Review: Metroid Fusion (GBA)

Has it really been 8 years since the original release of Super Metroid on the good old Snes? Since its release in the early 90's, much has happened at Nintendo HQ. The N64 has been and gone, Metroid's original creator Gumpei Yokoi died tragically in a car crash and even the recent release of Mario Sunshine proved that the plucky plumber doesn't have the staying power he used to.

Nintendo needs a new hero and with both Handheld and Home Console versions of Samus Aran's adventures all set and ready to roll, it looks like they've found one. Take a look at Nintendo current release schedule for the Gameboy Advance and the first thing you'll notice is that practically every one of their big titles has been a port of a Snes original. Now don't get me wrong, the Snes is my favourite console of all time and while I love the chance of being able to play the likes of Zelda and Mario World on my handheld, I always crave for something new. Luckily Metroid Fusion is a complete separate stand-alone adventure from Super Metroid and the end result is simply superb.

All is not going well for Samus; at the start of Metroid Fusion a routine reconnaissance to Planet SR388 (former home of the Metroids fact fans) sees Samus infected with a strange parasite, known only as X. Close to death, and with a badly damaged battle suit, Samus is injected with a Metroid vaccine. Whilst Samus herself is saved her actual suit gets destroyed, before she can re-equip herself though, she is sent out to a remote Space-Station orbiting above SR388Â…. What follows is an absolute joy and the perfect reason to treat yourself to an Advance this Christmas. Exploration (and it's a big game) plays a huge part in Metroid Fusion and it's one bloody tough bugger to boot. Fortunately, however, all your inquisitive probing is repaid in dividends, as further investigation of the Space-Station results in all manners of goodies to upgrade and arm your suit with.

From the ability to morph into a ball (perfect for accessing the parts other bounty hunters cannot reach) to simply upgrading your plasma cannon, every add-on you find is perfectly balanced and geared towards beating the next section you encounter (not to mention the impressive end of level bosses). While backtracking does play a large part of the game, you never feel cheated, as there is always a new upgrade available for you, so the satisfaction you get from finally beating a particularly tricky level is immense. The game itself is cleverly split up into 6 sub-sections, which in turn are an off-shoot of the main station. Strategically placed rooms contain save points, recharge and navigation rooms. The navigation points are extremely useful as they instruct you to your next rendezvous and give you the locations to where your next suit upgrades can be found. Metroid Fusion is not just about investigating your surroundings either; there is also plenty of action to keep your trigger finger happy.

Shoot down an alien and the X parasite within will float around, now's your chance to grab it, because thanks to the Metroid vaccination, you are now able to absorb the remaining parasites. Yellow cells top up your health, whilst the green ones will increase your missiles. Should you leave these free roaming forms for too long however, they will eventually revert back to their original state, so take careÂ… Special mention needs to go to a carbon copy of yourself, who crops up at regular parts of the game. Equipped with a fully functioning suit and carrying more weaponry than a small country, your only option is to flee. These sections are superb, as they are totally unexpected and will scare the life out of you as you desperately try and find a way to defeat your powerful doppleganger nemesis.

The Metroid series wouldn't be complete within a decent selection of enemies, and true to form, the bosses you encounter are massive, extremely well animated and as tough as old boots, (the aptly named "Nightmare" immediately springs to mind). Take care, have patience and soon an attack pattern will be learned, and yet another foe will fall to your increasing firepower. Visuals throughout are similar to the Snes, with the exceptions that they are sharper, more detailed and all the scaling effects are a lot more impressive to look at. Samus herself is an extremely agile character (despite her suit) and she looks simply stunning as she tears around the huge space ship. Many of the enemies encountered, whilst not as impressive to look at, are still very well animated and new faces (as well as some old ones) regularly pop up to test your mettle.

While the soundtrack is by the original Super Metroid team, it does not deliver the same aural experience as its predecessor. While most of the tunes are suitably atmospheric, they simply lack the wonderfully organic structure of the original and are further hindered by the Advance's tinny speakers. Spot effects though are suitably meaty, with all many of bizarre noises reaching your ears (the noise a smart bomb makes is particularly pleasing).

Overall Metroid Fusion is simply the best adventure game currently available on the Gameboy Advance. It's tough, but rewarding, plays extremely well and is not a simple port like so many other of Nintendo's releases before it. Samus may have been forgotten by some, but not this reviewer, and the wait has been more than worth it. Roll on Metroid Prime.

Rating: 9 / 10

Words by Darran Jones