Ever since we got the first batch of Game Boy Advance games on the Switch, we've been waiting to see what would come next. Great news, everybody, because the wait is almost over. Coming next Thursday, March 9th, Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers will be able to play Metroid Fusion. That's exciting news, but the question remains: Is Metroid Fusion worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GMR, Nintendo Power and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when this game first came out. Get your screw attack ready, because this is another highly infectious episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


After conquering the 2D market with the critically-acclaimed Super Metroid in 1994, you might expect Nintendo to strike while the iron is hot and rush a Metroid sequel to the Nintendo 64. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Instead what happened is Nintendo waited eight long years before checking in with Samus and those pesky aliens. The good news is that Metroid Prime, the long-awaited 3D installment, was a massive hit with both critics and fans. The even better news is that on the same week that Metroid Prime came out, Nintendo also released a 2D sequel called Metroid Fusion, giving long-time fans more than enough options to make up for the eight year wait.

Now, in case you're wondering if critics might think that's too much Metroid all at once, let me throw cold water on that ridiculous concern. As Electronic Gaming Monthly's own Milkman says: “Fusion is proof that you can never have too much of a good thing. The artwork is fantastic, with all sorts of cool effects, and of course the classic Metroid gameplay remains as entertaining and rewarding as ever. Yes, the ability to link up with Metroid Prime to unlock extra bonuses is cool, but after waiting so many years for a new 2D Metroid game, I wish the main quest could've lasted longer.” Mark agreed with Milkman that the game is a bit too short, though praised the hidden passages, fun boss fights and cool power-ups. “This game almost got me killed. Rather than stop playing Fusion while standing on the bus to work, I risked keeping both hands on my GBA, almost flying out the front windshield at a sudden stop – that's how ad you'll want to continue this game once you start.”

EGM's score is in line with GamePro, who enjoyed the game enough to give it a 4.5 out of 5. Over at GMR, Andrew Pfister liked Metroid Fusion, but highlighted one of the big changes to the game: “Fusion may look new, but only a few key elements have changed, the most significant being the objective-based mission structure. From beginning to end, Samus' guidance computer will tell you what's happened, where to go and what to do – and idea that seems contradictory to the series' heavy reliance on exploration. If you can break away from the main story path (or even if you can't), Metroid Fusion is one of the GBA's best games, and a stellar edition to the series.”

Of course, you also got the chorus of critics who gave Metroid Fusion perfect scores. Game Informer, for example, gave the game the coveted 10 out of 10, making it one of their best-reviewed games of that year. You saw a similar 5 out of 5 score from Play. And then there's Nintendo Power, where all five critics gave the game a perfect 5 out of 5. George said that Fusion “refines the already amazing gameplay and play control of previous Metroid games. It's my pick for the best GBA game yet.” Scott called it “a brilliant return to the classic Metroid style of action gaming.”

In case you're wondering, the lowest scoring review came from Entertainment Weekly, who gave the game a B. “Fusion finds Samus, the Ripley-like host body to the galactic germ that serves as both her scourge and sustenance, trying to contain the parasite overrunning her research facility – with only her ship's contentious computer to aid her. This engrossing mission is less a test of hand-eye coordination than it is a mind-bending quest full of challenging labyrinths and exercises in strategy.” In other words, they liked it. Not as much as Prime, but they still liked it. And I think you will too. So go and check out the game when it hits Switch and see if you feel that it's merely a good Metroid game or, and I quote, “one of the best GBA games ever made.”