Metroid Fusion
Metroid Fusion is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in 2002. It was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, which had developed the previous Metroid game, Super Metroid (1994). Players control the bounty hunter Samus Aran, who investigates a space station infected with shapeshifting parasites known as X.
| Metroid Fusion | |
|---|---|
North American box art | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo R&D1 |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Director(s) | Yoshio Sakamoto Takehiko Hosokawa |
| Producer(s) | Takehiro Izushi |
| Designer(s) | Tomoyoshi Yamane Takehiko Hosokawa |
| Programmer(s) | Katsuya Yamano |
| Artist(s) | Tomoyoshi Yamane |
| Writer(s) | Yoshio Sakamoto |
| Composer(s) |
|
| Series | Metroid |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Like previous Metroid games, Fusion is a side-scrolling game with platform jumping, shooting, and puzzle elements. It introduces mission-based progression that guides the player through certain areas. It was released the day before the GameCube game Metroid Prime in North America; both games can be linked using the GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable to unlock additional content for Prime.
Fusion was acclaimed for its gameplay, controls, graphics and music, though its shorter length and greater linearity received some criticism. It received several awards, including "Handheld Game of the Year" from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, "Best Game Boy Advance Adventure Game" from IGN, and "Best Action Game on Game Boy Advance" from GameSpot. It was rereleased on the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in 2011 as part of the 3DS Ambassador Program, the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2014, and the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in 2023. A sequel, Metroid Dread, was released in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch.