Topic: Samus to Appear in DOA Dimensions

[Crimm]

A pair of trailers show off the features of the upcoming 3D brawler.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/24793

A pair of trailers for Dead or Alive Dimensions were released today as part of the 3DS media events in New York and Amsterdam. The videos highlighted many features of the game.

The most interesting inclusion was highlighted in a trailer released to the European media. It showed a Metroid Other: M themed stage, with Ridley acting as an environmental hazard. He flew about the stage, shooting fireballs at combatants and slamming them against the wall. The trailer ends with Samus, in her morph ball, landing at the center of the stage as the video fades out. At no point was she shown fighting, or even out of her morph ball.

The second trailer demonstrated other features of the latest DoA game including: a touch screen move list, where the player can simply tap the combo they wish to execute, "Throwdown Challenges," in which you battle the Avatars of players you encoutner via the 3DS' StreetPass system, and online play.

Samus' inclusion is no doubt due to Team Ninja being the primary developers on last year's Metroid: Other M.  No details are available yet as the nature of Samus' involvement with the fighting game, however Tecmo Koei representatives confirmed to our Neal Ronaghan that an Other M stage is in the game, and that more details will be revealed soon.

[King of Twitch]

Samus isn't authorized for attack combos, so if you select her you automatically die.

[TJ Spyke]

This is pretty cool of Nintendo, I was hoping for something like this after Link appeared in the GameCube version of Soulcalibur II.

[Mop it up]

Oh no. I just hope she's in her Power Suit at all times.

[Adrock]

I may buy this game just for Samus. I know, I know... but I love Metroid and Samus. If she's in her Zero Suit, jiggle physics or GTFO.

Samus isn't authorized for attack combos, so if you select her you automatically die.

Thanks for the lulz. I had to think about this for a second. One point for you.

[broodwars]

Considering the history and reputation of the Dead or Alive franchise, I'm pretty disgusted with Nintendo for doing this.  What, was Other M not enough of a character assassination for Samus without putting her in the same game as a series that has long established itself as only existing to service fanservice fetishes?

[Adrock]

Considering the history and reputation of the Dead or Alive franchise, I'm pretty disgusted with Nintendo for doing this.  What, was Other M not enough of a character assassination for Samus without putting her in the same game as a series that has long established itself as only existing to service fanservice fetishes?

Counterpoint: I'm glad Nintendo is doing this because this kind of cross-promotion is only helping a recently restructured Tecmo sell the game, scoring some 3rd party relations points. Sure, they're pulling on the heartstrings of Metroid fans, but it may bring more people into the series who otherwise would not have given it a chance, like Link's addition to Soul Calibur II.

[ThePerm]

Oh no. I just hope she's in her Power Suit at all times.

This is DOA mop....

i just expect it to be a zero suit fest, i really don't like the exploitive route they have been taking with Samus. I prefer her gruff scifi roots.

[NWR_pap64]

I wonder if Samus needs to consult Adam first before even lifting a finger... :p


All kidding aside, I think the video hints at how you unlock her. The Other M stage will be present. What you do is you fight there, then you must knock the player out of the stage so Ridley can grab him or her. When they are defeated, Samus appears Reptile style and the fight begins. If you defeat her, she is unlocked.

[broodwars]

Oh no. I just hope she's in her Power Suit at all times.

This is DOA mop....

i just expect it to be a zero suit fest, i really don't like the exploitive route they have been taking with Samus. I prefer her gruff scifi roots.

Unfortunately, "gruff sci-fi" doesn't seem to sell in Japan these days.  There are times when I really hate the Japanese otaku culture.  Is there even a reason we want such good relations with Tecmo that it's worth sacrificing the dignity of one of Nintendo's cornerstone IPs?  Aside from the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden franchises, I'm struggling to think of anything notable that they make.  I suppose there's Fatal Frame, but that doesn't sell outside of Japan and doesn't strike me as a franchise Nintendo cares about.  Maybe I'm forgetting something?

[BlackNMild2k1]

I'm pretty sure she will wear the outfit she wore in her NES debut.

maybe even show up to the unlockable volleyball tournament after you beat the game.

[Luigi Dude]

Considering the history and reputation of the Dead or Alive franchise, I'm pretty disgusted with Nintendo for doing this.  What, was Other M not enough of a character assassination for Samus without putting her in the same game as a series that has long established itself as only existing to service fanservice fetishes?

Oh give me a break.



Samus being a women has always been for fanservice.  She was never meant to be a symbol of feminism that some of you think.

[Sageprotector]

Not to mention the way Samus was portrayed in Other M always is CANON. Not to mention it was quite realistic, and she's still a strong woman in her own right desptie any drawbacks, and those are what make her all the more human.

[broodwars]

Not to mention the way Samus was portrayed in Other M always is CANON. Not to mention it was quite realistic, and she's still a strong woman in her own right desptie any drawbacks, and those are what make her all the more human.

This is a discussion for another topic, but suffice it to say that calling that thing that appeared in Other M "a strong woman" is a cruel joke IMO.

[ThePerm]

idk, it just seems like almost like there are teenage sensibilities that go on in current japanese game studios. Sure at the end of the first Metroid Samus was a girl, but you only find that out after you find out how badass she is. Everyone knows Metroid is essentially an Alien fan fiction.

http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_similarities_between_Metroid_and_Alien

Zero Suit Samus wasn't invented till recently, and it just seems like they are slowly trying to change the character to appeal to teenage boys. It reeks of commercialism over art and that kinda peeves me. Not to mention the series is getting hokey and dorkey.

[stevey]

The one Nintendo female that isn't a princess is the one everyone bitches about not being sophisticated, refined, and modest enough. Where does everyone get the impression that Samus needs to wear at lease a burka at all times or be stoned to death come from?

[ThePerm]

i just don't like the idea of the character slowly turning into your typical one dimentional female character, if anything she needs to become extra complicated. Its a series created by Gunpei Yokoi, and as far as Nintendo series go, it was a bit more unique. Its becoming your normal Nintendo game.

[Crimm]

Hey guys, get mad.

Oh wait, LOL

[King of Twitch]

The one Nintendo female that isn't a princess is the one everyone bitches about not being sophisticated, refined, and modest enough. Where does everyone get the impression that Samus needs to wear at lease a burka at all times or be stoned to death come from?

i just don't like the idea of the character slowly turning into your typical one dimentional female character, if anything she needs to become extra complicated.

Can't we find a happy medium between these two extremes?

Like say, a modestly dressed bounty hunter who is independent and sophisticated enough to choose what kind of sandwich to bring me? Is that so much to ask

[ThePerm]

is that zap?

[Crimm]

is that zap?

MJRx9000.

[Mop it up]

Samus being a women has always been for fanservice.  She was never meant to be a symbol of feminism that some of you think.

Eh, no one thinks that, but I wouldn't say the games have been exploitative, and certainly nothing like DoA. Plus, I wouldn't expect Samus to wear clothes in that suit of armour, it gets hot in there!

[broodwars]

Samus being a women has always been for fanservice.  She was never meant to be a symbol of feminism that some of you think.

Eh, no one thinks that, but I wouldn't say the games have been exploitative, and certainly nothing like DoA. Plus, I wouldn't expect Samus to wear clothes in that suit of armour, it gets hot in there!

I don't mind the Zero Suit on a conceptual level.  As you said: it makes sense that she wouldn't be wearing something heavy under an already heavy Power Suit.  When the suit gets shown off as much as it does (and with the kind of camera angles it does) in something like Other M, it just breaks the illusion of the world for me because it looks like something designed to pander to teenage Japanese boys.  So long as the games keep the Zero Suit usage to a minimum and only have Samus in it when absolutely necessary to the plot (aka the complete opposite of the end of the bonus content in Other M), I can tolerate its existence as a necessary evil.  Just don't keep shoving it in my face when just having Samus take off her helmet would suffice.

As for the other Nintendo female characters, Zelda's a toss-up.  She can be a really cool character in some Zelda games (Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker) and a total damsel in distress in others (Twilight Princess, Link to the Past).  She has potential for being a really great narrative character like Samus, but I'm afraid she's probably always going to be overshadowed by the fact that Link is the main character of the Nintendo-created Zelda titles.  And Peach is beyond the point of saving, as she has shown that she is just too stupid to live.

[TJ Spyke]

And Peach is beyond the point of saving, as she has shown that she is just too stupid to live.

She was pretty smart and brave in the first two Paper Mario games though.

[Enner]

I expect this will make as much as an impact as the female Spartan that was in Dead or Alive 4.


As for the Zero Suit in Other M, I don't remember being too ticked off by the amount of time or camera angles used. Then again, it's been a while since I played it.


I think it should be mentioned that Nintendo has never established hard rules on Samus getting in and out of her power suit. Lately, its been the Zero Suit with no accessories to the Power Suit in a Crystal Flash or Other M's magical girl-esque materialization. However, the thing that sticks out for me is the arbitrary appearance of the Paralyzer and its holster. That is not a slim piece of equipment strapped to Samus' leg yet she can go in and out the Power Suit with it sticking out, no problem. And then there's the game over screen where the Paralyzer is absent. I feel that there isn't a reason that Samus couldn't be wearing a slightly heavier out-of-power-suit combat outfit. Reading the fiction available, it doesn't look like Nintendo has made it out of the question.

[Chozo Ghost]

This sort of thing is nothing new. Nintendo whored out Link to have him in Soul Calibur 2 on the GC. They also had Mario have cameos in all sorts of unrelated games, such as Punch Out where he was the referee. So its not like this is without precedent. Now, did having Link appear in SC 2 "cheapen" him or the Zelda franchise? No, it didn't. People don't even talk about it anymore. I think the same will be true with this DOA game in a few years.

Ironic as this may sound, I think Other M (which is an official Metroid game) has done far more damage to the franchise than this DOA thing ever could. As far as Samus being sexually exploited, that will probably happen in DOA, but that isn't something new either. Nintendo has been doing it for years. So again, having Samus parade around in spandex in DOA isn't anything new, because she does that in Smash Bros, Other M, you name it (well, actually not in the Prime games so much). But yeah...

[JasonMaivia]

I'm fine with Samus being in DOA.
You know, I'm actually okay with her being jiggly/bouncy in her skin-tight zero suit (if used).

[broodwars]

This sort of thing is nothing new. Nintendo whored out Link to have him in Soul Calibur 2 on the GC.  They also had Mario have cameos in all sorts of unrelated games, such as Punch Out where he was the referee.  So its not like this is without precedent. Now, did having Link appear in SC 2 "cheapen" him or the Zelda franchise?

You really can't compare this with Link's appearance in Soul Calibur 2.  At the time, Soul Calibur was the premier weapons-based fighting game on the market and has a storyline about fighters from various time periods and whatnot being brought together to destroy or become evil.  Link fights with a sword to banish evil.  It's a natural fit for that character and that franchise.  It's also one of the few times Link has been used in anything outside of his own games, so it feels special. 

Likewise, Mario's whole identity is built around the fact that there's absolutely nothing identifying or special about him, except that he jumps very well.  His utter blandness/adaptability (take your pick) allows him to be placed in all these different types of games without standing out too terribly.  You ask if all these cameos and whatnot "cheapened" Mario, and in my opinion they did.  The more appearances a character makes in various games, the less special these appearances become.  Frankly, I'd be thrilled if Mario took a few years off where I didn't see him in anything, if only so that his eventual return would actually mean something.  But I digress.

On the other hand, the Metroid games are (until recently) based on isolation and solemn exploration of various ruins, exterminating those that stand in Samus' way with ranged combat as she fulfills her mission as a Bounty Hunter.  The Dead or Alive franchise (the actual fighting games, anyway) are about a bunch of girls coming together to beat the crap out of each other in martial arts.  The inclusion of Samus in this game just doesn't make sense outside of the Team Ninja connection.

[cricarra]

Get. Over. It.

This is great news. I might just pick up DOA before SFIV3D.

[KDR_11k]

But without a strong man at her side who will stop Samus from zoning out at the sight of Ridley???

This is just a transparent attempt to give DoA any chance in face of SF4. DoA has always sold because there were no alternatives, it arrives before any better fighting games come out but now it's up against one of the most respected fighting games out there.

Not to mention the way Samus was portrayed in Other M always is CANON. Not to mention it was quite realistic, and she's still a strong woman in her own right desptie any drawbacks, and those are what make her all the more human.

Canon does not fucking matter unless we're discussing printers. This is like the Kutaragi argument of "if an architect placed the path so it doesn't line up with the door nobody would call him out on that". It does not fucking matter what the creator thinks of the work, it matters what the audience thinks because art is primarily emotional and the audience's emotions are the only ones that are perceived. If the audience does not feel the intended emotions the artist has failed. Sakamoto has failed.

[Enner]

....
On the other hand, the Metroid games are (until recently) based on isolation and solemn exploration of various ruins, exterminating those that stand in Samus' way with ranged combat as she fulfills her mission as a Bounty Hunter.  The Dead or Alive franchise (the actual fighting games, anyway) are about a bunch of girls coming together to beat the crap out of each other in martial arts.  The inclusion of Samus in this game just doesn't make sense outside of the Team Ninja connection.

Hey, there are guys too! According to the wikia, the male count outnumbers the female count. You shouldn't rag on the poor game series in exploiting its TnA to the point that there are three spin-off games and a Blackjack game
Okay, maybe you should.

[Chozo Ghost]

The lukewarm reception Other M has received might have been a major factor in Nintendo's decision to allow Samus to be in DOA. Maybe they were thinking her exposure needed to be increased in order to boost the market's awareness of the franchise. Then again, I'm sure if Other M had been a huge success this would be happening anyway, so who am I kidding?

[JasonMaivia]

Samus in DOA = sales
So let's do it!
It's not going to crush anyone's dream image of Samus.  Other M took care of that already.

Sakamoto's Other M was a throwback title for HIM.
Everyone else wanted a game with the style of Super Metroid/Fusion.

Sakamoto's selfishness hurt the game.

-Where the heck was classic controller support?
 
-D-pad for 3D control?? Are you nuts?

-First-person mode could have easlily been made to a button.  Then joystick would controls the on-screen reticle.  We have this is games called "First-Person Shooters", Sakamoto.

-Samus's voice acting and story didn't kill anything for me, but they really could have done a better job.  This isn't 1997.  The PSOne was full of that crap.  Still, the actress only did what she was hired to do.  It wasn't her fault.

[Crimm]

delicious anger

[Ian Sane]

Is there even a reason we want such good relations with Tecmo that it's worth sacrificing the dignity of one of Nintendo's cornerstone IPs?  Aside from the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden franchises, I'm struggling to think of anything notable that they make.  I suppose there's Fatal Frame, but that doesn't sell outside of Japan and doesn't strike me as a franchise Nintendo cares about.

Agreed.  I don't give two shits about any third party relations that involve third parties handling Nintendo properties.  Was Namco's abomination of a Star Fox game worthwhile for the good third party relations it produced?
 
And I also agree that this is not quite the same as putting Link in Soul Calibur.  Soul Calibur is one of the premiere games of its genre.  DOA is an also-ran.  It's a different level of prestige.
 
However I don't think this does any damage to Metroid that Other M has not already done.  I'm not thrilled about this but it is small potatoes.  DOA also once had a Halo crossover and the character was even female but she never appeared outside her armour and was not sexualized in any way.  So they may keep Samus in her suit.  Probably not, but they COULD.
 
My biggest objection with Other M was that it played like a dumbed-down linear action game.  The story was also embarassing and very poorly written but the true sin was that it betrayed Metroid's gameplay.
 
I have ultimately realized that neither Zelda or Metroid are "sacred" anymore.  Despite how much money Nintendo makes that is their great failure.  They had two the most reverred and legendary videogame franchises of all time and they pissed that away.

[Sarail]

Samus in DOA = sales
So let's do it!
It's not going to crush anyone's dream image of Samus.  Other M took care of that already.

Sakamoto's Other M was a throwback title for HIM.
Everyone else wanted a game with the style of Super Metroid/Fusion.

Sakamoto's selfishness hurt the game.

-Where the heck was classic controller support?
 
-D-pad for 3D control?? Are you nuts?

-First-person mode could have easlily been made to a button.  Then joystick would controls the on-screen reticle.  We have this is games called "First-Person Shooters", Sakamoto.

-Samus's voice acting and story didn't kill anything for me, but they really could have done a better job.  This isn't 1997.  The PSOne was full of that crap.  Still, the actress only did what she was hired to do.  It wasn't her fault.

You definitely do not speak for me, sir. I thoroughly enjoyed Metroid: Other M, and actually... I place it as my second favorite Metroid game of all time. Right behind Super Metroid, of course. I thought the game felt like a true evolution of what the original SuperNES game felt like, and I loved every minute of it. Every. Stinkin'. Minute.

Fantastic game. And you guys who hate it are ridiculous. There.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

lol casual fans