Metroid Fusion impressions

Though Nintendo is well known for its lighthearted characters like Mario and Donkey Kong, one of its most beloved characters is Samus Aran, a tough power-armor-clad female bounty hunter who's the star of the Metroid series. Soon Samus will be featured in not one but two brand-new Metroid games: Metroid Prime for the GameCube and Metroid Fusion for the Game Boy Advance. We've just gotten our hands on the soon-to-be-released retail version of the GBA game and are here to bring you new media and updated impressions on what's bound to be one of the most wanted GBA games this season.

Metroid Fusion is clearly inspired by the highly acclaimed Super Metroid for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, which was released in 1994. Fusion actually borrows many of the same mechanics and even some of the graphics from that game, and carries over Super Metroid's responsive, memorable gameplay mechanics. As Samus, you'll run, jump, and shoot your way through various atmospheric, enemy-infested environments, gaining new abilities and investigating various disturbances in a futuristic space station.

The game is much more story driven and at first much more linear that Super Metroid. It may surprise long-time Metroid fans to see some fairly long-winded noninteractive cutscenes set the stage for the action that's to follow.

Spoiler warning: Those who wish to let themselves be surprised by the game's shocking introduction should read no further--or you can read on to know what fate befalls Samus at the very beginning of Metroid Fusion.

In the opening cutscene, we learn that Samus, while undergoing a routine mission, was infected by a hitherto-unknown virus, which nearly kills her. She is saved by a serum extracted from a Metroid embryo, but not before the virus--named Parasite X--has fundamentally changed her. Most notably, it has literally fused Samus' armor onto her body.

Samus, restored to health and now immune to Parasite X, is then called upon to investigate disturbances at a large space station that has been stricken by the virus. One effect of the virus is that it can mimic anything it comes into contact with...and so it isn't long before Samus comes face to face with none other than her own sinister alter ego. During the game, Samus can blast enemies and then absorb blobs of Parasite X that are released by the defeated foes, in order to replenish her health.

Samus can still shoot in any direction, and has a number of new standard abilities. She can climb hand over hand, and can grab onto ledges and pull herself up if she falls short in an attempt to jump onto a platform. While holding on, Samus can also plant her feet to triangle jump from off of a wall. She'll gain various new weapons, armor, and special abilities over the course of the game. The control mechanics translate nicely to the GBA--you can use one of the shoulder buttons to toggle between your standard blaster and your missiles, and the other shoulder button allows you to easily shoot diagonally upward towards foes above you.

The game uses extremely smooth animation that's at least as good as in Super Metroid, and many of the same tried-and-true mechanics, as well as a similarly open-ended design. Fans of either the Metroid series or of the GBA Castlevania games (which have similar gameplay) would do well to keep an eye out for Metroid Fusion, which ships on November 18. We'll have a full review before that time, but for now, be sure to take a look at these new screenshots and movies.