Collection essentials #530: Metroid Zero Mission (GBA)

One Metroid on the Game Boy Advance wasn’t enough! For the second go-around, Nintendo decided to give us a full-fledged remake of the very first Metroid. This made sense, as the original was one of those old-school games that can be tough to go back to years later after being greatly outclassed by its own sequels, feeling too frustrating and rough around the edges. 

Zero Mission is not a game that you’d guess is a remake just from looking at it. The general map layout and enemies are roughly the same, but practically everything is reimagined here. New graphics and audio, new controls, an actual map, a bit of direction given to the player, and brand new additional content all round out this package. I can’t truly say that this renders the original obsolete, as the game is different enough that it’s kind of “its own thing.” But to the average gamer, there’s no doubt that Zero Mission will come off as a much more accessible, polished and enjoyable experience. You can even unlock and play the original Metroid by beating the game. I honestly don’t have a ton more to say about it; it’s Metroid done well, and it’s really good!

Compared to Metroid Fusion, this one is less linear as it’s less story-focused. To my memory of over 20 years ago, I remember liking them about the same. Whichever one you prefer may depend on whether you prefer more story and suspense as opposed to a bit more player freedom. But as far as I’m concerned, they’re both great.

I bought Zero Mission when it first came out. I think it was one of the last games I ever bought where I simply disposed of the box and manual…ugh, why did I ever do that?? Anyway, I had lots of fun with the game. And then, I misplaced the cartridge. After it had gone missing for a while, I eventually found it! …it was outside in the dirt, having been exposed to the elements for an extended period of time. The cartridge label was intact and had clearly been affected by rain. But to my surprise, the game still worked! But the save battery had gone completely dead, so it was impossible to hold a save file. Years later I opened up the cartridge and replaced the save battery, but the label still looked ugly and I sold off that copy and got this nicer complete one for my collection. It’s another grand old Metroid, and therefore another essential!