Metroid Fusion

[DANGERMAN]

As some of you will know, I've been playing this recently via the Ambassador games on 3DS. I'm really enjoying it with a couple of 'but's that have creeper in. 

 

It's a brilliant game, and for a GBA game generates quite a bit of tension. You're in a space station that's being destroyed around you by your clone, who if you bump in to will fuck you up. It has a sense that something bad could always be on the next screen.

 

It's also striking how close Dread is to this. It sounds stupid, Dread is a sequel of course they're close, but a different studio years later, Mercury Steam did an amazing job capturing the feel of it

 

However, all the problems people have with Dread are in this. There's points where your progress just halts because you need to find the secret destructible block in an unspecified room. This time there's no scan option in the game either, so just waste your ammo and hope for the best.

 

The bosses, initially I quite liked these. Not too challenging, and they seemed to recognise the limitations of the controls. That doesn't last though, eventually the bosses become insanely tough. The spider boss for example, I'm not sure how you beat that without just getting lucky with its grabs. The last boss, or penultimate boss I guess, although as there's no save in between its moot. It's not clear which of your weapons you need to be using to actually cause damage. It's relatively simple when you know but it's another example of time I spent consulting a guide

 

So yeah, the first half is fantastic, a brilliant game, the 2nd half loses a lot of that and becomes more frustrating, and makes you glad you live in the age of YouTube

 

[HandsomeDead]

I'd like to play this again but they haven't put it out on anything since that ambassador program which I wasn't part of.  I'm sure I still have the GBA cart somewhere (had a quick look but only found Zero Mission and Other M (didn't realise I still had that)) but I couldn't see it, and I only have a GBA micro to play it on anyway.  They put Super Metroid out all the time but this gets left out.  Surely with Dread doing so well some kind new release is a good idea.

 

I only touched Super Metroid a little at this time so Fusion was my first Metroid game of my own that I could properly get into.  I've got lots of fondness towards it because of that.

[Maf]

I’ve played Fusion twice over the years and can’t really remember it at all. I know I liked it but I couldn’t tell you anything about the game. When Fusion came up again because of Dread I looked up screenshots and watched a tiny bit of an LP but nada. It would be nice if they got that GBC/GBA shit for the Nintendo Online service and put this up there to play again.

[Maryokutai]

I don't remember the game having any roadblocks. Matter of fact it was the first Metroid game I played properly and got through it just fine, but some bosses were pretty hard, particularly Nightmare and the very last one. I distinctly remember those taking me a couple of tries and it's probably the reason I found Dread not as difficult as some people said because in my memory at least, Fusion is a lot harder – could just be the memory though, it's been a while since I played it. Don't get me wrong, neither is a walk in the park but I think the more limited movement options in fusion also add to the challenge. Which I also feel might be problematic when going back to these older 2D Metroid games after playing Dread, which just feels so good to control.

 

1 hour ago, HandsomeDead said:

I'd like to play this again but they haven't put it out on anything since that ambassador program which I wasn't part of.

 

It's on the WiiU, I think Zero Mission as well.

[HandsomeDead]

Huh, I must have missed that

[spatular]

I enjoyed dread so was looking at older metroid games to try, i thought i might have the cart for one of the gba games (which are worth loads now) but no turns out i do have the original metroid 2 though. Chose samus returns in the end, but do fancy trying this or maybe zero mission or super too. Edit - ive got the ambassador one but think playing with a normal controller would be easier so id probably get it on wii u to play, think they're about £6 each, not too bad.

[Maf]

I randomly fired this up last night on Switch and got hooked immediately. 
 

I’ve completed it twice before, but really don’t remember too much about it. Sometimes Metroidvanias, even if I enjoy them, become really forgettable. Like, ever play a Meteoidvania and try to recall the room you were just in? It’s hard for some reason. 
 

So these games blend together sometimes and I only remember the experience overall and not the game specifics 

 

All that to say it was like going in fresh again. I forgot how much talking there was, I forgot how in depth the story goes lol. Strong story has never been something I’ve associated with the Metroid series but after Dread and now this, these 2D ones go hard in this shit. Which is funny.

 

I think this game looks super good as well. It’s a really good use of colour and is very striking. Even though Dread looks better technically. Maybe this game has better art. Not sure. Maybe recency bias or something. But it looks awesome. 

 

The only thing I really recall from the game is Samus’s new suit and the X Samus (not sure what the real name is) and - it’s not actually creepy - but relative to the fact it’s a GBA game they do a good job of capturing that atmosphere to an extent.
 

The game plays really well, too. Obviously that’s an area where Dread beats it hands down, but this game is easy to start and play without having to think about it or readjust to a 20 year old game.
 

I just got past the bit where I blow up the fans in area 1. I want to play more of I get time because the game is very good. 
 

I only put it on randomly and then played it for an hour and got totally absorbed by it 

[Maf]

I played this for a couple of hours yesterday and this game is excellent. I think between now and last time I played it I've gotten a bit better at these types of games and being able to apply that knowledge has actually helped me find secrets and stuff like that, which is always the most rewarding parts of these games. 

 

I do find myself being stretched a little bit with the shinespark stuff. It's kinda hard. And there were a few secrets that look like to me if I fail the shinespark attempt then I have to go right around the map again to give it another go. Not a fan of that.

 

But the bosses are great, the map is great, the game looks extraordinary. I'm actually really impressed with it considering it's a GBA game. 

 

Plus the other day when I said it doesn't do creepy very well. Actually, playing it on monitor with speakers to enhance the sound and running into the SA-X. It's way more effective than I gave it credit for. 

 

Extremely impressed with the game so far. This is kinda brilliant