Metroid: Other M

 Wii
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 653 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 353 out of 653
  2. Mixed: 136 out of 653
  3. Negative: 164 out of 653
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Toxi
    Aug 1, 2013
    1
    Combat is shallow, "cinematic" scenes of just holding forward on the control stick kill the pacing, controls are awkward thanks to the exclusion of the nunchuck, level design is linear, the cutscenes are unskippable first playthrough, dialogue is painfully bad... I'm really not sure what there is to like about this game. I suppose you might like it if you don't enjoy Metroid games, becauseCombat is shallow, "cinematic" scenes of just holding forward on the control stick kill the pacing, controls are awkward thanks to the exclusion of the nunchuck, level design is linear, the cutscenes are unskippable first playthrough, dialogue is painfully bad... I'm really not sure what there is to like about this game. I suppose you might like it if you don't enjoy Metroid games, because it's a terrible Metroid game, and I supposed you might like it if you don't enjoy action games, because it's a terrible action game.

    I'm just disappointed a game like this came from the director who brought us Super Metroid. Super Metroid was fantastic because it didn't boss you around or hold your hand or shove fifteen minute long cutscenes in your face. You just had a big world and were free to explore it to find fun new powerups and boss fights. Where did that same sense of discovery go? There aren't any new interesting power-ups or bosses in Other M; it's just content to reuse series staples as if that gives it more nerd cred or something. It's not like there is much exploration either; level design is linear and many times doors will lock behind you to stop you from backtracking with new power-ups.

    Even without comparing it to other Metroid games, Other M still fails. Its combat is laughably shallow. In 3rd person view, you just charge and shoot. Aiming is automatic. Whenever you see an attack, you mash the D-pad so Samus can do her invincible dodge move. It doesn't matter which direction you dodge, you're invincible for the whole animation. Sometimes, the game will have you move to first-person to shoot powerful missiles, but the controls are clunky and you're unable to move, making first-person aiming a chore. Then there are the quick-time events. It seems like every awful action game these days has them, and Other M's are pretty bad. They're incredibly showy execution scenes, but they make the player feel inadequate. It's not the player doing these actions; all the player is doing is pressing the D-pad once. There is about as much connection between the player's controls and the actions on screen as there are watching a Transformers movie. About the only neat thing in combat is the overblast, an attack you can use on some enemies by jumping on them with a charged shot. It feels much more natural and I'd like to see it return in future Metroid games.

    So many games this past generation have lost their expansive worlds, forcing you down hallways from cinematic set piece to cut scene to cinematic set piece. They have lost their interesting and unique gameplay, becoming a homogenous mass of quick-time events and auto-aim. They feel more like amusement park rides than games; you're not there to play, you're there to watch. Other M is not some ambitious, misunderstood work of fiction; it's just another stupid modern game with all of the worst things about stupid modern games.

    If you want a fun action game, go play Devil May Cry 3 or the Xbox Ninja Gaiden or Bayonetta or virtually anything else. If you want a fun Metroid game, go play Metroid Prime or Super Metroid or Metroid Zero Mission. Just skip Other M. It doesn't deserve your time.    … Expand
  2. Nilkad_Naquada
    Jul 17, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Before I get into the enormous can of worms that is this game's issues, let me talk about the positive aspects. The graphics generally look nice, a lot better than most Wii titles, and the action is suitably bombastic when intended. The finisher moves you get are satisfying as well as very cool and flashy.

    Unfortunately, that's all I can say in this game's favor. While it is true that when the action is happening it's generally fun to watch, it's not very fun to play thanks to a frightening lack of variety in terms of both enemies and what Samus herself is able to do, and the fact that you have a dodge-roll technique called the "Sensemove" which utterly breaks the combat. It gives you a ludicrous amount of invincibility frames, nothing works against it, and if you're charging your beam while you do it it completely fills the charge. Beyond that, lulls in the action, rather than serving pacing like they would in a game such as Devil May Cry or Half-Life, instead just feel boring. Often they simply have you running from place to place, and when they don't feel that's putting you to sleep enough they go to an over-the-shoulder view and make you walk slowly with incredibly unintuitive controls. Even less intuitive than the rest of the game, which is pretty unintuitive, as the rest of the game asks you to navigate three dimensional environments at high speeds with a d-pad, relying on finnicky auto-aim to in order to hit enemies. The over-the-shoulder segments aren't even the worst flow-killer though. At times the game forces you into first-person mode and makes you look for a piece of scenery to scan in order to advance the plot. This was a good idea when Arkham Asylum did it because Batman is after all the world's greatest detective, and because that game handled it well, making it clear what you're looking for and still allowing you to move around the area. In Other M you are forced to remain still, searching for what is often a small innocuous-looking piece of scenery at best. Worse examples include scanning for the exit in the chamber where you fight Ridley, which is such a dark area when you're scanning it that you can barely see the exit, and finding Madeline standing in a window, so far away and with so much glare coming off said window that I, an avid gamer with 20/20 vision, was simply not able to see her. I went back and played the segment again, knowing where she was, and still couldn't to see her. Coming back to Ridley, this is kind of a sticking point: Samus should not have freaked out when she saw Ridley. I'm not saying they've tainted her badass persona or anything, and had it been handled differently I would have loved it. But there's no excuse for her to panic upon seeing the enemy that she has been established to have defeated around six times by this point according to series canon (yes, the adjusted canon that came with dropping the Prime games.) Beyond that, the way they brought Ridley in just didn't help the story at all. Apparently the Federation cloned him, as well as most of the other monsters in the game, despite the fact that they've watched the Space Pirates royally screw themselves by doing that many times in the past. Of course, the reason for this is that Nintendo and Team Ninja wanted to cram as many references to older games in as possible, hence the inclusion of the Metroid Queen, Nightmare, Phantoom, et cetera. It feels very much like fan pandering, as if the game is afraid to have its own identity and instead wants to cash in on nostalgia, which makes its decision to completely kick Metroidvania-style exploration in the head even stranger, and that was already a baffling choice considering that the Metroid series contributed the first half of the genre's name. Of course, you do still gain abilities over time, you just don't explore and look for them. Instead you have most of them from the start, but you're not allowed to use them until Adam Malkovich allows you to, in the poorest excuse for ability loss this series has ever had, which is saying something considering that even some of the best games in the series have had pretty weak excuses. This leads to a downright painful situation in which you move through the lava world, which does continuous damage due to the hot atmosphere, without protection because Malkovich didn't authorize it. Speaking of Malkovich, his death was incredibly flimsy. He locks himself in a section of the ship and jettisons it, blowing it up, because apparently nobody thought maybe you should make the function accessible from another part of the ship. There's also a baffling moment when you need to use power bombs to kill the Metroid Queen, but the game never says or even implies that you can use them. The final boss, right afterward, is even worse, as you don't even get to fight it. Instead you just lock onto it, and a cutscene activates. Tres anticlimactic. Overall the game was lazy and sloppy, and not worth playing. It's a disgrace to the series.    … Expand
  3. Behemoth1993
    Jul 14, 2013
    3
    First off let me tell you that I am a HUGE HUGE Metroid fan. The metroid franchise means so much to in every way and I have never even come close to love another franchise more. With that said this is possibly the worst metroid game ever created. For all of you who are avid metroid fans this is a mockery of all the games you have previously had the pleasure of playing. With theFirst off let me tell you that I am a HUGE HUGE Metroid fan. The metroid franchise means so much to in every way and I have never even come close to love another franchise more. With that said this is possibly the worst metroid game ever created. For all of you who are avid metroid fans this is a mockery of all the games you have previously had the pleasure of playing. With the introduction of the first person 3D adventure style introduced in metroid prime a lot of fans were enthralled and amazed by the progression of the series from side scrolling to first person. Many after ,metroid prime 3 was finished, wanted a new metroid that goes back to the old formula which, after super metroid and metroid fusion, was a formula that was both perfect and timeless. When I saw this game i was a bit let down because it took what i had become familiar with in prime and what i loved about super metroid and changed the formula. A year after release i got this game and i did not finish it till today. Whats my opinion? THIS IS ON E OF THE WORST GAMES I HAVE EVER PLAYED. The story is so cliche and filled with influences of Japanese mediums. It's gameplay is clunky and wholly inaccurate and insufferable. The animation, while not exactly bad, wasn't the hardcore realistic or menacing style of super metroid, fusion, or prime (half the time I laughed at the stupid faces these creatures made) The games story however was the worst part. Yoshio Sakamoto has been with metroid from the beginning seeing as he is the creator of the game. Sakamoto knows what we liked and what we loved of the previous entries in the world of metroid and instead of giving us a mysterious, strong willed samus, with a badass ethos he gave us a butchery of Italian horror films, with Japanese anime emotion, and a horrific gameplay experience. This review i am writing is so horribly put together but bare with me because i just finished this game and want to cry. It is the worst game ever, it isn't even bad to somebody who isn't a huge fan, but to me a fan who once a month beats his metroid games over and over because he loves them that much, this was just horrible. I hope this man knows what he has done. I hope he knows that he butchered a franchise that never got a score lower then 80 for there games and created a game that deserved a 30. I hope when retro works on the next iteration that he is nowhere to be found except in the credits for a thank you A thank you for staying the away from the game.… Expand
  4. shprea
    Jun 24, 2013
    7
    Forget the story. Forget the voice acting, the drama, and the weakness of Samus. Forget it all, and what's left is a great game full of tight action and crazy boss battles.

    However, the issue here is that it isn't easy to ignore the game's numerous short comings. For one thing, the voice acting is just bad. I know that Samus looks like a robot, but she shouldn't have to sound like a    Forget the story. Forget the voice acting, the drama, and the weakness of Samus. Forget it all, and what's left is a great game full of tight action and crazy boss battles.

    However, the issue here is that it isn't easy to ignore the game's numerous short comings. For one thing, the voice acting is just bad. I know that Samus looks like a robot, but she shouldn't have to sound like a robot too. Samus is so monotone that it makes her constant inner monologue even worse to listen to.

    The biggest issue I have with this game is that it is in no way a Metroid game. Other than the characters, it bears no resemblance. The whole point of Metroid games were to abandon a player on an Alien world, having to figure things out and piece the story together yourself. In Metroid Prime, you accomplished this by scanning your environment for story based clues such as lore. In Metroid: Other M, this aspect is nonexistent. The game doesn't let you figure things out yourself. Rather, it has Samus tell you exactly what's happening at every moment in her monotone voice.
    The game is full of other issues, such as the fact that there is literally no music except for during boss battles. That just plain sucks. I love Metroid music, and this game had close to none of it.

    The gameplay, however, is excellent. It's a mix of fast paced actions with a 3D twist, building upon the great foundation of Super Metroid's gameplay. The graphics, too, are great.

    If you can look passed the game's cruel departure from Metroid norms, what's left is a great action game. However, as far as Metroid games come, it disappoints.    … Expand
  5. Tokyochuchu
    Jun 9, 2013
    9
    Metroid: Other M has one of the worst opening segments in videogame history. It forces you to deal with having your expectations for a Metroid title shattered in front of your eyes; Samus whines like a prissy teenager and acquiesces to a dominating male general. The clumsy switching interface between 2D and 3D modes will have you threatening to break something. The game's continualMetroid: Other M has one of the worst opening segments in videogame history. It forces you to deal with having your expectations for a Metroid title shattered in front of your eyes; Samus whines like a prissy teenager and acquiesces to a dominating male general. The clumsy switching interface between 2D and 3D modes will have you threatening to break something. The game's continual locking-off of areas so that you can't explore properly will frustrate to no end, as will the steep learning curve of it's combat heavy gameplay. The first hour or so of Other M will have you questioning whether this is truly a Metroid game at all. That said, if you can struggle past the opening and acclimatize to the missile lock sensimove mechanics, Metroid: Other M becomes a lot of fun. The main reason for that is the game's unpredictability. Other M features a huge menagerie of monsters to fight. You never know what is going to be lurking around the next corner. And as for the bosses! This game features some of the best encounters in the franchise's history. If you are a hardcore Metroid fan, some of the boss fights will make you pee your pants with excitement! Thankfully, the story gets much better as it progresses too. By the end of Other M, Samus is no longer a whiny brat and acts with the poise that we all know and love her for. It's quite a riveting yarn, actually. After all was said and done, I came away from this game will a mile wide grin on my face and the strong desire to immediately start another playthrough. On the Metroid scale of awesomeness, Other M would rank under Prime, Fusion, Zero Mission and Super Metroid but easily lays waste to Prime 2 & 3. Another sterling adventure for Samus Arran!… Expand
  6. WyattTheAwesome
    May 31, 2013
    6
    Don't get me wrong, the gameplay is different from the Prime series so they aren't just rehashing the series and the gameplay is really fun, but my biggest problem with this is how they ruined Samus. I've always viewed Samus as a silent protagonist who never speaks, but it shows how committed to the job she is and her character was revealed through her movements and the way she reacts toDon't get me wrong, the gameplay is different from the Prime series so they aren't just rehashing the series and the gameplay is really fun, but my biggest problem with this is how they ruined Samus. I've always viewed Samus as a silent protagonist who never speaks, but it shows how committed to the job she is and her character was revealed through her movements and the way she reacts to certain things. With this voice actor, she sounds like a damning cheer leader in Samus's armor. It drives me crazy to hear her talk and how she's emotionally scarred from seeing Ridley come back from the dead more often than Krillin is just stupid. This is not a bad game by any means, but how they handled the characters just pisses me off. If you can ignore it and enjoy it for its gameplay, then this is for you. Otherwise, don't bother with it.… Expand
  7. CombatZAK
    Apr 29, 2013
    5
    This is definitely an example of Nintendo and Team Ninja pooping on a classic and well-loved franchise. I don't really feel like completely rehashing what the professionals and amateurs have already complained about: yes, they turned our beloved Samus, the first "strong" female lead character in a video game, into a whiny. weak-willed princess. Yes, the gameplay was left something to beThis is definitely an example of Nintendo and Team Ninja pooping on a classic and well-loved franchise. I don't really feel like completely rehashing what the professionals and amateurs have already complained about: yes, they turned our beloved Samus, the first "strong" female lead character in a video game, into a whiny. weak-willed princess. Yes, the gameplay was left something to be desired. But at its core, the components of a Metroid game were there. It wasn't the worst game I ever played, and let's be honest there's not a whole lot of truly A-list titles on the Wii.

    Is it worth playing? Absolutely. Will you be disappointed? If you're a real Metroid fan, probably. Should you pay retail for it? No way.    … Expand
  8. Fishy_Politics
    Apr 25, 2013
    8
    Team Ninja gets how we all feel about Samus. We view her as a hardened badass war machine who gets the job done with chilling proficiency. The gameplay they've crafted reflects that long-held characterization. Throughout the Bottle Ship, Samus will throw giant alien bees, kick Space Pirates in the face, and suplex giant chameleon-scorpions. It's a shame the narrative paints her asTeam Ninja gets how we all feel about Samus. We view her as a hardened badass war machine who gets the job done with chilling proficiency. The gameplay they've crafted reflects that long-held characterization. Throughout the Bottle Ship, Samus will throw giant alien bees, kick Space Pirates in the face, and suplex giant chameleon-scorpions. It's a shame the narrative paints her as something entirely different. Yoshio Sakamoto wanted to humanize Samus, but in his attempt to do so, he made her come across as a weak-willed, emotionally stunted moron with deep daddy issues.

    If Team Ninja developed the next game, and Sakamoto had nothing to do with the story, I would be optimistic. It's clear that they get how Samus is seen by Metroid's audience, and they certainly delivered a compelling game. It's a shame that such a great game had an awful story to go with it.    … Expand
  9. ZombieAxeHero
    Mar 10, 2013
    9
    Though it's certainly not as good as Metroid Prime, Other M is still a worthy entry into the series and I feel it's the most underrated game of the seventh generation. The story isn't quite as exciting as I would have hoped and has a few glaring plotholes (what was the point of the Deleter if we never found out who he was?), but it's still worth looking at. People complain to no end aboutThough it's certainly not as good as Metroid Prime, Other M is still a worthy entry into the series and I feel it's the most underrated game of the seventh generation. The story isn't quite as exciting as I would have hoped and has a few glaring plotholes (what was the point of the Deleter if we never found out who he was?), but it's still worth looking at. People complain to no end about the gameplay, but here's a newsflash for you: this game has roughly the same controls as the modern Ninja Gaiden games (having played Razor's Edge, I know what I'm talking about), though I will admit it's not as immersive as the first-person view Prime gave us. Regardless of that, it felt pretty awesome jumping around and shooting things the way you could, and the bosses were just epic. The graphics are some of the best you'll see on the Wii and the voicework really makes this game more movie-like as a result. And about Samus. While her narration isn't very enthralling, the rest of the time she speaks makes me feel like she's a human being. After all, that's what she is: a human being. Humans cry and get scared just like she did in this game. So she's not a silent protagonist anymore. That's a good thing! It means she's not an emotionless robot like Master Chief or Gordon Freeman anymore! She has layers, for God's sake!(Admittedly though, it wouldn't kill her to smile every once in a while.) Bottom line is that this game has been judged very unfairly and it's worth a second look. G4 and angry fanboys have complained to no end about this game, but I say at least give it a rent sometime and give it a chance. I don't think you'll regret it.… Expand
  10. wa2kool
    Mar 7, 2013
    4
    Some looked beyond the newfound wetness of Samus Aran's bounty hunting femme fatale, others (like myself) believed Team Ninja had just gone and destroyed the most iconic female protagonist in video game history. What doesn't help is the actual game she's in is a visually flat, uninspiring and very bland corridor themed third person shooter adventure. The game's cutscenes are a visualSome looked beyond the newfound wetness of Samus Aran's bounty hunting femme fatale, others (like myself) believed Team Ninja had just gone and destroyed the most iconic female protagonist in video game history. What doesn't help is the actual game she's in is a visually flat, uninspiring and very bland corridor themed third person shooter adventure. The game's cutscenes are a visual highlight, if too overlong. Gameplay mechanics are unnecessarily cumbersome and limiting just for the sake of being innovative. The execution of the protagonist's character is very controversial and confusing. Samus behaviour and personality in cut-scenes don't reflect how she behaves in-game. From weeping over a cold, un-charasimatic and intensely dislikable Adam Malkovich to wringing an alien lizard's neck then shoving her arm cannon ruthlessly into it's mouth before blasting it's internals out, it is clear the character development was only half-baked. Boss fights bar one or two are dull. The game is very difficult, as expected from Team Ninja of Ninja Gaiden fame but the game only lasts roughly 10-12 hours on normal difficulty, hard mode a few more. Graphics: 6/10
    Gameplay: 5/10
    Features: 6/10

    Hard to recommend with the offensive portrayal of Samus Aran's character and dated attitude towards women...oh yeah did I mention she speaks now? I mean really talks? I mean never actually shuts up now?    … Expand
  11. ninja_dolphin
    Feb 9, 2013
    6
    By far the worst metroid game a a huge mis-step by Nintendo. The game has way too much focus on it's boring and ridiculous story, the characters including Samus are boring as all hell and I couldn't care less about any of them. The gameplay is decent for the most part, but the controls ruin the experience and make enemy encounters a chore. D-pad controls just don't work for this game. TheBy far the worst metroid game a a huge mis-step by Nintendo. The game has way too much focus on it's boring and ridiculous story, the characters including Samus are boring as all hell and I couldn't care less about any of them. The gameplay is decent for the most part, but the controls ruin the experience and make enemy encounters a chore. D-pad controls just don't work for this game. The game looks pretty good for a Wii title and the animation on Samus is better than ever but the boss battles and enemies aren't memorable when compared to previous games in the series. There are also infuriating 'scanning' segments and the plot has so many dumb moments it's ridiculous. I enjoyed some of other m through the frustration but I felt like I was playing a rip-off metroid rather than a real one the entire time.… Expand
  12. Yuletides
    Dec 18, 2012
    6
    Short review: Metroid Other M is good for a rental or if you can score it for under 10$. It's short, linear, but can be quite fun if you could only skip the cutscenes.

    Longer review Story: I keep wanting video game stories to really engross me, but usually I have low standards. If I'm interested enough to find out what happens next, we're good. Bonus points for good characters and    Short review: Metroid Other M is good for a rental or if you can score it for under 10$. It's short, linear, but can be quite fun if you could only skip the cutscenes.

    Longer review

    Story: I keep wanting video game stories to really engross me, but usually I have low standards. If I'm interested enough to find out what happens next, we're good. Bonus points for good characters and a fun arc. Other M is offensively stupid in this aspect. I honestly feel a twinge of envy reading any review that praises the story or characters in this game. Clearly these people have an entire unexplored world of fantastic stories that to experience. What is "meh" level to the average person will be fantastic to them...they are strangely fortunate. It would not be so bad, if only the cutscenes are skippable...and they aren't...I've tried every button on the wiimote. I have difficulty putting into words why it's so terrible, however. I guess it must be that you have a story here that shoehorns in themes under the mistaken impression that, so long as a thematic element is present, it is well executed. There are themes of motherhood, female vulnerability, etc. that are indeed present, but the thick dialog and awful execution makes Samus end up looking like a wuss as well as a colossal moron.

    Gameplay: The game is easy...and very very short. You'll most likely be fighting the controls with more furor than the enemies. Pointing at the screen will freeze you into place for an fps mode, and so the response lag will make for mouth frothing frustration as you point at the screen to aim your missiles without the ability to dodge. Otherwise, the gameplay is pretty okay...and I would be willing to forgive the abortion of a story (not to mention the clearly skewed view of women Team Ninja seems to have) if I could skip the cutscenes. Gameplay is 7 hours to finish...longer to get all the stuff. I did end up with 70% of the pickups with only 7 hours played, though, and the game is easy besides. The lack of buttons makes the game straightforward and simple, which I guess is okay.

    The question of Samus: The words "Strong female protagonist" tend to annoy a lot of people. I guess it must be the lack of female developpers in the gaming industry. Could also be that any such character usually comes out trying so hard in a medium plagued with bad writing that it can be a bit off-putting. Samus had managed to avoid this problem in the most egalitarian (if not exactly eloquent) of ways: I'm a woman...that's about it. There was nothing strictly "female" or "male". Her sex was completely irrelevant, and she had no real personality to speak of anyway. That being said, we don't live in a 100% egalitarian society, and so there is a need for actual female characters with depth to fill the complete lack thereof in the entertainment industry in general. All this being said, Other M's Samus is not a good character for the feminist cause, anyway. Stupid, childish (not to mention freezing with fear in front of a monster who she kills on a regular basis), unsure, and constantly waiting on a the permission of a man for action (unintentional on the part of the developers I'm sure, but one can't help but notice...). Throw in the very, very bad writing, and you get a mess.    … Expand
  13. McSkittle
    Dec 1, 2012
    9
    I love this game and any gamer that says this is sexist needs to grow up. The only flaw is the game does not have as much length as Metroid Prime. It is inspiring to see that samus Aran is human. The best kind of Bounty Hunter is one that is peaceful. I love how this goes back to NES gameplay.
  14. Jeffrey1113
    Nov 4, 2012
    1
    There is one thing game does right and that is gameplay. Aside from the out of place first person moments, this game gives off the same 2D platforming feel of the originals; however, everything else about this game is terrible. For those of you that haven't played this game, be warned, the story is TERRIBLE. Now, most Metroid games have never been known to have great stories, but thisThere is one thing game does right and that is gameplay. Aside from the out of place first person moments, this game gives off the same 2D platforming feel of the originals; however, everything else about this game is terrible. For those of you that haven't played this game, be warned, the story is TERRIBLE. Now, most Metroid games have never been known to have great stories, but this game made story its centerpiece and shoved every cheesy ounce of it down your throat. In addition to the terrible story, the game is short, linear, and never gives off that isolated feeling that fans have grown to love about the previous titles. For the entire game, Samus is accompanied by members of the galactic federation. Rather than discovering new powers, Samus has to receive permission to use them from Adam. All in all, Nintendo really needs to give the franchise back to Retro studios. If Retro can take the gameplay elements of other M and incorporate them into every thing else that makes the Metroid franchise so amazing, we would have the potential for a game better than the Primes.… Expand
  15. rehotrush
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    I loved so much this game. It has a awesome way to play, great exploration, epic boss battles, a pretty damn good history, it's the way for me to do a third person metroid game.
    I think that capcom could borrow this type of game to rebirth the mega man and X series
    I just don't understand why people complain so much about this one. The only problem that a found in this game is the way    I loved so much this game. It has a awesome way to play, great exploration, epic boss battles, a pretty damn good history, it's the way for me to do a third person metroid game.
    I think that capcom could borrow this type of game to rebirth the mega man and X series
    I just don't understand why people complain so much about this one. The only problem that a found in this game is the way they chose to present Samus, but it is a tiny flaw because for me they go just a little to much in Samus quietness and sadness but aways think that she will be a woman like that but not that much.
    Please play the game entirely before give your opinion.    … Expand
  16. jayteh
    Aug 12, 2012
    0
    Controls are bad,

    the story is awfull, completly butchers everything about the series so far. the gameplay doesn't work. it feels good untill you realise the entire combat system is just twiddling the dpad and pressing a because the auto aim is so strong. and don't get me started on the stupid first person bits, especially the ones where you're routed in place and need to look at    Controls are bad,

    the story is awfull, completly butchers everything about the series so far.

    the gameplay doesn't work. it feels good untill you realise the entire combat system is just twiddling the dpad and pressing a because the auto aim is so strong.

    and don't get me started on the stupid first person bits, especially the ones where you're routed in place and need to look at a damn flower for 20 min to progress.    … Expand
  17. Blees
    Jul 22, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've read some reviews on here that give the game an 8 or 9, while still managing to find significant gripes with the game. I'm here to explain why these gripes are important.
    Item 1: The Story/Dialogue. I would have put these as separate points, but the go together. The story, in a vacuum, is not too bad, except for the gameplay tie-in where you get authorized to use suit pieces (more on that later). However, this is the first Metroid game where Samus has a voice. In previous games, her only "dialogue" was during elevator loading screens, or a few bits of text boxes in Fusion, the next game in the timeline. When a main character is given a voice and, by extension a personality, it should be done so as to reinforce the character and her role in the game. If they meant to keep her as a bad-ass that saves planets, they messed up. However, her voice actor speaks in such a bland monotone that it only diminishes her character. But don't worry, I'll get to that later too.
    Item 2: The Controls. This wasn't too bad at first. I didn't mind switching modes as long as I wasn't under crazy amounts of fire, and the camera angle changes nicely around corners, with a few minor exceptions in morph ball tunnels. However, at the final boss fight, the controls come to a head. You have to freeze metroids in normal, hold-controller-sideways mode (you can go first-person, but dodging Metroids in first-person is nigh impossible), then switch to first-person, point-controller-at-screen mode to shoot missiles. If you freeze all Metroids on the screen at once (which is ordinarily a really good idea), the Metroid Queen will unfreeze them within a few seconds, and now you have to freeze them all again. This was my only real grudge against the controls, but a seamless game that falls apart at the end feels unpolished.
    Item 3: Item Upgrades. To everyone who said that this mechanic is not too bad, I say "Orly?" There is a small cutscene after you meet Adam, your former CO, in which Samus explains that she was in the military (and she could wear her power suit in the military. What's up with that?), but she quit the military to become a "solitary bounty hunter." (actual quote) Right after this scene, which ends with Adam being in charge of a military rescue operation, a small info box pops up saying that Samus has decided to not use missiles or bombs until Adam authorizes it. This is the beginning of the frustration that is the Authorization System. Other Metroid games accomplished similar systems by having really tough enemies either guarding items (Prime) or just tough enemies in the room before the item (Zero Mission, I think). It kept the feeling of exploration alive to find the items yourself. To have the items but not be able to use them keeps Samus in a submissive role. Also, if you do play it (or have played it), there are a few sections where Samus is wary and walks slowly, while the camera swings around to a 3rd-person, over-the-shoulder angle. I found myself wishing Adam would come over the horn and say "Brisk jog authorized."
    Item 4: Samus' Character. This is, honestly, the most important part of the game for me. I'm a huge fan of character development. In previous games, Samus worked alone, with maybe an authority figure that helped her locate power-ups. In this game, there are other people on the station with her, and she is careful around them. Also, the station is called a Bottle Ship. The distress signal is called a Baby's Cry, specifically designed to get attention (when they make a distress signal not designed to get attention, call me). She calls Adam a father figure. She gets freaked out of Ridley, who she fought at least 3 times (Metroid 1, 2, Super. Timeline-wise, of course). She submits to the will of Adam and his authorization. Other M is an anagram of Mother. (oh snap!) Here's what it boils down to: This is a chauvinistic view of one of gaming's most iconic female characters. Other female icons, like Lara Croft, have survived on sex appeal, but Samus has always been carried on her adventurous spirit and awesome fighting skills, with sex appeal only coming in when you beat the game, or Justin Bailey. In this game, her adventuring spirit is gone, especially in Hard Mode, where there are no non-essential collectables. Her fighting skills are still here, to a point, but it's not the same Samus as in previous installments. It's a bad view of gender politics, but Team Ninja has always had a strange view of gender politics (see: Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball).
    At the end of the day, I have to admit that it's not a bad game. It's not great, but if you grab it on sale, you'll probably have fun. However, it is a bad Metroid game. If you come into this game looking for another Metroidvania adventure, you'll get some enjoyment from it. However, if you really wanted to see what happens to Samus next, you'll be disappointed.    … Expand
  18. duckypwns
    Jul 18, 2012
    7
    This is a good game, that's really all there is to it. People that give it a low score, not just on this site but all over the internet, are just Prime fans which is why they say "it's not like the other ones", and unfairly hold it to a non-existent standard. This game did not claim to be a 2D or 3D style Metroid. To rate it properly, you have to take it for what it is. I guess I have toThis is a good game, that's really all there is to it. People that give it a low score, not just on this site but all over the internet, are just Prime fans which is why they say "it's not like the other ones", and unfairly hold it to a non-existent standard. This game did not claim to be a 2D or 3D style Metroid. To rate it properly, you have to take it for what it is. I guess I have to say, good job Prime fans. Because of you, and the way you acted about this game, we will never see a 2D Metroid ever again. Only the extremely sub-par Prime games. As for details of the game itself, my first thoughts were that the automatic aiming would be a bit broken. But the idea is that if you use the standard shot which automatically aims, it's not very powerful. If you take your time and carefully aim a shot with a missile, it will do more damage. A simple yet ingenious concept. Nothing new of course, but at least we can say that this game has the bare, basic fundamentals required in order to be considered a "game". Most modern "games" such as the Prime series, and Skyrim cannot say that. Sure, you can easily clear out a group of small enemies but you're just not going to be taking out boss after boss by spamming the charge shot like some people want to make it seem. And the game is not about fighting each small enemy on your way from point A to point B. They are just there to give you something to do, and to add a small degree of challenge. That is why they're not incredibly difficult. Did you even play Super Metroid? Your beam took up half the screen when you fired it. Killing smaller enemies on the way from point A to point B was extremely easy. The game is about exploration, upgrading your equipment, and fighting bosses. In all of these areas, it succeeds. There are some frustrating moments, such as when the purple lizard like enemy jumps on Samus and you have to shoot its tail. I guarantee very few people survived that their first time. There are the moments where you have to look around for clues, sometimes requiring that you notice a very, very small detail in a large, open environment. I'm so glad they included moments like this in the game. It really goes to show just how many people got to these parts, got mad, and came on Metacritic to give the game a 0/10. The art style, graphics, and use of color in this game is just awesome. Traversing jungles, volcanoes, etc. is really fun to look at, and every now and then it's fun to just stop and look at the scenery. This is probably the most visually appealing Wii game out there. Not to mention all of the awesome animations when taking out a weakened opponent. The story is pretty decent. I would probably enjoy it more if I actually played games for the story. A lot of people complained that Samus "acted too much like a girl", and that she showed weakness. To these people, I have to ask, did you even pay attention to the story at all? The only times she really showed weakness was when she was initially getting in to her career. She was young. She WAS weak. How do you think she got to the level she is at today? Did you want her to just be BORN incredibly strong and independent? Wow, yeah, that would be an awesome back story! Another complaint I often hear about this game is that "you can just dodge everything". No. No you can't. I guarantee the people that say this got hit countless times. Not to mention, that's your choice if you choose to sit there and mash the d-pad as fast as you can in order to dodge. If you think the dodging is unfairly advantageous, then how about you don't abuse it then claim that it's a definitive part of the game when it's not?… Expand
  19. Jeimz
    Jul 14, 2012
    8
    The game play is superb, and the storyline was enough to keep me interested. The thing I disliked about this game is how it took a strong willed woman like Samus and made her a whiny little baby at times with a thousand insecurities. I can get over that though as I did enjoy the game play and I thought it was a lot of fun to play.
  20. Folstar
    Jul 14, 2012
    10
    I just replayed Other M and think I understand why so many give this amazing game negative reviews. First, Samus is an actual woman and not just T&A that keeps her mouth shut. Second, complaints that the controls to fire a missile into the face of a giant monster trying to kill you takes preparation, quick reflexes, and accuracy. People who lack the ability to do those things call theI just replayed Other M and think I understand why so many give this amazing game negative reviews. First, Samus is an actual woman and not just T&A that keeps her mouth shut. Second, complaints that the controls to fire a missile into the face of a giant monster trying to kill you takes preparation, quick reflexes, and accuracy. People who lack the ability to do those things call the controls bad instead of immersive. Third, haters tend to focus on the story and completely ignore the crisp graphics, heart pumping audio, and tight game play... which for a video game is kind of dumb (nobody is making you watch the cut scenes). Fourth, "they changed metroid!!!" coming out of the mouth of Prime fanboys who fail to realize that Prime was a massive change to metroid for us old fart Super Metroid fanboys.… Expand
  21. Locimento
    Jun 11, 2012
    7
    As a huge fan of the older games and the prime series it wasn't really what i had in mind. It has a cool blend of 2-d and 3-d environments that work pretty well. Metroid other m's control scheme is pretty cool too like pointing the Wii mote at the screen to go into First person and things like that. But the game is severely lacking lots of things. Most of the characters are annoying andAs a huge fan of the older games and the prime series it wasn't really what i had in mind. It has a cool blend of 2-d and 3-d environments that work pretty well. Metroid other m's control scheme is pretty cool too like pointing the Wii mote at the screen to go into First person and things like that. But the game is severely lacking lots of things. Most of the characters are annoying and unmemorable. Samus always has something pretty irrelevant to say, and there are way too many uninteresting story bits that dont make sense and if you were to remove them entirely you wouldent miss out on anything. All else aside it is a pretty enjoyable game but not up to par at all with the epic Metroid Prime saga.… Expand
  22. Imgema
    May 10, 2012
    1
    It may be a "fine" game for someone who doesn't care about previous Metroid games but for Metroid fans this is a disgrace. The main focus in this game is a linear story full in stereotypes and cliches. Everything else gets kicked off. Everything that made the franchise what it was is completely absent here. Metroid games are known for several qualities such as:
    -Non linear level design    It may be a "fine" game for someone who doesn't care about previous Metroid games but for Metroid fans this is a disgrace. The main focus in this game is a linear story full in stereotypes and cliches. Everything else gets kicked off. Everything that made the franchise what it was is completely absent here. Metroid games are known for several qualities such as:
    -Non linear level design with freedom of movement.
    -Tons of exploration.
    -Creepy atmosphere with superb music and the feeling of isolation.
    -SUBTLETY.

    What we get in OtherM is:
    -Linear level design with tons of hand holding and directions. -No freedom of movement and almost no exploration at all.
    -You get your upgrades automatically, you don't even have to search for them.
    -A cliched story and obnoxious characters that lack subtlety. Tons of unskippable cutscenes.
    -Non existent soundtrack. So there you have it folks. If you are a Metroid fan and looking for a Metroid experience just look away and pretend this game does not exist. If you just want to play a simple, linear action game featuring anime tropes and trends, well, i guess OtherM should be a OK game for you.    … Expand
  23. JackTheCrazy98
    Apr 23, 2012
    5
    I was really excited when i saw the trailer of this game, but when i play it i said... WTF?! I've never seen a Samus like that: She's tormented for the death of the baby metroid, she waas scared by Ridley, when in the other she was absolutely fine. THe new prospective is good, but the first person isn't like the prime ones. You've all of your items, but you can't activate because of thatI was really excited when i saw the trailer of this game, but when i play it i said... WTF?! I've never seen a Samus like that: She's tormented for the death of the baby metroid, she waas scared by Ridley, when in the other she was absolutely fine. THe new prospective is good, but the first person isn't like the prime ones. You've all of your items, but you can't activate because of that **** Adam malkovich, or whatever, that is appared from nowhere. This sucks!!! But i still like the boss battle and cutscenes (not all of those).… Expand
  24. AeitZean
    Apr 19, 2012
    3
    I own all the previous games, and this game is a awful piece of trash compared to any and all of them. The writing is so bad an autistic child could do better, and the woman playing samus delivers her lines like its the most boring thing in the world, and she couldn't care less. The plot is as weak as humanly possible, samus has all her powers from the very beginning but wont use any ofI own all the previous games, and this game is a awful piece of trash compared to any and all of them. The writing is so bad an autistic child could do better, and the woman playing samus delivers her lines like its the most boring thing in the world, and she couldn't care less. The plot is as weak as humanly possible, samus has all her powers from the very beginning but wont use any of them until this guy who isn't her boss any more says she can. its to the point where samus is dieing of exposure to lava, but would rather that than activate the varia suit or even request to use it. Seriously WTF. The game randomly turns into the most hated of all genres, the pixel hunt. Randomly throughout the game the action stops, the view is locked into first person, and the game cannot continue until you randomly click the world around and guess the exact one thing the designer was thinking of. Finally, the gameplay is just awful. Almost all the shooting is done via auto-aim, the main weapon is almost useless except when used for finishers and charged shots.… Expand
  25. andrewrox
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i dont see what the big complain about this game is i enjoy tthis game even in the hard mode.........people mainly complain about stuff like the insane lava run.........samus breaking out against ridley and anthony almost dying because of that........but who cares about that part because in the end anthony saves himself during the fall......this game has also the most classic bosses......ridley my favorite boss is creature you meet up with 3 times...once when hes a baby chick the other when hes a lizard that kills a trooper and when you have to blow off his tail...and then you fight him at the geothermal power plant.......theres lso mother brain and much more....i mean seriously we all have been waiting for samus's true nemisis to come back and were all ungrateful for this game.........and the heth replenishing and the ninja moves are awesome....oh yea the last thing people always complain about swithing from first person to third person........im not a metroid pro but honestly ive got no problems with switching modes even if its to fire a missile.....this game has to be a very great game.....and sadly its not noticed by anyone so you can get a cheap brand new copy anywhere for $10 to$20 bucks.........if your like me who enjoys nintendo this game might be your best bet… Expand
  26. GI_Shmoe
    Mar 8, 2012
    2
    The Other M is so far the worst in its series. They make Samus look like a sissy that needs assistance all the time. They have a stupid item gaining system. They have an mediocre story line that isn't that great. I think they should remove this game from the series and pretend it was a really bad nightmare that Samus had and she'll never think about it ever again.
  27. X-fushion
    Mar 4, 2012
    8
    Other M is a very strange title in the metroid series, I like the game but there are some serious issues that bothered me about this game. There are 2 controls perspective: the 3rd person controls are great you can fire, dodge, jump etc. just fine the problem is the 1st person controls, by aiming the remote to the screen you acces to FPS perspective but you cant move and this way is theOther M is a very strange title in the metroid series, I like the game but there are some serious issues that bothered me about this game. There are 2 controls perspective: the 3rd person controls are great you can fire, dodge, jump etc. just fine the problem is the 1st person controls, by aiming the remote to the screen you acces to FPS perspective but you cant move and this way is the only way to fire missiles and super missiles, is not that bad but sometimes its feels werid and you can get hit very easily and mimics the prime series controls. My point here is that the game didnt need that feature it would be better if al the focus went to the 3rd person and manage to put all the games control into only 3rd person. The other thing that bothers me is samus personality, is not a bad idea to put personality into a character but the cheap writting put into samus in this game was bad, always samus was a determinated a serious character and in this game they make her with a soft-emotional personality, soft moments can be emotional but not if they are repeated in the whole game. but aside from that other m is a good game the combat is flashy and action packed and the boss fights are incredible, by far this is one of the best games on the wii… Expand
  28. Stealthgear
    Mar 1, 2012
    6
    This game is only OK. Its basically button mashing fire and enemy avoidance with some interesting bosses. Controls get awkward when you switch to missile mode. The levels are similar to other metroid games. Unfortunately, I got stuck at a cut-scene that would not advance 1/4th of the way into the game. I tried everything while characters stood over the body of another a dead character. IThis game is only OK. Its basically button mashing fire and enemy avoidance with some interesting bosses. Controls get awkward when you switch to missile mode. The levels are similar to other metroid games. Unfortunately, I got stuck at a cut-scene that would not advance 1/4th of the way into the game. I tried everything while characters stood over the body of another a dead character. I don't consider those type of cutscenes gameplay, I tried everything, so I consider it a bug. Anyways it was enough to give up on this game that I only got for $5. I didn't even want to look on gamefaqs. It was stupid. As far as the narration and story I thought there should have been more of it. It was almost nonexistent too, so I'm not sure why people complained about it. Beware, this is a cheap game and might be buggy.… Expand
  29. Brian_McInnis
    Feb 18, 2012
    2
    Not only the first bad Metroid game but worst game I can remember having played, with the worst name I've seen on a video-game. Team Ninja wanted to make Samus more human and failed magnificently. Did their ideas ever include giving her a discernible personality, or dialogue a human might speak? 'Mother... time to go!' A mythology about a lone bounty huntress perpetually wrapped in aNot only the first bad Metroid game but worst game I can remember having played, with the worst name I've seen on a video-game. Team Ninja wanted to make Samus more human and failed magnificently. Did their ideas ever include giving her a discernible personality, or dialogue a human might speak? 'Mother... time to go!' A mythology about a lone bounty huntress perpetually wrapped in a space-suit exploring the silent worlds of distant stellar systems millennia in the future and fighting bioforms who have no words to speak to her is not one of the more fertile grounds for melodrama. The characters in Metroid games work exquisitely as silhouettes. The people at Team Ninja took those and painted smiley faces on them.

    Example: A despicable opening scene presents a crater of a reenactment of the climax of 'Super Metroid', which most people seem to consider the best final boss encounter yet made, in one of the greatest games yet made. One of the things that made Mother Brain terrifying in the 1994 game was her empty, necrotic eye. She was a paragon of the soulless monstre archetype. In 'Other M', her enormous eye is brought to full, vibrant life. The ravening demoness of the tomb has now been reduced to a big, dumb ogress. The camera is maddening during the cut-scenes. It judders among Galactic Federation troops as they **** their guns in deference to the more wretched of the T.V. action shows, throwing any focus we might have off of the T.V. action show-like plot points currently being given, which in turn would distract us from the innate beauty of the game's atmosphere, if it had any.

    Game-play disgraces its predecessors. Nearly all areas are dark and grimy. There is no Earthly reason there should be a Metroid game this bad.    … Expand
  30. OldTimer
    Feb 11, 2012
    1
    Absolutely horrible. The controls are poorly designed. The cut scenes go on forever and are sometimes downright embarrassing. Samus' boob job may impress adolescents, but I came to play a game, not watch a movie. The Metroid series hit its high point with Metroid Prime in my opinion, and Other M stuck a knife in its' back. It was so bad I couldn't sit through enough of it to finish theAbsolutely horrible. The controls are poorly designed. The cut scenes go on forever and are sometimes downright embarrassing. Samus' boob job may impress adolescents, but I came to play a game, not watch a movie. The Metroid series hit its high point with Metroid Prime in my opinion, and Other M stuck a knife in its' back. It was so bad I couldn't sit through enough of it to finish the game. I may have to move to another platform, or drag out my SNES.… Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Best Wii Game of 2010
2
#2 Most Discussed Wii Game of 2010
5
#5 Most Shared Wii Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 71 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 71
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 71
  3. Negative: 0 out of 71
  1. Nintendojo
    Oct 21, 2010
    91
    Regardless the shortcomings, Nintendo definitely deserves praise for yet again hiring not one but two orchestras to play the game's soundtrack start to end– hearing real strings and percussion, occasionally augmented by sci-fi synthesizer, adds a lushness to the soundtrack that Metroid has long deserved.
    Read full review
  2. PALGN
    80
    Experimental by design. It might not always work, but when it does its an experience hard to forget, wearing the Metroid tag with pride with its head held high.
    Read full review
  3. Multiplayer.it
    75
    Team Ninja is not Nintendo. This could be the perfect description for Metroid: Other M, a competent action game that simply lacks the quality and the level of polishing of the "real" Nintendo games.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »