Metroid Fusion is the last canonical entry into the Metroid series. Metroid is a game series that lumped in with Castlevania as Metroidvania, that being said, the fact that Metroid and Castlevania are compared in such a way is borderline insulting. The Castlevania RPGs that are compared to the Metroid series are the epitome of 'grind' oriented gameplay. For example, Castlevania's enemy layout is to obstruct the players path with little to no resistance, in Metroid any enemy is liable to not only disrupt your progress, but also kill you. Most enemies in Castlevania can be killed with little to no effort, in Metroid enemies are versatile and dangerous. Being that this is a review of Metroid Fusion I'll stop comparing the two series, I simply wanted to establish the tone of this review. Metroid Fusion is without a doubt my favorite entry in the series, and one of my favourite GBA games. If you are a newcomer to the franchise you may want to start with a previous entry to better understand the story of this game. That being said, the focal point of the game is more so the gameplay than the story. Bits and pieces of the overall story are given to you throughout your journey, and the all satisfyingly come together in the end.The game is fun, and may challenge casual gamers, but will be a breeze for a more intense action gaming crowd. My only major complaint is that the game is somewhat short, but considering that its a GBA release, and was meant to be played on-the-go I can forgive the game's length. All in all, Metroid Fusion is an excellent action/adventure game if it can even be categorized as such. I sincerely wish that the series would return to such a streamlined gameplay model that this game uses. This game is definitely a must-play for GBA and Metroid fans.

The term metroidvania is just because of the way the map works. Also, technically Other M is the fourth game, especially since it takes place IMMEDIATELY after the events of Super Metroid.

I feel you spend too long comparing it to Castlevania. Despite the metroidvania combination, the two games have little in common, so do not waste your time.

You have only commented on the story and the gameplay. You should comment on other things such as the graphics and soundtracks. Why not go on about the game having much brighter graphics than Super Metroid?

Nice review, but it could have been spaced a bit more. It's still a pretty decent review, though.

Metroid Fusion is definitely one of the funnest video games I have ever played. When I was a little kid, the SA-X scared the halibut out of me, especially that really creepy scene where it zooms in on its face. I still find boatloads of fun playing this game, even though I've already beaten it twice. If you've never played Metroid Fusion before, it's time you have. This is actually one of the very first video games I have ever played that isn't on the SNES (because I played SNES all day every day).

tails the fox : Other M is the most recent release but story wise it takes place before Fusion. Also thanks for the feedback.