Metroid: Other M – Exclusive Preview!

Metroid Other M is the latest game in the long running Metroid franchise created by Gameboy creator Gunpei Yokoi. The game is headed by Co-creator of the Metroid series Yoshio Sakamoto in collaboration with Team Ninja, famous for its Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive games and D-rockets, CG animation studio which has worked with Ninja Gaiden in the past. Together, they are Project M. The game will also feature an orchestrated score, composed by Kuniaki Haishima.

For the first time ever, fans will get to see the story of Samus in beautiful CGI and get an insight into her life and the people who influenced her to make up the character we all know and love. The game also introduces a voice for Samus, which is sure to add to the whole experience. Samus will look back to the times when she was part of the Galactic Federation and answered to her commanding officer, Adam Malkovich, mentioned in Metroid Fusion and who makes his debut appearance in this game.

The game brings back some familiar items such as the Power Suit, Morph Ball, Power, Charge and Ice beams. Missiles are back and the Screw Attack also makes a welcome return, as does the Speed Booster making its 3D debut. Energy tanks can still be used to build on Samus’ health and there will be a variety of power-up’s and suit upgrades as you progress further in the game. With these key features returning, the game will certainly feel like the Metroid we’re used to.

In addition to the usual features found in Metroid, there are a few new additions in Other M compared to previous games. For example, Samus can now execute a number of finishing moves that change depending on the creature you are fighting at the time. She also has a defence move to avoid damage called sense move. This needs to be executed at the correct time to dodge enemy attacks. There some new weapons such as the Diffusion Beam which scatters charge beams and hits nearby enemies. The biggest change in this game is how you obtain power drops, as there are also no energy pickups. Instead you can use something called the concentration technique. You simply raise your Wii remote vertically to replenish missiles and a small amount of energy if you are running low on health.

The game takes place directly after the events of Super Metroid and before Metroid Fusion in the timeline. Samus receives a distress signal from a decommissioned space facility called the Bottle Ship and goes to investigate. As she lands, she realises that she is not alone; another ship has docked at the Bottle Ship with the Galactic Federation logo clearly visible on the side. As she explores the Bottle Ship, she comes into contact with a team of Federation troopers consisting of Adam Malkovich and another soldier called Anthony Higgs, a character she is familiar with from a previous mission or missions, who greets her as ‘Princess’.

As you progress through the Bottle Ship, you’ll come across many different areas with different environments that house specific types of creatures that can survive in those areas. For example, the Pyrosphere is a fiery hot area which you won’t be able to access until you have a suit upgrade, and the Cryosphere plays host to an icy arctic environment. This plays out like most Metroid games and the ship itself has a lot of similarities to the Biologic Space Laboratory research station from Metroid Fusion. This could be a key factor in continuity between the two games.

The game boasts some fantastic visuals in game and during cut scenes and it is clear that a lot of time, effort and love have gone into this game. From what I have heard so far, Kuniaki Haishima is set to provide an excellent score in game and through the many cut scenes within the game. I have my fingers crossed that it stays true to Metroid and maintains the atmospheric ambient style that made Super Metroid and Metroid Prime’s score amazing. Sakamoto himself stated that Project M is a “group working towards a common goal” and if that goal is to provide us a Metroid experience that we are going to love and enjoy for years to come, bring it on!

As a passionate Metroid fan who has played all Metroid games and longed for a story driven Metroid game, this is a dream come true for me! I truly hope that this historic collaborative effort will be the key to increased sales and popularity for Samus Aran and Metroid. I hope you will all give the game a chance when it is released on September 3rd 2010 across Europe exclusively for Nintendo Wii.

Special thanks to the Metroid Database for images used in this feature.