Metroid Fusion
by Nintendo
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Video Game Reviews of Metroid Fusion
Customer Review: A furious button basher!
Summary: 4 Stars
'm not really that familiar with the Metroid series. The only other one I have ever played so far is Metroid Pinball, so I'm totally not clued-up on the original that appeared on the NES back in 1986. But I did go for this one because I heard that the original Turrican game was based partly on Metroid.
And while the similarities are plentiful this is still a great game in it's own right. Old-fashioned 2D platformers are always brilliant and it's one of my fave genres. Fusion involves lots of running around in a huge, abandoned space-station, visiting my departments and sub-departments, blasting away at alien scum and trying to figure out what happened to everyone. The level designs are awesome, with loads of hidden extras and secret passageways. You'll still be able to memorise your way around though.
The graphics and sound effects are dead cool but the generic music is a bit of a let-down. Some of the bosses are unbelievably hard and you'll end up having to stop yourself from smashing your Nintendo against the wall. Fight the urge, there is always a way, always a pattern to follow to kill them. But it's finding the courage to face it for the 86th time that really matters.
Definitely one of the best games on the GBA, but perhaps a bit too short. I would have liked to have kept going and gaining more and more and MORE power-ups. But hey, it's still worth the money.
Graphics A
Sound B
Gameplay A-
Lasting Appeal B+
Customer Review: One of the best Metroid games
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the first Metriod game I have ever played, and after rI had finsihed it I felt compelled to play some of the other games in the series. This is one of the best games I have played in a while. The storyline is great and the weapons are awesome. Here's is what I thought of the game overall,
Controls: 7/10. The controls are pretty much okay, although they let me down in a few situations. One of the biggest problems is how you have to use the shoulder buttons (the L and R buttons) to fire missles (R) and to fire diagonally (L) I know that this was probably the most convientent way to do those things, but it is still very annoying. One of the most annoying things is when you have to fire missles diagonally. Otherwise, the controls are okay.
Storyline: 10/10. The storyline is the best I have seen in a Metroid game (I haven't played Metroid 2 or Super Metroid, so forgive if the storylines are better.) The story starts with Samus helping out a team for Biologic Space Labs capture some of the creatures of SR388. Since the metroids have been destroyed by Samus, the other creatures have had a chance to breed and flourish. One group of creatures in particular were the parsitic X's. Samus encounters an X, and before se can destroy it it infects her. After a near-death experience, she is transported to the Galactic Federation HQ. Everyone there though she was going to die because of the X, yet a vaccine made from a cell culture from the last metroid hatchling saved her. When she awoke, SAmus was sent to back to Biologic Space Labs to inspect a mysterious explosion there. When you arrive there you learn the the X's had taken over the station and it is up to you to stop them. Guided by your ships computer you try to elimate the X while recovering your abilties that you lost during the x infection.
Gameplay: 9/10. The gameplay is pretty solid. It is similar to the gameplay in Metriod Zero Mission. Basically you travel from the six sectors of BSL destroying the animals that the X are controlling and restoring abilties. You are given your missions by your ship computer. The gameplay is fun and easy to get used to.
Graphics: 9/10. Pretty good, nothing exceptional.
Music: 10/10. THe music in this game is really, really, really good.
Customer Review: Classic Metroid Enhanced
Summary: 4 Stars
THE GOOD: Awesome graphics; great music; solid controls; interesting storyline; nice powerup progression; challenging
THE BAD: Too many "hidden" paths; general scope is pretty small; short
DIFFICULTY: Medium-to-Hard
Since I missed the boat on the much loved Super Metroid for the SNES, this is really the only enhanced side-scrolling Metroid game I've ever played besides the original NES debut. When starting off I was surprised to see such a story emphasis on this game, basically you get sent to an intergalactic biosystem to investigate a virus "X" in which is destroying the place, and you are also infected... and later on, a couple of twists ensure. Nothing tremendous, but interesting enough to hold your attention. You get briefed on your objectives by voice command coming from headquarters, therefore you always know where to head to and what to do - whether it be to update suit powers or seek and destroy an enemy target (this may be seen as a negative to Metroid veterans who want to figure things out for themselves, but it works very smoothly here regardless).
If there's one thing Nintendo always excels at, it's the gameplay department, be it the controls, character progression and music and graphical presentation, it all works extremely well. The GBA's hardware is definitely pushed as you'll notice very nicely shadowed and crystal clear environments dolling up your GBA's screen. Action and sound effects move swifty and never slow down or chop up even when there's plenty of action on screen. So all in all, the gameplay and presentation is top-notch. This is a solid game TECHNICALLY.
What disturbed me during my playing experience could be seen as more nitpicky by Metroid veterans, but a good point by most casual players and newcomers. First off, I found myself becoming annoyed by not being able to progress because I didn't find that one hidden path I needed to sneak into. Usually I'm more used to hidden paths containing hidden items, NOT as a means to actually progressing through the game. The only reason I got the hang of it quickly enough was because these paths were prevelant to the original metroid game (although thankfully this time there's actually a map). Newcomers may find themselves scratching their heads as to where they'll need to go next, as many of these paths aren't clued in AT ALL. And constantly rolling around placing bombs everywhere and shooting walls to find the next path gets pretty tiresome.
As stated before, you're constantly briefed on where to go next, and because the general area of the entire game isn't very big, the story pushes you to progress at times when you'd rather be exploring for those hidden items you couldn't reach before because your powerups wouldn't allow you to.
That's pretty much all the compaints I have. When it comes to the action and the meat of the game is where it excels though. Climbing on walls, platforming puzzles, using different weapon abilities to destroy certain enemies one way and another a different way... it's all incredible fun and adds a good deal of variety to the gameplay. On top of this, I didn't find this game all too easy either. Boss fights are tough, and simply running and gunning won't always do it, so strategy plays a good part when trying to take down those bosses (and prepare yourself for the final boss, which is more like 4 separate fights which have to be beaten without saves). They're all pretty big and animate great.
BOTTOM LINE: A solid game with a classic Metroid feel which will interest veterans, but enough leeway and helpfulness to where it's accessible to newcomers... yet these features tend to cross over giving each side something to complain about.
Customer Review: fun and difficult
Summary: 4 Stars
This was the first metroid game I had ever played, and I have to admit I was amazed. This was the first game I had played that had "You have to restart your data" traps. To put it mildly IT WAS HARD and you will think that until you figure out the key to basicly every level, using morph bombs every place there is that you can. The fact is it's one of the only games like it that isn't shoot everything and you're fine. I like this game because it's not easy. I've had this since June this year and I'm still not completely done with it. Here is a scale from one to ten of the aspects of the game
Sound---4/10
I can't say this game has good music but there is a volume control for a reason.
Graphics---7/10
For the time it was made, the graphics were insane on the console it was released on.
Multiplayer---0/0
Doesn't exist
Gameplay---6/10
I think this game has relatively good controls, but the damage ratio is really stupid.
Plot---8/10
The story in this game is good and it sort of makes you want to keep playing but the cut scenes are mediocre.
Difficulty 8/10
As I said I've been playing this for 6 months and I haven't reached the game boss. If you like a challenge you will like this game.
Overall---9/10
Personally I can't get enough of fun and difficult games, it really gives a challenge and makes you want to keep going.
Afterthoughts
At first I was scepticle about getting this game- I thought this was going to be so hard after the first level I would want to gnaw my legs off, but later I found out that I would only want to do that with the original one for the NES. {I'm not saying I don't like the one for the NES.}
Customer Review: A solid entry into the franchise
Summary: 4 Stars
There's always parts of the Metroid series that kind of confused me as to why I like it. Part of it is that I always loved games where "point A to point B" was relatively simple. Not that I want easy games but I like games where I can just pick up and go and after a bit of brainteasing, I figure out where next to go whereas in this series you can explore continously and still find more than you thought was there. With the first Prime being my favorite, Fusion is another one of those games where it's expertly done and well-crafted but you end up treating it unfairly to other games, either in the series or in general.
Story: More story-extensive than anything (that is, until Corruption), Samus was infected by a strange parasite known as X while on SR 388. Almost dead, scientists use a Metroid-based vaccine to cure her but while on the space station, the parasite breaks out and quickly infects the various areas. Not to mention a Samus-like enemy, the SA-X, is after her and with the help of a computer AI named Adam, Samus has to rid the station of X before it infects other planets and civilizations.
Graphics: With the help of some cutscenes, the story in Fusion feels more grander than before and through rather simplistic screens (i.e an image of Samus with overlayed text) it's a more immersive story. As far as the ingame graphics are concerned, they're fairly commonly seen and everything is as it should be but it has a bit more detail and levels have a bit more going for them.
Sound/Music: As always, the music has that otherworldly quality to them where it's quite haunting and eerily beautiful in its orchestration as the music is meant to help support the gameplay rather than be its own catchy tune a la Final Fantasy music. It might not be a downloadable soundtrack but it's a pleasure to have on anyway, that is if you like that ambient stuff.
Gameplay: Same old, really. Samus starts with barely anything and through exploration, upgrades her suit and weapons which include staples such as the morph ball, charge beam and various suits. My one complaint is that there wasn't a lot brand new. Most of it I've seen before and aside from one upgrade I probably haven't seen yet in the 2D ones, everything feels too familiar. Also, many people might not like the hand holding the game does since every new area or objective completed has you go to a navigation room where Adam will tell you what to do next, even say with red arrows (literally) what room it's in. I didn't like this and preferred Prime where it told you the specific room but not exactly the route on how to best get there.
The difficulty is fine aside from the bosses since like most of the series, the bosses can easily whomp you and quite a few almost made me throw the DS across the room since it felt too unfair at times. I don't mind a game that challenges me and keeps me on my toes but games where quick wits and careful playing still nets you game over screens just isn't my idea of fun but I guess it balances out the game: easy exploration, tough-as-nails bosses.
It might not be my favorite entry of the series but any Metroid really tends to be worth a playthrough and Fusion is no different.