Metroid: Other M

Metroid: Other M is the twelfth Metroid game announced by Nintendo at E3 2009 and developed by Team Ninja and Nintendo. Taking place between Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion, Other M is said to feature a similar storytelling style to Fusion while retaining the "traditional Metroid feel". The designers are putting an emphasis on adventure, and aim to have a "seamless and natural" interaction between gameplay and cinematics. The game is played with a sideways Wii Remote similar to the NES Controller, while aiming it at the screen switches the view to a first-person perspective similar to the Prime series.

A demo for the game was released at the Nintendo Media Summit in San Francisco along with E3 2010.

Plot


The game begins shortly after the end of Super Metroid, with Samus Aran dreaming about the climactic battle against Mother Brain and the death of the Baby. She awakens in a Galactic Federation hospital in her Zero Suit, wondering how the Baby had given her the Hyper Beam that laid Mother Brain to waste, in a battle that resulted in the destruction of the Planet Zebes. She is directed into another room by the Head Quarantine Officer to enter a training sequence. Satisfied with the results, the officer informs Samus that she is expected to report on her previous mission, and that he had "polished" her suit so she may appear presentable, removing any remains of the Baby on her. She reports that the planet Zebes and Metroids have been annihilated. Afterward, she takes off in her gunship. Weeks pass, and while reflecting more on the Baby, she picks up a distress signal, dubbed Baby's Cry, from a derelict Bottle Ship.

Upon landing, Samus encounters the Galactic Federation 07th Platoon, and is recognized and greeted by Anthony Higgs, an old friend from her days in the Federation Army. Leading them was Commander Adam Malkovich, her former commanding officer when she served under the Federation Army. Unlike Anthony who warmly greeted her, Adam coldly asks why she was there. After explaining the circumstances that brought her there and asking the same from Adam, he responds that such information was not for an "outsider". Not surprised by his remark, Samus is affected by it; because she lost her parents at a young age, Adam became a father figure to her when serving under the Federation, and built a relationship of trust and respect. The others continue on without her, and although Adam had not authorized it, Samus decides to stay on the Bottle Ship for the sake of the members of the platoon, and on that note, decides not to use any of her weapons or suit features unless Adam authorizes it.

The team discover a dead body of a research worker, and are soon attacked by a Brug Mass, a battle in which Samus and the platoon work together in taking it down. After destroying it, Adam requests Samus' cooperation in their mission, under the condition that she obey his orders and is not to go anywhere unless he says so, or use certain weapons and equipment until he authorizes their use. He is especially critical over authorizing the use of Power Bombs, in which he has no plans of doing so. Samus is then invited on the team, and is briefed on the details of the mission. Adam orders everyone to search for any survivors and bring them to safety, and also explains that the comm systems of the soldiers have been rendered useless, so the Navigation Booths in the facility will be their only method of communication when not together. Samus is the lone exception, which Adam uses to see everything that she can, as well as communicate with her. The group then splits up to search different sectors of the ship in the hopes of finding the threat that they are up against.

Samus is first ordered to reactivate the Bottle Ship's electrical system, then is ordered to find a facility of interest in Sector 1, known as the Biosphere. She runs through the tropical territory, encountering a small, furry creature that stares at her. After fending off a swarm of Kihunters, Samus finds the same creature violently devouring the remains of their hive, regarding it as a "disgusting beast" that used her strengths to hunt its food. She later finds the facility of interest and meets up with the platoon there, and discovers the cybernetic body of a Zebesian with the insignia of the Galactic Federation on its chest. The platoon discovers that the bioweapons are being developed on the ship, which is strictly prohibited under Federation protocol. Knowing Adam's opposition to bioweapons, Samus knows he would have opposed her delivering the Baby to Galactic Federation scientists to study it. They learn the person in charge of the project is one "Madeline Bergman". When investigating if she was still anywhere in the building, Samus is ambushed by more cybernetically enhanced Zebesian clones and is separated from the others. After fending them off, she finds the platoon being attacked by a large Mystery Creature, who viciously attacks Samus upon her arrival, with the others fending off other creatures. After being struck by Anthony Higgs' Plasma Gun, the creature flees. The group discovers the body of Lyle Smithsonian, one of their members who failed to rendezvous with them, and the husk of the white creature Samus found earlier. She is ordered to follow the lizard creature.

Descending down a shaft into Sector 3, the Pyrosphere, she tracks the creature, being attacked by Vorash, a large lava creature attempting to eat her. Soon, Adam orders her to go to Sector 2, the Cryosphere. While there, she discovers the body of Maurice Favreau, and sees a young woman staring at her. The woman flees, but Samus pursues. As Samus tries to convince the woman that she means no harm and only wants to protect her, the woman refuses to cooperate, believing that the Galactic Federation is there to silence the scientists on board the ship. She also reveals that the soldier discovered outside was actually killed by one of his comrades. The two of them are then attacked by a soldier wearing a Galactic Federation Power Suit driving a sort of construction vehicle, and the woman is separated from Samus. After the vehicle is destroyed, Samus finds its driver missing. Adam notices that the wavelength frequencies of the lizard-like creature battled earlier is growing more aggressive, and is stationed at the Pryosphere. Along the way, Samus believes there is a traitor within the 07th Platoon, and nicknames him "the Deleter".

Samus returns to Pyrosphere to investigate the Geothermal Power Plant, and along the way discovers Anthony being attacked by a Rhedogian, threatening to drop him over a pool of lava. Samus manages to reach him in time with her Grapple Beam, and the two fight the creature off. Anthony brings up Adam, in which Samus reminisces about the time Adam's brother Ian was killed in an incident, when she then pleaded that she be allowed to attempt to save him, a request that Adam denied. Parting from Anthony, Samus continues her investigation when she encounters the husk of the lizard creature. Searching for it, she suddenly notices Anthony aiming his gun at her, and in retaliation she aims her Arm Cannon back at him, before he yells for her to get out of the way. He fires at the creature behind Samus, the same one that they had been hunting earlier, which had now evolved wings and able to breathe fire. Samus decides to confront it alone, and to her shock the creature appears to be none other than her arch-nemesis Ridley, who she thought was annihilated along with the planet Zebes. Adam tries to get through to her when he is suddenly attacked. Ridley grabs Samus and flies into the air with her, with her state of shock causing her Power Suit to dissipate. Ridley then dodges a blast from Anthony's Plasma Cannon, dropping Samus, who is able to activate her Power Suit before falling onto the platform below her. Anthony draws Ridley's attention away from Samus and challenges him, but is quickly struck by the creature's tail and knocked off the ledge into the lava below. Samus attempts to rescue him, but Ridley quickly blocks her path. After the two fight off, Ridley flees, while Samus mourns Anthony and regrets thinking that her close friend would possibly betray her. Leaving Pyrosphere, Samus realizes Adam has not been in contact, and fears that the Deleter may be targeting him. She then spots one of her comrades walking away, perhaps the Deleter, and pursues him to Biosphere. He hinders Samus' pursuit by disabling a bridge and destroying its controls. Believing Adam's life to be in danger, Samus asks "Any objections, Adam?", and activates her Space Jump and Screw Attack without his authorization to continue her pursuit, leading her to the Bioweapon Research Center.

Once there, she instead finds the mysterious woman again, who identifies herself as "Madeline Bergman". She tells Samus about the secret operations there: the scientists were propagating Metroids in Sector Zero, a recreation of Tourian. The Metroids, along with Ridley and several other creatures on the ship, were cloned from remains found on Samus' armor after the events of Super Metroid. The Zebesians were also cloned and enhanced to serve as a Special Forces Unit for the Galactic Federation, modeled after the Zebesian forces on Zebes. She also reveals that the husk Samus encountered earlier was shed from Ridley. At first, the scientists did not recognize him and believed his small form to be harmless, giving him the nickname "Little Birdie", until one day the small creature feigned death to lure a scientist into his cell, in which he brutally killed him and escaped. Furthermore, an A.I. modeled after Mother Brain, "MB", had been created to control the Metroids in Sector Zero, and the recent occurrences may be due to MB plotting against the Galactic Federation. Madeline also claims that she sent the signal fearing the resurrection of the Space Pirates, an argument Samus finds holes in. Nonetheless, Samus decides to go to Sector Zero to destroy MB and the Metroids, leaving Madeline in the laboratory, who then reveals Adam was the one who authorized the bioweapon project as she leaves. With Samus gone, Madeline is then approached by a mysterious person before a gun is fired.

Arriving at the entrance of Sector Zero, Samus encounters a Metroid larva that reminds her of the Baby. Unlike before, she decides she must kill it, but before she can she is suddenly struck from behind from a powerful weapon that disables her Power Suit. The Metroid decides to take advantage of the situation when it is struck by a freeze gun. After regaining consciousness, Samus recognizes her attacker as Adam, who claims he only did it to prevent her from going into Sector Zero, which contains Metroids that cannot be frozen, unlike the larva he just froze. When asked about his knowledge of the bioweapon project and why his name was on it, Adam tells Samus that he was asked to write the report, in which he wrote against the idea of developing bioweapons. However, other scientists co-signed it, allowing the project to proceed as planned. With Samus weakened, Adam explains that he intends to go into Sector Zero and activate its self-destruct mechanism, which would detach from the rest of the ship before blowing up. Unfortunately, while this would destroy the Metroids along with everything else in Sector Zero, he would be killed along with it. He mentions that he had located a survivor in the Bioweapon Laboratory which he orders Samus to protect, as well as stopping an intercept course with the Galactic Federation, and defeat Ridley, something he is incapable of doing. She pleads with him not to, similar to the time when Adam had to sacrifice his own brother, but he tells her he is not the galactic hero that she is. Despite her protests, he locks the doors and leaves a heartbroken Samus behind. His last words to her are, "No objections, right Lady?" which Samus responds through the glass with a thumbs down. As planned, Sector Zero soon detaches from the rest of the ship before it self-destructs with Adam inside.

Swearing to finish the mission, Samus returns to the facility where she re-encountered Madeline Bergman, and finds the body of James Pierce, as well as the drained remains of Ridley. She later discovers the survivor Adam mentioned, who fears Samus was sent to kill her and refuses to cooperate. Samus discovers a large dark room nearby filled with Metroid eggs, only to find a Queen Metroid inside. Samus faces the queen in a long, difficult battle when the ship's emergency brakes suddenly become active. In a sudden move, Samus uses her Grapple Beam on the queen's mouth and rolls into its stomach, using a Power Bomb to destroy it. Amidst the smoke and destruction, the survivor from earlier runs away from Samus similar to Madeline. Samus manages to catch up and calm the woman down, who also identifies herself as Madeline Bergman. Showing her identification, Madeline explains that the young woman Samus met earlier was actually MB, an android containing the A.I. modeled after Mother Brain, used to control special forces modeled after the Space Pirates, as well as communicate with Metroids through telepathy. At first the android displayed amazing skill and learning capability, but soon began to develop emotions with an superior sense of herself, eventually developing the same personality as Mother Brain. Becoming self-aware, she began to disagree with the scientists and argue against them, to the point where they thought it was necessary to alter her programming. Feeling betrayed, especially by Madeline who could only stand by, she fought back and unleashed all of the experiments to run rampant throughout the station, killing all scientists but Madeline and setting the events for the game. Madeline also expresses guilt for MB, whom she nicknamed "Melissa" to make her feel more human, and confesses the android was like a daughter to her.

Samus and Madeline are then confronted by MB herself, pointing a Freeze Gun at them. Despite Samus' protests, Madeline attempts to talk to MB, who insists that she was not wrong and everyone; the scientists, Galactic Federation, and humans, must all be judged. After attacking Madeline, MB is subsequently frozen by a group of Federation Marines who quickly storm in and raid the area, who then focus on Samus and Madeline. MB quickly thaws off and becomes enraged, throwing the Freeze Gun aside and summoning the most dangerous creatures on the ship into the room, attacking and killing the soldiers present. Pleading for the carnage to stop, Madeline grabs the Freeze Gun that was thrown aside and fires it at MB. On the orders of a Colonel, the soldiers quickly take advantage of the situation and shoot the frozen MB to death, restraining a heartbroken Madeline shortly afterward. The Colonel approaches Samus and compliments her efforts, but states that since the rest of the platoon members are dead, she is an outsider and is not allowed contact with Madeline. He also accuses Samus of transporting illegal cargo before ordering one of the soldiers to escort her back to her Gunship, as the Galactic Federation will handle the rest. One of the soldiers complies and approaches Samus, referring to her as "Princess". Much to Samus' and the Colonel's surprise, the soldier reveals himself as Anthony Higgs, who states that his orders under Adam Malkovich, authorized by the Chairman of the Galactic Federation, are to ensure the safety of any survivors, overriding the Colonel's command. He also reveals that he was the one responsible for hitting the emergency brakes on the Bottle Ship, and if he hadn't, he tells the Colonel they "might have missed each other." Madeline and Anthony then hitch a ride in Samus' gunship, leaving the Bottle Ship for the Galactic Federation Headquarters. Anthony reveals how he survived the battle with Ridley, in which a Magdollite appeared below him as he fell, and that he was able to freeze it. This briefly awakens Madeline, now under Samus' and Anthony's protection, who blames herself for MB going rogue.

Days after the incident, the Galactic Federation has decided to destroy the Bottle Ship by utilizing its self-destruct mechanism. Before then, Samus flies back to recover an important treasure. She re-explores the Bottle Ship and is confronted by her old foe Phantoon before she is able to work her way back to the location where Adam sat and left his helmet. He had witnessed the conversation where Samus told MB that she would go to Sector Zero to destroy the Metroids, quickly grabbed his guns and hurried out to stop her, leaving his helmet behind. Samus clutches the helmet, remembering the man who was like a father figure to her; her best friend and the person who knew her most, and sacrificed himself to save her. The moment is interrupted when the ship's self-destruct sequence is activated. With Adam's helmet in her possession, Samus, in her Zero Suit, quickly escapes the Bottle Ship before it is utterly destroyed.

Development
According to Yoshio Sakamoto and Yusuke Hayashi, the game takes place between Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion. The blond-haired woman at the end of the trailer is not "a second Samus" of any kind, but another "very, very important character", and may be one of the survivors (or even last) of the Bottle Ship. The Bottle Ship and its areas (the Main Sector, Biosphere, Pyrosphere and Cryosphere) is the setting of the game. Cutscene segments show Galactic Federation Headquarters as well as Tourian.

Gameplay/Differences from Past Games
There are three upgrades (two being new items) in the game. The upgrade that was previously used in other installments are the Seeker Missiles. The newer items are the Diffusion Beam which appears to be similar to the Diffusion Missile in Metroid Fusion, and the Accel Charge upgrade, which increases how quickly Samus can perform a charge shot.

Samus will not collect her powerups in this game as in previous games. Rather, Adam Malkovich will authorize her to use certain powerups, as she has apparently retained all her items from Super Metroid rather than losing them prior to or at the beginning. Instead of losing them, she has to wait until she is authorized to use them bar some exceptions later in the game. Some "new" powerups, such as the Accel Charge, will be collected in a more traditional manner, however. 

Besides the new upgrading system, Samus's character model has also changed as well. The power suit is more yellowish in color, with a redder helmet, and Samus' face can be seen through the visor once again. But during the game, her visor has a greenish glow that make her eyes not visible.



Teaser site
Metroid.jp revealed a small teaser site for the game on January 29 2010, that consisted of an image from the trailer, a new song, and Samus speaking in Japanese, "A dream. It's as if I was watching a playback of a tragedy that really happened." Metroid.com has also since been updated with the English-speaking line, "A dream. I had been reliving the tragic moments of my recent past." A short video titled Teaser Movie, with no actual gameplay, was added to the site on March 2, 2010. A gameplay movie was also added to the site in late March 2010, showing off several features. On June 3, 2010, the entire Japanese site got revamped. On 21st August, 2010, the English site was also updated to include the same features as the Japanese site. Links to the main Nintendo website are also present now.

Title
The title most likely refers to the Character of Melissa Bergman, or "MB" Implying that Melissa is a "Second Mother Brain." Other M can also be rearranged to form the word, "Mother." Also the acronym of the title is "MOM". It is possible (although unlikely) that as the word 'Metroid' means 'Ultimate Warrior' in the Chozo language, the title refers to the other ultimate warrior of the series - Samus herself.

Reception
Early reviews of the game have been mostly positive, with some negative/mixed reviews.


 * Metroid: Other M received a score of 8.5 out of 10 from IGN.
 * X-Play gave Metroid: Other M a 2 out of 5, saying that Samus's character was unacceptable and the controls were too clunky.
 * GameInformer Australia gave Metroid: Other M an 8, but GameInformer US gave it a 6.25 out of 10.
 * GameSpot gave Metroid: Other M an 8.5 out of 10.
 * GameTrailers gave Metroid: Other M an 8.6 out of 10.


 * Joystiq gave Metroid: Other M 4.5 stars out of 5, (9.0 out of 10).
 * The Official Nintendo Magazine gave Metroid: Other M 91%.

Much of the criticism was aimed at the long cutscenes, the possibility that Samus's character's portrayal is sexist, the weak plot (compared to past Metroid games), and some bad dialogue. However, some reviews praised these qualities and did not view them as negative. The game was positively received overall, and most reviews believed that it was a good example of the traditional Metroid formula, although it did not have as much impact as previous groundbreaking titles.

Trivia

 * Metroid: Other M is the first canon Metroid game where Samus Aran speaks, as she did not speak in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. She had previously spoken through text during the intro of Super Metroid, at various intervals during Metroid Fusion, and in two instances in Metroid: Zero Mission. Samus had grunts of pain in the Metroid Prime Trilogy, and spoke in all of her taunts as Zero Suit Samus in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
 * Yoshio Sakamoto claimed in a Super Metroid interview that he was the only person to know "where Samus' beauty mark is," which was not visible until the Other M trailer, where it could be seen under the left side of her lip. A mole was also marked on concept art for Samus' face in Metroid Prime, but was not added to the model.
 * During one of the ending scenes of the first Metroid: Other M trailer, two sets of numbers briefly appear in the upper-left hand corner of the 2010 screenshot. The numbers show 3 and 25 in what looks like a Missile count. At the time, many fans believed it was the release date (3/25/2010 or March 25, 2010). However, this was later proven false as the actual release date for North America was August 31, 2010.
 * Metroid: Other M will be the first Metroid game to receive a 16+ PEGI rating.
 * Metroid: Other M is the first game in the Metroid series to have orchestrated music.
 * Metroid: Other M is the third game in the Metroid series to not have an ending based on clear time or completion percentage, the first being Metroid Prime Pinball and the second being Metroid Prime Hunters. The Zero Suit sequence at the end was most likely intended to be the ending.
 * Metroid: Other M is currently the only game that requires Samus to actually run through superheated areas before being allowed to use/obtain the Varia Suit.
 * Metroid: Other M is the only 3-D game in which the Speed Booster appears.
 * Metroid: Other M is the only Metroid game that requires 100% completion to unlock Hard Mode.
 * Metroid: Other M is the only Metroid game that has a Hard Mode that limits Samus to just her weapons and abilities.
 * Metroid: Other M has the same number of bosses as Metroid Fusion, with a total of thirteen.
 * Metroid: Other M is the first in the series to feature melee combat.

Videos

 * GameTrailers (420p, poor sound)
 * GameVideos
 * IGN (Poor sound)
 * Trailer 2, Nintendo Everything
 * Trailer 2 (Japanese version), GameTrailers
 * Trailer 3
 * Metroid: Other M NEWEST action trailer (720p HD)
 * Metroid: Other M Commercial 1 (Japanese)
 * Metroid: Other M Commercial 2 (Japanese)
 * Metroid: Other M UK Commercial 1
 * Metroid: Other M UK Commercial 2
 * Metroid: Other M US Live Action Commercial
 * "Metroid and Me" Retrospective
 * Metroid Other M Begining
 * Metroid Other M Ending

Gallery
For concept art, see Metroid: Other M's Gallery.