WHO IS SAMUS ARAN?

However, her biggest change in style is found in the many flashbacks in Metroid: Other M. She has short hair, in a modern style, (As we remarked during our big Other M preview a few months back, “At least Tonii and Guy are still going strong in space year 20X5.”) still blonde, although it is what appears to be a bleached tone, and a rounder, more Japanese-looking face. She’s also sprouted a beauty mark and bigger breasts, all courtesy of the legendary gaming perverts at Team Ninja.

Other the years Samus has also grown far more stocky, slowly turning into the muscular beast she’d really need to be behind the power suit to hold up in the cruel Metroid universe. Yet, as Other M showcases better than any other game, she’s so flexible that she can do back flips around any enemy and occasionally runs at almost Sonic the Hedgehog speeds. Again, this is Team Ninja’s work- They spent most of their time making action games about ninjas, so it makes sense to give Samus the athletic pedigree she deserves, but never has got.

So then, who is Samus Aran? She may not be the world’s most charismatic character, but she’s the world’s most life-like: A piece built up carefully over the years into a woman with more sides than a polygon party. A girl who’s had almost as many makeovers as daytime ITV. One thing’s for sure: keep an eye on Samus. She is, after all, Gaming’s First Great lady.