Samus
has come to tempt me again. Every time I think I've dropped her like a
bad habit, she comes back wearing a sexy new outfit, carrying some new toy, or
whispering sweet nothings in my ear about the latest threat to the galaxy.
And every time she comes back, I welcome her with open arms and a warm heart, no
matter how long she's been gone. What can I say? I'm a sucker girls
that have attitude.
The
original female game heroine is BACK in Metroid Fusion
- and as good as ever. In fact, if you're a 2D fanatic (as I know many of
you are), it could / should be said that Metroid has never looked
this good. Fusion takes the best of Super
Metroid (an absolute classic by anyone's standards), and creates an all new
adventure that is more digestible. You can play Metroid Fusion in small
chunks, as save points are more easily accessible than in other Metroid
variations. I'm sure that this was Nintendo's intention - after all, this
IS a Game Boy game. Fusion is perfect for a road trip (as long as you're
not driving), and could easily become a candidate for Game Boy Advance's Game
of the Year. In fact, I'm just going to make the call now. It's
that easy. As far as I'm concerned, this is the Game Boy Advance's killer
app. If you're a classic gaming freak, you need this game - you'll just
have to give up and buy yourself a Game Boy Advance now. Seriously, it's THAT
good.
But enough about how good the game is. You want some plot, no?
Well, OK then. Metroid Fusion starts out with Samus passing out behind the
wheel of her now-famous spaceship. She becomes infected with X, a
relatively unknown virus that takes over and saps her of most of her
strength. Her whole suit becomes infected as well, and most of it
must be cut off of her (sounds like a GREAT ways to give her a new outfit!).
She wouldn't have made it - but the Metroid hatchling from her previous
adventure saves her once again. Metroids were the Xs' predators way back
in the day, and hence, a little frozen Metroid juice does Samus good. Once
Samus gets better, it's discovered that she has an immunity to X, and hence, can
use them to stay alive throughout her adventure.
Here's the major plot twist - it seems that a piece of the suit and some X
have morphed into an exact replica of Samus. This replica hunts her, it's
got steely pupil-less eyes, and it's one of two major focal points of the
plot. The other major focal point is the new computer-based commanding
officer that Samus has. Samus asks herself if she can trust this new
computerized CO... And her suspicions may be confirmed.
The actual game plays a lot like Metroid and Super Metroid did, but
with one small exception. When you blow up an enemy, you have to hunt
down the little power piece that it gives up. Those power
pieces are now X, they're mobile, and if you DON'T collect the power ups, you'll
likely be faced with a larger, tougher to defeat enemy. They
group together, they swarm, and you've got to get to them before they morph into
something unpleasant. Makes for a nice touch, and keeps you moving
throughout the game.
There
are some other things that either I don't remember from Super Metroid, or that
are just new in this version. Like the special wall climbing
surfaces, and the ability to jump when you're morphed into the power
ball. Is it just me, or are these abilities "new"?
I know that there is one thing at very least that is completely new about
this game. Ownership has it's privileges. Beating Metroid
Prime and plugging this game in means that you get to play Prime in the new
battle suit. And if it's the original Metroid that you crave, beating
Fusion and plugging it into the Game Cube will give you the ability to play the
NES Metroid once again. My free time is DOOMED.
Having the ability to play the classic doesn't mean that you'll use it,
however. You've got plenty of classic action here. Everything from
the Varia suit to the high jump is available in Metroid Fusion, and it all looks
as good or better than it did on the Super Nintendo. Metroid
Fusion's portability means that there is now no reason to stop playing - and I
promise you, you won't.
I give Metroid Fusion a 10/10 (A+) - it's an instant classic that
follows the tried and true formula.
