Metroid Fusion is still one of the best Metroidvanias ever, and here’s why

At the time of writing, we still have a few weeks to go until the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. It’s also been a pretty quiet year for Nintendo in terms of first-party releases so far, with only Donkey Kong Country Returns HD and Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. That means it’s a perfect time to delve into some of the company’s older games, and I  recently played and 100 percent completed Metroid Fusion for the first time. In recent years, the Metroid series has seen something of a resurgence – between Metroid Dread, Metroid Prime Remastered, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, you can definitely tell that Nintendo is pushing to bring this franchise back into the spotlight.

My first Metroid game was actually Metroid Dread, and even though I originally wasn’t a big fan of Metroidvanias, I loved it – you’re left completely to your own devices to figure out the right path, and the story really ramps up in the latter half of the game. This is completely obvious to those who have beaten Metroid Fusion before, but I didn’t realize how similar the game was to Metroid Dread. Not just in terms of the genre – the story shares many similar elements. So many, in fact, that Metroid Dread is essentially a direct sequel!

Metroid Fusion, as you might expect, absolutely nails the Metroidvania formula. In classic series fashion, the controls are tight and responsive, plus there are plenty of upgrades and collectibles to find. In this game, Samus heads to planet SR388 from Metroid 2: Return of Samus, but is quickly attacked and infected by an X Parasite. When she leaves the planet and returns to the Biologic Space Laboratories station, she passes out and her ship crashes. Fortunately, she survives this incident, but doctors soon find out that the X Parasites have infected Samus’s Power Suit, and they are forced to surgically remove parts of it. In an attempt to save her life, the doctors inject Samus with a vaccine made from Metroid DNA. Metroids are natural predators of the X Parasites, but Samus killed just about all the Metroids on planet SR388 in Metroid II: Samus Returns – which means there were no predators left to control the X Parasites.

The Metroid vaccine works, and Samus gains the ability to absorb X Parasites. She also gains a weakness to cold temperatures, just like real Metroids. Samus is sent to the Biologic Space Laboratories station, which is where the rest of Metroid Fusion takes place. As it turns out, the X Parasites have invaded the station, and Samus’s infected Power Suit from before has become the SA-X, which is an X clone of Samus. Throughout the game, Samus is tasked with collecting new weapons, fixing broken machinery, and taking down bosses all while avoiding the SA-X – the X Parasites copied Samus at full power, but Samus herself lost all of her weapons and upgrades after receiving the Metroid vaccine.

This dynamic creates some really cool moments in the game – you’ll be going about your business, and you’ll suddenly hear footsteps. You’ll often be forced to hide as the SA-X reveals itself patrolling the area – because if you reveal yourself, it’ll freeze you with its Ice Beam and end your game in just a few seconds. It’s especially satisfying when you’re able to contest against the SA-X in the endgame after spending the whole game running away from it. This is very reminiscent of the E.M.M.I. in Metroid Dread – they can kill Samus much faster, but you’re also given the chance to escape in the form of a strict quick-time event.

What’s more is that the X Parasites actually create interesting gameplay opportunities. All of Metroid Fusion’s enemies are X Parasites, so when you defeat them, Samus can absorb the parasite for some extra health or ammo. Even more interesting, however, is that several parts of the game require you to defeat an enemy and then lure its X Parasite to a new host. Depending on what the X Parasite possesses, this can create new terrain that you need in order to collect tricky upgrades. Metroid Fusion’s clever puzzles aren’t limited to X Parasite manipulation either – there are some incredibly tricky Speed Boost and Shinespark puzzles, too. They’re all completely optional, but if done correctly, they can lead you to some otherwise-unseen hidden dialogue.

Another aspect of Metroid Fusion that makes it so much better to play is its map system. After you beat the game, you can easily tell which upgrades you’re missing just by pausing. It’s also easy to tell where you’ve been and which rooms still have secrets left to uncover. Some parts of Metroid Fusion get pretty difficult – sometimes the game throws a boss at you and it’s not immediately clear what you have to do – and this is where Nintendo Switch Online comes in. Though not required by any means, the rewind feature makes Metroid Fusion much more accessible to players who don’t think they’ll be good at the game. Plus, Metroid Fusion rewards you with a better ending if you get a good time – rewind helps you better optimize that. Nintendo Switch Online makes its game experiences highly customizable – you can use a guide and rewind if you make a mistake, or you can play the game without those features and accept your mistakes. Both are great ways to experience Metroid Fusion, and we’d definitely recommend giving it a shot before Metroid Prime 4: Beyond comes out later this year.

The game’s only real weaknesses are its linearity and the system it was released for. Metroid Fusion’s world is a little bit smaller than usual, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t well over a hundred rooms to explore. Adam, Samus’s AI assistant, is also very clear about where to go next – this is great for players who prefer a bit of direction, but might come off as hand-holdy to those looking for a more open-ended experience. Like most Game Boy Advance games, the screen size is a bit too small – you can see this with Super Mario Advance games too – which means you’ll sometimes lack visibility in battles with some of Metroid Fusion’s larger bosses. The music, while good, is also fuzzy and of low quality. But these are problems with the Game Boy Advance, not necessarily Metroid Fusion itself. This is still a fantastic game, especially given its age.

How would you rate Metroid Fusion on your list of Metroid games? Have you been playing anything on Nintendo Switch Online to pass the time until Nintendo Switch 2? Feel free to let us know in the comments down below. In the meantime, you can learn more about the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack at Nintendo’s official website.