Super Metroid was released in 1994, and it was so awesome that your jaw drops in excitement.It set the standard for future Metroid games, and it was just perfect. Now 16 years later, we now have a true sequel to Super Metroid. That sequel is Metroid: Other M, developed by TECMO/Team NINJA(the developers of the Ninja Gaiden series) and Nintendo and released for the Wii. This game is amazing as well, as you are in an action-packed experience as soon as you put the disk into the Wii.
Let's talk about the graphics first. The graphics are without a dought, some of the best on the Wii. This game's graphics rival most Xbox 360 and PS3 games (fanboys, get your pitchforks). This game has cinematic cutscenes, which look like watching a CGI movie. The in-game graphics look great as well, with smooth-looking landscapes and smooth character models.
This game also has voice-acting, which is actually tolerable, even Jessica Martin as Samus Aran is tolerable, you won't need to mute them.
The story in this game is told through voice-acted cutscenes. I won't spoil too much for those of you haven't played it. Basicly, this takes place, literally, right after Super Metroid. The game begins with a flashback of the end of Super Metroid, where the baby metroid is healing you while Mother Brain fights Samus. By the way, if you don't know anything about Metroid, you play as Samus Aran, a FEMALE space bounty hunter. In Metroid: Other M, you intercept a distress call coming from the BOTTLE ship, there you meet Adam Malkovich, who will restrict you from using your power-ups until he says it's okay. That's right, in this game, you don't physically collect your power-ups like in past Metroid games. Instead, you retain your power-ups from Super Metroid, but you can't use them until Adam "authorizes" it. So now you have to explore the BOTTLE ship and find out what is going on.
Now let's talk about the most important aspect of any Metroid game, the gameplay. This game plays in a third-person perspective, moving around a 3-D environment. You play with the Wii Remote on its side, controlling Samus with the D-pad and 1 & 2 buttons. The game is mainly third-person, but if you point the Wii Remote at the screen, you will automatically switch to a first-person perspective, where you can look around and fire missles. If your energy is critically low, you can hold the Wii Remote vertically and hold the A button to use Concentration to replenish your health and missles, since enemies don't leave health and ammo anymore for some reason. Overall the controls are great and I never had a problem with them. This game also has some melee moves to make the game more fun. Though the difficulty is challenging even with these moves, as you will keep dying until you find the secret to defeating each enemy and boss. Many classic power-ups also return such as the morph ball, varia suit, and even the speed booster.
All and all, Metroid: Other M is fantastic, though not as ground-breaking as Super Metroid. Though it's still a worthy sequel to Super Metroid. With good voice-acting, a compelling story, great visuals, great controls, and fantastic gameplay, Metroid: Other M is truly a game worth at least a rent if you are new to the series, but if you are a Metroid buff like I am, then it is definintly worth a buy.