The Worst Video Game Story Ever: Metroid Other M

You know, I can't predict what catches my interest. Sometimes it's just a result of me revisiting something fond from childhood. Sometimes it just pops out of nowhere. What I wanted to do this month was write the finale of the "Were they in love" mini-series. Then this happened. 

A few weeks ago, I had this sudden urge to learn more about the Metroid video game series.

Metroid is a series of video games produced by Nintendo. It's not as recognizable as games like the Mario, Pokémon, or even the Zelda franchise. But Metroid has its followers who appreciate the games for what they are.

My first exposure to Metroid (as it is with many people) was when I played a lot of Super Smash Bros Brawl in high school. Smash Bros. is a crossover fighting game staring mostly Nintendo characters. One of the characters featured in the game is Metroid's protagonist, Samus Aran. She interested me because (also like many people) I didn't realize at first that the person in the suit was a woman.

The big twist of the first Metroid game was that Samus was

a girl the whole time.

I did some research onto what the Metroid series was about, and it sounded really cool. All the games star Samus Aran, a bounty hunter taking missions across planets in an untamed galaxy, blasting creatures and surviving on her own in space.

There's a lot to admire about the Metroid series. The gameplay of self-guided exploration of mazes and monsters was revolutionary yet timeless, nowadays referred to as the "Metroidvania" style (the "-vania" part comes from the Castlevania series, which plays similarly, except you're out to kill Dracula). 

I tried playing Metroid: Zero Mission, a remake of the first Metroid game for the GameBoy Advance, but unfortunately the style didn't quite click with me. I'm much more of a fan of simulation and strategy games that tell grand stories. The Metroid formula places you on a mission with no tutorial and little to no exposition, to really put yourself into the mind of a lone warrior fighting through alien planets.

The part I most appreciate about Metroid is the aesthetic, which takes many 

cues from Ridley Scott's horror masterpiece, Alien (1979).

As much as I respect the Metroid series, it just wasn't for me.

So let's jump back forward in time to a few weeks ago. I had this sudden impulse to learn more about Metroid. As much as the gameplay wasn't my taste, that didn't stop me from wanting to know more about the world and characters. It combines creatures (which I love) and science-fiction (which I don't trust you if you don't love). 

That's when I learned about Other M.

Would you believe me if I told you the "M" stands for "Melissa?"

Other M is known as the most story-driven of all the Metroid games. I saw a few clips of the cutscenes, was left dumbfounded by the low quality of voice acting, and knew I had to see the rest. Fortunately, some dedicated gamers upload entire "movie" versions of video games, and I found a two-and-a-half hour cut of the Other M cutscenes. 

So, throughout the week, I casually watched the "movie" cut of Other M. 

At first, I was interested to see just how bad the voice acting could be. Even if it was bad, I would still enjoy what's practically a movie about some cool action in space, right? There are some amazing video games out there with excellent story and characters, so maybe Other M could be really be a hidden gem.

Well...

I'll keep it simple and do a reader-friendly list of why Other M's story sucks.

1. SAMUS NEVER SHUTS UP.

Stiff voice acting aside, almost all of Other M's cutscenes are overlaid with Samus' boring inner thoughts. Sometimes, exposition is important in a story. After all, you need to catch the audience up on what's important and welcome them into the world. This is especially the case with Other M, because it's technically a sequel.

But holy moly. There can't be a single moment of pause without Samus' dull voice relaying what she's thinking or what's happening in front of her, all the while, her lifeless eyes stare bored into nothing.

That's it, that's the whole story.

Exposition is important, but don't forget that sometimes, less is so much more. 

For example (spoilers if anyone cares about this 10 year old video game):

In one of Samus' many flashbacks, she mentions how when she was a recruit in the Galactic Federation (basically the space cops of Metroid), she had a surrogate father-daughter relationship to her commander, Adam Malkovich. It's a running gag that instead of giving him the "thumbs up" to confirm her understanding of a mission, she would always give him a "thumbs down."

Just a teen rebel bickering with her dad before going off to kill giant space demons.

Honestly this should have been the whole story.

During the course of the game, Samus and Adam meet again, and through clunky dialogue and exposition, they reaffirm their vague father-daughter relationship. Then Adam dies in the most goddamn self-serving sacrificial way possible. 

At the game's epilogue, after returning to a civilized planet and recovering from the story's events, Samus looks into the sunset and gives the sky a thumb's up. Symbolically acknowledging the impact Adam had on her life, and proving to herself, and his memory, that she will live on.

Sounds great. Except...Samus' inner monologue is there to explain the symbolism for you. It takes out all the emotional weight out of the scene.

Actions speak louder than words, especially in a visual medium like a video game. So if you have the budget to create these gorgeous looking cutscenes, why would you cheapen it by having a narrator explain to you what's going on?

No shit.

2. IT'S SEXIST

This one didn't come as a surprise to me. After all, the story was written by a dude in the year 2010. 

I mentioned before that Metroid took a lot of inspiration from the 1979 movie Alien, which is iconic for the lead character, one of the most effortlessly badass woman in all of cinema. 

Alien never made a stink about having "the first female hero," she just was.

 

That's the fun part about science fiction and imagining the future: You can make the world however you want it to be. For some sci-fi visionaries, like the creator of Star Trek Gene Roddenberry, that meant enlightened future where women and people of color can be high-ranking officers on a starship. 

Instead of having a visionary (and freeing) sci-fi story, Other M constantly reminds us that Samus is a woman. Male characters give her cheeky nicknames like "Princess" and jokingly flirt with her, and she just lets them. Pretty much nobody with the Galactic Federation treats her with respect, despite the fact that Samus is an established bounty hunter who has survived countless encounters with deadly creatures.

And of course she won't shut up about BABIES.

Not human babies - an alien baby that Samus befriended in the previous Metroid story. The alien baby was supposed to kill her, but formed an odd bond with her instead, which ultimately proved its worth when the baby sacrificed itself for Samus. She's a space explorer who shared an unlikely but useful friendship with one of the species she was meant to destroy.

But in Other M, Samus won't stop dwelling about it in her monologue, like she's grieving the loss of an actual loved one. It's honestly ridiculous listening to Samus repeat the phrase "the baby" over and over again. 

The first female Nintendo main character, and all the writers want to do 

is give her some sort of "Mom" arc. Because that's all women are good for,

right?

Don't get me wrong, I love a good inter-species-adoption story, but the way they centered Samus' entire motivation around it was way too much. It's as if the writer of the story went with the assumption that "women are emotional and they happen to be sex objects," and used that as the basis of Samus in each scene. Even though she's still a kick-ass bounty hunter, relying on these tired female-coded tropes undermines everything that was awesome about Samus in the first place.

3. IT'S UNDERWHELMING

I'll be honest, but not a lot really happened in this story. There's gorgeously animated cinematics, but the story they wrote does not match the visuals. 

To boil it down, Other M is the story of Samus investigating a distress signal, running into some old friends from the Galactic Federation on an uninhabitable planet, and along the way learning the truth about a scientific experiment gone wrong that the Federation tried to bury. There are keystone moments, like the aforementioned death of Adam Malkovich, but every other plotpoint seems underdeveloped. 

It's hard to explain the story in-depth without getting into the weird complexities of Metroid lore (there's a lot), but trust me when I say that pretty much every other character in the plot feels tacked on. 

Rest in Peace my expectations.

The director and writer of Other M, Yoshio Sakamoto, has gone on the record saying that he was pleased with how the story turned out, because he wanted a story that explored Samus' character and backstory. Maybe for a game and a world like Metroid, the less that is explored, the better. When you introduce more human characters into a game series that puts more emphasis on exploring the alien and the inhospitable, it kind of kills the fun. 

I also suppose he was operating under the assumption that any female-driven narrative must rely on the protagonist's maternal instincts, or her relationship to the men in her life. On its own, it's not entirely a bad thing, but as one of the few female Nintendo characters that has a franchise of her own, and is established in the other games as a strong no-nonsense space warrior, it's not a good look.

In conclusion...

There's a lot about Metroid that doesn't connect with me. But as an enjoyer of good stories, it doesn't take a lot of brain power to figure out why Other M was criticized, and an attempt to have a story-driven Metroid game was never made again. 

Sakamoto's intentions for the game seemed very pure - he wanted to write a detailed female character going on an epic quest. Despite his best efforts, the final product feels insincere at best, and hilariously awkward at most. 

So if I ever feel like laughing at storytelling that's so forced and unimaginative, I'll definitely return to Other M.

For our viewing pleasure...the Other M "Baby" Supercut

Oh, just in case I discouraged any of my readers of finding good storytelling in video games, here's a short list of some of my favorites:

• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explores of Time / Darkness / Sky
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses
• Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
• Firewatch
• Tales of Vesperia

Alternative Dinosaur Media

HOT TAKE:

The new scary T-Rex is the chicken-faced fluff monster who emits a low rumble instead of a roar.

Recently I've been on a huge dinosaur kick. This is due to the fact that I'm writing a book about a dinosaur brain resurrected into a human body. I'll level with you all: the story is completely impulse-driven and lacks a coherent plotline, as well as suffers from a consistent tone. For inspiration, I've been revisiting some lesser-known pieces of Dinosaur-centric art.

Everyone loves the nostalgic classics like Jurassic Park and Land Before Time, but what else is there in the world of dinosaur fiction and storytelling? Here's a list of different pieces of media that are very Dinosaur-focused that you may or may not have heard about!

Raptor Red - 1995 Novel by Robert T. Bakker

Here's a fun story. On a trip to Colorado to visit some extended family of mine, we visited Dinosaur Ridge. It's a hybrid indoor/outdoor museum that takes you through reconstructed bone fossils and even fossilized footprints on nearby rock walls. At the gift shop, I picked up a cool-looking book called Raptor Red. The shopkeeper informed me that the author, archeologist Robert T. Bakker, just so happened to be there at the museum. I introduced myself as a young writer and got Bakker to sign my copy. I remember the scene perfectly...he was in a rocking chair, gazing at the dry Colorado landscape like a cool old dude should be. I've actually read through his findings a lot as part of my research for my own book, and I hope to meet Bakker again someday and express my regards. 

My signed copy is one of my most precious possessions. 

Raptor Red is a fictionalized account of what the life of Utahraptors might have been like. It follows the eponymous Raptor Red as she struggles to find a mate and a safe place to settle down. There's no dialogue or anthropomorphization involved, making it as scientific as possible. The point of view also wanders around to different creatures of the Cretaceous period, like early crocodilians and frogs, giving you a full scope of what the land might have been like. The narrative tone itself might come off as dry, since it reads like a fictional documentary. If you have an interest in dinosaurs and a keen imagination, Raptor Red will hopefully entertain and educate you. There's no other book quite like it. 

Darbi - ongoing comic by Sherard Jackson

If you're the type of person who prefers a striking visual component when it comes to imagining Dinosaurs, this comic may be thing for you. Even if you're not a huge fan of Dinosaurs, and enjoy narratives about war and family, Darbi might be worth checking out. 

FAIR WARNING THOUGH: There is a lot of gore. 

I love this little motherfucker.

I discovered Darbi through the Webtoon app, which provides thousands of free-to-read comics from a diverse number of creators. Darbi tells the story of a young T-Rex as he makes his way through the tragedies and hardships that come with living in the Dinosaur world. It's a dark story, but when it attempts to foster heartfelt moments, they are completely earned. 

Aside from the plot, which makes your heart ache and rewards you in equal measures, the artwork is absolutely phenomenal. The creator, Sherard Jackson, adds so much motion in his linework. Yet, the colors feel soft, capturing the duality of the story itself. Not to mention Jackson's imagination in giving worldbuilding to the Dinosaurs, while still keeping their designs modern. Big feathery T-Rex with a mohawk? Hell yes.

The only drawback, aside from the previously mentioned gore (and there is a lot), the dialogue of the characters might through you off, because the way they speak is very human-like. But if you're a fan of Tarantino-esc action, Boondox-style irreverent humor, and badass motherfucking Dinosaurs, I cannot recommend Darbi enough. Darbi doesn't fit the mold for the popular Webtoon model of sensitive love stories (Lore Olympus, Castle Swimmer, Suitor Armor, etc.), but I think this comic deserves so much love. Not to mention, it's totally free to read.

The Rite of Spring - sequence from Disney's 1940 film Fantasia 

Historically speaking, Fantasia is an important film. It set the president for music videos and gave 2D  animators the opportunity to experiment with their craft like never before. Fantasia is composed of seven different animated segments set to different pieces of classical music. The most iconic being The Sorcerer's Apprentice, staring Mickey Mouse in the classic blue wizard hat. 

Granted, Fantasia is not a perfect film, as some animated segments aren't as visually interesting as the others. It's also difficult watching through the entire thing in one sitting.

My favorite segment, the one that I return to watch again and again, is The Rite of Spring. This animated segment portrays Earth in prehistoric times, following the evolution of life on Earth and ending with the death of the Dinosaurs. There is no dialogue or typical narrative structure, allowing the splendid visuals alone to carry you through. Through subtle artistry, it captures the quiet mystery of prehistoric times.

                                            

Fantasia is not without its controversies, and this segment in particular was criticized for displaying a scientific view on how life began on Earth. I live in a Western society where a lot of cultural input on beauty and majesty has been greatly influenced by religious imagery. The Rite of Spring shows us that there is beauty and majesty in the world of scientific imagination. 

The Rite of Spring does not attempt to draw any great moral message, or even a greater purpose. It simply allows Disney artists to portray prehistoric lifeforms. It is a work of art that simply exists beyond "good" and "evil," portraying nature in its most pure state. Dinosaurs were just something that happened. How it makes you feel is completely up to you.

In my mind, The Rite of Spring segment of Fantasia is one of the highest pieces of art Disney has produced. It expresses one of the most mysterious episode of Earth's history in sublime detail and with great imagination. No talking animals or a celebrity voice cast is necessary.

Fossil Fighters - 2008 video game for the Nintendo DS

WARNING: Rant ahead of me talking about this obscure cornerstone of my childhood.

When I was nine years old, I saw a trailer for this video game. I thought about it for weeks afterwards, imagining a Pokémon-like game of capturing and battling creatures - except those creatures were Dinosaurs. Dinosaurs I had to bring back from the dead, using their fossils that I dug up myself. To a nine-year-old me, that was the ultimate power fantasy. On my tenth birthday, my uncle asked me if there was any gift I wanted that I didn't get. I told him I wanted Fossil Fighters on the DS. He drove me to a GameStop and bought it for me, no questions asked. I had to admit, I felt a little embarrassed asking for a game that was clearly marketed for boys (more on that later), but I felt so happy as soon as it was in my hands that it didn't even matter anymore. Throughout the years, while I sold many of my old video games, I always held onto Fossil Fighters. I still have the original case and cartridge to this day. 

So, what is this game about, other than making scientific abominations and giving them to children with barely any regulations?

The story of Fossil Fighters starts out pretty generic. You're the new kid on an island full of people who battle using resurrected Dinosaurs, dubbed "Vivosaurs." Every chapter of the game, you go on a new quest and learn more about the world and the characters around you. And of course, every new location you unlock gives you access to all kinds of Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs I would've never learned about otherwise. While the designs aren't scientifically accurate, they are unique, dynamic, and full of personality.

Ourano, a.k.a. the Ouranosaurus. The first Vivosaur I ever got to a gold ranking.

What if I told you he's a great dancer?

The combat distinguishes itself from Pokémon in many ways. The first thing that's different is that you control three monsters for each turn. The position of the Vivosaurs on the battlefield is crucial. Each species has different buffs that they attribute to the team's "leader," so if you go into a battle unprepared, you will definitely be at a disadvantage. The NPCs in Fossil Fighters aren't feeding you bullshit about how your bond with your creatures will make them stronger, like they do in literally every piece of Pokémon media, so you won't feel guilty about optimizing your team. When you play Fossil Fighters, it really makes you think critically about your decisions. This is an improvement from Pokémon, in which all you really need to do to win is memorize type matchups and know when to change characters. 

One of the most fun (and stressful) parts about Fossil Fighters is the mini game in which you have to clean your fossils of rock and debris. This is completely reliant on the Nintendo DS's touch screen, so don't expect a remake of this game anytime soon. *sigh*

The plot starts off pretty predictable, giving you a fake-out ending where you have to take down the leader of a band of bad guys. Very Pokémon-esc indeed. In fact, there's a trio of higher-ranking bad guys that disturbingly mimic the iconic Team Rocket Trio from the Pokémon anime.

Somebody call Officer Jenny, this can't be legal.

The story takes a crazy turn when we get into some shenanigans with aliens and time travel. There's also a surprising existential twist that makes you question the origins of humanity. Are we truly natives of Earth, or is life on Earth the result of other astral bodies and higher beings? That kind of stuff blew my mind as a ten-year-old.

The best part about the narrative is the characters. Holy moly, these characters are funny! I recently replayed the game as a 21-year-old, and I found myself snickering the whole way through. Some of my favorites are the helpful but absent-minded Dr. Diggins, the absolute madman Nick Nack, and the jolly ghost pirate Captain Woolbeard. The 3-D models allow the characters to have more dynamic movement than sprites, which allows for more comedic opportunities.

Did you also know this game about resurrecting dinosaurs has love interests? The game forces you into a male protagonist role, which was something I wasn't thrilled about as a ten-year-old. I appreciated how Pokémon let you choose between male or female avatars, though I almost always picked the male ones. I just liked having the option. It soon became evident to me that they forced you to play as the male character because you have two love interests. There's Rosie Richmond, your bratty but well-meaning best friend who's with you from the start. Then there's Duna, the mysterious and distant stranger who is part of the great mystery in the finale. The end of the game gives you the option to choose who you like better. According to the fans, Duna is the "right" choice, but to me, I was a Rosie loyalist. No, seriously, that's the moment I should have known I wasn't hetero. Rosie Richmond was my first fictional crush, and ten-year-old me was madly in love.

Fossil Fighters taught me about dinosaurs and how to be gay.

As a kid, Fossil Fighters gave me an incredible chance to escape into the dinosaur world. It was the perfect balance of a unique story, lovable characters, and challenging gameplay. There were even educational opportunities, as each Vivosaur you found added to a bonus library of fun facts about their real-world Dinosaur counterparts. Unfortunately, I didn't find enjoyment in the sequels, and it seems the franchise has become extinct. But I still have the fossils. I never realized how big of an impact this game had on my life until just recently, so I'm glad I got to share my appreciation for this obscure title.

If you want to know more about this quirky little game, here's a few funny videos that describe them better than I can.

That wraps it up for this month's article. January is my least favorite month of the year, so thank you for bearing with me while I gush on about something that gives me joy. Dinosaurs may be extinct, but we can learn so much from what they left behind. They are inspiring as well as humbling, reminding us that life on Earth can be easy to take, but impossible to wipe out.