Metroid: Other M review

Let me start off by saying that, while I enjoy the Prime series for what they are (FPS games), I have always loved the 2D side scrollers, Super Metroid being my absolute favorite (next to Metroid Zero Mission ). I have been so excited by what I have seen in the videos-immediate switches from 3rd to 1st person, the odd melee moves Samus has been armed with (thank you much, Team Ninja), and of course, the side-scrolling!

I am 3 hours into the actual game, and wanted to list for you potential buyers (or those on the fence) what has been working for me and what hasn't so far:

Pros

Great Graphics. Very polished and well handled. Few instances of slow down or graphical glitches. Continues graphical quality established in Prime series with the added power of the Wii's processor. No complaints at all. Cut scenes look fairly crisp, and, via my HDTV/component cable combo, looks great!

Varied Area Design. Some areas you will be fairly side-scrolling the whole way, with a little bit of room for up and down movement-hallways and the like. Other areas are fairly sprawling, with multi-direction controls really giving you the sense of Samus moving whereever the heck she wants to. Also, some areas have you use the First Person mode to search, others to target. I find it best to get some distance from hard enemies and lock on in 1st person to missile them to death.

Speed. Samus moves so fast, very reminiscent of Super Metroid Samus. You can literally outrun all your enemies, wall jump to another area, and drop back in to finish off the baddies in approximately 3-7 seconds. Very fast Samus this go round-in Prime she seemed to glide around like some kind of weird ghost.

Moves. Thanks again to Team Ninja for giving Samus some cool dodge moves, takedowns, and alternate attack modes. Just a neat feature overall. All of these moves involve charging up the arm cannon and jumping or maneuvering in certain ways around the baddies. It is so satisfying to jump on a badguy's head and blast them in the face with a charged arm cannon. Too bad you can't do it to all the enemies-certain attacks only work with certain kinds of enemies.

Cons

Controls. I am still adjusting to how to control Samus, switching between 1st and 3rd person causes me some trouble when things get chaotic-boss fights, etc. As I keep at it, it seems to be getting easier to handle, but it is still a bit jarring at times.

Story. I am bored by what another reviewer called Samus' "daddy issues." Really, I want to like her backstory, and her work with the Federation, but I honestly don't care. I think this may be the only part of the game I just roll my eyes at. Truly, Samus is a bounty hunter, and she is taking orders about when to use her missiles?! Really? I have to kind of pretend I am not really seeing that. I feel like they are reducing her to Kara "Starbuck" Thrace from Battlestar Galactica. It really makes the icon of Samus Aran just a bit less glossy. Oh well, what can you do? Some people really like this story-it's just not for me. The games other merits really lessens the impact of this glaring negative. I can forgive.

There are a couple of issues-the controls, the story-but the overall experience is great fun. If you want to play Metroid and maybe didn't like Prime, this would be for you. If you liked Prime and just miss the old days of Metroid, this is also for you. If you just bought a Wii and are wondering what to get, this is for you, too. Good stuff. Thanks for your time, I am going back to my game!