I've just finished my first playthrough of Metroid: Other M's hard mode and, let me tell you, it was an unforgiving bitch. I've never attempted a no-upgrade run through any Metroid-style game—where the goal is to complete the game with the bare minimum of status-enhancing items like energy tanks and missile expansions—but Other M's hard mode forces you to play this way. 99 energy units and 10 missiles will have to last you through every single boss encounter and environmental hazard, and most things will kill you in one or two hits.
But I'm not typing in order to regale my experiences with the game. That's just a handy excuse to bring up something I've been discussing about Other M lately. Some people have called it a bad game, and they have their reasons—many of which I'd agree with—but overall I really like it. I know this because, so far, every time that I've seen the credits go by I immediately follow up by starting a new game. It's my ultimate test to see if the money I spent on a game (though, in this case it was a gift) was worth it. A game that I'll only play once isn't worth sixty dollars, even if they are Canadian dollars. I'm currently on my third playthrough of Other M, so it passes the test. It's now a fully-fledged citizen and is entitled to all the rights entailed therein, like driving a car and paying for sex.
Whether or not I like it, however, I sincerely doubt that Yoshio Sakamoto will be given the opportunity to direct any future Metroid games. A harsh prediction, but hear me out.
