Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the reason I became a video game lawyer was because of this very case. When I heard of all the false accusations against this game, I determined that I would be the one to vindicate it. From my early childhood, I have been a devout Nintendo fan, so no one can correctly accuse me of not being loyal enough to the original source material. Fans say that this Metroid game ruined one of Nintendo's most beloved franchises, but this claim is not justified. I seek to prove that by undermining the very foundation of the prosecution's arguments. The case against this game has been made and made often by people all across the internet. Gamers both small time and big time have rallied behind a banner to complain about a game that does not deserve the hatred. Whether an unknown gamer in the living room, or a member of the famous Screwattack team, no one seems willing to give this game a break. There are countless complaints made about this game, but I intend to debunk the three most popular assertions.
First, the prosecution claims that the game has awkward controls. They claim that moving around in a 3D space using a D-pad is awkward and uncomfortable. While it is true that moving with a
D-pad is less fluid than moving with analog sticks, the D-pad has been used often in the past. Did you know that when the Playstation was first launched it only had a D-pad for movement? Did you know that gamers had to play 3D games without analog controls for years and were fine with it? No. You only think about yourself. If you did a little bit of research, you would find that the developers chose that control style so that the game would feel similar to the original Metroid. It worked; the game controls in an almost identical fashion. While using overblast by jumping on an enemy's head is not as precise as I would like, overblast is not required. Every other control aspect and game mechanic works the way it should and the whole experience feels like a classic Metroid game with some new features and graphics. The D-pad moves Samus around just as effectively as it did in Super Metroid, and I don't hear anyone complaining about that game's controls.
The second assertion made by the prosecution is that the game is too linear. Exploration is not as extensive as in previous games, but it is not altogether absent. Taking in your surroundings and searching for alternate paths will most often lead to a powerup or upgrade. There are plenty of opportunities to step off the beaten path and look for a missile upgrade or energy container. The game is more linear, yes, but the mechanics and story are built around it. As a result, I never felt the need to explore. My objectives, as well as the next piece of the engaging story, is down the path ahead of me. I don't have time to go exploring; people's lives are depending on me!
The third, and most ridiculous complaint, is that the game's story is silly and ruins Samus' character. I'm sorry. What? This game has a dead serious story worthy of a film iteration, and for the first time I found Samus to be a likable person. In this game, Samus is finally given her own voice. The voice acting isn't the best, but it gets the job done just fine. Finally I know what Samus sounds like, and what she thinks when she's on a mission. People have loved the stoic, no-nonsense and silent butt-kicker from previous games, as have I, but giving Samus a more human personality as well as regrets and a bad case of PTSD was one of the smartest moves Nintendo ever made. If any of you did your research, you would know that Shigeru Miyamoto (aka the man who invented Metroid) wanted this game to emphasize her humanity. He was tired of people seeing her the way they see the T-X from Terminator 3; an attractive female devoid of personality traits other than killing. The fans all complain about the scene where Samus encounters Ridley again. (I'd say spoiler alert but really, did anyone not see that coming?) Samus sees the alien dragon appear from the flames and has a flashback to her childhood, freezing up in fear and feeling like the helpless little girl who just saw her parents die in front of her. Adam shouts in her ear to use her plasma beam, but she can't be reached. Now remember, Ridley is the bounty hunter who murdered Samus' parents. Since then, she has fought him time and time again, only to have him return. Then finally, in the events of the previous game, she killed him for good and blew up the planet his corpse was on. He was dead permanently. Then on this nightmarish space station he returns from the dead yet again. Such a shock would definitely take a toll on her psyche. Have you ever watched as your parents were slaughtered by an alien and then have him haunt you for the rest of your life? No. You only think about yourself. Even the stoic Samus of the old games would be halted in shock for a minute. Besides, it's not as though this is the first time she's frozen up. Remember the Prime games? Every time Samus loses her weapons? Why should Samus have to be a mindless killer? Why can't she be given a soul without the fans rising up in protest? There is a moment in the game where she cries. This moment didn't make me groan at her newfound emotion. Rather it brought me to tears as well. Samus is still hard-as-nails, but in this moment she is so saddened by what is happening that she cries. If it's sad enough to make the legendary Samus Aran shed a tear, then it's more than enough to make me cry my eyes out on the floor. This new emotional side of Samus makes her easier to relate to and helps ram home important moments in the story.
I need to start a whole other section for another story aspect. The fans complain that the story's excuse for unlocking weapons is ridiculous. Samus is working in tandem with Galactic Federation soldiers. As a result, she follows the commands of her former superior officer, Adam. Adam gives her objectives, like the Aurora Units from Metroid Prime 3. He also is responsible for authorizing use of her various weapons. First he has to make sure that the situation warrants their use. Samus follows these orders for the safety of the other soldiers. Using a plasma beam before it is deemed safe could harm the others. After all, it does shoot through walls. This system makes much more sense than Samus somehow losing her weapons before the mission begins. But should this system really apply to her heat-protecting varia feature? Yes. Sure it seems silly that she lets herself take damage from the superheated areas before Adam tells her to use her heat shield, but how does the varia feature work? Maybe it works by emitting counter-radiation of some sort that could be harmful to other soldiers or the survivors they are trying to find. Without this knowledge, it is simply unethical to criticize the decision to wait for authorization. Samus must have a good reason for not using it until Adam says so, or else she would just use it. She knows her equipment and the effects it could have. Adam does not. If she just went around using all her equipment as she saw fit, she would not be a dependable ally for Adam or his troops. It makes sense and does not make Samus an idiot.
Metriod: Other M is one of the most mature and serious entries in the Metroid series. It sports great gameplay, fantastic graphics, a phenomenal soundtrack, and a brilliantly written story that will have you on the edge of your seat. Not to mention a simple trip to Gamestop will allow you to pick up a brand new copy for 5 dollars. No game is perfect, but Metroid: Other M is about as close as it gets for a Nintendo gamer. It keeps the same tried-and-true formula of the originals, spices it up a bit with a great first-person mechanic, and then launches it into the stratosphere on the back of a great storyline that will grab you and not let go until the end credits stop scrolling. Calling this game bad should be a crime on its own. Of course, in America we have free speech, but we also have a rule that a subject remain innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the ball is now in your court. It is up to you to decide whether this game is innocent or guilty based on criticism, my defense, and your personal experience with the game. Look objectively at the evidence, and give your verdict in the comments section. The defense rests its case.
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