Topic: Metroid Other M

[Chozo Ghost]

Everything else were hideous monsters, I'd blast them too and I'm not emotionless.

Just because they were hideous doesn't mean they didn't have feelings. Many of the creatures she blasted were just trying to mind their own business on the world in which they were native too. It would be like someone from space coming to earth and blasting all the rhinos and elephants and buffalos with energy weapons.  I mean sure, these animals are (potentially) dangerous if they feel threatened by you, but that doesn't mean you aren't a sociopath for blasting everything that moves... and that's exactly what Samus does.

How many of those creatures that she killed do you think were endangered? Some of them might even have been the very last of their species!

To be fair, I only shot creatures that tried to attack me, so it was self-defense. I never blasted creatures that were just standing there.

I remember in the older Metroid games there were creatures that just crawl around the walls and fly around mindlessly. They never went after you to attack you, but if you touched them then it would do damage to you.  IIRC, you can't kill them with regular weapons, but when you got the freeze beam and stuff then you could really harm them. But was that right? Yeah, they could hurt you, but only if YOU touched them. They never chased after you or went out of their way to touch you, so if you touched them its because you did it.

There are other Nintendo games with questionable ethical behavior like that. For example, in the Super Mario Games you had the dumb Goombas who were kinda the same way. If you touched them, you died. But they just walked mindlessly like lemmings and didn't chase you or anything. Then there was Pikmin, which I think was the absolute worst moral atrocity of any Nintendo franchise where you have the "hero" enslaving the indigenous pikmin and forcing them to help him rebuild his spaceship, even though many of them die in the process. It doesn't seem right.

[Stratos]

But then a lot of games do similar things. Most RTS games reward people who spam units but think of all the letters getting sent home to spouses of dead soldiers in the name of destroying a small enemy base. Should we really be analyzing these things for a game? It just feels a bit silly to be discussing the morality of killing enemy creatures.

Sure some games like the Jedi Knight games could give you Light Side or Dark Side alignment because of your actions but surely we aren't going to bring that into the equation for all games? Or am I trivializing something important?

[KDR_11k]

Really to me it doesn't matter what the story is as long as it doesn't get into the way of the Metroid core (to me that's Veni, Vidi Vici, exploring, understanding, dominating, gaining familiarity with the environment and more abilities to better handle it). The Metroid core is not exclusive to Metroid, it's just what I buy Metroid for. To me Castlevania (SotN - DoS, I think PoR and OoE just did it wrong) is Metroid. Bunnie Must Die is Metroid. Shadow Complex is Metroid. Metroid Prime is Metroid. Metroid Fusion is NOT Metroid. Fusion is a game for people who cannot handle the Metroid core to be mislead to believe that they are playing a Metroid game. After all it has Samus, it has Metroids, it has a connected map, etc, right? That's all just window dressing around the Metroid core. Metroid Prime 3 is pretty close to not being Metroid too. I'm a bit undecided on Hunters but overall it still felt like Metroid, even if it was a fairly weak Metroid.

My real problem with Other M is that Sakamoto stated that it will be like Fusion. Fusion is not what I want when I buy Metroid. If they want to make something that's not Metroid then why do they call it Metroid? Why not make some kind of new IP that can be about whatever you want and isn't tied to 8-bit era character designs to boot? Nobody would object if this was a game about a different future girl in power armor. She could be as emo as they want her to be, nobody would expect otherwise. They could make the game into a corridor shooter with ninja moves and nobody would mind. But they called it Metroid so they better damn well deliver Metroid.

Honestly, I think there's probably very little really good voice acting out there, so this isn't that bad relative to the norm.  I have to turn English voices off on nearly every anime I watch.

We aren't comparing it to shitty anime dubs, the standards for the next big game in a major franchise should be higher than those of a niche cartoon that was localized straight to DVD.

[NWR_insanolord]

Taking a the stance that not only is Fusion not a Metroid game, but that Hunters is, is a bold, controversial, and, some might argue, ridiculous statement.

[Dasmos]

I would argue that.

[Morari]

Most RTS games reward people who spam units but think of all the letters getting sent home to spouses of dead soldiers in the name of destroying a small enemy base.

Those soldiers signed up though, knowing what might happen. The Pikmin were enslaved and slaughtered by a "heroic" invader, and later for commercial exploitation.

[Kytim89]

When I watch Other M's CGI movies, I detect a hint of Mass Effect. Perhaps Nintendo is trying to invoke this artistic visualization in order to capture some of the fans of the Mass Effect series to buy the game. Jennifer Hale, who voiced the female Sheppard, alos did the grunts for Samus in the Prime series. I find it strange that she did reprise her role in this game. Perhaps because of what I stated above, no doubt.

[KDR_11k]

Most RTS games reward people who spam units but think of all the letters getting sent home to spouses of dead soldiers in the name of destroying a small enemy base.

Those soldiers signed up though, knowing what might happen. The Pikmin were enslaved and slaughtered by a "heroic" invader, and later for commercial exploitation.

Outside of Russia sending waves of conscripts at an MG bunker without adequate equipment to break it would probably get you relieved of your command.

[Chozo Ghost]

Most RTS games reward people who spam units but think of all the letters getting sent home to spouses of dead soldiers in the name of destroying a small enemy base.

Those soldiers signed up though, knowing what might happen. The Pikmin were enslaved and slaughtered by a "heroic" invader, and later for commercial exploitation.

Outside of Russia sending waves of conscripts at an MG bunker without adequate equipment to break it would probably get you relieved of your command.

Its a good strategy if you consider the defenders are bound to run out of ammunition at some point. It was also how the Zulus were able to beat the British in a couple battles with nothing more than spears.

[KDR_11k]

A better strategy would be to go around that bunker or get some artillery.

[vudu]

About Samus:  I always imagined her as being around 30 years old, maybe even a little older.  Now that she looks 18, she looks totally inexperienced and not like someone you'd hire to go on a solo bounty hunter mission.

This I'll agree with.  She looks a little too fragile for her line of work.

Samus is 6'3" tall and weighs 198 lbs.  She could kick your ass even without the power suit.  Fragile she is not.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Those marines must be 7'5" and 350 lbs.  What do they eat at dem Federation cafeterias?

[vudu]

The main difference being in Super Metroid, she points her arm canon at the hatchling which she does not do in Metroid II. Doesn't change much since she still tells us her motive, but that's retcon by alteration since something different happened than what was previously established however subtle it may be.

Why do you think she pointed her weapon at the Metroid?  Because the sprite appeared that way?  Unlike Mario or Mega Man, Samus' sprite doesn't have a "look up" animation.  The only way to make it appear as if she's looking at the Metroid baby is to aim diagonally with her arm canon.  It doesn't mean she's necessarily aiming at the creature.  You might be reading too much into a simple technology limitation.

[Halbred]

She's friggin' 6'3"? Dayam!

[Shorty McNostril]

Wow.  One of the few girls i could look eye to eye with.

[Adrock]

Why do you think she pointed her weapon at the Metroid?  Because the sprite appeared that way?  Unlike Mario or Mega Man, Samus' sprite doesn't have a "look up" animation.  The only way to make it appear as if she's looking at the Metroid baby is to aim diagonally with her arm canon.  It doesn't mean she's necessarily aiming at the creature.  You might be reading too much into a simple technology limitation.

I wasn't discussing why she does that because, honestly, I don't care. Samus tells the player her motive, that's the crux of my argument relating that matter. Rather, I was simply pointing out that she does. They could have reused the old Metroid II footage, probably would have been less work too. Not only did they not do that, but they went out of their way to change what happened. Point being, it's a retcon. If you want to have a discussion on why Samus points her arm cannon at the Metroid, might I suggest directing that at Ms. GoldenPhoenix.

[King of Twitch]

What kind of powerups will Other Mole imbue her with? Perhaps we'll finally get to use the CT visor, and hunt dangerous abdominal aortic aneurysms.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

What kind of powerups will Other Mole imbue her with? Perhaps we'll finally get to use the CT visor, and hunt dangerous abdominal aortic aneurysms.

I was thinking "blue key card" and "email."

[King of Twitch]

Hm. I thought a sentient facial growth should at least provide a telepathic link to the Space Pirate hive, any Chozo suit will probably have email built in already.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

I don't think the Chozo ever supplied the Power Suit with a keyboard.

[Stratos]

I don't think the Chozo ever supplied the Power Suit with a keyboard.

It includes a WiiSpeak

[Stogi]

Knowing Tecmo, I'm sure there's a power-up that is only attack based and is not necessary to explore unknown areas.

[Kairon]

I'm really curious about this title's unique-sounding gameplay, but the more and more I see the story aspects of this game, the cut scenes, and the team ninja character design... the more and more I dread the experience of playing, or even watching, this game.

[King of Twitch]

The mole-ph ball puzzles will more than make up for any story deficiencies.

[Kairon]

The mole-ph ball puzzles will more than make up for any story deficiencies.

I'm starting to fear that the story will not just be deficient, but that it might actually degrade my ability to enjoy the game. Like Baiten Kaitos' voice acting.