She's ready - are you?

Metroid fans had better brace themselves, as Nintendo has just announced that Metroid: Other M, their brand new collaboration with Team Ninja, is set to hit North American store shelves on June 27th.

Metroid™: Other M, the incredible new Metroid game developed for Wii through a collaboration by Nintendo and the world-renowned Team Ninja, launches June 27. The game looks at the classic franchise from a new perspective: While much of the game is reminiscent of 2-D side-scrollers, players can switch the perspective into 3-D at any time as they explore the twisting passages of a derelict space station and delve deep into a cinematic, never-before-told story of bounty hunter Samus Aran’s past. This new approach uses a new control scheme in which players use the Wii Remote™ controller held sideways to battle enemies and navigate the expansive, gorgeous environments in classic Metroid fashion, then aim at the screen with the Wii Remote pointer to blast foes in first-person and hunt the world for clues and hidden passages.

How about that for a serious one-two punch, with Super Mario Galaxy 2 arriving on May 23rd followed by Metroid: Other M on June 27th?

We'll have some brand new screenshots and video of the game in action later this afternoon, so stay tuned!

UPDATE: Looks like Nintendo has gone and set up a teaser site for Other M very similar to the one launched for Japan. It's virtually identical, but there's now a voice that we'd be willing to put money on is series star Samus Aran. This would mark the first time the heroine has spoken aloud other than grunts and ouches; is it possible that Samus will no longer be a silent protagonist? We'll find out soon enough!