Metroid Database.com

Nintendo has lifted their media embargo for Metroid: Other M, giving us some brand new screenshots as well as allowing press who got to play the game this weekend to talk about their experiences. Though the version played was not a final build, play experiences are revealing many new things, including:

• Speed upgrades increase the rate of the charge beam.
• The game is mostly gameplay NOT cinematics. As in, an hour or more stretches without a single cutscene.
• That said, there will be small real-time cutscenes (similar to Prime), but these seem to be thinly placed.
• You cannot skip cutscenes.(Not sure about successive play-throughs though)
• You can dodge while in first person.
• Deactivating holographic generators reveals new areas to explore.
• The music seems to be mostly atmospheric, but should include lots of remixes.
• The auto-aim function can hit enemies from very far away, but missiles have a limited range.
• Samus turns slowly in first person.
• There will be sequences that can result in instant-death (such as one involving an elevator).
• There are both save points and continue points. Continue points occur more frequently, and usually right next to difficult sequences (such as the said elevator sequence).
• Some hidden items were discoverable in the demo, but were unacquirable.
• When Samus dies her power suit comes off of her body in an effect that looks like it disintegrates. (At one point they had the suit exploding off of her and Nintendo wasn't so keen on that. It looks like it was toned down from what they explained.)
• You can bounce Samus' shots off of certain walls, namely metal, and hit enemies.
• Enemies can attack one another. There was a plant-type creature munching on the Reos.
• You don't exactly have "invisible railings" along all platforms; you can fall off if you're not careful as your charge blast gives considerable kick-back.

While some of you might be as shocked as I initially was to learn about instant-death sequences, especially after those obnoxious pistons in Metroid Prime: Hunters, which made me hate that game even more. Thankfully, the generous inclusion of continue points should mean we don't have to play long stretches over and over again, so hopefully they won't be too bad. It also seems that surviving these sequences requires a little common sense (i.e. don't stand underneath a falling elevator - what did you think would happen!?).

I have to say though - I'm more excited to play this than ever!

Update: Here's some more news from other sites!
Impressions from Nintendo World Report
Impressions from 1up.com
Impressions from IGN.com
Preview at Destructoid
Impressions at ArsTechnia
Joystiq's Preview
Impressions at GamesRadar
More to be added as we can find 'em!

Until next time...
Captain Commando