Metroid: Zero Mission (Game Boy Advance, 2004)

This is so much more than a re-release of the original Metroid for NES that came out back in 1986. Of course, some of the most obvious differences you'll notice are the graphics and sound have been overhauled to make use of the technology available to GBA.

That aside there are some more significant differences in this release, and they can arguably affect the game as a whole and be subject to criticism. First youll notice, as a sign of different times, there are now save rooms and opportunities to recharge your energy and weapons in a similar fashion that was seen in Metroid Fusion. Another significant difference is the map aspect. You now can see more than just the word "Pause" when you hit start that brings up a subscreen also similar to Fusion with a map screen, status screen and a means of entering sleep mode. Also each section has a map room within it somewhere where you can download the respective area's entire map to make progression through areas more easily. This brings up the one major difference from the original, in that, in a similar fashion to Fusion, you will now be guided to your next objective at various points within the game. Anyone who may have played the original on NES or even the Game Boy sequel may remember thses features were non existing completely and required much more exploring and figuring things out on your own. Although its not entirely nonexistent here, its just not nearly the same.

Although these changes are as I said before, easily made targets for criticism of this game, let's not forget this is not an exact port of this game and nearly 20 years seperate the two games. And if all this wasn't enough the changes dont end there. In the original, your adventure may have ended after defeating the Mother Brain, but that is far from the case here. Your quest to save the universe quickly goes awry and becomes a quest to manage to survive.

Another benefit of technology recently is the ability to add replay value, which is actually needed in this game as even with the story that unfolds after defeating Mother Brain, it can all be completed in rather short time period, with even just a little practice, just over three hours for it all is not unrealistic. But don't let that be a deterrent. It's still an unforgettable experience for what its worth. Multiple difficulty levels and the unlocking of the true port of the original NES Metroid are all here once you've completed the game.

The mere fact that this game for the most part is based on the original game from the NES era may not make it the best Metroid by any means, but it is still far above average, and recommended for those fans of the Metroid series who may have missed the game the first time around or even have played it and would like to see it from a new perspective, and I would also recommend it for anyone who somehow isn't familiar with the series and is looking for a great side-scrolling action game you will enjoy for quite some time.