It’s hard to argue that Metroid: Other M doesn’t deserve its reputation as the worst game in the entire Metroid series. The writing was terrible and sexist, the level design was uninspired, and the controls suffered immensely from the limited button layout of the Wii controller.
But despite its many flaws, the game wasn’t a complete failure. Specifically, the combat stood out for trying several new things.
The developers at Team Ninja made use of the third-person perspective and full-3D movement to put Samus into more hectic combat encounters. On top of that, they also gave Samus a more traditional action game moveset, complete with a parry and a dodge roll, and they rewarded well-timed defensive maneuvers with temporary power boosts.
The resulting fights felt like something from a character action game like Sekiro or Nier Automata, requiring quick reactions and a high level of spatial awareness. If it hadn’t been bogged down by the game’s clunky control scheme, the combat may have actually been fun.
Although I really enjoy the methodical, exploration-focused gameplay in most other Metroid games, I would really like to see Nintendo take another shot at a more action-oriented style of play in a future title. A partnership with a studio like PlatinumGames could yield a Metroid game unlike any other, with tight, flashy combat and a story that doesn’t completely ruin Samus’ character.
In fact, we’ve already seen Nintendo take a step in this direction. Recent titles like Samus Returns and Metroid Dread took the parry introduced in Other M and refined it, turning it into a new core mechanic. These games also leaned more into spectacle, with beautifully animated boss intros and outros and cinematic camera angles at key moments (who can forget the first time they faced down an E.M.M.I. with the Omega Blaster?).
A game like this could even serve as an opportunity to spin off into its own legacy sub-franchise akin to the Hyrule Warriors games. Metroid might not have as broad of a cast as Zelda, but it certainly has its fair share of iconic locales and bosses that I’m sure fans would love to revisit in high fidelity. If Nintendo really wanted to court some niche nostalgia, it could even bring back the other bounty hunters from the criminally overlooked Metroid Prime Hunters.
I can understand Nintendo’s apparent desire to throw everything about Other M into the memory hole and forget that it ever happened. But in doing so, it is missing out on an opportunity to breathe new life into one of its most beloved franchises.
What do you think? Do you want to see a Metroid game with more character action gameplay? Would that stray too far from what makes Metroid games special? Do you just want an opportunity to dunk on Other M? Head on over to our Discord and join the conversation!
Featured Image: Nintendo (via Pixelkin)
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