Line #9 Fridge/MetroidOtherM


1	%%Examples of Fridge Logic don't go on this page, but on the Headscratchers page.
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3	! Fridge Pages are Administrivia/SpoilersOff, all spoilers below are unmarked!
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5	!!FridgeBrilliance
6	* ''Metroid: Other M'' may seem like an arbitrary subtitle until you notice as an acronym it reads "MOM". Also if you place the M before Other, it reads "Mother", representing Samus' relationship with the Baby Metroid and Madeline Bergman's relationship with MB.
7	** "Other M" could also mean "Other Mother", referring to MB being basically another Mother Brain.
8	** Or it could mean "Other Madeline", referring to MB stealing Madeline Bergman's identity.
9	** It could also mean "Other Metroids", referring to the recreated batch of Metroids. Also potentially a callback to the [[BlindIdiotTranslation badly-translated]] ending of ''VideoGame/Metroid1'', where it says: "But, it may be invaded by the ''other Metroid''."
10	** If we ''really'' wanna stretch this, it could mean "Other Malkovich" referring to Adam and Ian. [[SureLetsGoWithThat Ehh...?]]
11	* There are people who take issue with Samus' calm and blase attitude as she narrates the story in ''Other M''. But think about it for a few seconds, for pete's sake. She's ''telling a story'' in retrospect at an unspecified time and place, most likely where she can remain calm. In fact, she might actually be telling someone else about this, tying in with ''Fusion'''s ending. She could even be writing it down. Would she gain anything by sounding frantic or worried?
12	** She's definitely telling the story ''to'' somebody, or narrating a journal entry. She doesn't sound frantic or worried because it's already in the past to her - she knows how it ends.
13	** Another thing to note is why she seemed more emotionally vulnerable. She's barely had any rest at all between ''Metroid II'', ''Super Metroid'', and ''Other M''. She just lost her "child" and her home of Zebes all in one fell swoop. She's been through hell and back and, like a {{Determinator}}, she kept going when she would've benefited from taking time to get proper rest.
14	* Something very easy to miss on your first playthrough is the odd screaming that attracts monsters to attack Samus in multiple locations throughout the Biosphere, such as the first encounter with the Griptians and later with the Kihunter hive. That was Little Birdie (a.k.a. baby Ridley) trying to get you killed, and you may not have even noticed it.
15	* Samus' reaction to seeing Ridley seems incredibly out of character, until you realize that Ridley had never truly truly ''died'', as in KilledOffForReal, until ''Super Metroid''. It's not that she's scared of Ridley, it's that she's freaking out because he's ''supposed to be dead''.
16	** Alternatively, Ridley's previous deaths took place between large spans of time - for example, there's supposedly two years between ''Zero Mission'' and ''Prime'', and there's at least six months between ''Prime'' and ''Corruption'', giving Samus plenty of time to process the events and understand Ridley could make a gradual comeback. She also had every reason to think he was gone for good, since his remains were consumed in the explosion of an ''entire planet'', not to mention he shouldn't have been able to be revived by his subordinates since they all died too. However, ''Other M'' happens mere ''weeks'' after ''Super''. He's not only supposed to be dead, but he came back in record time!
17	** One also has to consider several other factors in this reaction as well. Ridley is Samus's mortal enemy as the one who ultimately is the cause of her parents' deaths. Also, Samus herself is still experiencing a period of deep mourning over the Baby Metroid and her failure to keep it safe. Samus has likely been carrying old wounds for a long time already given her early life, it makes a bit more sense that she's freaking out and freezing up when emotions overwhelm her senses for a moment.
18	** This makes more sense too if you look back to ''Corruption'', back on Norion. When Ridley ambushed her inside, Samus didn't get out of the way but stood there and shot at him as he swooped down, even though she knew it wasn't going to do much. Even after the events from the manga, she still has a little bit of fear left over. Fear is never truly gone, after all.
19	* Late in the game, Samus comes across an open bridge that she has no means of crossing without Adam's authorization. She has just lost contact with Adam, but the Deleter is getting away. So what does she do? Rather than wait around, she activates a few abilities... the ''Screw'' [[StealthPun Attack]] and Space Jump.
20	--> ''"Any objections, Adam?"''
21	* We don't know much about Ridley's experience with Metroids, but he sure got a lot of his energy sucked away by the Metroid larva during the climax of ''Samus Returns''. That couldn't have been a pleasant experience, and might've left him with some fear for the little monsters. Now imagine how he'd feel facing down the fully-grown Queen Metroid in Room MW - it makes sense that he'd cower in fear and screech like a cornered animal.
22	** It could also be a wrathful, frustrated roar as he realizes he's reached the end of the line and has no way to cheat death this time.
23	** That's assuming this Ridley clone has the same memories as the original Ridley, which is a widespread theory. However, let's look at it the other way: what if this was a completely new being? This Ridley clone could only have been alive for what, a month at most? Ridley's species has very long lifespans, since he was an adult during Samus' childhood and has been that way for as long it took for Samus to grow up. So the Ridley clone in ''Other M'' is basically a ''child'', having just recently matured from its Little Birdie and Mystery Creature forms and having been in the world for only a handful of weeks. That completely re-contextualizes all of his actions in this game! He's a child with a razor-sharp intelligence and predatory reflexes, possibly targeting Samus due to some sort of genetically-inherited instinct. Can you imagine his confusion at fighting Federation marines and being attacked by the Queen Metroid?
24	* Ever wonder how Nightmare and Ridley end up on the Biologic Space Labs in ''Fusion''? Enter the rooms those two bosses' remains were left in during ''Other M's'' postgame portion and you'll find they're missing. The GF clearly picked them up and moved them elsewhere for further research, deeming them too important to leave behind.
25	** Also, ever wonder why Ridley's body collapses so easily in ''Metroid Fusion'' when you encounter it in the freezer? That's not the sort of thing you usually see frozen corpses do. Unless, of course, that frozen corpse was drained of all its energy by a Queen Metroid and turned into a dry, gray husk.
26	* Played from Adam's side, Samus' presence and overall participation and involvement is suspicious and possibly dangerous. Moreso when factoring in rumors of a possible assassin in his own ranks (that he observes over her comms but her presence like that could be a performance). This more than anything may explain his often overly-stiff and reactionary attitude; though his trust and belief in her comes through in the end.
27	** Additionally, Adam hadn't seen Samus in years. During their service together, Samus was an impulsive prodigy with an impressive armorsuit (keep in mind that back then she only had a handful suit upgrades), but not much more. He didn't see Samus annihilate Mother Brain (twice), or cleanse the galaxy of Phazon, or traverse the Alimbic Cluster - sure maybe he'd heard the legends, but it's different than seeing for yourself. He had no idea what Samus was truly capable of, nor just how necessary her new powers would end up being on this mission. Maybe in some ways his sacrifice was an atonement for not trusting her enough for the rest of the game prior.
28	* Take a look at MB's hairclip. Remind you of anything? It looks like the red nuclei in the core of a Metroid.
29	** MB also bears a striking resemblance to Samus. This may be because the Federation wanted to replicate Samus' relationship with the Baby as closely as possible, and therefore used her appearance as a base. Analytically, it also drives home the comparison between Samus and MB; she is every unhealthy aspect of Samus' immaturity given form, and her demise is due to her inability to come to terms with her own naivety, lashing out against the Federation instead of trying to maturely work through her problems with Madeline.
30	** Madeline has her own imagery too - she has a fluffy red head of hair, somewhat reminiscent of Mother Brain's bulbous red brain.
31	** For a while, some could think that MB is just the initials for Mother Brain, which wouldn't have been a surprise given all the other Zebes aliens onboard. We are also lead to think that MB and Madeline Bergman are in fact one and the same person, but it's a RedHerring: MB is the real name of Melissa Bergman, a different person completely.
32	* Phantoon is the extra final boss. Anyone remember what area he was the boss of in ''Super Metroid''? The Wrecked Ship. At the end of the game, Samus is all alone on the BOTTLE SHIP, making it another ghost ship.
33	* The Deleter subplot is almost completely dropped and left for the player to figure out themselves. Although the Japanese version's guide outright confirms that it was James Pierce, we can still piece together evidence of the Deleter's identity given throughout the game:
34	** In cutscenes, we can see that the 07 on the Deleter's helmet is faded, just like on James' helmet. James also has an extra device strapped to his left arm that none of the other marines have, which is also on the Deleter.
35	** James was the first to arrive at the Exam Center and Samus finds him fiddling with something under a computer desk after traversing multiple locked doors (possible that he locked them behind himself, but that would've been a huge give-away so who knows). He awkwardly approaches her, but is saved from her questioning when the rest of the platoon (minus Lyle) shows up. Maurice then analyzes the computer and finds that the CPU "self-destructed", which is likely what James was up to.
36	*** It's also possible that James was trying to hack the computer and failed, resulting in the CPU self-destructing as a defense mechanism.
37	*** Another possibility is that he wasn't touching the computer, but rather placing charges stolen from Lyle's body so that he could demolish the Exam Center and all the evidence therin.
38	*** Interestingly, James also asks the platoon about Lyle's whereabouts before any of them have revealed their faces. It's possible that he was well-acquainted enough with their armors and figures to notice Lyle was missing, but it's also likely that he already knew Lyle was missing and wanted to be the first to bring attention to it.
39	** James' body is found in the Bioweapon Research Center, which is where MB was hiding. It's unclear who did him in and how, since his body is fairly intact. However, the Japanese guide confirmed that he was targeting MB, unaware of her true identity, and she somehow killed him. Considering her android body is capable of moving extremely quickly and is strong enough to send a grown man flying across the room with a wave of her arm, it would be trivially easy for her to punch right through his helmet and break his skull.
40	** James was designated the communications specialist for the 07th Platoon... but the communication on the BOTTLE SHIP is absolutely terrible and the marines can hardly contact each other. It's likely James was jamming signals on purpose in order to keep them separated and unable to rat him out.
41	* Some retroactive Fridge with ''Fusion''. Why would the Federation still save Samus' life from the X after she exposed their illegal bioweapons program in ''Other M''? Well, allowing the galaxy's greatest, most famous hero to die would [[SlaveToPR make them look even worse]].
42	** So why is Samus still willing to work with the Federation in ''Fusion'' anyways? Well in ''Other M'' it becomes pretty clear that the pro-bioweapons part of the Federation is not the entire organization, and that there are plenty of reasonable anti-bioweapon staff such as Adam who Samus can trust. At least, that's what she thought... until she has to blow up the BSL station too and make even more enemies.
43	*** ''Fusion'' also takes place a long time after ''Other M'', several years at least. Without seeing any major actions from the splinter faction, she probably just went back to doing business as usual, including accepting Federation contracts without thinking much more of it since to her, everything seemed to have been resolved behind the scenes.
44	** From their exploration of planet [=SR388=], she may have been there to see to it that their findings didn't end up in the wrong hands. Afterwards, she investigated the BSL station because the last time this happened [[AIIsACrapshoot a rogue A.I. almost wiped out galactic civilization]], so Samus knew too much was at stake to let any trust issues get in the way.
45	** ''Other M'' also explains how the Federation had cells from the infant Metroid in ''Fusion''. Before, one would assume they acquired it at the start of ''Super'', which doesn't make much sense given Ridley abducted it and destroyed the facility almost immediately after Samus turned the infant over. The cells used in ''Fusion'' where those they got off Samus' armor for their bioweapons program. Samus likely never brought this up because they just saved her life and faced more pressing matters.
46	* Fitting in with ''Other M'''s "motherhood" theme, I realised the name of the space station, the Bottle Ship, is a blatant reference to a baby's bottle, shape and all. Coupled with the fact that the distress signal sent from the station is called "Baby's Cry" it does its job hammering the theme in one way or another. I do know it also may reference the age old "impossible bottle" relic but considering the rest of the game, it makes sense.
47	* After the tutorial, the quarantine officer compliments Samus' impressive agility, and Samus herself implies that the Baby Metroid giving her the Hyper Beam also gave her other new instincts. This is why she uses [=SenseMove=], Counter Attacks, Overblasts, and Lethal Strikes in this game. It also explains why she can casually hang off ledges without the Power Grip, a feature that is also present in ''Fusion'', even scaling walls. This is only bolstered by ''Dread'', where she's a complete savage unlike anything we've seen her accomplish before after getting even more DNA from the Metroid vaccine.
48	* This game subtly shows that Nightmare's purpose was more than just a battlefield weapon. Nightmare is found in this game right before the corridor leading to Sector Zero. It was very likely meant to be a guardian fail-safe or last-ditch security measure to contain any unfreezable Metroids that broke out of the sector: its gravity powers would allow it to easily restrain the Metroids unharmed by forcing them down to the floor and immobilizing them long enough to be recaptured and put back in the sector. This might even be why the path leading to it also has gravitational anomalies as yet another security measure in case any Metroids get past Nightmare. With this in mind, it's a lot more understandable why the conspirators behind the Bottle Ship weren't all that worried about removing the Metroids' ice weakness if they can be rendered helpless by gravity.
49	* In the story's final major cutscene, MB has a Freeze Gun to use against Samus and Madeline. This weapon didn't come out of nowhere: it's James Pierce's sidearm, which she took from his body after caving his skull in.
50	* Speaking of Freeze Guns, why were the 07th Platoon all armed with Freeze Guns? That seems like oddly specialized weaponry for the entire group to wield. One's first guess might be that it's an anti-Metroid protocol, but Samus supposedly exterminated all Metroids just recently... unless of course, Adam correctly suspected that the BOTTLE SHIP secretly had Metroids aboard and armed his platoon accordingly just in case.
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52	!!FridgeHorror
53	* Adam locks the doors behind you to keep you on the linear path. Due to a GameBreakingBug, however, one of the doors in the Pyrosphere can become locked at an incorrect time, making progress impossible. Or in other words, Adam locks you in the Pyrosphere with no way out ForTheEvulz.
54	* Did Adam die quickly and painlessly in Sector Zero's self-destruction? Or did he suffer an incredibly painful and horrific death having the life sucked out of him by innumerable ice-proof Metroids? This is left up to the player's imagination.
55	* All of the game's inconsistencies with the rest of the series regarding Samus' personality and all of the disconnect between how Adam is described by Samus and how he acts can be easily explained by the interpretation that [[http://web.archive.org/web/20160810082729/http://moonbase.rydia.net/mental/blog/gaming/metroid-other-m-the-elephant/article.html Adam is actually an abusive psychopath who has psychologically wormed Samus under his thumb]]. Not saying that Adam ''is'' necessarily this way, but if he can even be ''interpreted'' this way, then he's definitely got some issues.
56	* In ''Fusion'', Samus described Adam as a man she deeply respected and as a key mentor figure, and ''Other M'' shows she still thinks of this way even as he shows blatant dismissal and even possibly abusive behavior towards her, and had been not much better to Samus in the past if the flashbacks are any indication. If Other M is truly intended to prequel Fusion and is not a contradition, this can be seen as a symptom of their abusive relationship. Abuse victims can sometimes be completely unable to recognize or even in deep denial that their abusers are abusive, possibly even think of them as wonderful people. When the abuser is abusive the victim may even come to consider themselves at fault for what the abuser does to them. Samus could genuinely believe Adam was a nurturing and important figure to her even years after his death due to this psychological response to her trauma over his abuse.

Context Fridge / MetroidOtherM