After Zero Mission, I figured I'd play the other GBA Metroid. Thanks for the recommendations, everybody!

Going from Zero Mission to Fusion feels like a step down in almost every way. This is to be expected since Fusion came first, but I wasn't expecting the gulf between the two titles to be as big as it is. Zero Mission does practically everything better. That isn't a condemnation of Fusion- rather, it's an testament to Zero Mission's quality. Metroid Fusion is a solid title, with its high points and low points.

My least favorite thing about the game is how restricted it feels. The game's world is sizable, but instead of freely exploring a hostile environment (or at least maintaining the illusion that you are), Fusion has you taking a guided tour in which you follow the orders of a computer. This, combined with the poorer level design, makes the gameplay feel less rewarding or engaging.

My favorite part was the late-game twist. I'm fairly familiar with major events in the Metroid timeline thanks to Nintendo Power, so the revelation wasn't lost on me.

I'll probably play Metroid Prime next after I get through some other games on my backlog. Plus, Metroid 2 still has my attention for some reason. I look forward to both.

Hero_Of_Hyrule said:

My favorite part was the late-game twist. I'm fairly familiar with major events in the Metroid timeline thanks to Nintendo Power, so the revelation wasn't lost on me.

I assume by this you mean you knew of Adam's existence (and death) in Other M, but *NOT* his subsequent reincarnation (of sorts) into the computer guide of Fusion?

A good position to be in, if so.

With Fusion being my first Metroid game, that actually threw me a bit. I assumed that Adam was in Super Metroid and died there. I didn't know it was an all new character until years later.

@Shadowlink

What I was talking about was the Metroids being exterminated in Metroid 2 except for the baby that saves Samus in Super Metroid. Cloning Metroids wouldn't be a big deal if they weren't extinct, so I'm glad that twist wasn't wasted on me.

But yeah, I knew about Adam too. It was quite a surprise to see his name pop up 10 years before Other M, since I thought he was created specifically for that game.

I take it from your post that you finished the game?

Yeah, Fusion is definitely more linear than Zero Mission (and pretty much all the Metroids, really). I think it's still a solid game for what it is, even if I replay it much less often than the others (the unskippable dialogue is kind of annoying on replays). One element that works to its advantage is the feeling that Samus and Adam are gradually losing ground and have to improvise, like with the blackout and the damaged doors and stuff. Feels like the X and SA-X recognize you as a threat and are constantly trying to retard your progress, which gives the game almost a bit of an "Alien" feel at times.

Have fun with Metroid Prime! Go in blind if you can, it's a real treat.

This game will always have a special place in my heart since it was my first Metroid. The chases by the SA-X were genuinely nerve-wrecking.

@Brick

Agreed. I don't think I've ever been as freaked-out in a game outside of a survival-horror type like Resident Evil. Those chases were freaking INTENSE.

I personally liked the linear nature of Fusion. Not that Zero Mission was bad, but I felt like Fusion was more... a complete package. Maybe because it guided you so much, I dunno. Both great games.

I liked the reveal that the federation was doing Metroid experiments of their own. It's like...oh no, they're back! You'd think that this was going to be a plot device to fuel the next game, but they never followed up on it. Metroid 5 could have a completely different context from the old games. Samus can't trust the good guys anymore. She can't trust the bad guys. What does she do from there?

I also thought they could've easily done some sort of spinoff due to the fact that Samus' body all of a sudden was part Metroid. They could've went all Batman Beyond and had some daughter of hers, FAR in the future, that had abilities of a Metroid and a human. It would be unlinked from the original games for the most part, so nothing would be ruined or anything. Her name could even still be Samus for all I care. Metroid: The Next Generation.

What's a shame (OTHER M SPOILERS AHEAD) is that the Metroid reveal in Fusion seems to be redundant now that Other M basically did the same schtick. I think I read that the Bottle Ship wasn't really officially the Federation, but rather a rogue subsect of the Federation's R&D or something like that, but it's like, come on. Other M already had way too many similarities to Fusion, and then they use the same reveal, creating almost zero impact on the player. But I guess that's that game's story in a nutshell anyway.

Fusion is my favorite game of all time, I like it much better than Zero Mission, I prefer Fusion's creepy atmosphere and tone over the comic-book stylings of Zero Mission (which I found totally inappropriate for the series).

I get the criticism that it feels a bit hand-holdy and linear in the way it's structured, but I don't see this as a major flaw because it was designed to be a handheld game played in short spurts, my first playthough of this game was on my commutes and stolen minutes at work, having Adam there to remind me of what I was doing, and having the levels broken down into digestible chunks made the game super playable and enjoyable.

Since the I've played the game through probably a dozen times, sometimes in 1 or 2 long sittings, and when played that way it does seem a little linear, I still don't mind though, I love Metroid on NES which is the least linear feeling, but I kinda appreciate how Fusion is just so damn tight. It's a short game but it's packed with content, the length isn't extended by long periods of traversal or getting lost.

Has anyone here seen the secret message or done the 1% run in Fusion?

I'm...currently working on getting the secret message. It's tough and pretty annoying! And I have a lot of practice shinesparking from ZM but geez.

I did do the 1% run a few years ago though! That was quite the challenge. You get the major upgrades but can't get any of the Missile, E-Tank or Power Bomb expansions (except a single Missile that's right in your path--that's the 1%).

@TriforceBun

I didn't bother with the 1% run. (No ending! Whyyyyy?)

I did try to get the secret message though. And I didn't know there was a secret message . I just remember being like, 'OK is there a way I can get back there and avoid this bit?'

I gave up pretty soon though. And then read about the message .

@TriforceBun

I got the secret message way back then. Hard to get! Never tried the 1% run though.

I watched an interview with Trey Parker once where he said that good storytelling uses the words "because" and "therefore," whereas bad storytelling is just a bunch of "and then, and then, and then..."

...Metroid Fusion is a ton of "and then"! The problem isn't that the game is linear—every Metroid game is linear if you listen to what the game is cluing you into—but that it's so bland. It's four hours of being told that there's an alien to go kill, hunting for the right sequence of tiles to bomb to reach the boss chamber, beating the boss, and repeating. Maybe it's the environments or the music or something, but this game just does not resonate with me at all. It's like tofu.

Also: I don't understand why so many people found Metroid Dread to be so much harder than every other Metroid game. Maybe it's just me, but these other 2D Metroid games have enemy movement patterns that seem impossible to predict and counter. Beating bosses in Dread felt just as straightforward as playing Punch-Out, but Fusion is more like an RPG where taking damage is just part of the battle and you have to grind out enough missiles fast enough. This might not be literally true, with you 1% challenge victors, but I don't understand how anyone can think that any of the bosses in Dread are as hard as the plant boss in this game.

And the SA-X is barely even in it!

Secret_Tunnel said:

Also: I don't understand why so many people found Metroid Dread to be so much harder than every other Metroid game. Maybe it's just me, but these other 2D Metroid games have enemy movement patterns that seem impossible to predict and counter. Beating bosses in Dread felt just as straightforward as playing Punch-Out, but Fusion is more like an RPG where taking damage is just part of the battle and you have to grind out enough missiles fast enough. This might not be literally true, with you 1% challenge victors, but I don't understand how anyone can think that any of the bosses in Dread are as hard as the plant boss in this game.

And the SA-X is barely even in it!

100%! Fusion is a battle of attrition. You WILL get hit. Dread's pattern recognition bosses are so on point. Every death I had in Dread felt completely fair. I got hit because I screwed up, not because the boss spammed me with nigh-on un-dodgeable attacks. Mastering those patterns was incredibly satisfying. Finally defeating Raven Beak with barely a scratch? Amazing.

The only thing I can think of with regards to the complaints is that the margin for error is a lot lower. In Fusion, you WILL get hit, therefore what you get hit by doesn't hurt you as much proportionally as compared to combat in Dread. There, if you get hit by a boss, it WILL hurt. It makes for a very high-risk, dodge-or-die form of combat that I guess some people just don't have the patience for.

I think Dread required a different skillset than Metroid veterans were used to. It's not unlike the change to Breath of the Wild. Zelda fans have grown with a certain style of gameplay, and then all of a sudden, they're cooking food, weapons are breaking, mountain climbing is a thing, and all of a sudden it's like a different style of game.

I think the games before Dread do have another RPG comparison in that they are more passive. Like you said, you WILL get hit. But most of the time you're able to maybe do some exploring to get some more health or missiles. You will get hit. You can make mistakes. Dread is more like an old shooter where you kind of have to be almost perfect, and Metroid was never really about that before. You could be good within the confines of taking hits and reacting to them, but rarely was it ever like...you have to hit a button at JUST the right time in order to do anything against a boss.

@Shadowlink
@PogueSquadron

This is a good point. People who are skilled at pattern recognition reaction bosses will find Dread easier than Fusion, and people who aren't will find Dread harder.

I feel like there has to be some kind of middle ground. I think it would feel something more like Symphony of the Night. Alucard can back dash and whatnot, but the game doesn’t turn into bullet hell all of a sudden.

Maybe a future Metroid game could keep all of Samus’ cool moves, but have:

Less damage
Bigger windows in which to counter
Possibly slower enemies. Some of those guards are just brutal

Secret_Tunnel said:

Also: I don't understand why so many people found Metroid Dread to be so much harder than every other Metroid game. Maybe it's just me, but these other 2D Metroid games have enemy movement patterns that seem impossible to predict and counter. Beating bosses in Dread felt just as straightforward as playing Punch-Out, but Fusion is more like an RPG where taking damage is just part of the battle and you have to grind out enough missiles fast enough. This might not be literally true, with you 1% challenge victors, but I don't understand how anyone can think that any of the bosses in Dread are as hard as the plant boss in this game.

You're relying on missiles too much! In Fusion your charge beam is the best way to defeat bosses, unlike Dread where it's all about missiles and your Charge is pathetic! The plant boss is where it switches up. Just turn back to shoot spores fast, turn and launch 2-3 missiles at the thing, rinse and repeat.

"Fusion is more like an RPG where taking damage is just part of the battle"

This reminds me of how I found a way to beat Serris (the fast fish thing) with 0 effort and no damage taken by crounching on the right spot on the floor.

The last 45 minutes of this game has some fun stuff. But oh man, that final sequence! I have no idea how I ever beat that as a kid with no sacrilegious save states!

My item completion is only at 37%, though. 3 hours, 18 minutes. Maybe I got more energy tanks last time...

@Stan McStanly

Now ya tell me! 😁

@Secret_Tunnel

Haha! Yeah. Ridley especially. Fighting Ridley with missiles takes forever but he dies from like 10 charge beams.

@Stan McStanly

Oh, I pumped him full of about a hundred missiles in a minute! Shortest dumbest boss fight ever!