10 reasons why Metroid Fusion is the best game in the series
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Soapbox features allow our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random things they’ve been pondering. Today, as we await the next release of the next installment of the 2D Metroid lineage, Stuart takes a look at his favorite game from the series …
Hi there. Did you know that I think Metroid Fusion is “good”? Obviously, because it’s in the title. Did you also know that not only do I think it’s good, but I think it’s the best game in the series? Again, basic reading comprehension should have made that position clear to you. Of course, in a series as good as Metroid it is quite acceptable that almost any game in the franchise is your favorite, even Federation Force!
Okay, it’s probably not the Federation Force. Look, the point is, I’ve come up with ten reasons why I honestly and sincerely believe that Metroid Fusion is the best of all when it comes to the adventures of Samus Aran. So why not read them and then explain what I am like? incorrect and grotesqueHey?
Let’s start at the beginning, a kind of …
1. It’s a great place to start
Would it be fair to call Metroid a daunting series to get into? Not really, but everyone has to start somewhere, and in a series that spans at least six systems, I would suggest that Fusion is the best starting point. Even Zero Mission, the remake of the original NES Metroid, takes on more knowledge of the series than you might expect; it’s the subversion of the familiar that Zero Mission exchanges, while Fusion isn’t really familiar at all.
And that’s a good thing: the more linear “action game” approach draws players in without confusing them, as does the more traditional progression locked behind color-coded doors and a navigation assistant that pushes the player to the next mission. . Sure, it’s not a traditional take on the series, but without Fusion helping me get in, I may never have had the patience for the likes of the much more esoteric and labyrinthine Super Metroid.
Anyone can take Metroid Fusion and enjoy it.
2. The SA-X is terrifying
No one who has played Fusion has ever forgotten the hideous dead-eyed SA-X.
This is one of Samus’ most resonant opponents, a not inconsiderable feat in the series containing the iconic Ridley and Kraid. Essentially adopting the classic evil doppelganger trope, this is Samus’ familiar power armor possessed (literally) by an X parasite that mimics its appearance.
When you find it, you are advised to run away because none of your weapons can do as much as scratch that. Fortunately, you don’t come across it too often, but if you’ve played Fusion you’re already running through the encounters in your mind. Those steps.
There’s a reason the EMMI droids in Metroid Dread are biting into the flair of this thing so hard.
3. X parasites make power-ups organic, literally
A bit of underrated intelligence in Metroid Fusion is the way the game’s power-ups fit into the entire X Parasites story, which Samus can now absorb with her new Fusion Suit.
In addition to the yellow and green X that represent health and missiles respectively, you will also see bosses making use of the powers that they offer when they are defeated. The mighty Serris, for example, will roam the arena at Mach speeds, even using the same sound effect as the Speed Booster it grants in the event of defeat. A really cool way to make the gradual build-up of your arsenal fit the world perfectly.
4. The story is amazing
The story of the game is not only great fun, it is also brilliantly told. For the first time in the series, we are caught up in Samus’s thoughts as she descends those long, long elevators into each sector, remembering Adam, her former commanding officer.
As the twists and turns accumulate, the game is also not afraid to mess with you and take away your sense of security. The use of navigation rooms is not a design crutch, it is a narrative device, for reasons that will become clear as you play. the The reveal even has a superbly timed one-second scene alongside it. Sterling, cinematographic material.
5. Show that Metroid can function in a linear frame.
The aforementioned linearity of Fusion is, for some people, to the detriment of the game. I’ve never understood that – the scope of sequence breaking and speedrunning is limited compared to, say, Super Metroid, but I disagree with the idea that this makes it a minor game.
Why shouldn’t the Metroid series house a more “straightforward” title, anyway? There are a lot of hidden secret missile tanks and such in Fusion, but the main “mission” is certainly more. managed. This is a good thing! This means our favorite series (Metroid, keep up) may work in formats outside of your traditional comfort zone. Like, say, ooh, I don’t know … first person?
No, that’s crazy. Imagine a Metroid in the first person. No. Like.
6. The controls are perfect
I feel like I’ve messed up a bit in Super Metroid. It’s a brilliant game, don’t get me wrong, but I wish it had the controls for Metroid Fusion.
What Metroid Fusion does is narrow things down to the four available buttons, namely ‘A’, ‘B’ and the shoulders. Of course ‘A’ and ‘B’ are used for jumping and shooting, but the ‘L’ button allows you to aim up or down diagonally with a tap in the corresponding direction, releasing the ‘R’ button to activate your Super Missiles. No more turning them on and off with taps of the Select button! It’s a miracle! Or should I say … a misiracle?
No, it absolutely shouldn’t. Sorry.
7. The Nightmare is a creature easily equal to Ridley or Kraid.
I’ve already talked about how great the SA-X is as an antagonist, but do you think it’s not even the most memorable creature in the game? That would be The Nightmare, a legendary terrifying blobby thing that reminds me of Evil Edna from Willow the Wisp (ask your dad or something). They build this thing big and it doesn’t disappoint when you finally find it: a huge melting TV with some kind of simian arms.
Er, I’m not doing a good job selling this, am I? Well, it is a brilliant, memorable and dynamic battle that I maintain that you will never forget once you have endured his attack. There’s a reason he was brought back for Other M.
No wait! Please! Do not go! I won’t mention … That game again.
8. It is challenging
Super Metroid is an undisputed and declared classic within Nintendo’s library, but it’s not particularly difficult. That’s not a controversial statement, is it? In general, it is quite easy in terms of raw difficulty (in a conventional game that does not break the sequence, I must add). While that’s not a bad thing by a reasonable metric, I find that I can get a bit bored … well … when a game is too simple.
Fusion has some teeth, those heads are hard And the helplessness instilled by the SA-X segments is really stressful. Let’s not forget also the initial segment with the ice mutated X parasites; One wrong move and you will lose a good chunk of your health.
Fusion is, I think, the hardest 2D game of all, and that’s a big reason why I adore it.
9. That Easter Egg
While it’s definitely fair to say that this game isn’t as friendly to sequence breakers and speed runners as many of its siblings in the series, that doesn’t mean the developers haven’t been hiding in a truly crafty little secret spot to the Shinesparkers engaged.
Perform a series of esoteric moves in the underwater sector and you will be able to access a locked Navigation Room, giving you additional comic interaction with the ADAM computer. I wonder how many players have seen that message too.
10. The soundtrack is all a time
Well then. The SA-X theme; both his approach and his escape have such an atmospheric soundtrack. In fact, every track is absolutely brilliant, especially as of the Game Boy Advance, which is often lacking in sound. There are much music too: new songs and great remixes of classics like Neo Ridley’s towering melody.
It’s easy to take the tracks for granted here, but they fundamentally enhance the already strong atmosphere in such a way that I urge you really listen for them. Put on those headphones! Unless you have a Game Boy Advance SP, in which case you can’t without a little adapter. Oh darling.
Are you a fan of Fusion? Do you think Metroid 4 is an underrated classic in canon? Replay it to catch up in time for the arrival of Metroid Dread? Let us know below.
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