Is Metroid: Other M THAT bad?

[Devianteist]

I'm generally of the opinion that M:OM is Sakamoto's way of telling fans to fuck off and that he can do whatever he damn well pleases with Metroid, and that... That is not good.

He certainly took that tone with Team Ninja, whom actually wanted to make changes to make M:OM more bearable like using Nun-Chuck controls, Sakamoto refused. There are people who blame Team Ninja on how the game turned out but they fail to realize that Sakamoto was in charge of the whole thing, TN had to go along with his orders.

I've played several games made by TeamNinja, or whatever name they happen to be using, and they usually make some pretty solid stuff. Can't believe it only took one person to crush all of that creative power.

[Ethril]

I've played several games made by TeamNinja, or whatever name they happen to be using, and they usually make some pretty solid stuff. Can't believe it only took one person to crush all of that creative power.

It's something to do with Japanese traditional work ethics; In a nutshell, you do not question the boss. Even when it's your job to question the boss. Especially when it's your job to question the boss.

[MetroidJunkie]

It's something to do with Japanese traditional work ethics; In a nutshell, you do not question the boss. Even when it's your job to question the boss. Especially when it's your job to question the boss.

Apparently, his only role will be an advisory role from now on, like it was with the Prime games. I guess Nintendo realized that he's no longer fit to be in charge of the series. If Retro Studios is ready to go back to it, they'd make an excellent choice.

[Devianteist]

Good that that's where he's been put. I say let TeamNinja have another go, show what they're capable of when given actual creative freedom.

[Big C]

On a related note, Metroid Prime: Hunters is now available as a DS eShop download. Why does everyone give Hunters such a bad rap, anyway? I liked it. There's definitely been worse FPSes on portables---Dark Arena for GBA comes to mind.

[Viscra Maelstrom]

well, i would give the game a honest try, but the controls are so fucking horrendous i kept dying on the first boss in the game over and over again. when i finally beat it and the level, i had little desire to press on because my hands were hurting from playing the first level of the game. seriously.

[Big C]

Fair answer.

[wildweasel]

I'm sure the game itself is not bad, but trying to use the D-pad and stylus together WHILE supporting the DS with your D-pad hand WHILE mashing the L button to fire with any degree of speed is pretty much a recipe for deforming your hands into raptor-like claws. That and Kid Icarus Uprising (and the Renegade Kid-developed FPS games, for that matter) are just so uncomfortable for me to play that I just don't think it's worth it.

[Devianteist]

I'm sure the game itself is not bad, but trying to use the D-pad and stylus together WHILE supporting the DS with your D-pad hand WHILE mashing the L button to fire with any degree of speed is pretty much a recipe for deforming your hands into raptor-like claws. That and Kid Icarus Uprising (and the Renegade Kid-developed FPS games, for that matter) are just so uncomfortable for me to play that I just don't think it's worth it.

I haven't played Hunters personally, but I've played games with a similar control scheme on the DS, and I've found that I'm actually pretty good at them. Funny enough, the DS Call of Duty games are the only CoD games I like anymore, and that's simply because of the wonky controls.

[DoomRater]

I literally have no idea how you people are cramping your hands holding the DS this way. I have a 3DS XL and have no problems playing Hunters aside from some slightly awkward aiming because I still have yet to find the sweet spot. I'm also left handed so I'm using the buttons not the d-pad.

But if it's that painful to hold, definitely consider a brace for the other side of the handheld. In theory your knee would be enough.

[wildweasel]

I have a 3DS XL myself. It doesn't help. Somehow, even having one of those "grip cases" doesn't help much; my thumb wears out really fast when my other hand can't support the system, and I am not sure why.

[DoomRater]

XLs are worse as they're heavier. Rest the other half of the system on your knee and potentially pin it with your stylus hand there to take nearly all the weight off your movement hand. If you can't pin it, you'll still have to support half the weight with your movement hand, but half the weight is still better and less taxing than full weight.

Short of that, everyone do the weighted rollups until their forearms feel on fire.

[Viscra Maelstrom]

honestly, i just think it's badly designed gimmick controls. if it had a more Prime-esque control layout, it would've played far better. i mean ffs, you can't even lock onto enemies, which i guess makes sense in the multiplayer, but it makes the single-player an absolute goddamn chore to play as your aiming reticle wibbles and wobbles all over the goddamn place. i don't even know how you're supposed to use the stylus while playing the game as well. if you're giving someone proficient at FPS games this much trouble actually playing your game, i'd say you should step back and look at how you actually designed your control layout.

[DoomRater]

I do just fine after getting used to it. If there was a way to use gyro controls on it instead, great- it'd play more like Splatoon. Thing is, there IS no other aiming control scheme available on a regular DS. It just doesn't have the buttons or analog sticks of a Gamecube controller.

[Viscra Maelstrom]

i still think it could've done better with a more traditional control-scheme like the Prime games. use L button to lock on, use the R button to look around, and locking onto something makes you strafe. then you can use the XYAB buttons for jumping, using the beam, using missiles and turning into Morhp Ball. the only question then would be how you'd switch to different weapons and bringing up the map, but at least this way, the game would be a hundred times more playable, less counter-intuitive and trying to be innovative but failing miserably because humans don't have 20 fingers or 4 hands, and i wouldn't have complained about it now and probably enjoyed it a lot for what it is.