I am really glad that Metroid Fusion isn't just a Super Metroid 2.0. Fusion goes for something completely different for its progression structure and story and still stands up to the likes of Super and Dread in terms of quality because of it.
I'm not glad about that, a super metroid 2.0 would have been awesome. Fusion was a decent game, but unlike Zero mission or Super, I don't go back to play it again.
Hey if it takes 8 years between games so they can be ingenuative and fresh and not samsie I'm happy with that. I know all the issues with Metroid other m. And I think making it a sequel to 3 and a prequel to fusion was dumb. Have it be the very first but I digress... It had the ideas that lead to returns and then those later became dread. And I blame.super smash for those reasons. But take the time take the energy to be fresh to be smart and to design a new fresh game
The betrayal I felt. The fucking betrayal!!!! I had to rethink super and zero mission for everything and then when prime 3 came out I was just like.... You don't even know what their gonna do to you Hun.
I feel we are in the beginning of a Metroid renaissance though. After Dread, Nintendo is really taking the IP seriously again, they even full cancelled Prime 4 to make sure it's up to standard. MS will likely already be working on another 2d entry as well.
I didn't mind the scene with the Mysterious Suit guy talking to the A.I. Yeah, it's specifically spelled it out for the player, but I think that was obvious by the time you see Ridley's Frozen corpse and the mysterious music plays.
I literally had never thought about the angle of Samus hunting down and killing all of the metroids only to then suffer being hunted down by a copy of herself BECAUSE of what she did. You have given me an entirely new perspective on Fusion.
She hunted all the metroids, and then was hunted the same way Freezed then missiled Just like in the first game to kill the metroids The x parasites are truly terrifying
I’m not sure why but I’m addicted to watching you talk about the Metroid series. I found your Super video like 4 days ago and got caught up last night only to be blessed today. I love the fact that you leave in every burp that happens while you’re recording the script. Subbed.
Same progression here, although I haven’t seen the Metroid II video yet before watching this one. Fusion is my favourite so had to skip. No burps in this video though?
It is with a heavy heart that I announce that I have decided to stop chugging seltzer before and during my voiceover recordings. I enjoy the burps but a lot of people were upset by them.
Metroid fusion was my first experience with a GBA SP. They had them hooked up at the local Bestbuy, and while my parents were buying a bunch of stuff I was drawn to the SPs and Fusion was on one. I was almost instantly hooked. Games like fusion are why I have fond memories of the GBA-NDS era of handheld gaming.
On the melodramatic part another thing to consider is that the x would ravage the worlds and she could effectively do nothing but watch and live on as probably the last living thing in her galaxy
I find Fusion’s legacy particularly interesting considering the intention behind its release in conjunction with Metroid Prime. Prime was supposed to be the riskier departure from tradition, whereas Fusion was going to be the classic-style Metroid and a safer bet. In reality, the risks they took story-wise and streamlining the action made it controversial, but have aged it well.
If it had the same freedom of movement it would've been the best in the series. The huge difficulty curve it brought really brought this series forward when it comes to the 2d titles.
15:00 this is a nice point. I've always profoundly preferred Fusion's controls/feel to Super's but I couldn't tell you exactly why. Super's insane vertical jump and lame-duck horizontal movement is probably a big part of it. You've answered one of my bigger latent questions there ❤
I think Fusion making the bold choice to basically acknowledge the desire for a Super Metroid 2 and do the exact opposite was a good choice. If they had decided to make another game similar to SM it could have locked the series into following a formula from then on. Fusion makes it very clear that the Metroid series is iconic because it has always tried doing new things.
I’ve been playing metroid since Super. I’ve played all but the niche ones “metroid pinball” & “metroid hunters.” I have played Fusion the most, and adore it so much despite the criticism it received and still receives. I’ve played this so much i can (in my head) speedrun this and try to get my own PB’s without comparing to actual speedruns. My fastest time was 1:15. I still run it today for fun just to relax and for the nostalgia. The SA-X was terrifying my first playthrough and legitimately stopped me from progressing until i got over that as a kid. Hands down one of my fave.
I'll admit I had a gba-sp so I didn't think it look over-saturated. Especially when it was my first game. I love fusion despite it being on only gba. It'll always have a spot in my heart.
@@solarblaze2089As far as I know, the 3DS version isn't actually emulated. I am not very technically versed, so I might be wrong about how it works, but as I understand it, the DS was built on top of the GBA architecture, and the 3DS was built on the DS architecture, so GBA games can generally run on 3DS hardware by limiting itself to the hardware limitations.
@hansgretl1787 back when the 3ds shop was active you bought a digital copy of the game so technically yes but I was referring to owning the actual hard copy
I accidentally found your video and it is very insightful and informative! I also thought this game’s restrictive nature feels kind of 'a deviation’ in this series, but your interpretation and reasoning about the balance of game design and narrative is persuasive and I really like it. Great job! But I found a tiny error in the section you talk about the Japanese script in 1:03:28. The Japanese script doesn’t say ‘to stop 連邦軍派達’, instead it says ‘to stop 連邦軍派遣’ (there is no word like ‘派達’ in Japanese). ‘派遣’ means ‘to dispatch’, so the script just says ‘tell the HQ to stop to dispatch the Federation Army’. Although we can speculate that there may be a conflict between the HQ white collar guys and the Army or there may be factions or ideologic groups like many organizations, at least the Japanese script doesn’t imply anything by itself. Other than that, this is a very great analysis of the game in one of my favourite franchises!
Dude, thanks for making all of this metroid reviews. They are awesome! Hope to see the prime trilogy videos some time. The fact that you started with federation force is the best thing you could have done.
I think I like the way the story is told We have to remember that here samus is completely cornered, dread almost replicate the feeling, but unlike the emmi, the sa-x aren't restricted to an area (even tho the encounters are scripted, they, plotwise, can be anywhere) And the federation doesn't let samus escape either, and prevents her from killing the sa-x In the end she has to obey so she has even a slight chance of survival, she can't freely roam around
Fusion will always remain my favorite Metroid game, it's the first I bought as a child and the first I played start to finish. I have nightmares about the SA-X to this day. This is not a joke! That thing fucked me up and I love it, 10/10 would wake up bathed in sweat again.
I've always wondered if it was the infected scientist trying to blow up the station, not the X? He knew he was about to die. He knew it was going to be the only option to save the universe from the X threat.
It hits hard to remember this came out 22 years ago. Where has the time gone? It feels like we don't get much to show for it compared to all the bangers that would've come out up to this point
Both Paper Mario & Metroid Fusion were my first ever experience with horror elements in video games. Both Tubba Bubba & the Omega Metroid share similarities that I think really shaped my overall perception of what is considered scary to me. The very fact that when they are both introduced you cannot fight them. You cannot hurt them. You cannot beat them. You are hopelessly outmatched & must run away/hide. I would’ve never even noticed how similar they are if I hadn’t watched your video. So I thank you for this experience.
11:00 - "limited"?! The GBA didn't have LIMITED sound hardware. It had NO sound hardware. Sounds were produced using just the CPU, in a process known as bit-banging. The only ACTUAL pieces of "sound hardware" the GBA had was a speaker and headphone jack.
Context for the image at 23:12 Despite everyone's complaints about the lack of sequence breaking in this game, this one has arguably the most difficult to pull off sequence break in the entire series. It is evident that it is intentionally so. It involves using the speed boost's shinespark feature very vicariously in Sector 4 right after unlocking Security level 4, but before retrieving Diffusion Missiles. If you do every meticulous input correctly, you should be able to escape this area back the way you originally entered after the fight with Nightmare. Upon reaching the Navigation room for Sector 4, the AI will congratulate you on your ability to get back using the shinespark the way you did. The mysterious Federation agent likewise congratulates you, offering a reward that the AI suggests is not advisable. You are then instructed to fall back in line with the game's intended sequence. After confirming your objective, the message you see in this video is displayed.
I don't recall this getting explicitly mentioned, so: ice beam becoming ice missiles feels so elegant, at once making freeze both a limited resource and trivially optional. Got some issues with the game that I'd probably need to replay more to word better, mostly about how while "expecting Fusion to be Super gets you a bad experience" is an easy claim, I think the game could make itself clearer in that regard - before proceeding to the next sector I usually felt an urge to revisit some of the previous sectors with my new abilities, and I honestly might have had a better time if the game flat out didn't allow you to backtrack this much. The game presents you with the temptation akin to Super by giving you the option, yet it didn't live up to it in payoff, and my mindset when playing could have absolutely used more honestly about how linear the game wishes to be. Fortunately, Zero Mission seems to have been made for me specifically
Excellent video, I really loved getting this new insight on one of my favorite games as a kid. That said, I HAD NO IDEA THE FLARE MECHANIC EXISTED, WHAT?
That line where it's revealed to the player that things are afoot probably didn't land for you BECAUSE you were approaching this as a Metroid game, coming in off of a history of past Metroid games. That line is necessary because, if this is your first Metroid game, ESPECIALLY back in 2002 this was also likely your first Metroidvania. Up until this point, the game has been training the player to follow the line, follow the instructions, be a good drone. The hint here is the game pulling the rug out from under the complacent player.
That’s a great point I hadn’t considered. The uninitiated player who’s playing their first Metroid may operate under the assumption that the Federation is far more trustworthy than those who played, say, Metroid II. In that context, your point is important and well made.
53:54 Oh my GOD, I never noticed that! Of all the possible tools from Super at SA-X's disposal, it engages you EXCLUSIVELY by using the larva technique: freeze with ice beam; once frozen, switch to missiles
This was my first Metroid game. Got it when I was 8 or 9 around launch. Samus was cool as hell in Smash Bros and Nintendo Power hyped it up. I'm glad it gave the direction it did cause otherwise I'd have gotten lost and given up at that age. It's a different game than Super, but at the time so was the rest of the series and there were 4 Metroidvania games, it seems weird to have expected it be be something so specific.
"The Other M That Never Was" screenshot at 1:03:34 is actually a misreading of the text that hurts the point that you (and especially lexiconlookout) are trying to make: that doesn't say 連邦軍派達 (Federation Army Faction), he's misread the last kanji and 派達 is, to my knowledge, not even a word. It actually says 連邦軍派遣 (dispatch of the Federation Army). So in that shot, Samus is not saying "Tell HQ to stop the faction within the Federation Army", she's saying "Tell HQ to cancel the deployment of the Federation Army". I haven't watched the entirety of that lexiconlookout video, only around half of it, but in general he makes a lot of confident assertions that are demonstrably wrong like this.
I feel like you would enjoy the Fusion Randomizer. It really makes you appreciate the level design of the game when you're actually able to sequence break them.
My cousin got Fusion for his birthday back in 2002 and showed it to me. After he beat it he let me borrow it and Metroid has been my favorite series ever since. It became a full blown obsession that never went away. I've probably played this game over 100 times and I still keep coming back to it.
My first Metroid games were fusion and prime hunters so I will always love these games even if they aren't perfect. I show up for the atmosphere and world.
Idk how I’ve never thought to use the handheld shaders folder before for GBA. I’ve just used scan lines lol. The former is definitely better for phones, but it’s a difficult thing to get used to, having only played on emulator with the blown out colors. Great vid
Fusion did something most game devs wouldn't have the balls to do, they realized that they had already reached a sizable peak with SM, so they went in a direction that let them properly grow and learn.
I don't see why people hate on fusion. They knew that super metroid was perfect and impossible to out do, so they didn't try and went the opposite direction. It's perfectly logical.
I think there's a lot of criticism of Fusion's story that aren't organic. A lot of it comes from people retroactively judging it based on Other M while also attempting to turn it into another frontline of the gender wars. Her being "emotional" in Fusion as a criticism is manufactured.
it was never a mystery why the Federation had Metroid DNA on hand, the opening narration explained that they had a cell culture preserved from the Baby Metroid and this line in the exposition also establishes how the Metroid breeding program was even possible in the first place. The rogue faction in the Federation that spearheaded the project just had to take a sample from that cell culture, continue to grow that sample as a new cell culture until they had enough material on hand in the lab to begin serious work on cloning while maintaining their source sample so they would still have something left if initial results weren't promising.
How do you not have more subs? Glad to see this video blowing up though should get this channel more attention... got my sub for sure. Looking forward to future videos :D
Loved Metroid 1 and Fusion as a kid, I run 2D Metroid randomizers daily and recently started running some more Fusion. The controls spoil me every time I go back to Super lmao. Honestly it's probably around my 3rd favorite 2D Metroid, but like you said I just love Metroid so it really isn't a slight against it. I'm also biased from a history of speed running Super and Dread since those are my favorites. Shout out to sector 4(AQA), I love sector 4(AQA)!!! Also the entire story of Fusion is a core memory of my childhood. I remember having a recurring dream where I was playing Fusion on a GBC cart.
I don't remember how or why I had Metroid Fusion; I just did. I remember playing it at like 9yrs old and was hooked ever since and it remains among my favorite games and favorite Metroid game of all time. And Fusion remains one of the most popular and influential in the series. Take Dread for example; It's a direct sequel to Fusion and in the end of Dread, an X parasite once again saves her in the end. And (yes...I'm bringing it up..) Other M; The enemies like Nightmare are in there. Everything comes full circle BACK to Metroid Fusion. Also I really enjoy Samus' personality in Fusion. She shows just enough to be very engaging. Samus isn't just some stoiic, robotic woman. She has emotions and passions like anyone else.
I've never had an issue with how the colors look on emulator, nothing ever came off as ugly or garish, just felt like they wanted something more colorful than Super, same with Zero Mission. Considering both Fusion and Zero Mission were attempting a more manga/comic art style, the bright colors felt natural.
I didn’t really go into this in the video, but I should have also said I think that these GBA games still look great to me even when played unfiltered on an emulator.
Still remember when I was a kid. It was early December, my mom put the game under the tree. I snuck it and played it on my GBA-SD and I recall her saying, "what game is that?" cause it sounded way different than all my other games (Super Mario World, Terminator 3 and some other games)
If you're going to talk about the Metroid series, I strongly recommend you check out Wario Land 3 as the missing link between Super and Fusion. A lot of the things Metroid Fusion does I find Wario Land 3 did before. Check it out, along with the video on my channel where I read out an essay on why it's the most unique metroidvania ever made. It's also why I consider Metroid Fusion to be more of a sequel to Wario Land 3 than 4 was. It's my favourite game of all time too. If you do the video I suggest, please mention the essay as well.
I've just formed a thought on the ending of Fusion: Given that it has higher intelligence and also copies the memories of its victims, I can come up with a few reasons the SA-X helps Samus without it being about the Omega being the greater immediate threat. It has seen Samus eject the restricted area (which had Metroid on them) and decided Samus = kills Metroids = now on our side (for some reason). I mean, you literally are fighting the omega Metroid here as well. It has also looked into Samus' memories and it has seen her commit genocide against the Metroids before. So maybe the SA-X decided they'd need a "Metroid Hunter" out in the galaxy to remove any last threat to their own propagation. This does include the Omega Metroid in Fusion, yes, but also any other Metroid that might exist out there.
You know a Metroid video's gonna be good if the video's longer than it takes me to actually beat the game Really good video! Never thought about the SA-X being a literal reflection of Samus in the first 3 games like that. VERY interesting stuff!
I understand Fusion is a point of contention for Super Metroid players. As someone who followed the handheld consoles instead, and hadn't even played Super at the time, I thought it was really cool getting a sequel to Metroid 2 that improved upon it so drastically in every way and followed naturally from its plot and setting. I can only imagine that was the idea - the second handheld Metroid, picking up after the first. It's not so different from how Super Metroid(the second console Metroid) is more of a direct sequel to the first game than Metroid 2, in terms of setting and format. I think this follows from the developers. Nintendo R&D1 were on Metroid 2, Zero mission and Fusion while Intelligent systems were on Metroid 1, and both of them were on Super Metroid(I wanna say nintendo on design, and intelligent systems on programming). There's more crossover and differences in staff than just that, but I think this stuff is reflected in the games themselves to a certain extent.
I first played through this game on NSO and LOVED IT! I just more recently played Metroid Zero Mission that just came out and liked it a lot as well. Many like Zero Mission better cause they say Fusionncan be too linear but I found Zero Mission a little short and slightly uneventful (I guessncausenitsnan upgrade from the original) and doesn't feel as epic as Fusion. The bosses in Fusion are the best in the series and it feels like it overall has great art design I can't stop appreciating. Zero Missionnstill awesome though but Fusion takes the cake for me when you compare them.
I just stumbled on this channel and man I know I’ll be going through all your videos! Fusion is one of my favorites in the series, so I quite enjoy this analysis. Super Metroid was my first and my favorite, but I love that Fusion is so different and unique from it while being so captivating and intriguing in its own right.
I genuinely never understood why some people didn't like Fusion. It was a bold game with a completely different take on the formula, and it worked. Well-written linear games lend themselves to highly curated narratives that allow the story and its world to be experienced exactly how the developers want. The problem with more open games is the pacing is so poor that you can forgot what the hell is going on or where you need to go, and you end up focusing too much on what to do next instead of allowing yourself to be immersed in the environment and appreciate the worldbuilding. Fusions linearity serves it so well, the story is so damn good and the environments, soundtrack, etc perfectly capture the mood and make the whole experience feel tailored and highly polished.
In Nightmare's phase 2 you can make him orbit around the room and avoid all damage. If you leave the ladder just before he hits you and go top-left -> top-right -> bottom right -> bottom left -> repeat x1-2 times then go to the ladder again and shoot, repeat maybe once or twice. Fight becomes a lot better in low% etc with this.
For the longest time I've always mentioned this game with high praise to the people I talked to, but watching this fairly new video earned me new perspective points (Samus being the hunted one after 3 games full of hunting) and new stuff to praise in this game. This game slightly pushed me towards my Biology major and MSc degrees and it is a bigger reason for my fascination for hi-tech exoskeleton battle suits than the Iron Man comics and MCU as a whole. Fusion is well written as it's a whole twist to the Metroid universe. There are many COD games that question the "you're meaningless to the ones you are loyal to" kind of plot, too. But Metroid 4 just takes it to a new level where the Galactic Federation is so infatuated with power, preventing its foolish mistakes becomes the hero duty of the day for Samus. Thank you for this video, your writing and criticisms are excellent.
I just fot back into my GB/GBA collection from building a backlit GBA. I have been beating all my favorite childhood games like Zero Mission, Fusion, FFTA, etc. Fusion was always a game i favored over Zero Mission despite zero also being amazing. Great video! Also, as someone who looooves the GBA, i never knew about the oversaturation of the colors. Ya learn something new everyday.
Great Video! I always interpreted the SA-X merging with you as a last desperate act to ensure survival at all cost. It/ They knew they were doomed and maybe clinging to Samus or becoming a part of her was truly the only way left open for them that was some sort of survival.
This is by far my favorite metroid game. I was addicted to playing this on my phone 5-10 years ago. Im getting nostalgic just watching this. Maybe ill boot it up soon
Just finished Metroid dread, Spoiler Alert! After this video I understand what that ending ment. X is capable of sympathy and even respect, the Metroid DNA gives Samus the ability to defeat the final boss, but it also makes her very close to a monster, the final purple X turns her back to her human self, showing ability of self-control.
I am currently playing Fusion, and i'm going to 100% it, i love this game so much that i played it on wii, wii u, ds lite, like 10 times each, i remember struggling to get one Energy upgrade as a child but now im going to avenge myself. And another thing that you mentioned, the list of the upgrades that you missed appear when you beat the game THEN continue playing it, its not necesary to Start Over.
At the end of the day if you have to beat a game like Super Metroid as what it is you are goting to have problems. If you make a solid game in spite of it you will likely have better luck. Played both and Zero mission several times through and while Super I would say is the best I don't have a problem with Fusion or Zero as they are both solid games. This is talking from a stand point of 10 years since I have played any of them. I am half tempted to get both Samus Returns and a Switch for Dread but also considering giving AM2R a try cause it seriously looks like Super but with some upgrades.
It's funny looking back. As a kid the first time seeing the SA-X, and knowing they were space blobs, when I saw the face reveal I thought the nose was a mouth. It looked like OnO to me
Just got you recommended in my feed, this video was so in depth and interesting to watch! Youve got a subscribe from me 👍 Fusion is also my favorite Metroid story, and i think the game is all the better for it. But you've given me nee reasons to love it in this video!
Extremely well made review / analysis up into the very end. But gotta disagree with you. I can appreciate our fictional protagonist beautiful female anatomy, but I agree, more artwork with more variety of pictures would be greatly appreciated 👍
Honestly in hindsight, if the federation wanted to wipe out the x infestation they could have released the metroids they were raising, so on a second playthrough the fact they sent samus at all is suspect
The linear aspect goes hand in hand with the loss of Samus’ agency. Nothing more or less to it. Otherwise, yeah chill out on the Samus reward ASSpect, it’s basically tradition at this point, it’s not like she’s starting an only fans .
You just solidified my theory about fusion getting inspiration from the thing. What set me off was the bald scientist representing Blair in his transformation. Fucken wicked man
So fun fact. If you play the Metroid Fusion randomizer and get screw attack before space jump, you can do single wall jumps. Why that works? I have no idea. But it’s a cool fun fact. Great video by the way. 😊
Zoomed in panning shots of luigi finally getting to enjoy his mansion or vacation after the game? No no, By all means PLEASE put that in luigi's mansion as a reward
56:23 Dont worry i have your answer. Remember the metroid baby from super metroid? Well the metroid baby had its dna extracted from it In other words metroid surgery 🙃👍
Fusion has good strengths, like atmosphere, but the linearity goes against metroids design, and removing bomb jumping and single wall jumping just feels plain wrong
I still really love fusion I’ve replayed it so many times over the years. I also just love the world of Metroid and anything that gives us a bit more story so that may be a reason I like it so much they could really expand the world so much there’s a lot there
I feel like most peoples problem with this game is what this game it isn't instead what game it is. If you are willing to overlook what this game isn't you'll find a damn good Metroid.
The scene where the suit speaks to the ship AI is so bad. If you haven’t figured out that the federation is kinda against you before that, then the turn near the end would have even more weight and feel even better!
I am really glad that Metroid Fusion isn't just a Super Metroid 2.0. Fusion goes for something completely different for its progression structure and story and still stands up to the likes of Super and Dread in terms of quality because of it.
I'm not glad about that, a super metroid 2.0 would have been awesome. Fusion was a decent game, but unlike Zero mission or Super, I don't go back to play it again.
super metroid is worst than fusion, zero mission and dread tbh@@cyberpunkspike
@@cyberpunkspikesuper metroid is worse than metroid 2
@@platinum-or3yNow you're stretching it.
Hey if it takes 8 years between games so they can be ingenuative and fresh and not samsie I'm happy with that. I know all the issues with Metroid other m. And I think making it a sequel to 3 and a prequel to fusion was dumb. Have it be the very first but I digress... It had the ideas that lead to returns and then those later became dread. And I blame.super smash for those reasons. But take the time take the energy to be fresh to be smart and to design a new fresh game
Can confirm, as a young child, I never doubted the Federation until the blatant in-your-face "Does she suspect anything?"
The betrayal I felt. The fucking betrayal!!!! I had to rethink super and zero mission for everything and then when prime 3 came out I was just like.... You don't even know what their gonna do to you Hun.
@@tylamcgilverson3923 there's actually a small mistranslation in fusion where the part that specifies it to be a corrupt part of the Federation
@@tylamcgilverson3923metroids needed to be eradicated. Sounds like a small group of higher ups setting up these situations
Metroid Fusion stands alongside Metroid Prime perfectly. Hard to believe they both came out the same day. Imagine that now.
I feel we are in the beginning of a Metroid renaissance though. After Dread, Nintendo is really taking the IP seriously again, they even full cancelled Prime 4 to make sure it's up to standard. MS will likely already be working on another 2d entry as well.
It was a good day.
Metroid prime 4 and dread 2 would be crazy
@@0rbital116we don’t need a “dread 2” just Metroid 6 and whatever name they give it
@@maccamachine thank you, i was thinking about commenting this aswell
I didn't mind the scene with the Mysterious Suit guy talking to the A.I.
Yeah, it's specifically spelled it out for the player, but I think that was obvious by the time you see Ridley's Frozen corpse and the mysterious music plays.
I literally had never thought about the angle of Samus hunting down and killing all of the metroids only to then suffer being hunted down by a copy of herself BECAUSE of what she did. You have given me an entirely new perspective on Fusion.
She hunted all the metroids, and then was hunted the same way
Freezed then missiled
Just like in the first game to kill the metroids
The x parasites are truly terrifying
The fact that she IS effectively the last Metroid gives it even more irony.
I’m not sure why but I’m addicted to watching you talk about the Metroid series. I found your Super video like 4 days ago and got caught up last night only to be blessed today. I love the fact that you leave in every burp that happens while you’re recording the script. Subbed.
Same progression here, although I haven’t seen the Metroid II video yet before watching this one. Fusion is my favourite so had to skip. No burps in this video though?
It is with a heavy heart that I announce that I have decided to stop chugging seltzer before and during my voiceover recordings. I enjoy the burps but a lot of people were upset by them.
@@FlatulentFetus tragic. Unsubbed.
@@DavidFowlerMusic😂
Metroid fusion was my first experience with a GBA SP. They had them hooked up at the local Bestbuy, and while my parents were buying a bunch of stuff I was drawn to the SPs and Fusion was on one. I was almost instantly hooked.
Games like fusion are why I have fond memories of the GBA-NDS era of handheld gaming.
On the melodramatic part another thing to consider is that the x would ravage the worlds and she could effectively do nothing but watch and live on as probably the last living thing in her galaxy
Your writing is astonishingly lucid and cogent for a person that goes by "Pipi DaFeces"
I find Fusion’s legacy particularly interesting considering the intention behind its release in conjunction with Metroid Prime. Prime was supposed to be the riskier departure from tradition, whereas Fusion was going to be the classic-style Metroid and a safer bet. In reality, the risks they took story-wise and streamlining the action made it controversial, but have aged it well.
It's one of those things that needed to be done but opened pandora's box in the process.
I also never equated SA-X second form as Hornoad x Samus! I actuqlly learned somethibg new!!
Metroid Fusion was a huge feat.
It’s my #2 on my list 😊
If it had the same freedom of movement it would've been the best in the series. The huge difficulty curve it brought really brought this series forward when it comes to the 2d titles.
Another great video from peepeepoopooman.
15:00 this is a nice point. I've always profoundly preferred Fusion's controls/feel to Super's but I couldn't tell you exactly why. Super's insane vertical jump and lame-duck horizontal movement is probably a big part of it. You've answered one of my bigger latent questions there ❤
I think Fusion making the bold choice to basically acknowledge the desire for a Super Metroid 2 and do the exact opposite was a good choice. If they had decided to make another game similar to SM it could have locked the series into following a formula from then on. Fusion makes it very clear that the Metroid series is iconic because it has always tried doing new things.
I’ve been playing metroid since Super. I’ve played all but the niche ones “metroid pinball” & “metroid hunters.” I have played Fusion the most, and adore it so much despite the criticism it received and still receives. I’ve played this so much i can (in my head) speedrun this and try to get my own PB’s without comparing to actual speedruns. My fastest time was 1:15. I still run it today for fun just to relax and for the nostalgia. The SA-X was terrifying my first playthrough and legitimately stopped me from progressing until i got over that as a kid. Hands down one of my fave.
I'll admit I had a gba-sp so I didn't think it look over-saturated. Especially when it was my first game. I love fusion despite it being on only gba. It'll always have a spot in my heart.
I had it on sp also
Fusion is on the switch though and it was on 3DS with the ambassador program
@maccamachine that's emulation tho. We're talking physical hardware copies
@@solarblaze2089As far as I know, the 3DS version isn't actually emulated. I am not very technically versed, so I might be wrong about how it works, but as I understand it, the DS was built on top of the GBA architecture, and the 3DS was built on the DS architecture, so GBA games can generally run on 3DS hardware by limiting itself to the hardware limitations.
@hansgretl1787 back when the 3ds shop was active you bought a digital copy of the game so technically yes but I was referring to owning the actual hard copy
You didn’t talk about how cute the Etecoons and Dachoras are. 0 out of 10
I just replayed Fusion (found the cart in an old box), and it was one of the most fun game experiences i've had in forever
I accidentally found your video and it is very insightful and informative! I also thought this game’s restrictive nature feels kind of 'a deviation’ in this series, but your interpretation and reasoning about the balance of game design and narrative is persuasive and I really like it. Great job!
But I found a tiny error in the section you talk about the Japanese script in 1:03:28. The Japanese script doesn’t say ‘to stop 連邦軍派達’, instead it says ‘to stop 連邦軍派遣’ (there is no word like ‘派達’ in Japanese). ‘派遣’ means ‘to dispatch’, so the script just says ‘tell the HQ to stop to dispatch the Federation Army’. Although we can speculate that there may be a conflict between the HQ white collar guys and the Army or there may be factions or ideologic groups like many organizations, at least the Japanese script doesn’t imply anything by itself.
Other than that, this is a very great analysis of the game in one of my favourite franchises!
Dude, thanks for making all of this metroid reviews. They are awesome! Hope to see the prime trilogy videos some time. The fact that you started with federation force is the best thing you could have done.
I think I like the way the story is told
We have to remember that here samus is completely cornered, dread almost replicate the feeling, but unlike the emmi, the sa-x aren't restricted to an area (even tho the encounters are scripted, they, plotwise, can be anywhere)
And the federation doesn't let samus escape either, and prevents her from killing the sa-x
In the end she has to obey so she has even a slight chance of survival, she can't freely roam around
Fusion will always remain my favorite Metroid game, it's the first I bought as a child and the first I played start to finish. I have nightmares about the SA-X to this day. This is not a joke! That thing fucked me up and I love it, 10/10 would wake up bathed in sweat again.
I've always wondered if it was the infected scientist trying to blow up the station, not the X? He knew he was about to die. He knew it was going to be the only option to save the universe from the X threat.
It hits hard to remember this came out 22 years ago. Where has the time gone? It feels like we don't get much to show for it compared to all the bangers that would've come out up to this point
Both Paper Mario & Metroid Fusion were my first ever experience with horror elements in video games. Both Tubba Bubba & the Omega Metroid share similarities that I think really shaped my overall perception of what is considered scary to me. The very fact that when they are both introduced you cannot fight them. You cannot hurt them. You cannot beat them. You are hopelessly outmatched & must run away/hide. I would’ve never even noticed how similar they are if I hadn’t watched your video. So I thank you for this experience.
Oh wow, same!
11:00 - "limited"?! The GBA didn't have LIMITED sound hardware. It had NO sound hardware. Sounds were produced using just the CPU, in a process known as bit-banging. The only ACTUAL pieces of "sound hardware" the GBA had was a speaker and headphone jack.
Context for the image at 23:12
Despite everyone's complaints about the lack of sequence breaking in this game, this one has arguably the most difficult to pull off sequence break in the entire series. It is evident that it is intentionally so. It involves using the speed boost's shinespark feature very vicariously in Sector 4 right after unlocking Security level 4, but before retrieving Diffusion Missiles. If you do every meticulous input correctly, you should be able to escape this area back the way you originally entered after the fight with Nightmare.
Upon reaching the Navigation room for Sector 4, the AI will congratulate you on your ability to get back using the shinespark the way you did. The mysterious Federation agent likewise congratulates you, offering a reward that the AI suggests is not advisable. You are then instructed to fall back in line with the game's intended sequence. After confirming your objective, the message you see in this video is displayed.
I don't recall this getting explicitly mentioned, so: ice beam becoming ice missiles feels so elegant, at once making freeze both a limited resource and trivially optional.
Got some issues with the game that I'd probably need to replay more to word better, mostly about how while "expecting Fusion to be Super gets you a bad experience" is an easy claim, I think the game could make itself clearer in that regard - before proceeding to the next sector I usually felt an urge to revisit some of the previous sectors with my new abilities, and I honestly might have had a better time if the game flat out didn't allow you to backtrack this much. The game presents you with the temptation akin to Super by giving you the option, yet it didn't live up to it in payoff, and my mindset when playing could have absolutely used more honestly about how linear the game wishes to be.
Fortunately, Zero Mission seems to have been made for me specifically
Excellent video, I really loved getting this new insight on one of my favorite games as a kid. That said, I HAD NO IDEA THE FLARE MECHANIC EXISTED, WHAT?
That line where it's revealed to the player that things are afoot probably didn't land for you BECAUSE you were approaching this as a Metroid game, coming in off of a history of past Metroid games. That line is necessary because, if this is your first Metroid game, ESPECIALLY back in 2002 this was also likely your first Metroidvania. Up until this point, the game has been training the player to follow the line, follow the instructions, be a good drone. The hint here is the game pulling the rug out from under the complacent player.
That’s a great point I hadn’t considered. The uninitiated player who’s playing their first Metroid may operate under the assumption that the Federation is far more trustworthy than those who played, say, Metroid II. In that context, your point is important and well made.
53:54
Oh my GOD, I never noticed that!
Of all the possible tools from Super at SA-X's disposal, it engages you EXCLUSIVELY by using the larva technique: freeze with ice beam; once frozen, switch to missiles
You didn't notice the specific thing that Adam tells you to look out for?
@@Moonboogieadam said run.🏃
So i ran without looking back man
Never thought I'd say it but you're probably the greatest Italian who ever reviewed Metroid Fusion, Pipi.
This was my first Metroid game. Got it when I was 8 or 9 around launch. Samus was cool as hell in Smash Bros and Nintendo Power hyped it up. I'm glad it gave the direction it did cause otherwise I'd have gotten lost and given up at that age. It's a different game than Super, but at the time so was the rest of the series and there were 4 Metroidvania games, it seems weird to have expected it be be something so specific.
if you were not a small channel that i want to see grow i would have clciked off at the other m comparison
nah i get your point tho
1:38 i wish i had parent who would give me metroid games like that.
"The Other M That Never Was" screenshot at 1:03:34 is actually a misreading of the text that hurts the point that you (and especially lexiconlookout) are trying to make: that doesn't say 連邦軍派達 (Federation Army Faction), he's misread the last kanji and 派達 is, to my knowledge, not even a word. It actually says 連邦軍派遣 (dispatch of the Federation Army). So in that shot, Samus is not saying "Tell HQ to stop the faction within the Federation Army", she's saying "Tell HQ to cancel the deployment of the Federation Army".
I haven't watched the entirety of that lexiconlookout video, only around half of it, but in general he makes a lot of confident assertions that are demonstrably wrong like this.
Interesting to know. I’m curious if there’s a more accurate translation of Fusion available somewhere to examine this situation more closely?
noa’s localization team sucks and fusion is probably the biggest example besides recent fire emblem games
Can you make a playlist for your Metroid vidieos so I can binge them
Thank you
I feel like you would enjoy the Fusion Randomizer. It really makes you appreciate the level design of the game when you're actually able to sequence break them.
My cousin got Fusion for his birthday back in 2002 and showed it to me. After he beat it he let me borrow it and Metroid has been my favorite series ever since. It became a full blown obsession that never went away. I've probably played this game over 100 times and I still keep coming back to it.
My first Metroid games were fusion and prime hunters so I will always love these games even if they aren't perfect. I show up for the atmosphere and world.
Idk how I’ve never thought to use the handheld shaders folder before for GBA. I’ve just used scan lines lol. The former is definitely better for phones, but it’s a difficult thing to get used to, having only played on emulator with the blown out colors. Great vid
Holy shit, the thumbnail, the title, the propic, the username, i just instinctively subscribed i didnt even watch the video yet
mkultra initiation complete
Fusion did something most game devs wouldn't have the balls to do, they realized that they had already reached a sizable peak with SM, so they went in a direction that let them properly grow and learn.
I don't see why people hate on fusion. They knew that super metroid was perfect and impossible to out do, so they didn't try and went the opposite direction. It's perfectly logical.
This is my favorite game of all time for a reason. They did everything perfect tbh.
I think there's a lot of criticism of Fusion's story that aren't organic. A lot of it comes from people retroactively judging it based on Other M while also attempting to turn it into another frontline of the gender wars. Her being "emotional" in Fusion as a criticism is manufactured.
it was never a mystery why the Federation had Metroid DNA on hand, the opening narration explained that they had a cell culture preserved from the Baby Metroid and this line in the exposition also establishes how the Metroid breeding program was even possible in the first place. The rogue faction in the Federation that spearheaded the project just had to take a sample from that cell culture, continue to grow that sample as a new cell culture until they had enough material on hand in the lab to begin serious work on cloning while maintaining their source sample so they would still have something left if initial results weren't promising.
Samus says the Federation “must have” preserved a cell culture. She’s speculating, a hint that even Samus doesn’t know why they have that.
I also got Fusion at age 11 only it was in 2002...Christ I'm getting old
How do you not have more subs? Glad to see this video blowing up though should get this channel more attention... got my sub for sure.
Looking forward to future videos :D
Loved Metroid 1 and Fusion as a kid, I run 2D Metroid randomizers daily and recently started running some more Fusion. The controls spoil me every time I go back to Super lmao. Honestly it's probably around my 3rd favorite 2D Metroid, but like you said I just love Metroid so it really isn't a slight against it. I'm also biased from a history of speed running Super and Dread since those are my favorites. Shout out to sector 4(AQA), I love sector 4(AQA)!!! Also the entire story of Fusion is a core memory of my childhood. I remember having a recurring dream where I was playing Fusion on a GBC cart.
I don't remember how or why I had Metroid Fusion; I just did. I remember playing it at like 9yrs old and was hooked ever since and it remains among my favorite games and favorite Metroid game of all time.
And Fusion remains one of the most popular and influential in the series. Take Dread for example; It's a direct sequel to Fusion and in the end of Dread, an X parasite once again saves her in the end. And (yes...I'm bringing it up..) Other M; The enemies like Nightmare are in there. Everything comes full circle BACK to Metroid Fusion. Also I really enjoy Samus' personality in Fusion. She shows just enough to be very engaging. Samus isn't just some stoiic, robotic woman. She has emotions and passions like anyone else.
The only thing as based as Metroid Fusion is this video
I clearly watched your Metroid 3 review just in time
This video has now convinced me to complete this game on my mobile phone GBA emulator. Wish me luck
I've never had an issue with how the colors look on emulator, nothing ever came off as ugly or garish, just felt like they wanted something more colorful than Super, same with Zero Mission.
Considering both Fusion and Zero Mission were attempting a more manga/comic art style, the bright colors felt natural.
I didn’t really go into this in the video, but I should have also said I think that these GBA games still look great to me even when played unfiltered on an emulator.
Still remember when I was a kid. It was early December, my mom put the game under the tree. I snuck it and played it on my GBA-SD and I recall her saying, "what game is that?" cause it sounded way different than all my other games (Super Mario World, Terminator 3 and some other games)
My favourite game (or maybe Zero Mission, miss the GBA)
If you're going to talk about the Metroid series, I strongly recommend you check out Wario Land 3 as the missing link between Super and Fusion. A lot of the things Metroid Fusion does I find Wario Land 3 did before. Check it out, along with the video on my channel where I read out an essay on why it's the most unique metroidvania ever made. It's also why I consider Metroid Fusion to be more of a sequel to Wario Land 3 than 4 was. It's my favourite game of all time too. If you do the video I suggest, please mention the essay as well.
I've just formed a thought on the ending of Fusion:
Given that it has higher intelligence and also copies the memories of its victims, I can come up with a few reasons the SA-X helps Samus without it being about the Omega being the greater immediate threat.
It has seen Samus eject the restricted area (which had Metroid on them) and decided Samus = kills Metroids = now on our side (for some reason). I mean, you literally are fighting the omega Metroid here as well. It has also looked into Samus' memories and it has seen her commit genocide against the Metroids before. So maybe the SA-X decided they'd need a "Metroid Hunter" out in the galaxy to remove any last threat to their own propagation. This does include the Omega Metroid in Fusion, yes, but also any other Metroid that might exist out there.
You know a Metroid video's gonna be good if the video's longer than it takes me to actually beat the game
Really good video! Never thought about the SA-X being a literal reflection of Samus in the first 3 games like that. VERY interesting stuff!
I already knew that Fusion was based, but I came here to know just how much and I am not disappointed
I understand Fusion is a point of contention for Super Metroid players. As someone who followed the handheld consoles instead, and hadn't even played Super at the time, I thought it was really cool getting a sequel to Metroid 2 that improved upon it so drastically in every way and followed naturally from its plot and setting. I can only imagine that was the idea - the second handheld Metroid, picking up after the first. It's not so different from how Super Metroid(the second console Metroid) is more of a direct sequel to the first game than Metroid 2, in terms of setting and format.
I think this follows from the developers. Nintendo R&D1 were on Metroid 2, Zero mission and Fusion while Intelligent systems were on Metroid 1, and both of them were on Super Metroid(I wanna say nintendo on design, and intelligent systems on programming). There's more crossover and differences in staff than just that, but I think this stuff is reflected in the games themselves to a certain extent.
I first played through this game on NSO and LOVED IT! I just more recently played Metroid Zero Mission that just came out and liked it a lot as well. Many like Zero Mission better cause they say Fusionncan be too linear but I found Zero Mission a little short and slightly uneventful (I guessncausenitsnan upgrade from the original) and doesn't feel as epic as Fusion. The bosses in Fusion are the best in the series and it feels like it overall has great art design I can't stop appreciating. Zero Missionnstill awesome though but Fusion takes the cake for me when you compare them.
I just stumbled on this channel and man I know I’ll be going through all your videos! Fusion is one of my favorites in the series, so I quite enjoy this analysis. Super Metroid was my first and my favorite, but I love that Fusion is so different and unique from it while being so captivating and intriguing in its own right.
I genuinely never understood why some people didn't like Fusion. It was a bold game with a completely different take on the formula, and it worked. Well-written linear games lend themselves to highly curated narratives that allow the story and its world to be experienced exactly how the developers want. The problem with more open games is the pacing is so poor that you can forgot what the hell is going on or where you need to go, and you end up focusing too much on what to do next instead of allowing yourself to be immersed in the environment and appreciate the worldbuilding.
Fusions linearity serves it so well, the story is so damn good and the environments, soundtrack, etc perfectly capture the mood and make the whole experience feel tailored and highly polished.
In Nightmare's phase 2 you can make him orbit around the room and avoid all damage. If you leave the ladder just before he hits you and go top-left -> top-right -> bottom right -> bottom left -> repeat x1-2 times then go to the ladder again and shoot, repeat maybe once or twice. Fight becomes a lot better in low% etc with this.
I've played Fusion at least a dozen times over, and I never knew about flare damage XD. Thanks for that info.
1:10:11
Samus: Gets stopped from preventing the extinction of the known universe by an AI copy of her father figure
Metroid Fans: You're overreacting
For the longest time I've always mentioned this game with high praise to the people I talked to, but watching this fairly new video earned me new perspective points (Samus being the hunted one after 3 games full of hunting) and new stuff to praise in this game. This game slightly pushed me towards my Biology major and MSc degrees and it is a bigger reason for my fascination for hi-tech exoskeleton battle suits than the Iron Man comics and MCU as a whole. Fusion is well written as it's a whole twist to the Metroid universe. There are many COD games that question the "you're meaningless to the ones you are loyal to" kind of plot, too. But Metroid 4 just takes it to a new level where the Galactic Federation is so infatuated with power, preventing its foolish mistakes becomes the hero duty of the day for Samus. Thank you for this video, your writing and criticisms are excellent.
I just fot back into my GB/GBA collection from building a backlit GBA. I have been beating all my favorite childhood games like Zero Mission, Fusion, FFTA, etc.
Fusion was always a game i favored over Zero Mission despite zero also being amazing. Great video!
Also, as someone who looooves the GBA, i never knew about the oversaturation of the colors. Ya learn something new everyday.
Thank you.
Fusion is my bae.
I hate that it is judged on 'not being Super'
It, like you said, uses what it is to its advantage.
Great Video!
I always interpreted the SA-X merging with you as a last desperate act to ensure survival at all cost. It/ They knew they were doomed and maybe clinging to Samus or becoming a part of her was truly the only way left open for them that was some sort of survival.
They can't survive the fusion manual notes x is consumes by metroid tissue in a celular level
They are also aggresive to metroid tissue
This is by far my favorite metroid game. I was addicted to playing this on my phone 5-10 years ago. Im getting nostalgic just watching this. Maybe ill boot it up soon
Just finished Metroid dread, Spoiler Alert! After this video I understand what that ending ment.
X is capable of sympathy and even respect, the Metroid DNA gives Samus the ability to defeat the final boss, but it also makes her very close to a monster, the final purple X turns her back to her human self, showing ability of self-control.
I am currently playing Fusion, and i'm going to 100% it, i love this game so much that i played it on wii, wii u, ds lite, like 10 times each, i remember struggling to get one Energy upgrade as a child but now im going to avenge myself. And another thing that you mentioned, the list of the upgrades that you missed appear when you beat the game THEN continue playing it, its not necesary to Start Over.
The English Translation messed up
The responsible of the conspiracy is a splinter faction of the federation
Like in other m
At the end of the day if you have to beat a game like Super Metroid as what it is you are goting to have problems. If you make a solid game in spite of it you will likely have better luck.
Played both and Zero mission several times through and while Super I would say is the best I don't have a problem with Fusion or Zero as they are both solid games. This is talking from a stand point of 10 years since I have played any of them.
I am half tempted to get both Samus Returns and a Switch for Dread but also considering giving AM2R a try cause it seriously looks like Super but with some upgrades.
It's funny looking back. As a kid the first time seeing the SA-X, and knowing they were space blobs, when I saw the face reveal I thought the nose was a mouth. It looked like OnO to me
I was initially very confused by the colour criticism, but thats because I've only ever played it on a real gba
Just got you recommended in my feed, this video was so in depth and interesting to watch! Youve got a subscribe from me 👍
Fusion is also my favorite Metroid story, and i think the game is all the better for it. But you've given me nee reasons to love it in this video!
Extremely well made review / analysis up into the very end. But gotta disagree with you. I can appreciate our fictional protagonist beautiful female anatomy, but I agree, more artwork with more variety of pictures would be greatly appreciated 👍
Honestly in hindsight, if the federation wanted to wipe out the x infestation they could have released the metroids they were raising, so on a second playthrough the fact they sent samus at all is suspect
The linear aspect goes hand in hand with the loss of Samus’ agency. Nothing more or less to it. Otherwise, yeah chill out on the Samus reward ASSpect, it’s basically tradition at this point, it’s not like she’s starting an only fans .
You just solidified my theory about fusion getting inspiration from the thing. What set me off was the bald scientist representing Blair in his transformation. Fucken wicked man
So fun fact. If you play the Metroid Fusion randomizer and get screw attack before space jump, you can do single wall jumps. Why that works? I have no idea. But it’s a cool fun fact. Great video by the way. 😊
Zoomed in panning shots of luigi finally getting to enjoy his mansion or vacation after the game?
No no, By all means PLEASE put that in luigi's mansion as a reward
An hour and thirty minutes for a Metroid fusion playthrough? Alright. Speedrun challenge accepted.
Most correct title ive ever seen on a youtube video. Fusion is so based that its unreal. Been really enjoying going through yer vids, mate. Cheers.
Metroid Fusion:
That’s why he’s the Goat… THE GOAT!
56:23
Dont worry i have your answer.
Remember the metroid baby from super metroid? Well the metroid baby had its dna extracted from it
In other words metroid surgery 🙃👍
When I was a kid, I engaged Sa-X with 1 energy just so I could laugh at the Omegatroid and call it a pussy for hitting with 0 damage.
this video is amazing, so many things that I overlooked as I child that you are now making me notice. Please continue making videos like this!!
I loved it as a kid and dread was a great follow up.
Fusion has good strengths, like atmosphere, but the linearity goes against metroids design, and removing bomb jumping and single wall jumping just feels plain wrong
I still really love fusion I’ve replayed it so many times over the years. I also just love the world of Metroid and anything that gives us a bit more story so that may be a reason I like it so much they could really expand the world so much there’s a lot there
I feel like most peoples problem with this game is what this game it isn't instead what game it is. If you are willing to overlook what this game isn't you'll find a damn good Metroid.
Yeah, I never liked the run button in Super lol. Fusion and Zero Mission show that it is not needed at all.
I literally NEVER knew the vegetable boss was a flora infused Torizo!!!
The scene where the suit speaks to the ship AI is so bad. If you haven’t figured out that the federation is kinda against you before that, then the turn near the end would have even more weight and feel even better!