Not really. Metroid has been about the atmosphere and exploration. Fighting wasn't and never will be the priorty.

I dont think so. The story is very much continuable after Fusion. Samus is an outlaw, expand it there. MAybe she goes into hideing, Fed sends other bounty hunters after (que MPH), she somehow loses her power ups, etc. I can definatly see plot potential, not that it really matters.

Umm Ridley is in the trailer.

Samus as an outlaw would be sweet! ^_^

Or if you don't want to do another sequel, there's a lot of prequel potential in Samus' past relationships with the Chozo and the Space Pirates.

Whatever. Exploration! Action! Bosses!

The only metroid game I ever played was fusion andthat game is the last in the timeline I have some catching up to do

Sometimes, I think it should be a felony to not play Super Metroid once.

Well this game takes place before fusion too.

Many people are saying in this thread that Nintendo doesn't care much about stories and timelines. This is true, but it can't be said about the Metroid series. The reason why Nintendo usually doesn't care about these things is because Shigeru Myiamoto doesn't start a game with the story, but with other things, and he doesn't think it is very important.

Now for Metroid, Shigeru has never been as important as for series like Mario, Zelda or Donkey Kong. Metroid was never made by EAD, but by R&D and other studios. So I think the people responsible for the Metroid series are actually caring about stories. Just the fact that there is a clear timeline and that they already stated where Other M takes place in this timeline should make clear that story and timeline is important for Metroid.

Now I have never played Fusion (I'd like to, but I don't know where to get it...) but from what I read in the OP, I don't think that it is too difficult to continue the story. I mean, how many games or movies have started with the main character being an outlaw? There's a gazillion of possibilities with such a start, like having the federation chasing Samus, but she finds out about some conspiracy and is finally able to show the federation she is one of the good guys.

I think after Other M, the story will be quite complete. There are no holes in the story inbetween Metroid 2 and Super Metroid, and the hole following after Super Metroid will be filled by Other M, while the hole after the original is already filled by the Prime subseries.

Anyway, where a game is placed in the timeline doesn't harm or help its relevance in any way if you ask me, so while it is very funny to have debates about such aspects, it is only fanboyish talk and not relevant to the reception of the game.

I don't see why Samus should want the Galactic Federation to accept here. Basically they are doing whatever they want, and it is very corrupt. Breeding metroid's, and using X parasites that are very very dangerous, aren't something that she is for, and it doesn't make them look anything near good. Also at this point in the story, space pirates aren't as much as a threat as they were in games that take place earlier in the time line. There is no point to risk populations by breeding metroid's or use X parasites. Also how is having more options make it hard to choose on expanding the story? Imo it makes it much easier than say being restricted so much that there is only one option that leaves out most or all plot holes. Evidence of having few options is the split timeline theory made by Nintendo, after tons of plot holes in the serious were recognized. I doubt that Nintendo thought of it beforehand. Before that Zelda stories, were actually pretty great. After that everything became complex, and not even Nintendo can make sense of it.