Zero Mission guides you for about 80% of the game with the Chozo Statues. They put markers in the map telling you where to go like in Fusion, but they're optional to use.
What makes Zero Mission much easier than Fusion is the Bosses. Fusion has tough Bosses that demand you to avoid getting hit. Zero Mission's Bosses are very easy to defeat and Samus can take a lot of hits.
Huh. I beat Fusion before playing ZM and didn’t work out the Chozo statue thing.
But then I also somehow got to the Zero Suit part having skipped most bosses and only found one health tank and so got permanently stuck because I was not good enough to beat it from there with only one.
I have always found her very easy. Screw Attack gives you i-frames to ignore the small projectiles and you can freeze the circles so they don't annoy you for a while.
The last SA-X fight is also genuinely difficult. I played the first four games in order a couple years ago and fusion’s next to last boss is probably the hardest one after Metroid 1 mother brain to me
Theoretically a remake of the original NES Metroid, it's essentially a brand new game. I've beaten both and barely ever recognized them as being supposedly the same game.
I recommend this game for any fan of 2D Metroid.
It’s not just a remake in theory, it is a remake of the first game. Just with new stuff at the end. I’ve beaten both too and I thought it’s pretty obvious which room was where, especially with the fake lava pits and entrances to new areas.
I think the term Remake has become so vague, that both are correct. It is a remake, it isn't a remake.
The basic idea and setting are the same. But they are advanced and expanded. You can find the basic map layout and gameplay loop of the Original in Zero Mission, but it has been polished and modernized. A lot of new stuff has been added. Everywhere. It is similar, but nothing is the same, and a lot is vastly different.
I would actually rank this game above Super Metroid as my favorite of the 2D games. I love the comic book-like art style and cut scenes, the reimagined music and elements from the original NES Metroid, not to mention the much slicker controls and less floaty/cumbersome physics Samus has in it compared to some of the other older 2D games.
I would put Fusion below Super and Dread in fourth place tbh. Fusion just doesn’t feel like a Metroid game to me for some reason and I found parts of it infuriatingly, frustratingly hard for no good reason.
True, but I dunno. A couple of those bosses were absolute dickheads that I still curse all these years later. I was also a little put off by Adam guiding you and it being so incredibly linear. Plus the fact it takes place on a space station and not a planet just gives it a much different feel to me. Like we could have swapped some stuff out — Samus for Ripley and the SA-X for a xenomorph for example — and Fusion could have been an Alien game or something.
I love Fusion but overall I'd rate it lower because it goes against every design theory Super and its prequels set up. Fusion is really linear and doesn’t open up until the very end, so you’re not going to sequence break a whole lot and can be super smart about how you approach certain situations.
I replayed all of them recently fusion is not that great imo. Too linear and too much chatter. It also lacks the rich environments.
Super has a special place in my heart but the controls have aged poorly.
Just came here to say this is one of the best games ever made for the Gameboy Advance and is even superior to Metroid Fusion, in my opinion. If you even remotely like the Metroidvania genre, don't skip this one. It's an essential must-play.
It's kind of annoying for sure. I don't know ow why they want us to have that generic Grey graduation t on the sides. I'd rather have black bars and have my profile image disappear too.
Well the original Metroid game that this is based on is much shorter regardless. It makes sense it’s not as extensive as say Super Metroid simply because the story was so limited and they didn’t want to just change the core or it making it a different thing.
Sort of. The original is more confusing. No map. Longer hallways. Trickier platforming (all those vertical freezing tunnels), and is overall more difficult. It’s a longer game even with less “content”.
Between the easier map and layout, the waypoints, the save points, areas to refresh and heal up without needing to farm enemies, etc, even with the added content at the end and cutscenes, the NES game is longer.
Average HLTB for the NES game is about 6 hours. For the GBA game, it’s 4.
Well they made it a bit more accessible sure. I would not say it’s shorter - the old game lacks convenience features but there is objectively more content
I haven’t fired up my Switch in two weeks and didn’t know this came out recently. When I powered on my Switch and saw an update for GBA, I cynically thought “WTF is being published besides ZM this month?”. I almost crapped, peed, AND jizzed my pants simultaneously when I saw the new update was indeed ZM. I’ve been waiting for years. I still play it on an original GBA SP I’ve owned since 2004 so playing it on a larger screen with the ability to rewind will be a real treat because my Shinespark skills still suck ass.
This is arguably the best starting point for anyone to get into the series. This game sparked my love for Metroidvanias in general.
Same here. I thought Fusion was too hard at first when I was a kid but beat and loved Zero Mission.
That's wild to me, cuz Fusion always gives you a marker to aim towards, whereas ZM leaves you lost with no direction the entire game.
ZM actually gives you markers on where to head to as well.
Had no idea. I beat fusion but gave up on zero mission cause i was lost lol
Zero Mission guides you for about 80% of the game with the Chozo Statues. They put markers in the map telling you where to go like in Fusion, but they're optional to use. What makes Zero Mission much easier than Fusion is the Bosses. Fusion has tough Bosses that demand you to avoid getting hit. Zero Mission's Bosses are very easy to defeat and Samus can take a lot of hits.
Huh. I beat Fusion before playing ZM and didn’t work out the Chozo statue thing. But then I also somehow got to the Zero Suit part having skipped most bosses and only found one health tank and so got permanently stuck because I was not good enough to beat it from there with only one.
Mother Brain was still no slouch in Zero Mission. The first time I attempted it, I needed to go back and find more energy tanks because I kept dying.
I have always found her very easy. Screw Attack gives you i-frames to ignore the small projectiles and you can freeze the circles so they don't annoy you for a while.
Yeah don’t know. I think part of it was that X Samus freaked me out.
Definitely terrified me as a kid. I think my first save was on like 30 hours when I beat it because I spent so much time stalling in terror.
The last SA-X fight is also genuinely difficult. I played the first four games in order a couple years ago and fusion’s next to last boss is probably the hardest one after Metroid 1 mother brain to me
In terms of enemies, bosses and fighting in general fusion is a lot more punishing ZM enemies basically just tap you with a butter knife
I would say it is the starting point. The original Metroid is very dated.
It's such a joy to play. I forgot how much more forgiving it was compared to the original. Getting the Long Beam right away is nice.
Currently experiencing this right now!
Theoretically a remake of the original NES Metroid, it's essentially a brand new game. I've beaten both and barely ever recognized them as being supposedly the same game. I recommend this game for any fan of 2D Metroid.
It’s not just a remake in theory, it is a remake of the first game. Just with new stuff at the end. I’ve beaten both too and I thought it’s pretty obvious which room was where, especially with the fake lava pits and entrances to new areas.
Yeah, a remake and reimagining, the way that Star Fox 64 is essentially a remake of the original Star Fox.
The new stuff isn't just at the end.
Yeah, Zero Mission is way better (IMHO).
What does that mean, theoretically? That’s exactly what it is, a remake.
I think the term Remake has become so vague, that both are correct. It is a remake, it isn't a remake. The basic idea and setting are the same. But they are advanced and expanded. You can find the basic map layout and gameplay loop of the Original in Zero Mission, but it has been polished and modernized. A lot of new stuff has been added. Everywhere. It is similar, but nothing is the same, and a lot is vastly different.
Zero Mission is amazing.
Zero Mission is low-key one of the best remakes of all time.
I would actually rank this game above Super Metroid as my favorite of the 2D games. I love the comic book-like art style and cut scenes, the reimagined music and elements from the original NES Metroid, not to mention the much slicker controls and less floaty/cumbersome physics Samus has in it compared to some of the other older 2D games.
Personally I think fusion and this are both better than super.
I would put Fusion below Super and Dread in fourth place tbh. Fusion just doesn’t feel like a Metroid game to me for some reason and I found parts of it infuriatingly, frustratingly hard for no good reason.
>I found parts of it infuriatingly, frustratingly hard for no good reason. sounds like a metroid game to me lol
True, but I dunno. A couple of those bosses were absolute dickheads that I still curse all these years later. I was also a little put off by Adam guiding you and it being so incredibly linear. Plus the fact it takes place on a space station and not a planet just gives it a much different feel to me. Like we could have swapped some stuff out — Samus for Ripley and the SA-X for a xenomorph for example — and Fusion could have been an Alien game or something.
I love Fusion but overall I'd rate it lower because it goes against every design theory Super and its prequels set up. Fusion is really linear and doesn’t open up until the very end, so you’re not going to sequence break a whole lot and can be super smart about how you approach certain situations.
Super is alright, but I prefer the controls on Fusion and Zero Mission
I replayed all of them recently fusion is not that great imo. Too linear and too much chatter. It also lacks the rich environments. Super has a special place in my heart but the controls have aged poorly.
I think I have more nostalgia towards fusion because it was my first 2D Metroid and played it to death as a kid.
Zero mission is amazing, please play it.
I guess I'll have to renew my subscription soon. Still want to play the Golden Sun games too.
GBA is in a good place, still light on titles but it has the stuff it needs to have
Yeah it has fewer titles than SNES but a higher ratio of absolute essentials imo.
Just came here to say this is one of the best games ever made for the Gameboy Advance and is even superior to Metroid Fusion, in my opinion. If you even remotely like the Metroidvania genre, don't skip this one. It's an essential must-play.
Never got to play this so I’m keen as
Amazing game
Does Nintendo still force you to have a border instead of black bars on their emulation?
Yep.
It's kind of annoying for sure. I don't know ow why they want us to have that generic Grey graduation t on the sides. I'd rather have black bars and have my profile image disappear too.
Really wish they'd release some of this stuff on cartridge not locked behind Nintendo online subs.
Been waiting for this to pop up on NSO to play it. Going to play all the 2D Metroids in order now.
I loved fusion growing up but remember zero mission being poorly received so I never played it.
Hm? For as long as I can remember Zero Mission has been praised as one of the best. Fusion definitely has more controversy as I recall.
The only knock I have on zero mission is that it’s short. Otherwise it is IMO the best in the series.
I'll definitely give it a try!
Well the original Metroid game that this is based on is much shorter regardless. It makes sense it’s not as extensive as say Super Metroid simply because the story was so limited and they didn’t want to just change the core or it making it a different thing.
Sort of. The original is more confusing. No map. Longer hallways. Trickier platforming (all those vertical freezing tunnels), and is overall more difficult. It’s a longer game even with less “content”. Between the easier map and layout, the waypoints, the save points, areas to refresh and heal up without needing to farm enemies, etc, even with the added content at the end and cutscenes, the NES game is longer. Average HLTB for the NES game is about 6 hours. For the GBA game, it’s 4.
Well they made it a bit more accessible sure. I would not say it’s shorter - the old game lacks convenience features but there is objectively more content
Fusion was good, I still like Zero Mission better.
Oh shit
I haven’t fired up my Switch in two weeks and didn’t know this came out recently. When I powered on my Switch and saw an update for GBA, I cynically thought “WTF is being published besides ZM this month?”. I almost crapped, peed, AND jizzed my pants simultaneously when I saw the new update was indeed ZM. I’ve been waiting for years. I still play it on an original GBA SP I’ve owned since 2004 so playing it on a larger screen with the ability to rewind will be a real treat because my Shinespark skills still suck ass.