean, maybe not the same treatment as Link's Awakening, imagine if the Oracle games were done in a similar style to those little bits of art we got for certain scenes, I'd love that.
It’s no nice to know that I’m not the only person who thinks like this. I’ve been crying these points for a while. I’m shoving this video down everyone’s throats. Even people who don’t know what Metroid is
I actually love Metroid Other M. It's not my 'favorite' Metroid title but I do think it's overhated and I do agree that many people apply horrible double standards when judging it. Honestly, I'd play it over Federation Force, Prime Hunters and even Prime 2 (as well as the original NES Metroid and original Gameboy Metroid 2). Overall, amazing video but I did have a few small notes: 1: while it doesn't fix some of the plot holes nor does it excuse the final product we call the English translation, but ever since I discovered the original Japanese translation and intent behind the games narrative, I've never looked at those sequences where Samus had to unlock her Varia suit or grapple beam the same way again. (The short version is that Adam didn't want her to deactivate those things in the first place but she did so in defiance to prove she's strong even under his command and he basically had to force her to re-enable those abilities. It's kind of one of those cultural differences in story telling) 2: I know this is deep lore shit but it's been established Ridley has regenerative abilities. All he needs is to consume nourishment and he can practically regenerate from near death. I believe the implication is that every battle Samus has had with Ridley until Super he was left mortally wounded but not dead with Super being his final fight where he was finally killed for good. So seeing her life long nemesis literally come back from the dead mixed with the clearly very emotionally vulnerable state Samus is in from seeing Adam again after all these years, it kinda makes her ptsd moment make a lot more sense. 3: this is the only thing I'm aware of that you kinda got factually wrong. Everyone fucking HATES Fusion's linearity. Fusion is the one game in the entire franchise that's pit up against Super Metroid every single time it's discussed. You know. Super Metroid. The (allegedly) best Metroid game as well as one of the most influential video games of all time? One thing every makes sure to bring up at every possible talking point when comparing the two games is how Fusion is automatically worse because of its linearity. Nobody (except me) excuses Fusions linearity and very few (also except me) give it a pass. Aside from the story, this is an aspect Fusion is constantly hounded over and seen as lesser than Super for.
Love this. Just for the record, #2 has been brought to my attention a few times now haha. I actually misunderstood the implication that Super was supposed to be Ridley's first true "death," simply because most of the earlier entries seem to animate him as exploding or otherwise evaporating in some capacity upon his defeat. The knowledge that he was merely escaping in those instances only further validates the PTSD scene :) As for Fusion, you're right about that too (except I also give it passes for those things lol). I've just been noticing the discourse surrounding Fusion has grown more lenient in recent years, so I figured it was worth bringing up. Its linearity IS still generally derided in comparison to Super though, you're absolutely correct.
I love this game. I feel the same way about Super Paper Mario. That was freaking magical to play and everyone acted like they didn't get it? Remake both these games right now please.
I’m really glad to finally see SOMEBODY go to bat for this game. Yeah it has flaws like every game does, but there simply was not a space available anywhere to discuss this game if you liked it. Not for years. People can have their opinions and whatnot, but I personally feel the hate and negativity is crazy overblown. I love the more action-focused take of the gameplay, and I enjoyed the characters having more explicit characterization. Especially the cutscene towards the beginning depicting mother brain killing the baby and Samus’s brief meltdown in front of Ridley. Speaking to that last part: I can very easily see a person who has conquered their foe that traumatized them suffering a meltdown like this considering the fact that Ridley never seems to STAY DEAD. She is seemingly incapable of escaping her very own personal living-and-breathing demon, through no fault of her own.
Funny trivia soldiers saw the Ridley panic scene (knowing the context obviously) and called it an accurate representation of PTSD Thing is players will disconnect about fighting Ridley if they've shot the pterosaur ,10 times
Everybody who defends the panic attack scene uses that same statement to defend it, but that is just moving the goalpost. The criticism of that scene is that Samus has already encountered Ridley at least 7 times prior to this cutscenes (even if we remove the 4 encounters in the Prime Trilogy, that's still 3 times between Zero Mission and Super Metroid, plus Mecha Ridley for a bonus encounter), yet she's never displayed anything resembling a panic attack! The narrative never makes mention of Ridley aside from a single line in passing ("...and my long standing nemesis, Ridley."). Only fans that know about her backstory, that Ridley killed and ate her mother in front of Samus, would know what this even means, but those are exactly the only players that would find it egregious that she's having the panic now of all times! For anyone else, Samus just turns into a child for absolutely no reason! And after that cutscene, Samus never has the attack again or anything resembling it! Samus has ONE scene where the portrayal of a panic attack was done right, but everything else surrounding it, the over an hour of cutscenes before and after that moment, do not portray a character that has PTSD! That scene is completely disconnected from the narrative, unless you read between the lines: Samus reverts to an infant crying for help as Adam continues to shout on her ears, but once someone attempts on his life and he loses communications with Samus, she gets back on her feet and defeats Ridley! Adam infantilizes Samus throughout the story: he gives ONE GLARE at her for acting of her own accord (opening the door with a missile for them), which she immediately understands it means she should stop being independent. She disables all of her equipment and Adam takes his sweet time with the next boss encounter until you scan the thing, so he finally gives Samus authorization to use her missiles (how did he know she had disabled them?). Then comes the infamous lines "You don't move unless I say so, you don't fire until I say so." That's just him voicing what she already knew, because she had all of her equipment disabled waiting for his command to activate. She is an adult and independent bounty hunter that has saved the galaxy multiple times, yet Adam treats her like a child in need of discipline. We see in a flashback that he ignored her when she tried to save his brother's life, like a parent ignoring a child throwing a tamper tantrum, and that the rift created between them was caused by her leaving his command. But all it takes is ONE GLARE for Samus to submit herself to him again! And then the Ridley scene happens where she turns into a toddler crying for help while Adam is shouting at her to use the Plasma Beam and Ridley is snaring at her. And once communications with Adam are gone, she gets back on her feet, finds MB posing as Madeline, activates two of her upgrades on her own and even makes a snarky comment and decides to kill all Metroids in Sector Zero. Then Adam finds her again and shoots her in the back, because he could see and hear everything she was doing, and he had to punish Samus for activating her upgrades without his permission. Then he gives a non-apology and goes dies a heroic death, while Samus begs for him to stop and he ignores her like he did in the flashback, again infantilizing her. And when Adam is dead, Samus regains her courage and agency! She suits up, activates the Gravity Suit and go beat the final bosses! She even narrates that Adam dying has given her courage, though she attributes it to be her learning from his sacrifice, but the story paints the idea that without Adam she is brave and independent, but whenever he's around she's infantilized and weak! The panic attack scene isn't about Ridley at all, he's just a catalyst for the actual problem - Samus is being mentally (and physically, don't forget the Hell Run sequence) abused by her "father figure" whose grasp she had escaped years ago, and now the trauma is coming back! And Other M GLORIFIES THIS RELATIONSHIP! Other M is terrible!
@@isauldron4337 Tell me you didn't read my comment without telling you didn't read my comment. Here, I'll make it easier for you: "And after that cutscene, Samus never has the attack again or anything resembling it! Samus has ONE scene where the portrayal of a panic attack was done right, but everything else surrounding it, the over an hour of cutscenes before and after that moment, do not portray a character that has PTSD!"
@@isauldron4337 That happens before Zero Mission, which is the first game in the series chronologically, making the two that much closer than Other M, which takes place near the end of the timeline. If there was a place for her to have a panic attack in the games, it should have been Zero Mission, where she faces Ridley after rescuing the Chozo from Zebes for the first time. And once again, even if we ignore the Prime Trilogy, as Other M so desperately wants to, Samus has faced Ridley twice in Zero Mission (counting with Mecha Ridley), and two more times in Super Metroid, yet she's never had even a hint of a panic attack! And going back to the manga, the Chozo use their alien spiritualism to heal Samus of the trauma, so she will never have the same panic attack again when confronting him, so Other M contradicts the manga as well. Once again, the issue isn't with the portrayal of the panic AT THE MOMENT IT HAPPENS, the issue is that it only happens THAT ONE TIME and never again or prior to that!
30:40 excellent analogy and thats exactly how i feel. The complaints about this game are lazy at best and make no sense when you consider some of the games people rave about. I still find it ironic how everyone loved Dread because you can see it was inspired by Other M. Great breakdown ..👍🏽
Arguably the PTSD scene could, in fact be have a little "Why won't you STAY DEAD!?" energy mixed with despair over the fact thay he won't stay dead, but it definitely needs MORE of that to make it seem less like JUST a flashback.
How about a whole part where her whole suit is threatening to fail as Ridley's going to turn her into salsa against a wall because she can't think straight? ...Oh, right.
As an Other M enjoyer since release; I'm with you on 90% of your take. However, the "Where's Waldo" segments were genuinely frustrating on my first playthrough. I put it down after the teenage mutant Ridley attack because I couldn't figure it out. Now, 10 years later I'm doing another playthrough (hence why I'm even watching this) and I memorized these to where it's not an issue but every time they pop up I remember how pissed off I was the first time.
This is fair, but it speaks to something I find so interesting about Other M: It struggles needlessly with issues of conveyance, but they're completely negated by knowledge of what to do. That's still not fantastic design, but frustrating sequences in other games tend to be frustrating for reasons pertaining to duration and what you have to accomplish, which means they remain equally frustrating on repeat playthroughs. Things like the Where's Waldo sequences, use of power bombs on the Queen Metroid, and objective of the final MB encounter (locking onto her lol) are needlessly frustrating issues on an initial playthrough, and that IS admittedly poor and sloppy design, but they completely evaporate as issues on all subsequent visits.
Real talk: I didn't know Other M was "bad" until someone told me it was. I could tell there were things about it as I played through it that I looked forward to being polished in a sequel, but honestly bad never crossed my mind- the valid critiques about the narrative etc. not withstanding. I agree.
Never got a chance to play this game. Life just got in the way. Anyway I think it’s really awesome that Sakamoto approached team ninja to design a Metroid game. If skyward sword deserved a remastered port to switch, I think this would be a great remaster to the switch.
As much hate as this game gets, if we’re honest it wasn’t particularly out of step with how Nintendo was trying to push the franchise and its heroine at the time.
I loved this. Other M is a reason to buy a Wii. Federation Force is good, but yeah, Other M has that unique good sensation that just feels great to play.
Does he seriously think he'll convince ANYONE with this vitriol, when most people who've played this game hated it (myself included, and I gave this game WAY too many chances after that fucking softlock bug)???
I kept seeing what a horrible mess this game was. I've played and own most Metroid games. I'm 52 and was there since day one. Finally purchased Other M and have enjoyed it immensely.. Herd mentality has been the base for the hatred . I recommend all fans should play it again , Or really the first time since I don't believe most have played it. Only watched UA-cam videos and regurgitating false claims.
Going back to Ridley’s scene, I think it’s important to note that up until Super Metroid, Ridley always survives his encounters with Samus. Zero Mission? Gets rebuilt as Meta Ridley in Prime. Prime? Gets blasted in the chest by Chozo statues, he survives corrupted by Dark Samus and her Phazon. Corruption? Gets shot down the throat as Meta Ridley and appears as Omega Ridley; while he dissipates into Phazon particles after his boss fight, he survived somehow. Samus Returns? He has nearly fully regenerated from his fight from Zero Mission, with almost all of his metal prosthetics, taking the form of Proteus Ridley. While he is beaten, he sheds the final prosthetic, bridging the gap between the mainline games and the Prime Trilogy (Which makes the Prime games canon). This retcon also explains how he managed to kidnap the Baby Metroid so quickly after Samus delivered it to the scientists. Super? He is killed off for real. Even if he did survive his battle against Samus, the destruction of Zebes would have done him in, so either way, he was dead. It wasn’t Ridley himself that resulted in the infamous breakdown; rather, it’s the prospect of Samus’s personal nightmare coming back from the dead. Going back to Little Birdie, she didn’t know about Ridley’s life cycle, so her PTSD was even more warranted. If nothing else, it gave us the best rendition of Ridley’s theme we got. I have never played Other M, but it was interesting making it an interquel for Super and Fusion. It definitely explained how Ridley’s corpse was recovered in a way that makes sense. And Nightmare’s inclusion seemed fine.
Exactly this. Fans forget that Ridley is officially dead after Super Metroid. Other M's opening cutscenes even mention this fact as well. But no, its always "This doesn't make sense! She's never shown this behavior before! This makes her look weak and pitiful! Worst game Evah!!!" The official two volume manga that chronicles Samus's life on K2L before and her adoption by the Chozo Old Bird and Grey Voice after the Space Pirate Raid, delves into the psychological response Samus has after seeing Ridley alive and well after she witnessed him seemingly get crushed and burned to death by his own space ship. Samus cannot believe that Ridley is alive. She saw him die on K2L. How is it possible? He toys with her emotionally, stating that he survived by eating the dead bodies of the colonists to regenerate. He points to various parts of his body and states: "Are they here or over there? PAY YOU"RE RESPECTS!," and attacks her. Ridley is so evil that he uses this psychological warfare on Samus to the point where her mind breaks from the stress and to the point where she is begging to be killed. Old Bird and the other Chozo give her the strength to overcome her fear. Stating that she is not alone and that they are her family as well. The manga is kind of weird in the sense that its hard to tell if the Zebes mission takes place before Metroid/ Zero Mission or if its just another version of Metroid/ Zero Mission. It ends just as Samus is about to face off with Mother Brain, so maybe its just another version. Samus doesn't react to Ridley in Prime 1 because it takes place right after Metroid/ Zero Mission. One could argue that the momentary pause where she is looking up at Ridley on the Frigate could be a "How the heck did you survive?" type pause for her, but she remembers that the ship around her is exploding and Ridley doesn't even bother to confront her. Again, exploding space ship. Everything plays out as normal until Super, where Ridley is killed once and for all. Other M resurrects Ridley, but nobody knows its Ridley. Its not until we see the Mysterious Creature that we start getting a hint on who Little Birdie really is. Samus's freeze up and PTSD in Other is a reaction of seeing someone you know, someone you know died, someone that you personally took down once and for all, seemingly come back from the dead like a phantom/ vengeful ghost. Samus cannot believe that her greatest nemesis is back from the dead, after she clearly defeated him. This is why they added this plot to Other M. How would you react if you were in a situation similar to Samus? This is what soldiers go through when they come home from war. They are mentally stressed beyond belief and even a a simple everyday sound can trigger them to remember the horrors they went through. Some can handle it better than others, but everyone of them has a trigger. Other M is a game that takes a dive into Samus' psyche. Was it executed well? No, I can agree with many on that point along with the story and what was brought up in this video. Does the game deserve all the hate it gets? I don't think so. I gave the game a fair chance, 100% it, and I mostly enjoyed it. Same with Federation Force, I didn't automatically judge it as a bad game immediately after it was announced. I waited till it was released, and solo played it as far as I could go (It gets pretty hard on single player), and I enjoyed it. Was it as terrible as everyone claimed it to be? For me, no. I enjoyed it for what it was a game that takes place in one of my favorite video game series.
Lmao what a great video. You made a lot of good points and addressed things I *really* hate about certain gamers. Other M was a great transition to 3D for metroid and its a shame we'll likely never get any follow ups. So much potential
Other M had a lot of decent ideas muddled by execution, framing and weird choices. The controls for one, limiting it to a wii mote was just bad. But honestly, I kinda agree this is about as close to a 3D version of 2D metroid you'll get, and I did enjoy some of those segments. Samus' fluidity, her hand to hand abilities (which you'll notice has been sorta kept since), all allow for the 2D agility to come through. The level design very much brings it down unfortunately, and the narrative dooms it further. But I agree that the hate for this game overshadows any positives. I would love them to take another crack at this with better levels and better controls, it could be fun, but alas, like Assassin's Creed Unity, the game wasn't received well so we'll throw out everything, regardless of whether theres potential for improvement, or any positives to keep. That is a shame.
This Video needs more views. I totally agree with you, other m had some flaws but still was great and worthy of the metroid title and I really liked the distingtive, different kind of gameplay. The Story was a bit to corny and soppy here and there sometimes (while the overall story direction and character development of samus was well justifiable to me) but that's my only complaint. I still want a remaster❤
People will really claim one gameplay mechanic in Other M is clunky, then turn around and fawn over fucking Prime. I'm convinced Metroid fans haven't so much as looked at Prime since 2007.
I actually like the Ridley PTSD scene. I get it, it feels wrong. Why would she have this attack after fighting Ridley so many times already? It's simple- until Super Metroid, Ridley didn't die. He's been mortally wounded, but his unique biology allows him to regenerate by consumption, which is how he manages to be whole in Super Metroid. We even see Ridley's remains frozen for study by the Federation in Fusion. She KILLED Ridley, the source of her biggest traumas. He's gone. There is no return from actual death. While there were signs of the evolving bird creature being Ridley, it's so different, and at the time, she wouldn't have any reason to expect the Federation to be using him as a bioweapon. Seemingly from nowhere, the monster that destroyed Samus's life and killed her parents and mocked her for it. Every trauma resurfaced all at once. This is a PERFECT moment for PTSD. It's a reminder that , as badass as Samus is, as well as she's trained; she's still human.
I've seen this argument before, and while it makes some sense, my problem with that is to assume Samus did "spare his life" or something as if she was Batman. Yet all 3 sources: Original Metroid, Zero Mission and the Zero Mission Manga display how she showed no mercy and went for the kill. (In both games she blows him up and in the manga she burns him alive) So no matter how you slice it, it isn't the first time she has assumed Ridley was dead only to find out she was wrong Sure, you can argue she put her guard down more now that his corpse was blown up with the entire planet and that's valid, but to pretend she didn't make sure her parents murderer didn't kick the bucket all those encounters doesn't seem right with Samus, specially the manga version which absolutely HATED Ridley with every bit of her soul
@@xxhaxonxx8345 No, that is a conclusion that does not follow anything. It's not that she would try to spare Ridley, that would be stupid. It's that Ridley is just that much of a menace. He's tough enough to withstand Samus's strongest weapons and come out the other side. Every encounter is pushing Samus to her limits. Even when she wins, that doesn't necessarily mean she can stop him from escaping. And even then, when he isn't able to retreat and recover, he has one of the most fearsome armies in the galaxy to recover him and use their twisted technology to bionic-man him into Meta-Ridley.
@@evilmandrake And yet you miss the point, as yes, he HAS the ability to recover from mortal injuries, and has done so in the past even without technology, but it’s not the first time samus has brought him beyond that normal recovery After the first fight when she burned him alive, there was no reason to believe he was finished, so at that point he should’ve also “come back from the dead” from her point of view, specially since she left him beyond recovery (In the prime games he was mostly metal because of how badly samus left him, but if you don’t count them, he’s still half metal by samus returns, which means she DID made well sure he was death) Is not that samus would spare him like batman, but more that, in order for the “She tought he was dead for good in other m unlike before” to work, you have to assume in every other encounter after murdering him in cold blood and exploding him to pieces/burning him alive she just assumed “oh well, he’s fine, he’ll live, moving on”
@@xxhaxonxx8345 My guy, SHE BLEW UP THE PLANET to make sure nothing remains. Not just any planet, her home planet of Zebes. What are you smoking, because I need some. It's safe to assume after blowing up a planet, nothing will remain.
@@xxhaxonxx8345in all the other times he's come back, not only are there hints of samus' panic, but specifically in other m, the panic comes mostly not only from the fact he's back completely from the dead, but that the federation, the people she works for and trusts almost completely have brought him back as a weapon
Not only does Other M have its own unique charm and appeal, it also helped lay the groundwork for Dread to be as amazing as it was. Thank you for bringing attention to this gem of a game, you've earned a subscriber good sir.
Thank you so much for this video, it feels like you've put to words feelings that have been stirring around in me for many years, but never been able to fully articulate. It feels like the right time for this video. Sure, there's a fair bit of seething anger toward the internet in here that may turn some people away, but it feels pretty justified given how the community has treated this game all these years. I've been looking for alternative takes on Other M for a while now, and this is the first video I've watched that really scratches that itch. Here's hoping this is a sign of a changing tide, and we're going to see many more people coming out of the woodwork to praise this game for the good it accomplishes. Only critique I have is that you didn't mention the controls that much! I do get that having to reorrient the Wii Remote to enter First Person mode is a bit much for people, and something I'd love to see addressed in a remaster for this game. I think it would pair very nicely with joycons and gyro. But like you said, that will never happen lol. Also, consider me subbed! 💜
Thank you so much! And yeah, the seething anger is probably what I've gotten called out for most, kind of to my surprise honestly. But I needed to get these feelings off my chest for my own sake just as much as Other M's lol. Glad I could scratch that itch for some others as well!
Slow clap. I am with you. I think this is one of Metroid's better games and in the top five. It is a very well-made game. You have solid points. The only thing I disagree on is the beginning. Her response to her fed friends and the operation made sense. The big problem about Samus is that the fan based has made up a character that doesn't exist. Most in the fan based hasn't read the external media not attacked by Nintendo, nor have they read the lore of the mythos. Samus isn't Snake Pliskin. She is a bounty hunter, and as a bounty hunter, she has to follow the law. Her friends are the FED-- they are the policemen there. She is under their jurisdiction. That isn't the first time. EVERY Metroid begins with the Fed telling her where to go and what to do. The curse of "Other M" is due to the fan base never developing its own thought on the game. At the time of the game's release, it was buried by V.G. celebs, which the fans listened to them instead of playing the game. And we all feel the tremors of that mistake. IGN reviewers at the time, as we would later learn, didn't even like video games and only promoted games that paid them off in ad revenue. Screw Attack (outside of Craig) didn't even play Metroid games and the few that did, only played either Metroid 1 or Super (and they never finished). We really need more of you. Keep strong because Samus fits really well in a 3-d adventure environment. Also, to add, the PTSD scene makes sense, and I personally wouldn't want anything done to it. Samus is still young. The entire Metroid series only happens in a span of like 4 years. The events of Metroid and Super Metroid was only three months apart, and this game takes place shortly after Super Metroid. Her panic is warranted. She thought she killed Ridley and less than a possible month later, he shows up out the blue like nothing happened. Of course, she is going to be shocked thinking "how is the MF still alive? I melted him and then blew him up... with a planet". It makes sense. She was off guard because she thought it was over. Anyway, nice video.
Thanks a lot! And those were very good points as well, especially about the curse. If memory serves, SomeCallMeJohnny has a fairly balanced take on the game, but for every one of him there’s like 10 GamingBritShows showing fun-ass footage while just slamming the game. I didn’t wanna call them out in the video itself, but I think the recent GamExplain revisit video on Other M especially got under my skin. It didn’t have a single original thought or observation in it - the dude went in biased as hell, and then proceeded to just shit on it for 15 minutes with the same tired, overblown talking points I’ve had to suffer through for years.
Love your passion. I was planning on playing this. you are right. People like me could have a different experience if all we hear is negative stuff. Great job. Love when you yell!
Thank you for this Despite its flaws, i really do think that people was being harsh, way too harsh, on this game. I get some of the critique, but other most of the time i really think are pushing it to the point of petty nitpicking. Other M is one of my favorite Wii game, and no one will say otherwise. I'm happy that out there some people still think like me, that Other M really does have some flaws, and some inconsistency within the Metroid Universe game, but it still is a *GOOD GAME*
Other:M is actually the first metroid game ive played and I really enjoyed it. My only gripe was the narrative and the where's waldo parts, other than that I thought it was an easy 8/10, I was really surprised when I got a bit older and saw online alot of people hated the game, bc it just seemed like an objectively good game.
I want an Other M remake on switch or nextgen nintendo. This game had the best gameplay for action 3d metroid we have experience so far. I like prime has well, but I really like being able to see samus do these stunts mid fight. Actually I'd be interested in another team ninja directed metroid or platinum game style Metroid. You are right, it is a shame so many in the metroid community cannot get over the narratives details. I've always promoted gameplay over story and in that aspect other M is extremely refreshing and good.
Loved that Samus talked in this game, Zero Suit Samus was actually hotter in Metroid Other M than she ever was in Super Smash Bros Brawl, Other M has the hottest version of Zero Suit Samus. What if we got a third person Metroid game like Other M that ends with a 2V1 fight with Kraid & Ridley? That would be epic! It happened in Metroid Blast, but never in an actual Metroid game.
Yesterday I clicked on a thread "should other m be remade?". I thought surely its time we are past this nonsense and people can see the game in a new light. but nope. it was nonstop apeshit hatred of the likes i have never seen, for ANY game. Just completely ridiculous. Other M has a few minor issues, but id play it over Samus Returns any day. In fact it probably ranks somewhere on the top for all my Metroids. By no means is it perfect, the spammable dodging is a bit too mindless, the story is badly paced and structured, but otherwise? There are a lot of Mrtroid games that have way more bothersome issues in my opinion and comprehending what brought about this unison of hate is seriously beyond me.
Because it came out at a time where 2D Metroid (the ones from which Other M actually took inspiration) was dormant and the fanbase mostly cared only about the Prime series for the 3D approach, so when they saw a 3D Metroid playing differently compared to the Prime series they raged about it. Then new fans (or even not fans) assumed it was bad because they saw Prime fans rage about it on the internet, the mob mentality that Duck pointed out in the video is just so true. I'll give a really hot take: *Other M was doomed to fail, no matter in what circumstances* . Even if it had a different story, different controls and even if Samus PTSD and the authorization mechanic had been removed, *it would have ended with the same result, I'm absolutely certain of this and I'll die on that hill* . Many fans simply wanted a new Prime game, period. This is the elephant in the room that many people choose to not consider. And Other M posed a threat for the future of the Prime series, and it's because of that, that it was and still is harshly mistreated. Now that the mainline series and the Prime series go hand in hand without getting in each other's way, I think it's time for 2D Metroid to retake the 3D route from where it left off.
@@Matt-vx1mz But let me tell you the crazy part: I HATED everything I saw of Other M before it came out. I was convinced it wouldnt even be a Metroid game, with item collection and whatnot. The colors also turned me off a lot. But everything changed once I actually played it? Now, for example, I consider the saturated colors timeless (the game looks AMAZING in HD).
@@Pixelkabinett Glad you reconsidered your opinion after playing it! If only more people gave this game a chance instead of mindlessly hating it without even playing it first-hand, possibly many folks like you would have even enjoyed it. I totally get you, I love Other M aestethics, also the engine used by Team Ninja blended beautifully with Metroid's world, it created a really good-looking sci-fi aestethics. Felt like watching a movie, in the most positive sense of the term. Also, I actually love Samus suit design, in my opinion it made the best of the saturated colors that you mentioned, it looks SO GOOD.
I really enjoyed Other M my first time through as a kid, though I'll admit I slowly climbed aboard the hate band wagon for a good many years there. With time and added wisdom, it's honestly quite interesting to look back on. 2D Metroid has actually adopted a fair bit of Other M's DNA (in my opinion for the better) and I like to think Sakamoto learned the correct lessons from the whole debacle as shown by Samus Returns and Dread. I was weirdly excited to see the Diffusion Beam as an upgrade in Dread. Even the story has elements and ideas I don't think are unsalvageable. Anthony Higgs is easily the most enjoyable character for me and I would unironically like to see them do something with him in the future.
The melee counter in the modern 2D entries definitely feels like it took some cues from the “adding skill to the close range kit” critique. Although it’s also very similar to counters in Mercurysteam’s Castlevania Lords of Shadow games, so who’s to say lol.
I never thought someone would actually be willing to defend Other M for the things it did well. And I'm glad someone did. And especially after finding out how much was lost/cut during translation.
Id seen videos of Other M and thought, Heck the Game looks good and FUN. But hate was being espoused by Trend Setters that the game Sucked!!! I watched this video and ordered the game and played several times since. TY for the Review, It's lucid and in my opinion, Accurate. I own and played almost all including GBA Metroid titles . They ALL offer something different but same character.
I super agree that it's really sad we don't get another try at a game in this style. A 3D 2D mesh. When this game came out I played it and loved it. Over time it's become like one of those quote on quote "bad movies" that you love and could watch over and over again. Do you like ironically... or unironically... kinda both? I think it has some really cool ideas, over all the gameplay isn't bad, the level design, and presentation are actually really good I think. The plot is pretty lack luster, but there are some neat "ideas" in there. The main things that really bring it down in my opinion, are the controller they force you to use. (something with more inputs and smoother movement could have alleviated some of the weird design decisions they had to make) The ability to endlessly mash to dodge. (for me personally that's sort of the equivalent of what you complained about with the lock on strafing from prime. It feels wrong, but it's the best way to fight enemies) And then just the story stuff. (if they had tweaked some of it and made it make more sense it is a cool idea. For exaple Adam NOT wanting her to use power bombs makes total sense. They are incredibly destructive, and he want's to keep things as they are since they are investigating. So Samus not using that until she is cut off from Adam, and then giving that iconic line is so good. But with the varia suit.. they needed to come up with another reason or just do away with it entirely.) I also do sort of wish it had been an origin story going over her time in the Federation under Adam. That would have made a lot of those plot choices make more sense, and also fill a weird gap in the story, where all this stuff that has happened in her past never really gets explored outside of a manga and a few cutscenes, and our intro to her is in Zeromission/metroid1 but that's like... quite a long time later.
As someone who has never played Metroid Prime or Other M. (I fell off after Super Metroid) - if I had to pick between the two, I would pick Other M. It just looks way more fun, like Metal Gear Rising Revengeance but with Samus. if I want to play an interesting space faring first person shooter with super powers... well Destiny has been around for a decade :)
First of all, I would like to state that, as someone who has never watched your content before, well done on this video. I think you articulated all of your points very well, and hope to see more stuff from you in the future. As for the video itself, I was hoping to see an opinion or interpretation of this game that I'd never heard before, allowing me to potentially see it in a different light, even if I don't necessarily agree. And early on, your point about why you like Metroid games is both something I've never heard articulated _and_ something I actually agree with: I like the Metroid games because of Samus first and foremost. I _like_ Metroidvanias, and of course I want Metroid games to fall into that genre, but there's a reason I was excited for Metroid Dread specifically when there's thousands of 2D Metroidvania indie games on the market right now. I think this has to ring partially true for everyone as well. Why else were they getting excited at Samus' body language and general badassery? I can't say the same for the rest of the video, though. I'm not sure if you've just been unfortunate enough to be surrounded by an echo chamber of drooling idiots in recent years, or if I've been lucky enough to be in the opposite situation (or perhaps both) but in my experience, a lot of what you're saying here have become pretty common opinions about Other M that I see regularly. The main difference is that, while you seem more than happy to praise the gameplay almost completely wholesale, I find that most people (myself included) find it to be "fun enough" or "serviceable" but ultimately bogged down because the creators decided to arbitrarily hinder themselves with a stupid "simple control scheme." At the very least, I don't see the unadulterated vitriol that is implied to be rampant in discussions about this game, outside of someone clearly hamming up their distaste for a laugh. That's what it was like when the game first released, of course, but I've only ever seen reception grow more positive as time passes. Just within the past couple of years, I even saw discussion in regards to the narrative's quality, in particular the fact that the localization had a part in ruining things or giving western players the wrong idea when that was never the intention in the first place. I'm sure there _is_ negative bias toward (against?) the game that lingers with people now, causing them to unfairly judge aspects of this game that would be accepted and encouraged in other games, if not other _Metroid_ games, but I also think this video over exaggerates how prevalent or severe it is, much in the same way it claims detractors of the game over exaggerate its flaws. I, for one, would love to see another game that attempts to retread what Other M does. I don't think a remaster would be worth doing because trying to resell people a game that they think is "alright" at best only works if you improve its flaws, and its biggest flaws would require effectively remaking the game entirely. I wouldn't be opposed to that, but I doubt Nintendo would even want to spend the resources on that when they could just make a new game too. Metroid Dread attempts to incorporate some of the "action game flashiness" but it ends up feeling like a "souped up" 2D Metroid game, rather than invoking the feelings of an action game in the same way Other M does it. Not that that's a bad thing, of course, but there is a uniqueness to the way Other M sort of feels like a "2D Metroid game made into 3D" rather than a 3D Metroid game, similar to the way Super Mario 3D World/Land feel like "2D Mario games made into 3D" instead of "3D Mario games."
Loved this, thanks for sharing! Tbh I do think it's both (you got lucky and I got unlucky haha). If nothing else, this comment section is probably a 50/50 split right now from what I'm seeing lol. But this is by far the most inflammatory video I've ever done, both in content and in tone, so I kind of expected as much.
Thank you for this video. I really think that Metroid Other M is overly hated. It was not amazing by any means but I vehemently defend the combat and the movement in the game. Sure I wish I didn't have to use sideways Wii remote but it was a minor gripe. As much as I love prime, this game was very much samus and it does deserve another shot. If Sonic can get forgiven through so many mistakes, why can't Samus through like one?
Firstly, Metroid is my favourite franchise. Love and replay all the games constantly. I love other M too. Can’t wait to watch this video and give more thoughts. Been wanting to make one of my own for a while. Second, I love darkwing duck. So you’ve got two major points going for you now.
Bro same, and that's part of what aggravates me about OM's treatment by the wider fanbase. Like, I love all my children - I hate seeing one just get unfairly bullied so relentlessly.
@@ThrillingDuck I replay the entire franchise constantly. OM brings me back with its gameplay and cinematics, and I have dissected and given the story tons of thought over the years. Check out my new (long) comment for more examples. I've never played a game quite so interesting with so much to discuss.
Thank you for this video. I loved this game. But all it gets is hate. I agree it has low points, but let the damn thing breathe. It has ups and downs. I 100% this game so many times. Its one of my favorites for its uniqueness. I hated the scan modes the first time because its annoying to find the subtleties thay lock the game. But its something so small!
@@richardpe5446 What’s interesting to me about the Where’s Waldo bits is that like, yeah they’re poorly designed insofar as what you’re looking for isn’t conveyed well for an initial/blind playthrough, but once you know what to do they take literally 1-2 seconds, so they’re never disruptive ever again. Other M doesn’t have a SINGLE drawn out sequence that you have to suffer through on repeat playthroughs. Even the over the shoulder part at the end of Sector 1 isn’t half as bad or long as people make it out to be.
Idk, Other M is just fun to play, I beat it a few times, personally had 0 issues with first or third person mode, people are just laughably bad sometimes, its not clunky, youre just bad. When it comes to story, why are Metroid fans angry about it? Before Other M, there was zero attempt at storytelling in any Metroid game, are you really gonna point me to the fucking text box in GBA Metroid, or cardboard figures from Prime series? Other M has great presentation and cut scenes, it was a good try after 20 years os shitty silent protagonist. For me its easily the best Metroid gameplay wise, and dont say Samus is acting out of character, because Nintendo never gave her any
I always liked this game. Rented it from blockbuster back after it came out and beat it in 2 or 3 days. I was pretty young so I couldn't tell if the story was bad, and I thought the action and levels were awesome! (spoiler) I remember the part where they said sector 0 was full of Metroids immune to the ice gun and they cut that part of the ship off. That part made my imagination run wild with what it would've been like to fight them or what happened in that sector.
I am not a Metroid fan, I've absorbed a lot of discourse through osmosis, and I've started playing some of the old games through Switch Online, and this video is hilarious to me. The anger and passion feel so intense for what appears to be a perfectly serviceable video game.
you are also forgetting that like you said it took place after super metroid remember because of Ridley she lost something important to her. The baby Metroid and her home where she was raised she was emotionally damaged after that it dose not matter how strong you are it would probably take one to two years to recover from that emotional damage.
I gotta say, the ony parts I hate about Other M is waiting for the Varia Suit access and the assassination attempt that does not go anywhere. Other than that, there are things that I really like about Other M. - The dodging and finisher mechanics in gameplay are satisfying - Ridleys evolution from a small furby to the space pirate we all know and love - Phantoon has a great redesign - One of the mini bosses are based from prehistoric creatures such as an Anomalocaris and Mosasaur - I played this before Metroid Fusion, I got one hell of a wtf reaction after seeing Nightmares true face - Ridley's face off was awesome (though it is disappointing that the Queen Metroid to him out) This was my first Metroid game I have ever played. Sure the story does need work but I would be lying if I didnt admit that I had fun. Heres hoping a potential sequel that has similar mechanics as this game but with a good story.
I NEEDED THIS VIDEO, I NEEDED SOMEONE TALKING ABOUT THIS, I WAITED FOR SO LONG. If only more metroid fans would be like you. But afterall, all the small fandoms are like that, they tend to gatekeeping everything. I think the problem with this fanbase would be solved if only metroid were popular like zelda.
The Zelda Fan base not "gatekeepers" they literally ripped apart TOTK because it stayed true to the new Zelda formula instead of being another rendition of Ocarina of Time. Newer Zelda fans are getting pushed away by older Zelda fans because the BOTW and TOTK "don't feel like Zelda" in the latter's opinion.
@@Shinjiduo True, but Zelda has also a lot of new fans who liked the new formula, and sales prove it. Botw and totk would have been massacred if the fandom was like the metroid one. People stll support those games (rightfully). Because new fans are more open to creativity and new features or even new genres. Meanwhile the metroid fanbase is formed of "veterans" who only like the super metroid formula or metroid prime formula (eventhough metroid prime doesn't play like classic metroid AT ALL, talk about double standards) and the other few, new fans jump on the bandwagon and shit on any metroid that isn't like the others mentioned.
@@Matt-vx1mz Point is that even if the new Metroid Prime 4 was to suddenly bring a huge new player base it would not solve the problem of gatekeeping in the long time community at all. In fact long time Zelda fans have just gotten more and more obnoxious because of the new found success of BOTW/TOTK because of the phenomenon you just sited in your reply to me, because the new games are not a reinterpretation of the "holy grail" in the series.
@@Shinjiduo I agree, Prime 4 wouldn't solve the current situatuon, on the contrary, I think it would reinforce it. Fortunately, I think the Zelda franchise for now is safe, Eiji Aonuma stated that the franchise will continue to stick to the breath of the wild formula, sales matters more than complaints.
@@Matt-vx1mz I apologize. This thread is literally the worst grammar out of any thread I have ever typed. Missing punctuation overuse of the word "because" and run on sentences. I applaud you to for even understanding my intent. As for the subject matter: Aonuma - San and Fujibayashi - San are going to stay the coarse and which is the best decision to make for the Zelda series as the old structure of the game was too esoteric thus, appealing to too few people. The young audience today like the open sandbox they can play in as opposed to a dungeon crawler full of rigid logic based puzzles.
Finally, somebody of culture that's one thing i greatly dislike about the Metroid fanbase: They harsh criticism about it when they are not the creators & belittle anyone who enjoyed it despite its flaws
My least favorite mindset that spawned from this game's reception is that Samus should never talk, emote, or be an actual, y'know, character -- all because Other M had some questionable writing. As if it wasn't *what* she said, but the fact that she was a character at all. "In the next games they should just keep Samus silent and if they HAVE to make her talk only give her one line or two." I've seen this take so many times and it's ridiculous. As long as she's not portrayed as outright incompetent or unconfident, I see no reason why she can't hold a full conversation with another person from time to time. I've been a die-hard Metroid fan for nearly as long as I've been alive, and even I think the mindset about this game is a bit exaggerated. I don't want this series to stagnate in its conventions, never innovating with the character or core gameplay. I hate that it damaged the series' reputation and Nintendo's confidence in the franchise, but to say Other M "killed" metroid for a while is kind of insane. Metroid is no stranger to long hiatuses -- there was a roughly *nine* year gap between Super and Fusion/Prime. The gap between Other M and SR was seven. I know the reasons behind those breaks aren't the same, but I couldn't bring myself to feel bitter towards Other M at the time and I certainly can't in hindsight knowing that the series *isn't* dead, and we're still getting awesome games out of it. And hey, if they did take another crack at this style of a Metroid game I'd be down to try it too. (Just do us all a favor and let the devs utilize the full damn controller this time, Mr. Sakamoto. Lol)
Thank you. I’ve been saying this forever! Other M was definitely flawed but I really enjoyed it. This game had a lot of good ideas and it was fun to play. The mob mentality hate other M gets is silly. The main problem with the game was the poorly thought out storyline and the meek depiction of Samus. I’m not ashamed to say that, Overall, I liked Other M.
Fed force isn’t a spin off it’s set after prime 3 and has a cliff hanger that was intended to lead into prime 4 it’s prime 3.5 35:53 I agree with the hypocrisy why can’t we enjoy both other M and fed force
Spinoff doesn't mean non-canon - I think everyone knows Fed Force's place in the chronology. In the realm of games, spinoff just means like a mechanical and in some cases perspective deviation. Fed Force is a textbook example of a spinoff :)
Can’t believe I forgot to mention sensemove, but just lump it in with overblast and lethal strike - my feelings on it are the same. In fact, I actually want to follow up here with a few more preemptive counter-arguments based on responses I predict and have seen elsewhere but forgot to address in the video itself. PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE COMMENTING if you think you’re about to put me in my place lol:
You: “Wow, this is some peak copium.”
Me: Wow, you’re so right, I’m totally still coping on a game I bought back in 2010 and enjoyed at launch as well.
You: “Metroid is both Samus AND the exploration. One without the other is worthless.”
Me: There is a massive difference between 0% and 50%. If you had to choose between a 0% chance to live, and a coin flip, which would you choose? Also, again, Federation Force - which ACTUALLY scores a 0% on this scale - is getting more moderate online commentary with hindsight now. Don’t be a hypocrite.
You: “Well, Federation Force was going for its own thing with the multiplayer coop angle.”
Me: Okay, well Other M was going for its own thing with the more story and action focused linear experience. It was never a numbered title. Again, double standard.
You: “Combat’s the focus? It’s not even that complex!”
Me: Not everything needs to be Devil May Cry. Other M’s combat has its own rhythm: Move around as you charge beam shots, find moments to plant yourself, lock on and fire a missile, go in for the kill with lethal strike when relevant. The game still has exploration mechanics, so even if combat is more of a focus than usual, it’s not the sole focus as it is in DMC. DMC needs its combat to be complex because combat is LITERALLY all you do. Personally I don’t even like DMC, so the thought of adding DMC style combos and scoring into anything Metroid makes me wanna vomit.
You: “You don’t have to scan in Prime. It’s optional.”
Me: Fair enough, but the scan log affects completion percentage, and let’s face it, many if not most players feel some level of obligation to engage with scanning. Be honest - do you or don’t you scan everything on most playthroughs?
You: “If you only care about playing as Samus, then just play Smash. You’re not a true Metroid fan.”
Me: Reductive argument is reductive. While I do still enjoy playing as her in Smash, obviously a fighting game doesn’t bring the same type of satisfaction as getting immersed in a game environment built from the ground up for her. Using her arsenal for dispatching specially tailored trash mobs, bosses, and environmental interactions, is still important to me. I love Metroid - it’s unquestionably a top 3 franchise for me.
You: “Missile Tanks are less satisfying to collect because they only give you 1 more missile.”
Me: So, you’ve keyed in on something called “good game design.” The way missiles work has changed, so their stock has been rebalanced to compensate. For one thing, because they now require better timing and more of a commitment to fire, individual ones pack more of a punch, and early bosses are no longer sponges who eat them by the dozen. As a result, you don’t need as many by default. Additionally, your missile count is now a measure of how many you can fire off before you have to reload. Being able to fire more before recharging becomes increasingly important as enemies get tougher, and upgrades like the Super and Seeker Missiles eat through more of your ammo. The tanks are still satisfying to collect if you can look past the “lower number equals bad” mentality and understand the basic reason why the number has been lowered. If this was LITERALLY any other game, I wouldn’t need to explain this. You would have all figured it out on your own, and then other pretentious UA-camrs with more established clout than me would have redundantly brought it up anyway.
You: “Switching to first person is so awkward that they had to slow the game down temporarily to help orient yourself.”
Me: Once again, you’ve keyed in on good game design. Let me rephrase that for you: “The devs realized that people might get a little disoriented when switching perspectives, so they added a brief time slow effect to help mitigate that.” Please refer back to my “shit-tinted glasses” point.
You: “The controls are uncomfortable!”
Me: I don’t love the way the Wii remote’s D-Pad feels on my left thumb, but it’s no more uncomfortable than the controls of games like Metroid Prime Hunters or Kid Icarus Uprising (in fact I’d argue it’s MORE comfortable since my hands don’t cramp up after 5 minutes), and again, people seem able to separate the unideal control scheme from the game’s overall quality when it comes to those other titles. Double standards strike again! Also, this is literally nothing a remaster couldn’t instantly fix.
You: “The map sucks! It’s too vague and makes it difficult to track down the upgrades.”
Me: Yes, it does make it difficult to find the upgrades. I thought you liked exploring.
You: “I don’t care if you like the gravity aura, it’s inconsistent with the rest of the series.”
Me: Remember the SA-X? That was supposed to be Samus “at full power,” and yet the purple paint job was conspicuously absent. On top of that, the SA-X was immune to literally everything other than a charged plasma beam, which is insane, so her defense was clearly maxed out, despite not being purple. On top of this, Samus’s power suit receives both subtle and prominent design changes from game to game - for example, even the Varia suit looks a little different between Prime 1 and 2. My point is that some amount of ludonarrative aesthetic jank was present in Metroid long before Other M came along.
You: “The final boss, MB, is a joke.”
Me: The only thing that’s a joke is the fact that you think MB is the final boss. The final boss of the initial story is clearly the Queen Metroid. MB is a SET PIECE, similar to a traditional escape sequence (which you also get in the postgame). And then of course, you have Phantoon as the final boss of the postgame.
You: “Other M completely ruins Samus’s character!”
Me: It doesn’t “ruin” her character, it just shows another side of her that we hadn’t seen prior to it. What it showed wasn’t what you expected, but if anything it just adds depth - it doesn’t inherently undo everything we’ve seen up until that point. Having someone whose opinion matters to her doesn’t take anything away from her character. In the real world, not having a single person whose opinion matters to you doesn’t make you cool - it makes you an antisocial freak. Also, Samus is clearly still portrayed as the most capable warrior in the galaxy, and barring the admittedly misplaced PTSD scene, she’s still extremely cool under pressure. Beyond that, she is literally just as fun to PLAY AS as ever, and this is still a VIDEO GAME, so maybe focus on that part instead.
You: “You’re really underselling how annoying the Wave Beam backtrack is.”
Me: *Glances at the Boost Ball, Space Jump, Wave Beam and Spider Ball, Ice Beam, Gravity Suit sequences in Prime 1, as well as every time Prime 2 has you leave a Zelda dungeon midway through to get the dungeon item on the other side of the world.* The Wave Beam backtrack in Other M is at most 5 minutes of your time. Again, double standard.
You: “Well maybe the papercuts DO ruin the product for me.”
Me: You’re entitled to not enjoy the game, but you’re not entitled to conflate a smattering of minor nuisances with foundational flaws. For example, I’ve seen a TON of extremely high quality Metroid related videos on UA-cam. And yet, if I were to leave a dislike and nasty comment on every one that mindlessly threw an offhand insult towards Other M, it would be LITERALLY ALL OF THEM. Even The Geek Critique’s. Does that seem fair to those videos or their creators? To ignore EVERYTHING that they nailed because of that one decision that got on my nerves? Does the 1% of the video that I didn’t like invalidate all their other points?
You: “I’d hardly call the story a minor nuisance.”
Me: You can literally skip the cutscenes.
You: “Well I can’t skip the forced walking sequences.”
Me: *Glances at Revengeance - a game which everyone adores.*
You: “For someone who likes Other M, you sure spent a lot of this video qualifying your opinions with its bad points.”
Me: My fundamental argument is not that Other M is a flawless masterpiece. My argument is that the fanbase completely overreacted to it, and has continued to hold it in contempt despite holding it to a number of extremely blatant double-standards as compared with other entries in the series, and just other games in general.
You: “If you have to make a 40 minute video and then write a mountain of text in the comments just to justify yourself, isn’t that a sign that you’re on the wrong track?”
Me: I’m the one with the hot take here, so the onus is on me to be as thorough as humanly possible to defend my position. Frankly, I shouldn’t even need to explain over half of this stuff as far as I’m concerned.
Thank you for taking the time to read all that - especially if you’re a dissenter. I genuinely appreciate it. Now go forth and attempt to explain to me how Other M is actually an endless dumpster fire and the single player campaign in Metroid Prime Hunters is 50 million times better somehow, or whatever you were going to do lol.
Yeah no Federation Force is a clear spinoff it getting more moderation commentary isn't hypocritical at all.
It's not a double standard, Other M was it's own thing and wasn't numbered but it was a MAINLINE ENTRY you compared it to other mainline games all the time, Federation force is very much a prime spin off.
People criticized those controls too....you talk about double standards but I don't see any, Other M didn't even have the most complaints about controls in a Nintendo game, try Star Fox Zero where that game despite being decent had much more hated controls.
You thought people liked exploring? Oh yeah that's what I mean about sounding condensending, it can make it difficult to find upgrades but when it's too vague? Well there is clearly a right way and a wrong way to handle difficulty and just because something is difficult doesn't mean it's well designed. Otherwise by that logic Simon's quest (from the other genre founding Metriodvania franchise) is a masterpiece with it's game design.
What would Samus at her most powerful look like then? It may not look purple. And her Varia design changes at times over the course of the series, it's a suit that may happen.
I disagree strongly about Samus's character in other m. It tried to add depth to her character but it failed pretty badly at that tbh. Having someone mattering to her absolutely isn't the issue, that is a neat idea and is something we already saw with the baby metroid before but with how Adam acts toward Samus and how he treats her it just doesn't make much sense here, like he's a jerk and her just taking all of those orders without questioning them at least once is stupid, again cool ideas are one thing but the execution is another.
I dunno...they didn't seem that bad in Prime tbf, Prime 2 just has a big backtrack issue, I don't see a double standard here when people already acknowledge the flaws of those games.
You can only skip said cutscenes after you beat said game....and if someone already hated a game the first time they played through it why would being able to skip through them NOW be a fix since they likely won't want to play the game again?
There really aren't that many double standards, maybe some but not as many as you make there out to be tbh.
Damn, I know I am taking the bait on this one, but I really just have to point out those obvious efforts to milk an emotional response out of people at the beginning of this video. Because some people take bait seriously. So much strawmanning. Even if you were attempting to be hyperbolic, it was a poor attempt. Metroid fans don't treat this game like it "killed their parents", not in this era. They treat it as meaningless garbage and toss it to the side, because that's what it is to most of them, and that's how it's going to stay. They don't even consider it to be canon. They actively choose to IGNORE IT. Because they recognize that there's no reason to to draw attention to other M when the Metroid series has pretty much recovered and is starting to thrive. That's pretty much the opposite of what you described. The peak of Other M discourse I've seen today is the exact complaints that you yourself made. And then the occasional "oh yeah it sucks."
They complain about the narrative inconsistencies and the fact that their attempts at explaining things actively make the story structure crappy. I enjoy playing as samus because I think she's an amazing protagonist and I want to be her. When a game guts her lore, makes unexplained and inconsistent changes to her demeanor, and has the entire story with her working under bizzare and incompetent authority, WHY WOULD I WANT TO PLAY THAT GAME?
And yeah, story is important. Even if a story has details that are simple as hell, it is important not to absolutely butcher it. At least when samus' equipment vanishes between games, or is stripped by an explicit external force, you can find your own rationalizations for how that works. When the game straight up tells you "oh your dumb boss needs you to do this the hard way, that's why", you are actively throwing logic in the dumpster and lighting it on fire. And in my opinion, that detail ALONE would be a rational reason for people to hate this game.
Honestly, while simple in implementation, the Sensemove, Overblast and Lethal Strike are all pretty cool looking, and make Samus look appropriately badass.
@@p4rm3s34n 1) Metroid fans 100% act like OM killed the franchise. There are people in this very comment section touting that stupid viewpoint.
2) You would want to play as her in that game because it's still a GAME and she still PLAYS like herself, independent of the story.
3) This is an issue of framing. It's shitty and unideal, but it's strictly framing. I have a whole video about this, and if you can believe it, what you've perceived as "the entire point of this channel" is woefully inaccurate - most of this video's tone and structure is an outlier on this channel. OM haters like you just consistently come on so strong and stubborn that I decided to give a little back to you. Which frankly I'm well within my rights to do.
@@Jdudec367 Lol if you think I'M condescending you better not be a fan of the much larger GamingBritShow channel. Talk about condescending being someone's whole brand. And nobody ever complains about it there, where he echo chambers normie opinions. I somehow doubt you'd be complaining about my tone if you agreed with my message.
As for the rest of this, you're either incorrect or missing my point. It's not that nobody complains about the controls in those other games - they just don't consider them game ruining. Whether or not you think of OM as a spinoff, it's much closer in quality and mechanics to what you ostensibly like about Metroid. Double standard. I don't even know what you're on about with the gravity suit - that's a flat out nonsequitor from my argument. You're underplaying the absolute hell out of those Prime backtracks. High hell. Now who's strawmanning lol? And skipping the cutscenes on subsequent runs is huge because the cutscenes are at least half of what everyone complains about. This is so obvious I can't even believe I have to spell it out. If most of your problem with the game was the cutscenes. and now you can skip them, that's a HUGE incentive to replay. That's your biggest issue chopped right out. Imagine if you could skip the artifact hunt in Prime on subsequent runs. Well you can't. But you CAN skip the cutscenes in OM. There are plenty of double standards.
Fun fact: originally Other M was supposed to take place much earlier in the timeline.
A younger Samus still working for the Federation would explain narrative choices like having her strictly follow all of Adams orders and having a PTSD attack when encountering Ridley.
If true, that would explain a lot!
I just assumed she followed orders to lower the chances of "friendly fire"
That's a myth no offense
I feel like setting it up more this way would have made the game much more comprehensible for the audience. I deduced it all by myself given her past traumas and the military environment she logically evolved in but if you don't make this effort of deduction, some things might stay quite incomprehensible I suppose. Also I think reading the 2 Metroid mangas before playing this game helps a lot because it develops her relationship with Adam and the time she's passed in the Federation.
Adam was her commanding officer. She viewed him as a friend and father figure why would she not listen to him. Also she gets there after the federation so technically they have jurisdiction. They are the GALACTIC Federation after all who she occasionally does jobs for. As for the PTSD moment, how do we know it was pstd and not this guy is still alive moment.
Apparently it was stated once by Nintendo that they don’t even know what a bounty hunter is they just called samus one cuz it sounded cool 😅
I remember hearing about this. SO on brand for Nintendo it HURTS lmao.
I can believe it. Same company that misname the Aerolian maneuver with Barrel Roll.
Yeah, sounds about right. It does make her sound cool though.
Don't forget; Captain Falcon is a bounty hunter too, but all he does is walk around being unnecessarily swole and race lol
Don't know why bounty hunter always had this image of the coolest job in the world but yet it has lmao.
I been a Metroid fan since 2004, Fusion was my first game and I loved it back then still play it over the years and i have played all the other games even the one on Nes and honestly the Prime series i never really loved kinda liked the 2D ones more. But recently started playing Other M on a Odin handheld with upscale graphics. It feels just like it's on a switch I really love the 3rd person aspect of this one really wish they make another one like this It's amazing to me to see Samus 360
Game play feels so good regardless of the story potholes it's good I recommend 💯
We need another one like this or a port to the switch.
Uncommon knowledge is that panic attacks can come out of nowhere, meaning you could encounter the source of your trauma multiple times and feel fine before it actually triggers you. Not falling apart the first or even second time doesn't invalidate that the trauma is still there.
And honestly, if I were in her shoes, I myself would be wondering if I'm cursed to be stuck dealing with this demon in my shadow forever.
Amazing point!
Very well put.
To be fair, Samus being "cursed to be stuck dealing with this demon in her shadow forever" is not inaccurate, given how he's one of her most popular foes, he's very likely to show up in anything she appears in.
Exactly, people don't dig enough into the psychological approach of Samus characterisation so some things aren't as incoherent as they seem to be. Also Samus isn't a complete stranger to panic attacks, she got one in the Metroid manga, which is maybe even the inspiration for this scene in Other M. Having PTSD is in Samus character. Also this is commonly known from soldiers in particularly rude environments.
Realism doesn't equal good writing. It happening randomly in real life doesn't justify how random it is in the story.
I would honestly love to see another Metroid game with this camera angle and gameplay style tbh! It's one of a kind and the game is super vibrant, more vibrant than nearly any other Metroid game to date I think.
I really wish they would do this tbh because it feels like the evolution of the original games and going back to 2D with Dread to ME felt like a step back.
It's always weird to see people say Samus is supposed to be a silent emotionless hunter: We saw how she reacted to the baby in Metroid 2, we saw what she did when the baby was kidnapped in Super Metroid, and we saw all the dialog in Fusion.
She’s both, in my opinion. She’s a hardened warrior who can lower the exterior and show sympathy. Other M fails hard due to the melodrama layered into everything
@@justarandompurplefox3243 This is the most stereotypical dissenting Other M comment. You literally say Samus is EXACTLY what Other M shows her to be, and then proceed to shit on Other M for “doing it wrong” with some vague, dismissive statement.
I'm pretty sure the personality in Other M was based on the manga (10/10 would recommend) which has a pretty big focus on her traumatic encounters with Ridley. Samus was a little wooden in Other M but I'm much more bothered by the characterization of Adam after how he was described in Fusion.
@@justarandompurplefox3243 Before Other M's development, Sakamoto did not think too much about "what kind of person Samus Aran was and how she thinks and her personality", particularly because the games tried to depict Samus as a mysterious person.[38] Sakamoto and Team Ninja put much focus on backstory in the game to present Samus as an "appealing human character".
This explains why Samus barely talks in Dread.
I'd like to add to your thoughts and say she was also given 2 types of DNA. One was a gentle soul and the other was a maniac. So it is totally understandable for me that she has both feelings.
My goodness. Everything you've said about this game I have felt for years. I don't get how walking around in first person mode scanning everything every 5 sec and strafing from side to side was more fun than the mechanics in this game. I hate fps for this reason for not bringing anything new to the table. Hell, even the button layouts in those games are the same, no matter the contoller or system. You've played one you've played them all, which is why I never went back to play MP 2 and 3 after completing MP 1. I have played other m more times than I can count because of the gameplay.
This is one of my favorite videos on UA-cam. Other M's flaws are well documented. But as you pointed out, there is SO much potential with this style. I hope Nintendo gives 3rd person, 3D Metroid another chance some day.
Nothing is ever going to defend how Adam watched Samus suffer heat damage a whole bunch, authorized the ice beam for her, and waited several more rooms to finally let her use the Varia suit. That will never not be stupid and unexplainable.
And I said as much in the video.
@@ThrillingDuck Ahhhh. I didn't know that. I just wanted to get that out there because I always felt like that was the dumbest move in other M. All it does is make Adam seem like an uncaring jerk and Samus like a moron for ignoring common sense.
@@robertkovarna8294 Agreed!
It's the opposite in the Japanese translation. Adam tells her to activate it early but she doesn't out spite or something.
@@infinite1up389Its pretty wild how much was actually lost through English localizations. There was an entire storyline of samus dealing with weakness that we barely get any of, the specific connections to the BSL station in fusion, and (in a way) the explanation of phantoon's presence in the post-game.
I honestly really loved how much more powerful missiles were in Other M. That's why switching to 1st person, once you got the hang of it, actually felt good to me. Honestly, if the game had a tighter narrative (like earlier placement in the timeline to explain Ridley PTSD, and take out Adam permission thing), cutscene skip-ability, and better music, it would be a god-tier game. Notice I said nothing about the gameplay cuz it's so good imo. Maybe a button to trigger 1st person would be cleaner but I still liked the original set up for the most part.
Exactly! Missiles having so much punch really add to the first person switch gimmick. Plus everything else you said lol.
@@ThrillingDuck Absolutely, and I hope they pack more punch in Prime 4 when it comes out.
Damn, I LOVED the controls. Playing with the wiimote in reverse immediately reminded me of the nes/snes joycon and added a really nostalgic feel for the entire duration of the game. The switching point of view when using missiles was FANTASTIC, it really made me feel the bossfights fast-paced, frenetic and relentless. This actually made me immerse a lot in the fight. It's not even cluncky, you just have to simply get the hang of it and *get good* ! Furthermore you can actually dodge the attacks in first person, you only have to move away the Wii cursor! For the love of God, nowadays there are a lot of games more difficult like the souls-like games, you can't possibly tell me that the controls are hard to master, and I say it as a total noob!
@@Matt-vx1mz Sounds like you really got the feeling Sakamoto was going for haha. I love this control scheme as well (Wii remote turning and all), and since I understand the point behind the design decision not to use the nunchuck, I have no real issues with it. I really don’t love the Wii remote’s D-pad, but that’s because it’s a little on the stiff and pointy side, not because the controls themselves are poorly mapped or unresponsive or anything.
@@ThrillingDuck Yes, absolutely! Other M to me really felt like a meeting of old and new. Nostalgic, but at the same time really innovative. As a child I grew up replaying costantly Zero Mission (and later on, Fusion). That's where all started. That shit was the GOAT to me at the time (still is, actually). 2D Metroid will always have a special place in my heart. So, like you said, Other M was really the only game in the series where I could actually experience a 2D Metroid in 3D and even an evolution for the franchise.
When this game came out, it actually felt like it tried to remind us that 2D Metroid was not a less important side series, distant from the much bigger and popular home console releases and that it still had plenty to say after all those years of hiatus. *Thankfully Dread accomplished this* , and I hope that, slowly but surely, it will lay the foundation for a new Metroid that will inherit what was good about this game.
Imagine Mercurysteam making a 3D game like Other M
Omg I would pop off.
God i hope
@@g.f.martianshipyards9328
Didn’t they help develop Castlevania Lords of Shadow?
@@elibridgers2781 I think they made it
At this point I would like to see a director's cut of Other M, skippable cutscenes some minor changes and explain why Samus was able to regeneration health and missiles. I really enjoyed Other-M, even if I am not good at action games.
Give me any kind of remaster - c'mon Nintendo.
Just give the game a do over. Oh wait they won’t cause the game killed the franchise for 11 Years.
@@robbyrhodes4572 Nah. That was Federation Force lmao. Y'all prime cultists are just salty Prime 4 is likely not happening at this point but Dread did and was way better than Prime in most ways.
@@robbyrhodes4572 the toxic fanbase killed the franchise, thank god not all the fandoms are like that, if zelda had the same fandom of metroid then breath of the wild would be overhated and considered a terrible game
@Matt-vx1mz Not all Metroid fans are toxic. Also the game did fail to be a success. Pinning the blame on fans is a dumb idea. This open-minded BS needs to end.
I actually like the voice actor they got for Samus in Other M. I think the problem is mainly the voice direction. The voice itself I think is good. I feel like a lot Metroid fans have this idea that Samus is never allowed to fail because she is a badass. Samus is indeed and badass and is the coolest Nintendo character by far but she isn’t perfect and she is still a human. I’ve met fans that hate it when Samus shows any emotion or talks at all but I like it when she does those things. It shows that even though she is a space warrior, she is still human. Also I feel like people forget that Samus has failed multiple times in the past. Hell she gets knocked down at the beginning of every game so she can lose all of her powers. I feel like a good example is federation force.
Samus is the final boss of that game and fans threw a hissy fit over that. Samus got captured by the space pirates and they mind control her to fight Federation. A lot of people have a problem with this because it makes Smaus this damsel that needs to be saved but that just isn’t true at all. If Smaus got captured by the space Pirates in a really stupid way then yeah I would understand it, but we have no idea how she got captured. Furthermore there are multiple times throughout federation force were Samus saves the federation so them saving her for once isn’t that big of a deal. I am also one of the few people that have actually played federation force and the Samus boss fight is one of the best boss fights in the entire series. It’s a little lame she’s in her morph ball the whole time but we’ve already gotten to fight an evil Samus a few times throughout the series so it’s not that big of a deal to me. Also the canonical reason she is in her morph ball throughout the entire fight is because the space pirates are controlling her and they have no idea how to use her power suit and that’s just hilarious
I mean that's like saying 'the movie lead might be a bad actor but they are handsome'. Voice direction is the entirety of the voice 'acting'. Otherwise it's just someone reading a script.
@@Hugsloth that’s not what I said at all. I said I like the voice actor, but I don’t like the voice direction. I agree that direction is very important but I was just saying I like the voice actor herself. Also that comparison doesn’t even make sense. Bad writing can make even the best actors look like terrible actors and there is writing so good that it can make even the worst actors look good. Looks have nothing to do with it
@@barelyhere7200 A good voice actor can still do good acting even if the script itself sucks. In fact a good actor can lift up a bad script, as often occurs in film.
@@Hugsloth That's just blatantly untrue, voice direction is incredibly important for voice acting especially for video games. You clearly have no clue what you're talking about man, and the good actor bad script example does not transfer mediums at all. An actor gets so much more control than a voice actor, it's a completely different medium. It's not the same at all.
You’d be surprised some think Samus is an android lol
Y’know, over time I came to regret defending this game as a teenager, but your video really put into perspective why I felt like I HAD to at the time. Other M is obviously flawed in a lot of ways, but fan reactions can really turn the atmosphere around a piece of fucking ENTERTAINMENT to pure acid. At that point, trying to be at all nuanced will get you laughed out of the room.
Other M is a pretty fun game, and I largely agree with your comments on the gameplay. Honestly, I’ve always thought the story even flirts with some interesting sci-fi concepts related to bioethics and artificial intelligence, even if I wouldn’t go to bat for the writing.
And yeah, some scenes are pretty well-directed in a vacuum. I legitimately remember tearing up at the scene where Adam sacrifices himself the first couple of times I saw it-not because his character was executed well, but because it’s so damn emotionally intense lol
@@TheOneTrueTMan Right??
Ok, it's been a bit since I played this so I may be misremembering, but isn't Samus being a team player and listening to orders because she regrets being mega cringe and having a chip on her shoulder during her time with the feds. I don't think people understand ( probably because most of their interaction with the game was second hand through UA-cam videos ) that Samus ALSO thinks that her dumb thumbs down shit was lame and that maybe she was too quick to think everyone was out to get her ( I may also be projecting lol ).
What's funny is that people say that she no longer has agency, but she does, it's HER decision to listen to orders ( because it's really not her mission, she's just being nosey), the ONLY person who doesn't have agency is the player, and that makes them mad. It's Ironic that a major complaint with the authorization is "Samus no longer has agency", because THEY can no longer tell Samus what to do. She's her own character, with a voice and feelings and everything. At least that was how I saw it. Now, is this idea taken a bit far in some areas, yeah lol.. she really should have used the wave beam when the alternative could have been death, but remember she also doesn't have eyes on the whole ship and using a gun that travels though walls is pretty risky, so even then, she is probably making the right decision waiting for confirmation from Adam........ but like you said, not using the varia suit is dumb, and there is no way around it besides saying "it's a video game".
Anyway, I'm going to miss this more mature and self reflective Samus cuz from here on out its going to nothing but cool poses and a minimized voice. I'm also not saying that Metroid Other M's story was perfect, but it's more interesting than people give it credit for and was not the total character assassinations as people claim, she's just a person getting older and reflecting on her younger days.
PS. Other parts of the story are pretty rough, like building up the "deleter" ( Samus is apparently horrible at coming up with nick names ) only to have them like killed off screen with no fanfare was a HUGE bummer.
TLDR: Haters need to not focus on her voice direction and actually listen to what she is saying and I think you will find a much more interesting character than people realize.
What I find more hilarious is those who put the prime trilogy on a pedestal despite it having, by far, the absolute WORST backtracking and platforming in the franchise(Even Fusion's was done way better honestly), and especially Prime 1's linearity(Unless you have stupidly high skill to do the handful of sequence breaks, otherwise enjoy the singular available path until you get the needed upgrade to open a few doors).
Also, all we really need is Super Metroid to be given a graphical overhaul with QoL that can be toggled on or off. Would sell like hotcakes.
I mean her voice actor was good but she was just given terrible direction to sound robotic. But I wouldn't consider most monologs to be good anyways. She would have saved a lot of headache by just shooting the white pokemon that became Ridley instead of saying something dumb and obvious about scavengers being scavengers, or that she felt bad about being called and outsider. I mean after it roared at her should have been enough excuse to shoot it.
I would have felt bad for her but understood it even better if Samus instead monologed about a little history with Adam and why they called her outsider, because of course she would feel bad and could idk reveal that in her posture while mentioning her past just anything better than "the way they said "outsider," pierced my heart."
It's just poorly written through and through, and I dislike the words she speaks regardless of the voice except for the time she basically said "eff you adam" and turned on her space jump without authorization.
@@CommanderRedEXE Prime's backtracking mostly wasn't that bad honestly but it could get annoying at times especially in 1. Prime 1 isn't that lieear or singular once you start opening up multiple paths and really look around though.
I had to check UA-cam to see if there was anyone who was defending Other M, and now I'm glad I did.
Something almost nobody seems to know about, is the Varia suit dynamic was reversed in the English and Japanese versions. Adam was begging Samus to enable her Varia suit in the Japanese version, while in the English version he was granting her permission to use it. And neither works. In one, Adam was being a dumbass, in the original, Samus was being a childish dumbass.
Huh now that is interesting anymore changes
The "Where's Waldo" segments were mostly an issue because the game released when many players had CRTs, too low resolution to actually see the thing you were looking for. The issue crops up within seconds of the start with the GFS logo. It doesn't ruin the game in retrospect now that better screens are ubiquitous, but it was a painfully thoughtless mistake at time of release
That said, I fully agree that the moment to moment gameplay loop is a way better translation of the 2D experience to 3D, and I'd love to see an evolved take on it
@@ridleykiller1994 Fair!
Incredibly brave to make this video given the game's reputation lol, looking forward to hearing what you have to say!
Im convinced we arent even playing the same game. I felt that. You got my subscription. I love the energy you bring. Cant wait to watch other videos
Thanks so much!
I really, really appreciate your take on Other M, it's such a breath of fresh air. And as someone who actually likes the game it's just nice to hear nice things for once 😭
@@BaselardFE Lol thank you! It’s nice to hear a positive response too, because plenty so far are still quite the opposite haha.
The "YOU killed Metroid" point at the end hit me like a punch to the gut, cuz it's true. I was one of those purist, Other M haters in the early 2010s (even though I secretly loved the gameplay), and the suspicion we all shared for the Metroid drought that ensued was that Other M sucked cock so hard, it decimated the franchise.
In reality, it was our overly hateful reaction to it that launched Metroid into a painfully long drought. Mostly I can imagine, in the form of discouragement for series producer Sakamoto. Some things weren't executed well in Other M, but it really didn't deserve the amber turd-level hate, considering the risk they took to bring so many awesome gameplay ideas to the table.
You highlighted something that always bothered me: the game always looked so cool to play. Everytime I watched critiques of this game, I found the gameplay awesome, and couldn't understand how a game that looked to play this good be as bad as people say.
Loved every minute of this video. It felt cathartic to me because it's great to finally hear someone say the things I've always thought.
Never could understand the hate this game received. I had a blast with it at the time and still enjoy going back to it. Like you said I'd love a sequel or a remaster. Never gonna happen probably, but a guy can dream, right?
FINALLY!!!!! Someone who gave Other M some praise. This game isn’t bad. I have always liked this game. I got it when it released and thought it was really good (Granite with some flaws, but what game doesn’t, right) and Metroid is my favorite video game franchise.
Actually, I think this game should be the built upon for Metroid “6”. I don’t think Metroid should stay 2D for the next installment, but instead take this 2D-3D hybrid, but with full 360 movement. This would literally follow Other M’s gameplay and push the Metroid gameplay to new levels, in my opinion at least.
The focus on the negativity of internet discourse drags this essay down a bit, If I can be honest. That's just what happens on internet fora. Your line "Throwing THE BABY out with the bathwater" is such a fantastic joke though, could have just used that to punctuate a 5 minute rant and then dropped the mike. But good on you for making essays about what you care for, I hope to see more.
Yeah, that line was kinda funny and actually made me chuckle aloud.
Honestly you could probably make it a meme just by showing a clip of Samus Cosplay tossing a Metroid baby/plushie into a bathtub over and over with that dialogue.
I actually enjoyed Other M. It was this game that got me and a really good friend of mine talking.
It's funny, but i actually loved this game so much more than prime for all the reasons you described. I never understood how much hate and vitriol was hurled at this decent and fun game.
Thank you for taking time to talk about how good this game actually was, beyond the negative opinions.
Honestly I replay it more often than Prime too lol.
The whole why does Samus listen to Adam thing kinda makes me really mad that people dont get it. This dude was her commanding officer. As a bounty hunter she cant just do what she wants. You think Dog the Bounty Hunter doesnt have to answer to local police and that he wouldn't have to listen to any of their commands? I know its a wierd analogy but it s really the same thing. Imagine instead of the federation its the Cops about to arrest someone. Dog is tracking the same person. When he gets there police are already there. Real life tells us that police in this scenario would be the ones in charge. So why do people think Samus shouldn't have to listen to authority thats already in place? Its also very clear in the beginning that she is tagging along and not the one in charge of this mission.
I had someone try to make the argument that Samus is an illegal mercenary. Like, sure, she’ll bend the rules during a mission, but she’s not about to make an enemy out of what is essentially the galactic government.
She literally STATES at the beginning of Other M, that since the federation is directly involved, she has to follow orders if she wants to stay on the mission, and ensure Platoon 07’s safety.
Hell, Samus is the type to ALLOW the federation to arrest her if they saw fit, full cooperation, à la Superman, not wanting to hurt anyone.
Just finished it for the first time and this game is fantastic. The combat is much better than the other metroids and I love that samus is now an actual character instead of just a mute puppet that you move around.
What you have said in this video have been my thoughts for many years. I also thought about making a video as an anti-hatred movement but I was too lazy and couldnt have a similar job like you did. Thanks!
When I saw this video in my recommendeds I thought, "Oh boy, this should be good." and I wasn't disappointed. One thing I realized while watching this video was I don't remember much about Other M, I know I 100% the game which hit me as odd since in most Metroid games I don't. Not because I don't try, I just try to find everything I can on my own but I don't force myself to get everything. In terms of how I felt about the game, I thought it was fine, still do, no real big reaction. The game weirdly felt short, like after beating Phantoon, I was like "wait, that's it" not sure what that says about me or the game honestly. Something funny I realized, while writing this, is that the more action style of combat of Samus Returns and Dread kinda started with Other M. The snappier movement started in Fusion, but both it and the Primes followed the more slow and floaty style combat from 1, 2, and Super, and the counter and quicker Samus combat started in Other M.
The melee counter in modern Metroid definitely feels like it shares some DNA with Other M's mechanics - especially when it leads into cinematic takedowns during bosses.
@@ThrillingDuck Hell, they pulled power-ups straight out of it, like the diffusion beam. There was another one I'm forgetting, I just remember another Metroid 'Tuber 'joking' that the items were "totally original" because he didn't want to attribute them to Other M.
Thank you! I'm so glad to see someone stand up for Other M. It wasn't the best game but I really loved a lot of the ideas they had. I'm on board with your points. Bad translations, some poor design choices, and a lackluster narrative don't validate the level of hatred the game got. It BAFFLED me how quickly the fandom turned on it. Personally the way the actress was made to voice Samus drives me crazy but the gameplay was phenomenal for me at least
I found this video completely by accident, but I have to say: As a long time Metroid fan that felt ostracized from the wider fanbase because of my love for Other M.... THANK YOU! You are the first person I've ever heard besides my brother to clearly layout a defense for Other M, and logically! Other M at the time and till this day beat out the Prime games for me because of the combat and movement of Samus. Other M nails the feel of Samus in a way that the Prime games have never done justice.
Again thank you so much for this video. I just hope that we can change the minds of enough people that this overcorrection doesn't continue forever...
Thank you so much! And yes, exactly on the Prime stuff. I still like them, and I think they have objectively better design, but whenever I do a 3D Metroid marathon I always END on Other M, cuz I just love it and want it to cap off the experience :)
Yup, good video.
So 12 years ago I wrote a 10k document defending Other M. I intended to put it out there for people to read, or turn it into a video script, but neither ended up happening. I say this so you know I have given the game much thought over the years, and I replay it at least once every couple years. I’ll hit your major points that I have thoughts on.
1. The Story overall. I don’t want to get too deep into this, but suffice it to say, Other M suffers from a pretty botched translation job. If you check out a more faithful translation of the story, you’ll find it to have much different subtext. Samus is presented as much more of a stubborn, rebellious character, who more-so put up with Adam rather than viewed him as a father figure. If you haven’t, I encourage you check out the UA-cam video of the cutscenes with the more accurate translation. It actually helps explain the Varia Suit scene much better, which I’ll get to.
2. Authorization. I never had a problem with this, for multiple reasons. First, the Metroid series makes it clear that Bounty Hunters are a sanctioned group by the Federation, meaning they are basically under contract to report for work whenever called upon, in exchange for certain protections and privileges in their work. And even if she’s an independent bounty hunter, but she’s joined a Federation led mission, as a temporary member of their team. If she wants to be allowed to keep working there and not break multiple laws, she has to follow his orders, so yes, she is actually legally obligated to follow his orders. Finally, this is a man she respects and clearly cares about, from whom she used to take orders, so it seems completely reasonable she’d continue to follow them now out of respect if nothing else. As for Adam not authorizing protective, non harmful gear/equipment, I’m willing to suspend disbelief just enough that there’s probably mountains of paperwork every time any piece of equipment is used, not to mention he was probably using it as a bit of a test of Samus’ ability to obey commands. Furthermore, as we know the Chozo suit is tied to Samus’ mental and emotional state, it’s reasonable to believe that the more abilities activated, the larger a mental/emotional strain it is on Samus. At the start of Other M, the threat level is minimal, and she has much on her mind with the destruction of her homeworld, loss of the baby Metroid, and meeting Adam and Anthony again. She’s not in the most stable emotional or mental place, so for multiple reasons, I can believe that she’s keeping her activated equipment to within Adam’s boundaries. I want to get into Adam’s character a little later. Also, don’t forget the scenes where she mocks Adam and activates her Space Jump and Screw Attack expressly without his permission.
3. The Varia Suit scene. Like mentioned above, the original Japanese translation actually has the scene play out differently. In that version, Adam is more clear: Don’t go into areas your current equipment doesn’t allow for, I.e. don’t go into the fire zone until I say so. Through gameplay, both the player and Samus actively disobey his orders, by going into the fire zone but keeping her varia suit deactivated as a sort of way to mock Adam’s orders. When he calls to tell her to activate it, it’s much more of a “Good Grief, Samus! Fine! Turn on your varia suit already!” Than what we got here. I understand the issue in discussing “what could have been” vs “what we got” but I think this is an important point, to show just how a slight misunderstanding in translation and loss of subtext can badly damage a story.
4. The Ridley PTSD scene. This is one I actually have very strong opinions on, as someone who actually was diagnosed with and suffers from PTSD. The prevailing belief is that Samus should have just gotten over it, after her 5th encounter with Ridley. But that’s not how PTSD works. It doesn’t just stop or go away after repeated exposures. In many people, it can actually become worse. It did for me. There’s also 2 other reasons this incident felt believable for me. First, in EVERY other Metroid game (except Samus Returns, but I’ll get to that), Samus has forewarning about Ridley’s presence before encountering him. Having that warning gives her time to prepare. Zero mission: The manga is her first encounter, PTSD breakdown, and in-game she’s ready for him when she fights him. Prime: She sees him on the ship, then spends the whole game chasing him down. Prime 3: Sees him flying in the distance on Norion, small encounters before an actual fight. Samus Returns: Doesn’t know about him, but having just saved the Baby Metroid, she’s in a new head space, one where she has something/someone else to fight for right now, and thanks to that is able to more quickly overcome her potential panic attack for the sake of another being. Super Metroid: Doesn’t expect him on the the space station, especially after JUST taking him down in Samus Returns, so she’s caught off guard, but the Baby Metroid’s peril gives her the strength to fight, just not at her full strength (again, remember her suit and powers are often tied to emotional/mental states) so she loses the fight. Fusion: Sees the Ridley corpse become infected by X and fly away, giving her time to prepare for his appearance. Other M however, he literally just appears, no warning, no time to mentally or emotionally brace herself, just bam, Ridley. Furthermore, remember: Samus lost the Baby Metroid to Mother Brain, an encounter which still resonates strongly for her. It’s probably the first time anything gave its life for her, this creature that viewed her as a parent. It’s sinking in how alike she and the baby were, both having lost their families to invaders from another world, and now that child gave its life for its family’s murderer. Then, she kills Ridley once and for all, and is forced to destroy the very world on which she was raised, severing her last connection with her Chozo parents. THEN, being suddenly reunited with the man who acted somewhat as a father figure and guided her through important years of her life, alongside her friend Anthony, and on top of that, being faced with the possibility that either of them could be a traitor looking to kill her. She is NOT in a good place right now. For Ridley to appear and cause her to break down, especially after she FINALLY believed him to be gone for good, I found to be extremely believable. The way she is able to overcome it so quickly and fight despite this, makes her even more heroic to me.
5. The lack of the Chozo. Yup, that bothered me a lot. Not much to say other than I wish they addressed that.
6. Adam. I know you didn’t really dwell on him, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts. This is getting long so I’ll try to keep it brief. I’m not convinced Adam is meant to be some perfect, all wise and kind character. I think there’s plenty of reason to believe some of Other M’s story suffers from unreliable narrator, that Samus views him as fatherly and perfect while he’s actually a bit abusive. He shoots her in the back rather than call out to her, and takes her place even though she could have handled the task ahead. I think Samus craved validation from him, for him to finally respect her after her galaxy saving efforts, and yet he still treated her like a child. I don’t want to get too into it here but I think there’s reason to believe that Adam was jealous, and manipulative of a vulnerable person, and used his position of authority to, intentionally or no, hurt Samus more than help her.
7. Cutscenes, Cinematography, etc. Yup, I love all these. It was the first game I played that blended gameplay and cutscene in such a cool, fluid way.
8. Linearity, etc. I think a missing component in your analysis is atmosphere. The Metroid series is nearly unmatched in its ability to showcase alien worlds and creatures, letting you explore worlds and locations that are so creative and otherworldly. Zero Mission and Metroid Prime blew my teenage mind, and Prime 3 still has some of the most gorgeous, alien worlds I’ve ever seen in any game or piece of media ever.
9. Believability/video gamey aspects. Actually, this stood out to me as well. Prime is my all time favourite game, but it’s hard to ignore the perfectly placed slots exactly the size of the morph ball everywhere. Other M tried to make every exploration aspect feel more believable. Broken holes in walls, no power drops, etc. I respect the attempt.
I don’t have much more to speak on right now, I pretty much agree with everything else you’ve said, and hopefully this message has made it clear that I deeply love the Metroid series, and have given this lots of careful thought. I can see others calling it Copium, but honestly I think it’s just a case of not being charitable to what Other M was trying to do. It’s not a perfect game. I get frustrated with certain elements. I think the ending would be much stronger if it didn’t have the credits breaking it up, and just went straight from the MB encounter to her victory lap and Phantoon boss fight. Everyone I’ve played the game with has felt the “oh, that’s it?” Feeling from that final cutscene and encounter. The small things do add up, but I strongly agree that with a remaster which more closely sticks to the original script, adds more control and gameplay options, and polishes it up would be amazing. I’ve played bad games. Other M is not a bad game. It’s an imperfect attempt at an extremely ambitious idea.
But y’all best watch yer tongue when bringing up Metroid prime pinball. That game raised me and I won’t be having no disrespect to the ‘ball!
Love all of this - especially #2 and #3. Thanks for sharing!
On point #6, I don't remember where I read it, probably the comments of another Other M analysis video, but I've seen it explained by someone who was examining Other M from the Japanese cultural perspective: part of the growth Samus is supposed to be going through in Other M is the realization that Adam was never actually a father to her, that he really was just another CO, and that the filial bond she had developed was really just a construction of her naive teenage self (keeping in mind that she really did develop fraternal bonds with other soldiers like Anthony and Ian, who were like big brothers to her) that, because she had struck out on her own and buried that period of her life away, she was never able to resolve or bring closure to those feelings or have that important realization and growth until she was forced to by the events of the game. When Adam suddenly reappears in her life during a very vulnerable and uncertain time for her, all those buried feelings come flooding back and she regresses mentally, falling into the comfort of old, unhealthy habits. And she suffers for it. Her validation-seeking behaviors are childish, and unhealthy to the point of being needlessly reckless with her own life to fulfill a martyr complex (wanting to save Ian even though logically it was a hopeless rescue, wanting to enter Sector Zero even though she would die a needless death against the unfreezable metroids, and devising a plan to blow up BSL without considering her own self-preservation). The only cure to this behavior is not for Adam to relent and feed that need for validation, it's for Samus to realize it's not healthy and stop.
And Metroid fans themselves suffer the exact same misconceptions of Adam too, because all our knowledge of the character comes from the rosy, nostalgic description Samus gives us in Fusion. So players go into Other M expecting to learn about Qui-Gon Jinn the father figure, and both player and Samus are met with the reality of Mace Windu the unattached (which contrasts pretty well with Grey Voice now that I think about it).
@@7QWERTY13 yeah, excellently put. It gets so difficult to determine the author’s intent in a situation like this however. It feels like either the author tried and failed to make Adam a cool father figure who boldly sacrifices himself, or the author was a secret genius playing 4D chess with the storytelling and contrasting what we’re told with what we see. Considering the subtext and theming in Fusion (as pointed out by the Geek Critique, being that the SA-X represents everything Samus used to be, and the game is literally about breaking the orders and restrictive linear pathing the game wants you to follow), I’m more inclined to be charitable and assume the best of the author, and accept the failure on the part of the translation team (although from what I understand, Sakamoto was also in charge of that, despite his unfamiliarity with English.)
Either way, I’ve found in recent years that the story of other M is much more complex and rife with conversational potential than many give it credit for. Rather than just brush it off as poor storytelling, I think especially comparing it with the Japanese translation and digging deeper into the psychology presents some interesting revelations. I especially like that you mention how she regresses into a more naive and childlike state due to all the sudden stresses around her. Then we see the culmination of it all when Ridley appears, and we are shown exactly how she views herself in that moment.
@@TheTotalOverflow I've always felt the biggest issues with Other M's narrative, even after fixing the localization issues and putting aside the choice to ignore the Chozo, boil down to two points:
1. The movie (because let's be honest, that's what Other M is) assumes that the viewer has never played Fusion and has absolutely no idea who Adam is or what his moral character is. This is your first and only introduction to the character with no preconceptions, and
2. The plot utterly depends on point 1 to make the Sector Zero scene, the emotional climax, work. The Deleter plot ONLY exists so that the movie can point the viewer towards believing that Adam is the villain, that he's shooting Samus in the back because she's the last witness (oh no!), and so that it can maximize how much narrative tension it can subvert when it reveals "Adam was a good guy all along, wow!"
That is the intended reading of the movie. That Sector Zero scene is what was conceived first, and the entire rest of the plot is built around and bends over backwards to make that scene happen. But it can't build that dramatic weight it all depends on if the viewer goes in just KNOWING that Adam is a good guy. It can't even wind up its punch. That's why everyone thinks of the Deleter plot as "a useless subplot that goes nowhere and is suddenly dropped". Because the mere suggestion, the intended implication, that Adam could be a villain or was even a valid suspect NEVER crosses their mind. But Sector Zero IS the intended resolution of that plot. Once the "twist" is executed, the Deleter has completely run its course as a plot device.
It just doesn't work.
I really wish Nintendo would give Other M the same treatment they gave Prime. I also wish they would give Zelda Oracle of Ages/Seasons the same treatment they gave Link's Awakening.
Yes and yes.
I mean, maybe not the same treatment as Link's Awakening, imagine if the Oracle games were done in a similar style to those little bits of art we got for certain scenes, I'd love that.
It’s no nice to know that I’m not the only person who thinks like this. I’ve been crying these points for a while. I’m shoving this video down everyone’s throats. Even people who don’t know what Metroid is
Lmao thank you!
I just love finding someone else as passionate about incredibly niche topics as me. Long live Other M.
I actually love Metroid Other M. It's not my 'favorite' Metroid title but I do think it's overhated and I do agree that many people apply horrible double standards when judging it. Honestly, I'd play it over Federation Force, Prime Hunters and even Prime 2 (as well as the original NES Metroid and original Gameboy Metroid 2).
Overall, amazing video but I did have a few small notes:
1: while it doesn't fix some of the plot holes nor does it excuse the final product we call the English translation, but ever since I discovered the original Japanese translation and intent behind the games narrative, I've never looked at those sequences where Samus had to unlock her Varia suit or grapple beam the same way again. (The short version is that Adam didn't want her to deactivate those things in the first place but she did so in defiance to prove she's strong even under his command and he basically had to force her to re-enable those abilities. It's kind of one of those cultural differences in story telling)
2: I know this is deep lore shit but it's been established Ridley has regenerative abilities. All he needs is to consume nourishment and he can practically regenerate from near death. I believe the implication is that every battle Samus has had with Ridley until Super he was left mortally wounded but not dead with Super being his final fight where he was finally killed for good. So seeing her life long nemesis literally come back from the dead mixed with the clearly very emotionally vulnerable state Samus is in from seeing Adam again after all these years, it kinda makes her ptsd moment make a lot more sense.
3: this is the only thing I'm aware of that you kinda got factually wrong. Everyone fucking HATES Fusion's linearity. Fusion is the one game in the entire franchise that's pit up against Super Metroid every single time it's discussed. You know. Super Metroid. The (allegedly) best Metroid game as well as one of the most influential video games of all time? One thing every makes sure to bring up at every possible talking point when comparing the two games is how Fusion is automatically worse because of its linearity. Nobody (except me) excuses Fusions linearity and very few (also except me) give it a pass. Aside from the story, this is an aspect Fusion is constantly hounded over and seen as lesser than Super for.
Love this. Just for the record, #2 has been brought to my attention a few times now haha. I actually misunderstood the implication that Super was supposed to be Ridley's first true "death," simply because most of the earlier entries seem to animate him as exploding or otherwise evaporating in some capacity upon his defeat. The knowledge that he was merely escaping in those instances only further validates the PTSD scene :)
As for Fusion, you're right about that too (except I also give it passes for those things lol). I've just been noticing the discourse surrounding Fusion has grown more lenient in recent years, so I figured it was worth bringing up. Its linearity IS still generally derided in comparison to Super though, you're absolutely correct.
I maintain it wasn't really the VA's fault overall, but the voice direction.
I love this game. I feel the same way about Super Paper Mario. That was freaking magical to play and everyone acted like they didn't get it? Remake both these games right now please.
I think people have softened on Super Paper Mario in recent years - especially in the post-Sticker Star era. Anyway, I certainly love SPM.
Finally!!! Someone making justice to Other M!! Thank you!! 🙏
I’m really glad to finally see SOMEBODY go to bat for this game. Yeah it has flaws like every game does, but there simply was not a space available anywhere to discuss this game if you liked it. Not for years. People can have their opinions and whatnot, but I personally feel the hate and negativity is crazy overblown. I love the more action-focused take of the gameplay, and I enjoyed the characters having more explicit characterization. Especially the cutscene towards the beginning depicting mother brain killing the baby and Samus’s brief meltdown in front of Ridley.
Speaking to that last part: I can very easily see a person who has conquered their foe that traumatized them suffering a meltdown like this considering the fact that Ridley never seems to STAY DEAD. She is seemingly incapable of escaping her very own personal living-and-breathing demon, through no fault of her own.
@@superblooper123 You echoed my feelings EXACTLY about their having been what felt like no safe space to discuss it in a positive light.
I have to agree with you. I think me and you played a different game compared to the masses.
I think most of us just shook our heads and decided it wasn't worth the argument.
Funny trivia soldiers saw the Ridley panic scene (knowing the context obviously) and called it an accurate representation of PTSD
Thing is players will disconnect about fighting Ridley if they've shot the pterosaur ,10 times
Everybody who defends the panic attack scene uses that same statement to defend it, but that is just moving the goalpost.
The criticism of that scene is that Samus has already encountered Ridley at least 7 times prior to this cutscenes (even if we remove the 4 encounters in the Prime Trilogy, that's still 3 times between Zero Mission and Super Metroid, plus Mecha Ridley for a bonus encounter), yet she's never displayed anything resembling a panic attack!
The narrative never makes mention of Ridley aside from a single line in passing ("...and my long standing nemesis, Ridley."). Only fans that know about her backstory, that Ridley killed and ate her mother in front of Samus, would know what this even means, but those are exactly the only players that would find it egregious that she's having the panic now of all times! For anyone else, Samus just turns into a child for absolutely no reason!
And after that cutscene, Samus never has the attack again or anything resembling it!
Samus has ONE scene where the portrayal of a panic attack was done right, but everything else surrounding it, the over an hour of cutscenes before and after that moment, do not portray a character that has PTSD! That scene is completely disconnected from the narrative, unless you read between the lines: Samus reverts to an infant crying for help as Adam continues to shout on her ears, but once someone attempts on his life and he loses communications with Samus, she gets back on her feet and defeats Ridley!
Adam infantilizes Samus throughout the story: he gives ONE GLARE at her for acting of her own accord (opening the door with a missile for them), which she immediately understands it means she should stop being independent. She disables all of her equipment and Adam takes his sweet time with the next boss encounter until you scan the thing, so he finally gives Samus authorization to use her missiles (how did he know she had disabled them?).
Then comes the infamous lines "You don't move unless I say so, you don't fire until I say so."
That's just him voicing what she already knew, because she had all of her equipment disabled waiting for his command to activate. She is an adult and independent bounty hunter that has saved the galaxy multiple times, yet Adam treats her like a child in need of discipline. We see in a flashback that he ignored her when she tried to save his brother's life, like a parent ignoring a child throwing a tamper tantrum, and that the rift created between them was caused by her leaving his command.
But all it takes is ONE GLARE for Samus to submit herself to him again!
And then the Ridley scene happens where she turns into a toddler crying for help while Adam is shouting at her to use the Plasma Beam and Ridley is snaring at her.
And once communications with Adam are gone, she gets back on her feet, finds MB posing as Madeline, activates two of her upgrades on her own and even makes a snarky comment and decides to kill all Metroids in Sector Zero.
Then Adam finds her again and shoots her in the back, because he could see and hear everything she was doing, and he had to punish Samus for activating her upgrades without his permission. Then he gives a non-apology and goes dies a heroic death, while Samus begs for him to stop and he ignores her like he did in the flashback, again infantilizing her.
And when Adam is dead, Samus regains her courage and agency! She suits up, activates the Gravity Suit and go beat the final bosses!
She even narrates that Adam dying has given her courage, though she attributes it to be her learning from his sacrifice, but the story paints the idea that without Adam she is brave and independent, but whenever he's around she's infantilized and weak!
The panic attack scene isn't about Ridley at all, he's just a catalyst for the actual problem - Samus is being mentally (and physically, don't forget the Hell Run sequence) abused by her "father figure" whose grasp she had escaped years ago, and now the trauma is coming back!
And Other M GLORIFIES THIS RELATIONSHIP!
Other M is terrible!
@@TwilightWolf032i have ptsd and can guarantee You never get over it fully
@@isauldron4337 Tell me you didn't read my comment without telling you didn't read my comment.
Here, I'll make it easier for you:
"And after that cutscene, Samus never has the attack again or anything resembling it!
Samus has ONE scene where the portrayal of a panic attack was done right, but everything else surrounding it, the over an hour of cutscenes before and after that moment, do not portray a character that has PTSD!"
@@TwilightWolf032 she has a panic attack in the manga
@@isauldron4337 That happens before Zero Mission, which is the first game in the series chronologically, making the two that much closer than Other M, which takes place near the end of the timeline. If there was a place for her to have a panic attack in the games, it should have been Zero Mission, where she faces Ridley after rescuing the Chozo from Zebes for the first time.
And once again, even if we ignore the Prime Trilogy, as Other M so desperately wants to, Samus has faced Ridley twice in Zero Mission (counting with Mecha Ridley), and two more times in Super Metroid, yet she's never had even a hint of a panic attack!
And going back to the manga, the Chozo use their alien spiritualism to heal Samus of the trauma, so she will never have the same panic attack again when confronting him, so Other M contradicts the manga as well.
Once again, the issue isn't with the portrayal of the panic AT THE MOMENT IT HAPPENS, the issue is that it only happens THAT ONE TIME and never again or prior to that!
30:40 excellent analogy and thats exactly how i feel. The complaints about this game are lazy at best and make no sense when you consider some of the games people rave about. I still find it ironic how everyone loved Dread because you can see it was inspired by Other M. Great breakdown ..👍🏽
Thanks a lot!
Arguably the PTSD scene could, in fact be have a little "Why won't you STAY DEAD!?" energy mixed with despair over the fact thay he won't stay dead, but it definitely needs MORE of that to make it seem less like JUST a flashback.
How about a whole part where her whole suit is threatening to fail as Ridley's going to turn her into salsa against a wall because she can't think straight? ...Oh, right.
As an Other M enjoyer since release; I'm with you on 90% of your take. However, the "Where's Waldo" segments were genuinely frustrating on my first playthrough. I put it down after the teenage mutant Ridley attack because I couldn't figure it out. Now, 10 years later I'm doing another playthrough (hence why I'm even watching this) and I memorized these to where it's not an issue but every time they pop up I remember how pissed off I was the first time.
This is fair, but it speaks to something I find so interesting about Other M: It struggles needlessly with issues of conveyance, but they're completely negated by knowledge of what to do. That's still not fantastic design, but frustrating sequences in other games tend to be frustrating for reasons pertaining to duration and what you have to accomplish, which means they remain equally frustrating on repeat playthroughs.
Things like the Where's Waldo sequences, use of power bombs on the Queen Metroid, and objective of the final MB encounter (locking onto her lol) are needlessly frustrating issues on an initial playthrough, and that IS admittedly poor and sloppy design, but they completely evaporate as issues on all subsequent visits.
Real talk: I didn't know Other M was "bad" until someone told me it was. I could tell there were things about it as I played through it that I looked forward to being polished in a sequel, but honestly bad never crossed my mind- the valid critiques about the narrative etc. not withstanding. I agree.
Never got a chance to play this game. Life just got in the way. Anyway I think it’s really awesome that Sakamoto approached team ninja to design a Metroid game. If skyward sword deserved a remastered port to switch, I think this would be a great remaster to the switch.
Other M and Skyward Sword were my introduction to their respective series so they both have a special place in my heart.
As much hate as this game gets, if we’re honest it wasn’t particularly out of step with how Nintendo was trying to push the franchise and its heroine at the time.
I loved this. Other M is a reason to buy a Wii. Federation Force is good, but yeah, Other M has that unique good sensation that just feels great to play.
My boy is HEATED damn bro chill.
Does he seriously think he'll convince ANYONE with this vitriol, when most people who've played this game hated it (myself included, and I gave this game WAY too many chances after that fucking softlock bug)???
It's not anger, it's righteous indignation, and a lot of us feel it. If you read most of the comments, you're in the minority here.
I kept seeing what a horrible mess this game was. I've played and own most Metroid games. I'm 52 and was there since day one. Finally purchased Other M and have enjoyed it immensely.. Herd mentality has been the base for the hatred . I recommend all fans should play it again , Or really the first time since I don't believe most have played it. Only watched UA-cam videos and regurgitating false claims.
This is the best title for a UA-cam video ever
Going back to Ridley’s scene, I think it’s important to note that up until Super Metroid, Ridley always survives his encounters with Samus.
Zero Mission? Gets rebuilt as Meta Ridley in Prime.
Prime? Gets blasted in the chest by Chozo statues, he survives corrupted by Dark Samus and her Phazon.
Corruption? Gets shot down the throat as Meta Ridley and appears as Omega Ridley; while he dissipates into Phazon particles after his boss fight, he survived somehow.
Samus Returns? He has nearly fully regenerated from his fight from Zero Mission, with almost all of his metal prosthetics, taking the form of Proteus Ridley. While he is beaten, he sheds the final prosthetic, bridging the gap between the mainline games and the Prime Trilogy (Which makes the Prime games canon). This retcon also explains how he managed to kidnap the Baby Metroid so quickly after Samus delivered it to the scientists.
Super? He is killed off for real. Even if he did survive his battle against Samus, the destruction of Zebes would have done him in, so either way, he was dead.
It wasn’t Ridley himself that resulted in the infamous breakdown; rather, it’s the prospect of Samus’s personal nightmare coming back from the dead.
Going back to Little Birdie, she didn’t know about Ridley’s life cycle, so her PTSD was even more warranted.
If nothing else, it gave us the best rendition of Ridley’s theme we got.
I have never played Other M, but it was interesting making it an interquel for Super and Fusion. It definitely explained how Ridley’s corpse was recovered in a way that makes sense. And Nightmare’s inclusion seemed fine.
Exactly this. Fans forget that Ridley is officially dead after Super Metroid. Other M's opening cutscenes even mention this fact as well. But no, its always "This doesn't make sense! She's never shown this behavior before! This makes her look weak and pitiful! Worst game Evah!!!"
The official two volume manga that chronicles Samus's life on K2L before and her adoption by the Chozo Old Bird and Grey Voice after the Space Pirate Raid, delves into the psychological response Samus has after seeing Ridley alive and well after she witnessed him seemingly get crushed and burned to death by his own space ship. Samus cannot believe that Ridley is alive. She saw him die on K2L. How is it possible? He toys with her emotionally, stating that he survived by eating the dead bodies of the colonists to regenerate. He points to various parts of his body and states: "Are they here or over there? PAY YOU"RE RESPECTS!," and attacks her. Ridley is so evil that he uses this psychological warfare on Samus to the point where her mind breaks from the stress and to the point where she is begging to be killed. Old Bird and the other Chozo give her the strength to overcome her fear. Stating that she is not alone and that they are her family as well. The manga is kind of weird in the sense that its hard to tell if the Zebes mission takes place before Metroid/ Zero Mission or if its just another version of Metroid/ Zero Mission. It ends just as Samus is about to face off with Mother Brain, so maybe its just another version.
Samus doesn't react to Ridley in Prime 1 because it takes place right after Metroid/ Zero Mission. One could argue that the momentary pause where she is looking up at Ridley on the Frigate could be a "How the heck did you survive?" type pause for her, but she remembers that the ship around her is exploding and Ridley doesn't even bother to confront her. Again, exploding space ship. Everything plays out as normal until Super, where Ridley is killed once and for all. Other M resurrects Ridley, but nobody knows its Ridley. Its not until we see the Mysterious Creature that we start getting a hint on who Little Birdie really is. Samus's freeze up and PTSD in Other is a reaction of seeing someone you know, someone you know died, someone that you personally took down once and for all, seemingly come back from the dead like a phantom/ vengeful ghost. Samus cannot believe that her greatest nemesis is back from the dead, after she clearly defeated him. This is why they added this plot to Other M. How would you react if you were in a situation similar to Samus? This is what soldiers go through when they come home from war. They are mentally stressed beyond belief and even a a simple everyday sound can trigger them to remember the horrors they went through. Some can handle it better than others, but everyone of them has a trigger.
Other M is a game that takes a dive into Samus' psyche. Was it executed well? No, I can agree with many on that point along with the story and what was brought up in this video. Does the game deserve all the hate it gets? I don't think so. I gave the game a fair chance, 100% it, and I mostly enjoyed it. Same with Federation Force, I didn't automatically judge it as a bad game immediately after it was announced. I waited till it was released, and solo played it as far as I could go (It gets pretty hard on single player), and I enjoyed it. Was it as terrible as everyone claimed it to be? For me, no. I enjoyed it for what it was a game that takes place in one of my favorite video game series.
@@CommanderOmegaTau Very well put throughout!
You nailed it friend. Well done and well stated.
Cracks me up to see people act like she shouldn't have that moment of this guy again.
@@mrmaninred22
Again, I have never played Other M, but thank you for your kind words.
Lmao what a great video. You made a lot of good points and addressed things I *really* hate about certain gamers. Other M was a great transition to 3D for metroid and its a shame we'll likely never get any follow ups. So much potential
Other M had a lot of decent ideas muddled by execution, framing and weird choices. The controls for one, limiting it to a wii mote was just bad. But honestly, I kinda agree this is about as close to a 3D version of 2D metroid you'll get, and I did enjoy some of those segments. Samus' fluidity, her hand to hand abilities (which you'll notice has been sorta kept since), all allow for the 2D agility to come through. The level design very much brings it down unfortunately, and the narrative dooms it further. But I agree that the hate for this game overshadows any positives.
I would love them to take another crack at this with better levels and better controls, it could be fun, but alas, like Assassin's Creed Unity, the game wasn't received well so we'll throw out everything, regardless of whether theres potential for improvement, or any positives to keep. That is a shame.
This Video needs more views. I totally agree with you, other m had some flaws but still was great and worthy of the metroid title and I really liked the distingtive, different kind of gameplay. The Story was a bit to corny and soppy here and there sometimes (while the overall story direction and character development of samus was well justifiable to me) but that's my only complaint. I still want a remaster❤
Cmon Nintendo. Do it, you cowards.
People will really claim one gameplay mechanic in Other M is clunky, then turn around and fawn over fucking Prime.
I'm convinced Metroid fans haven't so much as looked at Prime since 2007.
I actually like the Ridley PTSD scene. I get it, it feels wrong. Why would she have this attack after fighting Ridley so many times already? It's simple- until Super Metroid, Ridley didn't die. He's been mortally wounded, but his unique biology allows him to regenerate by consumption, which is how he manages to be whole in Super Metroid. We even see Ridley's remains frozen for study by the Federation in Fusion. She KILLED Ridley, the source of her biggest traumas. He's gone. There is no return from actual death. While there were signs of the evolving bird creature being Ridley, it's so different, and at the time, she wouldn't have any reason to expect the Federation to be using him as a bioweapon. Seemingly from nowhere, the monster that destroyed Samus's life and killed her parents and mocked her for it. Every trauma resurfaced all at once. This is a PERFECT moment for PTSD. It's a reminder that , as badass as Samus is, as well as she's trained; she's still human.
I've seen this argument before, and while it makes some sense, my problem with that is to assume Samus did "spare his life" or something as if she was Batman. Yet all 3 sources: Original Metroid, Zero Mission and the Zero Mission Manga display how she showed no mercy and went for the kill. (In both games she blows him up and in the manga she burns him alive) So no matter how you slice it, it isn't the first time she has assumed Ridley was dead only to find out she was wrong
Sure, you can argue she put her guard down more now that his corpse was blown up with the entire planet and that's valid, but to pretend she didn't make sure her parents murderer didn't kick the bucket all those encounters doesn't seem right with Samus, specially the manga version which absolutely HATED Ridley with every bit of her soul
@@xxhaxonxx8345 No, that is a conclusion that does not follow anything. It's not that she would try to spare Ridley, that would be stupid. It's that Ridley is just that much of a menace. He's tough enough to withstand Samus's strongest weapons and come out the other side. Every encounter is pushing Samus to her limits. Even when she wins, that doesn't necessarily mean she can stop him from escaping. And even then, when he isn't able to retreat and recover, he has one of the most fearsome armies in the galaxy to recover him and use their twisted technology to bionic-man him into Meta-Ridley.
@@evilmandrake And yet you miss the point, as yes, he HAS the ability to recover from mortal injuries, and has done so in the past even without technology, but it’s not the first time samus has brought him beyond that normal recovery
After the first fight when she burned him alive, there was no reason to believe he was finished, so at that point he should’ve also “come back from the dead” from her point of view, specially since she left him beyond recovery (In the prime games he was mostly metal because of how badly samus left him, but if you don’t count them, he’s still half metal by samus returns, which means she DID made well sure he was death)
Is not that samus would spare him like batman, but more that, in order for the “She tought he was dead for good in other m unlike before” to work, you have to assume in every other encounter after murdering him in cold blood and exploding him to pieces/burning him alive she just assumed “oh well, he’s fine, he’ll live, moving on”
@@xxhaxonxx8345 My guy, SHE BLEW UP THE PLANET to make sure nothing remains. Not just any planet, her home planet of Zebes. What are you smoking, because I need some. It's safe to assume after blowing up a planet, nothing will remain.
@@xxhaxonxx8345in all the other times he's come back, not only are there hints of samus' panic, but specifically in other m, the panic comes mostly not only from the fact he's back completely from the dead, but that the federation, the people she works for and trusts almost completely have brought him back as a weapon
Not only does Other M have its own unique charm and appeal, it also helped lay the groundwork for Dread to be as amazing as it was. Thank you for bringing attention to this gem of a game, you've earned a subscriber good sir.
Well put, and thank you!
Thank you so much for this video, it feels like you've put to words feelings that have been stirring around in me for many years, but never been able to fully articulate. It feels like the right time for this video. Sure, there's a fair bit of seething anger toward the internet in here that may turn some people away, but it feels pretty justified given how the community has treated this game all these years. I've been looking for alternative takes on Other M for a while now, and this is the first video I've watched that really scratches that itch. Here's hoping this is a sign of a changing tide, and we're going to see many more people coming out of the woodwork to praise this game for the good it accomplishes.
Only critique I have is that you didn't mention the controls that much! I do get that having to reorrient the Wii Remote to enter First Person mode is a bit much for people, and something I'd love to see addressed in a remaster for this game. I think it would pair very nicely with joycons and gyro. But like you said, that will never happen lol.
Also, consider me subbed! 💜
Thank you so much! And yeah, the seething anger is probably what I've gotten called out for most, kind of to my surprise honestly. But I needed to get these feelings off my chest for my own sake just as much as Other M's lol. Glad I could scratch that itch for some others as well!
You can tell how passionate about this you are. Kudos, Sir.
Slow clap.
I am with you. I think this is one of Metroid's better games and in the top five. It is a very well-made game. You have solid points. The only thing I disagree on is the beginning. Her response to her fed friends and the operation made sense. The big problem about Samus is that the fan based has made up a character that doesn't exist. Most in the fan based hasn't read the external media not attacked by Nintendo, nor have they read the lore of the mythos. Samus isn't Snake Pliskin. She is a bounty hunter, and as a bounty hunter, she has to follow the law. Her friends are the FED-- they are the policemen there. She is under their jurisdiction.
That isn't the first time. EVERY Metroid begins with the Fed telling her where to go and what to do.
The curse of "Other M" is due to the fan base never developing its own thought on the game. At the time of the game's release, it was buried by V.G. celebs, which the fans listened to them instead of playing the game. And we all feel the tremors of that mistake. IGN reviewers at the time, as we would later learn, didn't even like video games and only promoted games that paid them off in ad revenue. Screw Attack (outside of Craig) didn't even play Metroid games and the few that did, only played either Metroid 1 or Super (and they never finished).
We really need more of you. Keep strong because Samus fits really well in a 3-d adventure environment.
Also, to add, the PTSD scene makes sense, and I personally wouldn't want anything done to it. Samus is still young. The entire Metroid series only happens in a span of like 4 years. The events of Metroid and Super Metroid was only three months apart, and this game takes place shortly after Super Metroid. Her panic is warranted. She thought she killed Ridley and less than a possible month later, he shows up out the blue like nothing happened. Of course, she is going to be shocked thinking "how is the MF still alive? I melted him and then blew him up... with a planet".
It makes sense. She was off guard because she thought it was over.
Anyway, nice video.
Thanks a lot! And those were very good points as well, especially about the curse. If memory serves, SomeCallMeJohnny has a fairly balanced take on the game, but for every one of him there’s like 10 GamingBritShows showing fun-ass footage while just slamming the game. I didn’t wanna call them out in the video itself, but I think the recent GamExplain revisit video on Other M especially got under my skin. It didn’t have a single original thought or observation in it - the dude went in biased as hell, and then proceeded to just shit on it for 15 minutes with the same tired, overblown talking points I’ve had to suffer through for years.
Love your passion. I was planning on playing this. you are right. People like me could have a different experience if all we hear is negative stuff. Great job. Love when you yell!
Lol thank you!
Love this game. Agree with everything you said. Started playing it again today after finding my old wii in a box 😊
Thank you for this
Despite its flaws, i really do think that people was being harsh, way too harsh, on this game. I get some of the critique, but other most of the time i really think are pushing it to the point of petty nitpicking.
Other M is one of my favorite Wii game, and no one will say otherwise. I'm happy that out there some people still think like me, that Other M really does have some flaws, and some inconsistency within the Metroid Universe game, but it still is a *GOOD GAME*
Other:M is actually the first metroid game ive played and I really enjoyed it. My only gripe was the narrative and the where's waldo parts, other than that I thought it was an easy 8/10, I was really surprised when I got a bit older and saw online alot of people hated the game, bc it just seemed like an objectively good game.
My first as well, Dread is my second.
I want an Other M remake on switch or nextgen nintendo. This game had the best gameplay for action 3d metroid we have experience so far. I like prime has well, but I really like being able to see samus do these stunts mid fight. Actually I'd be interested in another team ninja directed metroid or platinum game style Metroid. You are right, it is a shame so many in the metroid community cannot get over the narratives details. I've always promoted gameplay over story and in that aspect other M is extremely refreshing and good.
Loved that Samus talked in this game, Zero Suit Samus was actually hotter in Metroid Other M than she ever was in Super Smash Bros Brawl, Other M has the hottest version of Zero Suit Samus. What if we got a third person Metroid game like Other M that ends with a 2V1 fight with Kraid & Ridley? That would be epic! It happened in Metroid Blast, but never in an actual Metroid game.
A 2v1 Kraid/Ridley boss would be LIT af.
Metroid fans just wants to turn Samus into their silent dommy mommy waifu
Yesterday I clicked on a thread "should other m be remade?". I thought surely its time we are past this nonsense and people can see the game in a new light. but nope. it was nonstop apeshit hatred of the likes i have never seen, for ANY game. Just completely ridiculous. Other M has a few minor issues, but id play it over Samus Returns any day. In fact it probably ranks somewhere on the top for all my Metroids. By no means is it perfect, the spammable dodging is a bit too mindless, the story is badly paced and structured, but otherwise? There are a lot of Mrtroid games that have way more bothersome issues in my opinion and comprehending what brought about this unison of hate is seriously beyond me.
Because it came out at a time where 2D Metroid (the ones from which Other M actually took inspiration) was dormant and the fanbase mostly cared only about the Prime series for the 3D approach, so when they saw a 3D Metroid playing differently compared to the Prime series they raged about it. Then new fans (or even not fans) assumed it was bad because they saw Prime fans rage about it on the internet, the mob mentality that Duck pointed out in the video is just so true.
I'll give a really hot take: *Other M was doomed to fail, no matter in what circumstances* .
Even if it had a different story, different controls and even if Samus PTSD and the authorization mechanic had been removed, *it would have ended with the same result, I'm absolutely certain of this and I'll die on that hill* . Many fans simply wanted a new Prime game, period. This is the elephant in the room that many people choose to not consider. And Other M posed a threat for the future of the Prime series, and it's because of that, that it was and still is harshly mistreated.
Now that the mainline series and the Prime series go hand in hand without getting in each other's way, I think it's time for 2D Metroid to retake the 3D route from where it left off.
@@Matt-vx1mz But let me tell you the crazy part: I HATED everything I saw of Other M before it came out. I was convinced it wouldnt even be a Metroid game, with item collection and whatnot. The colors also turned me off a lot. But everything changed once I actually played it? Now, for example, I consider the saturated colors timeless (the game looks AMAZING in HD).
@@Pixelkabinett Glad you reconsidered your opinion after playing it! If only more people gave this game a chance instead of mindlessly hating it without even playing it first-hand, possibly many folks like you would have even enjoyed it.
I totally get you, I love Other M aestethics, also the engine used by Team Ninja blended beautifully with Metroid's world, it created a really good-looking sci-fi aestethics. Felt like watching a movie, in the most positive sense of the term. Also, I actually love Samus suit design, in my opinion it made the best of the saturated colors that you mentioned, it looks SO GOOD.
Amen
I really enjoyed Other M my first time through as a kid, though I'll admit I slowly climbed aboard the hate band wagon for a good many years there.
With time and added wisdom, it's honestly quite interesting to look back on. 2D Metroid has actually adopted a fair bit of Other M's DNA (in my opinion for the better) and I like to think Sakamoto learned the correct lessons from the whole debacle as shown by Samus Returns and Dread. I was weirdly excited to see the Diffusion Beam as an upgrade in Dread.
Even the story has elements and ideas I don't think are unsalvageable. Anthony Higgs is easily the most enjoyable character for me and I would unironically like to see them do something with him in the future.
The melee counter in the modern 2D entries definitely feels like it took some cues from the “adding skill to the close range kit” critique. Although it’s also very similar to counters in Mercurysteam’s Castlevania Lords of Shadow games, so who’s to say lol.
I never thought someone would actually be willing to defend Other M for the things it did well. And I'm glad someone did. And especially after finding out how much was lost/cut during translation.
I agree with every single one of the million words you mentioned. :) At last, someone loves Other M as much as I do.
Id seen videos of Other M and thought, Heck the Game looks good and FUN. But hate was being espoused by Trend Setters that the game Sucked!!! I watched this video and ordered the game and played several times since. TY for the Review, It's lucid and in my opinion, Accurate. I own and played almost all including GBA Metroid titles . They ALL offer something different but same character.
@@jonmccown2323 Love that it inspired you to play the game and you enjoyed it enough for replays!! Thanks for sharing :)
I super agree that it's really sad we don't get another try at a game in this style. A 3D 2D mesh. When this game came out I played it and loved it. Over time it's become like one of those quote on quote "bad movies" that you love and could watch over and over again. Do you like ironically... or unironically... kinda both?
I think it has some really cool ideas, over all the gameplay isn't bad, the level design, and presentation are actually really good I think. The plot is pretty lack luster, but there are some neat "ideas" in there.
The main things that really bring it down in my opinion, are the controller they force you to use. (something with more inputs and smoother movement could have alleviated some of the weird design decisions they had to make) The ability to endlessly mash to dodge. (for me personally that's sort of the equivalent of what you complained about with the lock on strafing from prime. It feels wrong, but it's the best way to fight enemies) And then just the story stuff. (if they had tweaked some of it and made it make more sense it is a cool idea. For exaple Adam NOT wanting her to use power bombs makes total sense. They are incredibly destructive, and he want's to keep things as they are since they are investigating. So Samus not using that until she is cut off from Adam, and then giving that iconic line is so good. But with the varia suit.. they needed to come up with another reason or just do away with it entirely.)
I also do sort of wish it had been an origin story going over her time in the Federation under Adam. That would have made a lot of those plot choices make more sense, and also fill a weird gap in the story, where all this stuff that has happened in her past never really gets explored outside of a manga and a few cutscenes, and our intro to her is in Zeromission/metroid1 but that's like... quite a long time later.
Yeah the controls seem to be a common complaint even among fans of the game, and sensemove 10,000% needed to be reworked significantly haha.
As someone who has never played Metroid Prime or Other M. (I fell off after Super Metroid) - if I had to pick between the two, I would pick Other M.
It just looks way more fun, like Metal Gear Rising Revengeance but with Samus. if I want to play an interesting space faring first person shooter with super powers... well Destiny has been around for a decade :)
First of all, I would like to state that, as someone who has never watched your content before, well done on this video. I think you articulated all of your points very well, and hope to see more stuff from you in the future.
As for the video itself, I was hoping to see an opinion or interpretation of this game that I'd never heard before, allowing me to potentially see it in a different light, even if I don't necessarily agree.
And early on, your point about why you like Metroid games is both something I've never heard articulated _and_ something I actually agree with: I like the Metroid games because of Samus first and foremost. I _like_ Metroidvanias, and of course I want Metroid games to fall into that genre, but there's a reason I was excited for Metroid Dread specifically when there's thousands of 2D Metroidvania indie games on the market right now. I think this has to ring partially true for everyone as well. Why else were they getting excited at Samus' body language and general badassery?
I can't say the same for the rest of the video, though. I'm not sure if you've just been unfortunate enough to be surrounded by an echo chamber of drooling idiots in recent years, or if I've been lucky enough to be in the opposite situation (or perhaps both) but in my experience, a lot of what you're saying here have become pretty common opinions about Other M that I see regularly. The main difference is that, while you seem more than happy to praise the gameplay almost completely wholesale, I find that most people (myself included) find it to be "fun enough" or "serviceable" but ultimately bogged down because the creators decided to arbitrarily hinder themselves with a stupid "simple control scheme."
At the very least, I don't see the unadulterated vitriol that is implied to be rampant in discussions about this game, outside of someone clearly hamming up their distaste for a laugh. That's what it was like when the game first released, of course, but I've only ever seen reception grow more positive as time passes. Just within the past couple of years, I even saw discussion in regards to the narrative's quality, in particular the fact that the localization had a part in ruining things or giving western players the wrong idea when that was never the intention in the first place.
I'm sure there _is_ negative bias toward (against?) the game that lingers with people now, causing them to unfairly judge aspects of this game that would be accepted and encouraged in other games, if not other _Metroid_ games, but I also think this video over exaggerates how prevalent or severe it is, much in the same way it claims detractors of the game over exaggerate its flaws.
I, for one, would love to see another game that attempts to retread what Other M does. I don't think a remaster would be worth doing because trying to resell people a game that they think is "alright" at best only works if you improve its flaws, and its biggest flaws would require effectively remaking the game entirely. I wouldn't be opposed to that, but I doubt Nintendo would even want to spend the resources on that when they could just make a new game too. Metroid Dread attempts to incorporate some of the "action game flashiness" but it ends up feeling like a "souped up" 2D Metroid game, rather than invoking the feelings of an action game in the same way Other M does it. Not that that's a bad thing, of course, but there is a uniqueness to the way Other M sort of feels like a "2D Metroid game made into 3D" rather than a 3D Metroid game, similar to the way Super Mario 3D World/Land feel like "2D Mario games made into 3D" instead of "3D Mario games."
Loved this, thanks for sharing! Tbh I do think it's both (you got lucky and I got unlucky haha). If nothing else, this comment section is probably a 50/50 split right now from what I'm seeing lol. But this is by far the most inflammatory video I've ever done, both in content and in tone, so I kind of expected as much.
Liked subbed for the title alone bro.
Thank you for this video. I really think that Metroid Other M is overly hated. It was not amazing by any means but I vehemently defend the combat and the movement in the game. Sure I wish I didn't have to use sideways Wii remote but it was a minor gripe. As much as I love prime, this game was very much samus and it does deserve another shot. If Sonic can get forgiven through so many mistakes, why can't Samus through like one?
Preach.
Other M is like the Halo 4 of the Metroid franchise
Somehow, that is an insult to Halo 4.
Firstly, Metroid is my favourite franchise. Love and replay all the games constantly. I love other M too. Can’t wait to watch this video and give more thoughts. Been wanting to make one of my own for a while.
Second, I love darkwing duck. So you’ve got two major points going for you now.
Bro same, and that's part of what aggravates me about OM's treatment by the wider fanbase. Like, I love all my children - I hate seeing one just get unfairly bullied so relentlessly.
@@ThrillingDuck I replay the entire franchise constantly. OM brings me back with its gameplay and cinematics, and I have dissected and given the story tons of thought over the years. Check out my new (long) comment for more examples. I've never played a game quite so interesting with so much to discuss.
Thank you for this video. I loved this game. But all it gets is hate. I agree it has low points, but let the damn thing breathe. It has ups and downs. I 100% this game so many times. Its one of my favorites for its uniqueness. I hated the scan modes the first time because its annoying to find the subtleties thay lock the game. But its something so small!
@@richardpe5446 What’s interesting to me about the Where’s Waldo bits is that like, yeah they’re poorly designed insofar as what you’re looking for isn’t conveyed well for an initial/blind playthrough, but once you know what to do they take literally 1-2 seconds, so they’re never disruptive ever again. Other M doesn’t have a SINGLE drawn out sequence that you have to suffer through on repeat playthroughs. Even the over the shoulder part at the end of Sector 1 isn’t half as bad or long as people make it out to be.
@@ThrillingDuck Me when Maridia section in Super Metroid ;-;
Idk, Other M is just fun to play, I beat it a few times, personally had 0 issues with first or third person mode, people are just laughably bad sometimes, its not clunky, youre just bad.
When it comes to story, why are Metroid fans angry about it? Before Other M, there was zero attempt at storytelling in any Metroid game, are you really gonna point me to the fucking text box in GBA Metroid, or cardboard figures from Prime series? Other M has great presentation and cut scenes, it was a good try after 20 years os shitty silent protagonist.
For me its easily the best Metroid gameplay wise, and dont say Samus is acting out of character, because Nintendo never gave her any
It's definitely clunky, but that's down to the control method they were all but forced to use as much as a flaw in their design.
I always liked this game. Rented it from blockbuster back after it came out and beat it in 2 or 3 days. I was pretty young so I couldn't tell if the story was bad, and I thought the action and levels were awesome!
(spoiler) I remember the part where they said sector 0 was full of Metroids immune to the ice gun and they cut that part of the ship off. That part made my imagination run wild with what it would've been like to fight them or what happened in that sector.
I am not a Metroid fan, I've absorbed a lot of discourse through osmosis, and I've started playing some of the old games through Switch Online, and this video is hilarious to me. The anger and passion feel so intense for what appears to be a perfectly serviceable video game.
Honestly, i want to try this game with better controls.
Having a relaunch is enough for me.
You sold me! The Internet is definitely an echo chamber of negativity around this release. But it does look fun and pretty unique.
Thanks for giving it a chance! Even if it doesn’t become a new personal favorite, I’m sure you won’t regret it :)
you are also forgetting that like you said it took place after super metroid remember because of Ridley she lost something important to her. The baby Metroid and her home where she was raised she was emotionally damaged after that it dose not matter how strong you are it would probably take one to two years to recover from that emotional damage.
I gotta say, the ony parts I hate about Other M is waiting for the Varia Suit access and the assassination attempt that does not go anywhere. Other than that, there are things that I really like about Other M.
- The dodging and finisher mechanics in gameplay are satisfying
- Ridleys evolution from a small furby to the space pirate we all know and love
- Phantoon has a great redesign
- One of the mini bosses are based from prehistoric creatures such as an Anomalocaris and Mosasaur
- I played this before Metroid Fusion, I got one hell of a wtf reaction after seeing Nightmares true face
- Ridley's face off was awesome (though it is disappointing that the Queen Metroid to him out)
This was my first Metroid game I have ever played. Sure the story does need work but I would be lying if I didnt admit that I had fun. Heres hoping a potential sequel that has similar mechanics as this game but with a good story.
I NEEDED THIS VIDEO, I NEEDED SOMEONE TALKING ABOUT THIS, I WAITED FOR SO LONG. If only more metroid fans would be like you. But afterall, all the small fandoms are like that, they tend to gatekeeping everything. I think the problem with this fanbase would be solved if only metroid were popular like zelda.
The Zelda Fan base not "gatekeepers" they literally ripped apart TOTK because it stayed true to the new Zelda formula instead of being another rendition of Ocarina of Time. Newer Zelda fans are getting pushed away by older Zelda fans because the BOTW and TOTK "don't feel like Zelda" in the latter's opinion.
@@Shinjiduo True, but Zelda has also a lot of new fans who liked the new formula, and sales prove it. Botw and totk would have been massacred if the fandom was like the metroid one. People stll support those games (rightfully). Because new fans are more open to creativity and new features or even new genres. Meanwhile the metroid fanbase is formed of "veterans" who only like the super metroid formula or metroid prime formula (eventhough metroid prime doesn't play like classic metroid AT ALL, talk about double standards) and the other few, new fans jump on the bandwagon and shit on any metroid that isn't like the others mentioned.
@@Matt-vx1mz Point is that even if the new Metroid Prime 4 was to suddenly bring a huge new player base it would not solve the problem of gatekeeping in the long time community at all. In fact long time Zelda fans have just gotten more and more obnoxious because of the new found success of BOTW/TOTK because of the phenomenon you just sited in your reply to me, because the new games are not a reinterpretation of the "holy grail" in the series.
@@Shinjiduo I agree, Prime 4 wouldn't solve the current situatuon, on the contrary, I think it would reinforce it.
Fortunately, I think the Zelda franchise for now is safe, Eiji Aonuma stated that the franchise will continue to stick to the breath of the wild formula, sales matters more than complaints.
@@Matt-vx1mz I apologize. This thread is literally the worst grammar out of any thread I have ever typed. Missing punctuation overuse of the word "because" and run on sentences. I applaud you to for even understanding my intent.
As for the subject matter: Aonuma - San and Fujibayashi - San are going to stay the coarse and which is the best decision to make for the Zelda series as the old structure of the game was too esoteric thus, appealing to too few people. The young audience today like the open sandbox they can play in as opposed to a dungeon crawler full of rigid logic based puzzles.
Finally, somebody of culture
that's one thing i greatly dislike about the Metroid fanbase: They harsh criticism about it when they are not the creators & belittle anyone who enjoyed it despite its flaws
This idea of "it's imperfect, and therefore dogshit" really gets on my nerves.
My least favorite mindset that spawned from this game's reception is that Samus should never talk, emote, or be an actual, y'know, character -- all because Other M had some questionable writing. As if it wasn't *what* she said, but the fact that she was a character at all. "In the next games they should just keep Samus silent and if they HAVE to make her talk only give her one line or two." I've seen this take so many times and it's ridiculous. As long as she's not portrayed as outright incompetent or unconfident, I see no reason why she can't hold a full conversation with another person from time to time.
I've been a die-hard Metroid fan for nearly as long as I've been alive, and even I think the mindset about this game is a bit exaggerated. I don't want this series to stagnate in its conventions, never innovating with the character or core gameplay. I hate that it damaged the series' reputation and Nintendo's confidence in the franchise, but to say Other M "killed" metroid for a while is kind of insane. Metroid is no stranger to long hiatuses -- there was a roughly *nine* year gap between Super and Fusion/Prime. The gap between Other M and SR was seven. I know the reasons behind those breaks aren't the same, but I couldn't bring myself to feel bitter towards Other M at the time and I certainly can't in hindsight knowing that the series *isn't* dead, and we're still getting awesome games out of it.
And hey, if they did take another crack at this style of a Metroid game I'd be down to try it too. (Just do us all a favor and let the devs utilize the full damn controller this time, Mr. Sakamoto. Lol)
Hard agree on all of this, but especially that first paragraph!
Thank you. I’ve been saying this forever! Other M was definitely flawed but I really enjoyed it. This game had a lot of good ideas and it was fun to play. The mob mentality hate other M gets is silly. The main problem with the game was the poorly thought out storyline and the meek depiction of Samus. I’m not ashamed to say that, Overall, I liked Other M.
I AM NOT ALONE
Fed force isn’t a spin off it’s set after prime 3 and has a cliff hanger that was intended to lead into prime 4 it’s prime 3.5
35:53 I agree with the hypocrisy why can’t we enjoy both other M and fed force
Spinoff doesn't mean non-canon - I think everyone knows Fed Force's place in the chronology. In the realm of games, spinoff just means like a mechanical and in some cases perspective deviation. Fed Force is a textbook example of a spinoff :)