Metroid Fusion

 Game Boy Advance
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 441 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 392 out of 441
  2. Mixed: 40 out of 441
  3. Negative: 9 out of 441
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  1. JustinForgueims
    Jul 3, 2023
    7
    Good aesthetics, story and sound.
    Plenty of gadgets as usual in the franchise but without any innovation.

    The game is quite well balanced. Good difficulty curve with several hard but not frustrating fights.

    As any game of this franchise after a while it fells too much on a "find the hidden block" feature that I personally don't like a lot.
  2. Yojimbo2015
    Jul 3, 2023
    10
    Follow up to the best 16 bit console game of all time, Metroid finds its true home on the GBA. A perfect blend of shooting, platforming and adventure that the overly convoluted 3D reinventions never quite recaptured.
  3. JCXdsonic
    May 9, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Muy buen juego e historia. Es muy entretenido de jugar, los enemigos suelen ser variados y lo único que le falta son apariciones aleatorias del SA-X que lo haría más aterrador y entretenido.
    Juegazo de GBA     … Expand
  4. TheLinkgirl
    May 8, 2023
    8
    Horror is still used in Metroidvanias to great effect, but I think many games in the genre reduce their horror to specific areas: Hollow Knight, Ori WotW and even Metroid Dread do this. However, I think that Metroid Fusion is a bit of an exception, managing to make it feel like a threat could strike at any moment. The terrors that lay in wait within the game's main setting, the BSL, areHorror is still used in Metroidvanias to great effect, but I think many games in the genre reduce their horror to specific areas: Hollow Knight, Ori WotW and even Metroid Dread do this. However, I think that Metroid Fusion is a bit of an exception, managing to make it feel like a threat could strike at any moment. The terrors that lay in wait within the game's main setting, the BSL, are always magnified by their teases or appearances beforehand. You might be informed of a boss, only to reach its abode and find nothing but bones; a moment of relief, shattered suddenly by the realisation of its meaning.

    This isn't to say that Metroid Fusion is perfect. There are moments where the game expects the player to perform the classic Metroid manoeuvre of bombing each individual tile on the map until you find the path forward. In some regards it works well, as the game acts like you have accessed areas you shouldn't have, which works well for the narrative, but fails for the gameplay. If the route you expect the player to take is so well hidden that it feels like the player is performing multiple sequence breaks, then it might be a little bit too obscured for its own good. Despite this, I feel the core game makes up for the few shortcomings that are present.    … Expand
  5. Jerg4n
    Apr 7, 2023
    10
    Fusion is essentially a 2d horror game while being a pretty linear game about exploration. Now that doesn't sound like it should work, but goddamn does it work well. The Metroid team decided to make this game something different and new from all the previous titles while retaining all the good parts the series is known for. Terrifying, difficult and exhilarating.
  6. DiegoEnriqueF
    Mar 23, 2023
    9
    El juego es muy bueno, Diria que es la segunda Entrega Con mejor soundtrack, el pixelArt es bellisimo, Y es muy accesible (Hablando de dificultad) La Unica Cosa mas o menso negativa es La Linealidad, fuera de eso todo es perfecto
  7. DizavidHZ
    Mar 15, 2023
    5
    This is the Metroid that marked the end of the fun in the series, and the game trying instead to go for a high difficulty platformer more than a game of exploration. The Japanese symbol for difficulty *must* be the same one they use for "lazy programming reclassified as intentional". Samus' wall jump is abysmal, and her space jump is somehow even worse. The button for jumping andThis is the Metroid that marked the end of the fun in the series, and the game trying instead to go for a high difficulty platformer more than a game of exploration. The Japanese symbol for difficulty *must* be the same one they use for "lazy programming reclassified as intentional". Samus' wall jump is abysmal, and her space jump is somehow even worse. The button for jumping and shooting are in the exact opposite order they should be. There's a button to make her aim diagonally up but not down. The SA-X looks more like Samus from Super Metroid, almost identically, meanwhile the real Samus looks like an NES cartridge puked out a Samus shaped pile. The game is *decent*, but for me marks the wrong turn at Albuquerque for me; it eventually led to the remake for Samus Returns, which debuted quick time events as something you do to every enemy. They doubled down on this for Dread, and Fusion is squarely to blame. (What happened to y'all hating QTEs? That's all Returns and Dread are.) I'm writing this due to the rerelease on the Switch GBA emulator (let's call it what it is). They could absolutely allow you to rewrite button mapping (people who say it's harder than it looks are covering their own laziness; emulator creators showed just how easy customisable button mapping can be, ESPECIALLY on an emulator). This is just classic Nintendo: when they're good they're amazing, but when they're bad you feel the need to swab yourself for any unwanted used car salesman DNA.… Expand
  8. B-Bog
    Mar 10, 2023
    5
    A LOT of stupid trial-and-error where there's one special block somewhere that you have to shoot/bomb to progress and you have to figure out where it is without any real hints. So the game manages to be both restrictive in its linearity, because you always get told where to go and what to do by your bossy computer and you CONSTANTLY run into dead ends and locked hatches (the interconnectedA LOT of stupid trial-and-error where there's one special block somewhere that you have to shoot/bomb to progress and you have to figure out where it is without any real hints. So the game manages to be both restrictive in its linearity, because you always get told where to go and what to do by your bossy computer and you CONSTANTLY run into dead ends and locked hatches (the interconnected world design of other Metroid titles is totally absent); while also being very frustrating and confusing because you often don't know what to do to progress; which almost deserves an award of some kind.

    Enemies and bosses can be pretty stupid sometimes in that it can be nearly impossible to dodge their attacks, unless you have superhuman reflexes or you shoot enemies before they even appear on your screen. The boss arenas are also typically way too small, giving you no room to dodge and you always have approximately one nanosceond to shoot the exact right millimeter where the hitbox of the boss's weak point is, which is kinda BS given the very restrictive controls and aiming.

    To add onto all this, Samus' cringe monologuing and her dynamic with her insanely bossy computer (seriously, who programs an AI like this??) also sets up Other M...    … Expand
  9. Axce
    Feb 12, 2023
    10
    One of the Best 2D Metroidvania game ever. It’s also for me the best Metroid game to play for the first time. Absolutely wonderful graphics, beautiful soundtracks, best difficulty and the best Bosses in the entire Franchise.
  10. Wertypite
    Feb 23, 2022
    10
    Game that I hated at once, but latter I'm fall in love. Tough bosses and spooky atmosphere. One of the best games ever made for sure.
  11. RAMB
    Jan 5, 2023
    10
    Metroid Fusion is a great game just wish it wasn't so linear but still its a great game that gets a 10
  12. GVB
    Dec 21, 2022
    6
    It's not bad, but i played it right after Metroid Zero Mission and i couldn't avoid the comparison. Repetitive, less freedom than in ZM, and the story is not very good. Too cliché. And something that i don't understand is why the levels are so easy but at the same time the bosses are so hard.
  13. Pembroke_Watts
    Nov 22, 2022
    9
    One of the best games in the franchise. The game focuses more on the narrative, at the expense of being more linear. However, don't let that mislead you, the game still has many moments where you can explore and find the way to the next objective by yourself.
  14. hector_bcn98
    Oct 31, 2022
    9
    Las nuevas características jugables, más survival horror que nunca. Podría haber durado un poquito más.
  15. spencerplewe
    Oct 11, 2022
    9
    Fascinating and well-designed, Fusion is a more accessible Metroid title with its narrative structure, but it still has the blisteringly hard bosses that make you earn your victory.
  16. GDsReviews
    Jun 4, 2022
    4
    An incredible, creepy, and excellent game destroyed by an absolutely brutal final boss fight sequence.
  17. fanmadeendings
    Feb 4, 2022
    9
    Exciting story and incredible boss fights! It is a close second to Zero Mission for me, tied with Dread.
  18. Volphied
    Jan 31, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Metroid Fusion fue el primer juego en un cartucho de GBA con el que pasé terror la primera vez que lo jugué. La atmosfera opresiva, la ambientación y la narración del mismo, da a pie a una sensación de indefensión a lo largo del título. Tiene uno de los enemigos más memorables de la saga y el que más pesadillas nos habrá dado algún que otro fan, con una presentación el cual rompe la cuarta pared para mirarnos al jugador fijamente y hacernos saber que estamos solos ante el peligro que ella significa.
    La movilidad en este título es genial, es el primer juego en el que Samus sabe engancharse a cornisas y es algo que es muy útil para títulos así. Por ponerle una pega, no puedes ejecutar saltos en una misma pared de continuo; algo que en Zero Mission sí puedes. La banda sonora de este juego es una delicia auditiva, y muchas pistas de su OST apoyan la opresión que quieren transmitirte a lo largo de la historia.
    El punto más negativo que tiene Metroid Fusion es su linealidad y su ausencia de libertad a la hora de explorar. A falta de este libre albedrío que podemos tener en otros títulos, el juego se centra en su narrativa y en contarnos una historia, que es algo que ningún Metroid había hecho hasta la fecha, pudiendo explorar los pensamientos de Samus y saber más sobre la federación galáctica y lo que está pasando. Así que, a cambio de una jugabilidad lineal, tenemos una historia más rica que en otros pues esta se apoya en los diálogos y pensamientos de nuestra protagonista a comparación de otros títulos que se basan solamente en la narrativa visual.    … Expand
  19. BeeSting1
    Jan 24, 2022
    6
    Good

    - good old metroidvania gameplay. The animations are nice. The weapons feel great to shoot. - the progression is more linear, which I personally prefer. - space jumping and wall jumping are easier to execute. The introduction off ledge clinging was also great. Bad - still too many hidden blocks. A few really ambiguous ones that I couldn't be discovered unless I bombed    Good

    - good old metroidvania gameplay. The animations are nice. The weapons feel great to shoot.

    - the progression is more linear, which I personally prefer.

    - space jumping and wall jumping are easier to execute. The introduction off ledge clinging was also great.

    Bad

    - still too many hidden blocks. A few really ambiguous ones that I couldn't be discovered unless I bombed and power bombed every corner of the level. It's not only a waste of resources, but also time.

    - i hate how hitting up during a diagonal jump cancels the momentum of the jump completely. This really threw me off. This made fighting some of the bosses very annoying.    … Expand
  20. PizzaW0lf
    Nov 27, 2021
    8
    Metroid Fusion is the 4th game in the Metroid timeline and continues the adventures of Samus. When it comes to this game, it's a very solid entry in the Metroid series but there are some flaws with the game that really holds it back from being great. The SA-X sections were a great idea but ended up being pretty lame and didn't happen too often so it didn't really leave an impression on me.Metroid Fusion is the 4th game in the Metroid timeline and continues the adventures of Samus. When it comes to this game, it's a very solid entry in the Metroid series but there are some flaws with the game that really holds it back from being great. The SA-X sections were a great idea but ended up being pretty lame and didn't happen too often so it didn't really leave an impression on me. The game is also way too linear for a Metroid game and it really frustrated me how much the game tells you where to go. However, it's not all bad as I think the difficulty is really nice and the boss fights are really good. The environments are surprisingly really well made and I love seeing them. Overall, Metroid Fusion is still worth playing but it is too linear. If it was more open like Zero Mission, I'd give this game a 9.… Expand
  21. SeaSphynx
    Nov 5, 2021
    9
    What a phenomenal game! The utter power I felt as Samus once I collected all of the possible powers felt incredible to handle. What else can I even say? The controls, music, exploration, atmosphere are all just as good as they always are. A super addicting must-play that might be a bit linear but incredible nonetheless.
  22. randoompuff
    Oct 27, 2021
    2
    this is easily the worst mainline metroid game. the bosses are horrible if u didnt get a ton of energy tanks. the game is very linear its not even a metroidvania tbh but even tho its linear you still get lost because to progress you have to shoot random tiles that look the exact same to everything else. the dialogue is just annoying. and i see people saying the game has a sense to fearthis is easily the worst mainline metroid game. the bosses are horrible if u didnt get a ton of energy tanks. the game is very linear its not even a metroidvania tbh but even tho its linear you still get lost because to progress you have to shoot random tiles that look the exact same to everything else. the dialogue is just annoying. and i see people saying the game has a sense to fear which is hilarious to me because the sa-x encounters are scripted as hell. this game does litteraly nothing right theres no point to play it.… Expand
  23. Matt2790
    Oct 26, 2021
    9
    Playing this for the first time and even today you can see how great this game is.. sound, gameplay, atmosphere.. epic!
  24. Kosama
    Oct 21, 2021
    8
    Mi Metroid menos favorito, no sé que fue peor los bosses o Adam.
    Aunque termine disfrutándolo bastante
  25. NumiKoi
    Oct 18, 2021
    10
    Отличный платформер в сеттинге Космического Ретро сайфая
    Интересный и глубокий сюжет,а так же сиквел Super Metroid.
    Must play если ты любишь Метроидвании
  26. wizardninja
    Oct 16, 2021
    10
    My favorite video game of all time. Bosses, atmosphere, tension--all absolutely phenomenal. And the story is incredibly intriguing.
  27. sourasparagus
    Sep 30, 2021
    9
    Shockingly good. Doesn't have quite the exploratory feel of Super Metroid, but you still get to draw outside the lines. Holds up to the best Metroidvanias even 20 years later.
  28. Peaceduke
    Sep 6, 2021
    9
    It's like a compact focused and condensed Super Metroid experience. Atmospheric and tense, also bosses are one of the toughest in the series.
  29. ylnylmn
    Sep 3, 2021
    9
    I enjoyed playing it, it was as good as Super Metroid. They did a really good job with the story. I was able to connect better with Samus in this game. The parts I don't like.
    1_ The difficulty of the bosses. I died a lot and it made me tired, but I enjoyed it more. It could have been a little easier though.
    2_ A more linear map than Super Metroid. There are sections in parts and    I enjoyed playing it, it was as good as Super Metroid. They did a really good job with the story. I was able to connect better with Samus in this game. The parts I don't like.
    1_ The difficulty of the bosses. I died a lot and it made me tired, but I enjoyed it more. It could have been a little easier though.
    2_ A more linear map than Super Metroid. There are sections in parts and sometimes you can't go where you want. The previously open door is closed in gray, which limits free exploration.
    3_ Difficulty collecting the X parasite. Sometimes it runs too fast and I can't catch it.
    Sometimes it turns into a new enemy.
    4_ Some hidden paths are hard to find. Sometimes it can bother you a lot.
    But all in all, it's a fun game and a good story.    … Expand
  30. calvinbrine
    Aug 20, 2021
    9
    In no way is this the best Metroid game, but it is definitely a great one. It's take on exploration isn't very Metroid of it, but it still feels like it is even it if isn't, and the old backtrack formula comes back near the end of the game. The artificial environments are done really well, and that plus the more on-edge atmosphere that this game goes for, makes great immersion. The bossesIn no way is this the best Metroid game, but it is definitely a great one. It's take on exploration isn't very Metroid of it, but it still feels like it is even it if isn't, and the old backtrack formula comes back near the end of the game. The artificial environments are done really well, and that plus the more on-edge atmosphere that this game goes for, makes great immersion. The bosses become a little to frequent towards the end, but the general boss design in this game, may be the best in the series. This game's story is really well written and feels like Metroid, and it has an awesome difficulty spike that while may not be the only tough game in the series(echoes and SR), it's definitely the most famously difficult one, which is NOT a bad thing(and I'm not good at video games and I'm saying that). it loses points though because of to many bosses near the end and the firing in random directions adventure aspect of the game is done wrong on multiple occasions. I'd give it an 88 if this was a 100 scale, but it's not, so 9/10 it is.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2002
2
#2 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2002
1
#1 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2002

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 44
  3. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. Total Video Games
    90
    Perhaps the only niggle that you can level at Metroid Fusion, is that the focus on strong story telling reduces the exploration aspect, an area that the Metroid series is virtually unrivalled in.
    Read full review
  2. GMR Magazine
    90
    While the gameplay is faster, and more responsive than ever before, MF manages to feel even more claustophobic than in the past. That's a good thing. [Feb 2003, p.75]
  3. Eurogamer
    90
    My favourite 2D Metroid yet... [and] the best platform adventure the GBA has.
    Read full review
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