My opinion on Other M (Contains Spoilers)

Since I've been focused on Spirit Stars / Puzzle War / and my website all this time, I missed out on Other M. Like all other video games, I prefer not to be spoiled, so I disregard any details about a game before I play. Having been enthralled by previous Metroid games, I was eager to get the chance to play the game. (Remember I knew nothing about it before I played it.)

I was enthusiastic at first, having seen CG movie version of the ending of Super Metroid, only to be immediately disappointed here on afterwards. The most immediate regret was the gameplay style having nearly every single feature guided for me. Auto-aim, auto-dodge, auto-select weapons, map guide, item-location signals, self-reload, self-healing. Not only were the usual challenges taken away, but some features were more hindrance than help. (Auto-dodge one attack only to fall into another.) I decided to overlook it (for Team Ninja's sake) for the fact that the gameplay resembles Ninja Gaiden, but even in that game I had more control.

As for Samus' monologue, I don't have a problem with her speaking her mind, and I didn't have a problem with the long-winded monotone speeches. I was able to follow along with her every word, but that's me. My problem was the things she said; most of which was ridiculously redundant. After seeing a dead body in a clearly abandoned facility, she informs the player that she feels an ominous danger and she must cooperate with her former comrades in order to survive. The player should already conclude that simply from the surroundings. Most of what Samus says is unnecessary.

Arguably, the biggest killer is the repeated feminizing of Samus. Yes, we know she's a woman, but what made her unique was her seriousness, independence, and her emotionless dedication to her missions... all of which do not exist anymore. I never forgot how she referred to the infant Metroid in Super Metroid saying "The Metroid followed me like a lost child." Even though there was no voice, her choice of words clearly indicated no sentimental attachment to the premature predator. Now in Other M, it's all she can think about, besides Adam, and she repeatedly called it Baby... giving Samus an incessant maternal instinct.

Samus' emotions are also overlapped with images of Samus in her Zero Suit (a sign of vulnerability), which completely exposes her feminine figure. This, in my opinion, is the only excuse behind her "neuro-suit" which fades away when she loses focus or consciousness. When Samus is overwhelmed, she goes back to being a "woman" (Both figuratively and literally.) Team Ninja did an excellent job proving how weak Samus actually is simply for the fact that she is, a woman. I hate it. If Samus is supposed to be mentally distraught because of past trauma, why not show what actually happened? Why not show her parents dying at the hands of Ridley? Why not show her troubled childhood? They did an excellent job with the Baby Metroid, but without any other indications, her trauma seems to stem from emotional attachments caused by her need to love and feel loved.

Truthfully, I have never pictured Samus so vulnerable, and I do not think I can see her the same way again. It's hard to say if I'll look up to Samus again. However, I will admit she does seem more "down to earth." The downside is that she seems to let every little thing bother her (I can relate to that.) It's not a problem that she seems more "human." The problem is that even for a "human", she's seems weak.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed playing the game. The boss battles were good enough to distract me from my disappointments. I consider this a good game. 7/10 is the highest I would go. However, I do not consider it a Metroid game. Other M is the perfect title for it, as I will wind up calling it, "That Other Metroid game."