Metroid, the GBA Era

[CJC]

I recently revisited Metroid Fusion, AND I played Metroid Zero Mission for the first time.

First, some background info. I first played Metroid Fusion a few years ago when I borrowed it from a friend. It was the very first Metroid game I ever played, and I was absolutely awed by the experience. I later acquired Super Metroid on the Wii and played it thoroughly, but Fusion held a special place in my heart.

It seems that place was 'first game nostalgia', though, because my revisit to the game was quite disappointing. From Super Metroid I learned several sneaky tricks, such as how to bomb jump and wall jump like a boss, as well as shinespark and mock ball tactics (I even broke sequence the second time through the game by mock balling to get super missiles before Spore Spawn, wall jumping up the shaft before Maridia to get Power Bombs before Kraid, and mock balling again to get the freeze ray before the speed booster). But in Metroid, the Bomb Jump is completely disabled (bombs have no effect on Samus's morph ball while in midair), and the recoil from the Wall Jump is so severe that it has no practical applications in the game. It was almost as if Fusion was punishing me for learning the tricks of Super Metroid.

Metroid Zero Mission, on the other hand, practically encouraged these little tricks. There were even several engaging puzzles (that I'll admit I googled) involving extending the duration of the speed booster with repeated shinesparks. It was a very rewarding experience. I also got lost less frequently in Zero Mission, as the game's design really pointed you in the right direction (it certainly helped that the Chozo statues actually POINTED you in the right direction). Fusion, on the other hand, would move you through the game by trapping you in a region and forcing you to locate secret paths, many of which are very difficult to spot. It was actually quite frustrating, particularly because the game did not have an x-ray scope.



Don't get me wrong, Fusion still has quite an impressive storyline. Zero Mission has way more polish, though, and is the more memorable game overall.



So, if you've played the Metroid series, which game is your favorite? And if you haven't, start with Zero Mission! ...Or maybe you should start with Fusion, since it utilizes the crazy tricks the least and can introduce you to the series with the most ease.

[Chris Miller]

Super Metroid will always be my favorite for sure, followed by the original NES Metroid.
Fusion and Zero Mission, as good as they are, didn't quite recapture the polished feel of Super Metroid for me. First, Super Metroid gives you complete control of your weapons and suit. The extra buttons on the SNES controller make it easier to select weapons, aim, and dash(or not!). You also get the Grappling Beam and the really cool and useful X-Ray Scope. Plus, you can do the Crystal Flash if you're in a bad way, and those cool power bomb + beam shield combos.

You just can't beat the sheer underwater beauty of Maridia, or the eerie feeling you get in the wrecked ship when you go in the first time, like you're being watched. You go into Lower Norfair for the first time, and the music changes, and you just know you're in for a big fight. Then you hit Tourian and see the dead critters, and POW! Ginormous Metroid's trying to kill you! OH NOES!

Fusion by comparison seemed like everything was too mechanical and linear. Plus the controls were sub-par. Like you said, the wall jump was rendered almost completely useless. There's no Crystal Flash, no power bomb/beam combos, and Samus jumps like she's got lead in her boots. You can't pick and choose what weapons and powerups you wanted online, which can be bothersome. It's usually better to fire off a bunch of super missiles rather than fool around with freezing stuff.

Zero Mission was fun to play, and more polished than Fusion, but still less so than SM. You still don't have much control of your suit(though there is a patch you can download for that), and Samus still jumps like she's in super-high gravity. The graphics made me feel more like I was watching a Metroid cartoon than exploring the depths of Zebes. It didn't immerse me in the atmosphere of Zebes. Overall, I'd probably still pick the NES Metroid over it by a close margin, if only for the nostalgic factor.

[mrz84]

I first played the NES Metroid when I was like 5 or 6. First time I died scared the freaking hell out of me and I didn't play it again until I was middle school (a good decade or so later) and decided to revisit it. I enjoyed the game then and was able to beat it after several hours (only consulting a walkthrough if I was truely stuck) and was instantly in love with the series. I've played every game in the series (except the Pinball and Hunters games on DS, and Prime 2 and 3) to the present and in Smash Bros (even if it isn't a Metroid game), I main Samus every time (I'll play as other characters, too but she's my best).

Anyways, I played most of the game up to Prime via emulation. I bought a copy of Prime 1 for $5 and loved it for how it reminded me of my 5 year old self at times with some of its sequences (chozo ghosts anyone?) and loved how it continued the story after Super Metroid. I own Zero Mission (bought it along with FFTactics Advance when I got a GBMicro several years ago) and loved the revamp of the original. The requirements for the multiple endings has me playing it to this day (damn you Metal Ridley and the ensuing escape 10% on HARD!) and I got Fusion on the 3DS (Ambassador, woot!), but haven't touched it yet due to wanting to have time to play it in sittings that are't just a trip to the bathroom (I'm serious...).

I recently last year rented Other M. I think its a decent game. It could have been better (so much better), but some people just think that its the game that killed the series. I think if another similar game were done it could be received well if they change many of the things that were wrong with Other M (Missiles come to mind, not to mention the way upgrades and the story were handled). I bought the game via ebay sealed for $5 and have played it every now and then (stuck in the firey section where you have to get past the lava monster in the tube at the beginning of that area).

Anyways. My fav games in the series have to be (in no particular order), Super Metroid, Zero Mission, Prime 1, Fusion.

[rock_nog]

Fusion was the first Metroid game I ever beat. I had the original as a kid, but always gave up because I'd eventually get lost and not know what to do. After that, I moved on to Zero Mission, which finally convinced me to return to the original and finally complete it. Playing Zero Mission gave me a much better idea of what I was doing, so it was much easier to beat the original after finishing it. Eventually, I did end up picking up Super Metroid, and it was amazing, but I have to say, Fusion and Zero Mission to me will always be my favorites because they really got me into the Metroid series in the first place. Now I really just need to pick up the Prime series - though technically I did play and beat Metroid Prime 3, which I gave a shot mostly for the Wii controls (and I thought the Wii controls really suited the game, honestly).

[erm2003]

I enjoyed Zero Mission much more because the first Metroid game I ever played was the original for NES. I was young when I played that and literally had no clue what to do in the game. I was able to find the hi jump boots but that was probably as far as I made it back then. Later I picked up the original and knew what I was doing. I haven't gone through it in a while but it's amazing how hard it still is to go through Tourian in the original if you don't have enough missiles - and of course you only get 6 energy tanks. Zero Mission brought me back to that time and it felt like a more updated and complete story to accompany the original game. I don't think of it as a replacement. Other than maybe the Mother Brain fight, I don't think it's anywhere near as challenging, at least for me, but it's a solid game and it has some great puzzles. I can guarantee I have not finished either game with 100% of the items, unlike Super Metroid, my favorite in the series, where I make it a point to finish with everything and under the 3 hour limit for the best ending.