"Samus is revisting Zebes and looking mighty fine at the same time!"

Metroid: Zero Mission is a remake of the classic title Metroid from the NES. But don't get confused thinking it's nothing more than some updated graphics. Instead, Zero Mission acts as a game all its own, featuring the best 2D Metroid game play that has been seen – that's right, it outclasses the likes of Super Metroid. Nearly everything in the game has been given some sort of make over from the graphics, game play, and even soundtrack.

As the game kicks off, you'll hear a little logging from Samus about what she has been sent to do, to complete her so-called “Zero Mission.” As luck would have it, Samus Aran, a bounty hunter hired by the Galactic Federation, is to attack and destroy the Space Pirate HQ on the planet Zebes. It turns out there are experiments being done that will threaten the peace of the galaxy. What's more, the Space Pirates managed to acquire a bio creature called “Mother Brain.” Ridley, the leader of the Space Pirates, has put Mother Brain at the helm of the controlling all of the bases operations and/or defenses. Samus is no doubt going to have her hands full…

One of the most notable improvements over Metroid is the speed of the game. You'll notice that Samus moves far faster than in any other previous Metroid title, and this manages to give the series a serious update from the rather slow pace action we've seen in the past. Now, you still basically have the Metroid formula in work here. As you explore the planet Zebes, you'll run into different Chozo artifacts that have been left behind that will give Samus various upgrades to her suit. These range from the Charge Beam to the Screw Attack. Each upgrade will help Samus either solve a current puzzle or help in defeating enemies faster. But as the formula has more or less remained the same from what we've seen, what really makes Metroid: Zero Mission stand out in comparison to the other Metroid titles is the fact that it controls like no other. Everything from using missiles to performing multiple Screw Attacks is incredibly simple. The control is extremely responsive and will not create for any frustration – something some of the previous Metroid titles might have had a problem with.

Whenever you play any game, you always want it to house some seriously mean, tough boss battles that give you that solid satisfaction upon beating them down. Luckily, Metroid: Zero Missions delivers with just that. There will be bosses who tower far above Samus like Kraid and those that will test the quickness and reflexes like that of Ridley. There is some real variety to each and every boss, to the point that it will require you to do something different than the last. Kraid may require you to be better at jumping and firing while Ridley will test not only your ability to dodge, but your ability to land in hits as well. Many of these bosses will give you a fair share of difficulty as well. These are not bosses that you will wipe the floor with and then move on; you will be spending plenty of time focusing on each and barely coming out of many of them with the lowest of health. But this is where the satisfaction of beating them comes in. What's more, as you progress through the game the bosses will last longer, move faster, and hit harder so as you progress in your skill level through the game, the bosses will make sure to be there with you to test those skills. It's a nice little trade off that you honestly don't see in most games out there.

Since this is a remake of Metroid, the length of the game is going to be fairly short. You can complete the game in about three hours without trying to rush through it at all. Of course, you are given the opportunity to come back and play through the game again with the addition of a “Hard” mode and trying for 100% of the items. The difficulty of the game can be judged depending on what mode you play. The “Easy” mode is very easy and should not give you much trouble. The “Normal” mode should present some challenge in the form of bosses and advanced enemies. The “Hard” mode should give you a tough time from beginning-to-end on both the bosses and all of the enemies. This is one of those games were the difficulty of the game will stay very true to what difficulty mode you're playing on.

Another more noticeable improvement would unquestionably be in the visuals. Much of the dull and dark colors from the 8-bit NES have been given a complete makeover through the use of vibrant colors and schemes. Everything feels more alive and more fluid than what you may have seen in the past. Furthermore, every area and enemy has been given full detail to the environments such as the caverns of Brinstar to the more technologically advanced Mother Ship. There are a variety of different locales and areas that you'll be visiting throughout and each housing its own unique look makes every thing that much more fun to see. These graphics manage to be given such attention to detail that you can even see Samus's suit glow in between the slits in the suit. Little touches such as those really make the game stand out from other Game Boy Advance games out there. Zero Mission also features something new in the form of “cut-scenes.” At different key points, the game will break to a variety of clips that show off either a new boss or something important that may have happened. These cut-scenes use the art style of the game and look very reminiscent to something you might find within a comic book. There are not many of these found throughout the game, but they do manage to bring you into the game more – if mostly for the storyline.

Just as there are amazing visuals within a game, there always needs to be a soundtrack that is ambient and suiting what is going on around you. Heck, you may just want to have some catchy tunes to listen to while playing a game. Metroid: Zero Mission packs all of this in together with the best soundtrack in the Metroid franchise. There is the most obvious, and most catchy, song in Brinstar. It doesn't have that eerie feeling that a place like Tourian might have, but has that easier going, blast away weak enemy's kind of sound – if there was ever a sound that was to sound like that! The use of the sound effects, like Samus's charge beam, also are quite loud and really give that feeling of “power” in them. When you're charging the Charge Beam or launching a Missile, you will really feel that “Umph!” that needs to have with power weapons. It all makes for a very satisfying sound experience with that incredible power of the Game Boy Advance – fear! But with the varied tracks, the ambience, and just the quality of the sound make it some of the best heard on the GBA. If there were one soundtrack from Metroid to recommend listening to well after you were finished with the game, Zero Mission would be the one.

In conclusion, there is little doubt in just how well Metroid: Zero Mission really manages to be. The incredible game play, impressive soundtrack, and stunning visuals will no doubt leave a good impression on a seasoned Metroid veteran or just a casual player looking for a solid game for their Game Boy Advance. Zero Mission is easily one of the best GBA games to purchase and is among the greatest 2D games I've managed to play – even surpassing the almighty Super Metroid in terms of “greatness.” This is one that any gamer out there should check out.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/15/05