I don't know if it's just my love of all things Metroid (though that can't be true because of the little I played of Hunters, I wasn't fond of it), but Fusion really surprised me considering how many people have warned against it or how unfaithful it is to the rest of the franchise.

I really, really fell in love with this game.

It's definitely more linear, but it's not so linear that you feel like there's nothing to explore. The game - like its predecessors - constantly teases you with stuff you'll either have to find later, or stuff that you can get by much later. And the amount of nooks and crannies and such you can find is pretty awesome - I love how interconnected the whole map is. For this to be one gigantic research station, they made the thing a beautiful, interconnected map.

I kept stumbling on connections to different places and being like "wtf...? that leads there?!"

Then there's the other part that people harped on: the cinematics. I came into the game fully prepared to be inundated with bad dialouge or really trite writing, or long-lasting paragraphs of unnecessary info. And yet, aside from the long intro... none of it ever came. IT was handled well I thought, and Samus - who's never been a deaf/mute in any other form of media she's presented in including the beloved Super Metroid - seemed to come out well in all her monologues/thoughts, the few pieces of dialogue she has, and... I dunno', it really fit.

The game has a certain mood to it that I like as well; where Super Metroid was more about this foreboding, building fear that crept up as you got deeper into the game, Fusion really gave this constant tension where you found yourself often wondering just what the **** the SA-X would do next to muck up your day.

And the SA-X was quite an intimidating thing. I know it's another "dark version of the main character" theme, but for some reason the SA-X really jived with me.

The music, I felt, was great, really fit the mood of the game for the most part, and a lot of it was catchy and is STILL on my mind right now. TRO and AQA's main themes, Vs. Nightmare, the redone version of Ridley's theme... all awesome I thought. Again, it wasn't Super Metroid but it felt great to listen to.

So, I dunno'. Maybe it was just me - after all, I'm one of the few that really, really loved (and still loves!) Metroid II: Return of Samus. But I'm already going through my second playthrough of Metroid Fusion, and still doing a 100% item search on my main file (saved right after you get the "Final Command).

So I'm interested i hearing form other Metroid fans... what did you think of it?



PS: I played on an emulator for now, though I plan to buy the cart from Amazon once I have a job again. Just so that people know I'm not wasting my limited funds right now. (^__^ )

- nin

URL to share (right click and copy)

Well, I finished Corruption. This time, unlike 2 years ago when I played for 3 hours and stopped, it grabbed me and didn't let go.

Final thoughts:

- The artistry in those games is phenomenal and unmatched by most games, on any console.
- The logs were the most well-written and interesting of the trilogy.
- I felt there were too few save stations. I still feel having the save stations recharge you wasn't the way to go, they should have done recharge stations like in Metroid II or Super Metroid.
- Backtracking to your ship to get to the next planet was sometimes a pain in the ass.
- Enemies with actual AI fit the new control scheme well.

I'm not sure if I'm gonna go back and try a harder difficulty, having to aim at the screen constantly, tap A and occasionally do motion stuff hurts my wrist. Anyway, great game, and I feel stupid for letting it collect dust on my shelf for so long. It was the game that got me to buy a Wii, too, my killer-app...

Posted by

Pandareus

on: 09/24/09, 16:04

- I felt there were too few save stations.

Didn't Prime 3 have a checkpoint system though? Or was that just for the bosses? I don't think I actually died outside of the bosses, heh.

Posted by

Zero

on: 09/24/09, 22:32

It did have checkpoints. The problem wasn't the progress lost when dying (I died maybe twice), the problem was having to find a station before you could stop playing.

Posted by

Pandareus

on: 09/24/09, 22:41

---

In a nutshell my position is : "I'm tired of self called Metroid fans that in reality like only one game in the series." Fusion is a very high quality Metroid game that tried to continue the CHANGE tradition of the series. When you look at it, Metroid is the series with the most changes, the first three games are, like, really different, much more than two Zelda games. So I disagree with the crap Fusion got in some places, or Echoes, or Corruption, or Other M is already getting. Personally I'm overjoyed Other M looks so different, and if it's a straight action game, so be it.

Anything but another game copying Super Metroid by the book. The games trying to be that are the ones I like the less in the series.

---

I definitely do agree there, I think that's what really drew me into Fusion (well side from everything else lol)... it was different. You really see a lot more of Samus' personality too, and it's not anything outside of what you'd expect from her. It actually made me thirst for her to have speaking parts in the next game, or at least not be a silent protagonist (Which she never should have been in Corruption, that was just weird).

I do still want Other M to be exploration-heavy, but if it's more action-heavy then so be it. It's not like we haven't gotten plenty of other Metroid games - in fact a trilogy of them - that are in that vein.

So long as it doesn't turn into Ninja Gaiden starring Samus Aran I'm cool with it.

...wait. Actually, I take that back. Because if it turns into Ninja Gaiden starring Zero Suit Samus Aran... done by team ninja?

(o_O ')

---

Well, I finished Corruption. This time, unlike 2 years ago when I played for 3 hours and stopped, it grabbed me and didn't let go.

---

I'm hoping this is the case when I get the trilogy. BOTH times I've owned this game (the first time I was disappointed somehow... second time I sold it was due to needing funds when my job cut hours, not because I was disappointed with it or disliked it, but I wasn't playing it at the time so...), I think it was a matter of bad timing on my part.

I plan to go through the entire trilogy (since I've never played Prime 2 either) from beginning to end. I cannot wait.

I know it's silly to try Corruption yet again after having the damn game twice, but I really feel like it was just bad timing before and I want to give it an honest go. And with the trilogy, it's too good a deal to pass up regardless.

...yeah, that's my list of excuses for getting the same gaame a third time. (-__- )

Posted by

roknin

on: 09/25/09, 10:32

I haven't played Fusion. Ever. Yeah, I'm a bad fan.

And I'm glad you enjoyed Corruption so much Pandy - personally I found it captivating and ridiculously enjoyable (moreso than Prime 1 in some ways, though I think Prime 1 is still the better game). Still the best implementation of motion controls on the Wii IMO.

Posted by

Rothwyn

on: 09/25/09, 17:14

Thanks man, it's getting there. I have a job - sorta? - but I'm still hoping one of these desktop support jobs or designer jobs comes through first. Currently I'm waiting for an orientation to be scheduled for this stock job at Amazon... I can't complain, it's honest work and pays well for a stock job (11/hr), but at the same time it's 10-hour days, and during the holiday season it's supposedly mandatory 60-hour work weeks... I know I can't handle that and still produce work like I want to. I'd have to literally put my art on hold to make it through the holidays.

I'm really pining for one of these design jobs, as that would give me something in my field and would get me working on my art both at work and at home. And it'd be a white-collar job, which is what I usually do.

No calls yet, but I'm following up hardcore with people on Monday. They will learn to hate me, lol.

Here's hoping that our job situations improve for us both (^__^ )

Posted by

roknin

on: 09/26/09, 01:13

So, a little over a month later, and... I'm on like, my fourth playthrough of Fusion.

I really, really want to get the GBA cart now - this and Yggrda Union, which is so gawddamn awesome as well, but that's getting off-topic.

I bumped this to say, that without question... Metroid Fusion is probably second only to Super Metroid in the series for me right now. This game does damn-near everything right. The only thing that's disappointing is the last boss fight, which felt a little anti-climatic. But that aside...

Damn. I fucking love this game.

Top five Metroid games:

1) Super Metroid
2) Metroid Fusion
3) Metroid Prime
4) Metroid 2: Return of Samus
5) Metroid NES

Playing Zero Mission also reminded me of what I hated about that game: the music. Choir voice sounds are good... IN MODERATION. The game's soundtrack went overboard with it. And I really don't like what they did to Norfair's NES theme. And in the end, I found myself playing the NES version on my GBA cart more than the actual game (Which is great, btw, just more attracted to Metroid NES I guess), and shockingly, every time I played Zero Mission I found myself stopping, saving... and then playing Fusion, lol.

That says a lot.

Anyhow, I bumped this just to put that out there. I am so very happy that I got to play this game, and it will be awesome to finally have it in my DS or GBA player soon to experience it in full.


Side note: Since I brought it up here at the time, my job situation has changed, and instead of woring at Amazon (which I did for two days - got out of there ASAP, it was not a good experience, basically factory work without comparable pay and a really shitty break schedule), I now have a job doing tech support for iPhones, of all things. It works out wonderfully because my last job was testing cell phone games, including smartphones, and I'm a big Apple guy as well, so I stumbled into a really, really good full-time job here. I start (paid) training this Monday.

Also still fielding a possible job with UOP as a Multimedia Designer (primarily Flash work), though that's contingent on doing this Flash project at a competent level and getting interviewed and such. We'll see how that turns out too, since it's much closer to my chosen field and pays more...

Anyhow, I'm just glad to be financially stable again!

(note: I'll be getting that Metroid Fusion GBA cart reeeeaaaaal soon, lol)

Posted by

roknin

on: 10/31/09, 20:56

Congrats on the job man. Always a good sign when you enjoy your work.

And .... 4th time through Fusion? You are nuts, hah. But I'm glad you like it. I didn't play through it again like (I think) I said I wanted to early in this thread, but maybe some day.

Posted by

Griptor

on: 10/31/09, 21:56

Congrats on the job man. Always a good sign when you enjoy your work.

Thanks! Yes indeed, that's one of the things I'm always really glad to have, even though sometimes I overlook it. I realized how important that is once I lost my last job - I LOVED that job, but a apart of that was also because it was easy to be honest, and very laid back. Never mind loving what I did and having such a great group of people to work with.

So far it's only the second job I've had like that in my life (I've had jobs that I've liked, but not loved if that makes sense, lol). I'm hoping the trend continues with this job, and thus far it looks promising. Start tomorrow bright and early at 6am!

And .... 4th time through Fusion? You are nuts, hah. But I'm glad you like it. I didn't play through it again like (I think) I said I wanted to early in this thread, but maybe some day.

Haha, yeah man, I'm crazy like that when I absolutely love a game. Fusion drove me insane at parts out of frustration with some of the bosses (f'ing Nightmare!!), but aside from that, I really, really fell in love with it. In comparison, I've played though Super Metroid, Super Mario Bros. 3 and Pokemon RSE (3rd gen) dozens of times, and at least 6 times through Disgaea (between the PS2 and DS versions)... so yeah, I tend to love a game and keep playing through it if it hooks me that well.

Fusion was excellent, brought the series in new areas. And apparently tons of hidden stuff I didn't suspect.

Agreed, and same here. I still haven't gotten above something like 60% item completion? And I still can't beat in under 2 hours (though I'm getting there!).

Still lots to do and find.

Congratulations on your new job !

Thanks man, preciate that! Lemme' know if your job situation turns around too!

Posted by

roknin

on: 11/02/09, 02:17