Metroid Fusion isn't dethroning Metroid Dread any time soon as my favorite 2D Metroid title, but it's a damn good contender for second place.
Metroid Fusion is a game that I first tried many years ago, but never quite got around to finishing, despite its short length. While on a trip with a friend for New Years, I decided on a whim to start Metroid Fusion through the NSO GBA app, and ended up pretty glad that I did.
Metroid Fusion is one of the best 2D Metroid titles in terms of control and game feel. Samus feels great to move around as, and the Power Grip (and Samus' ability to pull herself up into tight corridors and instantly transition into Morph Ball mode) is a great addition to the series' gameplay. Visually, the game looks fantastic for a GBA title, and while the arrangements of the OST are held back by the GBA sound chip, the game's compositions are great-sounding too.
I feel that this game struck a great balance of linear story-based set-pieces and the open-ended explorative gameplay you'd expect from Metroid. While I wouldn't consider it to be the ideal standard for Metroid's lore/gameplay balance, it succeeds in its goal of a more story-driven Metroid very well.
I will note, however, that I wasn't a big fan of the majority of the game's bosses, most of which have extremely awkward weak points or are difficult to maneuver around. In addition, I felt that the game's hidden upgrades (and even some mandatory progression points) had a few too many hidden pathways or secret areas that didn't do a great job of signposting their existence to the player, like fake walls covering morph ball tunnels, or bombable ground to raise platforms being indistinguishable from the rest of the floor,
Overall, though, I felt that Metroid Fusion was a really strong Metroidvania experience, and while I wouldn't recommend it as an entry point, it's an easy recommendation to anyone who's played and enjoyed a 2D Metroid title before.
Metroid Fusion is a game that I first tried many years ago, but never quite got around to finishing, despite its short length. While on a trip with a friend for New Years, I decided on a whim to start Metroid Fusion through the NSO GBA app, and ended up pretty glad that I did.
Metroid Fusion is one of the best 2D Metroid titles in terms of control and game feel. Samus feels great to move around as, and the Power Grip (and Samus' ability to pull herself up into tight corridors and instantly transition into Morph Ball mode) is a great addition to the series' gameplay. Visually, the game looks fantastic for a GBA title, and while the arrangements of the OST are held back by the GBA sound chip, the game's compositions are great-sounding too.
I feel that this game struck a great balance of linear story-based set-pieces and the open-ended explorative gameplay you'd expect from Metroid. While I wouldn't consider it to be the ideal standard for Metroid's lore/gameplay balance, it succeeds in its goal of a more story-driven Metroid very well.
I will note, however, that I wasn't a big fan of the majority of the game's bosses, most of which have extremely awkward weak points or are difficult to maneuver around. In addition, I felt that the game's hidden upgrades (and even some mandatory progression points) had a few too many hidden pathways or secret areas that didn't do a great job of signposting their existence to the player, like fake walls covering morph ball tunnels, or bombable ground to raise platforms being indistinguishable from the rest of the floor,
Overall, though, I felt that Metroid Fusion was a really strong Metroidvania experience, and while I wouldn't recommend it as an entry point, it's an easy recommendation to anyone who's played and enjoyed a 2D Metroid title before.