This was another game I decided to revisit due to not having played it in so long while also being in a very Metroid mood lately. Having gone through the NES version recently, I can see where some of the old criticism comes from in regard to losing the atmosphere and exploration of the original game as you're often simply told where to go. The very existence of the map undermines the original's labyrinthine feel but I'm not so sure it's a net negative as it effectively futureproofed itself. It's a testament to Super Metroid's formula that so many games after still adhere to that sort of structure but with their own flavor. Zero Mission is no exception and feels quite modern all told. The additional cutscenes and story elements serve this as well. I think it might lean just a bit too hard into that stuff (and to be honest there's not much there really) but there's some satisfactory payoff to it all and leaves the game much closer to what Metroid has ultimately become versus what it once was.

I'd played this some back in the day but had never finished it as I'd inexplicably found myself stuck and/or lost in a fairly linear game (something a quick glance at the instruction manual would have clarified had I had one in my possession.) Coming back to it now was fairly eye-opening after long since been Metroidvania pilled to an extreme. I'd really expected this to play closer to NES Metroid instead of being the prototype of so much to come. The game itself is extremely straightforward but that's befitting of something on a battery powered portable system. The emphasis on the hunt in lieu of exploration was certainly something I'd forgotten about as well. Given the short length of the game even by series' standards, I can see myself coming back to this now and then. If there's any criticism to be offered, it's probably centered around the metroid evolutions acting as mini-bosses throughout. While typically not a challenge, I was jump scared twice by them in general play and quite anxious against an Alpha that I finished with my last missile so perhaps they're fine as is. I'm looking forward to the opportunities opened up to me after having completed this as AM2R and Samus Returns both await.

An old favorite I was simultaneously eager and tentative to revisit, I was surprised how well it holds up. At its core, it's just a little action game with short stages and a ton of bosses but the game really shines in the rebirth mode where replaying the game and exploring stages is tied directly to the narrative in a way rarely seen and that was never fully perfected until Hades came out. Beyond that, still a blast to play, especially since it lends itself to small play sessions as befitting of a portable game. All the Tezuka stuff is just icing.

(NSO Version)

Decided to give this a whirl after Fusion and was pleasantly surprised. I'd bounced off of it for years but something finally clicked where I'd realized I'd seen Metroidvania maps time and time again such that I didn't need one to navigate once I got going in this. I consulted a couple things online to figure out where the ice beam and varia suit was but the game was immensely satisfying after I finally reached Tourian. Zero Mission remains a much more accessible version of Samus' first outing but it was really neat to explore how much influence the progenitor exerts to this very day.

I randomly bought this on release and finished it then (albeit one of the bad endings) but put it on the backburner to see how the game would mature with future patches. I was pleasantly surprised to see it had quite a bit in the ensuing three months or so. At launch, it had some questionable design decisions that were at odds with what one would expect from a metroidvania such as pitfalls that resulted in game over, attacks that overcommitted as you couldn't cancel the animation, and a bizarre decision to force backtracking in the endgame while permanently blocking certain routes. Thankfully, much of this has been addressed and the game feels quite at home in the genre now. There are still minor quibbles with character balancing, boss balancing, and so on but the devs seem committed enough that I'm certain the end product will be something they can be proud of and something that'll be quite fun for anyone picking this up. I figure I'll be back for more in the future between wrapping up achievements or simply finishing the game with the other two characters I hadn't used yet.

Great little game that I remember more fondly than I actually found it to be but not by much. The small chunks of gameplay seem to work well as a design decision for a portable console like the GBA but ventures into the realm of handholding outside of it. I'm certain I heard complaints of such back when it was new but this seemed like a necessary evil. That said, I did put the game down for a month or two and picked right back up where I left off thanks to this so perhaps that's utility in that aspect yet.

Fun little game that should grow into something great as both official support and the PC mod scene matures. It's definitely something I'll leave installed to fire up and play a match or two at times. I also had some fun with Road to Elite and would like to see this expanded upon with maybe a year 2 or year 3 of AEW to run through instead of just year 1. Of course, some sort of long term universe mode would be great too. A general booker mode would be nice too and I wouldn't be surprised we see something like this down the line despite this skewing more arcade than sim. I suppose the greatest praise I can offer is I bought the Elite Edition and didn't feel like I wasted my money. Looking forward to Stadium Stampede and beyond.