‘Metroid: Other M’ retools franchise
You don't get to call a gun-filled, action video game "feminist" or "matronly" every day. But today is the day.
In "Metroid: Other M," we portray a supersoldier (a bounty hunter, actually) in outer space, blowing away evil beings who are bent on power or anarchy.
The feminist rub is, we portray Samus -- a woman who is not dressed like a hussy, and who outwardly stands up against a pandering, male military system, literally turning her thumb down against a male commander (and romantic interest) who gives her orders.
We already knew Samus was a strong she. But in previous "Metroid Prime" games, we didn't see her face or body, or hear her voice or story. While portraying her, we just ran forward, scanning rooms for evil lurkers, then shot them to bits.
In "Other M," we see behind the mask and outfit in many cinematic scenes. And bear with me here: Samus has large hips and small breasts for a video game character.
In most video games, female protagonists and antagonists come in two shapely sizes: A) Angelina Jolie-esque Lara Crofts (big up top and firm below, plus impossibly thin); and B) the Japanese anime-influenced waif, the stick figure (possibly with ample bosoms but possibly boy-flat).
Samus walks with more of a real woman's body (heavy thighs and booty, average chest), although she is fatless and strong, and cute.
And here's the matronly part. In the narrative, Samus enters herself into battle because she hears a "Baby's Cry," also known in the game as a distress signal from another spaceship.
"It was as though it was crying specifically for me," Samus says in voice-over narration.
The "cry" doubles as a literal baby's cry, because in the beginning of the game, Samus is saved from an evil monster (Mother Brain) by a mystical baby-in-a-womb whose death gives Samus great power. Yes, that is morbid.
These feminist, motherly (and romantic) themes (well-written) add gravity to the space game, as Samus kills many awful creatures in order to save people (even guys who call her "princess").
All this plot is fresh to "Metroid." But as fans of the series know, the bigger deal is "Other M" alters "Metroid's" actions, too. In previous "Metroid Prime" titles, all the shooting came in first-person viewpoint. We ran, we scanned rooms with super goggles, we blasted things with lasers, and we rolled through tunnels in the form of a ball (akin to a human pinball).
These actions remain intact but in a third-person viewpoint, making "Other M" seem like a glorified side-scroller, though we still use first-person views to scan rooms and fire missiles at big boss villains.
This one game retools the whole "Metroid" franchise into a more complete "Metroid" experience. It's less cumbersome than predecessors to play, though the action can bog down in same-same. And it's finally engaging, with its serious narratives and tones. More games could use such a woman's touch.
("Metroid: Other M" by Nintendo retails for $50 for Wii -- Plays fun, though it can bog down in same-same. Challenging. Rated "T" for animated blood and violence. Three and one-half stars out of four.)
Contact Doug Elfman at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.
NEW IN STORES
"Halo: Reach" (Microsoft) is this season's "most anticipated game of the year." That's right. A few months ago, we critics said "Red Dead Redemption" was the most anticipated game of the year. A few months from now, we'll say "Call of Duty: Black Ops" is the most anticipated game of the year.
But this week: "Halo: Reach."
Plot of this prequel: It's the year 2552, in the era before the setting of the first "Halo." Humans are fighting the aliens of the Covenant. You portray Noble 6, a supersoldier, battling for control of the land known as Reach.
The offline campaign will come with an extravagant story. And months ago, Microsoft let us gamers download an awe-inspiring sample of the online multiplayer, and it played better than any multiplayer of 2010. It was so good, it reminded me how good "Shadowrun" was online three years ago. It's that fun.
"Reach" features a jetpack, hologram armor, sprinting, plenty of "Halo" weapons, voting for online maps, armor upgrades online, cooperative gameplay and many, many other goodies.
This will be the final "Halo" created by "Halo's" original development team, Bungie. It may gross something like $450 million or more within a few weeks. Any future "Halo" games will then be created in-house by one of Microsoft's development teams, led by a former Bungie architect.
The game retails for $60 for Xbox 360. It's rated "M" for blood and violence.
In "Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest" (WB Games), you play as Aragorn, the king of men. At first, you start as a regular guy meeting Frodo. You swing a sword, fight on horseback, shoot some arrows, toss a spear, and earn your way to kingdom.
Other characters are part of the story and action, obviously, from Gandalf to Gimli to hobbits and other "Lord" familiars.
Battles come from the movies -- bridges, fields, streams, castles, forests and all that. Aragorn can slow time with something called "elf vision." If you play the cooperative mode, the second gamer portrays Gandalf.
The story is fringed by a narrator talking in campfire bombast. And the slightly cartoonish, third-person adventure is not as gory as other violent games, in a bid to draw a broader gaming audience of families and such.
The game retails for $60 for PS 3; $50 for Wii; $30 for PSP, PS 2 and DS. It's rated "T" for fantasy violence. Take note that it is not available for Xbox 360.
-- By DOUG ELFMAN
