Metroid: Other M

“Metroid: Other M” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metroid:_Other_M) is a game in development by Nintendo and Team Ninja that fits…somewhere in the Metroid series. What’s seemingly unique about it is, judging from game play footage, it will feature a combination of 1st and 3rd person game play with high-action visual sequences. This could prove to be a very interesting game play mechanic. The significance here is in the way most Metroid games play normally. Most of them are 2D with heavy emphasis on exploration of the map area. A few Metroid games were made for consoles with full 3D graphics which played as first person shooters that had a higher emphasis on combat, but still had a lot devoted to exploration. This game looks like it can devote a lot more to combat mechanics while still retaining the series’ classic focus on exploration. This kind of innovative game play redesign is what the gaming industry needs to see more of. For the most part, games in a specific series play far too similarly to each other. “Metroid: Other M” is a new installment into an iconic series in the video game industry, and looks poised to set a precedent for progression of game play mechanics, which will lead to more innovative and unique games.