M is for mighty

GAME OF THE WEEK: METROID: OTHER M, 16 Cert, Nintendo Wii ****

If ever there was a reason to invest in a Wii, Metroid: Other Mis it. Taking the game back to where the original left off, Other Mdevelops the game and its characters into a powerful playing experience.

The game begins with bounty hunter Samus Aran immediately after her battle with Mother Brain in the original. The action kicks off when you pick up an unidentified distress signal from a decommissioned space station. Here Samus meets up with some former colleagues, including commander Adam Malkovich, and joins forces with them for a series of missions.

What happens next is a combination of brilliant storytelling and excellent action gameplay. Other Mtakes the time to establish Samus's past and her relationship with Malkovich, and the game manages to strike the right balance between story and action.

Gameplay includes the traditional side-scrolling action that Metroidis known for, but there are some departures from the formula. You're given new perspectives and a bit more freedom to explore your universe in 3D.

Point the Wiimote at the TV and you’re looking through Samus’s eyes. An auto-aim function has also been added for targeting enemies that aren’t exactly in your firing line, essential when you are firing at unseen attackers.

One unusual element is Samus's weapons. Players of the original games recall that you earn powers as you go along. But in Other M, Samus already has the powers (super missiles and the like) but has deactivated them and will only use them when given permission by Malkovich. I'm not sure how well it fits with Samus's image as a tough bounty hunter, and it makes some parts of the game tricky to progress through.

Overall, Other Mis engaging and beautifully created, and will keep you coming back long after you've completed the missions first time around.