Metroid Fusion Review - GBA

Gameplay

During a brief investigation on SR388, Samus is infected by a mysterious parasite, known throughout the game as the "X Parasite". Upon setting off to her next collection point, Samus becomes unconscious, her ship drifting away into an asteroid belt. Luckily, she is ejected from the ship via an auto-escape pod and rescued soon after by researchers on the station orbiting SR388. However, the X Parasite had multiplied within her body, even infecting her Power Suit. Samus then slips into a coma, leaving no other choice for the researchers than to send her to Galactic Federation Headquarters, where her Power Suit is removed and sent in pieces to the Biological Space Labs research station to be studied. Fortunately, a cure and vaccine is found for Samus, and she is brought back to full health, donning a completely new albeit less-advanced Power Suit. Suddenly a distress call arrives from the Biological Space Labs research station, and Samus is sent off, without rest, to investigate.

The story in Metroid Fusion is very in depth; it contains plot-twists, filmic techniques and a complex, interesting setting - just what modern-day platforming games need. Throughout the game you'll learn more of Samus, her past and the mysteries of the X Parasite through Samus's thoughts, told occasionally when travelling in elevators, and her ship's intelligent navigational computer, nicknamed "Adam".

Metroid Fusion is played from a two-dimensional, side-on view. Set entirely within the Biological Space Labs research station, the game, fortunately, doesn't become repetitive at all; each area, or sector, looks different to the last, featuring new backgrounds, walls, floors and designs. The sectors, of which there are six, are basically composed of a large, square area full of different rooms, shafts and tunnels.

Within each sector are three main rooms: the Navigation Room, the Recharge Room and the Save Room, of which there are often more than one. The Navigation Room is the room in which you can communicate with "Adam", Samus's navigational computer, who constantly and helpfully provides you with new objectives and information; inside the Recharge Room is a special machine that replenishes health, energy tanks and even missile and bomb ammo; and the Save Room is, of course, the room in which you can save your progress. These three rooms can be found towards the beginning of each sector so that you can be briefed on objectives, recharge yourself and save your progress before proceeding into the unknown. You'll often find more than one save point in the larger sectors, (continued next page)