Click here to buy from Amazon.com

Metroid Zero Mission

System: Gameboy Advance
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Publisher: Nintendo
Price: $29.99
Rating: 8.5 of 10

Review by Brutilus

The Galactic Federation is in crisis!

The Space Pirates have been raiding the galactic core with alarming frequency and devastating sucess. Their murderous raids and brutal tactics have left few survivors.

Worse yet, they have discovered a terrible creature on planet SR388 and are planning to use these energy-draining monsters to supplement their already impressive military forces. With these horrible creatures, they will be all but unstoppable!

As a last, desperate hope, the Federation is attempting to insert a lone agent onto the Pirate's home base, Zebes, to infiltrate their lair, destroy all of the horrible bio-weapons (known only as "metroids"), and to wipe out the organic computer that controls their defenses and coordinates their ruthless attacks. They call it their Mother Brain.

Overview
Eighteen years ago Nintendo dropped a bomb on the U.S. and called it Metroid. It was an awesome game, but lacked the storytelling elements that today's gamer has come to expect.

In this complete (and long overdue) overhaul of the classic title, Nintendo is looking to update the gameplay, revamp the graphics, clean up the sound, and plug some of the holes in the Metroid storyline. Think of this as Metroid: The Director's Cut.

I finished it in four sittings the first time and came right back for more.

Most of the blanks that get filled in are geographical and biological in nature. Specifically, where the wrecked ship, water area, and new bosses in Super Metroid came from. One little wrinkle that they create is that at the end of Zero Mission, you are wearing the Gravity Suit, while at the beginning of Prime, you are only wearing the Varia Suit.

There are a few biographical tidbits about Samus that are covered in the beautifully drawn cutscenes, but nothing that wasn't covered in greater detail in Metroid Prime.

Samus' mission to eliminate the Space Pirate and Metroid menace takes a familiar course. Her trip through the labyrinths beneath the surface of Zebes is often impeded by obstacles that she can neither destroy nor get around immediately. Fans of the series will recognize her many suit modifications used to navigate this maze.

First, and possibly most important, is her morph ball. This allows Samus to curl up into a ball and roll through tight spaces. (Talk about flexible!)

Eventually, she receives an upgrade to her ball form... bombs! These can be used to destroy certain obstacles and, when timed properly, to propel Samus high into the air.

Not long after her insertion into the caves of Zebes, Samus discovers that her usually adequate arm cannon is severely lacking in both range and firepower. In order to proceed, and survive, she seeks out missiles and upgrades. She finds a number of power-ups including a range upgrade, the ability to freeze enemies, and the ability to fire through walls.

Her unique, Chozo-made power suit is usually sufficient protecion in her encounters. But on Zebes, a planet with rivers of lava, super-heated rooms, and lakes of acid, she discovers that sometimes her suit alone is not enough. Thankfully, the Chozo have left numerous artifacts for their children.

The beating that she takes at the hands of the Space Pirates and other inhabitants of Zebes becomes increasingly severe as her journey continues. Fortunately, her Chozo step parents had made Energy Tanks to boost the reserves of their power suits. Through skill and guile she will be able to locate quite a few of these to help her survive her more difficult battles.

Finding her speed somewhat lacking, Samus picks up the speed booster upgrade in order to power through walls and rocket up passages that could otherwise not be climbed.

Soon after, her power suit is upgraded with the Varia Suit and can handle the high temperatures of Norfair and the acid pools of Brinstar.

Weapon and suit upgrades are provided on an as needed basis throughout the course of the game. Veterans of the Metroid series will find themselves getting impatient for the cooler upgrades (I know that I hate waiting to get the Srew Attack and Space Jump), but are rewarded for their patience with access to new areas and additional upgrades.

The control set in Metroid Zero Mission is the same as in Metroid Fusion. Players familiar with one will be able to pick up the other easily. I am much happier with the key layout in the GBA Metroid games than the original 3 games for NES, Game Boy, and SNES.

The graphics engine received a bit of an overhaul from Metroid Fusion. Each of the sprites have more visible and vivid colors. Shading is also much improved.

There are an impressive amount of enemies in Zero Mission. All of the classic enemies are back (Zoomers, Geemers, Rippers, Ridley, Kraid, etc.) and Nintendo added over a dozen new enemies. Ridley and Kraid look MUCH cooler in this incarnation than they did in Metroid, but not quite as cool as they did in Super Metroid.

The bosses in Metroid Zero Mission, with the exception of Mother Brain, are far too easy in Easy and Normal modes. I ripped them to shreds with little to no effort. Ridley was the biggest disappointment of all. I used to find him quite difficult until Metroid Fusion.

Nintendo could have come up with some new bonus features. I like the original Metroid and all, but it was one of the bonus features on Metroid Prime and I still have the original cartridge. Hardcore fans will enjoy the fact that you no longer need to write down passwords for the original game. They added a battery save feature to it to save you the effort of writing down passwords...

I have yet to finish Zero Mission with over 90% of the items. The reason: They are obnoxiously difficult to gather!

The most difficult move to master in Zero Mission is the "shoulder tackle into a boost recharge into another shoulder tackle." The timing on it is rather precise and, at times, furstrating. The bonus to learning this move is that about a half dozen upgrades (power bomb tanks, missile tanks, energy tanks, & super missile tanks) become available to you.

The other items that I have not gotten are just a pain in the butt in other ways, but the all require a shoulder charge or a ball charge to get.

There are a few upgrades to the original that I absolutely have to mention. The following three problems were the only real detractors from the original game (that weren't caused by technological limitations).

Problem 1: Where am I again?

Solution: Include a map system based on the one from Metroid Fusion.

The single most annoying thing about the original game was the lack of a map. The map included has the nice additional feature of showing you where you need to go for the first two-thirds of the game. There is also an area on the map telling you how many of each power-up you have gathered in each area.

Problem: Why can I only fire straight across or straight up?

Solution: Include an angle fire key similar to the ones in Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion.

The second most annoying problem with Metroid was the inability to fire at an angle. The use of the Metroid Fusion control set took care of this.

Problem: Umm... I'm almost dead. I have to kill HOW many creatures to recharge my energy tanks?!?

Solution: Put in recharge rooms.

Instead of being forced to search for health and missile upgrades, every Chozo statue acts as a reharge room. They are well spaced around Brinstar, Norfair, Kraid, and Ridley. In the later areas of Chozodia and the Space Pirate Mothership, the Save Rooms double as recharge rooms.

Aside from being disappointingly short (it is possible to beat it in under 2 hours), Metroid Zero Mission is a must have for all fans of Samus. It is an excellent game with a good story, nice graphics, a decent soundtrack, and enough variety and challenges to keep all fans of this genre entertained.

Metroid Zero Mission is available for your Gameboy Advance at Amazon.com.

All images are property of Nintendo. Article copyright 2004 MillionairePlayboy.com