Metroid Fusion

Gameplay

Metroid Fusion is an action-adventure platform shooter in which the player controls Samus Aran. Like previous games in the series, Metroid Fusion is set in a large open-ended world with elevators that connect regions, which each in turn contains rooms separated by doors. Samus opens most doors by shooting at them, while some only open after she reaches a certain point. Metroid Fusion unfolds in a more linear manner than previous Metroid games due to its focus on storyline; for example, Navigation Rooms are introduced in Metroid Fusion, which tell the player where to go. The gameplay revolves around solving puzzles to uncover secrets, platform jumping, and shooting enemies while searching for power-ups that allow Samus to reach new areas. Injected with a Metroid vaccine in Metroid Fusion, Samus can absorb X Parasites that restore health, missiles, and bombs. Power-ups can be obtained either by downloading them in Data Rooms, or absorbing a Core-X, which appears after defeating each boss. Metroid Fusion includes gameplay mechanics new to the series such as the ability to grab ledges and climb ladders.

Owners of both Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion can unlock new features in Metroid Prime using the Nintendo GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable. After completing Metroid Prime, the player can unlock Samus's Fusion Suit for use in Metroid Prime, and if they complete Metroid Fusion, they can unlock an emulated version of the first Metroid game. Players can also link Metroid: Zero Mission with Metroid Fusion to unlock a Fusion picture gallery, which includes its ending images.

Plot

Bounty hunter Samus Aran, the protagonist, explores the surface of the planet SR388 with a survey crew from Biologic Space Laboratories (BSL). She encounters the X Parasites, virions that can replicate their hosts' physical appearances and memories, killing them afterward. Samus is unknowingly infected by the virus, and proceeds to return to the BSL station, when she suddenly loses consciousness and is ejected from her ship before it crashes into a nearby asteroid belt. The Galactic Federation recovers her body and discovers that the X Parasite infected Samus's central nervous system. They counteract the parasite's damage by creating a vaccine made from a remaining cell culture of the infant Metroid that Samus had previously contacted, as the Metroids were the X's main predators on SR388. The vaccine cures Samus and not only gives her the ability to absorb and use the nuclei of X Parasites for nourishment, but also burdens her with the Metroids' vulnerability to cold. Her infected Power Suit is sent to the BSL station for examination, although parts of the suit were too integrated with her body to safely remove during surgery, forming a partially armored suit called the Fusion Suit.

When Samus recovers consciousness, she discovers that an explosion has occurred on board the BSL station. She is sent to investigate. The mission is overseen by her new gunship's computer whom Samus nicknames "Adam", after her former commanding officer, Adam Malkovich. Soon after her arrival, Samus discovers that the X have infected the station with the help of the "SA-X," an X parasite mimicking Samus at full power. Samus narrowly avoids the SA-X on several occasions as she continues to explore the space station, completing various objectives such as saving the sentient Etecoons and Dachoras still on board the ship. By using Data Rooms and defeating larger creatures infected by the X, Samus begins to recover her various abilities. She later discovers a restricted lab containing Metroids. Suddenly, the SA-X appears, and in an attempt to destroy the Metroids sets off the restricted labs' auto-destruct sequence. Samus escapes but the lab is destroyed. Discovering this, the computer chastises Samus for ignoring her orders, and admits that the Federation was secretly using the lab to breed Metroids. It also reveals that the SA-X managed to asexually reproduce before perishing, subsequently cloning itself; in light of this, the computer advises Samus to leave the station.

On her way to her ship, the computer orders Samus to leave the rest of the investigation to the Federation, which plans to capture SA-X for military purposes. Knowing that the X would only infect the arriving Federation troops and absorb their spacefaring knowledge to conquer the universe, Samus argues that the Federation is blind to the great danger the X pose and announces her intention to destroy the station. Although the computer initially intends to stop Samus, after Samus calls it "Adam," the computer suggests that she alter the station's propulsion to intercept with SR388 and destroy the planet to destroy all X populations. En route to initiate the propulsion sequence, Samus confronts an SA-X, defeats it, and sets the BSL station on a collision course with SR388. As she prepares to exit the station, she is stopped by an Omega Metroid which injures Samus towards an inch of her life. She is only saved by the recently defeated SA-X. Samus absorbs the nucleus of this SA-X and uses her newly restored Ice Beam to destroy the Omega Metroid. Her ship arrives, piloted by the Etecoons and Dachoras, and they escape before the station impacts the planet. The computerized CO reveals that it is the consciousness of Adam Malkovich, uploaded after death.

Development

Metroid Fusion was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1 (R&D1), the same development team that created the 1994 video game Super Metroid for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, which visually bears a resemblance to Metroid Fusion. Its gameplay, screen layout, and controls mimic those of Super Metroid, with minor enhancements. Metroid Fusion is the first 2D Metroid game with animated cut scenes; the game's story is revealed through text and visual close-ups. Metroid Fusion was written and directed by series co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto, and produced by Takehiro Izushi. While brainstorming for ideas to the game's plot, Sakamoto decided to create an original story instead of remaking a Metroid game because he "always [tries] to do something really unprecedented, something people have never played before". He continued, saying, "Many of our designers and creators want to challenge something new rather than simply porting over an old title. That's something I hope we'll always do. If you can challenge something new, you can look forward to the public response, be it good or bad." The game introduces gameplay mechanics that are new to the Metroid series. Metroid Fusion offers a more direct, almost mission-based structure that supports the player to explore areas. Objectives are also flexible in how they can be completed, acting "more as a guide for what the player should do instead of giving a completely blank map and saying 'Here you go, figure out what to do and how to do it'".

According to the lead programmer Katsuya Yamano, Nintendo R&D1 did not consult previous Metroid games for programming techniques, and instead used their previous game Wario Land 4 as a reference. The system director, Takehiko Hosokawa, states that while parts of old Metroid gameplay remain in Fusion, the Developer(s) decided to introduce new elements to the game. Samus's suit design revamped for Fusion; the canonical explanation is that this was because an X Parasite had attacked Samus and made her lose all her abilities. Missiles were further expanded with two "upgrades", much like the various beam upgrades: the Ice Missile which has a similar effect to the Ice Beam, and the Diffusion Missile which greatly increases the blast radius. Other minor abilities were added to Fusion, such as climbing walls and ceilings. The health and missile drops are replaced by X Parasites that are similarly released after defeating enemies.

Nintendo first confirmed an unnamed Metroid title would be released for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console on March 23, 2001. Despite speculation that the game would be based on Super Metroid, Ken Lobb, Nintendo of America's Director of Game Development, quelled rumors by stating, "One of the things I wanted to get across in today's meeting is that Metroid is not Super Metroid. It's something new. [...] And that's something that will hopefully be seen at E3 for our sweet little Game Boy Advance." The first video footage from the game, a 10-second clip, was shown to the public on May 18, 2001, at the 2001 Electronic Entertainment Expo; by then, the game was titled Metroid IV. At the E3 convention the following year, IGN awarded the game, titled Metroid Fusion, their Best of Show and Best Action Game awards. The game was scheduled for a release date of November 18, 2002. On August 22, 2002, Nintendo announced that the game can connect to Metroid Prime for the GameCube, a Metroid game that was released on the same day as Fusion.

Audio

The music for Metroid Fusion was composed by Minako Hamano and Akira Fujiwara. According to Hamano, Sakamoto wanted her to create music in accordance with Adam's dialogue. Hamano aimed for "serious, ambient music rather than melody" because she did not want the exploration themes to be "annoying". She also borrowed jingles that were previously used in Super Metroid, and arranged them for Fusion. As Nintendo of America wanted the developers to look for "Hollywood-like" voice actors, Hamano added a voice of an announcer. The developers were planning on featuring voice acting into the game, but the voices were only used for warning announcements due to ROM cartridge limitations.

A two-disc album, Metroid Prime & Fusion Original Soundtracks, was published by Scitron on June 18, 2003, with the catalog number SCDC-00276/7. The second disc contain musical tracks from Fusion, along with an additional track arranged by Shinji Hosoe.

Release

Metroid Fusion was released by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in North America on November 17, 2002, in Europe on November 22, 2002, in Australia on November 29, 2002, in Japan on February 14, 2003, and in China on March 2, 2006. Metroid Fusion was released worldwide for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on December 16, 2011, as part of the "3DS Ambassadors" program, which was announced by Nintendo on July 28, 2011. The game was one of ten Game Boy Advance games that can only be downloaded with 3DSs bought before a price-cut on August 11, 2011. During the Nintendo Direct on February 13, 2014, Nintendo announced Metroid Fusion would be among the first three Game Boy Advance games to be released on the Wii U's Virtual Console; the game was released for the service on April 3, 2014.

In its debut month of November 2002 in the United States, 199,723 copies of Metroid Fusion were sold, with total revenues of $5,590,768, making it the third bestselling Game Boy Advance game in that month, and the tenth bestselling game across all Platform(s). The game went on to sell over 1.08 million copies in North America by August 2006, with revenues more than $27 million. As of November 2004, the game has sold 180,000 units in Japan.

Reception

Metroid Fusion was met with critical acclaim, according to Metacritic. The game was considered fun and satisfying by several reviewers. X-Play claimed that it was a "pleasure to Play", and praised its "beautiful" graphics and audio. The game satisfied IGN, which appreciated the lengthy minimum of 10 to 12 hours of playtime required to complete the game, further hailing it as an "outstanding achievement on the Game Boy Advance". GamesRadar and GamePro, however, felt that the game was "a little short", but still "love[d] every minute of it", finding the hidden secrets and new power-ups "sublimely ingenious". The sentiment was shared with GameSpot, which was disappointed that the game ended so soon, but still stated, "Metroid fans should absolutely get it, as should anyone willing to trade off some quantity for some serious quality in their gaming time." Metroid Fusion received several accolades. It was named Handheld Game of the Year at the 2002 Interactive Achievement Awards. The game was also chosen as Best Game Boy Advance Adventure Game by IGN and Best Action Game on Game Boy Advance by GameSpot.

Nintendo World Report and Eurogamer were excited about the game, both calling it the best 2D Metroid game and the best Game Boy Advance game so far. Video game magazine Game Informer agreed, describing the game as "everything you could want from a Game Boy Advance game" from beginning to end, giving it a perfect review score. Play also enjoyed the game, describing it as a "magnified, modified, and improved" version of everything great from Metroid and Super Metroid.

Comparing the game to Super Metroid, GameSpot thought that Metroid Fusion offered that game's best qualities packaged in a new adventure. Nintendo Power heralded it as a return to the classic Metroid action gameplay style. The "perfect" controls were praised by Electronic Gaming Monthly, concluding its review by claiming "all games should feel this good." The game did not feel new to GameSpy, which complained that even the final enemy encounter draws heavy inspiration from Super Metroid. GameZone found that the small screen was a poor environment in which to play Metroid Fusion, but they ultimately still found it an exciting game.