What Could Be Nintendo's Wii U "Killer App"? Metroid Other M 2! (No, I'm Serious)

As we all know by now, Nintendo is in a bit of a bad state right now. The Wii U hasn’t been the best performing system they have ever done (not the worst: that belongs to the Virtual Boy). This is because of a matter of an unbalance. In order for Nintendo to show third parties that the system is to be taken seriously, they need the install base which they don’t have, and they need the killer apps to do that, but there’s no killer app for that due to…well, the third parties not wanting to take that risk. And with the PS4 and Xbox One on their way, and with the PS4 especially getting the praise that it has gotten pre-launch, Nintendo needs to get that one “killer app”, that Nintendo recently said could mean a new IP, to get systems into homes. But Mario hasn’t really done that (why, I have no idea), and there seems to be no Zelda in sight. So what first party game could do this?

Well, let’s go to the role of controversy for a moment, and a game that sparked a lot of debate, and before you say I’m crazy for considering this, please hear me out. The one franchise that we haven’t heard from in a while is Metroid. I think you might know why, though, and it’s because of the last major game that we saw in the franchise. Well, I think that, with Nintendo needing to turn some heads, and with Metroid being the big franchise that it is, I think it’s time to face some facts.

I think that “killer app” might just be a Metroid: Other M 2!

Yeah, I knew you would be saying “what the hell?” This is because the Wii hit was as polarizing of a Metroid game as you could get, for very obvious reasons. As part of the minority, I enjoyed a lot of the story. It did feel rushed, but at the same time, it was a bold move and some character development into a character that, for years, we’ve all come to love as being a bad ass. But that was what people hated: what TYPE of Samus we got. Many thought she became sort of a whiner with daddy issues. However, think about it for a moment of how cookie cutter that would be to have the same bad ass with a cold heart. How many characters have we seen in recent gaming history go that route? Yeah, the characterization of Samus caught many off guard, but it was also refreshing to see a bad ass also have a heart of gold and also give a care about her friends, and be able to be fazed by things.

But enough about my feelings about the game itself. Like I said, I’m in the minority when it comes to that game. The bottom line is that the story did get a lot of attention (I got new thoughts about that Ridley scene that would make everything make sense, too), and the way you get attention is by doing something that creates talk and discussion. And what better way to create it by making a sequel to a maligned game that retains the style of said maligned game. It would, for one, bring a sense of not being swayed by the trolls and haters (no disrespect to the legit naysayers of the game, but there are THOSE types of people in every bunch) that just complain for the sake of complaining. You were never going to please them no matter what you did, so why try to sway them? There were people that did like at least parts of the game, so they should improve upon what they started.

Plus, back to that story for a moment. As a fanfiction writer myself, I take telling a story to be a work of art that’s as much of a personal outlet as it is a professional one. Many things we feel in real life, whether it be happiness, sadness, angst, joy, dismay, depression, etc., we can convey through the characters we write about, and the stories that we tell you. It’s not as if we’re just doing it to get hits, or to get money. Though we would love the reward for the work we put in, part of the things I write about in my stories are things that matter to me, such as the current state of politics, or bullying, or anything else that catches my eye. It is the same with any storyteller. Like it or not, the story that Sakamoto told you through Other M could’ve been just as much personal as it was anything else. What if someone he knew really DID go through a case of PTSD, or had a superior they looked up to pay the ultimate price for the sake of someone else, or had seen the horrors of the men and women who put their lives on the line each and every day? What if reading that manga inspired him in some form to put that into the official canon?

You want to know what I did the second people began complaining something fierce about the Ridley scene? Something I think all of you might’ve done, too: looked up facts about PTSD. It’s a complicated illness, and every though we familiarize ourselves with it being something soldiers go through, anyone can have it from any traumatic event. There’s just so much that I didn’t know about it that I learned by doing the research. And that’s a success that Sakamoto did, I think. It got us talking about the illness and how it affects people who have it? What causes it? What triggers it? Is it just one thing or does it have to be a combination of a few things put together in a mass wave that causes an episode? I personally think it was never Ridley himself that would cause her to have an episode, now that I think of it, but rather his involvement in that particular situation that caused it (and it would answer the question why she didn’t have one before: just seeing Ridley was never enough to cause a breakdown, but him being present when her colleagues are falling to the Deleter might be enough).

So, what does this have to do with a possible second M:OM game? Well, I considered M:OM to be sort of like a Metroid Gear Solid type of game where it was more story driven. Now, think to Metal Gear Solid 2 for a moment, and how people trashed the story in that. I did, as well, thinking that it was way too convoluted to really make any sense to me. I was sitting there, near the end, listening to Ocelot, and asking myself “what the hell is going on?” And I want to understand it, and I could not do it, I was so lost. Many were, but the next game in the series was Snake Eater. That has been lauded to as the best in the franchise. The story line make a load of sense, it had every ounce of emotion you could have (and that ending…wow), and it did everything while not once compromising what the MGS series was in how it told the story. It never had to change what it was. It just explained things to the point where something happened when I finished playing it: I now understood what MGS2 was doing, and I now really love MGS2’s story. My opinion changed because I allowed Kojima the opportunity to develop the story further into what he wanted it to be, and the more I played it after MGS3, the more I saw that I was just not paying enough attention to MGS2’s story, as all my answers were right there and I was just not listening.

Thus, I think the story in Other M needs to be developed more. Remember that this is more or less the very first story driven Metroid game, so we probably will be more lost than anything, but that is okay. The game is meant to be part of a franchise that is forever expanding and developing. This is why I think a second OM game could make sense. People would want to have answers to their questions, and I think Sakamoto would be well served to have the opportunity to tell the story he wants to tell. I know many people would be angry at him for the story so far, calling him a sexist or whatever, but remember how I felt about MGS2’s story at first, and how MGS3 changed my opinion about the second game there. And MGS3 made me a fan of the series again.

But what of the other aspects? Gameplay, usage of the tablet, graphics, and sound: how would they serve a new Metroid? Story is just a small part of the big picture. Well, the story will make people curious, and that’s when you hook them with the gameplay. The tablet would be able to be made for Metroid. You wouldn’t have to worry about going onto separate screens to change weapons or use the map or whatever. You would have that tablet screen be your all in one guide to change weapons on the fly, or to see where you’re going at all times, and you wouldn’t even need to pause the action at all. Of course, graphics would hook people, as it would be the first Metroid game in 1080p, which would be a definite plus.

The gameplay itself has always been a staple of the Metroid series, and with the added technology, comes the ability to tell an even bigger story, and introduce new aspects to the Metroid series. We talk a lot about taking risks, and M:OM took a big risk with the story driven gameplay. How about more risks? How about Samus’ personal issues affect how she performs in battle, and you having to control her through a PTSD episode? Even moreso, having to do so on a planet that’s being attacked by monsters, yet it’s still inhabited by civilians that you have to still be able to protect and win the trust of to complete your mission. These are definitely big risks, but rewards could be great. Those type of things have never been done in a Metroid game, and with M:OM taking such a huge risk, taking more risks would make for bigger rewards.

Sound leads me to one very important aspect: Samus’ voice. I think I’ve said a lot about how I enjoyed Jessica Martin’s range of emotions in M:OM. Say what you want about the characterization of Samus in the last game, but you have to admit that when the scene called for the emotion to come out, Jessica made you really feel uncomfortable because she knew how to convey said emotion very well. That’s actually a good thing. If you have seen her Kickstarter funded short film, For Patrick, you would see that this is not just a one-time thing. Jessica has the talent to display a full range of emotions, and make you believe that the character she’s playing is sad or angry or determined. I’d keep her as the voice of Samus. It would promote stability, for one. And two, as much as I love Jennifer Hale’s work, I’m all about being able to find new talent whenever possible, and giving them a chance to make their own mark.

But think about it. Not only would a second Other M turn some heads, but it could create a wealth of possibilities. It’s a franchise people would know. It’s expanding on a set of story lines that people want answers to. It’s a game that can appeal to a lot of audiences, it’s a franchise that sells systems (I know my Wii got bought because of Prime 3, and got dusted off for Other M), and, with the right risks taken, it can create a world of rewards. It would get systems into homes, which is what Nintendo needs right now. Hate about me thinking that we need such a game, but again, I’m in the minority that loved the story, but I’m also in the majority that thinks that M:OM got people talking and got people curious. Nintendo needs that jolt, and a return to doing something risky that makes people talk of “why?”, especially when they have done a lot of questionable things lately, would be good for them.

So, Sakamoto and Nintendo, bring on Other M 2, and don’t let anyone stop you from telling the story that you want all of us to hear!

[PopRocks359]

Just want to say that all of the following is just my subjective opinion and I mean absolutely no disrespect to anyone who enjoys Other M or its story.

I don't mind there being another Other M game. The gameplay was not the biggest problem (although Sakamoto's input managed to damage that as well). The gameplay did precisely what everyone feared Prime would do and made the game far too action focused. There wasn't enough exploration, the auto aiming was awkward and the lack of nunchuk support in a 3D Metroid game was a huge, finnicky mistake (particularly when it came to firing missiles by having to switch from holding the Wiimote sideways to pointing).

I disagree with you on quite a lot of your points, but I will say that a Metroid game is fairly necessary for Wii U to draw in a more core crowd.

Anyway, there is nothing about Other M that made me "feel" anything other than "awkward," "confused," and "disgruntled." The story presented in that game was demeaning to the character and not because they characterized her, it's that they made a bounty hunter who has canonically saved the galaxy numerous times into a whiny, emotionless child with daddy issues. Furthermore, Samus' voice was incredibly monotone and uninspired (wouldn't you know, directed by Sakamoto himself).

Want an example of taking a young female who will soon be a badass killer? The new Tomb Raider did what Other M's writing failed miserably to do; give a coherent way for a young female hero to grow out of her childhood and become stronger as a result. Other M was just demeaning to Samus and to the female lead character in general; Samus' incessant need to please Adam was a sure-fire example of this. Seriously, why the hell does she have to prove anything to that pig-headed jackass (and yes, he most certainly is a jackass considering he SHOOTS HER) after she has saved the galaxy so many times? Not to mention the poorly conveyed and just plain awkward PTSD scene. Why is she being hit with this when she's fighting Ridley for what is canonically the FIFTH time?! It's completely bogus. If it had been an encounter PRIOR to the original Metroid it would have totally made sense but instead it's on the ass-end of the timeline making it just awkward and out of place.

Other M's crutch was it was seemingly written with the intention of being a prequel which would have been SO MUCH more appropriate for the plot elements Sakamoto shoehorned into the story. There are just so many mistakes it boggles the mind.

Here's my question in regards to Samus' voice specifically; what the hell was wrong with Samus being voiced by Jennifer Hale like in the Prime games? Have you heard her as FemShep in Mass Effect? Her speaking voice is nothing short of perfect for the type of character Samus is by the time Other M should have taken place. The voice in Other M was nothing if not completely forgettable.

Why can't this sort of "deep" storytelling translate into a Prime game perhaps? Why does it HAVE to be an Other M 2? Why can't it be an entirely new Metroid concept altogether?

A new Metroid Other M is far from essential, but an innovative Metroid experience most certainly is. Why don't we actually get a Metroid online experience, similar to Hunters but far more fleshed out and in HD on Wii U with the options of Wiimote/Nunchuk control, touch "Hunters" control, standard Prime controls and dual stick controls?

tl;dr Other M is wasted potential, sucked and it doesn't need a sequel. If anything, it should be forgotten and from which should be moved on IMO. But beggars can't be choosers and if another Other M happens, I'll be content as long Sakamoto keeps his grubby hands off the script and gameplay design.

[JD_Shadow]

I think you would have to go back to my feelings about MGS2 and how MGS3 changed my opinions about the former game. Foundations need to happen somewhere.

As for my "problems" with Hale, I have none. As I said, I adore her work. I'm also, however, fine with new talent also being put in the limelight, and Martin is fine. Do go watch "For Patrick". It's up on Vimeo, and it's worth a peek. There's not a lot of dialogue in there, but it tells a story pretty well. I think she works on most of the aspects of the film (don't quote me on that, though). Again, nothing at ALL against Hale, but I'm content with seeing new talent there, as well, because that's how we get the medium to grow. The voice was only monotone in what you would call the "captain's logs" of the story (think Star Trek: those are pretty void of personality, too, as they should be. They are putting that out to their superiors, after all).

As for the PTSD thing, I explained my reasoning on this in the blog post. Ridley alone would not cause her episode, but recall what else was going on in the ship, and then he appears when there are colleagues around her dropping dead, and there's the reminder. Ridley by himself wouldn't do much outside of some initial shock (and why wouldn't he provide shock? He's only TWENTY FEET TALL), but the thought of him with the perceived deaths happening around her, and it's a recreation of the ENVIRONMENT that causes the episode, not just the confrontation with the creature that caused her trauma. It's an interesting development that I would like to see developed more, as it does provide her with vulnerability that most of these cookie cutter bad ass protagonists do not have. I don't know: I think it would just be boring and predictable if she didn't have any of those faults. She'd just be like any CoD protagonist, and I'd rather have the flawed heart of gold bad ass as opposed to the emotionless, cardboard protagonist that some other games have given us anymore.

A multiplayer Metroid game would be awesome, though, I do agree on that. I just don't trust Nintendo's current attitude about online play to be able to support such a endeavor.

[PopRocks359]

"New talent" doesn't really work though since Hale was never truly recognized as Samus. She only ever did small grunts and screams for the Prime games which were recycled in the later iterations. I'd say AFTER she had gotten a speaking role you could say "Hey, let's get new talent in there."

Besides, I feel Samus' voice was ill-cast. I've watched interviews with her and she seemed far too young and bouncy for such a serious role. Given I personally didn't enjoy the performance, I would argue she would have been fine strictly as young 14 year old Samus and leaving Hale to present day Samus.

You make a decent point about the environment but this is not even REMOTELY well conveyed or explained in the context of the story. Besides, if anything this strengthens my point that Other M should have been written as a prequel to the first game so that a decision like that would have actually made sense in context. She's fought Ridley in a variety of environments a number of times now. She should not be having an episode this late in her career. Call it boring and predictable, at least it makes sense for a hardened soldier to be mentally prepared for these sorts of battles and STILL be a likable character; the major from Ghost in the Shell comes to mind.

[SilentNegotiator]

Didn't the game only reach a million after almost 2 years...on a system with (I think) ~70M units sold at the time (which proved benefit to games like Mario Kart, which sold many, many, MANY million units more and yet released several years earlier)?

If a sequel were Wii U's "killer app", I would eat a wiimote.

[PopRocks359]

Not sure about the two year figure, but I remember in its first year it sold under half a million which was apparently "far below expectations."

From what I understand, the only Metroid that has sold exceptionally well since Super Metroid is Metroid Prime. If there's a killer app to be had, it's Metroid Prime 4 or an entirely new (and far, far less dividing) Metroid concept altogether.

[BillytheBarbarian]

Nintendo should go after games that people want with little hope of seeing. Go after Sega to make Shenmue 3 and a traditional Phantasy Star 5. Tap into EA/bioware for KOTOR 3. If Nintendo was willing to co-publish on Wiiu they might find the platform viable. It would send a message to gamers that they are in the war.

[TuxedoMoon]

This is kinda what bugs me about gamers and the word "innovation." When a game does something different, like Other M, People complain that it isn't like the old games. When They do revert back to the old style, people complain about it not being INNOVATIVE. What do you want?!

There's exploration in Metroid, but the game has a lot of action in it. Samus does run fast, jump high, and shoot stuff. You can't blame tecmo for trying out the all action route for Metroid. The action was great too and it does show what Samus can do if she is isn't restricted to conventional gameplay methods (strictly 2d or FPS). If other M went the Gears of war route (control wise), people will complain that it's too much like gears...PEOPLE WILL COMPLAIN about anything.

People complain that Other M misrepresented Samus. (Sarcasm) Yeah...because all the other games showed Samus's actual character in great detail before Other M. Remember all those emotional cutscenes in Prime?(Sarcasm). They had very little to work with and with what they had, they fleshed it out more. A lot of past games did not focus on Samus's story and focused more on gameplay. No one really knows Samus's character and are only basing it on assumptions and the few evidence from magazines and mangas. In other M, she was very stoic...which I think Samus actually is. She's not gunhoe or very exciting (personality wise). She was a soldier and works alone most of the time and it makes sense for her to be introvert.

Personally, I'd like to see another 3rd person Metroid game taking some aspects from Deadspace. Other M had a pinch of that when the camera would zoom in super close to her shoulder and you can only walk through the dark corridors. That was definitely something new that made those sections feel lonesome and mysterious. If they can keep that feeling throughout the game, add in a pinch more survival/horror elements to the game, it would be amazing. It adds more tension to exploration and makes new enemy encounters more threatening and less of just an obstacle.

Whatever happened to that rumored Starfox X Metroid game retro was supposedly working on?

[PopRocks359]

I can answer that for you. I want an awesome and deeply story driven Metroid that doesn't involve 90% of the cast being unlikable and Samus being a whiny, needy wimp. Why was this necessary? In Tomb Raider there are SEVERAL scenes where Lara cries and they ALL make sense in context with the story. That game found a way to make it work; Other M failed miserably.

You can't justify the bad decisions in Other M with the moniker that "it's different." If they did a bad job (which I and others obviously feel) then simply saying "oh but it's different" doesn't change the sheer lack of quality and consistency.

Other M's unconventional Ninja Gaiden-esque gameplay would have worked if 1) you could skip the egregious cutscenes and 2) if you could add the nunchuk. Using a d-pad in a 3D environment in such a frenetic and fast-paced game, not to mention what you have to do to shoot missiles is monumentally ludicrous!

Other M was fundamentally flawed in so many different ways and THAT'S why people are mad at that game, not because it strayed from anything in previous Metroid conventions. Metroid Prime is a first person shooter, for corn's sake. Metroid fans are not as fickle as you make them out to be. It's not that Other M was different, it was that it was just executed very poorly and IMO I would attribute that to Sakamoto being a colossal moron.

[JD_Shadow]

Only Sakamoto was also responsible for Super Metroid, one of the best games of all time. Funny that we forget that fact when talking about MOM!

[NYC_Gamer]

The killer app could be any game that people feel the console is worth buying for it could a full retail or some e-shop title

[thebudgetgamer]

Wasn't that other game terrible?

[JD_Shadow]

It would be if you believed a lot of the naysayers about it. It had the same amount of exploration with clever places to hide things, had some nice melee moves that were a nice change of pace for a Metroid game (it was developed in part by Team Ninja, so think Ninja Gaiden-esque techniques, though they don't take over the combat system in the game), and a few bosses were very well done (there's a final boss after the credits roll that I won't spoil in case you haven't played it).

The story is what was so polarizing about the game, but that might be because it felt rushed for whatever reason they had, and thus it really left a lot for you to figure out. When I first heard about the Ridley scene, I was expecting this huge scene which went overboard with the PTSD, but when I actually saw it, I saw it as being tame compared to what it was billed as. I actually enjoyed the story itself, as it delved into conspiracies and things taking shape for Fusion's story. There are some things that might not make sense to you and might make you scratch your head, but keep in mind about this being more story driven than other Metroid games were, and that they could be setting up for more games to develop more upon what you see. It actually left me wondering how they would take the story from there and how they would explain things. Plot holes, but it was probably intentional.

The two main complaints I had personally about it were that it was, again, somewhat rushed. It felt to me that it was a lot shorter than previous Metroid titles. I didn't feel as though it took me too long to get through the game as opposed to how long it took me previously. That was also because of the other major complaint I had, which was it felt easier to me. None of the bosses, outside of that final one, gave me too many problems, and it didn't take too long to figure out how to beat them, and from there, they fell without much effort. You have to beat the normal mode to play the hard mode, and though I didn't personally try hard mode (I don't usually play hard modes if there's no other reward at the end of them, so that's just me), I insist that you do so since that'll probably be where the major challenge will fall for you if you're into punishing difficulty. As for the third to first person view, I didn't really see that much of a problem with getting used to it, but your mileage may vary on that. It might take some getting used to, but I found it to be pretty easy to do. Another thing is that there's not really that much replay value in it outside of Hard Mode and getting 100% collection, but that's a normal complaint of me and most Wii games. Wasn't much else to do and unlock once you complete the game. Oh, and the FMV's, while good, show you the age of the Wii's hardware. It doesn't seem like the Wii's hardware was able to keep up with what the game was trying to get it to do.

But the first two complaints are my only major ones. Everything else was to my liking. If you can be open minded about the story (I played it knowing what to expect, so that's probably why I was more open minded, and thus, reacted more positively about the story) and forgive the easy difficulty and the short length of the game experience, then you're in for a good immersion. Just do not read any of the people bitching on message boards before you go and play it, and think of it as something that should have the phrase "to be continued..." at the end of it, because that's what the story basically should tell you at the end.