Metroid Database.com

It has been six months since Metroid: Other M was released. When the MDb staff reviewed it back in August and September, we gave Other M an 8.5, an 8.9, and a 9. Our site's founder, TJ, also gave the game an ecstatic thumbs-up. Wired's uber-Nintendo geek Chris Kohler also gave it a 9, as did places like gamesTM and Worth Playing. (Interestingly, Nintendo Power gave it an 8.5, same as IGN - both by no means horrible reviews.)

Elsewhere, however, Samus has not been received with open arms, gaining a firestorm of scathing reviews from journalists and fans alike, not to mention the billions of electrons generated by zealous fans explaining in painful detail why Other M is the worst thing known to mankind. Now that the New Year has come and gone, magazine publishers have released their lists of the top worst games of 2010. And Other M is on it.

Wait? Worst game of the year? Just how can a game that received the love and support of the entire staff and a good chunk of gaming journalism be a stain upon humanity? (Ok, at least that portion whose lives revolve around videogames.) Somebody out there is full of baby drool, and I don't think it's us.

Let's look at these figures:

• On Gamerankings, 76% of reviews are 80% or higher for a 78.99% average score. Hardly reflective of a crap game.
• Amazon.com lists over twice as many positive reviews as negative: 25% give it a 2 or less and 60% a 4 or better. However, their most helpful (and best-written) review is two stars with 152 positive responses.
• GameFAQs is practically the opposite, with only 33% reviews of 8 and above in their Detailed Reviews section, and only two 9's in the starred reviews section. (However this jumps to over 43% positive once all reviews are considered)
• In contrast, our own MDb forum poll splits the games 25% love, 25% hate, 50% neutral.

These numbers are indicative of a polarizing game and are definitely not what a Metroid game should be. But do they really mean Other M is the worst game of the year?

The fact of the matter is there are plenty of people who love Metroid: Other M with an undying passion - and depending on what community you visit, far more than those who loathe it! However, it's those scathing reviews (and now 'worst game of the year' features) that get the most widely distributed via word of mouth. And when people hear those reviews, they are less likely to try Other M, but with good logical reason - I know I would think twice about buying something I wasn't automatically passionate about if it didn't get good reviews.

However, that completely ignores the vast majority of user reviews that have been downright praising, and the vast amount of quiet love Other M has received over the past six months. We who love Other M love it because the controls are the fastest and smoothest this side of Zero Mission. We love it because the bosses are fantastic, action-packed battles overflowing with nostalgia. We love it because it's that Metroid atmosphere of wondering what's around the next corner of this creepy station. And we love it because Samus is an absolute badass with slick animations and Sense Moves and Overblasts.

Given this gushing of praise, why do so many people hate Other M? You can't ignore the 25% of the market who does so. Certainly, the game has some gameplay flaws (instant death, locked doors, and unclear 'pixel hunt' sequences), not to mention a game-breaking glitch. However, where the game destroyed all love is story and character representation. These players hate the story, which starts out decent enough but eventually reads like a Hideo Kojima hallucination. They hate Samus, from the emotionless voice acting (a conscious design decision) to the introspective monologues, and her emotional breakdowns (which are meant to show a human side of Samus). For these players, story is a very important part to their games, and apparently it was also for Yoshio Sakamoto, who emphasized story and character in every single interview.

Samus has been firmly envisioned in the minds of many fans, and that vision is normally accompanied by a phrase such as 'tough-as-nails bounty hunter'. Other M comes along and subverts that with a portrait of Samus troubled by her past and alienated from humanity, a woman who hates taking orders but follows her former CO out of respect and a desire to protect her old comrades. These people hate that.

Does having emotions make Samus weak and dependent? No. Emotions make us human.

However, too much melodrama doesn't make for good writing, and these valid fan reactions seem to have been missed somewhere between user testing and publication. But somewhere along the way, the voices of the quiet masses who love the game have been drowned out by the bullhorns of the few who hate it.

In the end though, both groups are right. Other M is an awesome game. Other M is a horrible game.

But that doesn't make it the worst game of the year. That award is best reserved for the likes of Kane and Lynch 2 and Naughty Bear.

And it doesn't mean you should avoid it completely.

Let's put it this way. Because it has flaws, Other M is not a perfect game. None of our MDb reviews ever said it was. But it's just not as awful as some people may tell you it is. And if you're like the whole of the MDb staff, who have been playing Metroid for more than two decades, you will absolutely love it!

That said, it's very possible you will play Other M and hate it. Essentially, if you have a particularly strong vision of who Samus is and distaste the idea that her creator thinks differently, then you will probably be part of that group who wants to cut your game in half with scissors. And because you won't like the game, its other flaws you might have ignored otherwise will become downright irritating.

However, I can say you have high chances of actually loving Other M.

So pick it up for $20 or less on Amazon, rent it from Gamefly, or borrow it (maybe your Other M-hating friend will even give it to you for free!).

Just don't judge Other M if you've never played it because your opinion could be the complete opposite of that review you just read.

Until next time...
Captain Commando