Been There, Played That

This post is so outdated I debated on even submitting it.  I wrote it back in October a little while before I started work on the center and just never got around to posting it.  If you are interested read on.  There is a SPOILER at the end so if you still plan to play don’t read past the notice.

————————————

I have been an avid fan of the Metroid series since it made its first appearance on the NES and I’ve played every game since on all platforms.  That being said I was very excited when the announcement of Metroid Other M was made.  As the details of the game began to come out I was skeptical but decided to give it a try for myself.

Though the story was somewhat on the dramatic side I’m not one of these who was totally turned off by it.  It was a little over the top, but it was Team Ninja behind it so I think most of us expected that.  The controls though not precise did add an interesting element.  Now don’t get me wrong, at times, it was a pain to switch back and forth between first and third perspectives.  This was especially the case in boss battles.  I think the classic controller or the Nunchuk combo would have better served the game.  Item collection is what you would expect but I really did miss finding the upgrades to my suite.  It just wasn’t the same having someone “authorize” use.   Overall, it did lack the feel of a true Metroid game but it was fun.  It is short enough that any Metroid fan should give it a try and experience it for themselves.

** SPOILER **

The biggest problem I had with the game came at the end.  Once you have “completed” the game and watched the closing cinematic the credits then role.  One would think you are done.  The story wrapped up nicely, the boss battle was satisfying and you are left with a good sense of accomplishment.  Sadly this is not the case.  Once the credits complete you are then thrown back into the bottle ship for a last mission.  Some may find this great, but once the credits rolled I was done with the game.  With a compelling game like Mass Effect 2 this would have been a welcome surprise, but with this game it felt like an added chore.  Team Ninja had just given me another errand to run.  The need to fully complete the game made me finish the last battle but after all was said and done it felt like more of chore than a bonus.  Some developers need to learn to quit while they are ahead.  In this aspect Team Ninja pushed the envelope a little too far.