It was a novel idea to steer away from Prime's "I lost my abilities" cliché, and it did work to some degree.
Novel idea? Yes. Used in what could be the worst way possibly imaginable? Also yes.
Why not say "Samus left weapons back in her ship", to say she didn't carry around an entire arsenal, and then block her way to the ship with an explosion as soon as she figures out the situation calls for more weapons? Why not say she lost her weapons back at the end of Super Metroid when her suit got damaged, way before the game began? The thing is, it's the most bullshit story element they could have possibly come up with.
I wouldn't say better trained, about equal, with individual differences. Adam's biggest concern is her weapons being simply too powerful. And when it comes to weapons that spread out to hit a mob of targets, and shoot through glass, thats a very big risk.
Yes. Better trained, better at everything those soldiers could possibly do, and aside from Anthony, the only one who didn't die in the mission. And far too much of a professional to hit innocent civilians. Stop taking reasons out of your ass, it is simply a very bad plot point on a very bad story just to justify gameplay.
I don't think you're giving Samus enough credit for her responses to Anthony's death.
I am. I am giving the credit of being a thoughtless [sonic slicer] who whines about a baby Metroid for weeks, enough to be called for a mission while STILL whining about it, and then not giving a [tornado fang] about a good friend dying to save her life.
Furthermore, you're reversing the order of events here. Samus doesn't become a wreck over Adam until after both the baby and Anthony had already died; the accumulation of all her bottled up emotions, including Ridley.
You'll have to explain to me when is she ever NOT a wreck throughout the game.
Other than that, this is a woman raised by birds, looking up to her snarky commanding officer as the "father figure" she never had; she always was a far cry from normal. Anthony in all his kindness just failed to get into Samus' heart beyond another comrade in arms. Just be glad he's got his second chance with her, what with being the sole survivor and all.
I am failing to get into yout thick skull about this.
Irrational being dies after she bonded with it for hours at the most = SAMUS BEING A NERVOUS WRECK FOR WEEKS, MOURNING ENDLESSLY AND ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT IT
One of best friends dying in order to save her life, due to an event that was her fault = Samus goes meh
IT. DOESN'T. MAKE. SENSE. No matter how much emotional connection she had to anyone, it does not make sense and it is horrible storytelling, I do not care in what angle you look at it.
All of which only affect the cold-hearted and battle-hardened bounty hunter Samus Aran in her ideal protective surroundings of complete isolation. Never before has any event tried digging into her memories, affecting her human heart like this.
So being face to face with the beast who killer her family after avenging it, holding the necessary weapon to unleash hell in all cosmos is all cool and doesn't make her break a sweat, but seeing its ugly face again, WHILE talking to her ex on the phone is, like... TOOOTALLY TRAUMATIIIIC!
Bad narrative. Awful story. Horrible writing. Cannot be logically perceived as anything but.
Samus had worked for the Federation as a bounty hunter, which cannot be compared to working under Adam as her direct commanding officer. At best she'd been taking orders from heartless machines like the Auroras.
She says "working as a team". Which had happened before.
Ridley was consistently revived by the very Space Pirates that now no longer exist, and Metroids were held in captivity long before they were completely wiped out by Samus on SR388. Besides, why is this last point even an issue with Other M? It was Fusion, before Prime, that introduced the plot point of the Federation recreating the Metroids.
She had seen every single space pirate being cloned and facing her again. What the hell is so surprising about Ridley being there too?
And Fusion doesn't happen before Prime chronologically, it's still the last Metroid. Null point.
Again, you cannot possibly rationalize horrible storytelling such as this. Romantic feelings do not go in the way of mourning for a comrade who just saved her life, no matter how she saw him. She has no justification for breaking down like a [sonic slicer] EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. It is a horrible, horrible, horrible story.