Metroid: Other M Dated, Details, Shows Loads of Promise

News coming forth from the Nintendo Media Summit 2010 revealed lots of details for upcoming titles this year, including the high-profile Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M. I wrote about Other M in my anticipated games for 2010, and the new details coming out is getting me excited.

First of all, the increased in narrative and story, even giving voice to Samus Aran for the first time, is one of the things I'm most looking forward to in the game. (1 Up has good info on the intro.) Previous incarnations, from the Metroid Prime series to the portable and 8- and 16-bit versions have always been light on story. The story, then, picks right up from Super Metroid, an over fifteen-year gap between the two games, and presents a narrative that gives new life to the universe.

The presentation of the gameplay also really interests me. The game manages to merge the viewpoints of the two generations of the Metroid franchise: the 2D titles of the NES, SNES, and GBA, and the 3D Prime trilogy. You'll be able to swap between a stylized side-scrolling fighting in a flat plane and a first-person visor view reminiscent of Prime simply by pointing the Wii remote at the screen. Other M makes a nod to its roots and its most recent offering while merging the two into something more than the sum of its parts. Battles will use both interface methods to tackle enemies, giving you options during the fight.

The core of the game is a adventure-action game in line with the franchise. Exploration, boss fights, and puzzles will surely be part of the experience. But it's certain that nothing before has looked as good as this Other M. The game is dated for release on June 27th.