Revisit: Metroid Fusion (GBA)

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I was a fan of the Metroid Prime games before, but it was Metroid: Zero Mission last year that made me see the light. The super tight controls, gameplay, and explorative nature of the adventure showed me that there’s a whole ‘nother experience with Metroid in taking my admiration of the franchise to the next level. That brings me to the game in question. Released in 2002, Metroid Fusion is the latest in the series’ timeline. In it, Samus is sent back to planet SR388 on a mission by the Biologic Space Labs to collect some research samples. When she gets there, things don’t go so well…

The intro movie teems with nostalgia. The outer space setting and the words “Nintendo Presents…Metroid 4” let you know that this game is a direct sequel to SNES masterpiece Super Metroid. The modern comic style and advanced graphics lend it a very futuristic atmosphere, and the controls and ambient sound fit like a glove. But the most important thing I noticed was how it blends elements of survival horror into the action. There are moments when Samus is no longer the hunter, where she has to do more running and less gunning; other times she’s fighting just to stay alive and find the next power-up to increase her chances of survival. It is so well executed that it never strays from being a Metroid game. Another thing that sets it apart from the usual is the surprisingly fleshed-out story. Easily the most story driven Metroid games, Fusion lets you into Samus’ personal life and shows that she’s more human than you might think.

I picked this game up in mint condition, box and all, for less than 10 bucks at GameStop last weekend. If you missed it 3 years ago and are hankering for some hardcore gaming after Dawn of Sorrow or just need a great game to play, buy this. You won’t regret it.

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9 Comments

  1. Blogger was sick and threw up this morning when I first posted this. It jacked up the edit so here it is again in it’s purest form.

    Some comments were deleted too. Other than the “What’s going on with the grammer” ones, Fuzz commented on how he thought the game was too linear.

  2. I’m one of those who missed the game…picked up one month ago in a media centre here in Milan, payed 9,90 euros… ^__^
    they don’t know how good and kickass is the game
    guys, metroid fusion nine point nine euros? kriminal!
    PS same as ten bucks…anyway…
    ^__^

  3. I love this game! a bit short, but a nice addition to the metroid series.

  4. Metroid is always greatness, but I found Fusion to be one of the weaker parts of the series. While you’re given some time to explore, this one felt much more linear than some of the others. I also didn’t get into the dialog/story. Still a great game though.

    On the other hand, Metroid: Zero Mission is absolute perfection. Yes, it’s a remake of the first, but the additions to this one make it something else entirely. Both Zero Mission and Fusion are great purchases, at any price.

  5. Zero Mission is certainly great. With Fusion though, the linearity didn’t hurt my experience one bit. I was so absorbed into the story that it was more of a plus than a minus. ZM was more open, but less story heavy. So i guess there’s a balance there.

    Fun fact: This is actually my 2nd time playing the game. I bought it the day it relased, breezed though with a guide, then lost it, re-bought it 3 years later, adored it.

  6. Great post!

    Metroid Fusion was the first game I got with my GBA. It blew away my expectations of portable gaming at the time.

    With my headphones plugged in, it really brought me into the beautiful 2D world. It also strengthened my love for 2D gaming and the Metroid series.

    If you like 2D gaming and retro-type stuff, feel free to check out my blog at http://racketboy.blogspot.com

  7. Wow this is odd. I JUST finished my 3rd runthrough yesterday. Haha, such a great game. Worth every penny.

  8. I second that odd. I just bought this game on ebay a couple of weeks ago and have slowly been finishing her off. Do you play this on your Micro Rollin?

  9. Hell yea, man. The screen looked so good that i turned all the lights off in the room while playing. And the music in that game is killer.

    I love my Micro.

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