First off, let me say that I am one of the biggest Metroid fans you will ever run across. I loved the original Metroid on the NES when I was a little kid, and have been excited with the announcement of every Metroid release ever since. With that being said, I was of course very excited when I heard that Nintendo was remaking Samus’ first adventure. The thing is, somehow this one managed to fly in under my radar. I only discovered its existence a few months prior to its release. Imagine my excitement when I learned not only of a new Metroid, but also that it was nearly time for its release!
As previously mentioned, Metroid Zero Mission is a remake of the original Metroid that was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in the mid ‘80’s. That’s right, we have a remake here folks. This is not just the NES game on a GBA cart. This one has completely redone graphics and music. Not to mention entirely new areas, items, and weapons not in the original Metroid.

Metroid Zero Mission holds true to the Metroid formula that all the other games have stuck to. You start off with virtually nothing, and as you find new items and progress through the game, you uncover ways to venture into areas that were previously not accessible to you. We all know the drill by now. The visuals are of the same quality as 2002’s Metroid Fusion, and the legendary Super Metroid on the Super Nintendo. Zero also has the same Metroid music we know and love, but of course is has been retooled a bit to be semi-original with this new release. I wouldn’t have it any other way. A Metroid game without the Metroid music would be no Metroid game at all, and having the remixed music keeps it refreshing.

Now, we expected all of those things, so let’s discuss what is new in Zero Mission. To me, Samus feels a lot quicker than I was used to. Since this is technically her first adventure, I suppose she could have just gotten slower in her old age. Her youth here makes her faster perhaps? Anyway it feels like her running, jumping, and reaction times are faster. This is not a bad thing. Or rather it is not a bad thing once you get used to it. Unless of course it’s all in my head… I like the added power-ups from the later Metroid games. We have come to expect them, and if they were left out, I am sure we would be wondering where they are. Now just prior to release, the new “Power Grip” and “Zip Line” were introduced and hyped up a little. Unfortunately both of these turned out to be disappointments for me. The Power Grip ended up being nothing more than Samus’ ledge grabbing ability that she had automatically during the entirety of Metroid Fusion. And what about the Zip Line? It is nothing more than a thing that moves along the ceiling of a couple rooms that you can grab onto. I was expecting new abilities for Samus. In fact, after I finished the game I sat there for a second wondering why I never found the Zip Line before I realized what the Zip Line really was. Oh well.