Feeling old yet? Yes today is indeed the 20th anniversary of both Metroid Fusion and Metroid Prime, two entries in the Metroid franchise that are highly regarded in the eyes of critics and fans. After 8 years of silence following the release of Super Metroid, we finally got a return in 2002 for the Game Boy Advance and GameCube. Fusion brought the 2D series back into the spotlight and narratively continued off from Super, and Prime brought the franchise into 3D for the very first time and became one of *the* reasons to own a GameCube.
[Metroid Fusion](https://youtu.be/ORJnXhI1dBM) was the brainchild of series co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto, who wanted to implement more story elements into the Metroid series. And he accomplished this through specially curated setpieces and a more terrifying atmosphere thanks to a new threat: the SA-X. Metroid Prime on the other hand has a more complicated history regarding developer Retro Studios, so I recommend checking out [this video](https://youtu.be/tuc8X9qKePo) for more details.
Fusion has been re-released exactly twice: once on the Wii U Virtual Console and once as part of the 10 GBA games included with the 3DS Ambassador Program. Prime has seen a few more re-releases: once in Japan as part of the New Play Control line, again along with its two sequels as part of the Metroid Prime Trilogy compilation, and finally the Trilogy version as part of the Wii U Virtual Console. So if you own a Wii U and are interested at all in checking out the series, these are worth picking up!
by Asad_Farooqui
40 Comments
I remember my mom came home from work and picked up my reservation for Fusion release day. Still one of my favorite games and still have that copy that I play on.
My brother bought Metroid Prime, and I played it later. I played it until I beat Flaaghra, thought it was fine, and dropped it for a while. Then I picked it back up, and the game clicked for me. Went and beat it multiple times. Even tried to beat it as fast as possible (about 4.5 hours), and wondered what the record was. That’s how I discovered speedrunning and sequence breaking, and that eventually led to Let’s Plays. One of the best GameCube games.
Metroid Fusion was the first 2D Metroid game I played (but not seen, I had a friend who had Super Metroid). I was surprised not just at how fast and agile Samus was, but how easy it was to die, compared to the walking tank of Prime. Gosh, the SA-X chase after the spider boss was the worst. I wish there was a New Game+ where you could skip all the computer dialogue.
I dont care what anyone says, I feel Metroid Prime still holds up quite nicely to todays games. The graphics are still beautiful, the controls are still nice (although an overhaul to make them more like a standard fps would be nice) and both gameplay and story are still just as amazing.
Fusion I feel holds up quite nicely as a 2D platform type, and has some great mechanics, and overall was a great entry to the metroid series. I think itd be cool to see it re-released on the switch. Maybe in a metroid collection with Zero mission and Samus’ Return (the official remake of 2) as part of it. As nice as it would be to see am2r, we all know nintendo can be anal about fan made stuff.
I think Fusion is a game I’d like more on a replay. I’ve only played it once, last year during the lead-up to Dread, right after I’d also played through Zero Mission for the first time. I thought it was very “good, not great” and was frustrated by a lot of the things that make it different from the other games. But now, with a better sense of where Sakamoto wanted to take the series and where it ended up going in Metroid Dread (which I loved), I think I’d be able to better appreciate Fusion as a sort of intermediary stepping stone in the series rather than just not liking it essentially for “not being enough like Super or Zero Mission”.
Prime on the other hand I thought was great pretty much off the bat. I was a late-comer to this one to, not getting to the Prime series until the trilogy got put out on WiiU, but Prime was one of those incredibly hyped-up games where within like an hour or so I had that “OK, I completely get the hype” realization. My only real gripe I have with the game is it has that late-game “plot coupon scavenger hunt” that a) stops the game’s momentum dead right when you feel prepped and ready to finish the game and b) both Prime 2 and 3 then decided to copy and thus bog down their endings as well. Other than that, I would say it’s absolutely a masterpiece.
Fusion may not be my favorite Metroid, not by a long shot, but it’s the game that really got me into Metroid.
I remember being bored in Civics class one day, and after finishing Zelda and Mario and Luigi on my 3ds for the billionth time, I was browsing my games. I came across Fusion, which I had downloaded a super long time ago, and was like, “eh, why not.” I played the first half or so of Super Metroid back on the SNES app on Switch, so maybe Fusion will be good.
I don’t know why, but Fusion just clicked with me, and as I basically didn’t play any other games until I beat it. Immediately after I played Super and Zero Mission, and I even got into some other Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight.
Now that I have more experience with the genre, I think Fusion is a rather flawed Metroid game with some problems, but man was it a good first experience.
While not my favorite game (definitely top ten though) Prime is a pinnacle of game design that I don’t think has been topped since.
Metroid Prime remains one of the most most brilliantly conceived reboots in gaming and one of the greatest games of all time. The excellent motion controls for the Wii port lift it even higher.
Fuck you just reminded me that earlier today I dreamed that the prime trilogy was fully remastered and announced (though multiplayer was cut from 2). I didn’t even realize this day was the anniversary, funny that I had this dream hours ago.
Amazing!!! Prime still looks fantastic all these years later. Retro Studios knew how to squeeze goodness from the GameCube!
Personally I never liked Prime as much as the 2D ones. Don’t get me wrong they were great but never quite scratched that Metroid itch that the 2D ones did.
Fusion was great, would love to play it again with upgraded graphics and mechanics
Prime is one of the best games Nintendo has ever released
Loved Fusion, still have my cartridge. Hated Prime. I found it completely unplayable, to be fair, I hate all first person games.
Still remember the first time I started the fusion on my gb advance… Sh*t, time flies.
Metroid Prime is one of my favorite games of all time, and it’s only just barely starting to show its age. Metroid Fusion was my first Metroid game, and my opinion on it has varied wildly over time. At first, I thought it was too hard to figure out where to go, but then after playing the rest of the series I joined the hivemind of thinking it was too easy because the game tells you where your next objective is and locks you into it. Now I can appreciate Fusion for what it is, and it is a very good game, but not quite as good as Super or Prime 1.
Haven’t played Prime in forever but recently tried replaying Fusion and found it borderline unplayable because of the excessive hand holding. It defeats the whole point of what I love about Metroid in the frist place. You’re constantly being told where to go and gameplay is interrupted, the complete opposite of the lonley free exploration of Super Metroid. Couldn’t bear playing more than an hour or two.
It’s a real shame, because I feel if you’d simply strip all that from the game It immediately become so much better.
Prime is an all time favorite of mine and it desperately needs to be re-released with new controls and higher fidelity.
It’s a shame that a remaster for Switch to celebrate the anniversary never materialised.
I think I am old.
Never played Fusion so no opinion there.
I tried Metroid Prime when I got a bundle for a new GCN. It was…okay but I could never beat it due to difficulty. I suck at FPS games, especially when it comes to aiming and dodging.
I see why people love it of course. I just suck at that particular genre. 🙂
Fusion was great, hated the prime series
I just beat Fusion for the first time this month, it was amazing. Played on the original hardware and the limited saving was a fun challenge
Fusion does fear and tension so well, and the fact that it’s a GBA title makes it all the more impressive imo
That’s kind of nuts. I never got into Prime until the wii Prime Trilogy. I hated the controls on Gamecube, that and I prefer metroid as an adventure game and not an FPS.
Fusion is amazing and WAS my 2nd favorite in the series until Dread released. I absolutely loved Dread and hope for more amazing things in the future. Top 3 are obviously Super Metroid, Metroid Dread, and Metroid Fusion
Prime is the best Metroid game ever and Fusion is top 3 2D Metroid behind Super and Zero Mission (top 4 if you include AM2R). And no, I didn’t forget action game Dread.
I love them for different reasons.
Metroid Fusion was the first Metroid game I could finally beat (thanks to its linearity) and Metroid Prime is possibly my favorite in the series because it still operates like a Metroidvania in a 3D FPS space and I adore FPS adventures. Highly recommend both.
Both are absolutely legendary gaming experiences, but I wouldn’t recommend fusion to everyone. It’s just too hard for some people.
Metroid Prime is still one of the most immersive and atmospheric games I’ve ever played. Tallon IV is one of the best overworlds in gaming, full stop.
Fusion is great, and Prime is one of the best games I’ve ever played.
I think we need a remake on Switch.
prime is great, fusion is garbage sadly
I don’t like FPS games so I never played Prime but I’d they release a remastered version I’ll buy it. As for Fusion I can’t count the number of times I completed that game. It’s probably still my favorite in the Metroid series (Dread being #2)
The SA-X entrance is one of the best 16 bit scene done by Nintendo, right there with mother 3
I have the ambassador games on the originals SD card, it seems I can’t access them on a different 3ds.
Fusion is one of my all time favorite games, have played through it dozens of times and still enjoy it, still do a run through every once in a while
I got Prime a couple years after it came out, I tried playing it a few times but would just drop it after a couple hours, I just didn’t like how the controls worked. I finally played through it in its entirety when the trilogy was released on the Wii U eShop and I really enjoyed it then, being able to actually walk and aim at the same time with the Wii Remote was a huge improvement for me over the original controls on the GameCube.
A little while ago I played through the trilogy again on the Dolphin emulator on PC with the mouse + keyboard control mod and it just confirms that the Prime games were never meant to be played on a GameCube controller, it is a world of difference in the most positive way.
I just recently played through Metroid Prime in VR. There are some design elements that surprised me. Notably, the reticules of the thermal and combat visors actually have depth. Without playing the game in stereoscopic 3D, there no way to actually see it, though. It’s almost as though the devs knew the game would eventually be played this way 20 years later and built the UI accordingly.
Never cared for them.
Was never a fan of metroidvanias in general, and I’d played Halo before I tried Metroid Prime. Halo kinda became the gold standard for first person shooters for me and Prime didn’t quite measure up.
I absolutely loved Fusion and was super stoked when I realized Dread was a direct sequel. I had no idea going in.
Metroid Prime was the reason I bought a Game Cube. Not Smash, not Sunshine, though I got those games eventually.
Prime is like the original Dark Souls. That game was so far ahead of its time that it’s actually unbelievable, the only thing that has not aged gracefully is the wonky controls.
I was 5 when I played the Atari 2600 in 1980. I had the NES, SNES, and many other systems. I was an adult before 3D games were the norm.
When Prime was released, I was done with anything that was 2D side scrolling. Done. I prefer Prime. I’ve not played the new game. I’ll buy the new 3D when it is released.
I understand the 2D is “10/10” for many folks. I’m nearly 50 years old. I want to play the best that tech can offer in 2022. Not the same shit I played on old 8 bit systems because 2D was the best tech offered in 89.
Nostalgia is a drug that I feel no addiction for.
Sorry, watching 4 delayed often while 2D versions are released triggers my 2D side scroller rant.