Metroid Fusion

is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in 2002. It was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, which had developed the previous game in the series, ''Super Metroid'' (1994). Players control the bounty hunter Samus Aran, who investigates a space station infected with shapeshifting parasites known as X.

Like previous ''Metroid'' games, ''Fusion'' is a side-scrolling game with platform jumping, shooting, and puzzle elements, but introduces mission-based progression that guides the player through certain areas. It was released the day before the GameCube game ''Metroid Prime'' in North America; both games can be linked using the GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable to unlock additional content for ''Prime''.

''Fusion'' was acclaimed for its gameplay, controls, graphics and music, though its shorter length and greater linearity received some criticism. It received several awards, including Handheld Game of the Year at the 2002 Interactive Achievement Awards, Best Game Boy Advance Adventure Game from '' IGN'', and Best Action Game on Game Boy Advance from ''GameSpot''. It was rereleased on the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in 2011 as part of the 3DS Ambassador Program, and the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2014. A sequel, ''Metroid Dread'', was released 19 years later in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch.

Gameplay

''Metroid Fusion'' is an action-adventure game in which the player controls Samus Aran. Like previous games in the series, ''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. ''Fusion'' is more linear than other ''Metroid'' games due to its focus on storyline; for example, ''Fusion'' introduces Navigation Rooms, which tell the player where to go.

The gameplay involves solving puzzles to uncover secrets, platform jumping, shooting enemies, and searching for power-ups that allow Samus to reach new areas. Samus can absorb X Parasites, which restore health, missiles, and bombs. Power-ups are obtained by downloading them in Data Rooms or absorbing a Core-X, which appears after defeating a boss. New features include the ability to grab ledges and climb ladders.

The player can use the GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable to connect to ''Fusion'' and unlock features in ''Prime'': after completing ''Prime'', they can unlock Samus's Fusion Suit, and after completing ''Fusion'', they can unlock an emulated version of the first ''Metroid'' game. In '' Metroid: Zero Mission'' (2004), players can connect to ''Fusion'' using the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable to unlock a ''Fusion'' picture gallery, which includes its ending images.

Plot

Bounty hunter Samus Aran explores the surface of the planet SR388 with a survey crew from Biologic Space Laboratories (BSL). She is attacked by parasitic organisms known as X. On the way back to the BSL station, Samus loses consciousness and her ship crashes. The BSL ship she was escorting recovers her body and transfers it to the Galactic Federation for medical treatment, who discover that the X has infected Samus' central nervous system. They cure her with a vaccine made from cells taken from the infant Metroid that Samus adopted on SR388. The vaccine gives her the ability to absorb the X nuclei for nourishment, but burdens her with the Metroids' vulnerability to cold. Samus's infected Power Suit is sent to the BSL station for examination, although parts of the suit were too integrated with her body to remove during surgery.

When Samus recovers consciousness, she discovers that an explosion has occurred on 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. Samus learns that the X parasites can replicate their hosts' physical appearances, and that the X have infected the station with the help of the "SA-X", an X parasite mimicking Samus at full power.

Samus avoids the SA-X and explores the space station, defeating larger creatures infected by the X to recover her abilities. She discovers a restricted lab containing Metroids, and the SA-X sets off the labs' auto-destruct sequence while also attacking the released Metroids, who also devour the SA-X. Samus escapes but the lab is destroyed. The computer berates Samus for ignoring orders, and admits that the Federation was secretly using the lab to breed Metroids. It also reveals that the SA-X has asexually reproduced, subsequently cloning itself. 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 states her intention to destroy the station. Although the computer initially intends to stop Samus, she calls it "Adam", and reveals that Adam died saving her life. The computer suggests that she should alter the station's propulsion to intercept with SR388 and destroy the planet along with all X populations. Samus realizes that the computer is the consciousness of Adam, uploaded after death. 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 Samus prepares to leave, she is attacked by an Omega Metroid. The SA-X appears and attacks it, but is destroyed; Samus absorbs its nucleus and uses her newly restored Ice Beam to destroy the Omega Metroid. Her ship arrives, piloted by creatures Samus rescued from the station's Habitation Deck, and they escape before the station crashes into the planet, destroying it.

Development

Nintendo confirmed a ''Metroid'' game for the Game Boy Advance on March 23, 2001. Ken Lobb, Nintendo of America's director of game development, confirmed that it would be a new game and not a port of the 1994 Super NES game ''Super Metroid''. Early footage was shown at the 2001 E3 convention under the name ''Metroid IV''. The footage showed Samus in a dark suit, running on walls and ceilings, with simpler, more "Game Boy Color-like" graphics. At E3 2002, Nintendo demonstrated the game again, now under the title ''Metroid Fusion'', with updated graphics. '' IGN'' awarded ''Metroid Fusion'' Best of Show and Best Action Game.

''Metroid Fusion'' was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1 (R&D1), the same team that created ''Super Metroid''. ''Fusion'''s gameplay, screen layout, and controls mimic those of ''Super Metroid'', with enhancements. ''Metroid Fusion'' is the first 2D ''Metroid'' game with animated cutscenes; the story is revealed through text and close-ups. It was written and directed by series designer Yoshio Sakamoto, and produced by Takehiro Izushi.

Sakamoto decided to create an original story instead of remaking a ''Metroid'' game because he wanted to do "something really unprecedented", and looked forward to the response. ''Fusion'' 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 developers introduced new elements. Samus's suit design was revamped; the canonical explanation is that this was because an X Parasite had attacked Samus and made her lose all her abilities. Missiles were 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.

The music 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 rearranged jingles from ''Super Metroid'' 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 planned to feature voice acting, but the voices were only used for warning announcements due to ROM cartridge limitations.

Release

''Metroid Fusion'' was released in North America on November 17, 2002. ''Fusion'' can be connected to ''Metroid Prime'' for the GameCube, a ''Metroid'' game that was released on the same day as ''Fusion''. In Europe, ''Fusion'' was released on November 22, followed by the Australian release on November 29. It was released in Japan on February 14, 2003, and in China on March 2, 2006.

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

''Metroid Fusion'' was released worldwide on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in December 2011 as part of the "3DS Ambassadors" program, one of ten Game Boy Advance games for those who purchased their 3DS consoles before a price drop. ''Metroid Fusion'' was among the first three Game Boy Advance games to be released on the Wii U Virtual Console in April 2014.

Reception

''Metroid Fusion'' received "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator Metacritic. The Japanese magazine ''Famitsu'' gave it 34 out of 40. ''X-Play'' said it was a "pleasure to play", and praised its "beautiful" graphics and audio. ''IGN'' praised it as an "outstanding achievement on the Game Boy Advance". ''GamesRadar'' and ''GamePro'' felt that ''Fusion'' was too short, but "love every minute of it", finding the hidden secrets and new power-ups "sublimely ingenious". ''GameSpot'' was disappointed that the game ended so soon, but said that ''Metroid'' fans would enjoy it. ''Nintendo World Report'' and ''Eurogamer'' called it the best 2D ''Metroid'' game and the best Game Boy Advance game so far. ''Game Informer'' agreed, describing it as "everything you could want from a Game Boy Advance game" from beginning to end, giving it a perfect review score. ''Play'' described it as a "magnified, modified, and improved" version of everything great from ''Metroid'' and ''Super Metroid''.

''GameSpot'' thought that ''Metroid Fusion'' offered ''Super Metroid'''s best qualities packaged in a new adventure. ''Nintendo Power'' heralded it as a return to the classic ''Metroid'' action gameplay. The "perfect" controls were praised by ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''. ''Fusion'' 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 of the Game Boy Advance was a poor environment in which to play ''Metroid Fusion'', but they found it an exciting game.

''Metroid Fusion'' received several accolades. It was named Handheld Game of the Year at the 2002 Interactive Achievement Awards. It was also chosen as Best Game Boy Advance Adventure Game by '' IGN'' and Best Action Game on Game Boy Advance by ''GameSpot'', which had named it the handheld's best game of November 2002 earlier in the year. It was a runner-up for ''GameSpot''s annual "Best Sound", "Best Graphics", "Best Story" and overall "Game of the Year" awards among Game Boy Advance games. In 2009, ''Official Nintendo Magazine'' called ''Fusion'' "sleek, slick and perfectly formed", ranking it the 62nd-best Nintendo game.

Sales

''Metroid Fusion'' has sold over 1.6 million units worldwide. In its debut week, ''Fusion'' sold more than 100,000 units in North America. It finished the month of November 2002 with 199,723 copies sold in the United States alone, for total revenues of 5,590,768, making it the third best-selling Game Boy Advance game that month, and the tenth best-selling game across all platforms. It sold 940,000 copies by August 2006, with revenues of 27 million. During the period between January 2000 and August 2006, in the United States it was the twenty-first highest-selling game for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS or PlayStation Portable. As of November 2004, ''Fusion'' had sold 180,000 units in Japan.

Sequel

A sequel, ''Metroid Dread'', was released in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch, developed by Nintendo and MercurySteam.

References

Notes

Citations

External links

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2002 video games
Experimental medical treatments in fiction
Extinction in fiction
Game Boy Advance games
Games with GameCube-GBA connectivity
Video games about impact events
Interactive Achievement Award winners
Fusion
Metroidvania games
Nintendo Research & Development 1 games
Single-player video games
Video games about shapeshifting
Video games developed in Japan
Video games featuring female protagonists
Video games set in outer space
Video games set on fictional planets
Virtual Console games
Virtual Console games for Wii U
Virtual Console games for Nintendo 3DS