| Introduction
I can't recall a time when a Nintendo title was quite
as highly anticipated as Metroid Fusion; it seems to
be the game that everyone's been waiting for. Set after
the events of the old Super Metroid game, the story
involves an apparently uneventful trip back to Planet
SR388, until Samus is attacked by a previously unknown
life form labeled 'The X Parasite'. At this point, it
seems like it's all over for our heroine, until an eleventh
hour solution is produced and a vaccine created from
the Metroid DNA is administered. From then on it's up
to Samus to explore the Research Station and destroy
the parasite that threatens her very existence. So,
was it really worth waiting for? Read on and see...
GamePlay
The first thing you'll notice about Metroid Fusion
is that it's incredibly story-driven, dealing not only
with the situation that Samus finds herself in, but
also how she got there in the first place. It's also
very task-led, so rather than taking the original's
theme and allowing you to explore, everything is dictated
from one of the many command consoles dotted about.
This gives you detailed instructions about your immediate
mission, which could be clearing an area or destroying
a power console.
Once completed, another area will open up and the
whole process begins again. It should be pointed out
that you're pursued by all manner of things throughout.
You'll also find that you have to backtrack several
times in order to locate some of the secrets, as there
are some areas that won't be evident until you've satisfied
certain mission criteria.
One standout aspect of the Metroid series has always
been the number of moves and weapons Samus has at her
disposal, and this latest outing doesn't disappoint.
She can still run fast, jump incredibly high, and is
also a lot stronger, thanks in part to the X Parasite.
She also has some additional moves as well--the ability
to vault in a very acrobatic fashion from one wall to
another, or to fire a weapon while hanging from a ladder--moves
that could well save your skin on more than one occasion.
The weapons are also very impressive, ranging from
lasers to super missiles, and various upgrades can be
found in secret rooms around the facility. Our favorite
though, was undoubtedly the morph ball, which lets you
to roll through tiny gaps while also planting bombs.
The GBA's advanced button layout comes into play here
allowing you to direct your laser in different directions
by pressing the shoulder buttons.
Once you've completed the games, there's still more
fun to be had if you own both the GameCube version and
a GBA to GameCube link cable. This unlocks the original
version, which you can play on your TV (although being
able to play it on the GBA would have been much better).
Unfortunately, there's little in the way of replay
value, and it does seem like a short game, but this
has more to do with it being so immersive than any real
indication of gameplay hours. I tend to agree with most
other reviewers that although the save feature in the
game will indicate you've been playing for six or more
hours the actual length is more likely to be double
that.
Controls
Obviously the shoulder buttons allow for a slightly
more complicated control system, but rather than present
all your advanced capabilities to you in one go, the
developers have opted to allow you to use these only
when a practical application is just around the corner.
This works very well, as you never feel overwhelmed
by the number of weapons and moves at your disposal.
The collision detection is also spot-on, whether
avoiding the many hostile enemies, or jumping to hang
from a ledge. Overall, you do get the impression that
a lot of development time has been dedicated to this
most important of gaming aspects, and in the long run,
you'll have nothing but admiration for the developers
for their attention to detail.
Graphics
Metroid Fusion features one of the best game intros
we've ever seen, and while it doesn't feature a FMV
front end, it does manage to tell a complete story with
intelligent use of static screens and spot animation.
The actual 'in-game' graphics area also constructed
with real depth of detail, and the screens convey a
great deal of information without appearing cluttered.
There's also impressive use of some of the GBA's
enhanced graphical abilities with scaling, lighting
effects and transparencies used throughout the levels,
although most of these are so subtle you'll hardly notice
them. The real star here is the overall design--the
developers have constructed an interesting and immersive
environment populated with wonderful aliens of all descriptions,
with enough secret areas to keep you wandering around
for hours.
Sound & Music
Another of the few GBA titles where the soundtrack
is actually very good. The developers have managed to
pull off an incredibly subtle background score which
both enhances the gameplay and the atmosphere. The sound
effects follow suit, and while they maintain the style
of the SNES and NES originals, they also fit the context
of this new GBA version perfectly. I know I've said
it before, but if you haven't got a set of headphones,
this is a title that really benefits from using them.
Final Comments
You could argue that Metroid Fusion feels a bit linear
to start with, but this is actually a practical learning
curve, which ensures that everyone feels at ease with
the game even if they've never encountered a platformer
before. Soon after this, the whole thing opens up, letting
you explore the massive levels and solve some seriously
involving puzzles, in one of the most engaging story
lines yet to be featured in a GBA title. What you're
treated to here is a game that far surpasses anything
we've encountered in this genre to date, proving that
a highly skilled team and ample development time really
does pay off in the long run.
It's a bit of a shame that the GameCube link-up in
no way benefits the GBA, but hopefully more developers
will consider things in the future. Overall though Metroid
Fusion is one of those rare gems that provides considerable
fuel for the argument that gaming is really more important
than life itself, at least for the time this game lasts.
Get it or add it to your Christmas list now.
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