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GBA | Action | Metroid: Zero Mission

Boxart for Metroid: Zero Mission
Metroid: Zero Mission 39 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 5.0
  • SOUND: 4.5
  • CONTROL: 4.5
  • FUN FACTOR 5.0
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.3
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.5
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Review: Metroid: Zero Mission

Review by STARDINGO | 02/06/2004 | 16:45:42 PM PST

Nintendo spins Samus?s first story in a whole new light.

Calling Metroid: Zero Mission a ?remake? of the original NES Metroid would be technically accurate, but you?d be missing the point. It?s a total upheaval: a surprising modern reinvention based on old 8-bit blueprints and what Retro Studios did with the Metroid saga on the GameCube. It?s awesome, even if you?re not old enough to know what an 8-bit system is.

Metroid Reloaded
Metroid: Zero Mission retells the story of Samus Aran?s first visit to the planet Zebes as well as her first encounter with the life-sucking Jell-O molds called Metroids and the jarred evil known as Mother Brain. If you?ve played the original game, you?ll recognize areas, tile sets, names of bosses, and secrets in ceilings, but Nintendo has gone back and seamlessly inserted entire sequences and areas based on the Chozo lore and Space Pirate story arc from Metroid Prime on the GameCube, adding depth and substance to the adventure, and making connections where none really were before?sort of a Star Wars Special Edition?ing of the series but done right. Stick around after the old ?escape from Tourian? climax for a huge surprise?you won?t be disappointed.

All of the usual classic Metroid gameplay is here: lots of secret areas to find (and lots of backtracking) with a control scheme and feel that still have yet to be accurately cloned. Some tweaks have been made, all to a greater effect: weapons, functions, and abilities from Super Metroid (Samus?s dash move, auto-map, and power bombs) and Metroid Fusion (the ability to grab onto ledges) have been grafted into the gameplay. Plus, techniques like ?bombing yourself up? to get over walls seems a lot easier to do rather than being a difficult-to-exploit side effect. Some moves are inevitably awkward?angling your shots while equipping your missiles (holding both shoulder buttons while pushing Down and pressing the B button) nearly requires a contortionist?but the designers have otherwise made fine use of the GBA?s layout.

Metroid Revolutions
The presentation is A-list. The graphics are virtually identical to those in the already-excellent Metroid Fusion, capturing the weird, creepy feel of an utterly alien world without compromising color. The sound is classic, too, and Metroid?s unforgettable tunes play far more frequently than in Metroid Fusion.

But most importantly, it?s compelling and fun?a carefully crafted example of what cleverly placed enemies, intelligently placed floating blocks, and a whole mess of secrets can get you. The only real downside is that, despite its size, the game can be blown through pretty quickly. All the new moves and equipment (not to mention a generous helping of save points) make the game feel less challenging than its more open-ended, unforgiving ancestor.

The Ballad of Samus Aran
Metroid is a classic, but nostalgia doesn?t make great games?knowing what to do with it does. Rarely does a game (much less a GBA one) keep the player so constantly surprised. Bring on more, more, more.


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