Metroid Fusion: First Impressions

[Player0]

Metroid 3 for the SNES was the first Metroid game I played. Actually, I must have been living under a rock because I had never heard of Metroid until about 1996, about two years after it came out. I was just rummaging through the used game bins at Blockbuster, found a fairly cheap game, and brought it home. Imagine my surprise when I realized what I had been missing, one of the greatest platformers of all time. What makes Metroid great are the epic boss battles, the great dark looking graphics and music, the constant suit upgrades, and the HUGE worlds to explore, complete with insane puzzle like upgrades.

I played a little Metroid 1 (NES), didn't think much of it after playing the others. Im still hoping to get Metroid 2 (GB) from Ebay to try it out. Metroid Prime (GC) I got when it first came out, and I can honestly say it is the best game I've ever played. I was scared that the move in to 3d would kill Metroid. No way...I can't beleive how true to the original greatness they maintained.

Metroid Fusion came out about the same time, but I didn't own a GBA. I didnt want to buy it with the GB SP coming out, which I got about a month ago. I played a few levels on the SP and...it just wasnt the right experience. I like games on big monitors, not something I need a magnifying glass (literally) and headphones to play. So, I preordered the GameBoy player accessory for the Cube. Now we're talking. Metroid Fusion full screen, well almost.

No, it doesn't look like the SNES version. The GBA resolution is set far lower than SNES. The GameBoy player tries to stretch the image out and it looks okay, but it looks like I'm playing a GB emulator on the PC. It still looks good and more than playable. It is a direct sequal to the SNES version of the game. better backgrounds and textures, the GBA version looks closer to the end-of-line games of the SNES (they always look better before the system gets discontinued, like DKC or MarioRPG). The play feels exactly like the original. Except for the missles. The original game used the Select button to change the weapon/missle modes. This game uses the R button combo which...eh. I need more play time to give an evaluation.

Playing metroid with a GC analog controller? Flawless. Good job Nintendo. Feels like I am playing with a digital pad. The game itself strays a little bit from the series, with regenerating monsters (bleh) and catching x parasites (bleh). But some nice boss fights so far. Ill post more once i get out of level two.

[speculative]

I played it for about 3 hours and have liked it so far on my GB SP, but now I am stuck in a spot that has no obvious way out. I have tried to get out of the area during 3 different play sessions, for 2 hours. Nope, not getting out. So, at this point, I can start the game over, or else use a FAQ. I tried to use a FAQ and I can't even quite figure out where I'm at. (I went through a false wall or two to get where I'm at.) The game was good up to this point, but I guess I'll never see the point of a game that gets you "stuck" anywhere...

I've thought about getting the GB player but I'm not sure - how do you like the image quality without the stretch mode engaged P0?

-speculative

[Player0]

Hi Spec, Ive got stuck a couple times too. But DONT start over a cheat. the game doesnt let you get stuck, im sure theres a way out of where you are. thats what makes metroid fun! Just drop bombs around. I got stuck on Level 2 in the green secretive area for a while with all the caterpillar things. Just needed to find a bomb spot :) Anyway, just keep looking. you just need to find another hole in the wall. Actually...they kinda show you were to go if I know where you are.

Spec, it looks small without stretch mode, and i dont see an obvious difference. it still looks a bit...less crisp. From what I can tell, there are many less colors as well than say the SNES. Still, its a limitation of the game, not the player, and I wouldnt play this any other way than on the TV. It certainly looks GOOD, just not perfect. The controls feel great though, i was worried about that.

[speculative]

Hmm... guess I'll give it another go. I'm in the section (section 4?) where there is a place where you can go underwater and get shocked. I got here by dropping down through a false floor/floor I bombed, but can't jump back up out of it, and can't find another exit. I'll try bombing some more, but most bomb points are "visible" if you know what to look for. ;)

As for the big/small screen: my first Metriod experience was Metriod II on the old Gameboy. I suggest picking up a copy, it should be cheap. :) It won't be as good as Super Metriod, but there was a ton of secret areas, etc. and I played it through enough that I could beat it in time to get the best ending. :) I kind of like playing on the GB SP for some reason - it seems like gaming's version of "roughing it" lol and I can play in the dark after I've turned in for the night. It's kind of like reading a comic book under the sheets with a flashlight when you were a kid...

-speculative

[Player0]

Hi Spec, I know exactly where you mean. Second paragraph is a spoiler...








I hope you dont mind the spoiler, but go way way left on the map. Avoid the water, you need to pump it all out. Theres this section of the map with the hidden missle tank that when you climb up that ladder stuff, you roll in to that hidden hole and get the missle tank right? Well below that room where the ladder for that is, bomb around there on the left side of that ledge.









... anyway, I got stuck looking for this as well. This particular hole is a bit hard to find. The main map shouldnt be this hard to get around in. Was probably just an oversite on the coders, as most paths are much more apparant. Hopefully the rest of the game will be more obvious :)

Yep, im bidding on Metroid II. Im confused.. one of the auctions said that the game would play in color. Is that possible? Are there two different versions of this game? If i can play in color, that would be great. Does Metroid II have a memory in it, or is it like Metroid 1 with the whole code typing in thing. I hate that.

The SP is great for sure. Just the way I end up gaming is on the couch anyway...i dont game on the go so I sold it. But it was a great little thing for sure.

[speculative]

Thanks for the tip P0. :)

As for Metriod II for the original GB - well, kind of. I don't remember what it looked like, but the Super Gameboy for SNES would toss a little color the game's way.

-spec

[speculative]

Man, finding that was easier than I thought. Poor desing on that one though - you could search th e whole area, because the game doesn't lead the player very well in that section.

-spec

[Smokin_Joe]

The first Metroid was my first NES game back in the day so it's one of my all time favorites. Last summer my son had Super Metroid for SNES and of course i had to play and beat it:) Now he has Metroid Fusion on the GBA and he is hooked hehe. It is a great game, i like the new changes they put in for the movements.

[Player0]

I cant beleive it took me a year to finally finish playing this game!!

Yep, I finally beat Metroid Fusion last night. First run in about 8 hours with 100% items (i found a good 70-80% without help).

I played about 30% of the game on the SP and the other 70% using the GameBoy player on my Cube. I didn't really find any problems with the controls, and I liked them better over Metroid 3.

Some of the hidden item puzzles were damn hard, as well as most of the boss fights. The linear gameplay really took away from item hunting, there was really never a chance in the end to do this, apart from avoiding navigation rooms after getting the screw attack. Thankfully, it is possible to get 100% items as none of them go unmissing. Some of the sparkshining puzzles were awful though.

In the end, it didnt feel as epic as 3 or Prime. But has solid gameplay. I did the GB connectivity thing with Metroid Prime. It unlocked Metroid 1 and the Fusion skin for Prime, neither of which I thought much of.

I'll be playing Zero Mission next, although I think I will move on to Final Fantasy X-2, which I still haven't gotten much time in on yet. I think that goes for almost all my games.

I did finally get Metroid II for the Gameboy, just for kicks. I have all the Metroids now. Most of the Zeldas. Missing Ocarina of Time for the N64, or is it the other one? Shoot.

[EQarigon]

Final Fantasy X-2 ........ I hate games that require 100% completion to unlock the "good" ending. Last month I started chapter 4 or was it 5 I cant remember but according to this guide I was using I was 1 percent off where I should be! I havent played the game since. I dont know where I went wrong and it fustrates me that if I dont talke to meaningless person 1 or check certain commsphere x many times that its going to blow the ending for me because of this 100% requirement!

Sorry you just bought back angry memories from a month back lol.

[Player0]

I didnt know that the non-100% ending was so hideous.

Anyway, I play the game for the game, not the ending. I can just go download those online :)

[tripodal]

Isnt there going to be a PC version of metroid coming out some time soon?

[Player0]

I havent heard but I extremely doubt it.

[tripodal]

Maybe that was the game cube im thinking of... i remember seeing samus in 3d

[tripodal]

yep it was the GC