The bomb ring makes me wonder if the other charge combos will be in the game.

I don't like the idea of discrete spheres but I guess we'll see how it pans out. Funny that Nintendo gives a no-story demo, suggests lacking confidence.

I hope the power bombs won't be placed at the same point as the final boss this time, that was just lame in Zero Mission. Makes all powerbomb obstacles only for backtracking. Can we hope for no stealth section?


How was the situation framed, were you told to do specific things or just a general "look around"?


Stupid edit function ate my /spoiler tag.

I think they had to give a no-story demo. The focus has been too much on the story, and they had to show off to everyone that "Hey! This is a real Metroid game, guys! We're not messing with you!"

This is exactly what I thought needed to be done in the pre-release for the game. And after reading this and other impressions from the same demo, I'm back to being excited without a huge lingering doubt. I still have doubts, but they don't worry me as much.

WTF, editing a post removes tags!

That's been my impression.  I've wanted to see more of the gameplay ever since this game was announced.  I would be turned off at this point if the newer demos and trailers focused so much on the story. 

I've read in other impressions that the audio cues also notified the player of a hidden item in the room once it had been cleared of enemies.  I'm interested to know whether that's just there at the beginning of the game or whether it will be done that way throughout the game. 

Also, based on what I've read elsewhere, it seems like the elevator area has claimed more than one player.

I remain intrigued by this game, so much so that it's moved to the preorder list.  I've never played a Team Ninja game before, so this should be interesting.

There's also sometimes a visual cue on the map.  It's not always obvious how to access the item, especially when there's a holographic wall in the way.

With the most recent info about this game is seems that Nintendo is trying to emphasize that, yes, this is a Metroid game.  You explore around for shit, it's an adventure, it's the real deal.  And that's fantastic because that was my whole concern in the first place.  It was all just story, story, story and this looks like it is going to have a rather typical crappy videogame story.  It just reaks of the typical videogame-dev-that-wishes-they-could-make-movies routine.  And there is always a reason these goofs are making videogames instead of movies, because they're shitty filmmakers.

But if I can make it through Metal Gear Solid I can make it through this provided there's a Metroid game hidden within.  But I still get the feeling this game is going to be rough.  The controls have been a concern this whole time and that seems to still remain.  These impressions mention awkwardness with switching to first person view.  That's not encouraging.  I get this feeling that I'm going to enjoy this game but it's going to be a bit of a bumpy road to get there.

As far as making the switch between 1st and 3rd person perspectives, I think that's going to be dependent upon how comfortable you are with your Wii remote.

....wait... that sounds kind of dirty.

Nonetheless, the game sounds great so far from all of the impressions I've been reading lately.  Looks to be a true Metroid game with a few Team Ninja traits mixed in, and honestly, I'm excited about that.  Yes, the voice acting hasn't been that great from what we've heard so far.  But maybe voices can be turned off? Subtitles are a very good thing, ya know.  I'd still rather have the Japanese voices with English subs.  But I digress.

Can't wait 'til the end of the month for this!


EDIT: Oh, I wanted to add.... I HATED flopping the remote around in Super Paper Mario to look for visual clues.... sorta the same transition in Metroid -- 'cept it goes straight into a 1st-person view.  Maybe that'll help out, and make me feel like I'm being planted inside Samus' helmet.  Who knows?

The Japanese voices aren't great either.

Awww.. c'mon, Jonny.  From what I've heard thus far, they're much better than the English voices.  Still bad, yes, but better than the English ones. :P

I think Japanese voices create the illusion of sounding better because you can't tell what they are saying so you can't tell if the line is horribly written or horribly acted.  It's like how Italian opera sounds so beautiful but for all I know the fat lady is singing about itchy feet.

However bad the voice acting may be, Ignition has already set the bar with their localization of Arc Rise Fantasia and this game cannot possibly be as bad.  I think I'll be able to somehow tolerate it.  :P:

Just played the demo yesterday and a couple of points to add or expand on:

- A Nintendo rep told me that the special items I was finding through 1st person view, but couldn't acquire other than the speed charge upgrade, were disabled in the demo. I have to partially believe the holograms were to blame.

- When Samus dies her power suit comes off of her body in an effect that looks like it disintegrates or something. I watched one player get his butt handed to him at the cloaking enemy battle. (I read in one of the Nintendo interviews that at one point they had the suit exploding off of her and Nintendo wasn't so keen on that. It looks like it was toned down from what they explained.)

- I was able to also use Samus' shots to bounce off of certain walls, namely metal, and hit enemies.

- Enemies can attack one another. The Dragotex plant type creature was munching on the flying creatures you fight. On a side note it was funny to watch this thing in 1st person munching on them like potato chips as they looked intent and focused on attacking me.

- While climbing this spiral plant like column i jumped and fired a charge blast at some enemies but the force behind the blast knocked me off and I had to climb back up. Players will definitely have to pay attention to things like this. Just because the action can get heated, that does not mean you can lose site of your footing or positioning in tighter areas where there are ledges, especially with instant death present in the game. I didn't die from the fall, but I didn't try falling from a really high distance either to see if she took damage.

- The turning in 1st person was a little sluggish. I hope Nintendo allows you to fine tune this in an option or setting similar to the Metroid Prime Trilogy.

I felt like the demo was satisfying and showed more gameplay than story, which is fine by me. Save the story for the full version when we can appreciate it in it's entirety.

The game wasn't a demo, but a near-final build.  I didn't come across any other items except for missile capacity upgrades, which I was able to get.

Is it worse than the Command woman in Blacklight Tango Down?
Or *shudder* worse than Mystic Heroes?

Very much looking forward to the game, the First Person stuff worries me a bit but it seems like something you can get used to.

You're the one freak who likes the story...

I have the game preordered now because Amazon threw in a free Rathalos figure (and their preorder price guarantee means I'll probably get it cheap) and I figure I'm going to play it sooner or later anyway to see for myself if I like it or not.

The story interests me as well, I loved the story elements in MP3, Metroid Fusion and now I believe I'll enjoy the story in Other M

Well, I'm the opposite, I found the story elements in Fusion terrible (didn't care about the stuff that happened and got annoyed by all the forced stops at the computer) and the story in Corruption greatly hurt the atmosphere.

I'm weird in that I think Metroid needs to evolve and not be the same thing every time. I know, evolving games, terrible way of thinking!

And yet you're looking forward to a Metroid game that de-evolves in terms of control.  ;)

I've always felt that, out of every Nintendo character, Samus would be one of the best ones with which to develop a character. There's really nothing established about the character of Samus, we barely even know what she looks like outside of getting a glimpse at the end of each game, much less where she came from, how she came to be, and what are her motivations. This isn't like with Mario games, where a story isn't integral to the experience, or Zelda games, where the stories are really about the worlds rather than Link himself. The settings and goals of the games can mix well with giving some backstory and developing a hero. That's one reason I liked Fusion, it gave me something, not too much, not too little, that made Samus feel more human rather than as robotic as her appearance.

I found it interesting to learn about the world around Samus, while Super Metroid is my favorite game of the series I want to see more about Samus. Yeah it may not be stellar writing but it is interesting to me none the less.

In regards to the controls, I don't always find simplifying controls to be devolving, if anything adding more and more buttons to games is a sign of that. We'll see how the final product works with the control pad perhaps my only real worry about them.

Evolve, not devolve! Games with crappy stories that are forced down our throats are a dime a dozen, games that are above that are rarwe.

So what you're saying is that you have reservations about Other M's story? Because I can't tell from the other 9,999 times you've mentioned it.

I need one more.

How is the game de-evolving in terms of control? All Metroids, less the Prime series, have had the ability to move left, right up and down. Other M wasn't awkward in 3D. In fact it felt nostalgic to the series with a fresh take on it. Do players need an analog stick to move around in a 3D space? The camera programming in the game was amazing and so fluid that they blended cutscenes and in game action seamlessly with the controls. So what would adding the nunchuck, classic controller or GameCube controller achieve for them in this game based on the fact that they want to appeal to players, old and new, with simplicity in mind? Players use the D-pad, A, B, 1 and 2 buttons no different than they would the D-pad, B, A, X and Y buttons on the SNES controller. With those buttons in the demo I was able to move around, jump, shoot, charge my gun, dodge enemy attacks, morph into morph ball, roll around, lay bombs and morph ball jump by laying bombs. Pointing the Wii remote added shooting missles and exploration to the control list. Holding the Wii remote vertically and holding A recharged some health and missles.

In the demo movies that Nintendo released we see the grapple beam, the speed dash, the freeze beam, the morph ball speed boost and yet there is still more to discover once we all play the full version. Give the game a chance.

It's a 3D game played with the D-pad.  That's the sort of nonsense Nintendo fans used to rightly mock Playstation fans about during the N64 days.  To me, 3D games need an analog stick.  It offers a smooth experience you simply don't get hammering on a D-pad.  That the development team saw the need to make you auto-target enemies tells me that they thought the D-pad control was clunky as well.  I wouldn't mind the D-pad control if we just had the option of using the analog stick.  That's all I've ever asked for: the option to use the control method that best works for me.  It astounds me how Nintendo likes to boast and ***** about "accessibility" of controls, yet they do so by locking out all control options aside from NES-style controls, which they think everyone should have to use.  Sorry, but I don't find having to use a tiny D-pad with tiny buttons on a Wiimote that's too small for my hands "accessible", but rather clunky and stupid.  What happened to the Nintendo who gave us every conceivable way to play Smash Bros. Brawl and Punch Out, so everyone could play the game whatever way worked best for them?

No, not going to happen.  This game become one I was going to ignore the moment that Nintendo announced that they were stubbornly sticking to archaic D-pad controls; using a world design practically ripped from the similarly-underwhelming Metroid Fusion; and focusing on a story I couldn't care less about, especially the fanservice to the incredibly overrated Super Metroid.  I'm not going to pay Nintendo $50 + tax for a game that uses game design decisions I vehemently disagree with and controls that are not comfortable for me to use.  I'm not going to validate their mindset that it's perfectly ok for everything to play like an NES game.  I was perfectly content not playing Metroid games before Retro made the series "good" with the Prime games, and I'm perfectly content with ignoring it again.

I find your opinions difficult to accept including your choice of basketball team.

I'm from Utah.  I'm damn proud of my basketball team, and nothing you can say will change that.  As for my opinions, I get that a lot but I'm not going to shy away from criticizing Nintendo when they do something I don't agree with, even in the face of the Nintendo Loyalty Brigade here.  :cool;

I like how anyone who's actually looking forward to this game is labeled a "fanboy" or "loyalist." It's like no one can legitimately be excited for the game without it being chalked up to just being a fan of Nintendo who'll just buy whatever games Nintendo releases.

So if that is the case, then why are you still following the game's progression and writing on forum boards almost a year and a half after the announcement of the controls you feel so strongly against? The controls are sticking and haven't changed since the announcement.

Actually, I didn't say or infer anything of the kind here.  I was referring to a more global stance I take on this site: I'm well aware that I'm probably not liked all that much (especially by the Nintendo fanboys who logically frequent this Nintendo-centric site, as observed by how quickly my Karma drops whenever I write something particularly critical) because I am so vocally critical of Nintendo, and I really don't care.  That's all I was saying.  If you are into this game, good for you.  I hope you enjoy it.  I just can't agree with the direction Nintendo is taking with this game.

I like following the impressions and seeing how the various writers/editors here approach the game.  After all, Jonny was quite vocal here about not agreeing with aspects of the game.  Like it or not, this game could very well be a turning point in the franchise and it's better that I keep up with it than be surprised if it takes off and we're stuck with this "new direction".  Besides, I tend to read most of this site's articles.  :cool;

You just said there's a Nintendo loyalist brigade here. The vibe I get from you is that you think anyone who doesn't agree with you is a fanboy or loyalist, but I guess that has to do with your style of writing.

I like how you say we're stuck. I do not feel stuck. You feel stuck. I guess it is just your overall pessimism, style and general disposition. I agree with Mop it up. It is your style of writing. You sound like you are ranting and raving about something you don't really care about anyway.

Nintendo in general just frustrates me these days.  I grew up with 4 successive generations of exclusively Nintendo hardware (NES, NES, N64, GameCube) before the Wii, so as a company I have a certain attachment to them.  Ticky-tack things like this are just silly, stubborn, and lazy on Nintendo's part.  We shouldn't have to beg Nintendo to use their own peripherals, or design a product so everyone can play it comfortably.  That's just good design.

Lazy? I don't believe it was that they couldn't be bothered to add a Nunchuck control option, I'm fairly sure they wanted to design it that way from the beginning. Whether you agree with it or not, I don't think lazy is the right word.
Silly? Well, I was sceptical about that as well, but if you check out the translated video interview with Yosuke Hayashi from Team Ninja, you'll get a greater understanding for the control decision. From one point of view, the control stick makes movement in 3D space more accessible. However, the justification is that they can streamline the controls when there are fewer buttons on the controller and it's obvious what everything does. Moreover, when Hayashi-san discusses the Sense Move, which is a dodge move that you can do with a quick tap on the D-Pad when an enemy is about to hit, it makes a lot of sense. His rationale is that instinctively, it is faster to tap on the D-Pad than an analog stick.

I haven't played this, of course; this is just what I've read or heard. I would tell you not to write it off with such vehemence, but clearly you made up your mind long ago. Fair enough, nobody's forcing you to play the game. I just think that, even though it probably was not your intention, your comments have come across a bit like "I don't really care, but let me tell you all about it".

So is it true that in order to fire missiles you need to be in 1st person view?  I remember reading that somewhere...

Yes.  And it seems most of the enemies of consequence require this.

Amen. Also it gets old that anything Nintendo does is criticized, it comes across as a broken record. The same can be said for someone who thinks NIntendo can do no wrong.

In regards to the game itself, the controls concern me a bit but from the impressions I've read it doesn't seem to cripple the game. Would I have preferred analog control? Yep but I do understand the rationale behind using the current control scheme even if I may not be sold on it. Sakamoto is a great game designer and I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt like I give any accomplished designer. I remember the crap Retro got as well up until the game was released.

My guess is that the reviews will say something to the affect of "While not ideal, and sometimes clunky the D-pad control scheme still works because of the more 2-D design of many of the corridors. You do get used to them along with the FPS aiming"

The fact that I get about 6-7 smites the moment I write anything remotely critical of Nintendo, regardless of anything else I write anywhere else or how constructive the criticism, tells me that most of the people who don't agree with me are fanboys or loyalists.  I believe Greg himself referred to this site as "the headquarters of the Nintendo Loyalty Brigade."  If they weren't, they could learn to take a little criticism.

And, incidentally, I'd like to point out that this inane karma system turned out to be exactly what I said it would be when it was announced: a way for petty people to exact some form of petty vengeance on people they don't agree with.  And why applaud people when doing some form of "harm" is apparently so much more pleasing?  I haven't even posted in this thread for a week and a half, and people are still smiting me for it.

Why do you assume you aren't being smote for posts made in other topics?

And no, it isn't me, I will only applaud someone. I don't think anyone actually puts stock into the scores, nor do I think it was ever intended to indicate something about a member, it's just something people use when they're bored. And hey, if the system actually does get people to subtract a point from a meaningless score as opposed to posting an insult, perhaps it serves a purpose after all.

Have you thought it may also be that people have grown tired of your constant criticism, primarily the way you present yourself when you speak your criticism?  If you notice some "fanbois" have worse karma then you (Looks at Kytim who appears to be a pretty big Nintendo fan), stop whining. If you are popular on the board people seem to either tease you with negative scores or give you a ton of praise, given the fact that there MANY with worse karma with you here who are pretty big Nintendo fans gives a lot of credence to it having nothing to do with your opinion (Heck I think Ian has better Karma then you).

I don't smite people for their opinions; I smite them for how they express their opinions. If you say something I disagree with, but do it in a respectful, non-dickish way, I don't smite.

My score started improving when I stopped complaining, so maybe GP has a point. It's like in real life you sometimes feel like saying something but you use your better judgment and don't.

I am worried about the game, especially since Sakamoto did things like  have the game be played using only the Wii Remote despite the objections of the developer (Team Ninja). It's looking like the game won't be as bad as I first thought, but at this point I don't think it will be as good as the Retro Studios developed games (which had almost no input from Sakamoto). I hope the game does well though since I don't want the series to go on another 8 year absence.

Regarding Other M Mop and Golden are the fangirls and covering each other to attack anybody who doesn't like it.

How can you dislike the game until we actually know what the final, WHOLE, game is like? I've said I'm not a huge fan of the controls from how they sound but my guess is that the final product will overcome it, why you ask? Because Sakamoto is a talented game designer, even Metroid Fusion was a GOOD game, maybe not great but it was a good game. It is almost as ridiculous as when people were attacking the game based off a short demo which had Adam activating weapons to use.

People disliked Metroid Prime before it was released as well. It is called keeping an open mind instead of condemning it before even getting your hands on it or reading opinions based on playthroughs of the final game.

That is a fair concern, really I doubt it will be as good as the Prime games as well, but the Prime games (yes all three) are fantastic games. I think it may be a situation like Metroid Fusion, while a very good game, wasn't as good as Super Metroid (or even Metroid Zero).

Can you show me where I "attacked" someone who doesn't like the game? I don't think I've insulted anyone or tried to invalidate their opinions, and if I did then it was a mistake.

Here is a really good impression from Digital Chump.