Topic: Metroid Fusion or Metroid Zero Mission?

Which of the two excellent Metroid outings on the GBA do you prefer?

I personally prefer Fusion over Zero Mission. Some people find Fusion to guide you around too much. I think that is true, but many people forget that Zero Mission does that too, only in a different way. Also the interactions with the computer guide in Fusion actually provide some deeper storyline and character development. The game is also a bit longer than Zero Mission. Even though it is not a hard game, the bosses are seriously much more challenging than the ridiculously whimpy ones found in Zero Mission. Ridley, Only the final boss in the game proved to be a good challenge.

Which do you prefer and why?

I like both. Maybe Fusion's story is a bit better.

Metroid Fusion. I don't really have a reason why but I think it's the better game.

I prefer Fusion, but Zero Mission is also very good. Fusion is actually my favorite 2D Metriod game, although I've never beaten Super Metroid. Can anybody tell me how Super Metroid would rank along with these other two GBA games?

I've played both, and I prefer Zero Mission myself. It feels a lot more like an exploratory game, whereas Fusion feels very linear. I also like the graphics and music more.

I'm going with Fusion, even though the exporation aspect was lacking. My first two Metroid games were Prime and Fusion, and while Prime made me fall in love with the expolration aspect, Fusion made me fall in love with the universe and especially with the character of Samus Aran. Most of the other Metroids just skim over her, making her an avatar, but in Fusion you get to see a small bit of who she is. It's also a dang good game to boot. I especially love the harrowing SA-X sequences. Really helped set the tone of the game.

_{And the Fusion Suit is so much sexier...}

I agree with pretty much everything PhoenixSage said. Especially the part about SA-X (and the part about the Fusion Suit :3).

The SA-X sequences were tense, and really added something to the overall storytelling.

It's actually even better. The GBA outings are a bit more colorful and visually appealing, but other than that, Super Metroid is the best one. It is better because it doesn't tell you were to go all the time, like Zero mission and especially Fusion do. I think that's what defines the perfect Metroid experience. While the first NES game doesn't really hold up well, Super Metroid does it all the better. I haven't played much of Metroid II: The Return of Samus on the Game Boy, but from what I've heard from those people that played all of them, Super Metroid is the best 2D version, and some argue it is in fact even better than the Metroid Prime series.

Fusion is my favourite Metroid.

Fusion for sure

Zero Mission by leaps and bounds. That game basically took the rather shoddy original game and turned it into Super Metroid pretty much. Metroid Fusion on the other hand... Well, it's good too but it was way too linear and you were just never really allowed to just diverge from the predetermined path and just go crazy with exploring. That's a staple in the series and to not have that... Well, it hurt the game...

Zero mission is a triple A+ game. I never knew the GBA was capable of such a remarkable soundtrack, visuals, and atmosphere. I'm not taking anything away from Fusion though. It to is an excellent game.

So true. :3

Fusion is a fine game, and I'm not putting it down... but Zero Mission was much better in my opinion.

While both games hold your hand about where to go next, in Zero Mission you don't have to listen if you don't want to, making it much more friendly for exploration and shortcuts and speedruns. I've replayed Zero Mission many times, and each experience is slightly different because I find some new way to reduce the time required to finish the game. Unlocking the original Metroid after you finish the game is just icing on the cake.

Fusion did have a better story, and was a top-notch action game -- but it just didn't feel like a "Metroid" title to me. For that matter, I think that Scurge: Hive on GBA offered a similar experience and might've been more enjoyable (although that's probably because I had lower expectations going in).

Story: Fusion
Everything Else: Zero Mission

Metroid Fusion, and not just because it's the only one of the two that I've played at length...