Metroid: Other M (Wii)

Samus Aran, the intergalactic bounty hunter, is back for more in METROID: OTHER M, a clever collaborative effort between Nintendo's Yoshio Sakamoto (who directed 1994's Super Metroid) and Team Ninja (of Ninja Gaiden fame). As such, this Nintendo Wii exclusive fuses multiple play styles and camera perspectives into a unique retro romp with a modern spin. This single-player sequel to Super Metroid continues where its predecessor left off -- where the baby Metroid gives its life to protect Aran in an epic battle with Mother Brain -- but the story sequence is now fully realized with stunning computer animation. Metroid: Other M takes place aboard the Bottle Ship, a decommissioned space facility, and it doesn’t take long for Aran to run into her old gang of Galactic Federation Army comrades while investigating strange happenings on the spacecraft.

Metroid: Other M is defnitely a good game, but gamers who enjoy the first-person view found in other Metroid games for the Wii might be disappointed with this hybrid approach. That is, while Aran and the environments are rendered in 3D, the game looks and feels like a 2D side-scroller. You will, however, occasionally change to a first-person view by pointing the Wii Remote towards the screen to blast enemies, scan items or solve puzzles. When in tighter corridors, the screen shifts to an over-the-shoulder view of Aran. As with past games, our space heroine can roam through corridors to blast away alien critters (using blasters, bombs, and missiles); turn into a ball to access hard-to-reach areas; and find ways into locked areas, be it with brute force or by scanning a nearby computer. Whether you’re a faithful Nintendo fan or simply looking for some old school action on your Wii, Metroid: Other M proves to be a blast from the past with refreshed graphics, sound, and story.