Metroid Fusion Review

The Metroid series had become a cult’s memory due to an unnecessarily long gap between Super Metroid and the present. The most Samus got out of the Nintendo 64 era was a leading role in Super Smash Bros. With the introduction of the GameCube and Game Boy Advance, however, Nintendo has decided to milk Samus (a terrible choice of words) with four new adventures (and a pointlessly classic return). The Metroid Prime extensions redefined the franchise with its unique 3D twist, but the Game Boy Advance Metroid games rightfully carry on Metroid’s intuitive legacy.

I automatically think of morphing into a ball and blasting open a small, secret tunnel when I hear the Metroid name. That said, I felt right at home with Metroid Fusion. It plays just like any other 2D Metroid. This means Samus will start stripped of all her abilities and must slowly regain them one-by-one by exploring monster-infested caverns and battling giant bosses. The only real difference between Metroid Fusion and Super Metroid is the inclusion of X, parasites that take over and create new hosts. Every enemy defeated releases one or two of these organisms. Samus can absorb them to replenish her health or missile stock. If not absorbed, the X will float away and rejuvenate into something else. The levels populated by X hosts are designed in such a manner that they appear complex, but end up being logically roundabout. This makes the huge map seem more believable and makes it much more enjoyable to excavate. But it isn’t completely free game. Metroid Fusion is split into distinct, separate sectors. This system is both helpful and hindering. The sectors make it easier to read the map, but it’s also harder to reach your destination when you have to climb out of one sector and into another. In addition, it may be easy to get stumped during play, because the main path relies heavily on finding secret entrances. If you aren’t the type who checks out every suspicious rock, you may look over some important steps.

Don’t think I’m harping on this game, however. I am the type who turns over every suspicious rock, so I had no reason to fret. I do herald the complexity of the level design as some of the best in a 2D game in recent years. Yet for all the praise I can pour into this cup, there are two impurities I must make mention of. The first fault is the high amount of handholding throughout 3/4 of the game. A computer by the name of Adam will constantly set up checkpoints where you must meet and talk to it to get vital information about the story and where to go next. Adam will often lock doors until you have talked to him, as well. While it is certainly nice to have a clearer destination in mind, Adam’s role takes a lot away from the spooky, exploratory atmosphere present in past Metroid games. My other gripe is the rather unexciting beginning and end of the game. Adam is too overpowering at first, and Samus isn’t very much fun to play without her better abilities. As for the ending, the final battle is about as difficult as a Game Boy Camera mini-game and leaves much to be desired. Everything in the middle is good, good fun, but the game’s thin candy coating isn’t so sweet.

Samus’s abilities have always defined her as a unique video game mascot. The morph ball alone is such an enjoyable and versatile function. Samus will also eventually be able to charge her regular beam and missiles, lay mega bombs, screw attack, dash, and jump forever in the air. The only tool missing is the grappling hook, but the game is probably better without it. The grappling hook would serve no purpose once Samus learns the anti-gravity jump technique. Every upgrade makes Samus that much more of a threat, and as the player, you actually start to feel this. Learning all these moves can be overbearing, but it’s a natural process nonetheless, especially if you’ve fought Ridley before.

Metroid Fusion seems a little too easy at first since the enemies are thin and recharge stations are frequently (and conveniently) placed. Later boss battles can get quite fierce, though, and some areas will require restarting many times over. There were two fights in particular that had me on the brink of verbally abusing my Game Boy. These battles required a lot of fancy footwork, and it felt almost like a lucky godsend that I beat them. Metroid Fusion is still built on strong design, though, and these “unfair” bosses actually benefit the experience. This is a game you talk about with your friends, and it’s a great feeling to be able to say, “Hey guys, I finally beat that stupid boss!”

Playing Metroid Fusion is like playing Super Metroid. The two are almost identical in appearance. Metroid Fusion stands out a little more with some of the animation, though, which touches up Samus and a few of the bosses. The atmosphere of the game is somewhat dark and gritty with mostly plain backgrounds. There aren’t very many special effects beyond the basics. Nothing really explodes. Samus’s bullets only disappear into little blips, and enemies simply blur away to reveal the X parasite underneath (and this includes the big, bad bosses). I actually think the graphics are a little unimpressive. Seriously now, a power bomb ought to do more than just expand and contract a lighter hued circle. I didn’t really mind the lack of pizazz, however. I never noticed a drop in framerate, and the pause between doors seems a little faster than in past Metroids. Maybe that’s just me.

I don’t feel bad about my decision to play most of Metroid Fusion with the volume off, because what I did hear I did not like very much. Super Metroid’s soundtrack was chilling and compelling, and it is no surprise that Metroid Fusion tried to get away with copying many of the same scores. It works to an extent, but the compression of the GBA detracts from what could have been welcome deja vu. The original music fits right in, carried by a solid main theme that travels throughout the game. There’s the problem, though: it gets kind of old hearing the same music in every area. It’s the sound effects that truly mar the experience, however. The whoosh of a mega bomb, the oscillation of a charged beam, and Ridley’s painful cry are all grated into my mind. When I can start naming specific bits of a game that annoyed me, you know something is wrong.

After watching the end credits, a screen popped up telling me I had spent a total of four hours and 30 minutes playing Metroid Fusion. That doesn’t include all the time spent restarting, though, so the actual time would be closer to six hours. Metroid games are always full of secrets, however, and the six hours spent in my run through only uncovered 50 percent of the hidden goods. Should you go find the other fifty percent? Heck yes! Finding secrets in Metroid Fusion is a very rewarding experience. I love the sense of discovery you get when uncovering a crevasse that leads into a new room. It will take some major spelunking to unearth every nook and cranny of these increasingly complex maps. There’s also incentive to start a new game and play through it as quickly as possible in order to get a better ending. I think the “best ending” is just a still screen of Samus in a swimsuit. There are easier ways to see girls in bikinis, but trying to beat the game in under an hour and a half is a truly skillful task. There is definitely room for improvement.

Final Comments

Super Metroid was one of my favorite Super Nintendo games, right beside Final Fantasy IV and Super Mario All-Stars. Super Metroid was enormous, engrossing, and… uh… something else that’s positive and starts with E. I don’t know. The point is, Metroid Fusion is very much like Super Metroid. It looks, sounds, and feels about the same, just on a lesser grand scale. If you like the classic Metroid style, there is no reason why you shouldn’t like Metroid Fusion. If you want a good 2D shooter/platformer, again, Metroid Fusion comes strongly recommended as a handheld title. While I am disappointed in this step back from Super Metroid’s brilliant groundwork, I am not disappointed in Metroid Fusion as its own game. Play it.