Anyway, back to those controversial d-pad controls – how exactly have Team Ninja managed to pull it off? In short, the control scheme finds a pleasing balance by combining the immediacy offered by a digital input with slickly implemented auto-targeting. Press the d-pad in the direction of the bad guys, mash the ‘1’ button, and Samus blasts them into oblivion – while this may sound like hand-holding, you always feel in control and the action feels immersive, exciting and (with the usual charge beams, missiles and morph-ball at your command) surprisingly deep. Platforming and rolling the morph-ball is also silky smooth. The switch to the d-pad will no doubt prove to be divisive, but there really is very little to criticise here – for our money, it actually lends to the freshness of the whole of the experience. Notably, it also makes Other M a title ripe for transition to the Nintendo 3DS.

Other M also makes good use of the Wii remotes pointing capabilities; at any time you can point at the screen and the game switches to a first person perspective a la Metroid Prime. While you are unable to move in this mode, and the scanning capabilities are limited, it’s perfect for seeking out hidden pathways or to just soak up the visuals. Quick switches to the first person view are also required in combat in order to launch missiles or to target specific enemies/body parts. It works really well, and adds another layer of dynamism to the whole experience.

Visually, the game frequently sizzles and while there are few surprises in terms of the environments featured, it constantly manages to impress with cohesive and imaginative art direction. Of particular note is the enemy design, which has clearly drawn on the earlier games in the series and possesses a pleasing kitschiness – many of the weird and wonderful creatures you meet wouldn’t look amiss on the side of an 80’s arcade cabinet.

Whether or not Other M is the definitive vision of Metroid will probably be down to personal preference; it pushes the series in new and interesting directions, and takes a number of fairly significant risks – a move that may not go down well with everyone. There is no question, however, that it offers the kind of well rounded, finely tuned experience that we’ve come to expect of Samus and as the linearity of the earlier parts of the game give way to more freeform exploration, it’s clear that it does everything it can to satisfy both newcomers and series veterans alike. The biggest criticism we can level at the game is its length; while by no means a short adventure, with no other modes of play being offered the degree of replayability you’ll get out of it is dependent on the pull of collecting all the hidden items. We would have happily welcomed some sort of survival mode – the combat mechanics would have been more than up to the task – but alas, this was not to be. Overall, Other M is a polished, engaging and hugely satisfying adventure, and a successful re-imagining of the Metroid experience that suggests our favourite bounty hunter’s future is likely to be every bit as rosy as her past.

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