I'm glad I could help you.

This is a masterpiece of psychology in modern game design; having an almighty hero(ine) become severely underpowered, locked down in a spaceship under the edicts of a shady AI, and ruthlessly hunted down by a perfect replica of herself at peak condition... basically in the same position as the space pirates and alien lifeforms she's used to mowing down. The concept alone makes it stand out from a vast majority of 2-D sidescrollers, but the game design and pacing itself is more fresh and exciting than Zero Mission (which is good but is way too safe and familiar to have Super or Prime's mystique) as well as the endless 2-D rehashes of Castlevania, Sonic, Mega Man etc.

Anyone who bashes this game is an ignoramus. End of story.

Are there actually people who bash the game? I find that hard to believe, considering how great it is.

You'd have to stay up a few nights to think of complaints for this marvelous game. And even then the reasons would sound stupid and ignorant.

I don't think i've actually seen anyone actively bash the game, but it does occasionally get criticism for being more linear than other Metroid games and for being comparatively short.

Super Metroid is actually much shorter than this. As for linearity, I don't think so. Sure, Adam tells you where to go, but it's almost always a nonlinear journey to your destination. And if Adam "tells you where to go" (I'm sure someone would eventually come to this), then what about the objectives in Super Metroid? In a way they sort of show you the way there.

So is there anything that I won't understand if I don't play Super first?

Um... well you won't understand a few things. There's not many, but it's good to get a feel for 2-D Metroid with the easiest one.

Have you played Other M?

Metroid Fusion is like Other M done right basically. (please don't cause a debate, please don't cause a debate, please don't cause a debate)

Never played Other M. I get some references so far like the baby Metroid and Adam. So if it's only a few things I won't get I' just got t keep going ahead. This is really fun so far.

It's really challenging too! It's really fun and rewarding though.

Can't wait.

So I beat Metroid Fusion and...

Spoilers

I beat it at 48% with exactly 4 hours down. Fairly short but it's so much fun I have to play through it again! Plus I still have 52% of the items left to find. This is crazy awesome.

The ending and the events leading up to it are Metal Gear Solid worthy. Other M is officially garbage to me (even though it truly did help me understand 100% what was going on). The dialogue in Fusion was magnificent and I only wish that Other M had this magic touch to it.

Anyway, this is a topic about Fusion not Other M so I will continue. I can't believe the Federation actually wanted to take the X and SA-X in for their own projects and use it for "good". Like Samus said, they all would've died in an instant when in contact with it and would have just worsened everything even if the ship exploded. Locking Samus in the room had my jaw drop to the floor. I thought he wasn't going to let her out and she was going to have to bust out herself.

That last boss fight was pretty cool yet familiar at the same time. I was shocked that the SA-X gave its life to me so I could defeat the Omega Metroid. Sort like in Super Metroid when the baby Metroid gives its life to Samus to finish off Mother Brain. I was dumbfounded by its action. I mean come on, the thing tried killing you throughout the entire game with its overwhelming power. I found those moments to be some of the most adrenaline pumping moments to be found in the Metroid universe, period. The SA-X was merciless and was going to stop me no matter at what cost.

/Spoilers

I think I should stop before everything that comes out of my mouth doesn't make an ounce of sense. (But damn I love this game! <3 Definitely in my top five Metroid games and is definitely my favorite game on the GBA.)

Made it to Sector 4. Holy crud this is so awesome. Looooving it!! Love the item get theme.

for those who haven't beat it SPOILERS. I don't think the SA-X was helping you par se, It just saw the Omega Metroid as a bigger threat than you (it had after all just kicked Samus' @ss), and logically the thing to do would be to take down the greater threat. Without human emotion and 'drive' (and overly relying on the logic that Ice Beam > Metroid), the SA-X failed. Aftarwards, Samus simply took advantage of the fact that SA-X's core X was exposed and easy pickings. At least that's what I think. SPOILERS END.

Funny how this thread was awakened again. I beat the game a couple of months ago and it's one of my favorite Metroid games. (Wait a minute... I like all the Metroid games I've played.) I still have to find all the items and I'm probably also trying to do the speed-run to get best ending. I have to buy Metroid: Other M sometime as it connects to this game. I want to know more about Adam and kill Nightmare.

@RR529

Spoilers
Agreed. It was heart warming for me though because it chose Samus instead of the Omega Metroid. Such an epic ending. /Spoilers

@Late

You should really play Other M. It's not the greatest Metroid but it's still good and it helped me understand Fusion's storyline better in the end. So Fusion's storyline should help you connect to Other M's story. lol

By the way what Metroid games have you played besides Fusion?

Spoilers

Spoilers

With the SA-X at the end, i think it was just a matter of the fact that since the Omega Metroid was the ultimate form of the sworn natural enemy of the X, the SA-X was willing to do anything to destroy it, including saving the hated Samus — knowing that Samus was the greatest chance to destroy Omega. Like a "Lex Luthor teaming up with Superman" thing.

EndSpoilers

EndSpoilers

Also, I agree on the Other M thing — i loved Fusion enough the first couple times i played it, but playing it again after Other M somehow made the game even better. Fusion's probably among my top 3 Metroid games, with the original being my favorite (in no small part from the nostalgia).

@Chrono_Cross: I think I've played all the Metroid games except Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (have to beat Echoes first), Metroid: Other M and Metroid Prime Pinball (which barely counts).
Games I need to buy to complete my Metroid collection are Other M, Pinball and Zero Mission. I've played Zero Mission before and beat it but I would really like to own it. It's hard to find that game here where I live.
It's weird how I got into Metroid only about 1,5 years ago but now I almost have every Metroid game available. I fell quickly in love with Metroid series.

Not gonna lie. Serries scared the crap outta me.