Metroid: The Sky Calls is a fan film starring Nintendo's famous bounty hunter, and - fingers crossed! - it might just be the inspiration the company needs to get the series back on track. Because after transitioning away from 2D exploration-based platformers, it seems poor Samus Aran has had something of an identity crisis.
The Prime series and Other M have presented Aran in vastly different ways, and she's also been spending more and more time out of her armor. There's nothing wrong with experimentation or appealing to different tastes, but fans and critics alike have been less than enthusiastic with what some argue is a strong female hero being reduced to an anime-like parody wearing rocket heels.
Thankfully, The Sky Calls has more in common with Ridley Scott's Alien than it does with recent Metroid games. A sense of isolation, exploring uncharted territory in deep space, making contact with unsettling forces - that's a true Metroid experience, and it's these themes that are executed so superbly by Rainfall Films and Jessica "Chozobot" Chobot. Sit down, grab some headphones, and set aside 12 minutes to watch:
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