Metroid Database.com

Team Ninja's Yosuke Hayashi, lead designer for the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive series as well as for Metroid: Other M, recently ran an interview with IGN. While the discussion focuses mainly on the Dead or Alive games, such as the networking abilities, 3D 'enhancements', and the sheer beauty of the series. However, there is one Metroid-specific question that both puts the final nail in the coffin for doubting hopefuls (all characters were revealed previously) and explains why Samus isn't playable in Dead or Alive: Dimensions:

IGN: How did it come about that a level from Metroid: Other M was included in DOAD? Was there ever any discussion of including Samus as a playable character?

Hayashi: Obviously this is the first DOA for a Nintendo platform. We wanted to commemorate this occasion with something so we decided to feature a stage crossover with Other M. The footage we released for this was a bit confusing because it didn't allow us to show our true intentions behind having this stage in there. One thing about Samus as a playable character -- for DOAD our aim was to have a compilation of DOA characters so we purposely left out any new or guest characters in the game. Samus is a lone bounty hunter and protector of the galaxy so we thought it would be better to let her focus on her job rather than kicking everyone's butt in DOAD.

Well, there you have it, folks! Not only is DOAD explicitly about the DOA series (hence, no guest characters), but also Samus is too busy protecting the galaxy to beat up poor, defenseless ninjas (she lets Ridley do that for her!). Or maybe that's a challenge, Hayashi-san!

Dead or Alive: Dimensions comes out May 24 in the US and features the Reactor Core stage from Metroid Other M. I've previously given my impressions of DOAD, and Metroid aside, its speed and slick action make it well worth picking up.

Until next time...
Captain Commando