Why Metroid: Other M is MUCH Better in Japan!

Metroid: Other M might just be the most hated game in the Metroid franchise and a lot of that has to do with the portrayal of everyone's favorite bounty hunter Samus Aran. But what if I told you the game never intended to depict her that way at all? A lot of Metroid: Other M was during localization, so much so that I was able to create an entire video talking about it!
#metroid #metroidotherm #samusaran

[@Preteristboy]

That mishandling of the Head Quarantine officer's line shows how important wording is even though you're conveying similar ideas. It has the same energy as "Saying 'Forgive me Father, for I have sinned' is NOT the same as saying 'Sorry, daddy, I've been naughty.'"

[@petman515]

I love that you where able to use that joke as a legitimate way to describe a problem.

[@RayOfTruth]

It's a shame that Other M didn't have a more accurate localization.

[@PawapuroJRPGfan878]

Agreed! The game would've been better received among the Metroid fanbase.

[@Belladonna-x2c]

The difference between {"Metroid needs better localization" - can we get the Japanese version with English subtitles?} and {"Metroid requires the superior local-eye Zacian" - cool, we're getting Pokémon now!}

[@superplushroompower-up]

In Fusion though, she said that Adam calling her Lady was a sign of respect. Never thought I'd be defending Other M of all games, but I do have to point that ONE thing out.

[@Green-Lambert]

It's very much a two-fold thing in the japanese fusion script she notes he would get on her nerves by calling her lady but that his any objections Lady line was also a sign of their mutual trust since they both knew she wouldn't have any objections. Meanwhile the english version removes that nuance by having Samus say Adam made it sound dignified removing the fact she found it a bit annoying as well. Basically it was originally friendly ribbing with other m expanding that with Samus essentially doing it back with her thumbs down.

[@stormbreaker932]

@@Green-Lambert Thanks for this. I was wondering how these changes were reflected in Fusion. Very interesting!

[@Daniel_Coffman]

Speaking of respect, I also know that Samus agreeing to follow orders here despite not officially being with Commander Adam anymore is also out of Samus's own respect for him. And about Green Lambert's point on Samus's thumbs-down, it was essentially a double meaning with that friendly ribbing showing annoyance at having her gender pointed out as the only female having been in the Federation Force in any capacity alongside saying that she doesn't have any objections.

[@JarieSuicune]

The one thing you can count on with any localization: It's almost definitely botched up something important or interesting. Always check the original before making assumptions based on a localization. Another one of the worst localizations was Octopath Traveler... that "pseudo-old-English" speak was disgusting. I hated every second of it, even though H'aanit is my favorite character.

[@YourUncleBenis]

The power of a bad localization, people.

[@discobites]

With some story tweaks, other M would’ve been a great prequel. Origin of Mother Brain, Ridley PTSD from her Homeworld, Samus starting as a grunt under Adam, her quitting to become a Bounty Hunter

[@trunks2585]

I agree that there's a lot of elements that would make this work as a prequel, but there's still a lot of changes that I'd like to see made even in that case. (No need for Ridley to evolve like a pokemon, take place on zebes and not a space station, bring back item/health drops, bring in the chozo) You could even have it span the course of several years like the japanese manga did, right up to the start of metroid zero mission.

[@yuimanix5220]

I really liked the concept of a space station. In most other games you have planets. So why not doing it differently for once. The sectors worked pretty well and the morph ball shortcuts where you can see right into space have a great atmosphere.

[@Kat-Kobold]

@@yuimanix5220 Fusion did the space station setting much better

[@thefizzwizz1662]

I appreciate the discussion but I do feel the need to point out 2 very important things. 1: Samus' portrayal and characteristics in general in the west is insanely incomplete, Japan has many exclusive extended lore manga which more properly flesh out Samus' personality and character by portraying Samus as both a powerful and smart bounty hunter, but also as a very soft and caring person who simply does what she believes is right. While in the west we had... nothing. 90% of Samus' characterization in the west is fabricated by the fans to fill the gap so the subversion of our expectations in terms of who Samus is as a character is a combination of both Nintendo's fault for failing to provide better clarification of who Samus is beforehand AS WELL as the fans for building up a fictional idea of who the character is and then getting mad when we were told otherwise 2: you also seemed to forget/leave out one teensy weensy but every so crucial tiny detail, Sakamoto himself spearheaded the English translation. Considering English is not his first language, it would make sense that he probably didn't do the best job at understanding how to get across the ideas he wanted to portray to western audiences. Now of course this does not excuse the product we got at the end of the day but it does shift the perspective of how Other M came together as a product when discussing the topic as apposed to just "blaming the translation team" when they were working directly under the games director.

[@GBDupree]

about number 1. Its also REALLY unfortunate that the game the fans in the west expected to be the one that explores her character in-depth happened to be the one where she is supposed to be acting out-of-character IN-UNIVERSE! But the translation removes all context that explains she isn't acting normally, so its treated in English as her being normal, when she is an emotional mess that isn't anything at all like expected. For number 2: I agree there was likely a "resident Evil 1" type situation where a non-native speaker messes up the English, however, ever since Other M MULTIPLE games from the same localizers have been lambasted for poor translations and changes. So I think its just a very unfortunate mixing of 2 bad recipes for disaster.

[@RACH90810]

​@@GBDupreeIts maybe Sakamoto doing his translation for his English major study in university at game development.

[@Green-Lambert]

Number 2 is wrong Sakamoto did not do the translation he was only involved with the voice direction.

[@TheV8maverick]

Show me a source that Sakamoto translated the game. I seriously doubt you'll be able to find it. If he was fluent in English why does he always use translators during interviews. He did direct the English voice acting but that doesn't necessarily require one to be fluent in English or involved with translating/writing the script. Being in the room listening to the voice actors deliver their lines and giving the thumbs up or down would have sufficed and is probably what happened.

[@MaximumPayine]

I completely agree with you. Now in Dread, she has no other attributes other than being stoic making the fans think all she needs to be constantly is awesome. She might as well be a robot in her western portrayal.

[@MetroidTheorist]

Here's what Adam says to Samus regarding the Pyrosphere: Adam: "Samus, explore the area you can travel with your current equipment. I'll let you know when we know exactly what we're dealing with." About Adam's comment: Samus: "The word 'outsider' is so apt. The aftermath of this was a small sting in my heart." Also, before the Brugg Mass battle, when a small Brugg crawls out from the corpse, Lyle says, "Son of a bitch!" Regarding Adam and missile use: Anthony: "It's not good! It's not working!" Adam: "You are now authorized to use the freeze gun. Samus, you'll return fire with missiles." So technically, it's still an order. Regarding Samus being called a Lady, and hating it, it's true. She never liked it. This is even true in Metroid Fusion. Here's what Samus said: "Though somewhat lacking in delicacy, and occasionally referring to me as 'Lady' in a way that grated on my nerves . . . I decided to name that computer 'Adam', with great respect and a touch of irony." I'll leave the Ridley scene off with what I wish was in the English version. Anthony is a BAMF. Anthony: "Hey! You there, you bastard! Don't you know how to treat a lady! You insensitive jerk! You need to be taught a lesson! Come at me!" The word that is used for "bastard" here could also be translated "son of a bitch". Anthony has guts.

[@jjtheenton]

I need Anthony to return at some point. Even this game's most vitriolic haters love him.

[@isaiahkayode6526]

@@jjtheenton”You’ve got no Style” Anthony.

[@Nails077]

I think it would make more sense if her suit was on some sort of self diagnosis and repair program, and instead of being authorized to activate defensive measures, she reprioritizes the repair order or something so certain systems can come online when they are needed that way. I mean, if we are sticking to the powerups being granted when needed instead of being found as pickups.

[@GBDupree]

Or maybe the secret faction of the federation that were doing all the stuff on the bottle ship had messed with her suit, leaving it as something that legitimately wasn't working right. Maybe they could have her discover the missing data and download it like in Fusion.

[@FoxySpartan117]

Hate to be that guy....but it's literally just running off of the fact that she's full power Super Metroid. She's just switched off her gear to base power. If there is a theory I'd support I'd say it's when they. "Gave her suit a polish." I'd like to bet scan diagnostics were working to better understand her Chozo technology. Later resulting in Fusion's inferior works, only inferior for them. Not her. However Dread has displayed Federation improvements on reverse engineered Chozo technology. Thank you Exelion Star Corporation. "Cough" *Weyland Yutai*

[@darknessguide3036]

I liked the idea of MB hacking the suit and Adam stayed behind so he could restore it.

[@davidsterling7570]

We need more people talking about this!!

[@kyurei4478]

Yeah, Other M deserves a bit of justice.

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

You don't understand the issue. The problem in USA is that to begin with that culture uniquely needs load of localization, because "Americans" cringe at their own culture so readily that the slightest thing off has to be smeared over with Joss Whedon dalogue. In routine intervals people get frustrated with the current trend too and now groan at MCU "movies of their time". US culture is entirely disposable, because it's not culture, it's distraction tailor-made to a small cadre of network-consuming US citizens. Hence i quote them "Americans" because it's not a name of a country, it's deligitimizing actual 1 Billion Americans on the continent because they don't live in "republics". People's Constitutional Republic of USA, right next to Congo and Korea.

[@davidsterling7570]

@@sboinkthelegday3892 I mean I agree with what you're saying about US culture, as a colonizing one built entirely around private companies and the disintegration of ethnic identities. But like, the intentional changes to the script for the US are also the biggest parts of the script most people in the US disliked. They might not know what they want, but they clearly know what they didn't. They may have liked a more faithful adaptation despite the cultural differences highlighted here, and I'd love to see a new attempt to bring the game over, with some tweaks to gameplay and elements that the Japanese version doesn't explain well.

[@ArcueidBrunestuddo]

I mean the Japanese hated Other M, saying Samus was too childish and naive when she had always seemed physically and mentally strong, or the character direction and writing feeling very childish. Lexicon Lookout made the same video about the idea that the bad localization was why Other M was received poorly when really Other M was just fundamentally bad on both sides for different reasons.

[@therealjaystone2344]

Metroid fans when they want Samus to be a cold hearted android

[@lpfan4491]

I mean, there are a lot of japanese media that have been poorly received by japanese players, but well on the western side without any real localization inbetween. I guess those are bad now.

[@ArcueidBrunestuddo]

@@therealjaystone2344 Because that's totally how Samus acted in Dread and the Prime games right? Metroid fans don't play their own games it seems.

[@punch6482]

To be fair, the Japanese did not care for the Metroid franchise in general. Which is why it was always catered to the West

[@therealjaystone2344]

@@punch6482 thank god Microsoft never aquired that franchise

[@dirkthewrench]

Its obvious that this game didnt understand the character of Samus when they changed her from 6' 7" to like 5' 5"

[@PawapuroJRPGfan878]

Really? I didn't notice that she had gotten a bit shorter.

[@nocturnox882]

I completely agree -_-; I miss tall Samus

[@Smalltummywonderful]

6'3" actually

[@jaredlaughlin3703]

They switch between the two for some reason. Out of the suit, she seems quite shirt, but in the suit, she stands a head and shoulders above everyone else, so it didn't make much sense.

[@GamerFromJump]

Officially, she’s 6’3” out of the suit, which is tall in general but Amazonian for a woman.

[@megagrey]

I never had any issues with Samus' PTSD blankout or her agreeing to take orders. I mean, EVERY Metroid game other than Super had Samus acting on GF directives, and Super WAS confirmed to be Ridley's canonical death, so she didn't expect to ever face him again.

[@batman200]

I wish we’d get fan retranslations of all the 2d Metroid games because the English translations aren’t great in comparison.

[@thewealthypikachu1585]

Aren’t Fusion and Dread the only ones with actual dialogue though? I thought they did pretty good.

[@GBDupree]

@@thewealthypikachu1585 I don't know of any issues with Dread, but Fusion does suffer to some extent. In fact a lot of what was changed/omitted in the English of Fusion is what lead to those same mistakes in Other M which only made things worse for Other M. Besides those games, the other ones also had lore details in the instruction booklets that also had a chance to mess things up. The series from the very beginning had unfortunate translation woes (for example the Varia suit is a mistranslation, its just a Barrier suit upgrade, not intended to be seen as something much more special or even mythical like we do!). The Super Metroid Manual has a lot of detail about Phantoon omitted that directly affects our knowledge of him in Other M, him being the final boss isn't out of nowhere but a real twist that explains the plot more. Also something he didn't mention in this video, but another similar video brought up, is that Other M introduces a new aspect of the Metroids that was meant to explain both why Samus is more emotional, and why the MB robot went crazy. Basically the Metroid radiate the energy they eat from things. So they eat life energy, but also that includes the mind and emotions of the creatures or something like that. So when Samus got the Hyper Beam in Super, she absorbed all that mental energy from everything the baby ate (including Mother Brain?), this is why she was in a coma at the beginning of Other M, it took that long for her body to work through all that energy enough to even wake up, and she still had some energy to work out during the mission on the Bottle Ship. The Ship is likely called that as a reference to Bottling up your emotions.

[@lpfan4491]

@@GBDupree It is still scuffed that the manual makes it sound like Mother Brain created Phantoon, when it simply used her to cross over to the reality the games take place in. Though it is dope how Metroid 2 went with the suit being called the Barrier Suit, but the required item for it is "the Varia". If they had to stick with the mistranslation, they could have at least done that.

[@PawapuroJRPGfan878]

Who knows? Maybe we could get one day or Nintendo could remaster it and give it a script more faithful to the original. But considering how unpopular the game is with the fan base, I do not see either tow those happening, though I would be hugely surprised if Nintendo showed off the game in the next direct, which I have a feeling will might be shown in September as last year's also happened in September as well, if Nintendo so chooses to remaster this gam., But at this point, it seems pretty unlikely. Heck, even a fan translation of a the JP version has a higher chance of happening than Nintendo remastering it, Besides, I don't think they have the time or resources to commit to remastering and don't see it worth their time as they got their hands full on Metroid Prime 4, which is set to release next year. But we'll see. Metroid has had a bit of a resurgence lately and its even manage to get new fans as well.

[@lpfan4491]

@@PawapuroJRPGfan878 Nintendo never really does that. The Paper Mario 2 remake was an exception with the script being revised in all languages, but most of the remasters and remakes either have very mild changes or none at all. Besides, a lot of the issues Metroid has are with terminology and those are never updated unless it is really dire.

[@RyonTeachesMugen]

I loved Other M, it was the perfect blend of 2D and 3D in my eyes, and it played really good too.

[@slavetothecaffeine]

I only wish switching from the arm cannon to missiles wasn't so jarring, that's what made me drop it. Had it played like Dread I'd be all over it.

[@SinnohBro]

This game had so much potential but is held back by it's inadvertent defamation of the characters and disregard for important prior plot points in the series. A reimagined take on this story would be the closure that not just the fan base but Samus deserves.

[@kyurei4478]

And the negative repercussions on the franchise were terrible as people no longer want more detailed scripts nor a more in depth characterization of Samus because of 1 bad experience with Other M, which is a bit silly all things considered.

[@javiervasquez625]

​@@kyurei4478 I mean after 20 years of a silent protagonist with a stoic, badass personality who can take down anything that comes her way and complete the mission without uttering a single word it's difficult for the fandom to detach themselves from such an iconic portrayal which has sustained the franchise all the way up to Dread. Personally, i wouldn't mind getting a "Other M 2" as it would allow the lovely Jessica Martin to play the role of Samus once more yet seeing how staunchly commited the fandom has become when it comes to the stoic badass Samus from the earlier games i feel it's very unlikely we'll ever get a more story-driven title any time in the coming future.

[@robertwyatt3912]

Also it not being structured like a metroidvania, but instead like a linear action game

[@PawapuroJRPGfan878]

Definitely!

[@kyurei4478]

@@javiervasquez625 Well, problem is it's precisely not giving her a personality but only an attitude. It's also living in the past as voice acting is a natural progression for expanding a video game franchise. It's expected from modern games to see her talking jus like people would want it from Link in the Legend of Zelda for example. Why should they detach from this portrayal though as stoic and badass doesn't imply not talking AT ALL and actually has little to do with it, from many examples. That makes her feel more or less like an empty shell of a protagonist with untapped potential after 20 long years. That can reveal to be pretty boring or lacking for a fandom, especially when you like a character and would expect more. Moreover, even though she didn't directly speak, she already received few lines of dialogue like in Fusion for example. Maybe this way of conveying her portrayal is the reason that prevented the sells to be better since the existence of the franchise if the games are good. It can make Samus appear as an uninteresting generic soldier or a robot. Understanding a character's thoughts matters to be engaged with their personality. Otherwise there just isn't material for doing so. I wouldn't mind myself Samus staying mostly quiet, but there is a bare minimum to make the personality of a character valuable. I think a Other M 2 should just be directed way better in term of execution. Samus not talking had more to do with technical hardware limitations than with an intentional portrayal. The portrayal Nintendo tried to give her was ironically more the one we got from Other M that got rejected so passionately. But it doesn't mean they shouldn't try to give Samus one again but maybe more toward the quiet and badass style because what the fandom currently has is more just a shadow of an actual personality fantasized by the fandom over more than 20 years of Metroid games. A personality is reflexion, intelligence, emotions and tastes, not just being quiet and skilled. A robot can do that interestingly. For a series like Metroid, realism is important. So I think it's definitely possible we'll have a more story driven game again, just handled better this time. Cause it's more ambitious and how Metroid can gain more popularity. For this reason, I think it's almost bound to happen at some point like it has been for basically any more story oriented franchise.

[@ankd956]

Holy crap! Someone needs to make a redub fast!

[@Yui-Chan9124]

Regarding the authorizations, there's one moment I really liked: During the fight against Queen Metroid, you get swallowed at some point. During that moment, I found it awesome that you as a player are intuitively charging up a power bomb and kill Queen Metroid with it - even though Adam said at the very beginning that there are no plans to authorize power bombs and Samus didn't activate them on her own either (not before the Queen Metroid fight at least).

[@AICW]

Really? All I see are people bitching about how "oh NOW the game decides to let me off the leash without telling me!" complaints about how they kept getting killed over and over again because nobody thought to use a Power Bomb.

[@Hypershell]

Actions speak louder than words. I never understood why fans claim Samus to not be acting of her own accord when she only had TWO things to turn off in the first place (Missiles and Bombs). Everything else, she left off herself before she even knew Adam was on the ship. You always have to keep an open mind when looking at a script that wasn't originally in English. Being a Mega Man fan who had to correct in his head for such gems as "Reploid Research Lavatory," I so habitually consider tone and emphasis to be flexible that a lot of these translation differences come off as trivial. Even the "Lady" thing, considering that Samus obviously has mixed feelings in both versions, and also faces similar teasing from Anthony, who she is otherwise on good terms with. Besides melodramatic delivery I also had no issue with Ian; I thought the game presented Samus as someone who matured in her perception while still holding to her original principles. In short, her actions communicated to me EXACTLY what this video describes the Japanese script as (and even in English she does assert herself in monologue while reminiscing with Anthony, that if it happened again, she would risk herself to save someone else, because it's who she is). And I love the Ridley battle. Thing about mental anxiety is that there is such a thing as being caught off-guard. The "Pokemon evolution" approach exists specifically to keep Ridley's appearance a surprise, not only to Samus but to Adam and the scientists as well. The Space Pirates in Other M are stated to be no more, so there should be no one left to clone Ridley. Samus thought she'd closed that chapter of her life, only for him to reappear by freak accident. Where the scene faltered was metaphorically shifting Samus's appearance to a child. This is not a common trope in the west (and may be falsely likened to the cartoon image of shrinking in your seat when your boss is chewing you out), and the scene would have been much better served with a full-on flashback, more akin to the commercial.

[@Mystro256]

Theres actualy a japanese sub mod for other m out there where it attempts to convert back to japanese and add newly translated subtitles. If you apply that mod, plus grab the bgm files from the maxximum edition mod, pop it in an emulator so you can use a joystick instead of the dpad for controls (you can look up guides online), enable the gameplay cheat codes recommended by maxximum, and it's a way better experience.

[@DarkLink1996.]

"Much" is stretching it, I'd say. There's still the PTSD attack, made even more confusing with M:SR. Manga or no, it had been demonstrated multiple times that the trauma was something she had moved on from. Adam still shoots Samus when she's about to be attacked by a METROID, on the assumption the maybe he could freeze baby unfreezable Metroids. Greatest military mind, everyone. Samus still accomplishes jack-all. Ridley was killed by the Queen, Melissa killed the Deleter, Adam destroys Neo-Tourian, the GF Army killed Melissa, and Anthony saved Madeline. Samus' biggest accomplishment here is saving Anthony ONCE.

[@GBDupree]

I think the Adam shooting thing is still part of the translation issues, as his involvement in the experiments is different in the 2 languages, so that scene might play out very differently depending on what he is actually saying (for instance he's likely lying about the unfreezable Metroids because he is keeping secrets from Samus). Its still a poorly directed scene that I'm sure is confusing either way. I'd assume that M:SR didn't portray the PTSD specifically because of the backlash against it, that or for gameplay pacing reasons since that game isn't cutscene heavy. Had Other M been more popular, they may have referenced it (though still only quickly for pacing reasons). In the original Japanese the story has a much larger impact on the lore than we got. It reveals an aspect of the Metroids that both explains MB becoming emotional, and Samus becoming unstably emotional. And then it was also revealing that Phantoon was behind it all. The problem is that in English Phantoon seems to come out of nowhere, when he is meant to be a reveal that explains everything simply for being there, but the context is missing. This is because the translation of the Super Metroid Manual omits the part that Phantoon is basically a lovecraftian projection of Mother Brain. Possibly the true form that exists in our reality only because of its connection through Mother Brain. Or, something like that. Basically, Mother Brain was behind everything in Other M I think. Watch "the Other M that never was" to see the translation issues in more detail.

[@DarkLink1996.]

@@GBDupree I didn't say the game has no impact on the lore. I said Samus has no impact on Other M's story.

[@lpfan4491]

I like Other M more than I dislike it, but yeah. That Ridley just...dies like a scrub after Samus gets Adam's dying order to get rid of him was...a big anti-climax. We definitly should have gotten that rematch, like what's the point of building up to a bossfight that never happens?

[@GBDupree]

@@DarkLink1996. Oh, sorry, my bad. I still think there might be some meaningful impact from her that is missing all context in the English version though. But I don't know everything about the Japanese version. Best I can surmise is that Samus at least destroyed the Metroid Queen, and stopped the ship from crashing into the Galactic Federation Homeworld, and killed Phantoon, who was apparently behind it all, because in Japan its known that Phantoon is a part of Mother Brain (like a ghost or something, maybe the true eldritch form as the Other M concept art seems to imply?).

[@DarkLink1996.]

@GBDupree What does destroying the Metroid Queen accomplish, exactly? It was already locked up before Madeline freaked out and released it. It wasn't even an unfreezeable variety. It has already been established in Super that Metroids can be used for peaceful purposes, for the good of galactic civilization, that's why Samus didn't seem to upset about the lab in Fusion. An unmodified Queen would be perfect for peaceful research. Anthony stopped the ship. Not Samus. Phantoon... is not well understood in any version. The Japanese version had him show up out of nowhere just like the English version. As far as I'm aware, the Phantoon/Mother Brain connection was only ever a fan theory based on their similar appearance.

[@orangeslash1667]

I think the story would be much better if it ignored the timeline. Setting the story between Super and Fusion sounds too restrictive.

[@jasonkeith2832]

If they made it a prequel about her time as a Galactic Federation trooper, it would fix a number of issues the story has, as well as give a narrative bridge from when she left the Chozo to her being the bounty hunter we get in Metroid/Zero Mission.

[@eonamiella2124]

I've seen videos about the Japanese version and the localization differences and while I agree that the localization is much worse I'm also glad you don't act like the Japanese version just fixes everything, because the game's writing and justification for things is still pretty shaky. It's perplexing seeing how badly they messed this game up, because it feels like it's had big repercussions for modern Metroid games like Dread. The series now seems almost afraid to let her speak at all or go back to the unsuited endings, Samus Returns is the last time they were really there and that was a remake. Dread diluted her character entirely to just stoic and cool which felt really inconsistent with her portrayal in Fusion. It feels like Metroid has swung hard in the opposite direction when imo it needs to be more in the middle. Don't be afraid to let Samus speak and be expressive, but keep her within character, she's not a super talkative person but shouldn't be so silent either. Likewise, too many people are bitter about Samus' over sexualization in fanart so they've grown to hate the unsuited endings, which is a shame because Samus Returns did such a good job of keeping them while keeping them tasteful, most Metroid games do. Samus is a character of contrast and her more modern depictions have lost that a little after Other M imo.

[@lpfan4491]

Dread's story is overrated. People sing it all the praises when it is a mishmash between "recycle plotpoints and premise from Fusion"(What people hated about Other M btw, except that made more contextual sense honestly), "most fanficy writing in the series" and your complaint.

[@eonamiella2124]

@@lpfan4491 Yeah...I think Dread following up on the effects of the metroid vaccine was amazing, but the story feels a little like it's missing something sometimes. Especially with how abrupt the ending is, there's not even an explanation for how or why ZDR suddenly blew up. Unlike Fusion we never get to see Samus' thoughts on anything, her speaking Chozo and going full rage mode was cool yeah but she feels so...blank in Dread. Yes the game does a great job of establishing who she is based on body language but where's the introspective Samus from Fusion? I miss those elevator segments where we got to know what she was thinking, Adam/Raven Beak won't shut up through the whole story so I wish it was just more consistent with her portrayal in Fusion. I mean we have the first living Chozo and she barely says anything to him, has little to no reaction from seeing him killed, doesn't say anything to Raven Beak despite him being a donor and her "father". I'm not saying making her like a marvel character but why do people always go to either extreme with her. She barely feels like a character in Dread, compared to Fusion which made some steps to flesh her out more

[@RTU130]

🤔

[@AICW]

@@eonamiella2124 I actually agreed with that Kotaku article that came out a few weeks after Dread's release that Samus "needed to smile more" (as it was mocked for) or to put it more nuanced, she needed to show more emotions. I made the mistake of saying that on r/metroid and they basically flamed me out of there. Geez that subreddit is ground zero for the "we want Doom Slayer Samus" and "fuck Zero Suit endings" sentiment that pervades the fanbase.

[@Sagegabs]

Meh, I played this game when I was too young to understand narratives. I focused on gameplay and graphics and to me this game succeeds in that area.

[@wariodude128]

Good video. Hey, since we're on the topic of off-brand/spinoff Metroid games at the end there, maybe the topic of your next video could be about how Wario Land 3 is a secret Metroid game. Playing Fusion made me think of Wario Land 3, which is my top game of all time, and I do think a case could be made.

[@EnigmaHood]

Other M gets way too much hate. It wasn't a bad game, it got good reviews, but due to groupthink and revisionist history (and honestly bad research by KZbinrs), people think it got bad reviews. Other M had major flaws, aside from the story, controlling the game with the D-pad was stupid, the linear game structure was a mistake, enemies should have dropped health and missile pickups, and dodging should have been a button with a cooldown. But despite its flaws, the one thing that it did right, was the 3rd person perspective. Metroid in 3D should have been a 3rd person game from the start, in fact Retro wanted to make a 3rd person Metroid game, it was Miyamoto that insisted it be 1st person. So they finally made the 3rd person Metroid game that everyone wanted, and... everyone hated it. But not because of the 3rd person perspective, but because of all the other stuff. But because of all the hate Other M gets, Nintendo is far more risk adverse to ever trying that formula again, but they should. I think Other M should be remastered, fix all the problems I mentioned, fix the problems with the story (and yes they can be fixed). There have been remasters that "fixed" bad or flawed games before, Nightdive Studios is awesome at that. Maybe they can do it?

[@kyurei4478]

Ikr. It's so exaggerated it doesn't even make sense.

[@PrimepediaYT]

I do agree it's a bit of a shame Other M ended up as hated as it has become. It did a lot of things right that could've really pushed Metroid into the future/modern era faster than it has ended up doing. That said, I do think it's at the bottom end of Metroid titles, but that says more about the rest of the games than Other M really

[@gamble777888]

It didn't get "bad" reviews. But it did get mixed reviews. I think it was in the high 70s-low 80s in the aggregators, both for critics and users. It was a very anticipated game for Metroid fans and with how high the bar had been set for with basically every single game in the franchise being an instant classic, it was viewed as a big disappointment within that context. Perhaps not a bad game in a vaccum, but compared to the rest of the games in the series clearly the weakest link (at least as far as consensus is concerned). Fair or not, games that release from legendary franchises are held to different standards, Other M is not the first solid game to get more hate than it deserved. Look at Super Mario Sunshine, Skyward Sword, the later Paper Mario games, Minish Cap... non Nintendo examples - Dark Souls 2 (though this one was universally praised when it released it's now the consensus "bad" souls game) - Deus Ex - Mankind Divided, Mass Effect 3 etc.

[@EnigmaHood]

@@gamble777888 It has a 79 average on Metacritic, that's a good aggregate score. Out of 71 reviews, only 17 were considered "mixed". Other M wasn't even the worst Metroid game, Prime Hunters, Prime Federation Force were worse. While I like Metroid 1 and 2, I wouldn't exactly say that Other M is worse than those two either. They're old games, and are pretty different. I personally don't think the game is disappointing, but the sales definitely were disappointing, and the fan backlash was even worse, mostly because of a vocal minority. I never heard Minish Cap getting hate, that game was awesome. Time has been much kinder to Sunshine, and has gotten some much deserved love in recent times, thanks in part to speedrunning. I think Hitman Absolution gets a lot of underserved hate, that game was excellent.

[@gamble777888]

​@@EnigmaHood Never said 79 isn't a good score, just saying relative to every other Mainline Metroid game, it was the worst reviewed by a significant margin, which is a fact. (Prime Hunters second worst reviewed at 85) User scores were much worse, and much more mixed (6.7 overall , with 46% of the 630 scores being 7 or below). The immediate consensus was that it was a divisive game that disappointed many, not just a vocal minority. That consensus is still true today. Most of the ideas implemented were scrapped and never seen again. Comparing it to the ancient classics, keep in mind that without the original Metroid there is literally no "Other M", the same is not true in reverse. Without Metroid II the story of all mainline 2D Metroid games and many staple features like the Space Jump, Varia Suit, and weapon refills would be drastically different or missing. Remove Other M from existence and the franchise is still almost identical. So while many won't love Metroid I and II as pure games today, (heck even at the time both had big-time flaws), no one is questioning their importance or place not just within the franchise but video game history in general, while Other M is more of a curiosity, forgotten or ignored altogether by most, with just an extremely small number of niche fans that care about or defend it today. And that's not to shit on the game, but it's just a fact.

[@LoftyThoughtsInTheDesert]

I think I'd have a good workaround for the Pyrosphere. Samus' upgrades are a strain on the suit and needs time to repair itself every so often. Samus took to exploring the area because of the objective despite the risks of her own volition. Adam: "The Pyrophere's temperatures reach into the high hundreds Fahrenheit. Status on the Varia Suit?" Samus: "Still recharging. Going in anyways." When the point is reached where Adam would usually "authorize" the suit, maybe instead ask Adam: "Samus. Status on the Varia Suit?" Samus: "Online. Activating now." Just a little more agency! Sheesh!

[@wrangler212]

I've looked over the Other M story a few times and thought that everything for awesomeness was there, but the delivery needed some serious help. Even the PTSD scene would have worked if properly set up and foreshadowed in the narrative, which could have easily been facilitated by a conversation between Samus and Anthony. Sakamoto had all the good ideas but needed a developmental editor to help him smooth out the narrative. And those mistranslations just made it worse. I'd love a chance to revamp the story and dialog in Other M. It could stay true to Sakamoto's vision while landing far better with the players/audiences. Although even after a redraft, the PTSD scene will probably still be met with cringe because it was so poorly presented the first time that it would still have a nasty stigma attached to it.

[@GBDupree]

Exactly, the stigma attached is the primary reason the PTSD scene failed to the degree that it would be very hard for people to accept going forward. I also believe that people are intentionally being bad faith when talking about it due to their heavy bias against Other M. For instance, a lot of people have said that the reason it bothers them is because she never had a PTSD episode in any other prior games, even though those games rarely had cutscenes to allow for that anyways (If they had come up with the idea of her having PTSD all the way back in the 80s/90s, they still likely would have only mentioned it in supplemental material). But the reason they bring that up is because their distaste for Other M is so strong that they can't accept this new addition to the lore and use it having contradicted previous games as proof it can't be canon. HOWEVER, had Other M been a very well received game, they would have no real issue with the PTSD, they wouldn't complain that it contradicts the previous games, rather they would instead express how cool it would have been to see that accurately portrayed in the old games retroactively. I can even prove this, to a degree, because the Metroid Manga is the actual first time this element was added to the series, and that manga has a much better reception than Other M (somehow, it has a lot of the same issues frankly), and no one complained about the PTSD, and even tried to defend its portrayal in Other M at first because it was a popular aspect of the manga. Also the Prime games don't connect 100% perfectly with the main series, but fans will often consciously create headcanon to fix these issues. So I think that is enough proof that people would have been far more willing to accept a lot of elements of Other M's story, had they worked better and were portrayed properly. Its not the idea, its the execution.

[@sintanan469]

I've read the original vision for Other M was supposed to be Samus' first time in the field as part of the Federation. It was originally going to be a prequel before she was a bounty hunter from when she was around 18 years old. Being an unbloodied soldier, someone that hasn't come to terms with her past, someone using a gifted suit of alien tech she never field tested.. It would make so much more sense. But from what I've heard there was a push mid-development to include the Baby in the story and so things had to be shifted from a prequel to end of the timeline

[@zettovii1367]

​@@GBDupree Think the reason people are more willing to accept the PTSD in the manga as opposed to Other M, is because the manga was a prequel to the first game. The trauma of losing her parents to Ridley was a whole more fresh, and Samus was still a rookie, so mistakes and fear seems understandable. But in Other M Samus is supposed to be a seasoned veteran, one who already not only overcome the trauma of Ridley in the past, but should also have gotten used to him always coming back by that point. It just doesnt make much narrative sense for her to be terrified in that way.

[@GBDupree]

@@zettovii1367 Similarly, Prime is a prequel to Super Metroid. Yet in that game Ridley is normal and healthy, while in Prime he is barely alive, held together by electronics and machinery. But people were very forgiving of this seeming contradiction, coming up with various ways this could work. Most people assumed that Ridley just somehow regrows the missing body parts before Super takes place. because how else would it work? This situation only got WORSE in Prime 3, where not only is he not all that much more healed than before, but the game ends with him being blown up and turned into literal dust. The best you can figure is that he turned into pure phazon, but soon after Samus destroys phaaze which destroys all Phazon in the universe, meaning all the Phazon particles that are left of Ridley die off too. It is quite possibly the MOST definitive death a character can possibly have, and this is right before his next canonical appearance being him in his Prime (hehe) healthy body. Despite this, people were exceptionally forgiving of this because they enjoyed the game. My point is that the excuse that Samus couldn't be scared because this was after several other moments involving Ridley doesn't really matter, because had Other M had the reception the Prime games got, then they would be willing to believe in this retroactive element involving Ridley, just like Meta-Ridley. Most people wouldn't even bother saying that the previous games didn't show her having PTSD because everyone already is aware that this is a new element to the story, and thus didn't get a chance to be depicted in previous games, and that's alright because Super didn't have any reference to Meta-Ridley either. But if someone did point this out, many people would then make up excuses and headcanons to fix this, just like Ridley having super healing abilities. One of the most obvious explanations is that with real PTSD it doesn't just go away because you've seen your trigger several times before. It really is just that simple, it really is realistic for her to still be bothered by it. The only reason people don't want to believe that, is because Other M is so bad that the fanbase at large is unwilling to give it an inch, and so people get attached to any concept that tears it down, even if it isn't really accurate. but if they really loved it, they would do anything they can to make it make sense.

[@zacharyjohnson9282]

This game was great. Take it for what it is and enjoy the fantastic gameplay and engaging story.

[@M1XART]

I was on stuck on this linear game, until i managed to trigger cut -scene to proceed. However, i must say that combat & platforming is stunning for 3th person 3D -game. Other M really manages to convert 2D Metroid playcontrol into 3D. While game is sort of missed opportunity, it's must have for every WII owner.

[@TachyBunker]

It's definitely something that would have shifted the consensus for the long-term reception here. Great video! Btw i'm preparing a metroid prime 4 fan song, but actually fusing the source synths and styles of both Metroid Prime (Yamamoto) and Hunters (Schwedler).

[@PrimepediaYT]

Thanks! And sounds cool, good luck with that!

[@Xile179]

Idk man, this was the first metroid game i played when i was 10 and it was one of the greatest games i played at the time. I put it there with metroid prime and dread

[@huashohan7197]

I've always loved other m, and that includes its exploration of samus as a character. Despite what the fandom likes to claim, they definitely did not ever want samus to be potrayed as anything but a silent protagonist, as that would interfere with the headcannons they have about her. But really, after all she's been through, it seems realistic to me that she would carry emotional baggage and has a lot of room to grow as a person.

[@yuimanix5220]

Thank you for this comment. I 100% agree with you😁👍

[@uroy8371]

I still like Oter M. The gameplay is simple enough, fun and difficult, the dodge and charge, the grab kills. Now I like it even more.

[@jeff-ep3wh]

you are wrong other m does not take place after dread and fusion , other m take place after super metroid and before fusion and dread

[@TheGreenLightningMRT]

Thank you for this. I'm a big fan of Other M from a game play stand point, but recognize that there are issues with the storyline. This video has really helped me to understand why some of these issues exist. I don't down right hate the way she was depicted, but found it very inconsistent with how she is portrayed in the previous Metroid games. This was my favorite of the Metroid games (then Dread blew it out of the park) for its gameplay and had the most fun playing it on my initial playthrough out of all the other Metroids. I was shocked when I learned how badly it had been received. Helped to explain why I had completely missed the existence of this game for so long. It was kinda shoved under the rug. I still love the feel of this game even with how weird the story was.

[@brucekent3131]

I'm the only one who loved this game and wants a remake or re-release! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@tidalboxer]

Nope. I love it too. The controls were wonky done, but I didn’t feel like her character was childish at all.

[@Daniel_Coffman]

I still want to play it sometime, myself. From what little I did play, I didn't think it was *too* terrible in the gameplay department other than the kind of clunky controls, but there is definite potential in a remake. Bad games or games that aren't received well regardless of whether or not they were actually objectively "bad" really should be remade in general, if they had potential. I also have no problem with a "soft" Samus. What people don't seem to get is that bad-a's can, and I think really should be emotional characters and not just robots. The main problem that I have is that while a seemingly emotionless voice is seen as a sign of strength in Japan, that doesn't very well translate in English where we tend to be far more emotionally open; regardless of some fools in society insisting that men should never cry or any crap like that.

[@tidalboxer]

@@Daniel_Coffman it’s odd. I didn’t see ANY of the voice action issues. Samus’ voice is a little flat toned, but I love the voice they picked and I don’t mind the flatness. It’s reserved and I viewed it as just being more professional and actually a little on the quiet and damaged from her past. That was compounded by her fear of Ridley. There’s a good focus on her past. I don’t think it shows weakness to have fear. Having fear is instinct. It doesn’t mean you’re a coward in the face of fear. Because she’s not. She faces him. So I think all that is just garbage from basement dwellers wanting her to be a mommy dominatrix figure with no fear. Thats my take on the hate. As for the wonky controls? Yes! That’s messy. It’s just done horribly. There’s also a few times you’re looking for visual queues that just aren’t there. Like a game will highlight something you need to look closer at. That’s done VERY poorly in spots and can be frustrating. But none of these things killed the game for me. I loved the story and most of the play.

[@Daniel_Coffman]

@@tidalboxer Yeah, my problem with the voice wasn't so much with the voice itself nor even the direction or the VO culture difference, but how I'm not sure if they really could have translated such a VO culture difference any better. I never did sense much reservedness from Samus, myself, but it does make a heck of a lot of sense for her to be reserved and to have PTSD. And exactly on the point of fear, as well; bravery is not the absence of fear, but action taken in spite of it.

[@ProLaytonxPhoenix]

Does not change how I feel about Other M's story (I had HIGH hopes for it. Especially regarding what the "other M" was) but i very much appreciate your video. I'll look at Other M a little different now.

[@PrimepediaYT]

Thanks!

[@jonathanplooij3666]

great video

[@PrimepediaYT]

Thanks!

[@JarieSuicune]

As a fan of Other M since my first playthrough... I can only say I'm glad I was already importing my games by then. I never suffered the terrible localization, which left me to enjoy the game as it was meant to be. I, at least, quite enjoyed the game.

[@joercagu2]

Less bad doesn't mean is good, but something is something

[@PrimepediaYT]

That is definitely true! But better is better!

[@kyurei4478]

And not as bad is not as bad 😁.

[@tidalboxer]

I speak highly of Other M. It’s a great game. Samus is allowed to be triggered by Ridley. I never understood why people think fear equates to being incapable or childish. It’s doesn’t mean she’ll lose. It just means there’s history there. I loved seeing the softer, caring, emotional side of Samus. I thought the whole game was pretty good minus the awkward controls.

[@shiroamakusa8075]

Nope, Samus is completely panic-stricken and incapable of acting to the point that it costs Antony his life for all she knows. She's defeated Ridley half a dozen times by this point and two of these occasions had him in a vastly enhanced state he's lacking now. She should absolutely NOT suffer any sort of panic attacks at this point. It's RIDLEY who should considering every time he faced Samus he was either grievously wounded or outright killed.

[@tidalboxer]

@@shiroamakusa8075 totally disagree. Fear is instinctual and I refuse to think Samus isn’t still fearful sometimes. Especially if surprised. Mistakes in times of fear happen and I think that plausible with anyone. Even Samus.

[@Matt-vx1mz]

I don't care about the japanese version, to me the game is perfectly fine even in the western localization, the truth that nobody wants to admit is that people hated it simply because it wasn't another Prime game. This is more like a mainline/2D Metroid ported in 3D.

[@Densoro]

These differences are huge! I wonder if I can find an English-subtitled let's play of the Japanese script, and give this game another chance. EDIT: Confirmed. And it’s so much better than the version we got in America.

[@dis_inferno9173]

I can give you a link

[@Densoro]

@@dis_inferno9173 I found a really good ‘cutscene movie’ :D ty for offering tho X3

[@kurokamina8429]

Wow, did the same localization team that did Star Fox Command work on this game?

[@eilegz]

For me the best 3d metroid game, Sakamoto had a vision and people just hate it. Anyways the biggest downfall its trying to appeal the filler prime with the crappy FPS mechanics that for me its thje only con of the game the forced FP to use super missile, it didnt help that it had to fit to work on the wii mote. This game deserve a proper remake over the PRIME filler.

[@aqua_the_snek]

I personally love Metroid other M, it did stuff differently. which made it sorta feel fresh. i always went into the game as like, we dont know what we are dealing with, so dont go launching nukes just yet. so slowly allowing more and more of her arsenal made sense as the situation is evolving

[@daniel8181]

Would people stop with the authorization bit? Not allowing a contractor to use specific tools in an engagement without prior approval of the commanding officer is normal. It doesn't matter that she isn't military, she is paid by them, its their site. Why does everyone feel the need to point this most logical thing in the game out? If you don't believe me, try contracting for a military and just fuck around the base instead, see how that goes. Shes not batman, shes a bounty hunter, she gets paid to do these things BY THE FEDERATION

[@crobinson2624]

I’m pretty sure Federation Force takes the crown for most disliked Metroid game.

[@2yoyoyo1Unplugged]

Even if it didn’t deserve it. It was terrible timing to release a spinoff game, so it never had a chance.

[@tonystank3091]

For very different reasons. Other M, for its portrayal of Samus among other things, and Federation Force, for being a spinoff at a time when the series needed a mainline game.

[@vaguerant]

I think following Other M hurt it as well. It was a franchise desperately in need of a return to form which got a quirky multiplayer handheld spinoff instead. It didn't do enough to wash the bad taste of Other M away.

[@TheDahveeed]

I'm a fan that speaks highly of it. I bought it at launch and loved it but hadn't played it since. Well now I just played it again two months ago and still loved it. There are definitely some valid criticisms but I actually think the atmosphere and music are great, the 2D/3D mix is brilliant, and the story (minus a few bits here and there) is pretty good and lends itself to that horror feeling. Also love the environment design and the connections to Fusion. Is it perfect or the best in the series? No of course not. It's not even my favorite. But it's still really good. Should Samus absorb things like normal? Yes. Is her voice absurdly robotic? Yes. Did they botch the upgrade path by just having Adam control it? Yes but at least it *almost* makes sense via story. I don't think as a whole though that Samus was mischaracterized. There's some crappy dialogue for sure and the plot itself could probably have been handled a bit better. But overall the experience is great and it's a solid entry. Would give anything for a Switch port the way Skyward Sword got one: HD and bypasses motion if you want

[@dis_inferno9173]

Finally someone spoken about this!!! There's also a lot of details that you didn't talked about and how it's changes overall meaning of the story. But yeah, keep it strong, brother! Truth will prevail!

[@ToddMa09]

If I were ever put in charge of the Metroid franchise for some reason, my first order of business would be to retcon this game 🤣

[@GodofBarista]

ok i can understand that the script is one of the biggest narrative downfalls but that still doesn't change some of the really weird decisions the made like, you fighting nightmare

[@TMan978]

I loved other m. The game play was highly addicting to me and fun. The only thing I didn't like was walking through the corridors very slowly.

[@tidalboxer]

I loved it. The controls were wonky with the switching directions, but the story was great imo. I don’t think she was portrayed poorly at all.

[@OP10thNakama]

Even with the Japanese plot I just feel that the time line in which Samus acts is disengenious to what has already been established. In the Time line of Other M The events that have alrady occured are: samus infiltration of Zebes to fight the Metroids of Mother brain, The entire PRIME trilogy where she has saved an entire planet, Killed off the entire Metroid species, and defeated Mother Brain AGAIN. In all these games she has battled monsters and Ridley multiple times and Other M is going to show "traumatized" samus to the players... like yeah ok. I will admit that the Japanese script fixes adam and samus' relationship and makes it more consistent to what we know in Fusion and Dread but her reaction to Ridley was pretty bonkers. If they shoved the game's timeline to even before the first game to back when samus was a relatively fresh bounty hunter and they adopted the japanese script I actually believe Other M is a decent entry to the Metroid games. Imagine a young, talented, rebelious, and over confident Samus, learns from a less talented but far more experinced soldier, Adam. The relationship would have started of not as a father figure (she already has her chozo family for that) but more so a wise teacher that would eventually become equals (morally and ethically) through the events of Fusion and Dread.

[@Green-Lambert]

@@OP10thNakama Something to consider with Samus ptsd is that recent trauma can exacerbate old ptsd symptoms like for example Zebes the childhood home she grew up on being blown up and lost forever. Or the baby Metroid she got attached to being killed protecting her. Essentially her recent trauma reopened old wounds she had dealt with previously and she got caught of guard as result.

[@OP10thNakama]

@Green-Lambert while there is a real world scenario that could explain what she went through I have a few issues with it. 1. The trigger of her PTSD is an enemy she's seen, fought and won against 3 times already. 2. The enemy that brought Samus to her knees wasn't even Ridley it was mother brain. If she were to regress back to her feelings of helplessness then the most likely enemy to trigger it would be mother brain from Super where even with all her training and enhancements left her closest to her helplessness when she was a child. 3 we were told she is one of the most accomplished bounty hunters in the galaxy. And a respected being even amongst the federation, given information we received from the prime series. Once you combine all her accomplishments and battles we know about. And this was against an enemy she had faced multiple times. Unless there was sufficient build up of her deteriorating PTSD state then it doesn't make sense story wise for her to suddenly experience that. What we received was a poor execution of suspense building at the expense of Samus' character. Its like imagine Batman suddenly experiencing a similar PTSD attack after years of fighting crime, all from witnessing a murder of a couple. Imagine him falling to the ground, the killer aiming right at him, all for someone else coming in to save him. No build up just suddenly happens out of nowhere one night.

[@Green-Lambert]

@@OP10thNakama Maybe i didn't explain things properly i am saying Samus had a good handle on her ptsd before super metroid. And that the trauma she experiences in super worsened her previous symptoms she had a good handle on in regards to Ridley. Essentially experiencing new trauma can cause one to go through a period of heightened sensibility and renewed vulnerability to old traumatic memories. And when one experiences a traumatic event it's long term effects doesn't always manifest immediately after it can take anywhere from a couple of hours to even several months before symptoms start to show themselves. The opening of other m does also show us that Samus is already experiencing atleast one of the possible symptoms of ptsd a couple of hours after super in the med bay with her even directly saying she was reliving the tragic moments of the events in super in her dreams which is one of the common symptoms of ptsd. I've actually been thinking of taking another look through other m's story after i have done some more research on ptsd to see how many other places in the story she shows possible signs of it. Now this doesn't mean it was communicated well in the story the example in the med bay i gave is something i only realized after checking what symptoms ptsd usually have. So even if there are symptoms in other places they were likely done far to subtly for most people to notice since most people probably don't even know how ptsd works in any real depth.

[@HiroZeroVirus]

so about the PTSD scene with Ridley... at the time of Other M's creation, Prime was still debated internally as to if it were cannon, so it is entirely possible that scene was created with it not. that puts the Fights, and defeats of Ridley at 2. but even if you do consider it cannon, that only makes 4, not 7. Furthermore, it is possible to consider that the NES Metroid battle did not result in his death, but we know the SNES did. Imagine having 3 of the hardest battles of your life, but the glimmer of hope being that every time, less and less of the original monster remain, only to, on the 4th believe him dead for good. just to turn around and realize that the very people you are working with cloned a brand new one, so now the cycle can begin again. But this time, instead of him watching her grow from a child to an adult, she watched him. Realizing that this puffball she had been chasing was the lizard that attacked her, and then would become that which strikes the biggest nerve for her. Adam sacrificing his brother was the reason why she left the Federation, but Ridley "killing" hers was the very reason she joined.

[@Giggles_iJest]

LEMME GUESS Japanese to English translation went so bad, as usual, that the version we got is the trashier version as a result *post-video-watch edit:* Yep.

[@GBDupree]

Another thing this video didn't explore, but another one on this topic did, is that the translators also somehow removed all the context of what happened with the metroids and MB, and how that explains Samus being more emotional. It was revealed in the Japanese script that the Metroids eat more than just the life force, but also the mental energies (or however you'd call it), of its victims. They tend to radiate this energy, which lead to the MB robot seemingly gaining sentience due to becoming emotional (and also Phantoon was involved in some way). However, Samus ALSO absorbed this energy when she absorbed the Super Metroid and got the Hyper Beam. This huge amount of mental energy is why she was in a coma until waking up at the beginning of Other M, and her working through all of it is why she is unusually emotional and off. Video was called "the Other M that never was" if you want an in-depth explanation of the translation problems.

[@DarkBlade6690]

Oh my God, how come I'm just now realizing that the acronym for the title is MOM 😩 what is up with this acronyms appearance in titles it's gotten ridiculous.

[@renegaderaven3777]

The story left a lot to be desired, and I didn’t care for it. But I did legitimately like the game play. I like how agile and powerful Samus feels in this one. Dodging attacks and man handling enemies for finishing blows was pretty fun. Even managed to get 100% completion.

[@KingdomHeartsBrawler]

Even if it's better than English, it's still not good. Samus is petulant and whiny, and she would NEVER act the way she does, both in the time the story takes place AND in her own flashbacks. It's like this game completely forgot that Samus was raised as a Chozo warrior-philosopher. Samus's conflicts in Other M should be more pensive and reflective. Have her think about her actions regarding the Metroid extermination and the fact that Zebes (her former home and a bastion of Chozo society) is now completely gone. I'd imagine Samus being more like a mix of Ripley, Spock, Picard, and Batman rather than your stereotypical female lead.

[@dis_inferno9173]

She's not whiny, c'mon.

[@doublea125]

"The Samus we know" The Samus you know doesn't speak. Criticisms of the character pretty much boil down to interfering with the fanbase's headcannon, in both this game and Fusion.

[@Daniel_Coffman]

What I can say about Samus's PTSD getting triggered merely by Ridley's presence is that PTSD is an extremely hard thing to live down. Yeah, one would think that having beaten Ridley 7 times to that point would at least be some form of "exposure therapy," but that, coming from someone who likely hasn't experienced anything like that, might possibly be severely downplaying how big of a deal PTSD actually is and how crippling it can actually be. I don't mean that as any form of rudeness, as I don't know what you or anyone else here had been through; it is very possible that someone here either has been through some similar or equally psychologically-damaging crap as Samus or knows someone who has; but I do know that due to the way my mother was treated by her ex-husband, with him having literally tried to kill her, even me or my older brother putting an arm or hand around her neck, even when she knows absolutely that we mean her no harm and love her dearly, still triggers PTSD in her, and the abuse ended around, I'd say about 32 years ago or around that time frame; for context, I'm 30, myself. I still don't know what else may possibly be a PTSD trigger for my mother. PTSD is some serious stuff, though, and is not easy at all to overcome even after the person who may have caused it is long dead as my mother's ex is.

[@PIE50100]

Stupid question but does simply switching the language to Japanese and using Ensligh subtitles use the Japanese script or will I have to find a Japanese version of the game because I'm curious to try the game with the original dialouge. I always thought that 90% of the issues I had with Other M was just removing the box that says "Samus has decided not to use missles without Adams authorization."

[@GoldLight73]

Been working on a rewrite series for this game over the last several years, and yeah, Other M feels torn between trying to represent two different cultures. Regardless of version, though, there are just a lot of fundamental writing mistakes baked into the overall narrative.

[@harlannguyen4048]

A rewrite? Are you going to post it on KZbin? I'm interested in it.

[@GoldLight73]

@@harlannguyen4048 I've been posting it, actually. There are five parts currently on my channel, and I'm hoping to post part 6 (the final part) by the end of the year. Also, to clarify: this wasn't meant to be me shilling my own work lol. I just have a lot of strong feelings about this game due to the time I've spent researching and rewriting the script.

[@harlannguyen4048]

@@GoldLight73 Cool! I'll check it out later.

[@andyhansen5905]

Say what you will about the narrative choices, poor translation, or gameplay design but I genuinely love that live action trailer for the game. It almost makes me forget the shortcomings of the game itself. Or, let’s be honest…just reminds me of what could have been 😢

[@RedDragonForce2]

I liked Other M. Call me insane, but I don’t think it’s Out of Character for Samus to try and redeem herself for the mistakes of her past, or the mistakes that she thinks she made. We project too much of ourselves and our own expectations into a character who’s different than we think she is and get mad because she’s not what “we”, the fans, interpreted her as. Seeing people she knew from her past, Adam and Anthony, brought up old feelings she’d long since buried in her solo work. While I will agree some choices were not great, people tend to forget what a first time experience is for a player, and, yes… I will admit, how linear the story can/should be. But Samus is smart enough to restrict some of her arsenal given that she doesn’t want to hurt friendlies. Also, she did lose her home just a month prior. Shes still processing so many emotions from her loss, taking a back seat to someone she once trust might just help her get mind straight. I can definitely say more on this subject, but TLDR: it’s not as bad as your making it out to be.

[@coughe216]

Meh i liked it more than prime

[@sintanan469]

I think Other M also suffers from a mid-script rewrite. Interviews and leaked info had the original draft of the game in Japan to be a telling of Samus as a teen before she became a bounty hunter. Apparently during production the decision to include the Baby was added and the entire story needed to be rewritten. This definitely brings a lot of decisions into light when you have this context... Samus not being her full 6'3" height, Samus being insecure, Samus having PTSD about Ridley. If the game ever gets a rewrite to fix it, having it set as the prequel to the mainline games would go far into fixing things.

[@lpfan4491]

It was refunctioned so much that returning the original idea is to essencially make a new game. Which one may as well do too because that prequel sounds dope, but the point is that one may as well improve on Other M as Other M rather than doing something that is very much not Other M as "a remake of Other M".

[@AICW]

First I've heard of rewrites. Any links to these leaks?

[@sintanan469]

@@AICW It was from a Japanese interview back in... 2009? 2010? Somewhere around there. Basically there was the original pitch by Team Ninja with a rough idea for a prequel game plot, then the story was fully written by Sakamoto, including all his questionable choices...

[@CappnRob]

Something else that is lost in the awful localization of Other M is its direct, intentional parallels to Fusion. Samus arguing with Adam over his brother is a parallel to Samus arguing with Adam to self destruct BSL to destroy the X before the Federation arrives. In both cases Samus is willing to recklessly risk her life to save others - her character flaw is this bull headed martyr complex. In both cases, Adam corrects her, because in her self destructive drive to help others, she doesn't realize that if she dies, then she won't be able to help anyone anymore. This comes up later again when Adam sacrifices himself to destroy the Metroid lab and tells Samus she has to live... though that moment is a bit ruined because of how derpy its executed (ie freeze gunning Samus in the back instead of just.... talking to her). OM is far from flawless in Japanese, and some of these parallels are strenuous to say the least (looking at you, pointless Nightmare cameo), but it really does show how little the localization team understood Samus as a character or Sakamoto's narrative direction.

[@robertkenny1201]

There is no denying that Other M is the worst game in the franchise.

[@drowningin]

I so wanted all the reviewers to be wrong about this game. I wanted it to be good so bad

[@mozydiaz8296]

I rather believe that the Japanese tried to imagine a Samus with a teenage mentality who never questions herself but who always blames others, they made her like that to please the West where others imagined something more realistic with a mature Samus who takes a step back from her past actions and who learns a lesson from them, it's much better like that I think. The fact that she is more sensitive does not take away her badass side, on the contrary it is her kindness that keeps her on the right path and makes her a fair and good person, strength without values ​​and wisdom makes you a heartless monster who can allow himself the worst unimaginable atrocities possible as with what is currently happening with the Palestinians in Palestine. So yes we have the image of a Samus who never speaks but who rushes into the heap without caring except that it is not real, she is not a machine, she is a person before all and the people who believed the opposite are just irrational, in addition the official mangas also demonstrate the human side of Samus so the problem of the disappointment of many fans is themselves because they created a false image of Samus.

[@dis_inferno9173]

My first impression of Samus was that she was badass, but she definitely hides her vulnerability and kindness from others. In Other M we're getting something very close to what I imagined Samus is like. I never thought Samus as an adult person, because she spared life to the most dangerous life form in the universe and created unnatural bond between human and bioweapon. I felt that was so messed up and adult for Nintendo game. So yeah, Samus in Other M being a child who wears a mask of adult is quite compelling in my opinion and shows complexity of her psychology.

[@generalbutterscotch4887]

Other M is the one time in history they should have let the localisers cook.

[@kidrobot.]

nah

[@EsakaTRY]

The Ridley part never bothered me .I mean, maybe she would show PTSD signs in earlier games if the technology at the time could do it. Also, ignoring the Prime series,since it's from Retro Studios, rather than Nintendo, hence why I think it's not considered canon in Other M (maybe the reason why there's no bosses from those games, since every Metroid game got at least one boss here, like Ridley from 1, Queen Metroid from 2, Phantom from Super and Nightmare from Fusion), it's the third time she fights Ridley. Her PTSD may have also triggered by the disbelief he was alive, since she saw him dying on Zebes (in her PTSD sje even says "No, it can't be!!" Further showing her disbelief ). Even tho Samus killed Ridley in the first Metroid, I think it was retconned, since he came back in Super Metroid, I guess.

[@dis_inferno9173]

This is my top 3 Metroid game. It's amazingly well-crafted game and story is so deep...

[@DontKnowDontCare6.9]

If you remove the cinematics and all storyline reference... Other M is actually a good third person Metroid.

[@2yoyoyo1Unplugged]

I really think Other M would at least have a solid place in the series had it been localized with more care. Adam and Samus’s dynamic in the JP version does show some depth, and he seems a lot less like an ass.

[@Nintendude.]

Other M didn't seem bad to me about Samus since I've read the Manga and played Fusion, the Ridley scene however was not cool, sure she thought she killed him but the same can be said about the other times. [The following are pretty much my reasonings (copium) to cut the game some slack.] 1. I thought that Samus was just narrating the events (as if it already happend and she is telling the story to someone) or she is just thinking to herself, either way it was clear she was not talking to herself out loud or else the rest of the cast would just say "WTF?" So in the end for the NPCs point of view she may still be seen as a strong silent type. 2.Even the moststone cold blooded killer has someone special in their live. Joker and Harley Quinn. Samus is just playing nice because of some respect for Adam I think they tried to make Samus and Adam's relationship as something similar to Naked Snake and The Boss. But people didn't liked that. 3. SAMUS SHOULD BE TALL.... SHE IS 6 ft 3 in - rant. I say what if everyone in future space Metroid univese are tall??? They solved whatever problem happend to the people in the game Among Us 3'6" - - - - - - You make a great point about culture and talked about it but I was also thinking what about culture in the military, at least what I think it can be difrent than civilian culture. No matter how nice people are in a country the military are going to be hard and pretty much more rude than the rest of their country men. Also we don't know how Galactic Federation Laws would be then the one we have, Samus is a Bounty Hunter but in this case she was not hired by the Federation. Samus maybe a famous bounty hunter but I am pretty sure not everyone of her mission are known to the public, most of the Federation stuff would be hush hush. Though in early games the Federation was pretty much "Samus you are our only hope" and is respected by some people out there, I think in fusion and in this game Samus is treated more as Cannon fodder, we even know thanks to Adam in Metroid Dread that the reward for heading ZDR to find the E.M.M.I. and the X is not good enough. - I feel that there is someone or a group that may not want Samus alive for some reason. - Samus just doesn't care in her safety/ goes for the hardest missions around - Or AI Adam is being to over protective of Samus even though he knows she is X proof and has blown up a planet or two before.

[@LordTyph]

So... Localization ruined it. Of course. Of freaking course. Every time they decide to 'localize' nowadays, it's never an improvement.

[@holschermarc]

I remember that on my first playthrough i just liked the game and didnt noticed most of its flaws. I claimed for the better part of 3 years that OtherM isnt great but also isnt terrible. Than i replayed it, partially because i wanted to play it and partially to see if i wasnt mistaken with my judgement. I dont know if i just got better/had a higher expectation from games by than or if it was something else but holy shit i saw all the flaws suddenly. I went from slightly disgruntled about a few things to straigh up extremly annoyed by others. I complettly forgot the bullshit with the Varia Suit in Pyros and the Missle Target System rubbed me all the wrong ways.

[@flotador7]

Am I the only person alive that actually liked other M? I mean, sure, it is stupid that Samus has all her abilities but they are restricted by orders... is it much more stupid that having her (un)conveniently lost them by some random occurrence at the beginning of the new adventure? I don't think so. It's a game, a fun one.

[@normbreakingclown676]

I actually really like Other M as wel while i do think the Samus and Adam connection was cliché and underwhelming but when it focused on atmosphere and mystery it does it rather well and yeah the hole authorization mechanic as far as i know only existed for gameplay reasons. And game feel is pretty much 2D Metroid but in 3D.

[@trunks2585]

Even taking translation errors into account, there's still no saving this title. Even outside of the narrative, the gameplay had too many issues. It's far too linear compared to most titles, flipping between 2d to FPS to shoot missiles is clumber some. Lack of ammo/health drops and instead basically wishing them back outside of save points. A hand full of 'spot the pixel' scanning moments. (brown bug in a pile of brown dirt, green blood on green grass). It even has a soft lock glitch that I don't think was ever patched out because of the automatic locking/unlocking doors and linear gameplay. I could go on, but the point has been made.

[@majoraswrath1417]

I'm definitely an Other M apologist, which I freely admit is due to highly biased influence. While I had played a ROM of the original NES title, I didn't have the patience or awareness to appreciate it, so Other M is technically my introduction to the series. I always knew Samus was a very strong woman, and playing the game as a young child never overturned that thought in my head. I definitely agree many of the scenes should have been handled differently to avoid a weaker portrayal of the character, but I will always defend the Ridley scene. People often forget that, yes, she has defeated Ridley multiple times by now, but in Super Metroid, he was DEAD dead. Before, he had been blasted apart, or repelled, or hurt badly, but never fully destroyed. Because of his impressive healing ability and the space pirates' cybernetics, he had always survived. Until Super Metroid. Wherein, he is defeated, then burned to ash, then the resulting ash melted in acidic magma, before the entire planet blows up shortly after. He had no body left to recover, so Samus had finally put to rest the monster of her nightmares. She finally had vengeance for her parents and closure for all he'd done to her. And then he came back anyway. Like a demon from the darkness. He was completely and utterly obliterated. Literally reduced to atoms, only to face her down once again. As for the heavy-handed depiction of her turning into a child, a lot of people don't really know how PTSD flashbacks work. A lot of people seem to think they're like real-life cutscenes where time stops and past events replay in front of you as they were. Maybe for some people it is like that, but for most, it's a brief (or sometimes long-lasting) moment where the victim genuinely forgets that any time has passed between the present and the traumatic event. When driving down the road with your wife and children, you spot what looks like an IED and the first thought isn't "Oh, my wife and children are here in this van, so that clearly isn't a bomb", it's "Oh my god, why are my wife and children here in Iraq, where the hell is Sergeant Major?" All that to say, Other M has glaring issues, but at least in my opinion, the Ridley scene isn't one of them. Considering how many people saw it so negatively, they clearly did at least something wrong, but it never felt too out of place to me.

[@kyurei4478]

Do people hate Other M in Japan btw? I think that's a very important question.

[@PrimepediaYT]

Difficult to say for certain, it's not like they hold yearly surveys lol. But I would generally say Other M is looked at slightly more positive in Japan than in the West, so take from that what you will

[@kyurei4478]

No of course. I meant it more roughtly. Ok thanks. But it seems to be pretty clear outside of Japan though for example. Well I mean that's what I hoped according to the differences between the two versions. That proves a language change could really have changed things for the better. At the same time, Japan isn't a big fan of Metroid so it's a bit hard to tell.

[@teabown02]

The way they do realistic graphics in cutscenes is peak. Much better than modern hype realism. Every other aspect of the game sucks

[@yuimanix5220]

Ok two points: Point one: I really enjoy other m and you can't change that. The Idea of switching between 2.5D level design and First person action is super organic imho and feels much more better that this in zoom first person from Metroid Prime - the controls there are much worse🙄. point two: I think the idea is stupid that Samus isn't allowed to have any feelings because she's suCh a baDaSs and str0nG woman. Ok the people who translated Other M into English language did a lot of things wrong. But I feel like it's pretty cool that this game shows that even below the surface of a strong hero(ine) there are feelings and that she struggles with them but in the end she stayed strong, battled against all these creatures and was successful. So it's pretty unfair to say that Samus would be a wimp in this game - cuz that's just not true.

[@Dyundu]

Zelda fans being like, “First time?”

[@cantdestroyher7245]

I stand by my opinion that other m would be a good game if you tidied up the controls a little and deleted all of samus' dialogue

[@GBDupree]

While that would go a long way to fix things, the translation messes up more than just Samus' dialogue, most of the story is missing! Check out the video "the Other M that never was" to see in more detail. But the short of it is that a new aspect of the Metroids is revealed that explains why Samus is so emotionally unstable, and why the MB robot became sentient. Then also the fact that Phantoon was there was meant to be a big reveal that explains everything, but none of the context is there in English so he seems to be just randomly there. In Super Metroid's manual, the English omits the part that explains that Phantoon is a part of Mother Brain (sort of like her ghost or psychic projection). So in Other M, its seems Phantoon was meant to be a sort of lovecraftian creature, who was trying to use the MB robot to come back into our dimension and was secretly controlling everything just like it did on Zebes for the first game and Super Metroid. So Mother Brain nearly came back, and may still be out there? I'm not sure if Samus definitely kills it or simply severs it from our dimension where it can come back if it finds a proper host (I'd assume the technology behind Mother Brain and MB is uniquely capable of doing that, maybe its the Hyper Beam liquid we see in Dread that powers you up?).

[@cantdestroyher7245]

@@GBDupree that's so cool and ties everything together in a really interesting way. Especially the dread stuff. That always felt so random to me.

[@GBDupree]

@@cantdestroyher7245 yeah Other M holds so much promise that is wasted due to its failures and the fact the translations have lost so much. The Metroid games have had translation issues since the first game, it's really sad.

[@cantdestroyher7245]

@@GBDupree do dread and fusion have translation issues?

[@GBDupree]

@@cantdestroyher7245 I don't know about Dread. In that game they have the Chozo language which has very specific meaning to its words, and I think is based on Spanish (as the developers were spanish). So I feel like they were given less wiggle room for error. So if there are issues, it'd likely be mostly with Adam. However Fusion is known for having issues, mostly due to not having enough space in the text boxes. So the translators had to simplify a lot. I think the Video "the Other M that never was" which is where most of the info about the poor translations come from, has a section detailing some examples of where fusion was messed up (as those issues didn't hurt Fusion too much, but ended up making Other M worse for it). A quick example is that different factions of the Galactic Federation and government are simplified. This simplification was carried over to Other M. So now a variety of things are simply just called the "Galactic Federation". So the army and Navy, and even the Parliament of the Government Are just called "the GF". Meaning when Samus debriefs at the beginning of the game it isn't just to her employers at the army, she is speaking to the government and revealing everything to the public as well. She basically spoke at the UN. So now the universe at large knows of her missions. Also, even the homeworld of the GF is just referred to as "the Galactic Federation". So when the bottle ship is in a crash course with the GF, most people are assuming its a space ship or headquarters in danger, but its actually the central homeworld of the Galactic Federation, basically their version of Earth. meaning all of society was in danger! Of course this simplification did have some impact on Fusion, but clearly not to the degree that Other M is affected!

[@tristennorris3725]

this game came first in usa then took a mounth before japanese version came out

[@RegalPixelKing]

At least the original vision of this game was slightly less terrible. It still is terrible, The dumb PTSD flashbacks happens regardless of which version for example. I'm happy that this game is being treated like a spin-off, it should be buried and forgotten.

[@TheSixteen60]

Seems like someone worked for Capcom before working on Other M.

[@HatredSonneillon]

Is there a way to complain at the localization team? They really dropped the ball and they deserve to hear about it to no end.

[@AICW]

Has anyone told you your voice sounds a lot like Erick Landon RPG?

[@PrimepediaYT]

You’re the first lol

[@EduardoFlores-bt4fo]

There are some things that can't even be saved tho, the entire subtext of the game being about motherhood and Samus's central aspect of her personality was her womanhood, which seemed like was written by a guy who's only interaction with women was through anime. I should know, I love anime. No matter how much the the localization messed up, the core of the story was still flawed and rotten.

[@tor2919]

Been a fan of Metroid since 1989. As far as I am concerned Other M isn’t canon. I tried my best to enjoy it. I hadn’t read any reviews but my god I hated the game so much I couldn’t complete it. I have never hated a game, or movie with the intensity I loathe Other M. There is nothing good about it. It’s boring to play, it doesn’t feel like Metroid, doesn’t play like Metroid and the way the narrative treats Samus is a straight up insult.

[@rubemartur8239]

Could someone make a translation of the actual japanese game? The subtitles is fine, i can bare the japanese dub, i am used to see anime with subtitles.

[@BaxterAndLunala]

Is Other M the most disliked? Absolutely. Is it the worst in the franchise? Depends on who you ask. For me with which one I believe is the worst in the franchise, I'm torn between Prime Hunters and Prime Pinball.

[@dis_inferno9173]

It's can't be that bad. You're trolling.

[@BaxterAndLunala]

@dis_inferno9173 If you're talking about Prime Hunters, it is that bad. Whereas Other M's follies come down to poor execution, Prime Hunters was a case of absolute laziness. Proof of this is reusing a final boss concept done four years earlier and better, having you face the same two bosses four times for each with no other bosses in-between, the only required upgrades are easily summed up in a Matrix scene, and there's only one save point, that being the Gunship.

[@dis_inferno9173]

@@BaxterAndLunala Other M is a masterpiece of all time comparing to Prime Hunters. Sorry.

[@dansmith1661]

Of course it had to be a problem with misogyny instead of a bunch of men sacrificing their lives for what they believe in while a woman is there because it combats the male meta.

[@Alianger]

There is no defending that thumbs down scene, it's an all time cringaroo

[@dis_inferno9173]

To which one you're talking about?

[@chuckec]

The famous “I-it was better in Japanese!” argument. Superior sub aside, kusoge is kusoge.

[@tracyndiyob162]

tbh even if accurate the story just isn't good as it still misses a lot of context that's more "if the previous games were remembered instead of only being a segway to fusion which is the one thing i do like outside anthony/had a cutscene showing the context of super metroid" & how the type of character samus was trying to be was done way better in overseas media where even compared to them she's too submissive and doesn't do all that much to impact the story. that could've been better handled if it was a prequel to the series showing her start or just been an adaptation of the manga fleshed out with the technology space they had alongside having someone strongly direct sakamoto(forgot to mention the localization choices were done by him so he's just as much to blame for it's faults on both versions.) that these don't translate samus or metroid well from what the u.s or even japan(even if it didn't sell as well there are fans.) knew of it from the manga's/supplementary material alongside the context fusion/zero mission(alongside the prime games/dread my favorite way they showed samus especially her relationship with the chozo which other m completely failed to address.:3) painted.

[@TimDespairBear11]

Other M’s main problem was the gameplay. Extremely linear, the first person mode was stupid as you couldn’t even move, the dodge was extremely overpowered, etc. The controversial story was the least of my concern. I never cared about Samus’s PTSD as PTSD can randomly re appear in your life, it doesn’t matter if Samus beat Ridley before.