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Great Remake

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 21
Date: March 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Metroid: Zero Mission" is a Game Boy Advance remake of the game "Metroid" for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which started the "Metroid" series of games. Many people consider the original game to be the best, in regards to storyline, originality, and etcetera. The new game includes improved graphics, sound, and enemy AI, along with some new missions after the point where the normal game would be completed.

The storyline will be familiar to all fans of the series, seeing as it's the same as "Metroid". The bounty hunter Samus Aran has been hired to go to the planet Zebes and destroy a race of energy-draining creatures known as Metroids. She must also destroy an evil entity known as Mother Brain. Samus herself was orphaned on this planet by the evil Space Pirates (that's actually the name of their species, at least to the humans) and was rescued and raised by a race known as the Chozo. These highly-advanced creatures gave her the power suit that she wears, so that she may destroy the Space Pirates (as Zebes was also at one time a Chozo colony). Now, using the power of her suit and her natural skills, Samus must destroy this threat to the galaxy.

The graphics in this game are very well done, and are a little bit better than the graphics in Metroid Fusion. They are beautiful and immersive. Samus has her original suit, not the bizarre blue punk-style suit she had in Metroid Fusion. Samus gets multiple suits during the course of the game; the basic power suit (which is dark orange), the heat-and-cold resistant Varia suit (which is bulkier and light orange), and the water-pressure resistant Gravity suit (which is like the Varia suit, but purple). There is also a part where Samus loses her power suit and runs around in a jumpsuit, armed only with a pistol (this is a sequence that wasn't in the original game).

The sound in the game is not really impressive. Even though it's better than the NES game, it's still basically blips and bleeps. The music isn't bad, and sets the tone more than the sound effects. There is also a very annoying "low health" sound, which is a little siren that sounds if your health is less than 10% of its maximum. So basically, if you're really hurt, you just hear "beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep" over and over again until you get some health, which isn't always easy. The same problem occurs in the "Legend of Zelda" games, too. Of course, if it's really annoying, the sound can be turned off, but then you miss out on other sound effects.

The gameplay is satisfying. Bosses are often of the "hit its weak spot with a particular weapon" variety, though they still look pretty cool. Samus can perform all sorts of maneuvers, such as her morph ball form, in which she can roll around, her freeze missiles, which can freeze enemies and make them into stepping blocks, and her grapple beam, which she can use to swing around on hooks. There is also a good variety of locations, from ancient Chozo ruins to volcanoes.

Overall, this game is very, very good. It's a nice way of introducing newer gamers to the beginning of the Metroid series. For old-school gamers, beating the game will get you the original NES Metroid game to play.
9/10 (I'm taking one point of for the Low Health Beeps).

Revival of a Classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 13
Date: January 21, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Metroid: Zero Mission is a remake of the original Metroid. But this isn't just any remake: It's packed with lots of extras and new gameplay elements to update it from the original. Updated graphics, story and extras. If you've played the original Metroid or LOVE the Metroid series you OWE it to yourself to pick this game up!

Nice updated graphics will enhance the gameplay and exploration of the game. Nice, sharp, crisp graphics that are to die for! Not only that but now the game includes Full Motion Videos to move the story along! This game truly takes advantage of the GBA's capabilities.

The sound has even been improved and you'll undoubtably love the new upgrade in sound. Better sound effects and the music is not so different from the original (though I loved the original).

The gameplay is more or less the same but this time you've got more help. The game now has the map in the upper right hand corner of the screen to guide you. Statues also help lead you to your next objective as well. Hallways are also changed. Also, Samus has a Power Grip and Space Jump ability, previously not in the original game.

The game also includes a whole new mission! After you defeat the Mother Brain there's actually more to follow. This will help to tie all the Metroid games (including Prime) together. Not to mention that as a bonus Nintendo threw in the original Metroid! So you can actually compare the two.

However, the game still has its setbacks. For one, its still rather short. Longer than Metroid Fusion but not by that much. Second, the new statues guiding you make it seem like the game is holding your hand too much. That and the fact that this game is much easier than the original (that can be good or bad). But don't let those things stop you from picking up this title. If you're a Metroid fan you owe it to yourself to pick this up right away!

Metroid Soars!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: February 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Remakes of classic games are a risky endeavor. On the one hand, you're working with a classic game recognized by possibly millions of people around the world, most of whom are fans. This means that you start with an existing fan community, but the flipside is that these fans are likely to be far more critical of a remake treading on hallowed ground. Deviate too far from the formula of the original, and you risk alienating the fans who put the source game on the map in the first place. Go to far in the other direction and don't change things enough, and the game will suffer -- presumably the whole reason for the remake in the first place was to address issues in the original game that are no longer up to the standards of modern titles, thereby giving fans a modern-day version of a classic. Fail in this, and the most likely response will be an apathetic shrug from the gaming community, followed by predicable but merely mediocre sales.

Taking this into account, a Metroid 1 remake seems like a great idea that will should fall flat. The Metroid series was groundbreaking for Nintendo, and was a truly remarkable step sideways for the kid-friendly company. Metroid was, and remains, one of the few truly dark Nintendo games, throwing players into a maze of subterranean monster lairs and secret passages. It was a futuristic game with a massive sense of mystery about it, creating the feeling of exploration in an alien world that has become the series' trademark.

However, what worked in '87 doesn't necessarily hold up today. Metroid's backstory has since been fleshed out to a substantial degree, shedding light on many of the mysteries that actually propped up the original game. Half the reason to explore Metroid was just to figure out what all this stuff was about. Now, with games like Metroid: Fusion, the players have been given a much clearer window into the life of the game's protagonist, as well as all the events and occurrences surrounding her. If you go back and play the original game, there are hints of the direction the series' plot would take in future installments, but for the most part it's too full of holes to be considered cannon; it feels like more of a suggestion than a real reference point. While the aesthetics are certainly cool, to be honest, there's not much of a plot to speak of in Metroid 1.

At the same time, if a remake were to go back and try to cram what we now know of the game's origins into a setting that was never particularly meant to hold it, you're going to wind up with a different game entirely -- not exactly a remake. So...What to do?

Well, I'm not sure how they managed it, but they did. This game not only sidesteps every bullet I've mentioned above, it plucks them right out of the air, Matrix-style, and tosses them back without breaking a sweat. This game, as far as what one would hope to achieve with a remake, is absolutely PERFECT.

True to the original game, Metroid: Zero Mission eschews any real narrative style in favor of visual cues. The plot remains the same: Penetrate the defenses below the planet and kill the space-pirate ringleader, Mother Brain. Really, that's it, both in the original and in the new version. However, now, all the unseen stuff that was merely implied in the original is actually present in the game proper. Kraid's been updated to his official size (i.e. freakin' huge). Ridley actually lands his ship (yes, Ridley can fly a ship) partway through the game to intercept Samus as the game wears on. Hey, he apparently wasn't just waiting around for her to show up and kill him that whole time. Who knew?

Really, the whole game has been updated to the point that it's exactly what one assumes the original would have been, had it been made in 2004. All the original layouts, powerups, enemies, and tricky hidden rooms are in there, but they've been streamlined and slightly altered to remove much of the obtuseness of the original game. Of course, as a result, the remake is far easier, but it comes together so well that the difficulty amounts to what it would be if the player was already intimately familiar with the original game. That is, if you know the entire map of Metroid 1 like the back of your hand, the game isn't particularly hard. Metroid: Zero Mission just adds that sort of familiarity artificially by means of a true in-game map and a waypoint system to alert the player where they need to go to advance. If it sounds like hand-holding, it is, but it doesn't serve to make the game genuinely easier. Rather, it takes the frustration level down, which is a perfect tradeoff as far as I care.

On the technical side of things, the graphics have received an obvious overhaul, and the game looks fantastic. Control is spot on, and the music consists of well-done updates of the original MIDI tunes. Metroid had a particularly memorable soundtrack, and the remake keeps everything wonderfully intact. You'll be humming the Brinstar theme for hours, guaranteed.

Lastly, it's worth pointing out that the Original Metroid opens up as a bonus feature once the game is beaten once, so those who want to make a direct comparison can do so right on the same cart. It's a very nice little bonus that rounds out what really is the definitive 2D Metroid experience.

All in all, this game is as good as I ever could have hoped for. Fans of the original are really in for a treat -- especially AFTER the Mother Brain fight. A few things were added, to tie up some loose ends, you might say...

Highly, highly recommended.

A thrilling experience

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: February 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First of all, to clear up any confusion cause by some reviewers below who provided incorrect info (like Samus being in trouble with the law and Samus being a guy; both are false), I would like to inform the reader that Mertroid: Zero Mission is a remake of the original Metroid released nearly 20 years ago on the original Nintendo Entertainmen System.

Zero Mission expands the story of the original and adds totally new gameplay elements to Samus' first adventure on the planet Zebes. She is a bounty hunter sent to Zebes to destroy the lifeform known as the Metroids. They are parasitic creatures that drain the life out of any living thing.

Compared to the original game, Zero Mission is a vast improvement, featuring enhanced graphics, tighter game controls, an impressive orchestral soundtrack of remixed original Metroid songs, and an expanded story that links Samus' first mission with her mission on the GameCube, Metroid Prime.

Compared to the last GameBoy Advance Metroid game, Metroid Fusion, the graphics are similar, if not slightly improved in Zero Mission. The gameplay is similar and intuitive in both games. And unlike Metroid Fusion which was more linear and told you where to go, Zero Mission only hints at the next location, and the hints aren't nearly as often as the ones in Fusion. The only draw back to Zero Mission is the fact that the game is easier that Fusion to beat. There is a hard difficulty that would make a Fusion expert sweat, but you can only access it after you've already beaten the game. But one drawback doesn't stop this from being a great game.

It is also worth mentioning that you can unlock an emulated version of the original Metroid when you beat the game. The original game (which Zero Mission is base on) is quite a challenge for any seasoned game veteran.

This game is a must buy for anyone who has a GameBoy Advance. And if you don't own one, then this is the time to get one. Trust me.

Short, but worth every cent

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: February 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Some say remakes are an insult to the original. Who? I have no idea, but it is the complete opposite with Metroid Zero Mission. I bought this game yesterday around 8:45. I got home, and played for about an hour, then I played Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, which I recently purchased and recommend, then I went to sleep. I woke up today around 11:00, and at exactly 2:25 this afternoon, I beat Metroid Zero Mission. And my reaction is as follows:

This is a wonderful remake of a classic, but not with out a few errors. It is much easier than the original, and Metroid Fusion. But not easier than Super Metroid I would like to point out. Nintendo added a few new items too, which I think decreased the difficulty, but they also made the game much more enjoyable. The movies they added in along with the extended ending, put much more depth into it, which I thought was cool. Overall, it is a great game, even if it is short. Fusion was short, but it is one of my favorite games becasue you can replay it so much, I have beaten it like 20 times or something. The same goes for Zero Mission. Its short, but what you take away from it and the time spent playing it after you have beaten it, make up for it's length. I loved it.

Another Classic Update From Nintendo!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 22
Date: December 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Metroid, the first game in one of Nintendo's biggest franchise, is getting the same kind of treatment given to MGS and Resident Evil on GameCube: take the story and basic gameplay of the original, update graphics, change the environments, and lots else, and bring it to the new system.

Even though I haven't beaten Fusion to this date (due to that horrible menace of the Nightmare) I plan to grab this one. Let's just hope the Super Nintendo game in the series, Super Metroid, is coming next :)

One of the best Nintendo games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: November 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Metroid: Zero Mission is probably the best GBA game I've played. In fact, it's so good, I had to stop playing it to write this review. It has lots of cool unlockables and fun puzzles! It's hard enough that I can't beat it in one sitting, and easy enough that I never had to read any walkthroughs! (except for the part where I had to find Kraid.)

Gameplay: 9/10

It has a good amount of puzzles, not too many, and it's not all running and jumping like some Sonic games. High replay value also, because you'll have to replay to unlock more cool stuff.

Music: 9/10

The music is great, the only problem is that it's a bit too repetitive (especially the Brinstar theme). But, there's a sound test, and that's always good.

Graphics: 10/10

The graphics are great, especially Ridley and the Metroids. Also, nothing is really distracting.

Story: 9/10

It's almost the same story as the original Metroid, which is to be expected considering this game is almost a remake of the original.

Overall: 9.25/10

It's a great game. The bosses are fun, not too easy like Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, and not too hard like Advance Guardian Heroes. Even better, one of the unlockables is the original Metroid game, which is also fun.

An Amazing Concept

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: January 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First of all, this review was written BEFORE the game was released. I just want to make that clear. Because the reviews I've seen for this game didn't seem to serve much purpose, I felt it should be made clear what this actually IS, but since it's not out yet I'm going on official information. This is more a summary of the CONCEPT and POTENTIAL for the game.

It's been confirmed that this is taking the original Metroid NES game and revamping it with elements from othe Metroid games. Abilities and items come from all the games in the series. For example, you can hang like you can in Fusion, wall jump like you can in Super, duck like you can in the other 2D Metroid games, use the grappling beam, speed booster, etc. But that isn't all. Of course there'd have to be some area modification to incorporate all these additional items and make them useful, but Nintendo is going a step beyond that. They're adding entirely new areas as well as hugely expanding the pre-existing ones.

There are also cutscenes (though I'm not guessing FMVs [full-motion videos]) designed to enhance and reveal more of the storyline. Seeing as there wasn't any sort of communication between the player and the world in the first one (don't get me wrong, I love it, I love the whole Metroid series, i'm just stating what IS) this will undoubtedly (as stated on the Nintendo Zero Mission website) "bring Samus' story to life like never before". There's also apparently a big surprise at the end as well.

Overall, this game has the potential to be on par with Super Metroid (which, in my opinion, can't be beat). The idea behind it is a solid one (I admit to begging something like this would be made) which people will enjoy all the more by the enhancements. I, for one, will be in line the day before it comes out to make sure I get it on opening day.

Do NOT call this a remake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 26, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Calling Metroid: Zero Mission a "remake" of the original NES Metroid would be technically accurate, but you'd be missing the point. It's a total upheaval: a surprising modern reinvention based on old 8-bit blueprints and what Retro Studios did with the Metroid saga on the GameCube. It's awesome, even if you're not old enough to know what an 8-bit system is. Metroid: Zero Mission retells the story of Samus Aran's first visit to the planet Zebes as well as her first encounter with the life-sucking Jell-O molds called Metroids and the jarred evil known as Mother Brain. If you've played the original game, you'll recognize areas, tile sets, names of bosses, and secrets in ceilings, but Nintendo has gone back and seamlessly inserted entire sequences and areas based on the Chozo lore and Space Pirate story arc from Metroid Prime on the GameCube, adding depth and substance to the adventure, and making connections where none really were before-sort of a Star Wars Special Edition-ing of the series but done right. Stick around after the old "escape from Tourian" climax for a huge surprise-you won't be disappointed. All of the usual classic Metroid gameplay is here: lots of secret areas to find (and lots of backtracking) with a control scheme and feel that still have yet to be accurately cloned. Some tweaks have been made, all to a greater effect: weapons, functions, and abilities from Super Metroid (Samus's dash move, auto-map, and power bombs) and Metroid Fusion (the ability to grab onto ledges) have been grafted into the gameplay. Plus, techniques like "bombing yourself up" to get over walls seems a lot easier to do rather than being a difficult-to-exploit side effect. Some moves are inevitably awkward-angling your shots while equipping your missiles (holding both shoulder buttons while pushing Down and pressing the B button) nearly requires a contortionist-but the designers have otherwise made fine use of the GBA's layout. The presentation is A-list. The graphics are virtually identical to those in the already-excellent Metroid Fusion, capturing the weird, creepy feel of an utterly alien world without compromising color. The sound is classic, too, and Metroid's unforgettable tunes play far more frequently than in Metroid Fusion. But most importantly, it's compelling and fun-a carefully crafted example of what cleverly placed enemies, intelligently placed floating blocks, and a whole mess of secrets can get you. The only real downside is that, despite its size, the game can be blown through pretty quickly. All the new moves and equipment (not to mention a generous helping of save points) make the game feel less challenging than its more open-ended, unforgiving ancestor. Metroid is a classic, but nostalgia doesn't make great games...knowing what to do with it does. Rarely does a game (much less a GBA one) keep the player so constantly surprised. Bring on more, more, more.

Zero Mission takes the crown!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 11, 2004
Author: Amazon User

After playing through each and every game again, even the original Metroid for my good old NES, I played Zero Mission. The game itself is the most beautiful 2D experience in Metroid history, easily eclipsing Super Metroid or Fusion with its superior animation and level design. Planet Zebes has never looked so good and so menacing. The extra content after the battle with Mother Brain is a surprise and helps flesh out the story more. By the time you have completed the game you will want to do it all over again. In fact I have already gone through it twice and plan on a third adventure in the near future.

Trust me, it is short like most of the best SNES and NES games were but since you want to replay it over and over you easily get hours and hours of enjoyment that doesn't require 20+ hours of your life each sitting. People are finally beginning to understand that games don't all have to be 40 hours to be good; in fact I play Super Mario Bros. 3 often enough to be in the thousands of hours.

This game includes:

-Extra Material to Flesh out the storyline
-Comic book style cut scenes
-Tons of animation (sweet!)
-Great soundtrack (must hear!)
-A wide assortment of weapons not found in the original
-Power ups new to the first Metroid like Charge Beam
-A overworld map not found in the original

This game is everything Fusion or Super Metroid is but better.

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