EDIT: If this is too long for you, I think DragonRex1 really explains it well and concisely... I merely go deeper into the history, and add a few of my own thoughts as to why Samus is the way she is.
I don't think I'm gonna play the game anytime soon. But I saw that video on g4, and beyond the hosts being rather disgusting.. I was a bit confused (probably because I haven't played the game). I read the manga after playing Corruption, since I wanted to know the background story. It might be a misconception from their part in thinking that Samus is not a normal human being. Maybe they think she is supposed to be a cool superhero or something that is a cold badass, who follows her own rules and nothing else. If this were the case, then it could subjectively be sexist to portray her as a little girl that follows everything Adam says. However, that's not who Samus is.
**SPOILER ON METROID MANGA**
1. As people pointed out...Riddley killed her parents in front of her... not just killed, he tore them apart.
2. She goes live with the Chozo (a very pacific group of super-intelligent beings about to go extinct). There she develops as a warrior.. but also develops a very caring personality. -The same thing that killed her parents.. kills the entire Chozo population.
3. The reason she can be a badass is because she was genetically modified with Chozo blood, and can use the Varia suit which makes her a lot more than a human (while still retaining a human personality).
This seemingly random enumeration of things is more relevant than it looks. My first point is to reinforce that she was raised as a human.. and a very traumatized human at that. i.e. She's a nice little girl when very young. Like all little girls, she goes through puberty, etc... That's what I think is seen in a lot of Metroid: Other M. Now, you might not like this fact, since watching a teenager bitch is not something we all like. But the point remains, that nintendo wanted to make her human, and not just a personality-lacking superhero. If this doesn't suit you, go play superman.
On that same token, her father figure growing up most of her youth was a very particular old being (a Chozo) that can hardly be called a normal father. When she finds Adam Malkovich, she finds someone that will help her in her vengance, and also someone who gives her existence meaning and formation. She has literally nothing in the world, except the varia suit, her spaceship, and her education as a warrior. And maybe a lot of hate. Most humans, when young, need some direction in their life. And most orphans, seek for a parental relationship. Malkovich gives Samus both, as well as directing her into having some meaning. As far as I undersand (and please correct me here), other M shows samus as very young, barely reaching adulthood. Most people know that neither women, nor men are really adults during those times. Samus at this point, still needs some direction... a purpose. This is why she follows everything Malkovich says. After all, she has nothing else. She's not yet a badass because she's still emotional as a kid. And the formation of the federation makes her feel like she's a part of something. (Her admiration and respect for Malkovich is doubtfully ever gonna change. Probably in Metroid Prime, she's already a lot more serious and less emotionally "unstable".)
Nways, what is important, is that this would be true for a male character too. Unless it was a superhero-type character. Of course that she's human, and can disobey orders if she REALLY doesn't like them. And of course that the premise of why samus doesn't have her powers is silly. But Nintendo isn't painting a sexist image of samus. They are (at least attempting to) paint a realistic image of a girl who lost everything. Maybe it's too overly-dramatic for you. But it's not sexist.
My second point pertains as to why she is able to show a colder side when she's a bounty hunter. She HATES riddley, and almost everything she fights in most games... mostly because they took most of the things he loved. her suit and genetic modifications make her super-human and the ideal warrior. It's like a dude driving a tank, and fighting against a bunch of archers.. of course he's gonna act all badass . But when it comes to the individual inside.. it is still a human.
I guess my confusion lies in to whether the people calling this sexist actually know anything about the story. Or whether they are pointing an ignorant finger. I don't mind, since I'm used to ridiculous accusations of sexism. Like those aimed at Dune.
Sorry for the long post. (tldr responses are allowed :P)
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