Released a full eight years after its phenomenal Super Nintendo predecessor, Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion is a well-paced, tense, atmospheric game and an oft-overlooked GBA classic.
Players assume the role of Samus Aran, the legendary bounty hunter responsible for overturning the sinister designs of the Space Pirates and obliterating their organic weapon, the Metroids. Samus accompanies a group of scientists to SR388, the Metroid homeworld, planning to survey the planet, but is unknowingly accosted by a virulent organism known as an X Parasite. The grim reality of this infection is explained once Samus loses consciousness and crashes her ship on the return journey – though she escapes the impact unharmed, her body and equipment are teeming with X Parasites, and her chances of survival are slim to none. Her signature apparel the Power Suit is surgically removed and she is injected with cells from the last of the Metroids, saving her from a grim demise but drastically altering her appearance.
The weakened heroine is given little time to recuperate when the laboratory containing both the creatures collected in the exploratory mission and her Power Suit is rocked by an explosion, thus tasking Samus with the responsibility of investigating the mysterious space station.
It’s a powerful opening sequence, particularly for those that played Super Metroid – Samus muses that the Metroid vaccine with which she is administered was derived from the Baby Metroid in the SNES title, and as such she owes it her life twice over. Samus is now able to absorb X Parasites into her body thanks to the infusion of Metroid cells, as Metroids were apparently designed to be the X’s sole predator – as such, her own actions in wiping out the Metroids in Metroid II: Return of Samus have indirectly caused the events of Metroid Fusion. Previous experience with the series is not necessarily required to enjoy this entry, but at least Super Metroid is undoubtedly recommended for full enjoyment of this game.
The gameplay itself has been further refined from past instalments – Samus is as sprightly as ever and still utilises her signature spinning jump and 8-directional aiming techniques from previous games, but is now also able to grab ledges and climb certain surfaces. Samus is stripped of power-ups from the previous game thanks to the removal of her Power Suit – a clever justification for starting from scratch again – and these are gradually unlocked through progression in the game.
Metroid Fusion’s progression, however, is surprisingly linear – Samus is given instructions from her ship’s onboard computer, who she dubs Adam after her late commanding officer, and there’s very little room for deviation for most of the game. Metroid Fusion has a story, one that it insists on telling, and as such often funnels the player down certain paths. Metroid games have always done this, mostly through the use of environmental obstacles requiring some power-up or technique to conquer, so it’s perhaps a little disappointing that Metroid Fusion often just seals off certain routes with locked doors, particularly towards the beginning of the game. It’s this lack of ingenuity and originality that keeps Metroid Fusion from surpassing its predecessor — Super Metroid — in quality, but it in no way serves to spoil the game. Metroid Fusion’s narrative, is, thankfully, worth the concession – it’s a gripping tale of suspense and intrigue, perfectly accompanied by the hostile setting and Samus’ unfamiliar feeling of helplessness.
The research station Samus is charged with exploring is host to a wide array of biological specimens, meanwhile, now infected with the vicious X Parasites. The variety of enemies on display is impressive, and boss battles in particular are enjoyable and inventive. Samus’ larger foes are formed from X Parasites holding one of her previous power-ups, and use this ability against her. The opponent holding the Morph Ball, for instance, is an alien armadillo that curls into a sphere and rolls into Samus, whereas the boss holding the High Jump vaults high into the air. It’s a nice little touch, one that is seen again in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and is used in both games to great effect to make Samus seem helpless and powerless without her equipment, empowering the player upon its recovery.
An undeniable highlight in terms of enemies is the SA-X, a doppelganger of Samus created by the infection of her Power Suit. This merciless clone hunts the bounty hunter and is in full possession of her entire arsenal of weaponry, including the Ice Beam, to which she's now extremely susceptible thanks to her Metroid DNA. The game frequently reminds Samus (and the player) that the SA-X is far too powerful to combat in her current state, and evading the creature whilst attempting to reach the next objective is tense and exhilarating.
Graphically, Metroid Fusion is a joy to behold, with detailed sprites and moody, atmospheric environments. It's awash with colour, which is refreshing for a title with a sci-fi setting where a dark, muted palette would have been the obvious choice. Environments are distinct and varied, displaying an excellent fusion of organic and mechanical design.
Nintendo has graciously included a number of options to customise the look for Metroid Fusion and all GBA Virtual Console titles, in the form of welcome display configurations for altering the resolution and overall appearance. The game is, by default, upscaled to the largest possible resolution on the TV, 1620x1080, filling the display vertically and leaving borders on each horizontal edge. This can be altered in the settings to ‘Original Resolution’, scaling it to the largest whole factor it can, at a resolution of 1440x960. Similarly, the game can be played with or without a smoothing filter, toggled by pressing the right joystick. It’s a matter of personal preference which looks better – the smoothing filter can make some environments look cleaner and more natural but text can look a little muddy – and some retro fans will choose to play the games in Original Resolution with the smoothing turned off, but there’s no right answer here.
The Virtual Console releases also contain a full colour scan of the original manual, viewable on the GamePad either during play or whilst the game is paused. Metroid Fusion’s manual doesn’t contain much useful information as it's a fairly linear and explanatory experience, but it’s an appreciated touch and a welcome record of the game’s history. The games are also brightness corrected – many GBA titles were artificially brightened to offset the original Game Boy Advance’s lack of a backlit screen, and this has been rectified on each Virtual Console port.
Metroid Fusion is as long and difficult as the player chooses to make it. Following the story itself should take under ten hours for most players, but there’s a wealth of hidden power-ups and items to collect for completionists. Collectibles are often fiendishly hidden away in the environment, betrayed by subtle visual cues that only the most perceptive players will notice. There are less head scratching moments than Super Metroid, for the most part, but it’s rewarding to uncover a hidden trove of items using wit and attention to detail. This title isn’t overly challenging; save points are littered fairly frequently across the environments, whilst enemies frequently drop health-restoring X Parasite for Samus to collect. Some bosses can prove tricky, but locating a healthy supply of Energy Tanks can allow Samus to tank through most encounters.
Metroid Fusion is engaging, it’s tense and it’s polished. It’s only negative quality — if we can even call it that — is that it isn’t quite as good as the outstanding Super Metroid, but judged on its own merits it’s an easy recommendation, and one that most gamers would do well in taking. The game’s relative linearity and narrative focus make it a great jumping-in point for those new to the series, whilst longtime fans will enjoy some of the references and subtle winks thrown at them. Metroid Fusion is a fantastic start to the GBA Virtual Console library, and if later additions can be of this calibre then it will prove to be a phenomenal service indeed.
Great review! I'll plan on getting it for my Wii U when I get another eShop card.
My first download of the day!!
If I judge it as Metroid game I'd say it's decent, sometimes good but as just a video game it's really great and you should pick it up!
I give it a 1/10 it looses 9 pts for being on Wii U VC and not 3DS VC.
Metroid Fusion was one of the reasons (along with Golden Sun and the knowledge that eventually it'd have new Pokemon games) that I bought my GBA in early 2002. It released the same day as Metroid Prime, and 14 year old me was so excited to finally have not just one, but two, great new Metroid games to play.
If we never get a 2D Metroid on 3DS it will be a crime of Madoffian proportions.
Ow man, now I want a new 2d metroid even more. Don't even care on which platform it should release.
@Uberchu Lol. No reason to give it a low score. That's like rating something low on Amazon because the shipping was delayed. Although i do agree it should go to 3DS for the non ambassadors.
Having just finished this game this weekend (on 3DS), I must say it is a hardy recommendation. The later bosses are a tad too easy, especially if you have all of the energy tanks, but some of the middle bosses (stupid spider) pose a great challenge.
BRING METROID TO WII U/3DS!!!!!!!!
Already having this on my 3DS means throwing down $8 to have it on the Wii U is unlikely (not to mention I have the cartridge if I want to dig out my old SP), but for any that don't have this readily available, I think it's well worth the $8. I'd give it 9/10 too; while not perfect, it's pretty dang amazing. Especially if you're new to the series, as I will admit it holds your hand a bit (at least in which direction to go, there definitely is some challenging fights). I recommend this to all but the most casual gamers.
@milkonmonday Tell me about it. I'm worried we'll never get another 2D entry... I hope we do though, as much as I love the Prime trilogy, the series is at its best in 2D.
@Uberchu looks like you need to buy a wii u instead of sulking.
I love Metroid games! I'll be downloading this when I get the cash.
@Uberchu Before saying that, you should do some digging as to WHY it is not on 3DS. Because if you would have, you wouldn't be butthurt.
This is the first Metroid game that I've beaten and it was awesome. I'm looking forward to replaying this!
I agree that the main game is linear, but going for 100% requires far more detailed exploration (and crafty Shinesparking) than Super Metroid. I find that it takes me far more time to get 100% in Fusion than Super.
@Uberchu It is on the 3DS VC, though. As an Ambassador game.
Love Metroid Fusion!! Really excited they added filtering/resolution options, if it was that lazy of a port, I would have refused to buy it on principle.
This was my first metroid game it got me hooked on the series for life!!
@Uberchu get over it. Or whine about it every time a GBA title is released on the WiiU. Your choice.
@Uberchu I disagree with you.
"This can be altered in the settings to ‘Original Resolution’, scaling it to the largest whole factor it can, at a resolution of 1440x960. Similarly, the game can be played with or without a smoothing filter, toggled by pressing the right joystick."
I've recently played back through the whole franchise except for this one. I was going to do it on my 3DS...but I think it'll be epic on the big screen so I'll get this now along with Superstar Saga later!
Good review. That was an interesting point he brought up about Metroid 2 indirectly causing Metroid Fusion. I never thought of that.
It was a wonderful Christmas when I got this way back in 2002. I've played through it almost as many times as I've played through Super Metroid. One feature I would love if this game had is if it tracked the SA-X's position in real time which would cause you to be able to run into it anywhere. You'd have to keep an eye on your map in order to avoid it. Or perhaps it wouldn't be marked on your map which would make things even more tense!
Plus, the game has this great little Easter egg that looks nearly impossible to achieve!
Also, I thought this was interesting.
I love this game so much, I'd honestly give it a 10/10. When you think it was eight years between Super Metroid and this, and now ten years between the last 2D Metroid (Zero Mission) and now, it's pretty startling. 2D Metroid is so good. It's almost as though Nintendo doesn't realise what it has.
We got a top-down Zelda, so never say never. My guess is, if they WERE to ever do a 2D Metroid, it would follow suit of Zelda Link Between Worlds and release on the 3DS, while keeping the home console for full-on 3D versions of the franchise.
This is the first, and currently only, metroid game I played, got it as an ambassador. Judging from the review I should hop to it and get super metroid.
Nintendo realizes exactly what they have. The question is, do gamers?
After receiving this game as an ambassador gift for 3DS I had no idea that it would end up being one of my favorite Metroid games, second only to Prime 1 in my opinion.
@Uberchu Somebody's a bit negative.
Now you're being spammed by commenters who take your comment a bit too personal I, on the other side, do agree with you. The 3DS should get GBA VC before the Wii U, at least. And people saying you should be an ambassador, and that you're this so-called "butthurt" (while clearly they're the ones bothered by your comment), hmm... wow? I guess?
It's a great addition to the Metroid series, problem is it's just way too linear and too short. I was able to beat it in under 3 hours flat with everything and being everywhere (lack of exploration kinda hampers it too). Now if Nintendo would hurry up and make Metroid 5, I would buy that day one.
Already have it on 3DS, but metroid is my fave series of all time so I'll shell out somemore to play it on the bigger screen. Please, or dear lord please, get us Zero Mission asap.
I have this game on my 3DS and my physical copy in my GBA SP, Metroid Fusion is my most favorite Metroid game.
I grabbed Superstar Saga earlier today and immediately sunk a whisker under three-and-a-half hours of pure joy into it. Plus in terms of clarity, it looks so much better on the GamePad screen than it ever did on my old SP.
(EDIT): Following this current eight-strong BBB (batch of brilliant beauties), I'd sooooooo love to see The Minish Cap added to Wii U's stunning VC line-up next. Who's with me?
@AcesHigh73 Minish Cap! Minish Cap! Minish Cap! I'm in the middle of playing this, just finished the Fortress of Winds. This is a very fun but tough game. Amazing puzzles, and a fascinating mechanic of shrinking down to tiny size and dealing with the Minish!
I think this is very early in the Zelda timeline and a really cool game. I have felt for years that some of the very best Nintendo games were on the GBA!
Hey, Nintendo, let's have a race. See whether I finish Minish Cap on the original, or you put it on the Wii U!
@Uberchu -Sigh- These kind of complaints are getting old. Seriously, we ALL know Nintendo has no plan to release a GBA VC on the 3DS (there's not even a SNES VC, for pete's sake), why do you feel the need to post these rather annoying comments on pretty much every single comments section? It's not like Nintendo's going to listen. And before you mention it, the Earthbound thing was completely different.
Enjoyment-breakers aside, this is a great game! Yes, yes, it's really linear, but that doesn't make it a bad game, or a bad Metroid game, for that matter.
@luke88 Do it with no regrets! Super Metroid is my favorite game of all time!
@hcfwesker Yes, Zero Mission, for me, is almost as good as Super Metroid, and it could possibly be my second favorite (perhaps beating even Prime). A VC release would be much appreciated!
@Uberchu Maybe they'll release the ambassador games on the 3DS to shut people like you up, though. One can only hope.
Cracker!!! Not as good as Super Metroid but I'd say its better than any of the Primes!!!
@Uberchu you can always make yer own metroid game, get a kickstarter going, reach a goal and get it on 3ds.
@JaxonH you got me there, can't argue with that. A Link Between Worlds took me by (pleasant) surprise, and I would NOT complain if Nintendo gave the Metroid series that treatment. I'll admit it's a possibility!
On the other hand, sadly the Metroid series is not nearly as popular as the Zelda series, so I feel like it's more likely Nintendo will try changing the Metroid formula again than returning to its roots. But my vote is a 2D 3DS title!
It's amazing on Wii U!! These games are getting new life on HD TV!
This is an awesome game regardless of what platform you play it on. Same goes for Zero Mission which I hope isn't too far down the line.
I prefer this and zero mission over Super myself. may have been because I enjoyed them on the go more so than sitting around in the house. 9.5/10 to me!!
One of the best parts about this game is its difficulty. It is hard. but never feels impossible.
Got it on 3DS, where it belongs.
Picked this gem up years ago for my GBA SP. Not quite the masterpiece Zero Mission is, but still fantastic.
This game is in my top 5 all time favorites - 11/10.
Still my favourite Metroid title. It's just so much fun to play trough it. 9.5/10.
@shaneoh lol ironically, I guess so But to be fair, I myself am not really spamming, since I only wrote one comment, but as a collective, yes, the person is getting spammed from many commenters. I, on the other hand, am one of the few who are not blatantly insulting him or w/e.
And dont tell me 3DS got GBA before Wii U, because the Ambassador programm doesn't count. I'm not an Ambassador, and so why shouldn't I have access to games that a certain group of people have years after they've gotten theirs. I'd have to normally pay for the games too, actually, so it's a bit unfair in my books not getting any GBA love for my 3DS (umm, portable systems?), as paying for them would make up for the difference the Ambassadors have payed 'extra' for their fresh new 3DS at the time. Not to mention, they got their games exclusively early.
Once again, the reviewer forgot to mention the music, which is superb in this game. Why is this happening so often in video game reviews?
My only real issue was Samus's posture. Kinda hunchbacked. Overall game was challenging and indeed tense.
Nah, this one's better than Super Metroid.
Finally got around to beating it on my 3DS a week or so ago. It's alright, I guess. Certainly nothing amazing though.
A better question is "Why should a person have access to those games when they didn't support the system at launch?" If you buy seats at the last minute, don't expect them to be front row.
Granted some people may not have been able to purchase a 3DS at launch, but so what? There are plenty of things I have missed out on in my life due to things like age, financial status, location, personality issues, but I do not expect the world to bring those things around to me again because I've resolved the problem. I keep going with what is available to me.
@shaneoh You know what term I dislike? "Support". I don't understand that quite. People always talk about "supporting" Nintendo. "Support" a company. What does that even mean anymore, how do I support something like that? I'm just a normal consumer, below average even, and I can't jump on everything Nintendo comes out with on the very first minute. And as for seats, you're usually buying to an event, something timely, you know. Nintendo launching a new product is not something temporary that's gonna go away, cease to exist (although, that could be argued, lookin' at you Virtual Boy lol) and is expected to be missed.
But you're right though, so what? That's why I'm not losing sleep over not getting GBA on the 3DS Who's to say that I don't keep going with what is available to me? So, so what for having a mere opinion and believing that something as banale as this is unfair? Who would have known the 3DS would have had a rough start, not sell well, and thus release compensatory games to the early buyer. None of that was planned, nor expected. In my opinion, according to this philosophy, Nintendo should have made early buyers of the Wii U ambassadors also, seeing as how it hit a major price drop within a year. I guess they maybe saw it as a not very well thought-out plan after doing that with the 3DS, in that they've restricted themselves in bringing finished, emulated games for everyone with a 3DS now. And aren't there other games from the GBA era available to be ported on the 3DS than the ones that are included in the programm?
My point is, the games were distributed for free, whereas buyers after the price cut would naturally pay for them. Early buyers have had early access, whereas late buyers clearly wouldn't, and at the moment actually still have no access (not counting the Wii U). So I'm sorry I couldn't provide support at the very start. At least I'm providing some sort of support, right?
Oh, and tell me, are you "supporting" Nintendo and buying all the games that don't sell well, multiple copies even, just so you can show them love and hope that they continue to exist and what not? 'Cause I clearly ain't, I guess. I wish I could, though.
Just compared the ambassador 3DS version to the Wii U VC and I think I will delete the 3DS version as there's no going back. The pixel clarity, there's no motion blur of the picture when things are moving like on 3DS.
I still haven't played the ambassador program version of this game yet. It's just been sitting in one of my folders on my Nintendo 3DS for ages. I think it's about time that I changed that.
I don't own Wii U, but luckily I can play this game with my Game Boy Advance or Game Boy Micro!
@WiiULoveGBA ...why delete it on the 3DS??? You can take it with you!
I remember having so much fun with this game. It was like a perfect blend of my favorite things. It had elements from "John Cartpenter's The Thing", "ALIEN", "ALIENS", and mixes it all together in a Metroid game. I loved the continuity nods to previous games like the friendly creatures from Super Metroid, SR388 settings and creatures, and even the Ridley set up was one of the best pay offs for any boss setup. Also, Nightmare.
And no, I'm not going to use this game to justify "Other M". NO!
SA-X: The way people would like Samus to be.
Samus: "SA-X is me, only heartless."
Not quite as good as Zero Mission or Super Metroid especially, but it's still an fantastic game.
My least favorite Metroid, but still a great game overall!
Probably my MOST favorite Metroid game, just above Super Metroid and Other M. Getting it tonight!!!
@Uberchu I don't know, the game looks damn good on an HD screen and GBA games on the gamepad also work really well. But if you don't have a Wii U or if you do a lot of gaming away from home, I can see why you'd be upset. This is why Nintendo really just needs to get a crossbuy system going. I'd love to have it on both!
Good that you're not losing sleep over it, because that would be silly. Beyond my initiat paragraph my comments weren't targeted at you rather those b**** and moan about GBA games "not" coming to the 3DS.
I agree that noone could have guessed that the 3DS would have had the rough start it did, but the compensatory games were announced well before the price cut was taken into affect, and that the GBA games would not be available for general sale. The Wii U users did get an ambassador program of sorts, in the form of the 30c games. Granted it's not free, but it's not exactly asking a lot.
Not to mention the sound! Put on a headphone and you will be amazed! Especially when one of the bosses crashes to the ground...that sound!!
People always hype about orchestrated music, but GBA music/sound is the real deal!! Besides, Minish cap has the best Zelda soundtrack to date!
@Ryno why, do you prefer Other M to this game for some reason?
Ok Narntendo now bribe SEGA to release Sonic Advance 1-3 on Wii U and 3DS e-shop please.
I still have my physical copy of this on my GBA micro but its a must own title that everyone should have.
The Wii U virtual console emulation is just so good in this game... it's the definitive version of the game. There are some nice touches included, like being able to customize your controls fully, screen smoothness and resolution changes, original manual in a digital form, etc.
The Game pad controls are just heavenly (as usual).
@Barely_Able Legit reason all Wii U VC games will be given a 1/10 by me just for being Wii U VC and not 3DS VC, same for DS Wii U VC.
Handhelds should stick to handhelds. Do you really want somebody to buy a Wii U + GBA/DS game, only to find out that it's not a handheld???
I'm ignoring all the whining that this should have been released on 3DS... I never owned any Gameboy system so I'm just glad to get a chance to get these games (legally and with good emulation) . One thing I think is a nice touch is scanning the original manual. I used to love the old manuals and was disappointed the VC games up until now haven't include them. Manuals seem to be somewhat redundant nowadays since games tend to have tutorials, and I miss the artwork and story details included in the old manuals.
Additionally, the Off-TV function is a pretty good substitute for a handheld. In fact you might see that for yourself if you weren't so pig-headed about it.
@Giygas_95 Respect! look up my profile on Miiverse and you'll see my fave game of all time as well And, yes Super Metroid is my all time favorite game(mostly for nostalgic purposes, because I dare to say Zero Mission took the best from Super and Fusion and made something truly epic with Zero Mission. Absolutely LOVED the shinespark morphball techniques.
2: Played it with my brother, and we beat it when we were young (without a guide yet, but it actually took us whole years.) Getting stuck at a certain place for years (specifically the red area in Brinstar. For the longest time, we couldn't figure out how to find Kraid) and then suddenly figuring it out and getting to new areas before finally finishing the game...very gratifying.
Some games are kept alive by nostalgia, but not Super Metroid! It's incredible with or without it.
Looooong time metroid fan... This game blew me away.
@Thulfram Well, I'm slow but Nintendo is slower. Where is the Minish Cap for the Wii U (in English)? I'm still slogging through Minish and playing it on the GameBoy Micro. But I want it on every Nintendo console. Every one.
I just made it to blue portal in the Palace of Winds with one heart left!
Come on, Nintendo, bring out the Virtual version (on the Wii U or the 3DS). Heck, if I could figure out how to be an Ambassador, I'd have it made. Oh, well, back to the Palace of Winds!