Metroid: Other M Review

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Metroid Other M is one of the best Wii games I've ever played, easily bettering the usual dross Nintendo's waggle console is treated to, but it doesn't half have its fair share of problems. Developed by Team Ninja, the studio behind Ninja Gaiden, this is Metroid like you have and haven't played it before. With elements of retro Metroid gameplay, first-person shooting and third-person action, Other M feels both new and old, yet is let down by its more modern touches. It is - shock, horror - a Nintendo game with FMV and voice acting.

Rather than getting bogged down later on with the things that don't work, I'm going to get them out the way first. The attempt to tell a deep story, with impressive CG work and plenty of voice acting, falls flat almost immediately. The opening sequence of the game is almost devoid of any gameplay at all, packed with awkward dialogue that seems way out of date in comparison to what we've seen in other titles released in this generation.

In terms of where Other M fits into the Metroid timeline, things pick up almost directly after the events of Super Metroid, with the intro CG sequence showing the final battle with Mother Brain in the SNES title. Samus escapes from Planet Zebes and ends up on a Galactic Federation ship, before investigating a distress signal on the Bottle Ship - a hulking great vessel the size of a small city.

Things take a turn for the worse when you realise that Samus is joined in the desolate space station by a team of Marines, which means she actually converses with them and they call her things like "Princess". It's easy to be a little too precious when it comes to classic franchises, but other than the suit the opening to Other M didn't seem very Metroid at all. Initially it also seems that Team Ninja, not wanting to disappoint its fans, has focused a little too much on our heroine's curvy figure, something that should be left in the Dead or Alive series. But things very quickly get a whole lot better.

Other M is played with just a Wii Remote, with no Nunchuck or Classic Controller support. This is odd for a number of reasons, but has clearly been done to allow gamers to switch from third-person perspective to a first-person view - albeit one that pins your feet to the ground, only allowing you to aim.

In third-person you play with the controller held like a classic NES pad, moving Samus with the d-pad, shooting with the 1 button and jumping with 2. Holding down 1 powers up Samus' gun, and you can recharge her health and refill her missiles by holding down A and pointing the Remote upwards. Pressing A alone transforms our heroine into the Morph Ball, which can lay bombs and is small enough to enter tiny passages. Finally, by pointing the Remote at the TV you look through Samus' eyes and fire missiles or scan the environment.