Metroid: Other M will release on June 27th, 2010 exclusively for Wii announced Nintendo and developer Team Ninja!
This newest Metroid game was announced at E3 2009 and intends to take the franchise in an all-new direction that seeks to combine the side-scrolling, 2D-blasting action of the series’ past with the 3D action gameplay seen in games like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry and the like.
This unique blending of genres will mix the best aspects of Metroid Prime’s first-person gameplay with all-new action game elements that Team Ninja’s development skills bring to the table; while striving to stay true to the classic action gamers have always wanted to see in 3D . . .
As you can see in the video below, I don’t think this would have been possible in the current incarnation of “Other M” if it weren’t for the fabulous job that Retro Studios did on the Prime series. All of those elements plus classic and new ones are blended masterfully into an engaging, cinematic, fast-paced yet deliberate experience that is surely to be a hit with Metroid fans.
While much of Metroid: Other M is reminiscent of 2-D side-scrollers, players can switch the perspective into 3-D at any time as they explore the twisting passages of a derelict space station and delve deep into a cinematic, never-before-told story of bounty hunter Samus Aran’s past that will take player’s even further into the mind of Samus Aran than 2003’s Game Boy Advance masterpiece Metroid Fusion.
And unlike you might fear, Metroid: Other M does not discount the rest of the series’ mythology and story but rather heavily incorporates characters like Adam from Fusion and story elements from all of the past Metroid games into an all-new tale.
This new approach to Metroid uses a new control scheme in which players use the Wii Remote controller held sideways to battle enemies and navigate the expansive, gorgeous environments in classic Metroid fashion, then aim at the screen with the Wii Remote pointer to blast foes in first-person and hunt the world for clues and hidden passages. And yup that means you’ll be navigating 3D space with an analog D-Pad, but this is intentional and gives the game a drastically different feel from anything else out there.
It’s an exciting time to be a Metroid fan. I can only hope that Nintendo has some sweet pre-order packages to go along with this new title and markets it heavily. It looks completely awesome and as a huge fan of Metroid I have waited for the day when the series 2D roots were truly brought into the third dimension in action game fashion.
Here is a new interview about Metroid: Other M.
Don’t forget to check out my Metroid 1 review, Metroid 2 review, Super Metroid review, Metroid: Zero Mission review, Metroid Prime 1 review, Metroid Prime 3 review, Metroid Prime Trilogy review and Metroid Prime Pinball review. Yes. I love Metroid. 