Metroid: Zero Mission

The Good
It's a Metroid, what's not to like? A polished, more playable, more accessible version of a great, if too hard, NES classic. Take a core game from that old one, add great SNES-style graphics, make it just perfectly playable, add great remixes of the classic music tracks, and you've got a complete and utter masterpiece that you gladly play over and over and over until you are too tired to play anything.

The Bad
I've heard people calling this far too short and simple. You can't do much about the shortness - even slowest players should beat this thing in 6 hours on Normal level on their first try - but I say this is good for replayability in portable games, especially when the thing wants me to play it faster and faster. If I know I have three hour trip ahead, I can usually count on completing this thing in that time.As for simplicity, well, I think this thing is generally pretty straightforward, which is not to say it is challenging at places.

And you have to kill Ridley in this game. Ridley is cute. =(

The Bottom Line
What do you get when you get a chance to take a NES game and turn it into a SNES-like game? A good chance to rework on playability and enjoyability, that's what.

This is a remake of a NES game, and a quite successful one at that. I kind of liked NES Metroid, but that thing is just way too hard by most modern scales. When most developers convert games from NES to GBA, they get things more balanced in this respect. Not a wonder. And it worked just fine in this game's case.

I used to hate all platformers unconditionally and little bit of 2D Metroids too (well, I only played the NES game and Super Metroid a little bit), but nowadays, I'm completely sold, and most of the thanks for that go to this little game. (Well, I still hate platformers, excluding Metroids!) For those who have never played the games, this game should be a good introduction to the series. Then follow that up with Prime and Fusion and Super and... well, just skip Metroid II, but you get my point.

Oh, and if you beat it, it also lets you play the original game. I'm still trying to figure that game out. It's hard.

The Good
Every METROID game goes better and better over the time (Let's not count the 3D METROID games on this topic). METROID on the NES was an unique game, with an unique system, and unique playability, that has been conserved and improved over the years, it has detoured once or twice, but then it returns to its roots, like it should. This is the case with MZM.

  MZM is, basically, a full-fledge Remake of the Original NES METROID. It is almost identical in EVERYTHING - Layout, sequence (Although in METROID you can beat Ridley first than you do beat Kraid), Items, map. Even going thru certain key areas give you a reminiscence to METROID, and Nostalgia comes out. It even resembles the way Samus walked in NES METROID. METROID ZERO MISSION is basically what NES METROID could never be.

As for the playability, the game feels like NES Metroid, but much faster, dynamic, less frustrating than the NES game. The inclussion of minibosses, secret rooms (The game even respects almost faithfully the Item Location from the NES Metroid), and the consequential mission upon beating Motherbrain adds the game a lot of replay value.

Graphically, the game is a joy. It feels as if you were playing a Manga. The backgrounds, level design, the way some tiles go transparent to reveal you there's something behind is very interesting. Seeing old enemies "A la Advance" is an unexplainable joy. The intro scenes, the cinemas give it a more Anime look.

As for the music, listening to the faithfully represented NES melodies in MIDI is another joy that almost brought tears to my eyes, and at the same time, gave me that feeling that makes your hair stand to the end. Yamamoto and Hamano have done a GOOD JOB remixing the old NES melodies.

The Bad
There was a beacon Kraid in the NES Metroid, just like in Super Metroid. They didn't include it in this one. That's the ONLY thing that I didn't like about the game. The rest is about perfect.

Short? It's short like any METROID game. I can beat Metroid Fusion with 100% Items in 1:30.

I could beat Super Metroid in 1:35 (100%). It's the fastest I can do.

MZM needs 1:40 with 100%. Short my @$$.

The Bottom Line
It's unavoidable to compare this game to Metroid Fusion. And it's easy to do, since both games are for Game Boy Advance. Honestly, Metroid Zero Mission is waaaaaaaaaaay better than Metroid Fusion, because MZM IS A METROID GAME, as they should be.

Lots of replay value, connection bonuses, and item-restriction ndings makes MSM a very rewarding game. As a METROID geek, this game is simply perfect.

The Good
A metroid with a lot of upgrades and items to improve the abilities of the character (in this case, Samus) with which to advance and with a lot of action, a balance that I loved. I haven't completed it 100%, but I'm satisfied with what I've achieved.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the game was longer than I had understood, as I thought the story ended with the original main boss, but this remake added additional story that I imagine connects to future instalments.

The Bad
As a negative point I would only mention the length of the game. Not because it's not long enough, not because it didn't expand enough the original game, it just left me wanting to enjoy more discoveries. I feel that the Samus Zero part is short and the exploration of the area is a bit lacking after what was seen previously during the adventure.

The Bottom Line
A highly recommended game, an amazing gem, and probably, at the risk of being wrong, one of the best 2D games of the series.