Games You SHOULDN'T Buy #5 - Metroid: Other M

[MarkDarkness]

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Metroid: Other M was always a polarizing title to its gaming audience. It didn't do so well, with developer Yoshio Sakamoto claiming that the sales were due to having a female protagonist lead. Please excuse me while I take a moment and laugh.​

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The Sakamoto comment is from a satyrical site, bro. You should probably remove that, as it is misleading.

 

[Dork]

I have no idea who Andrew Dobson is.

He's an amazing comic artist, he is level-headed and funny.

 

[Gahars]

You assumed she is an emotionless robot

Your words would have a lot more meaning if you didn't still stoop to disingenuous strawmanning like this. You seem to assume what others assume.

At the end of the day, it's a video game. Nobody goes home angry because someone does or doesn't like something you don't. It's just a poor show when you resort to putting words in other people's mouths rather than just considering what they have to say.

GAHARS BE LIKE, "JOOSTIN SAID HE LIKED METROID OTHER M, BETTER BRING UP AN OLD ARGUMENT!"

The original link was a mistake and I apologized. The actual link, which I provided in my last post and edited into the original post, was relevant to your point about the manga, and was just me explaining that the manga doesn't work in the context of the game. I figured it'd be easier to just quote something we had already settled on than typing up the whole explanation again.

I liked it, and so did a lot of other people. It got pretty good ratings, especially for it's graphical accomplishments (huge BS about Metroid Prime being better looking, even the Prime Trilogy version didn't look nearly as good). I think that probably the people who liked it most were hardcore fans who were able to appreciate the reference to Samus's PTSD and childhood flashbacks, and those who have never played a Metroid game and didn't even get the story at all.

Well, first, the chart is referring to how the environments look. Other M was able to put out more on the graphics end, obviously, but aesthetically, the Prime series still shines, even on inferior hardware.

And I'm not sure that's the case. Many of the most ardent critics of Other M are the hardcore fans, the ones that know the series in-and-out, and would know that, for example, the game contradicts even the manga it's supposed to be referencing. At the same time, even complete series newbies have been turned off by things like the authorization system, the presence of Adam in the story, or the wonky controls. I don't think it's quite that simple.

You don't like it. Lots of other people don't like it either. It's fine, let's leave it at that.

Sure, but a little more honesty and consideration would also be great.

 

[Hells Malice]

Other M suffered the whole "well everyone else says it's shit, so..." syndrome more than anything else. Sure it wasn't GOTY, but it wasn't bad. Gameplay was interesting enough. I played it for a few hours and never felt there was anything inherently wrong with it, other than it being a wii game so I dropped it like a sack of rocks.

The story was basically as to be expected coming from a company not known for their thrilling story telling, or accurate depictions of females. When you consider that metroid games as whole don't have fuck-all for story, it's not that difficult to simply ignore Other M's story if it bothers you that much.
The whole silent protagonist argument is a bit of a joke though. It's lazy writing. It's a lot easier just to say "fuck it, you decide" than actually write a character out yourself. In reality you're following the same linear path where you do basically the exact same thing and accomplish the exact same goals. You aren't shaping the character or projecting anything onto it other than on a superficial make-believe level.

People can be such whiny little drama queens sometimes.

 

[JoostinOnline]

Other M suffered the whole "well everyone else says it's shit, so..." syndrome more than anything else. Sure it wasn't GOTY, but it wasn't bad. Gameplay was interesting enough. I played it for a few hours and never felt there was anything inherently wrong with it, other than it being a wii game so I dropped it like a sack of rocks.

The story was basically as to be expected coming from a company not known for their thrilling story telling, or accurate depictions of females. When you consider that metroid games as whole don't have fuck-all for story, it's not that difficult to simply ignore Other M's story if it bothers you that much.
The whole silent protagonist argument is a bit of a joke though. It's lazy writing. It's a lot easier just to say "fuck it, you decide" than actually write a character out yourself. In reality you're following the same linear path where you do basically the exact same thing and accomplish the exact same goals. You aren't shaping the character or projecting anything onto it other than on a superficial make-believe level.

People can be such whiny little drama queens sometimes.

This.

It's one of the few games I don't play for story, even though it was supposed to be played for story. The gameplay alone is just fun. Sort of like Conduit 2.

 

[kuwanger]

The short bad: Metroid: Other M sucks story wise for shoehorning everything onto a hour long movie that tries to Moe (and shrink) Samus. The short good: Metroid: Other M provides beautiful visuals in a quasi-sci-fi adventure that does very little to settle suspension of disbelief (which, honestly, no Metroid game since the first has done much to do) while focusing less on combat (which never was the core point of Metroid games anyways (against what Prime fans believe)).

Change Samus' name or place it in a parallel universe in the game and it would be an okay Gaiden; of course, I'd have to say the same thing about the Prime games as well given "Phazon" and the same for Metroid Fusion and "X Parasites". But the two major reasons to not buy Metroid: Other M are (1) being unable to stomach sitting through 1 hour of non-sense, unskippable video (of which you'll have to pass on a LOT of games over that point, if you actually pay any real attention to the point) or (2) if you're so flustered about how Metroid: Other M has totally ruined the franchise.

Me, I basically accept (1) as a sad fact of where games have gone and as for (2), well, I'd say we'd probably be better off with a fresh start on a whole new franchise anyways*. After all, the titular enemy of the series is the Metroid and they've played second billing as a threat since Metroid 2. Hell, Prime turned them into a nuisance (except for the Phazon versions) and all the focus on cloning...well, whatever. They really lost their threat factor long ago compared to all sorts of other Metroid universe monsters.

That's my two cents, anyways.

*PS - Unless they want to actually show Samus in her early missions. You know, the whole "[Samus Aran] is the greatest of all the space hunters and has successfully completed numerous missions that everybody thought were absolutely impossible" and not the "Zero Mission" crap. But I can only imagine "Yoshio Sakamoto" turning that into a "Star Trek" reboot--an idea that was kicked around for as early back as 1991 and probably a lot earlier. So, first things first: reassign Yoshio Sakamoto.

 

[JoostinOnline]

Change Samus' name or place it in a parallel universe in the game and it would be an okay Gaiden; of course, I'd have to say the same thing about the Prime games as well given "Phazon" and the same for Metroid Fusion and "X Parasites". But the two major reasons to not buy Metroid: Other M are (1) being unable to stomach sitting through 1 hour of non-sense, unskippable video (of which you'll have to pass on a LOT of games over that point, if you actually pay any real attention to the point) or (2) if you're so flustered about how Metroid: Other M has totally ruined the franchise.

Most overly-dramatic statement ever. Apparently it was so bad that it ruined all the other games. I would actually buy and play a game that was capable of that.

 

[Jayro]

You guys have shit taste in games, this one was great.

 

[Cortador]

I think you wouldn't get that disappointed if you wouldn't hype yourself up for the game.
I liked it very much. I finished it 100% on Normal only since Hard mode was too hard for my taste.

Speaking of FF13... Why don't you make an Article about why not to buy FFX HD & FFX-2 HD Remaster.
I know some people are sharpening their spears right now to hunt after me for saying that but seriously that's not a remaster, it's an HD port.
They haven't really remastered anything in this games beside Main character models & the soundtrack. The terrains look like on PS2 just with a little higher amount of Polygons, the NPC's have flat faces and non individual fingers and at some points the vita version starts loosing framerate for no reason. In some areas the music is louder than the Voice acting, they reused the same voice acting & animations from the PS2 making it look campy. I am really laughing during supposed sad moment in the game because of how campy that looks. This should not happen in a remaster! 40€? I can buy a used copy of the PS2 version on amazon for 5€ each and have the exact same game with lower resolution...
Compared to something like MGS the Twin Snakes this "remaster" is really a joke.

I bought FFX HD and FFX-2 HD cuz I was a Game Cube kid. So I never had the joy of experiencing hundreds of good rpgs from the ps2 era. Now that its out and in digital form, I have the convenience of playing it on the go on the Vita.

 

[HNKii]

My friend in US picked one up for $7...

 

[CathyRina]

I bought FFX HD and FFX-2 HD cuz I was a Game Cube kid. So I never had the joy of experiencing hundreds of good rpgs from the ps2 era. Now that its out and in digital form, I have the convenience of playing it on the go on the Vita.

My point isn't that people who couldn't play these games in the first place are getting ripped off. My point is that it claims to be a remaster yet still gives no f*ck about improving the original.
FFX didn't aged that well compared to let's say FFXII so it needs way more improvements than it has received. Just upping the resolution and remastering the main character models + BGM does not make a remaster.
the amount of bad NPC character models and camp due to outdated voice acting and non-motion capture animations is huge. A remaster should fix these and bring a old thing to new audience and be adjusting the game to current standards. When was the last time you saw a character model having a flat face or non individual fingers? The last time I saw it I was either playing a DS, PSP or a 10+ years old game.

 

[Taleweaver]

I'm not much of a metroid fan. Super metroid and fusion were awesome, but never really got into prime (played a couple levels, then quit). I can understand its potential, though. And from that perspective, I would say that other M is vastly inferior.


The storyline is already mentioned numerous times, and for all the right reasons. The guys at extra credits IMHO explain best why this is so important in a medium that doesn't revolve around the story to begin with.

My other gripe is that pointing at the television thing. Before I tried it, it sounded interesting (scanning and stuff). Then I realised there was no way to move around when aiming that way. Which is ridiculous, as either it's useless (changing the controller stance takes way too long in a fast-paced game) or is downright unfair ("hey guys...take five. I'm going to be aiming differently now, so please don't shoot me just yet"). I never bothered to find out what it was. It was just too much breaking the flow to continue.


It's actually interesting to see that there are quite some people liking the game. And that even the ones hating other M seem to want a sequel new metroid game from nintendo. So while the game isn't exactly the highest point in the series, I think it got more hate than it actually deserves.

 

[Bonny]

Metroid Other M is the best Metroid game ever! I never enjoyed a Metroid game so much.

Man.... "Games you SHOULDN'T buy"-series.... Not much news today for a pirate site like GBAtemp...

 

[JoostinOnline]

Man.... "Games you SHOULDN'T buy"-series.... Not much news today for a pirate site like GBAtemp...

ROFL! Best point made ever.

 

[Ryukouki]

Metroid Other M is the best Metroid game ever! I never enjoyed a Metroid game so much.

Man.... "Games you SHOULDN'T buy"-series.... Not much news today for a pirate site like GBAtemp...

...I actually did not think about that!

 

[Ulieq]

The story was fine. The only issue with the game is it not being nunchuck compatable, thus no analog. It ruined the entire game.

 

[Bonny]

not being nunchuck compatable, thus no analog. It ruined the entire game.

 

[TheLostSabre]

*Grabs popcorn*

This "debate" sure is getting interesting. Like the shitstorm I witnessed in GFaqs (though, for now, this "debate" is considerably more benign).

 

[the_randomizer]

So now people aren't allowed to dislike the game or be allowed to share their opinions on why they dislike it? Everyone has to like it now? Lolwut?

 

[Taleweaver]

The_Lost_Sabre: you think? Thus far, I haven't heard any new reason why people disliked it, and the ones that do like it don't address the issues presented (which...may be the wisest thing to do, come to think of it).

Man.... "Games you SHOULDN'T buy"-series.... Not much news today for a pirate site like GBAtemp...

It would've been called "games you SHOULDN'T pirate"...but that would give the impression they're worthy of buying instead.