Nintendo’sMetroidfamously pulls from theAlienfilm franchise. Bounty hunter Samus Aran is an early example of a capable female protagonist similar to Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley, and Samus' most recurring foe is a Space Pirate named Ridley - clearly mimickingacclaimed director Ridley Scott. Both franchises have also straddled the line between atmospheric horror and high-octane action. For everyMetroid Fusionthat harkens back to the tense thrill of being stalked by an unstoppable threat in deep space, games likeMetroid: Other Mfocus on blasting that opposition away alaAliens.
Metroid Fusionis officially 20 years old, yet is seemingly more relevant than ever. Last year,Nintendo made waves with the release of MercurySteam’sMetroid Dread, a direct sequel toFusionthat emerged following decades of sporadic development (even being referenced within 2007’sMetroid Prime 3: Corruption).Dreaddid not capture quite the same atmosphere asFusion, but it advances many lingering plot threads. In fact,Fusionwill undoubtedly still have an impact on adventures well beyondDread.
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Where Metroid Fusion Fits in the Series' Timeline
The overall timeline ofMetroidgames is complicated by Team Ninja’sOther Mand Retro Studios’Primetrilogy, among others, but the core of this franchise is five releases starting with 1986’sMetroidon NES. After Samus defeats Mother Brain on Planet Zebes,Metroid 2: Return of Samuson Game Boy follows her journey to the Metroid homeworld SR-388 on a mission to eradicate the dangerous alien species. One baby Metroid survives and imprints upon Samus, which she brings to a Galactic Federation base.
This is where theseries' arguably most famous entry,Super Metroid, begins. The baby Metroid is kidnapped by Ridley and brought back to Zebes so that Space Pirates can clone more. After once again defeating Mother Brain with the sacrifice of a powered-up baby Metroid, Samus goes about her galactic business. Her story picks up again inFusionwhen she encounters the hostile X Parasite during a research mission on SR-388.
It is ultimately revealed that the ancient Chozo people developed Metroids to act as a predator for the X, which perfectly duplicate any creature they assimilate. Samus is only saved from her infection via the use of a vaccine developed using the baby Metroid’s DNA, but this leaves her with new problems like a weakness to ice. The bounty hunter destroys the Biologic Space Laboratories (BSL) research station as it becomes overrun by X, one of whichmimics her power armor to become the threatening SA-X.Dreadthen deals with a tip that more of these parasitic entities have appeared on remote Planet ZDR following their supposed eradication.
Metroid Fusion Emphasizes the Series' Alien Horrors
In a 2022 interview with the YouTube channel DidYouKnowGaming,Metroid Prime’s original lead developer John Whitmore saidFusionbegan development followingPrime’s well-received announcement at Space World 2000. It was designed to release alongsidePrime, Samus' foray into being a first-person shooter protagonist; appealing to more traditional fans. ThePrimetrilogy went on to be a popular interpretation of the series, butFusionwas unique in that it launched eight years afterSuper Metroidbefore serving as the last mainline entry for 19 years.
All 2DMetroidgames prior toFusionfollowed a similar formula, dropping players into a dark alien world that unravels as Samus gains new abilities to make exploration and combat easier. Horror is ever-present, particularly inMetroid 2where SR-388 becomes more desolate and unnerving asSamus commits Metroid genocide. However,Super Metroidseemingly leaned more into Samus as a conquerer of Zebes in her return trip, likely in no small part thanks to the SNES' enhanced graphical prowess and controls.
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Metroid Fusionis overtly a horror game, trapping Samus in a claustrophobic research station where all life (including other humans) has been eradicated and replaced by parasites capable of exaggerating their shapeshifting forms. Criticism has been levied againstFusionfor being more linear than the infamously open-endedSuper Metroid, but this design often enhances the tense BSL station, which has cinematic hostile encounters around every turn.
Then, of course, comes the SA-X.Alienparallels are perhaps best exemplified by this antagonist, which stalks Samus around the station using everySuper Metroidweapon she lost (and can partially reclaim by defeating bosses).Fusion’s linearity builds a handful of stealth sequences in which Samus has to hide around dark corners and vents while SA-X moves about the room, ready to pounce like aXenomorph in 2014’sAlien: Isolation.Dread’s E.M.M.I. try to recapture some of SA-X’s magic, but fall short in the eyes of many fans.
Metroid Fusion’s Additions Will Carry Well Beyond Dread
Despite the core 2DMetroidfranchise going dormant for nearly two decades afterFusionlaunched, it carried a lot of the series' identity forward. It is one of the Game Boy Advance (GBA) titles included in the 3DS Ambassador Program, which offered a number of free games to those who bought a 3DS handheld prior to its price drop in 2011.Metroid Fusionand a remake of the original game,Metroid: Zero Mission, also released on the Wii U virtual console (both GBA titles spiked in sales around the launch ofMetroid Dread).
Fusionalso played a huge part in the design ofMetroid: Other M, which chronologically takes place prior to Samus' escapades on the BSL station. The oft-derided Team Ninja spin-off dives deeper into the relationship between Samus and her former commanding officer Adam Malkovich, who is introduced inFusionas the nickname Samus gives to a chatty AI.Other Malso brings back the gravity-controlling biomechanical boss Nightmare, the subject of a particularly horrifyingFusionsequences as it distort the screen and literally melts into sludge as Samus deals damage.
However,Fusion’s direct sequelDreadshows the full impact of the 2002 game. Planet ZDR is infested with X Parasites, but this reveal is merely howChozo warrior Raven Beakdraws Samus in to take advantage of the latent Metroid DNA that fused with her body. By the end of the game Samus transforms into a half-Metroid with the power to drain other beings of life. How future titles will play with this twist remains to be seen, butFusionwill continue to have a lasting presence as Nintendo jump-starts Samus' next saga.
Metroid Fusionis available now on GBA and Wii U.
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