Topic: Metroid Other M

[Mop it up]

It at least indicates they feel the game is just as good as the Prime games, which I know some people wanted to hear.

[Spinnzilla]

Not a real big difference though. The first two both got 33/40, the third got 31/40. It would be like the difference between a game getting 9.3 and 9.5 basically.

Oh, that's higher than I originally thought. I thought the prime games got in the high twenty range. Curse my memory.

[broodwars]

I wouldn't put too much stock in any reviews from Famitsu, anyway.  They lost their credibility a long time ago, and have only compounded it over the years.  They can and have been bought in the past, particularly by Square-Enix.  As for Nintendo Power, I know I shouldn't since they are under new management but I can't trust any scores from them.  I spent too many years reading the magazine under the old guard, which made Famitsu look unbiased by comparison.  Game Informer's a hard magazine to gauge: they've hated games I've liked, and I've hated games they've liked.  I guess overall it evens out, so that 8.0 sounds pretty solid to me.

[TJ Spyke]

I think Famitsu lost a lot of respect and credibility over the years due to allegations regarding their scores and how much publishers influence them (including telling Famitsu what kind of score they wanted). The most recent controversy was over Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker getting a 40/40. The controversy came because Famitsu items were collectible in the game, the owner of the magazine was part of the marketing campaign for the game, and partially because the game had been severely censored in Japan.

Not saying the claims are true, just pointing them out.

broodwars beat me to it, although I was typing my reply before he posted it (so I didn't know). I wouldn't know Nintendo Power though, they have on more than one occasion be much harder on first party games than other review outlets.

[broodwars]

I wouldn't know Nintendo Power though, they have on more than one occasion be much harder on first party games than other review outlets.

Like I said, it's just a personal thing with me: I grew up reading the incredibly biased Nintendo Power, and to me that's probably what they always will be.  Maybe if Nintendo didn't own them I could shake that impression, but I can certainly understand the people who can look past its history.

I think Famitsu lost a lot of respect and credibility over the years due to allegations regarding their scores and how much publishers influence them (including telling Famitsu what kind of score they wanted). The most recent controversy was over Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker getting a 40/40. The controversy came because Famitsu items were collectible in the game, the owner of the magazine was part of the marketing campaign for the game, and partially because the game had been severely censored in Japan.

I wonder if that explains Resonance of Fate (End of Eternity)'s Famitsu scores as well, because if I remember correctly Famitsu gave it something in the low 30s and there are Famitsu items in that game.  Man, I hated that game and it didn't score all that spectacularly over here either.

[NWR_insanolord]

Nintendo doesn't own Nintendo Power anymore, and they've been fairly critical of Nintendo at times in recent years. An 8.5 from modern Nintendo Power is a solid endorsement.

[TJ Spyke]

Nintendo hasn't owned Nintendo Power in a couple of years. Nintendo sold the magazine to Future PLC (the same company that publishes other game magazines like Edge, Official Nintendo Magazine, and PlayStation: The Magazine, among others) in October 2007.

[broodwars]

Nintendo hasn't owned Nintendo Power in a couple of years. Nintendo sold the magazine to Future PLC (the same company that publishes other game magazines like Edge, Official Nintendo Magazine, and PlayStation: The Magazine, among others) in October 2007.

Cool.  As far as I remembered from when this was announced a few years back, Nintendo had only fired the company who was handling the magazine and was handing it off to a different company.  But alright, if they're truly independent now that's a different story (and the score's not all that far off from the Game Informer score).  I might check them out sometime then.

[Chozo Ghost]

It would be really cool if there were an animated Metroid series on Adult Swim.

[TJ Spyke]

As long as they don't draw ANY inspiration from the Mother Brain on Captain N: The Game Master.

[Ian Sane]

It at least indicates they feel the game is just as good as the Prime games, which I know some people wanted to hear.

Famitsu is Japanese though so they might carry somewhat of a bias towards Metroid Prime for being FPS-like and for being American.  I want to see what an American reviewer who gave Metroid Prime GOTY style praise thinks of Other M.
 
Still we've had no negative reviews yet so that is a good thing.

[Marty]

I've just put down my preorder. With some reluctance it must be said. I still find their decision to hamper the game with what appears, to me at least, to be an unnecessarily awkward and finicky control scheme baffling. I certainly see the logic for a stripped down control scheme for nontraditional gamers or even for those who just prefer it, but to deny people the option of an alternate control scheme (ideally using the nunchuck) just seems stubborn. My fingers are so tightly crossed at this point that its cutting off the circulation.
 

[broodwars]

I've just put down my preorder. With some reluctance it must be said. I still find their decision to hamper the game with what appears, to me at least, to be an unnecessarily awkward and finicky control scheme baffling. I certainly see the logic for a stripped down control scheme for nontraditional gamers or even for those who just prefer it, but to deny people the option of an alternate control scheme (ideally using the nunchuck) just seems stubborn. My fingers are so tightly crossed at this point that its cutting off the circulation.

I may be at a similar point.  As I've already articulated, I despise Nintendo's decision to deliberately throw aside playability in order to pander to Sakamoto's ego at the expense of people who prefer the analog stick for 3D movement.  Still, my Wii hasn't had anything to play since Galaxy 2 (and otherwise wouldn't till Donkey Kong releases), my PS3's broken right now, my 360 is full of JRPGs to play right now, and the reviews we've had so far have been pretty respectable.  I could use a change of pace, though I might wait for the game to hit Used first.

[Marty]

I despise Nintendo's decision to deliberately throw aside playability in order to pander to Sakamoto's ego at the expense of people who prefer the analog stick for 3D movement.

Absolutely. It certainly whiffs of arrogance (but given that I have preordered the game despite my concerns, perhaps they have every right to be arrogant).

[Ian Sane]

You know what's interesting?  Years ago if Nintendo decided that they were going to use a d-pad for this game I would have trusted them on it.  I would have given them the benefit of the doubt because they make such awesome games and the controls are always so perfect.  If Nintendo wants to use the d-pad then they probably have a good reason for it and would design the game specifically around it so you would never want to use anything else.

But years of forced touchscreen and force waggle has changed my opinion.  Nintendo went from the absolute kings of smooth, responsive controls to the posterboys of frustrating broken gimmick controls.  And there's the problem.  Is Nintendo going with d-pad controls because it is best for the game or because they want to push the Wiimote-as-an-NES-controller thing?  Prior to the Wii and DS the answer was always "best for the game" but now you never know so I second guess them.  I don't trust that any Nintendo game will control well.

[Adrock]

Yoshio Sakamoto is a senior designer at Nintendo. I wouldn't say Nintendo is pandering anything. They pay him specifically to make these kinds of decisions. That's the way he envisioned the game. It's one thing to disagree; it's another to call it arrogant.

Honestly, Wii remote only control scheme seems like the best way to play this game by default even if it's still not ideal. From the videos I've seen, it looks like you play most of the game in 3rd person. Switching between the classic controller and Wii remote seems unwieldy. Something about jumping with the A button and shooting with the B trigger just seems extremely odd so I don't know if I'd like the nunchuck/Wii remote combo for this game.

I am eagerly awaiting this game. I haven't played a new Wii game since No More Heroes 2.

[Marty]

Honestly, Wii remote only control scheme seems like the best way to play this game by default even if it's still not ideal. From the videos I've seen, it looks like you play most of the game in 3rd person. Switching between the classic controller and Wii remote seems unwieldy. Something about jumping with the A button and shooting with the B trigger just seems extremely odd so I don't know if I'd like the nunchuck/Wii remote combo for this game.

I feel that having to constantly change your grip on the controller is a more unweildy setup. Using the nunchuck for movement within a 3d environment not only allows for smoother and more precise control of the character, but it also means that when you go into first person perspective, the IR camera in the Wii remote can be more easily directed at the screen.
 
While i can completely understand why they have decided to have this stripped down control method as the default control scheme, I just find it baffling that they are so reluctant to include a more modern and comfortable alternative.

[broodwars]

The way I would see the Nunchuck control scheme working would be something similar to that used in the Prime games: C to enter Morph Ball mode, B as the fire button, Z as the jump button, the control stick to handle movement, and + or A to toggle between 3rd and 1st person views.  They could also use the control stick or even a quick tap of the control pad for the Dodge function.
 
*EDITed to account for the Jump and Dodge features I'd forgotten about.*

[Mop it up]

Has anyone read the reviews which are out? We've caught word of the scores which doesn't really tell us much, but what has been said of the controls?

[Marty]

The way I would see the Nunchuck control scheme working would be something similar to that used in the Prime games: C to drop bombs, Z or B as the fire button, the control stick to handle movement, and + to toggle between 3rd and 1st person views.

This would be ideal.

[Adrock]

I feel that having to constantly change your grip on the controller is a more unweildy setup.

Than having to put down a controller and pick up an entirely different one? I just don't see how the classic controller and Wii remote combo could be intuitive.

Using the nunchuck for movement within a 3d environment not only allows for smoother and more precise control of the character, but it also means that when you go into first person perspective, the IR camera in the Wii remote can be more easily directed at the screen.

I would love to use the analog stick, especially since the Wii remote D-pad is far from Nintendo's best. I don't really like the idea using the B button to fire in a 3rd person game, Metroid most of all. Of course, if the Wii remote had more buttons....

[Marty]

I feel that having to constantly change your grip on the controller is a more unweildy setup.

Than having to put down a controller and pick up an entirely different one? I just don't see how the classic controller and Wii remote combo could be intuitive.

I didn't mention the classic controller. I agree that would be a terrible idea.

[Adrock]

I didn't mention the classic controller. I agree that would be a terrible idea.

I did. I said it was unwieldy. You even quoted me.

Honestly, Wii remote only control scheme seems like the best way to play this game by default even if it's still not ideal. From the videos I've seen, it looks like you play most of the game in 3rd person. Switching between the classic controller and Wii remote seems unwieldy. Something about jumping with the A button and shooting with the B trigger just seems extremely odd so I don't know if I'd like the nunchuck/Wii remote combo for this game.

I feel that having to constantly change your grip on the controller is a more unweildy setup....

What the hell is going on here? Where am I?

[Marty]

Ah. When I said Nintendo's control scheme was more unwieldy, i meant as opposed to the natural alternative, which would be to include nunchuck support. In retrospect I can see why you might think i was referring to your statement about the classic controller scheme being unwieldy.
 
The main points from your post i wanted to bring up were "Wii remote only control scheme seems like the best way to play this game by default" & "Something about jumping with the A button and shooting with the B trigger just seems extremely odd so I don't know if I'd like the nunchuck/Wii remote combo for this game." It just so happened that there was a bit in the middle talking about the classic controller.
 
I agree, however, switching between different controllers would be very unwieldy. As i can attest, having played Monster Hunter Tri.

[balzzzy]

Apparently a game review company editor who has a copy of the game has beaten it. They're fielding questions but are only allowed to talk about the first two hours.