Metroid: Zero Mission
Although the original Metroid was released in 1986, it is still considered to be one of the most influential titles to ever have been released. In honor of the original, Nintendo decided to remake the classic for the Gameboy Advance, and Metroid: Zero Mission was born. How well does Zero Mission recreate the experience that the original Metroid offered? Read my review below to find out!

Graphics:

As many would assume, the graphics in Zero Mission are a lot better than the original’s. In fact, Zero Mission looks more like Super Metroid than anything else. This isn’t a bad thing however, because Super Metroid’s graphics have stood the test of time and still look good to this date. What really stood out to me was the quality of the cutscenes within the game. While they didn’t contain any dialogue, the cutscenes helped to add much more depth to a game that would have otherwise been a bit lacking. 

Sound and Music:

Zero Mission brings back a variety of recognizable songs from both the original Metroid and Super Metroid. In all honesty, it’s the best of both worlds. There isn’t a single song in Zero Mission that’s bad, but perhaps that’s due to the fact that there are only about 10 songs at most in the entire game. Sound effects are top notch as well in Zero Mission. Everything sounds as it should, and there really aren’t any complaints to be made in this department.

Storyline:

It is now the year 20X5, and something terrible has happened. Space pirates have attacked a deep-space research spaceship and seized a capsule containing an unknown life-form that had just been discovered on Planet SR388. The researchers from the Galactic Federation had named it “Metroid”, and were bringing it back to Earth when it was stolen. As a last resort, after many failed attempts to break through the Space Pirates’ base on their own, they have decided to hire a bounty hunter to penetrate the center of the fortress and destroy the Mother Brain. This is where Samus Aran comes in. She is regarded as the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy, and has completed various other missions in which many thought were impossible. It is now up to you to destroy the evil Mother Brain and retrieve the stolen Metroid before it is too late.

Sound familiar? If so, it’s because that’s the same paragraph I used in my review of the original Metroid. If you’re wondering why, then you obviously haven’t figured out that Zero Mission is a remake of the original. However, there are some added bonuses in the storyline. For one, the game doesn’t end with Mother Brain like the original did. I won’t say what happens, but it does extend the gameplay and story for about an extra hour. Also, the storyline is progressed a lot more fluidly and coherently than the original with the use of a few narratives by Samus, along with the multiple cutscenes shown throughout the game. After factoring in the new components added to Zero Mission, the storyline is told in a much more deep and meaningful fashion.

Gameplay:

Zero Mission plays just like any other 2-D Metroid game would. As you make your way through Planet Zebes, you’ll gradually gain new power-ups that allow you to reach areas that were previously inaccessible. Along the way you’ll encounter the occasional boss, such as Kraid or Ridley. This same style of gameplay has worked for the Metroid series for years, so why change the formula? The only real problem with Zero Mission’s gameplay, and generally with all 2-D Metroid games, is that it’s too short. The game itself took me only 4 hours to complete with a 66% item completion rate. There are a few things to help extend the gameplay, which I’ll cover later in the replayability section.

Controls:

I have yet to give a 2-D Metroid game anything lower than a 10/10 for controls. To be honest, I really don’t have any reason to. The controls work perfectly, so I can’t honestly believe that anyone would find a problem with them. One button shoots, another jumps. You move using the D-pad, the L button is use to up diagonally up or down, and the R button is used in the process of shooting missiles or dropping power bombs. If you find anything wrong with the control setup in this game, e-mail me your home address so I can’t go beat you to death with a baseball bat.

Replayability:

Yes, it’s true, Zero Mission IS short. However, there are some things that you can do to add a bit more replay value to the game. First off, there are 8 different endings you can unlock depending on the time it takes you to complete the game and what percentage of items you collected. Secondly, you can try and collect all the weapon upgrades to give you a better overall percentage. Also, when you beat the game, you’ll unlock the harder version of the game. If you beat it on hard mode, you’ll gain a fancy sound test so that you can listen to the game without having to play it. However, I think the real saving grace of this category is the fact that you unlock the original Metroid once you beat Zero Mission. That’s a whole new game to play! Unfortunately, this one little perk isn’t enough to give to Zero Mission’s stagnant replay value.

Overall, Metroid: Zero Mission is one of the best games in the series. It adds new life to the original by updating the graphics and adding more depth to the story, but it also stays true to its roots by keeping the sound, music, and gameplay that made the series what it is today. Though the replay value is lacking by quite a bit, Zero Mission is still a very solid game that any fan of the series shouldn’t pass up. If the lack of good Nintendo DS games to buy has you upset, go pick up Metroid: Zero Mission instead.
Graphics: 9.5/10
Sound and Music: 9.5/10
Storyline: 9.3/10
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Controls: 10/10
Replayability: 6.0/10
9.2
Out of 10