Decker

Wow, I have a pretty hard time believing just days before release, there's no thread on this game. I'm an unlikely choice to start one as the only Metroid game I've played is Fusion (and I guess a little of Hunters, but found it impossible to control).

Like many, when I played some of Shadow Complex , it immediately struck me that this would be how I'd want a current-gen Metroid to be. It's more or less what we'll be getting, I guess.

The review embargo is over today. The reviews are mostly pretty good, with a few mediocre ones. Certainly not what we'd expect from a high-profile Nintendo published title. Some strange choices seem to be made with this one, most notably with their implementing of first person view. Why were they so opposed to using the Nunchuck, I wonder?

ultimaton

I just finished up Corruption a few days ago, and went around today gathering up the handheld Metroid games I was missing. I guess you could say I'm excited!

Decker

Yeah, checking my old GBA games, I guess I've actually played Metroid Fusion and Metroid Zero Mission. Both of those were really great. It's a shame since "upgrading" to a DSi, I can't play them any more on my DS.

It's weird that in all the time that the DS has been out, there's been no Metroid game for the system except Hunters, which as I mentioned, I found unplayable. Did others have as much trouble with that game as I did?

Supermallet

I didn't have a problem with the gameplay in Hunters, but I seem to recall getting stuck in some poorly designed levels.

Michael Corvin

I played through Prime 1 (for the second time) earlier this year. I was hoping to get to Echoes (never finished on GCN) and Corruption (never played) before Other M came out, but didn't quite make it.

I do have it on order and am looking forward to it, having just gone through Shadow Complex.

I've never played any of the portable games. I'm not sure I could go back and pick up a GBA game this late in the game though. Do they hold up pretty well?

chess

Yes, Fusion and Zero Mission still look and play great on your DS Lite.

Pick up the Castlevania GBA games while you're at it (Aria of Sorrow and Harmony of Dissonance...skip Circle of the Moon).

stingermck

My hype for the game is going down the closer we get to release.

Morgan Webb pretty much destroyed it: http://g4tv.com/videos/48319/Metroid-Other-M-Review/

Im still going to get it, and I hope its good. I need some reason to turn the Wii on more often.

chess

A more positive take:



I'm already in for a preorder from my Mario Galaxy credit. Hope it's good.

SunMonkey

I'm glad I canceled my pre-order. This is exactly what I worried would happen with this game. I've read it is far too linear as well.

stingermck

Canceled my pre-order too, and just had it ship from Gamefly.

Michael Corvin

Ouch. Most of those seem like valid complaints. I'm listening to Weened Confirmed now and they don't seem too hot on it either. Their biggest problem is the 1st person mode breaks the game.

Too late to cancel my Amazon order. $45 and $20 credit though doesn't sound too bad.

jdpatri

Hell, I ordered this thing with double stacking ECA coupons. With the $20 credit on top of that... no way I'm canceling it. If it's not so hot, it'll get sold when I'm done with it, probably for more than I paid out of pocket. But I'll likely keep it because I'm a Metroid whore. As has been said, Metroid Prime Hunters was really the only Metroid entry that rubbed me the wrong way. That got sold because I choose to forget that it ever existed.

Decker

I understand that not every game will be perfect, even high profile Nintendo published ones, but this has me pissed. It's not like this was an unsolvable problem. For a year previews have been noting problems with switching to 1st person view and commenting on how they wished they could use a nunchuck to move while in that view. Team Ninja was as stubborn about not using a nunchuck as Factor 5 was about not using conventional controls on Lair. That game was a failure that was eventually patched. This one -- it's too early to tell but I'm disappointed they didn't make the obvious choice to make the game more playable.

tenaciousdave

It wasn't Team Ninja that insisted on the controls, it was Yoshio Sakamoto who directed it and co-created the series. Team Ninja really only handled level design and gameplay based on his specs.

Liver&Onions

My copy arrived yesterday, but i was busy playing valkryia chronicles 2 Hopefully tonight I'll pop this in.

Decker

So has anyone else tried this at all yet? I gave it a shot for about 30 minutes after my wife finally gave up on her Real Housewives three-hour reunion marathon from Hell. So far, that control scheme is a little disorienting. Going back and forth is kind of weird as is movement in 3D space while still on a 2D plane. I feel like Shadow Complex did it better than here, but maybe I'll change my mind in a while. I'm still getting used to using the controller like they want. Being a lefty makes it even harder. I have to keep the strap undone because I can't point comfortably with my right hand and I can't wear the strap on my left wrist and still hold the remote horizontally like they designed. Weird set up.
Also the whole "I won't use a bomb until Adam says it's okay" thing is beyond stupid. She says in voice over that even though Adam didn't authorize it, she decided to stay and help. Fine if that's the case, use your damn bombs and grab that fuel tank. It's not even like Adam tells you not to use them. She's just being really polite or something. I also like how she can regenerate health or missiles by concentrating. It's like she's practicing The Secret.

slop101

People actually use the strap on their Wii controllers? I tossed mine long ago!

Michael Corvin

No. Only for WiiSports/Resort and the kiddos.

Liver&Onions

I played up until just after going to the system managment room, and yeah it's a little odd. The story is pretty lame thus far - keep the emo out of my metroid please. thanks.

The controls are strange, I thought it was a purely 2D plane, with the 3d stuff when you point at the screen...but there are three dimensions to run in even when in side scroller mode...not to fond of that. But perhaps as I progress it will make more sense, but first impressions are pretty average. It sure didn't grab me like even Metroid Prime did.

Decker

But they tell you to ALWAYS use it. The warning is before every game!

UncleGramps

I'm only maybe an hour or so in, and...it's a weird game. It's not bad, just...weird. I think I need to play it a bit more before I really get a feel for it.

stingermck

Im about 1 hour in, and I really like it. I never got into Prime that much, but played on NES/SNES/GB, so to me this is a big leap forward. So far the controls do not bother me at all. The auto lock is decent, and flipping the wiimote for first person isnt bad. Its just a matter of being precise with it, and not flipping around.

The cut scenes are nice also, good to get some back story on Samus.

Michael Corvin

Just put in a couple hours myself and agree with stingermick(except I loved Prime) on everything.

I'll add that it must be that time of the month for Morgan Webb to get all bent out of shape about Samus taking orders from a man. It's all makes sense in the story they are telling. If Samus wants to work with Noble Team, er, the Galactic Federation she has to be willing to be a part of that team and that means answering to someone. It works for me. Same for the unlocking abilities angle.

stingermck

The more I play this, the more I enjoy it. Reviews be damned! This is the first game on Wii that I'm really getting into.

And about my comment about Prime, I never played them, save for whichever one had a local multiplayer option.

UncleGramps

I think that the game gets a lot better after you get past the first cutscene-heavy hour or two. Feels a lot more...Metroid-y after that whole section of the game.