Metroid: Zero Mission (2004)

Zero Mission is, in many ways, the definitive 2D Metroid game. It polishes many of the original’s rougher edges without losing its heart, modernizes the controls and provides several quality of life improvements, plus an original new sequence. In terms of consistent fun, it’s easily near the top of my list for the series, and a solid entry point for anyone interested in the franchise.

While the game arguably does more right than any other single 2D entry, I don’t know if it does any one thing the best. The visuals aren’t as lovely as Fusion, this version of Zebes feels diminished from Super Metroid, and a remake by definition can’t innovate to the same degree as Metroid 1 or 2.

But I can’t pretend this isn’t one of my favorites of the franchise. It’s just such an approachable game to play and revisit compared to many other chapters.

In preparation of finally trying out the Prime series, I recently played through Metroid Zero Mission and I had a good time. It's a remake of the original Metroid that tries to bring it in line with modern Metroid games, and while it's nothing special, and you can still feel some of the outdated design of a 1986 Metroidvania every once in a while, it does a very good job modernizing the game and turning it into a fresh and fun experience.

You play as Samus Aran on a quest to stop the Space Pirates currently experimenting on the Metroid creatures. The Galactic Federation has located their base of operations in planet Zebes, so now it's up to you to go down there before they're able to grow a Metroid army to take over the galaxy.

There's not much else to this story, but I don't really think the game needs it. Samus is a bounty hunter, she's literally being paid to kill the Space Pirate leaders, so as soon as she gets to Zebes she immediately starts wrecking the place without asking any questions. It makes sense for the story, and I think it's cool!

Still, the remake adds a few cutscenes between certain scenes to help the story flow a little bit better, as well as an entire epilogue of... questionable quality, which add just a little bit of flavor to the story.

Gameplay-wise, Zero Mission is pretty fun. Moving as Samus feels nice, and combat feels quick and impactful. The game does suffer from the Game Boy curse of having not enough buttons for all its actions, so a lot of them require strange input combinations in order to work. It can be annoying from time to time, but it never affected the flow of the game that much.

The map design is really good as well, and despite all the backtracking and exploration, I never felt like I was lost while playing. I never played much of the original Metroid, but comparing both maps side to side it's easy to see how much more interesting the map design in the remake is. The game does feel somewhat linear, especially with how much hand-holding the chozo statues give, but it's still a lot of fun to navigate and explore to find secrets and upgrades.

Looking at this game through the lens of 2024, the game doesn't actually have much of an X factor or something to make it stand out, so it just feels like any other metroidvania. However, I think it's important to keep in mind that the original Metroid literally created the entire genre, so it gets a pass.

The presentation is absolutely incredible. The music is as iconic as ever, the pixel art sprites are beautiful, and the animations are very fluid and look great (except a few in the epilogue which feel weirdly out of place). The game does a fantastic job reimagining the world of the original Metroid by taking inspiration from its sequels and retroactively integrating it in the first game.

Which brings me to the fact that this is a remake, because that's basically the philosophy the entire game follows. So many aspects of Super and Fusion are clearly integrated into the game, and although it's obvious that some of these were added for the remake, they still feel right at home in the world of Metroid 1.

The remake also adds an epilogue detailing what happens after destroying Mother Brain and... it's pretty bad. Samus loses her power armor, so the epilogue is based around stealth as you try to recover it. Unfortunately, it's not the sneak-around-enemies kind of stealth, but rather, the fall-through-the-floor-and-get-chased-for-5-minutes kind of stealth. It's over quickly, and you get access to a new suit to continue exploring the world of Zebes, but boy is it rough. Not a great addition in my opinion

In conclusion: Although the original Metroid invented the whole genre, I don't think it aged too well. Metroid Zero Mission is a very welcome remake that solves this by completely rebuilding the game from the ground up, bringing it in line with more modern genre standards. Unfortunately, this is still the original Metroid, so there's not much that could be considered special or unique. Despite this, the developers managed to create a great experience that's a lot of fun, even with the limitations of the original. Simply put: It's nothing special, but it's a generically good game. 8/10

I still don't like the spin jumping mechanic tho but that's just me.

Metroid is a franchise I have a lot of appreciation for but bounced off Super Metroid despite recognizing how good it was.

Metroid: Zero Mission is the perfect Metroid for me. I get the vibes of Metroid, but tighter controls, a shorter game, and an easier gameplay loop. I felt like I was able to solve and find a good chunk of the secrets without a walkthrough, whereas as Super Metroid I felt perpetually lost.

Zero Mission looks and sounds amazing, aging perfectly.

If you are interested in Metroid, but maybe are put off by hard old games, Zero Mission is a perfect entry point!

For context, I have played most of Super Metroid and beat Metroid Fusion a week ago. The rhythm of getting new items and unlocking new areas of the map is thumping right along the whole way. Only took three sitting to get through the entire game( But I missed a lot of the optional powerups in the process.) The stealth section at the end either feels fun and exciting or frustrating. Sometimes the path you need to take to not be killed is unclear and there's not much opportunity change course when you realize what you need to do .

Even with all the metroidvanias that are being made these days, this game still has value in just how polished and smooth the experience is. Its able to better prevent the player from being lost too often without streamlining out too much of the exploration like Metroid Fusion had done. Now I'm onto Metroid Dread or finally beating Super Metroid ( wallet dependent decision).

This was my first Metroid game that I have ever played. And as a remake of a very first entry it got me really excited for the franchise.

The game aged very well. It isn't a particularly hard game, but I don't think that the challenge is point of this game anyways. The joy lies in exploration of different areas and wonder what cool power up you will get next. I never felt lost in this game, which is also good. Secret passages are well hidden and require some attention to be found. Upon my completion I apparently got 56% of all the collectables. Which is far less than I expected. So there is plenty of content for anyone who wants to 100%. But even for me, all the stuff that I collected was more than enough to get the most of the game.

The game did disappoint me a bit regarding the variety of enemies and the feeling of different ares. While overall graphic presentation of the game is great, the new area felt new and different only when you have just came from another one. The music changes which is already a lot, but the color palette and enemies are almost the same. The music on the other hand was great.

But a very pleasant surprise came after defeating the "final boss". After defeating the brain you escape the planet and the credits are rolled... or are they? You got shot down by space pirates and you are forced to infiltrate their ship without your trustworthy space suit. And this section felt much more tense. For the most part you are a prey avoiding the enemies and crawling through hidden passages. It felt amazing how different the game immediately felt. And it also felt super satisfying when you get your suit back and just mow through the enemies that were deadly just a moment ago.

Bottom line, the game is quite great and you should play it! It is short but sweet.

Originally started playing this as a 5-10 minutes session game, then I went too deep with the game's world and puzzles.

with each session with each part I get stuck on I felt like the game wanted me to think outside of the box with very minimal clues to help fined items or key hidden packages around the level. It kept me going back to find how it will go and if I ever will reach the end on my own.

Tbh, There were moments in the level design where progressing was kind of random with paths unlocking when you aimlessly going back to check for something else to do.

Going in I expected the boss fights to be with somewhat moderate difficulty, I had fun fighting each one of them. They give a good challenge and good fight, but sadly I think this is going to be a first time only feel because I already figured the patterns.

I enjoyed those small cutscenes with how ominous things are looking with the feel that I'm being watched with movement I make.

The Brain fight was kind of annoying with "throw trash everywhere on the screen". I eventually made it.

The last Section of the game where Samus is striped of her suit and the games turns into semi stealth was absolutely FANTASTIC. High tension trying to figure Where I'm going and not get caught or killed with mix of puzzle element into it is something I had so much fun with than I needed.

The moment I got the suit back was wild. It was such a Big "Fuck you" to everyone who kept chasing me, with all the powers unlocked. It was a satisfying moment and I'm glad that I played this game and enjoyed what It offered.

I'm gonna try and play Super Metroid. If I enjoyed that game as much or even more, then call me a Metroid fan.

I don't know what I was doing, or what I was thinking back in the early 2000s, back when this came out. I would have been finishing high school and preparing myself for stepping into University, I guess. And I probably was looking at video games with an increased discernment as the Gamecube generation came to a close and we started to feel the manufactured desire for the next-gen experience. I was probably looking at the Gameboy Advance and thinking "how much longer am I actually going to play that thing?"

It was a fair question. Back then I think I talked about how much I loved video games more than I actually loved them. Up until recently, I think this was my defining relationship with games. I'm glad it is starting to spin around (thanks, in part, to the remarkable functionality of the Switch) - and I'm glad that in spinning it around I landed on the Metroid Dread bandwagon.

I'm a story person, overall. Before I get Metroid Dread, I'm committed to playing through the other games so I can get the background. This is where I started. And this game... this game is something exceptional. Certainly one of the best I have ever played. It's controls are tight - aside from the space jump, which never quite connected - and its map is exciting and interesting, but accessible. Samus herself feels like a strong heroine Bounty Hunter, capable of doing-the-deed, whatever the deed might be. And the bits and pieces of lore that you discover about her in the really quite remarkable story-telling method produce a special feeling. Words, it seems, are superfluous to imagery and emotion, music and motion.

I was surprised, when I finished the story and then went online to watch some reviews. There were entire movesets that I hadn't found, including the upward slam where you can suddenly traverse across a map and smash through floors and ceilings, and the charge beam - which I knew existed, thanks to Smash Brothers, but I thought might have been a powerup that came out of a sequel.

That got me excited more than disappointed - and it revealed to me just how smart this not-quite-linear game's design actually is. I want to go back one day, get to 100%, and discover the things I didn't find, and get into those chambers that I knew were there but couldn't, for the life of me, figure out how ot penetrate.

The game is a classic - a true blue masterpiece. Grab it if you can. I can't imagine you'll end up disappointed.

(Update: I've played through Metroid: Samus Returns, which is also exceptional but not quite as exceptional as this one. On to Super Metroid next.)

I’m starting my journey to play all of the Metroid games before Metroid dread comes out.

Starting with Zero Mission, this game is a remake or reimagining of the first game of Metroid which was originally on the NES. I’ve played a lot of metrovania games, but… This game is straight fire, what I love about this game is the movement!! Samus feel so smooth. And everything feels so fast pace. I beat the game in 3 hours and it felt right.

Overall, this game is a must play game for gamers! It hits every right note. I can’t wait to play the rest and see my thoughts for them. Next up: getting a 3ds to play samus return.

With the announcement of Metroid Dread, I was willing to get into the series. When I learned of the length of the firsr game, that made me even more interested to emulate it and wow.

Only a few seconds in, you find the morph ball. And with this grab, you click with the game. The game immediately tells you what you need to do to beat the game; collect powerups to help guide you on your journey. I can't think of a game that accustoms the player and gives the objective this quickly.

Zero Mission is indeed a remake of Metroid 1. You can play the original for novelty's sake or even after beating Zero Mission to see the differences as you can play the original version through Zero Mission. As for the differences, Samus can crouch and shoot, her controls are borrowed from Fusion rather than the floatiness of the original. Save points exist instead of the outdated password system that even the original Legend of Zelda has. And like the original Zelda, Zero Mission has a map. Chozo statues restore health and ammo so you don't have to grind as much. There are new areas that I will blur for spoiler's sake, but even if you have already played the original, I really suggest playing it for the new content.

One thing that can be a turn off for people who are not fans of Metroid is crypticism. Let me tell you. There's only one BS moment. The secrets have these subtle nods to them such as enemies appearing in lava (though hiding routes in fake lava makes no sense) and tiles that stand out above the rest.

Bosses are eh. Ridley and Kraid are faithful to their Super Metroid selves, but still better than the original where they're basically your size. Still, even in the remake, Mother Brain is a motherfucking bitch. With only 2 tiles to stand on and lasers and circles coming at you, I find this boss to be bullshit.

Metroid is considered to be Nintendo's most atmospheric franchise to date. I will show some examples so spoilers. I will be blurring spoilers because I want you to play this game for what it does right. My favorite example would be the larva. It's a new type of enemy it has this looming track. Then, there is Imago, a larva bosswith a much lighter, creepier leitmotif. You "kill" Imago and proceed. You hit a dead end, but you also see the cocoon of Imago. You go to where it was, but Imago is nowhere to be seen. Keep going. You see these eggs and break them. All of a sudden, ADULT IMAGO COMES OUTOF NOWHERE WITH THAT SAME LEITMOTIF! It's much faster and louder and got a good scare out of me. That's only one example out of a couple.

NEW CONTENT SPOILERS

After what was the final boss of the original, there's an escape sequence. Samus bolts to her ship and... Is this it? Is this the end? OH SHIT! Space Pirates shoot her ship down and Samus no longer has her power suit. She only has her pistol that only stuns enemies. What was once a game where you're a badass gaining upgrades to help you, you are now vulnerable and everything is stripped away from you. It's now a stealth section that explains the Space Pirates better than the original and ups the tension. Taking damage can take away an entire cell so you best be careful. After minutes of running and running away. You encounter a boss. Afterwards, you retrieve your power suit along with the upgrades that were once unknown being revealed. Awww yeahh. How the turntables. You fight back at the pirates. It's a one woman army. Oh, what's that? You're now scared of me? Bitch, I'm Samus Aran and I'm gonna kick your ass. What an amazing power fantasy. It's an earned one ofter running away with nothing to fight back with.

I plan on playing this game again for 100% completion some day. I have never gotten the Shinespark(turns out that it is a hidden move in the Speed Booster. Oops), but I hear the overuse of it it's one of the most criticized things about completing Zero Mission. If you're willing to get into Metroid with Metroid Dread coming out, this is the best place to start. To reiterate, if you didn't enjoy Metroid 1, you still should play Zero Mission. It took me 3.5 hours to beat with 50% completion so it's quite a short game and easy to get into and it seems to be the case for the rest of the 3. The verion of Metroid 2 that I'll play next will be AM2R.

CURRENT RATING: 8.5/10

It is a good game, and I've enjoyed playing it, but it has a problem a lot of games of its era have: being a remake that doesn't improve the most annoying parts of the original game. Having "hey, see this pool of lava that is completely identical to every other pool of lava in the game? Well, you need to jump into it to advance after three hours going everywhere in the map without finding the way!" is a bad idea and the person who thought it should feel bad. Baaaaaad.

Still, what it does, it does mostly well, it's satisfying to play, and it was interesting to play a 2D Metroid after playing so many times the Prime games.