Metroid: Other M came as a fantastic surprise when announced at Nintendo’s E3 press conference. It’s a Metroid game from Team Ninja, the team responsible for some of the most hardcore games of the past decade. Who could have seen it coming? Even more surprising is the fact that they managed to keep this a secret given that just about every other announcement of this E3 had already been spoiled on Twitter. From watching the trailer, you could clearly see the Metroid basics of strange vistas and monstrous beings abound. However, there was another huge surprise lurking in the teaser: a vague nod to a plot. Other M is being sold to us as the game that finally fills in Samus Aran’s history, a game that explicitly explores her motivations and background.

My only reaction to this is “Why?” Does Metroid really need a plot?

Jamie, being the fine Canadian that he is, already dished out some thoughts about this. While I understand his arguments, my concerns over Other M are on a far lower level. I’m not that worried that they will destroy the mystery and symbolism of Metroid. I’m more concerned that they will destroy the essence of the series itself. In Nintendo’s rush to prove that they have a mature “hardcore” franchise, they might very well succeed in turning Metroid into Halo, and this is what I fear.


Hold off on the flames for a minute, eh? I’m not implying that Halo is a bad game. Quite the contrary, the Halo series is ridiculously well designed. It just gets to be the example that I pick on. Why? Because you couldn’t possibly argue that the Halo series has a compelling storyline. Hell, it isn’t just Halo; ninety-nine percent of first-person shooters rely on nothing more than generic militaristic sci-fi pap as the rationalization for why you are killing dozens of monsters, zombies, or Nazis. These plots are not interesting, their characters are not compelling, and I can’t help but sigh and wish that they just wouldn’t have bothered. The expectation has arisen, especially in recent years, that all video games must have a storyline no matter how contrived. This expectation is vaguely understandable. In their rush to prove that video games can be as compelling as movies, gaming executives have mistakenly come to believe that video games are movies. Early gaming standouts lived or died on their gameplay alone; why can’t this be true in this modern age?

I may have cringed at the forced storyline sequences in Metroid Prime 3, but I cringed twice as hard when faced with a sexed-up anime Samus being quipped at by a generic Space General. This cinematic was barely distinguishable from the large body of sci-fi games out there, only here it has a Japanese art style missing from domestic sci-fi fare. This just isn’t what Metroid is “about.” The heart of Metroid is not in its storyline. It isn’t in gung-ho bounty hunters or in the slaughter of hundreds of alien soldiers. The heart of Metroid is in its gameplay, and the heart of its gameplay is exploration. Metroid is fundamentally about the exploration of these stark alien worlds, and the entire scope of its plot has traditionally been to facilitate this exploration. Really, that’s it. Yes, it has been dressed up a little bit more than that from time to time, but the entire reason to fight your way to the end of a sequence has been to acquire the specific tool which then allows you to explore new regions. Is there a need for anything else?

Yes, you might make an argument that Samus needs a purpose, a raison d’être if you will. I’m not so sure that is the case. Samus Aran is an enigma, a mystery buried in a suit of armor. Like Wolverine, this makes her compelling for a lot of fans. Again, like Wolverine, Samus will probably become a lot less compelling if Other M spoils the details of her early life. Though, I think that maintaining Samus’ aura of mystery is important for a slightly different reason. I think that Samus should remain a riddle for the same reason that Link has remained mute for so many years. I think that, fundamentally, Samus is nothing more than the portal for the player. You are Samus Aran. You bring your own back story and your own theories into the character and, thus, you bring your own motivations into the game as well. Why is Samus exploring these twisted interstellar vistas? Why are you exploring these twisted interstellar vistas?

That is actually a pretty easy question to answer, and this is where Nintendo’s and Retro’s stellar art departments come in. I enjoy exploring these worlds because they are so different from the mundane world in which we live. Whether it is a dark, dripping labyrinth, an overgrown rainforest temple, or a series of floating towers, the Metroid series presents these environments that are fascinating because they are different. In fact, they aren’t just different, they are alien. They are alien in every sense of the word, while remaining just familiar enough to tweak your interest.

One of Retro Studios’ more brilliant innovations was the scanning system. They found a way to have their cake and eat it too. An absence of an overstated plot does not imply an absence of a richly detailed universe. By scanning the environment or living creatures, you could not only learn more about the environment that you were exploring, but more about the history of Metroid universe and its mysteries. This was so brilliant because it facilitated the gameplay – learning more about the universe gives you more of a reason to explore – without bogging you down with unnecessary cienmatics or throwaway sci-fi stereotypes. Conquering the unknown - does Samus (and do you) need a more compelling reason to strike forward into these chaotic landscapes? Well, that and the excitement of fighting the giant beasts that the series is known for.

Do you need anything else? Do you need a supporting cast? Do you need every minute detail of Samus’ life spelled out for you? My immediate fear with Other M is that the storyline would, for the lack of a better term, suck. I am afraid that the richness of Samus’ universe will be dampened by turning it into yet another macho military buddy tale. I stayed away from Metroid Prime Hunters for this same reason, and I was annoyed when these elements oozed their way into Corruption. However, neither of those games were quite as overt about it as Other M, which is being sold in every interview as the game that brings plot to Metroid. When it comes down to it, I’d rather they leave out a plot entirely than cheapen the universe with poorly-written crap.

My deeper fear is that an “epic” storyline runs contrary to the very essence of the Metroid series. Plot leads to railroading. That is the very issue with a plot. This is never a problem in books or movies. The plot is the point in those two mediums, there is nowhere else to go but forward. However, as I keep repeating, games are not movies. Games can be linear, plot-driven affairs and perhaps they should be if the plot is strong. If your intent is to tell a fun, slightly-interactive story, then keeping the player on a set path is fine. I just don’t think that would fit in a series that is, at its heart, about exploration. Yes, most Metroid games have had a plot, and have tried to impart you with some small sense of urgency. Still, they have never really rushed you through from start to end. You generally have all the time that you want to scan and experiment with the environment. My fear is that, by stepping up the plot, they will throw off that balance. I’m afraid that Other M will take the focus off of the environment and place it squarely on stopping some dire storyline-forced threat.

The Mario series is known for many things, a plot not being among those things. Mario has to rescue the Princess. That is all that you need. The point of a Mario game is the incredible platforming experience. You don’t need a storyline to push you through. I think that, although the reasoning is more complex, the same is true for the Metroid series. I think that Nintendo also understands this. I think that it is the hardcore shooter fan, that 18-24 year old male demographic, that doesn’t get it. The hardcore gamer craves another Halo, another Devil May Cry. Despite being drowned in a flood of generic science fiction action titles on the other consoles, they demand the same from Nintendo. Despite Nintendo’s focus on the mainstream, they do hear the cries of betrayal. They are giving the hardcore exactly what they have cried out for, and I fear that they will sacrifice what makes Metroid special in this rush to please everyone.

Does Metroid need a plot? No, I don’t think that it does. I think that the very heart of the series and what makes it compelling – placing you in the shoes of Samus Aran as she (and you) explore the unknown – runs counter to the concept of an explicit overarching plot. Yes, Metroid could survive with the addition of plot. Metroid Fusion did a pretty decent job of introducing a bit of plot while maintaining the feel of a Metroid game. The problem is that it takes a careful balance, and I can’t help but think that Nintendo will teeter and fall over the line in some vain attempt to act like a company that they aren’t.