2002 Nintendo
After roughly eight years in hibernation, Samus Aran is back in the sequel to the critically acclaimed Super Metroid for the SNES. Adding to the excitement is the fact that the game is developed by the team responsible for the previous SNES installment; once again the very developer that brought us Super Metroid 4/5 of a decade ago. Now lets get down to the good stuff.
Metroid Fusion picks up not long after its predecessor. While lending mission support on planet SR388, interstellar bounty hunter Samus Aran is attacked by an X parasite, an organism with the ability to mimic the abilities of any creature it infects. Near death, Samus is saved by a vaccine made from the DNA of the last Metroid (the X parasite's only natural predator). When the X spread to a research station in orbit around SR388, a weakened Samus is forced to exterminate them all...or die trying.
However, this time Samus isn't going totally commando. Players will receive mission instructions from the Bounty Hunter's cunning ship computer. Accompanying this mission driven atmosphere is a much deeper storyline than previous Metroid titles. For Samus is being hunted by the unlikeliest of enemies...herself.
...Evil has a new face.
Features
- Sequel to SNES Classic, Super Metroid
- Various areas to explore on the massive research station
- Three Cartridge save slots
- Link-up facility with the Nintendo GameCube
- New and classic items and powerups
- Computer assigned missions and expanded emphasis on story
Jeff Van Camp:
Having played every Metroid game currently on the market, I must say I was worried that Metroid Fusion would feel a lot like a rehashed Super Metroid. Even the thought of Nintendo attempting to create a 2D sequel to the SNES classic concerned me. I didn't think an original and fresh 2D sequel was possible. I was very wrong.
Not only is Metroid Fusion a worthy addition to the Metroid library, it also drives the series down a new path all together. Fear of the unknown has been replaced by fear of another, the feeling of solitude hampered by the intense rush of desperation, and a sense of exploration masked by the overwhelming allure of the objective.
Riddles aside, Fusion's control is even more fluid than its predecessors. The A button is used to jump and the B button allows one to shoot or drop bombs (if in ball mode). Holding down the L button while aiming the blaster allows Samus to shoot diagonally. Pretty standard really, that is until you get to missile firing. Because of the decreased number of buttons on the Game Boy Advance to fire a missile gamers must hold down the R button and when pressing the B button. This instantly switches the blaster to missile mode. Once the R button has been released Samus will begin shooting her beam weapons again. This system is a bit awkward at first, but soon becomes second nature and much better then the missile switching system found in Super Metroid. The only other notable innovation in control is the addition of ledge hanging. Gone is the frustration of just missing a platform as Samus will grab ledges and pull herself up if players jump close enough.
Another original gameplay addition comes in the form of enemy destruction. After Samus blasts and destroys an enemy an X parasite is left behind in its spot. If collected, the parasite will replenish the bounty hunter's health and weaponry (including missiles). However, if the X parasite isn't collected within a few seconds it will fly away and turn into a new monster or even merge with other X parasites. If enough of them merge together the resulting creature can be quite menacing. It may not seem like a terribly large innovation, but it adds a lot to the sense of urgency and desperation that oozes from each door and passageway in the Biologic Space Labs.
Now you are most likely asking yourself why I chose to give Metroid Fusion a nine instead of ten. Is it because of the increase in linear gameplay? Does the story hamper the games atmosphere? Could the length of the game be to blame for this atrocity? Three answers...nope, no, and not a chance. Before I go into detail on my only qualm with the title I would like to go on record and say that 10-14 hours of gameplay isn't bad at all. Game length does not dictate the quality of any videogame. Sure a title that is 40 hours long might be excellent, but if the last 10 or 20 of those hours are boring and less inspired than one would hope, they shouldn't be there. No one ever wants a good thing to end; yet few seem to realize that no game can create a lasting impact if the player didn't think it ended too soon.
Luigi's Mansion is an excellent example of this. It may only take around five to six hours to complete it the first time through, but those five to six hours were brilliantly implemented. If the game's length was doubled I highly doubt that it would really matter to anyone because they would be too bored to care by that time. A game is an idea and like all ideas they come in many varieties. Luigi's Mansion is an excellently crafted game concept and ends right before most would begin to tire of it. If a player wants to double the length of the title it is very easy to doplay it over again.
I rated Metroid Fusion a nine instead of ten for one reason alone. The game's pace (not length) isn't as well executed as it could have been. The overall atmosphere rushes things too much at times. Players become so desperate (at times) to keep on the move and get to target destinations as quick as possible it takes away from the impact that extra exploration and item collection has on the overall enjoyment level. In excellently paced titles like Eternal Darkness, Metroid Prime, or Super Metroid the satisfaction gained from obtaining that hard to get powerup or crafting a totally new spell is enormous. I don't feel that enough emphasis was put on rewarding the player and the learning curve.
Overall, Metroid Fusion is definitely a great title and one of the best 2D games on the market today. Definitely a testament the quality and depth capable in side scrollers. Metroid fans and casual gamers alike will enjoy the effort put into the title.
Mark Medina: Metroid Fusion is without a doubt a spectacular game. From the moment you see Samus' ship blow up and you're given the chance to roam the new surroundings, you know you're in for something special.
This game has practically everything going for it, amazing graphics, sensational music and sound; excellent control, wonderful learning curve, massive bosses, a huge involving story, and a badass fake Bounty Hunter to avoid.
The graphics are colourful, moody, and fitting. No slowdown, no glitches, and no dark and/or bland colour scheme. Enemies are given a lot of attention and some of the bosses are the size of the screen!!
The sound in Metroid Fusion is arguably its strongest feature. Played with a good set of headphones, the music is the equal of its predecessor Super Metroid. The music changes during certain plot-driven situations and help to give a sense of urgency during "time trial" sections of the game, and when the SA-X spots you, the music swiftly switches to a fitting "get out while you can" beat. Sound effects are top-notch, elevators sound like elevators, shooting doors to open them are accompanied by that loveable noise we all remember, finding items to upgrade Samus has the familiar theme to it, bosses explode with a very satisfying boom sound, and set pieces are delivered with sounds that distinguish their importance from regular gameplay music. The music and sound effects combine to give Metroid Fusion an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of a good sci-fi soundtrack, and is very worthy of the Metroid franchise.
Controlling Samus is a joy, she responds to all your desired movements and commands, and collision detection is perfect, which is what you expect from Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. Each button on the GBA serves a purpose, and navigating your way around the map is as intuitive as ever.
The level design, always the masterstroke of Metroid games, is once again magnificent. Never is there a time when the level design makes you stuck, and the times when you will get stuck, the beauty of Metroid Fusion is that the solution is always there in your face. There's a wonderful feeling of achievement that you get when you figure out a particular solution to that obstacle that's been impeding your progress. As always with Metroid games, finding or earning a particular new item/weapon will give you access to previously inaccessible areas, and part of the fun is just trying new things with your new abilities. Unlike other games, every single ability you retrieve from the X parasites is needed to push the game along and to push the story along.
Boss battles offer yet more strategies, and you'll find that you can beat a boss with one strategy, yet there's another that involves less time and less effort, as I found with many of the battles, particularly with the "final" battle with the SA-X.
Adjusting to Metroid Fusion from Super Metroid just takes the getting used to of the computer telling you where to go next. A sigh of relief then that there's still plenty of exploration in the game, it doesn't feel linear, but is obviously less so than previous Metroid games. It's not a drawback, just something to get used to. Fortunately, the computer plays a significant role in the plot so that's the trade-off, if you want to think of it that way. The story is a classic Metroid storyline, which is something you'll discover for yourself upon playing the game. I won't spoil anything for you here.
The only thing that loses Metroid Fusion some points is the gamelife. From start to finish, it took me around 11 "real life" hours, and 4:52 game time hours/mins. It's not a lot, but because the game is so addictive, so wonderful, so very nearly perfect, the fact that it ends is a major bummer. There's always the "I wish there was one more boss or one more level" feeling, as was the case with previous Metroid games! Nothing to be sniffed at really, and there's always the incentive of getting the full 100% to keep you coming back.
In a nutshell, more than any other game, do not miss out on Metroid Fusion for your GBA. It's by far the best GBA game to come out this year, and is arguably GBA's best game yet. It's easily good enough to give Advance Wars a run for its money in the "top spot" in the "best GBA games list".
I'm loathe to give a game a "perfect 10" score, but relative to every other GBA game, Metroid Fusion is nigh on perfect and deserves nothing less than a 10. Yes, it's that good. Stop reading and go buy right now, you really won't be disappointed.