10 Character Designs That RUINED Video Games

7. Samus Aran - Metroid: Other M

Of course, this isn’t to say that some of our favorite characters can’t change, evolve and look radically different. Take the Metroid series, for instance. Nintendo icon Samus Aran is most frequently seen in her Power Suit getup, exploring desolate, hostile planets wiping out intergalactic threats like the unstoppable heroine she is. At the same time, though, she’s equally at home in something a little less cumbersome, infiltrating and exploring as the equally-beloved Zero Suit Samus.

That’s the key thing to keep in mind, though: whether clad in her armor or not, she’s the same tenacious, formidable, consummate professional. We know who she is and what she’s capable of, so every Metroid title worthy of the name needs to deliver that.

This was the issue with Metroid: Other M, which arrived on Nintendo’s Wii in 2010. With this title, Samus offered up some voice-acting for the very first time, and fans were dismayed by what they heard. She was fearful and emotionally fragile throughout. While a lot of this is perfectly natural, considering the harrowing nature of her past experiences, this does more than add nuance to the character: it casts everything we thought we knew about her into doubt. After such a long wait for another instalment, Other M was considered a betrayal of fans.