She didn’t know how much time had passed since the traumatic events in SUPER METROID; Samus found herself flying through the depths of space almost aimlessly, when suddenly, a distress signal shook her back into action. It was a so-called “Baby’s Cry” emergency from a research station nearby. Upon arrival, Samus encounters the Galactic Federation 07th Platoon, who also had only just arrived. As coincidence would have it, among them were several familiar faces from her past in the Federation Army – most notably, her former Commanding Officer, Adam Malkovich.
Tensions arise quickly as Commander Malkovich refuses to divulge their reason for being on the Bottle Ship. He allows Samus to cooperate with them on their mission under the condition that she strictly follows his orders. Before long, Samus discovers the body of a cybernetically enhanced Space Pirate from Zebes wearing a Galactic Federation symbol. When one of the Platoon’s men is found dead, shot with a Federation-weapon, it becomes clear that something is not right about this whole mission. Samus now has to solve two mysteries: what happened on this ship and who killed the Federation soldier.
METROID: OTHER M, released for Wii in 2010, brought the Japanese-developed main branch of the series into 3D for the first time. Unlike the first-person METROID PRIME series, this game was presented from a third-person perspective, frequently shown from an isometric side-on view. This finally allowed for several gameplay mainstays from the 2D series, such as the Speed Booster and Shinespark ability, to appear in a big 3D game.
Controlled solely with a sideways Wii Remote, Samus does not lose any mobility and even gains some new moves. Pointing the Wii Remote at the screen transitions the camera into a first-person view which lets you shoot Missiles. The strong psychological connection to Samus’ suit is emphasized through the Concentration ability that lets her recharge missiles and health while standing still. The Sense Move even allows her to dodge incoming attacks – with style.
The Bottle Ship is a vast place with many intricate spaces to explore. Its focus on simulating different biomes means that Samus has to deal with a variety of different environments and climates, despite being trapped on a space station. There’s a lot to discover on the ship, even beyond the core mystery. Series veterans will want to explore every last nook and cranny after completing the main mission and heading off into the sunset.
METROID: OTHER M was developed by Nintendo SPD in collaboration with Team Ninja and the cinematics company D-Rockets. The game was directed by Yoshio Sakamoto, Takehiko Hosokawa (Nintendo) and Yosuke Hayashi (Team Ninja), with Ryuji Kitaura from D-Rockets serving as cinematic director for the extensive pre-rendered cutscenes. Minako Hamano and Anime composer Kuniaki Haishima gave the score a very traditional cinematic touch, setting it in stark contrast to previous METROID titles.
