Like Metroid, but don’t care for all that fancy shmancy first-person stuff from recent years? Then Metroid Other M might be your cup of space tea. Here are seven things you might not know about the newest game in the series for Wii.Â
- It’s in good hands. The game is being co-developed by “over 100 people” from Nintendo and Team Ninja, the folks that make all those good Ninja Gaiden games. In other words, the development team is kind of a big deal.
- It’s going steady with 2D and 3D graphics. Other M features 2.5D and 3D gameplay in both first- and third-person perspectives. Movement is not limited to a 2D plane, however, and Samus herself cannot be moved in first-person perspective (i.e. she can only look around, shoot, and explore). There are several instances where players will have to constantly switch between play modes, For example, “playing in third person to fight off a horde of flying enemies, while switching to first person to destroy their spawn points.”
- It takes the series into a retro chic direction. The game is seen as a departure from the most recent Prime series, in that Other M will focus on 2D gameplay instead of first-person visuals. That said, Other M will retain the visor exploration gameplay of Prime.
- It uses a lot of cut scenes. When announcing the game, Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime said that Metroid: Other M would “take you deeper into Samus’s story.” And if recent trailers are any indication, that means a lot more cut scenes.
- It supports both side-scroller and first-person controls. Metroid: Other M is played holding the Wii Remote horizontally. Pointing the Wii Remote towards the screen changes the game to a first person view.
- It goes where every Metroid has gone before it. Namely, environments include a tropical rain forest, an ice level, and a magma-filled area to name a few. I suppose there could be surprise level designs. But I doubt it. Not that I have any insider info, or anything. Just an educated guess.
- It’s coming this summer. Arriving August 31 on Wii. Rated Teen.