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Originally posted by SaTsuJiN
then wouldnt that apply to EVERY metroid game and not just prime?

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Originally posted by Darth Jello
though so far, the most plot heavy game-Metroid Fusion is considered to be the least popular game in the series.

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Originally posted by Darth Jello
Nope, the Metroid's aren't a contagion per se, Phazon is. Hate to bring this up in a second thread but the plot of the 3 main prime games is pretty much exactly the same as Faxanadu down to poisonous meteorites.

As for who plays Metroid for the plots? Hopefully a lot of people cause this new game seems heavily plot driven, though so far, the most plot heavy game-Metroid Fusion is considered to be the least popular game in the series.

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Originally posted by Ridley_Prime
*shrug* Who plays Metroid for the plot anyway?

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Originally posted by Sin_Volvagia
Crossbow Training is canon?

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Originally posted by dadudemon
*Raises 3 hands and 2 feet.*

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Originally posted by Ridley_Prime
Anyone who plays it for the story is pretty much setting themself up for disappointment, IMO.

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Originally posted by Mandrag Ganon
Oh, the stories in Metroid are not that bad... simple, yes... but not bad. And I thought prime had a good way of telling it's story while keeping Samus the lone warrior you know her to be. The Chozo Lores and Pirate Logs pushed the story forward while keeping the history of Tallon IV shrouded in mystery, I thought it was fairly well done, myself. And if you were patient enough to track down all the Chozo Lores the game painted a decent picture of the tragedy on Tallon IV.

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The Nintendo tastiness just keeps on coming. Metroid: Other M, which we now know is coming on June 27, has a batch of fresh new screenshots to keep you excited, and I must say, they're looking good. Samus Aran's Team Ninja-fueled adventure looks to be a nice mixture of retro throwback and modern day action, and the balance so far seems about right.

Our boy Nick Chester is playing this game right now, along with many others. Keep reading Destructoid for full hands-on impressions of this game and much, much more!

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Fans went wild when Nintendo announced Metroid: Other M at E3 last year, and for good reason: the game looked like a return to form for the series in many ways, some sort of odd hybrid of 3D graphics and 2D gaming. They also clamored because the title was being brought to life by the hands of two very unlikely parties: Super Metroid director Yoshio Sakamoto and Team Ninja (best known for its over-the-top fighting and action games).

Today, Nintendo let press go hands-on with the first hour or so of Metroid: Other M, and quite frankly, it surprised me. It's a traditional Metroid experience that offers up a completely different take than anything we've seen to date.

Before Nintendo would even let us go hands-on with the game behind-closed-doors, it sat us down in front of a huge screen to watch the game's hearty opening cinematic, detailing the final moments of Super Metroid.

The look and the feel of it is unlike anything you've seen in a Metroid game; the world and the characters looked familiar, but with a decidedly darker take. Mother Brain, for instance, is depicted as a hulking, slimy alien beast that's more reminiscent of an H.R. Giger creature than what you might remember from the Super Nintendo title.

Nintendo is throwing around the word "cinematic" a lot when referring to Other M, and that's probably the best way to describe it. It's dialogue heavy, with Samus providing a calm, serious voice that keeps with the game's serious (perhaps "more mature," if you will) tone. Whereas previous Metroid titles may have implied a deeper story than what was on the surface (or in the case of the Prime titles, provided backstory based on found environmental objects and text), it's obvious Other M is going to wear its narrative on its sleeve.

Within the first hour of the game, you're introduced to a handful of characters, including a number of folks from Samus' past. Without giving too much away, the game begins when Samus answers a distress call from a partially destroyed space station. Once she arrives, Samus finds that the Galactic Federation Army has already arrived and is composed of Samus' former crew members. A voice over shown in a flashback explains that the now Bounty Hunter had left the army due to an "incident," surely to be explored later in the game's narrative.

This focus on cut-scenes and dialogue was striking and unexpected, alarming. In these opening scenes, Samus speaks more and is spoken to more than in all previous Metroid titles combined. As someone who had never delved deep into the Metroid mythology, I truly do feel that I know more about Metroid's female protagonist than ever before, and that's exactly Nintendo's goal with Other M.

At this point, you're probably wondering just how Metroid: Other M plays. I was surprised to find that it's not simply a 2D style platformer set to more robust 3D visuals. In fact, it's the strangest hybrid of third-person and first-person action that I've ever played.

Other M is played with the Wii Remote and nothing but the Wii remote. Held on its side like a standard controller, you'll control Samus using the D-pad to move left, right, as well as into the background and out to the foreground.

Other M doesn't simply play along a 2D plane as the early trailer suggested. While there are some areas that feel like standard 2D action and platforming, Other M's camera and depth of navigation actually changes depending on the situation and the area, some of which will allow you to move fully in three-dimensional space.

Because of this, a simple blast of Samus arm cannon (perform with the "1" button) aims automatically. A room full of enemies will be auto-targeted, and it's possible to simply rapidly tap the button to take out a cluster of foes, as long as you're facing in their direction. It takes a moment to get used to this; my inclination was to try to "aim" at each of them individually. But letting the game take over for me was actually liberating, and made the rapid fire button pressing feel a hell of a lot like the 2D Metroid's of old, even when I was running around in a 3D space.

You can also go into a first-person mode by turning the remote and pointing it at the screen. At this point, Samus' visor comes up, and you're allowed to explore the environment for new paths and items. This mode is also how you'll fire your missiles, and it appears to be the only way to activate them. By pointing on and holding the reticle on an enemy (or at something in the environment), you'll then lock on and be given the ability to fire a rocket.

This "turn the remote and point at the screen" thing feels completely unique and also ... odd. Pulling your fingers off the D-pad and buttons takes a few moments, moments which are precious in a heated battle. This was particularly difficult to do in one of the game's early boss battles, some hulking monster made from purple space bugs. The goal of this fight was to hit the creature in its eye with a rocket and I had some issues with coming to a complete stop, aiming the Wii remote, and waiting to fire.

Samus has also been given a few other new abilities not previously seen in Metroid titles. She can now dodge enemy fire and other attacks by tapping the D-pad in any direction immediately before getting hit. In an early tutorial setting, I was also able to get close to enemies and hit the attack button, which performed a melee kick attack. And while I wasn't able to use it any real-time combat situations, it's also possible to hop on and mount enemies for an attack.

Tying in directly into the more personal feel and approach to Samus mentioned earlier, the game takes total control over the camera -- depending on the situation and room, you're given a different (sometimes more cinematic) view of the action. In one smaller room I stepped into, the camera pulled in tight over over Samus' shoulder (think Resident Evil 4), giving me an intimate view of my investigation.

Interestingly, killing enemies will no longer provide you with health or missile replenishment. Instead, tilting the Wii Remote vertically and holding "A" can replenish your supply at any time. The same can be done in for health as well; if your health dips into the red, tilting the remote and holding "A" will replenish one energy tank. Also, weapon and suit "upgrades" won't be found through exploration. Instead, in the sections I played, the Commanding Officer of the Galactic Federation (who you'll be working alongside) "authorized the use of" morph ball bombs.

With Tecmo and Nintendo on board, there's little doubt that Other M will be a high quality experience, and it showed in the short demo. Visually, the game is stunning, a completely fresh take on the Metroid universe. From a gameplay perspective, the game challenges expectations of the series' formula. Whether or not fans will embrace the change -- or still call for a true 2D return to form (Metroid Dread anyone?) -- remains to be seen.

Spending more time with the game (and seeing how the narrative and game unfolds) will be the real test as to whether this new take on Metroid can find its place among the classics. We'll find out soon -- Metroid: Other M ships on June 27.