Two Nintendo x Tecmo Koei games go head-to-head - Which is your favourite?

I was thinking about this earlier: we've had two, high-profile, first-party console games which each provide very new angles on two of Nintendo's most-loved franchises. They both have their roots in an increasingly close partnership with Tecmo Koei.

Hyrule Warriors

Platform: Wii U

Developer: Omega Force / Team Ninja

Release: Summer 2014

It's very much a high-concept game: Zelda meets Dynasty Warriors; and you have to say it ticked pretty much all the boxes fans would hope such a project would throw up. Hyrule Warriors was certainly a surprise when it was revealed, and whilst it didn't break through any glass ceilings, it was probably quite a bit more successful than a few people were expecting.

It's not really a Zelda game, but it arguably deserves to stand in its own light more than any of the other [big franchise]-meets-Dynasty-Warriors titles. It takes the familiar formula of the Koei series - loads of playable characters, loads of levels, loads of weapons, LOOADDDS of slashable meat on-screen - and drenches it in Zelda fan-service; nothing from Nintendo's sacred franchise is off-limits.

Possible pros: It's a great fan-service experience, and I don't think there's much from Zelda's near-30-year history that was omitted. I also think quality-wise it surpassed some expectations - I certainly know that I thought it ran the risk of ending up feeling a bit 'cheap', but the core gameplay remained surprisingly playable throughout. Hyrule Warriors has also continued to be supported with comprehensive DLC. Finally, you can kill enemies by hookshotting the moon into them.

Possible cons: Maybe 'better than some expected' is a prime example of faint praise - the core Warriors gameplay still has a limit of enjoyability and it's never going to live up to the richness of an actual Zelda game. Presentation-wise, one might make a similar case - it's one thing to be 'well put-together' for a Warriors game, but it's never approaching the level of polish of a Zelda game. Perhaps there's a sense that Hyrule Warriors maxes out how good a Warriors game can be without really approaching how good a Zelda game can be.

Metroid: Other M

Platform: Wii

Developer: Team Ninja / Nintendo SPD 1

Release: Summer 2010

An early fruit of the Nintendo/Tecmo love-in, it wasn't until halfway through the E3 2009 reveal trailer that many of us realised this big-budget, CGI-heavy, Team Ninja game was actually a new Metroid. An actual, new Metroid game! And what's this? 2D AND 3D gameplay combined? Fans may still clamour for the ethereal 'Metroid Dread', but Other M probably remains the closest thing we have to such a title. It's a balls-to-the-wall, action-oriented alien blaster that despite initial glances, feels exactly like a classic Metroid game once you get your hands on it.

Unlike Hyrule Warriors, Other M sits unashamedly in the canon. It's neither a spin-off or a side-series, and it thus brings a new complexion to the Metroid franchise. For better or worse, it has much more of a focus on story and character. If past Metroid games were Silent Hill, Other M is closer to Resident Evil - atmosphere and exploration are still important, but there's often a jarring interlude of cheese-heavy plot.

Possible pros: In a world where gamers demand of Nintendo to 'not just do the same thing all the time' more than we do of any other company, Other M is arguably exactly the sort of thing we should be celebrating. It's a bold shake-up of a storied franchise, and it isn't prepared to duck out of the scrutiny by calling itself a 'spin-off'. It won't sit well with purists, but hey, that's why they're called purists. And that's not to be apologetic of the actual gameplay - Team Ninja's proficiency with action-heavy combat systems means Other M sports some genuinely fantastic close-quarters fun. Fighting through legions of space pirates is as slick as butter down an ice hill; to the player, Samus probably feels more like a total badass than in any other Metroid game.

Possible cons: Other M isn't short of its detractors, even if they generally can't agree on which single element is the biggest sore-point. Other M certainly does plenty different, but being different doesn't mean being automatically good. Samus Aran is a much-loved character, and Other M failed to give many fans the portrayal that they ideally imagined. The story - foregrounded heavily throughout the game - has Samus emotionally and practically reliant on her commanding officer and Galactic Federation allies. At worst, it's the very antithesis of what the character stands for. But even at best, it's a messy, often intrusive plot device that can break up the gameplay. And the wider story itself is brimming with the sort of cheese that might be par for the course in a Resident Evil or Metal Gear Solid, but it's somewhat less palpable in a Nintendo series that has historically mastered the virtue of solitude and plot-minimalism.

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So the question is simple but purposefully open - out of Hyrule Warriors and Metroid: Other M, which is your favourite? Interpret 'favourite' however you like - which is better, which do enjoy more, which are you more glad exists?

Explain and debate away!

I voted for Metroid: Other M. It had some bad bits like the pixel hunts, using the Wii remote only was a bad decision and some of the story was pants. But I really liked it and it has a solid foundation. It's how Metroid should be played, I'd take an Other M style game over a Prime game. She's fast, nimble and agile, the way Samus should be and it allows for better gameplay possibilities. I loved some of the CGI trailers, the Mother Brain trailer gave me goosebumps.

Where's the option for both? I CAN'T DECIDE! Loved them both!

(Great thread idea DProd!)

Hyrule Warriors by an absolute mile. Fantastic game, loads of content, a great spin on the franchise and just a love in from start to finish.

Never played either but I realllllly dont like Dynasty Warriors games so I'll vote for Metroid :P

No love for the Pokémon Conquest?

I go with Hyrule Warriors, regardless. Drained so much time on that

Metroid: Other M

The only game I've played back to back three times in a row.

Quite a surprising result so far (isn't everyone supposed to hate Other M? ). I actually thought it was pretty good, but have still voted for Hyrule Warriors, simply because I think I enjoyed that game a bit more, but also in light of the crazy amount of content it contains.

I spent under 10 hours with Other M, whereas I've clocked well over 100 on Hyrule Warriors so far, and there's still loads left to do in that game!

It's not just a case of overall playtime over game quality though, and if this was Other M vs Project X Zone for example, then believe me, I'd be voting for Other M.

But like I already mentioned, the gameplay of Hyrule Warriors was more enjoyable to me.

I went for Hyrule Warriors.

I adore both games, but Hyrule Warriors wins for the insane amount of content it had and the sheer tongue-in-cheek approach the game had.

What's not hilarious about fighting as the N64 Great Fairy?

I don't think it would be fair of me to vote as I've only played Metroid: Other M and am pretty unlikely to ever bother with Hyrule Warriors!

I really enjoyed Other M when it first came out and I'm definitely interested in playing through it again some time soon but I feel like purchasing something like Hyrule Warriors, amongst several other games that I'm not really that interested in, would restrict my flexibility in going back to other games that I've previously played, such as this much-maligned Metroid outing

Metroid: Other M was spectacular. I loved it. It breaks my heart to see that some hated it. It's closer to Fusion than it is to Super and once you that in mind you can really enjoy it. Beautiful soundtrack in places.

Hyrule Warriors is...yeah. Seen the other half play it and nope.

I haven't played to much Other M, but what I played, I didn't enjoy particularly much. I'm not a 2D guy in the slightest.

Hyrule Warriors on the other side, I just finished the other day after an intense week of playing. I find it fun and addictive, although the difficulty curve leaves a bit to desire. Also, I think that the combat system could've used a LOT more work. Firstly, the lock on system is so unreliable that I quit using it altogether. Also, I wish you could block (using a shield for example) instead of dodging. And the framerate seems to drop all the time.

To put things simply: I wish they'd borrowed more from Zelda than they did.

Also, I wish you could block (using a shield for example) instead of dodging.

You block with ZL. (Or L, can't remember which)

In fact, that's the best way to get some characters to expose their weak points. (Zant, for example)