The Nullify Power Suit Gun (how do you explain that one?)

[Chris]

Or he just simply didn't think it was necesarry or didn't know how to intergrade them into the narrative.

Exactly, at what point during the mission would the mention of Chozos have been relevant? The only way I could see the Chozo getting a mention would be if they properly explained how Samus' parents died and that in the aftermath the Chozo took her in and so on.

Oh wait, sorry, that sounds too plausible.

[Not Authorised]

Exactly, at what point during the mission would the mention of Chozos have been relevant? The only way I could see the Chozo getting a mention would be if they properly explained how Samus' parents died and that in the aftermath the Chozo took her in and so on.

Relevancy is easy to establish. You know Samus Aran's really cool suit of powered armor? Absolutely nowhere in the entirey of Other M's script is there any kind of hint as to how she got that suit. If I played that game as my first entry the series, I'd assume it was some kind of super-suit prototype given to her by the Galactic Federation. Kinda relevant to point out the thing that'll be in your field of vision for 99% of the game.

[AuroraUnitComplex]

I hate the idea of a "will-powered" armor suit to begin with. What sort of race even creates a weapon that is dependent on fluctuating emotions and shuts down if the wearer gets UPSET?

Well, it certainly sounds like a curious design choice with a lot of risk if you just state it like that with no context…however, you’re completely ignoring its operational statistics. If you assess the entire mission and all of the creatures and bosses, from everything that we’ve seen, the armor functions perfectly fine 99% of the time Samus is in a combat situation. That type of reliability is not something to scoff at. No technology is without some sort of limitation or potential risk, and putting asides the stats for a moment, I think you’re leaving out several very important aspects if you want to try to evaluate it from a story standpoint.

Mobility + Accessibility: Such a system is incredibly mobile, as it’s fully integrated within Samus, and can be activated anytime without the need to carry additional equipment.
Location Independence: A large amount of energy can be self-replenished with concentration regardless of location (effectively making Samus more independent than ever before as a lone bounty hunter).
Rechargeable + Longevity: The armor system allows skilled users to regenerate shielding energy an indefinite/numerous amount of times when the level gets too low.

More importantly, Samus is effectively the pilot (and engine) of an advanced armor vehicle, and if the pilot loses concentration, it should come as no surprise that the armored vehicle becomes vulnerable to an attack or crashing. Contrary to the way you made it sound, the armor doesn’t just automatically shut down if the pilot loses concentration, but rather, it becomes vulnerable if the pilot doesn’t pay attention while in combat. That’s not an unreasonable scenario, and given the armor’s actual statistical reliability on the field, I don’t think you’re evaluating the Chozo technology’s pros and cons entirely fairly or accurately. The benefits far outweigh the risk, and the risk is academic: don’t pay attention, and you’re more likely to get hurt by small things (Geemers, ice guns, etc.).

That's the most impractical battle suit ever, and I still wonder why Sakamoto ever decided to change it from practical, advanced alien armor into some mystical bio suit that only works if Samus concentrates really hard.

Change?? These concepts have been around way before Other M. Or have you not read material like the 1994 Super Metroid comic? In fact, the Chozo had to explain this very concept to Houston, as he also couldn’t wrap his head around why Samus could become so vulnerable to something as seemingly small as a common hunter spike trap when she had such a powerful suit on. Ironically, Old Bird said that she was probably distracted by thoughts of the baby. Gee, I wonder where we’ve heard that before.

http://metroid-database.com/manga/super_metroid_comics/ch_0004/npcomics_4-4.jpg

Secondly, even IF that was the case, I don't like Samus ever, ever losing that concentration.

I’m pretty sure Samus doesn’t like it either, which is why I think it adds something to her character when we can see a few examples of her admitting her mistakes and wishing she could’ve been more focused or made a more professional choice. For example, in Other M, she indicated right after the Ridley incident how ashamed she was of how her initial reaction led to the death of Anthony. In additional sources like the ZM manga, she called herself “pathetic” after her complete mental breakdown in front of the Chozo and her peers, in which one of the latter yelled at her for being an “idiot.”

In another ironic note, it was the ZM manga where she first stated something like: “…and I can’t forgive myself for doubting him for even a moment.” Hmm, I wonder where we’ve heard Samus say something like that recently. Other M certainly wasn't the first place to use this type of language.

http://metroid-database.com/manga/official_vol_2_en/ch_0012/scaled/sc_metroid_v02_ch0044.png

We can complain all day about what styles we would prefer, but the fact of the matter is that Nintendo has always had additional story backgrounds showing a professional Samus with flaws (sometimes very noticeable) and suit technology that can defy science and everyday logic (as the design was originally intended to be a gameplay mechanic first and foremost, although positive interpretations can be made). This is not some new Other M invention. Other M was largely working off of previously established notions of Samus backstory and the mysterious workings of her Chozo suit abilities.

[Chris]

Relevancy is easy to establish. You know Samus Aran's really cool suit of powered armor? Absolutely nowhere in the entirey of Other M's script is there any kind of hint as to how she got that suit. If I played that game as my first entry the series, I'd assume it was some kind of super-suit prototype given to her by the Galactic Federation. Kinda relevant to point out the thing that'll be in your field of vision for 99% of the game.

At what point during this mission does the suit's origins have any impact on the story or progression of the gameplay?

It doesn't. She has a fully functioning power suit throughout the whole game, she doesn't lose any powers so there are no upgrades to be obtained at chozo statues. This simply isn't the game to explain the suit's origins.

If they chose to explain the suit's origin in this game it would have felt shoe horned in, it simply wasn't required in this instance, in past games Samus has lost abilities and had to recover them using Chozo technology, Prime & MZM been the best examples, this allowed the developers to explain in part the origins of the power suit while not outright spelling it out for you.

M:OM simply isn't the game to explain this sort of stuff, it's not like it will be the last metroid ever and we will never hear for Samus' backstory ever again, there will be other games...

[Not Authorised]

Relevancy is easy to establish. You know Samus Aran's really cool suit of powered armor? Absolutely nowhere in the entirey of Other M's script is there any kind of hint as to how she got that suit. If I played that game as my first entry the series, I'd assume it was some kind of super-suit prototype given to her by the Galactic Federation. Kinda relevant to point out the thing that'll be in your field of vision for 99% of the game.

At what point during this mission does the suit's origins have any impact on the story or progression of the gameplay?

It doesn't. She has a fully functioning power suit throughout the whole game, she doesn't lose any powers so there are no upgrades to be obtained at chozo statues. This simply isn't the game to explain the suit's origins.

If they chose to explain the suit's origin in this game it would have felt shoe horned in, it simply wasn't required in this instance, in past games Samus has lost abilities and had to recover them using Chozo technology, Prime & MZM been the best examples, this allowed the developers to explain in part the origins of the power suit while not outright spelling it out for you.

M:OM simply isn't the game to explain this sort of stuff, it's not like it will be the last metroid ever and we will never hear for Samus' backstory ever again, there will be other games...

The suit's origins have a significant impact on the story when it stops working with no explanation. Hence this thread. The only explanation given is from happy fanwanking, a manga and a comic book respectively. That's very lacking. Thus it is required, and would not have felt shoe horned in. M:OM is absolutely the game to explain this stuff given the excessively long detailing about Samus's backstory and her incredibly important and significant thumb. My god, that beautiful thumb...it haunts us all.

[KingBroly]

Yeah, Other M's story, despite somehow bizzarely complex, is really barebones and without explanation for almost everything. I mean, I know people say Sakamoto blew a crater here, but I just have to ask how big is this character planet?

As far as the series goes, the only explanation of how she got her Suit is in Zero Mission from the Chozo Ruins, but not of the suit before that. Heck, even Fusion hints that the Suit is made by the GF given that the upgrades just download to it. I doubt it's necessary to explain that though. However, the Super Metroid comic 'if she doesn't sense danger it won't protect her' line...holy shit, that's an obscure reference. I guess the 'if I let my guard down I'd easily be broken' line makes a bit more sense now, but come on. But that still doesn't explain the emotional status versus her concentration.

But at the end of the day the same problem remains: Little Explanation.

EDIT:
Damnit, I just looked at my Avatar. Dark Phoenix is giving the NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Chris]

The suit's origins have a significant impact on the story when it stops working with no explanation. Hence this thread. The only explanation given is from happy fanwanking, a manga and a comic book respectively. That's very lacking. Thus it is required, and would not have felt shoe horned in. M:OM is absolutely the game to explain this stuff given the excessively long detailing about Samus's backstory and her incredibly important and significant thumb. My god, that beautiful thumb...it haunts us all.

I personally am not bothered how exactly Adam managed to stun Samus, its superfluous to what's going on, Adam didn't want Samus to enter sector zero, she would have been walking into a trap. Adam couldn't simply talk her out of it, he knew she would have just gone anyway to her death, he had to forcefully stop her for her own good. He also knew the danger the unfreezable metroids possessed towards the galaxy so couldn't just do nothing, the only way to destroy them was the self-destruct protocol that is engaged when the sector receives damage. Unfortunately it meant sacrificing himself in the process. A bit cliched and convenient, yeah but that's all. (in my opinion)

Not everything needs explaining, in the grand scheme of things, this gun isn't important to the game.

Also there wasn't that much detail regarding Samus' back story, we got told a little about her time in the GF and a couple of flashbacks, hardly excessively long.

[Not Authorised]

I personally am not bothered how exactly Adam managed to stun Samus, its superfluous to what's going on, Adam didn't want Samus to enter sector zero, she would have been walking into a trap. Adam couldn't simply talk her out of it, he knew she would have just gone anyway to her death, he had to forcefully stop her for her own good. He also knew the danger the unfreezable metroids possessed towards the galaxy so couldn't just do nothing, the only way to destroy them was the self-destruct protocol that is engaged when the sector receives damage. Unfortunately it meant sacrificing himself in the process. A bit cliched and convenient, yeah but that's all. (in my opinion)

Not everything needs explaining, in the grand scheme of things, this gun isn't important to the game.

Also there wasn't that much detail regarding Samus' back story, we got told a little about her time in the GF and a couple of flashbacks, hardly excessively long.

So your main argument is that the gun is just a plot device to get Samus in a position where she can't stop Adam. Meaning that before that cutscene begins and after it ends there exists no such weapon that can instantly depower Samus Aran's suit. You may be right, but that only proves the existence of very bad writing. At least that'll make KingBroly happy. Hey, KingBroly, how's it hanging?

[KingBroly]

The bad writing comes from the lack of explanation for things. Things just seem to happen in Other M for no rhyme or reason. Plot device so Samus couldn't stop Adam? Perhaps. But Sakamoto still knows what makes sense to him in the context of the series and somehow that does.

The only way Adam could've known when to shoot her (if Sakamoto thought that far ahead) is if he knew how the suit worked. And given that Adam seemingly treats her as a weapon I wouldn't be surprised if he knew about the tech in that suit. But I'm more interested in the how he knows.

[FacelessGriffin]

Thinking about this waaaaaaay too deep, dude.

It's funny how even a silly plot contrivance needs to be really elaborate.

[HYRUL3]

Oh boy. I hate posting in OM boards, and people are gonna hate me for posting this reference, but...

In Halo if you charge up the plasma pistol you'll instantly deplete the energy shields of another Spartan.

It seems logical to me that there could be some kind of EMP gun or something like that, that either has very limited ammo or takes a ridiculously long time to recharge. Who knows.

I blame it on bad writing but we can explain it away however we wish.

[Not Authorised]

Thinking about this waaaaaaay too deep, dude.

It's funny how even a silly plot contrivance needs to be really elaborate.

Whoop, FacelessGriffin just gave his stamp of disapproval. Okay, thread over now. Everybody clear out. Shoo! Go post somewhere else.

[FacelessGriffin]

Thinking about this waaaaaaay too deep, dude.

It's funny how even a silly plot contrivance needs to be really elaborate.

Whoop, FacelessGriffin just gave his stamp of disapproval. Okay, thread over now. Everybody clear out. Shoo! Go post somewhere else.

In a perfect world...

[Twilight-kun]

brb, powering up my nullify power suit gun

and I think Cut Scene Guns are way more powerful then Game guns

Brug Mass, it took SEVERAL concentrated shots from the freeze gun to freeze even a tiny amount of the creature
yet when Anthony is telling how he survived his fall, it took ONE shot to freeze the lava creature, where it took Samus about three fully charged shots

[KingBroly]

Yeah, but that was a lava monster. Use Pokemon logic. And it only takes one charged shot from Samus to freeze the monster in-game. You just need to hit it in the mouth.

Interesting note about that scene is that Anthony doesn't touch the ice platformed monster. He kinda just backflips in midair then moves away somehow. Very bizarre.