Review - Metroid Fusion
Samus, I'm impressed you were able to make it back
Metroid Fusion
Nintendo
Yoshio Sakamoto, Takehiko Hosokawa, Takehiro Izushi
November 17, 2002
Game Boy Advance
Metroid is my all-time favorite video game franchise, so it was only a matter of time before I played one of the few entries I had yet to play: Metroid Fusion. I played this on the Nintendo Switch Online service and had a generally good time with it, though it wasn’t without some issues. This will be my first classic review and it’s the same as the format that I established with Hellblade II, but quicker to read since this is an older game.
Plot & Characters - 4
Metroid games aren’t going to blow you away with a story, and the characters are limited to known entities in Nintendo lore and fandom. In this one, however, they add some tweaks, with Samus’ thoughts being shown and the computer system she names after her former commanding officer, Adam, who is guiding her through the mission. This is a bit more than your usual Metroid affair that focuses on the feeling of being alone, which adds to the atmosphere in most games. Still, these additions do add enough for a better experience with the story.
The plot has Samus explore the BSL station that is above the planet SR388. Earlier in the game, she was infected by a parasite known simply as X, which is freely roaming as their main predator, the Metroids, have been taken care of. Samus uses a vaccine made from the cells of the baby Metroid from Super Metroid to recover. From there, the game is about Samus exploring the station and getting powerups, dodging the SA-X, a powerful parasite mimicking Samus, and findinf out some hard truths about the Federation.
Gameplay & Fun Factor - 4
What quickly took me aback about this game is how linear it can be. Yes, you can still explore areas and find hidden power ups, you still get that Metroidvania feel and traversing, but for the most part you are told where to go and it’s really hard to get yourself lost in exploration. On one hand, this made navigating through the story and areas easier than your typical Metroid title, but on the other it did take away from the more mysterious and open ended style the series tends to follow. Despite this, I got enough of the Metroidvania experience to be happy.
The main thing I wasn’t crazy about the game with was the needless difficulty. The game is beatable, but there’s several bosses that can be a pain in the a**. It doesn’t help that after you beat a boss, you have to contend with a mini boss, the X parasites controlling said boss, which gets old especially when you’re in low health. Along with that, even some regular enemies can do too much damage for my liking. There was also a lot of small things that aren’t explained to you and if I didn’t look it up, I probably would’ve been lost (such as where to powerbomb to make pillars pop out). But outside of the annoying difficulty, its your awesome typical combat and gameplay the series provides.
Graphics & Presentation - 4
The graphics for the system and time are not too bad. At times, it looks like Super Metroid on steroids. The colors pop, especially in brightly colored environments. The animations are solid, and the art style looks close to the game’s art. The beams’ animation and overall look of particles are done well. Even two decades later, it's a good-looking 2D game.
Soundtrack & Score - 4
Metroid games have good music scores, and this one doesn’t disappoint. The game has a good score that, in my opinion, had a techno feel at times. The sound design of the enemies, the musical ambiance as you explore, and some of the big story moments all highlight Metroid music at its best. The problem is that due to technical limitations, the overall soundtrack does start to feel a bit repetitive. It does have that good Metroid music and score, but it feels like it needed more and you can tell the sound capabilities of the GBA limited it.
Recommendation - 4
I cannot recommend this to a Metroidvania-curious gamer as their first title in the genre. But I can recommend this to a veteran easily. It’s a good, solid entry to my favorite franchise that adds some horror elements. While it is more difficult than I liked, there’s enough here to make you push through some of the hardest parts (looking at you Nightmare boss fight). This is a good game, and I can recommend it, but I do think it has some accessibility issues.
Overall, I was happy to have a blind Metroid experience. I also wanted to play this game and am glad I had this journey. While it is my least favorite Metroid game so far, I don’t say that in a negative way. As a game, Metroid Fusion is a fun 2D sidescroller that gets the job done. It’s no Super Metroid or even Metroid Dread, but it was a good Nintendo/Metroid game session.
4
4.0 - Characters & Plot
4.0 - Gameplay & Fun Factor
4.0 - Graphics & Presentation
4.0 - Soundtrack & Score
4.0 - Recommendation