Few things really take me by surprise at the Electronic Entertainment Expo these days, but a big one was the playable demo for Metroid the Other M. The Team Ninja interpretation of the franchise translates simply into Ninja Gaiden Metroid. (Gasp!) That doesn’t mean the Samus Aran we know and love is gone; far from it. In this re-imagining of the classic side-scroller she is a true badass. The ability to wall jump and shoot your enemies at the same time is great and flows smoothly, allowing for some truly awe-inspiring, double-take inducing thrash moves that even your enemies will learn to fear.

It is a true 2 and a half D (2.5D) platformer with the occasional first person view. Let me explain: normal gameplay is all 2D. When you want to check something out for clues, that’s when you put the game into first person. This allows players to dynamically switch up gamplay interactions and keeps the action and discovery in a good check. The same is also true when you want to exploit a boss’ weak spot, or even fire your missiles.

Samus takes on a 4 eyed, 10 brained, sliming, purple, people eater.

Of course it was a timed demo so I decided to skip the cut scenes. A highly positive thing to come from playing was that Samus auto locks to the enemies in 2D mode. Yes, even the ones that are clinging to the roof. Metroid The Other M handles well and looks great. Easily one of the best looking Wii games we’ve seen so far. If Team Ninja keeps the same formula going, Other M looks like  It will be a welcome addition to the Metroid franchise. Look for Metroid the Other M to hopefully be available August of this year.

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