"Back to Zebes..."

After the huge success of Metroid Prime for GameCube and Metroid Fusion for Gameboy Advance, Nintendo decided to stick with the Metroid franchise. They thought that a good thing to do would be to remake the original NES Metroid with better graphics and sound. They also added some more areas, and upgrade a lot more...

Graphics - 9/10
The graphics in Metroid Zero Mission (MZM) look crisp and detailed. Samus looks nice, Kraid looks awesome, and the enemies look good, too. Ridley's sprite from Metroid Fusion is back, and it hasn't changed much. The entire game has been upgraded, and it looks great. The areas feel bigger, and they are colorful and nicely detailed. It reminds me of Super Metroid's cool graphics, only better. There are also brand new cut-scenes, which are nice to have.

Sound and Music - 10/10
The classic music is back, and it's (as you might have guessed) better than ever. The Brinstar music is loud and upbeat, while Kraid's lair has creepy, quieter music. The music fits the game perfectly, and it is very well done. It's even better, when you use headphones. The sounds are great, too. You'll hear Samus blast, jump, run, and take damage. You'll also hear enemies shriek and growl. The sounds are superb.

Story - 8/10
From the Metroid Zero Mission instruction manual:

"In the year 2003 of the Cosmic Calendar, representatives from the many different planets in the galaxy established a congress called the Galactic Federation, and an age of prosperity began. A successful exchange of cultures and civilization resulted, and thousands of interstellar spaceships shuttled back and forth between planets. Soon, however, Space Pirates began to attack the spaceships, threatening the galactic peace. The Galactic Police and Galactic Army struck against this aggression, but the pirates' attacks were powerful, and it was impossible to catch them all I the vast reaches of space. So, the Federal Bureau called together powerful bounty hunters to battle the pirates.

In the year 20X5 of the Cosmic Calendar, a terrible incident occurred. The Space Pirates attacked a deep-space research vessel and seized capsules containing samples of an unknown species that had been discovered on planet SR388. The Space Pirates' objective was to acquire this life-form: known simply as Metroids, these floating organisms were incredibly dangerous, as they could latch onto any other organism and drain its life-energy. Furthermore, it was possible to replicate Metroids in vast numbers by exposing them to beta rays. The hypotheses that the Metroids were responsible for one of the greatest mysteries in the entire galaxy- the extinction of planet SR388- was generally accepted as fact.

If the Space Pirates were able to breed the Metroids and use the creatures as biological weapons, the destruction of all galactic civilization would be near certain. After a desperate search, the Federation Police discovered the Space Pirates' base of operations on the fortified planet Zebes. They launched a full assault on the planet, but pirate resistance was strong, and the planet could not be taken. All the while, in a room hidden deep within the center of the pirate fortress, the preparations for multiplying the Metroids were progressing steadily.

As a last resort, the Federation Police decided on a risky strategy: to send a lone space hunter to penetrate the pirate base and destroy the mechanical life-form that controlled the fortress and its defenses- the Mother Brain. The space hunter chosen for this mission was Samus Aran. Considered the greatest of all the bounty hunters, Samus had successfully completed numerous missions that others had thought impossible. Despite her accomplishments, much of Samus's true identity remained wrapped in mystery.

Alone, Samus Aran successfully landed on the surface of Zebes, which was, in fact, the planet where Samus was raised as a child. Burying all memories of the planet, Samus agreed to carry out this mission and face the traps of the Mother Brain. But the question remained: could Samus Aran truly complete this task and return peace and order to the galaxy? "

The story is basically the same one from the NES version with a few tweaks. Later in the game, new things happen, and the story evolves into something that you never heard before. It is an interesting story, and it was fantastic back in the days of the NES.

Controls - 9/10
The game feels almost exactly like Metroid Fusion, which is a good thing. Samus moves at a good speed, so you won't be complaining about her moving too slowly. Shooting is fun, as always. Jumping works better in than in Fusion, especially the Space Jump. All the other controls, such as using missiles, rolling in a ball, and aiming are easy to use. Every button on the GBA is used, but the controls are not complicated.

Gameplay - 9/10
MZM has everything you love from the original NES game, and it adds more areas, more bosses, and more items and weapons. It's very nostalgic, too. You'll start the game in the exact spot you started the original. You'll then head left and pick up the morph ball. After that you'll be on your way to get the Long Beam. The game has everything that th original did.

For those of you, who have never played a Metroid, I'll explain it to you. As a bounty hunter, named Samus Aran, you must travel through one huge world with many different areas. You shoot enemies, find weapons, and defeat bosses. The heart of the game is exploring. You must search for all your weapons and abilities. It is very fun, and you'll also find energy enhancing weapons.

Some things didn't make me happy about this game, though. It is way too short. I beat it in about 4 hours, which is a disappointment. The help system from Metroid Fusion is, unfortunately, back in MZM. Other than those things that I mentioned, just about everything else is great. It's got a ton of new things added, and it is a must have for your GBA.

Replay Value - 8/10
There's plenty of things that you might have missed, and you'll probably want to go back and search for some of them. There's also a Hard mode, which is good, because the Normal mode is just a tad too easy. The NES Metroid is also an unlockable.

Overall - 9/10
I'm giving this game a 9/10, but I really think it deserves an 8.5/10. It's a good game for the short time that it lasts.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/30/04