Metroid: Other M

[Tornado]

Too many games have a thoroughly enjoyable story that you try to show someone, only to have them skip the cutscenes and then complain that they don't know what's going on.

Too many developers have their heads so far up their ass that they think that only the way they want you to experience the game is the valid way to do so.

Unskippable cutscenes are straight up bad game design, and it wasn't even particularly acceptable 15 years ago when most games started having cutscenes. If the only way you can think of to tell the player objectives in the year 2010 is to force them to sit through cutscenes to spoon feed them objectives, then you really have to reconsider your career path.

Except this could possibly have the people who don't skip stuck in the same area. Is that good? No. Easier to force people to know what's going on than hope they're not idiots.

You know, those Metal Gear Solid games sure do love their 20 minute cutscenes about existential nonsense. Hell, 95% of them usually give blatant step-by-step instructions to what one needs to do in the next section. But you know the great thing about them? If I choose to skip them, the only thing I have to do to figure out what I'm supposed to do is push the pause button and bring up the objectives list.

In fact, I'm having a hard time thinking of a single heavily story driven game that I've played in the past 10 years that didn't have some sort of objectives list to bring up during gameplay. Mafia had one. All of the GTA games have had one, dating back to the original. Both of the Interstate games had one. Red Faction 1 and Red Faction Guerilla both had one. All of the Ratchet and Clank games have had one. The Metal Gear games have all had one. The Half-Life games didn't have one, but those were designed so they didn't need one.

Edited August 12, 2010 by Tornado

[Marcello]

I hope you can pause cut scenes and that it tells you. When playing MGS4 for the first time, I didn't know you could pause, and I was scared to try, because I didn't want to miss the cutscenes, and I sat through every cutscene even if I had to go to the bathroom really bad xO I felt like such an idiot on my second time through when I tried pressing start in a cutscene.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Wait...what's wrong with skippable cutscenes?

I thought they give people the option of watching the scenes or speeding up to the gameplay as fast as they want. So why would they make them unskippable?

[Doctor MK]

I'm one of the "make cutscenes unskippable first time through, but skippable all following times" crowd. I hate getting to a cutscene only to accidentally skip past it, especially in a game like Other M which is going to have a heavy focus on story - missing out on one cutscene could leave you completely in the dark about what's going on or what you're meant to do.

But I also don't want to have to sit through the same long-ass cutscenes over and over. So make one viewing compulsary, the rest optional.

[SuperLink]

Ideally we'll have a pause cutscene option then. More games are doing it lately, it's extremely handy if your parents decide they need to have a long talk to you just when a huge cutscene has started.

Seriously it's always the worst timing Dx

Pausing the cutscene brings up a menu with the option to skip, simple :3

However a lot of developers don't have that common sense it seems.

Edited August 12, 2010 by SuperLink

[Doctor MK]

Ideally we'll have a pause cutscene option then. More games are doing it lately, it's extremely handy if your parents decide they need to have a long talk to you just when a huge cutscene has started.

Seriously it's always the worst timing Dx

Pausing the cutscene brings up a menu with the option to skip, simple :3

However a lot of developers don't have that common sense it seems.

^^ I approve of this idea.

Sounds like everyone's a winner if they implement a system like that. Shame they probably haven't.

[Marcello]

So, here in Germany Gamestop is giving out an excluive keychain for preorderers.

http://www.gamestop.de/metroid-other-m

Metroid Other M*

Sie ist wieder zurück. Blond, heiß und eiskalt im Umgang mit miesen Weltraumpiraten. "Nintendos" Space-Girl Samus Aran und ihre Power Suit geben in "Metroid Other M" ihr Comeback. Für die Vorbesteller der Weltraum-Action hat GameStop bis zum 02. September ein besonderes Extra: Den exklusiven "Metroid Other M"-Schlüsselanhänger. Ab zu GameStop und jeder sieht was du zockst.

Translation

Metroid Other M

She's back. Blond, hot and icecold when dealing with foul Space Pirates. "Nintendo's" Space-Girl Samus Aran and her Power Suit have their comeback in "Metroid Other M". GameStop has a special bonus for preorderers untill September 2nd: The exclusive "Metroid Other M" - Keychain. Go to Gamestop and everyone will see what your playing.

(Text: "PREORDER NOW!")

I'm not sure if I'll get this. I was planning on importing it and Sin & Punishment 2 from the UK, because they are cheaper. Of course, I could just buy the preorder box and leave the game. Wouldn't be the first time.

Edited August 12, 2010 by MarcelloF

[Octarine]

She's back. Blond, hot and icecold when dealing with foul Space Pirates.

This sounds like the tagline to the cheesiest science fiction B-movie ever made. I heartily approve.

I never preorder anyway, but that's not a bonus I'd get too worked up over even if I did. I mean, it looks okay, but it's just not exciting at all. A bit more practical than Colours' pre-order bonus, at least.

...not that it wouldn't be the pinnacle of dorky-cool to walk around in public wearing a Samus hat, mind.

[SuperStingray]

Ideally we'll have a pause cutscene option then. More games are doing it lately, it's extremely handy if your parents decide they need to have a long talk to you just when a huge cutscene has started.

Seriously it's always the worst timing Dx

Pausing the cutscene brings up a menu with the option to skip, simple :3

However a lot of developers don't have that common sense it seems.

Hell, why not just have a VCR system with pause, rewind, play, fastforward and skip? Stop the action for a break, watch the parts you like again, skip specific scenes you don't like or the whole cutscene altogether?

[Jetronic]

New Trailer My Higgies, go watch it, FO SHIZZLE!.....I fail ;(

[Noir]

Looking really cool. Of course looks don't have anything to do with controls so I'm still worried. But it definitely is some awesome shit. So happy that beams are changeable again instead of stacked liked in Prime 3.

And did I see sum TUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUBES? Nice.

[Saint Nathan]

Super Metroid, is... is that your item system and menu...?

I... I never thought I would see you again.

Also seriously people this is really starting to look severely awesome and how can you still have any doubts at all why why whhyyyyyy.

although how the fuck are they going to work the boost jump. just press jump? it seems mandatory now, it might make things easier.

[Doctor MK]

The game officially looks epic again. I'll put up with some potentially dodgy controls for some of that tasty stuff.

Roll on 3rd September.

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

...

Must... resist... urge... to buy... three... COPIES!

[SykoTech]

Despite absoluting loving the Prime games (and Metroid in general), I haven't really cared much for what I saw of this game. Metroid Prime 1 is one of my favorite games ever, and I'm not even a big fan of the first person view. However, the more I saw of Other M, the less interested I became.

However, I think that last trailer might have did the trick. The pace of the game looks a lot better to me than before, and the environments look great too. The game still doesn't quite look amazing to me though. I fear it could be far too linear (my biggest problem with Prime 3). The music could be better too; it honestly doesn't sound much like Metroid. But at least I'm finally interested in it.

Hope the controlsare to my liking.

[SuperLink]

I do admit that trailer was a lot more "Metroidy" than previous trailers. I feel a bit better about it now.

Still buying on launch fo sho'. I'm still skeptical of the controls, but if they somehow work like a charm (other than the First Person standing still, Idk about that), then I'm hoping it'll come close to Super or Fusion.

[Conando]

That trailer is amazing, the game looks awesome. Haters gonna hate, and such.

[Jetronic]

New preview my peeps, and don't forget to smile =)

http://www.gametrail...id-other/702847

Edited August 17, 2010 by Jetronic

[Noir]

I'm not going to lie, controls still worry me.

That being said, this game is looking to be getting to the point where I just don't give a shit because it's plain awesome.

[speedfreak]

I'm not really worried. I'm pretty sure I'd prefer to use the nunchuck, but in the end I trust Nintendo enough to deliver an amazing product either way.

Forgot to mention that it seems Other M might be showing the scene where Ridley kills Samus's parents from the Metroid manga. Someone from Neogaf (or maybe it was the GT forums) got this ad screen shot while watching a trailer at Gametrailers.com.

Awesome. Though Ridley sure is looking bulky.

Edited August 17, 2010 by speedfreak

[Octarine]

Awesome. Though Ridley sure is looking bulky.

Yeah... Ridley's head is usually gigantic, but it looks positively tiny there on top of that humongous body. It reminds me a little of, uh...

I prefer him scrawny, personally. Hasn't he appeared in trailers looking like his usual self, though? Weird.

[Conando]

Well, remember, the CGI cutscenes are handled by a different team. Maybe they accidentally made him look kind of stupid in that scene.

[Marcello]

Hey, I know that scene from the manga! Cool!

And, Ridley does look a little strange there. Too humanoid.

[Jetronic]

Well, remember, the CGI cutscenes are handled by a different team. Maybe they accidentally made him look kind of stupid in that scene.

Hey, I know that scene from the manga! Cool!

And, Ridley does look a little strange there. Too humanoid.

=|

Anyway another new Other M vid for you peeps called "Metroid and Me"

Check it out now while supplies last.

Edited August 17, 2010 by Jetronic

[Ekaje]

=|

Anyway another new Other M vid for you peeps called "Metroid and Me"

Check it out now while supplies last.

Cool. I wonder if in the actual game, the backstory of the previous games will be represented by game footage, like in that video or by CG, like Super's Mother Brain fight. It'll probably be the former, but other trailers, there was some footage CG footage pulling out of Samus' cannon as she fired at Mother Brain that wasn't in that trailer. So either all of the backstory will be CG, or they put more Super footage during the bit about Mother Brain than will be in the game, personally, I think it'll be the latter.

Also, I know I'm bringing up an old issue but Samus' voice bugs me a little. It works for the most part, but it's a bit too monotone at points.