Zero Punctuation: Metroid Other M

Azaraxzealot

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it doesnt stop the game from selling a bazillion copies to the fanboys/girls just in pre-orders.

seriously, if all nintendo fanboys/girls were restrained on these release days, who knows? maybe the game would only have sold as many copies as it DESERVED (which is NONE!)
 

epsilon246

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The stronger emphasis on story was done to apeal to japanese gamers, thus has Japaneese ethics. Samus' respect for Adam comes from the japanese having alot of respect for their elders. Her dogged devotion to him is ordinary by japanese standards, where devotion to your superiors is a fact of life. Calling the game out on these is culturally insensitive.
On a side note; it has been established that samus was mentally traumatised as a child, given what happened to her why is anyone surprised she has issues?
With reference to the Ridley scene, Samus has ptsd related to Ridley. As a result of believing he was dead she was not ready to fight him and suffered an attack. An attack that is actually a fairly accurate presentation of ptsd. Personally I believe calling this out to be extremely insensitive to real people in real combat situations with ptsd.
I enjoyed playing this game and I agree that samus' voice actor was wooden as all heck, but it was still fun to play.
 

themonsean

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I agree 100% with this. And its funny too. damn. oh and for the sake of sanity I'm just assuming the traitor was the guy pushed into the lava.
 

The Great JT

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Very funny as always, Yahtzee. And now I must say something to the viewers.

We've all heard this stupid song a hundred times, Yahtzee's review is less than positive and the fans don't line up to give whatever game he reviewed a given week a fair shake. Look, I'm not trying to say everyone needs to denounce Yahtzee and found the One Church of Wii Shovelware Games and start playing today's shitty rust-colored first-person shooter du jour, but I am saying that Yahtzee's reviews are his opinion and that you should try the game for yourself and form your own opinion. I get why people don't, you don't want to spend money on a game that you don't like, but isn't that the purpose of Blockbuster and Gamefly and the like? All I'm saying is give it a chance and don't take one person's review of the game as the only measure of how good or bad something is.
 

Warachia

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Aiddon said:
BlueInkAlchemist said:
So the best way to enjoy a game that's trying not to be an FPS is to play an FPS? Huh.

When was Samus established to have a "bold, independent spirit"? I don't remember that being mentioned at all in any of the games other than the fact that you, the player, are controlling her and she's completely alone. She blindly followed our orders even if it meant smacking into a wall repeatedly when our phones rang or falling into an acid pit when we mis-judged a jump she probably could have handled were she in control of her own body.

This sounds so much like so many other arguments against Other M I'm wondering if Yahtzee either got bored with the ZP enterprise now that his novel's out or has just been too busy to form salient points that he's cribbed notes from other sources. Not that I myself would ever do such a thing [http://gameoverthinker.blogspot.com/2010/09/episode-40-heavens-to-metroid.html].

Funny? Yes. Accurate? No idea. I'm too poor to own a Wii. But I find myself kinda confused by all of the hatred. Maybe it's just me.
Pretty much; a silent protagonist doesn't HAVE a personality so "bold independent spirit" for Samus is like saying Gordon Freeman "is an obsessive compulsive woman-hating crisp eater with a Boston accent".

Also, may I kindly ask that the game's supporters NOT turn this into another slug fest? You're better than that and we don't need the flames fanned again. It's times like this where Yahtzee is used in the worst way possible: to make detractors feel better about not liking a big name title. Then again Yahtzee's relationship with Nintendo has always been a bit predictable.
I completely agree, let's talk about the review, not the game, there are enough threads for that as is.
 

Bek359

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BlueInkAlchemist said:
So the best way to enjoy a game that's trying not to be an FPS is to play an FPS? Huh.

When was Samus established as having a "bold, independent spirit"? I don't remember that being mentioned at all in any of the games other than the fact that you, the player, are controlling her and she's completely alone. She blindly followed our orders even if it meant smacking into a wall repeatedly when our phones rang or falling into an acid pit when we mis-judged a jump she probably could have handled were she in control of her own body.
You never played Fusion, did you? She quite blatantly disobeys orders several times in the game, and when she's called out on it by her AI CO, she doesn't exactly apologize for it.
 

Magmabear

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Oh yeah, I heard somewhere that it was Nintendo who wrote Other M. Team Ninja only did the gameplay and graphics. So I suppose that we can blame the bad writing from the creator himself (shockingly). I dunno, I'm gonna have to look into that somehow.
 

WraithGadra

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Wow, I never thought I'd agree with Yahtzee regarding a Wii game. It's kind of neat that nearly everyone who dislikes Other M is making the same general complaints about it.
 

GloatingSwine

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Hubilub said:
team star pug said:
Hubilub said:
Oh my. Could this be one of the few times where people don't comment before watching the video?

IT'S A MIRACLE!

EDIT: "And it's a lot smaller and more linear than, say, Metroid Fusion"

I see what you did there
I do not. I remember metroid fusion being a 2d sidescroller for the gba but I don't get the joke.

OT moreso: He didn't review reach so I can only imagine he was dumbstruck by how good it was. (in joke). I bet his review of reach will be something I don't agree with (I like reach) but still ind hilariuos
Metroid Fusion was, at least before Other M came out, the most linear Metroid game.
And because it didn't have the stupid authorisation system you could still sequence break the fuck out of Fusion, and indeed it was specifically designed with rewards for those who did so. Yet another instance of the people making Other M not knowing the first thing about their likely audience.

The authorisation system is really not how Metroid is supposed to work, because the whole point of most Metroid games up to now has been player driven exploration. You find out how to get to places, you figure out what you need to do using the abilities you have, or what kind of ability you need to have, and then you go and look for it, and when you do you feel the accomplishment of having worked something out for yourself.

Also, if this was an attempt to introduce genuine depth and three dimensionality to Samus, they could at least have hired a voice actress and scriptwriter who were out of fucking high school drama class. The writing is shit and the delivery is leaden, it's like a bad '90s anime dub. That's probably the biggest insult to Samus' character, the fact they couldn't even be arsed to spend that extra few dollars and extra few days looking for a decent voice actress to portray her. (What, one of the most profitable games companies this generation can't afford Jennifer Hale any more?)
 

Swifteye

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viking97 said:
awesomem review yahtzee, i had a feeling this would be rather crap.

it appears most of the other reviewers are being extra special nice to it for some reason..
What other reviewers? I've been hearing almost everyone say bad things about this game. Gameinformer gave it a 6.5 and the reviewer here gave it a bad review too. the only one who hasn't is the game overthinker who is bias for nintendo.
 

mjc0961

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Nov 30, 2009
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The only problem here is that its recommended one play Metroid Prime instead, a game whose controls are also like reflecting bricks with ones head while wearing a brick earing. Whoever decided you should be nailed to the floor whenever you go into "look around the room for the enemies who aren't right in front of you" mode deserves a few bricks to the face of his own. Fights usually consist of some flying jackass coming out and getting free shots on you because you have to stand there in the open like an idiot trying to find him, until you finally do and can use the lock-on which allows you to move again.

Forget Metroid in general, I'm going to go play a series that's actually good.

GloatingSwine said:
(What, one of the most profitable games companies this generation can't afford Jennifer Hale any more?)
"I'm Samus and this is my favorite store on the Citadel"
 

LWS666

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Nov 5, 2009
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hawk533 said:
Damn, I was looking forward to getting this game eventually. Oh well, I just got Civilization V working this morning so I should be fine on games for the next 2 years.
civ v isn't released until friday, how'd you get it working?
 

Aiddon_v1legacy

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epsilon246 said:
The stronger emphasis on story was done to appeal to Japanese gamers, thus has Japanese ethics. Samus' respect for Adam comes from the Japanese having a lot of respect for their elders. Her dogged devotion to him is ordinary by Japanese standards, where devotion to your superiors is a fact of life. Calling the game out on these is culturally insensitive.
On a side note; it has been established that Samus was mentally traumatised as a child, given what happened to her why is anyone surprised she has issues?
With reference to the Ridley scene, Samus has ptsd related to Ridley. As a result of believing he was dead she was not ready to fight him and suffered an attack. An attack that is actually a fairly accurate presentation of ptsd. Personally I believe calling this out to be extremely insensitive to real people in real combat situations with ptsd.
I enjoyed playing this game and I agree that Samus' voice actor was wooden as all heck, but it was still fun to play.
I don't think it was actually designed to appeal specifically to the Japanese as Nintendo has never really been about keeping things to one culture. However, as the writer for the game WAS Sakamoto, let's face it, people from Japan are going to write in a way synonymous with Japanese culture as it's JUST HOW THEY ARE. I am getting more than a little sick of comments about the Japanese; it's starting to get outright RACIST.

And another thing I'd like to bring up is military protocol. Yeah, Samus may not be part of the army anymore, but the GF has jurisdiction over the Bottle Ship and they have EVERY right to refuse her access if they see fit. Adam allows her to participate as long as she follows orders which SOLDIERS HAVE TO DO. When you're in the armed forces you obey your CO, you carry out orders, and you don't make your problems the problems of others.
 

VMerken

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For me, this game was an instant no after learning that it was outsourced to the makers of Boing. And definitely now that Yahtzee revealed that there's a gosh-darnit family theme in the game. Also, it appears that outsourced IPs in the industry rarely incorporate the spirit of the original and build from there to give us an equally worthy experience. The company who the game has been outsourced to simply has only a vague notion of what the game their extending actually is, and thus can only build from there, often within a tight deadline.

Of course exceptions exist, Metroid Prime 1 itself being a prime example since it took Metroid into 3D in a really well done way. In the future, I suspect Fallout: New Vegas will be good too since the "outsourced" made Fallout 1 & 2, and possibly Dead Rising 2 will be good as Inafune kept it close to the chest after Dark Void and Bionic Commando tanked. And naturally Case Zero was a solid appetiser from things to come. But, you know what they say: it's the exceptions that prove the rule.

Pity this, because I really liked the Primes, especially parts one and two. Therefore, good review, let's see what friday will bring.
 

GloatingSwine

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epsilon246 said:
As a result of believing he was dead she was not ready to fight him and suffered an attack.
Why should Samus possibly believe that Ridley is dead? She's beat his ass down four times now and yet he keeps coming back. It's more of a surprise when Ridley doesn't turn up yet again. Quite frankly by now it should be him that suffers PTSD. The Space Pirates are already piss scared of Samus and shit a collective brick whenever she shows up. (seen in the scannable logs in the Prime games)
 

Sir Prize

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Well, I saw this one coming!
I don't think anyone can call it a good game.
Off-topic: Just finished Mogworld, excellent!
 

shogunblade

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Surprisingly, this is one of those games that nobody really seemed to give a positive line about: There was that one member of the Escapist who said it wasn't that good, X-play said it wasn't very good, and Yahtzee. It says to me that Team Ninja just know how to create interesting "Visuals" ("You may not yet caress my daughter's Awesome Bew-Bidge") but not much else.... oh yeah, and incredibly difficult ninja games.

All's that aside, a good review.

and I don't think Yahtzee is going to retire, but I have a feeling that he might announce the "Quantum Theory Contest Winners". Yeah, probably not his thing, or maybe he'll do a special review and take next wednesday off, he's certainly allowed to do whatever he wants, but retiring... I don't think so. Think about it, he did say he will have to re-review Duke Nukem Forever, that's next year. We've got him until 2011.

I won't say much more than that, but here is hoping.
 

Cherry Cola

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Mr. Shoggoth said:
Hubilub said:
I'm still pretty positive on it being a joke. One of those subtle ones that not everyone can catch. He's had a few of them, so this being one doesn't seem that far-fetched
Well then, can you explain the joke to me because I don't really get it.
Well, as I said, Fusion was the most linear Metroid game before Other M, and it got a little flack for it by some (heavy emphasis on the little). Games before Fusion, like Super Metroid, put you in the game and then let you find all upgrades and power-ups by yourself, find your way through the game by yourself and so on and so on. Fusion had a much stronger "Go do this, go do that" feel than previous games.

Of course, as GloatingSwine pointed out, Fusion became much more open towards the end of the game when you had all the power-ups and could go scout for upgrades, but the fact that it started of very linear is what I think Yahtzee had in mind when saying that Other M was more linear than Fusion.

I could be wrong though. Who knows? Well, Yahtzee does, but he isn't going to point it out.