Video: Mother Has To Go In Metroid: Other M

A reimagining of a long-loved franchise is never easy. When Metroid Prime was in development, the world held its breath to see if one the 16-bit classic could gracefully make the walljump to current-gen hardware... and the world was quite pleased, it seems, with the game landing fifth in the All-Time Best reviewed games on GameRankings. (Though there are some who would disagree with its placement!)

That said, 'Nintendo x Team Ninja' have a lot of work ahead in living up to that legacy, since Metroid: Other M looks to be reinventing Samus' style all over again. The above video is the longest gameplay trailer we've seen so far, and it takes care to highlight some of the features setting this adventure apart.

Chief among these is the control scheme - the game can only be played with a single Wii remote, which works in the assumed position to run, jump, shoot, and do most anything that needs doing when you're a space bounty hunter. Despite early impressions, the game is fully 3D, with the up and down buttons moving Samus away from and toward the camera - note her movement on the minimap in certain rooms. While this does upset the expectation of a more traditional Metroid adventure, the fixed camera angles will likely support the sense of exploration by making movement easy in just a few directions.

The other use of the Wii remote shows up near the end, as the disembodied gamer-hand points the remote at the screen. This forces Samus to stay in place, but allows access to missiles and more precise shots. Certain boss battles will demand a precise dance of dodging attacks and then zooming in for a missile shot.

Finally, the trailer ends with a glimpse of one of the critical cutscenes - the final battle with Mother Brain from Super Metroid. After being saved by the 'baby' metroid, who then siphons the last of its power to her, Samus seems to have a bit of a preoccupation with "the baby" in the new game, Other M, (which, hey! is 'Mother' with one letter off!) While I'm all for giving our favorite gaming heroes and heroines more personality, I wonder if they could've chosen a more cliché role for her than 'untouchable warrior woman who really just wants to settle down and be a mother.' Couldn't it be--I donno--revenge? Wanting to serve her faction with honor? Paying off a gambling debt? I'd pretty much take any other personality, myself.

Character reservations aside, the gameplay looks top-notch, and we'll get to find how they meet in Metroid: Other M when it releases this summer.